Prijntgen and Martijntgen Maelbouts, in the Year 1564

Written in bonds.

On the 12th of November in the year 1564, there was beheaded with the sword, at Ghent in Flanders, one Prijntgen Maelbouts, widow of Jacob de Backer, brother of Pauwels van Meenen, and with her, her sister, Martijntgen Maelbouts, a young girl, a native of Thielt; not for any reported evil deeds, but simply for the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ, in a good conscience, since they, according to the teaching of the holy Scriptures, had separated from the papal church of antichrist as being polluted with much uncleanness of the impure works of darkness, and the doctrines and commandments of men, which conflict with the holy Word of the Lord, and had united with the true members of Christ, and sought with them, according to their weak ability, to keep the commandments and ordinances of their Lord. On this account the persecutors and enemies of the truth took their lives from them, which they willingly gave up to please their Lord and Redeemer, in the living hope and firm faith that at the resurrection of the just they would receive back into great glory these their corruptible members, which they here gave up for His name's sake, and would reign with God and His saints in eternity. Second Maccabees 7, verses 11 and 14; First Corinthians 15, verse 43.