Jan Quirijnss, of Utrecht, a Skipper, in the Year 1569

On the same day that the aforementioned friend of God, Willem Janss, from Waterland, was put to death by fire, there was also sentenced to death and the fire, in the same city of Amsterdam, by the same judges, in the same court, and for the same reason, a certain pious brother named Jan Quirijnss, a native of Utrecht, and a skipper by trade. Though he was a citizen of the city of Amsterdam, he nevertheless had his citizenship in the new and heavenly Jerusalem, and to obtain it he pressed through the strait gate, so that he left his flesh on the posts. All of this appears from the sentence that follows, which was pronounced about an hour before his death; and though it was drawn up very hatefully by the papist rulers who then ruled at Amsterdam, yet, when it is considered impartially, it shows plainly enough the truth of what we have just said. The contents of it, except the title, are word for word as follows

Sentence of death of Jan Quirijnss, of Utrecht, a skipper

Whereas Jan Quirijnss, skipper, born at Utrecht, a citizen of this city, at present a prisoner, unmindful of his soul's salvation, and of the obedience which he owed to our mother, the holy church, and to his royal majesty, as his natural lord and prince, undertook, contrary to the ordinances of the holy church, and to the great contempt of the holy baptism he received in his infancy, to have himself baptized by the teachers of the reprobated and accursed sect of the Mennonists, about seven years ago; also, afterwards, at two different times, to receive the breaking of the bread according to the manner of the said sect; and several times attended the assembly of the said sect, and this even within a year; and, moreover, has always so despised the ordinances of the holy church, and still despises them, that he has been neither to confession nor to the holy, worthy sacrament, except once about twelve years ago; to which reprobated and accursed sect he, the prisoner, still persistently clings, refusing to return to our mother, the holy church, even though he has repeatedly been urged and instructed to this by various clerical persons, and also by the court of this city; so that he, the prisoner, according to what has been stated, has committed a crime against divine and human majesty, as one disturbing by his sect the common peace and welfare of the land, according to the decrees of his majesty; therefore my lords of the court, having heard the demand of my lord the bailiff, and seen the confession of the prisoner, and having taken account of his great stubbornness and obstinacy, have condemned him, and by this present sentence do condemn him, to be executed with fire, according to the decrees of his majesty; and declare all his property confiscated for the benefit of his majesty aforesaid, without prejudice to the privileges of this city in all other matters. Done in court, in presence, and so on.

How the said martyr was twice tortured, according to the record of the secretary of the said place

The aforesaid person was twice tortured, namely, on the fourth and the fifth of March, in the year 1569, and this according to the sentence of the judges, as appears from the records of the confession.

Thus extracted from the book of criminal sentences of the city of Amsterdam, preserved in the archives of the said city.

N. N.