Burning of David and Levina, Ghent, 1554.
Engraving by Jan Luiken in Martyrs Mirror, v. 2, p. 161 of Dutch edition.
Scan provided by Mennonite Library and Archives
On this date, Anabaptists David van der Leyen and Levina Ghyselius were burned at the stake in Ghent.
In the year 1554, there was imprisoned at Ghent, in Flanders, for following Christ and living according to God’s commandments, a young brother named David, who, when examined, freely confessed his faith. Being asked what he thought of the sacrament, David said, that he considered it nothing else than idolatry. Then a priest said to him, “Friend, you err greatly, that you so readily confess your faith, for it will cost you your life, if you do not change your mind in time.” Thereupon David sweetly replied, “I am ready to shed my blood for the name of Christ, even though it should be here in this place; for God is my salvation, who will keep me, and preserve me from all evil.” The priest said, “It will not be as good as though you were put to death secretly here in this place; but you will be burnt publicly at the stake, for an everlasting reproach.” He was then brought into the court, where he was condemned to death, and his sentence was read, namely, that he had fallen from the true faith into heresy, and was therefore, according to the imperial edict, sentenced to be strangled and burned. David said, “No one will ever be able to prove by the Scriptures, that the faith for which I must now die is heresy.”
There was also sentenced to death with him a woman named Levina, who rather forsook, not only her six dear children, but also her temporal life, than her dear Lord and Bridegroom Jesus Christ. Arriving on the scaffold, David attempted to kneel down in order to offer up his prayer to God, but he was prevented, and they were immediately driven away to the stakes, standing at which, David said to Levina, “Rejoice, dear sister; for what we suffer here is not to be compared with the eternal good that awaits us.” (Rom. 8:18) When about to offer up their sacrifice, both exclaimed, “Father, into thy hands do we commend our spirits.” A little bag of gunpowder was tied to each of them, whereupon they were strangled and burned. But there happened a manifest miracle of God; for though they were completely burned, and the fire was as good as extinguished, David was seen to move his head, so that the people exclaimed, “He still lives.” The executioner seized the fork, and thrust it three times into his bowels, so that the blood flowed out; yet even after this he was still seen to move, hence, the executioner threw a chain around his neck, and bound him to the stake, and thus broke his neck.
Thus these two valiantly fought their way through, firmly trusting in God, who did not let them be confounded, since they had firmly built their building upon the only foundation; wherefore they shall never perish, but abide forever.
David van der Leyen (or Verleyen), an Anabaptist martyr, was executed with Levina Ghyselius at Ghent, Belgium on 14 February 1554 by burning at the stake. The first information we have about these two martyrs is found in the Liedtboecxken van den Offer des Heeren (1562) where they are celebrated in a song (No. 7) beginning: "Ghy Christen al te samen, bereyt u tot ten strijt" (You Christians all together, prepare for the conflict). It is also included by Wolkan. Another song about David and Levina is found in the Nieu Liedtboecxken (1562 and later editions): "Och Heere ic moet u claghen" (Oh Lord, I must complain to Thee), also found in Wackernagel. The later accounts including that of the Martyrs' Mirror, are prose adaptations of these songs. The Liedtboecxken song says that David was a young man who firmly confessed his faith and steadfastly suffered all vexations both of body and mind, and that after the fire had gone out, David was miraculously still alive.
Many members of the van der Leyen family at Ghent were suspected of heresy and some of them died as martyrs: Tanneken on 27 August 1555, at Antwerp; Franchois on 28 April 1558, at Ghent; Laureys on 8 November 1559, at Antwerp. According to an old chronicle of Ghent David's father was also a Mennonite, but because he was dangerously ill, the count gave up further persecution. The noted von der Leyen family of Krefeld does not stem from the Flemish van der Leyens, as has sometimes been asserted.
No comments:
Post a Comment