Heyndrick Eemkens, in the Year 1562

In the year 1562 a brother named Heyndrick Eemkens, a tailor, was arrested at Utrecht for the testimony of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. After all the pleadings and pains he suffered, he finally received word that he was to die, and he rejoiced that he too should have the privilege of being a witness for the name of the Lord. This message was brought to him by the pastor of the Buerchurch and a Franciscan monk named Friar Jan van Herentals, who told him of it in a few words and then left him. He said to friar Jan: "You need not come again tomorrow, for I do not need you." In the morning he was brought out of his prison into another room, where he had many words with the monk, who immediately condemned him. Then he replied

"Judge not, and you shall not be judged." Luke 6, verse 37. The monk said: "You confessed that you did not believe that Christ took flesh from Mary." He replied: "I have said it once in my confession; shall I tell you again?" and he referred him to John 1.

The monk then asked him whether he would not confess to him. He answered: "I have confessed to God." The monk said: "Have you lived to be so old without ever confessing?" "No," he said, "I have indeed confessed to men; but God knows I heartily regret that I submitted so long to your confession." The monk then asked him whether he did not want to hear a mass. He replied: "I have read so many that I loathe the mass; and even though I do not want to have it, yet if you want to read it, nevertheless, how can I prevent it? So if you want to do it, do so, but not on my account; for I do not wish it." Then the monk asked him whether he would not have the sacrament; but he said: "No, but if I could partake of the Lord's Supper as the Lord instituted and commanded it, and as the apostles and their churches observed it, this I should heartily desire, and thank the Lord for it; but your deception I do not want." At this the monk again damned him two or three times.

The thief takers then came and wanted to give him something to drink, but he refused it. Then one of the jailer's daughters came, a wanton girl, and wanted to put it into his mouth with a spoon, as they were sitting and drinking with the thief takers, but Heyndrick said to her: "I have certainly told you that I do not want it; so let me be in peace, if it is possible." Then one of the thief takers said: "Do you want to go out of this world on an empty stomach?" He said to him: "I thirst for the true wine, of which I hope to drink shortly." But the monk said: "God does not put new wine into old bottles." But he said to the monk: "Because I have been made new, therefore you hate me." Much more was said still, which has been forgotten, since he himself could not write. This was written down by one who was present when Heyndrick spoke with the monk. Though he was not a brother or fellow member with Heyndrick in the church, his friendly disposition prompted him to write down what he remembered of it, just as he saw and heard it, for the remembrance of all lovers of the truth; and what follows was seen and heard not only by him, but also by all the citizens generally, who can testify to it with him.

When Heyndrick had gone up onto the scaffold, he began to speak much to the people, saying, among other things: "Good citizens, repent, and believe only the Gospel and not the traditions of men."

When they led him to the lords to hear his sentence, he again turned his face to the citizens and said that all the practices observed were only human traditions, and that whoever would not follow them had to be the reproach and offscouring of all men, indeed, must suffer death in this way. Matthew 15, verse 6; First Corinthians 4, verse 13.

After the sentence had been read, many of the people, who pitied him and did not wish to see him die, went away. But Heyndrick Eemkens fell on his knees and on his face, on the scaffold, to pour out his earnest prayer before the Lord. When the executioner saw him fall down, he pulled his cloak from his shoulders and hauled him up by his shirt, so that he could not finish his prayer.

Heyndrick then said to the people: "Dear citizens, repent, for it is more than time. Live according to God's commandments and the words of the holy Gospel." And he called again with a loud voice: "This is the narrow way, and the strait gate;" and he named the chapters where it was written, and many other Scriptures that bore on the same thing. He then stepped of his own accord, with a glad heart, onto the bench where he was to be strangled and burned, and said again: "This is the strait gate; press through it. Through this the men of God pressed, for he who fights steadfastly to the end shall be saved; of this I have no doubt." With great courage he put his body and neck to the stake, and said again with a joyful heart: "Dear citizens, repent; believe the Gospel and not men; for this is the narrow way a Christian must walk." The executioner then took a chain and put it around his body, and fastened a little bag of gunpowder to his neck, so that it hung over his breast. Heyndrick spoke boldly to the very last, but his words could not be understood very well, for the executioner took a cord, laid it around his neck, and twisted it tight. Heyndrick closed his eyes, just as though he had fainted, and he was not seen to move any more, except that he cast up his eyes to heaven once more, and then immediately lost consciousness. Then the executioner drew the bench away from under his feet, and taking a fork, thrust it into a bundle of straw and held the straw to a pot of fire standing on the scaffold, until it caught fire, and then he applied it to the gunpowder. The blaze flashed up to his eyes but did not burn his hair. He lifted up his hands to heaven once more, after which he showed no further sign of life.

So Heyndrick Eemkens offered up his sacrifice, as a valiant witness of the Lord, on the 10th of June, 1562, about between 10 and 11 o'clock in the morning.