Heyndrick Arents, in the Year 1568

Among many other true believers baptized according to the command of Christ, who were persecuted, driven out and put to death everywhere, one Heyndrick Arents of Briel also fell into the hands of these persecutors, about the year 1568. The circumstances that led to his imprisonment were these: "A ship had cast anchor in the roadstead off Briel because of a leak it had sprung, and since this Heyndrick Arents was a ship carpenter in Briel, those on the ship asked him to caulk the craft. While he was there with them, the lords of Rotterdam learned that this ship was a pirate, and sent a detachment of soldiers there. These captured the ship and took this Heyndrick Arents and the pirates to Delft as prisoners. And since those of Delft refused to take them in, they were immediately taken to Rotterdam, where, because of their misdeeds, they were soon sentenced to be hanged. When Heyndrick Arents saw this, he asked whether he had come into a city of justice or of violence, why they wanted to condemn the innocent with the guilty? And he said that he had not been arrested for any crime. If they would inquire about him and his faith, they would find it to be so. Susanna, verse 53; Exodus 23, verse 7; First Peter 4, verse 15.

Hearing this, the governor asked: "What does he say? What sort of a heretic is this? If he is one of the Anabaptists he shall not be hanged, but burned." So he was examined about his faith, and freely confessed that he had been baptized upon his faith, according to the command of Christ; and on the other hand he rejected usurping infant baptism and all papal errors, but confessed the ordinances of Christ and His apostles (which he and his fellow believers observed). Then they sentenced him, and after an imprisonment of two weeks he was burned at that place, with great steadfastness, and confirming the faith of the truth with his death and blood.