Martyrs Mirror 1194OLIVIER WILLEMSS, OF NIMEGUEN, BURNT ALIVE FOR THE PRACTICE OF THE EVANGELICAL TRUTH, TOGETHER WITH TWO YOUNG MAIDENS, AT ANTWERP, A. D.' 1574

Olivier Willemss, born at Nimeguen, educated in the schools, and having become pastor of Leeuwen, a village between Nimeguen and Tiel, began at times to evince scruples in reading the mass, and about other Romish institutions. This exciting suspicion, he, by the advice of well meaning friends, fled to the country of Cleves, and having entered into the communion of the Anabaptists there, married a certain widow from Antwerp (likewise a fugitive on account of persecution), and in the hope of greater freedom through mitigation of the bloody decrees; returned with her to Antwerp and settled down in the Steenhouwdersvest.

His wife in the meantime giving birth to two sons, the report of it, together with the. circumstance that the children were not brought to baptism, brought them into rumor and suspicion of heresy, so that they, 'after accusation, in the beginning of the year 1574 (the children being then a year and three months old), were put into prison.

A few days afterwards, on Friday, the 22d of January, this good and upright man, Olivier Willemss, was, because of his faith, because of having received baptism in adult years, and because of having sold certain good and edifying books, proscribed by the papists, condemned to death and the fire, to be burnt alive, which he steadfastly suffered the following day, having commended his soul into the hands of God.

His wife, through a certain occasion, not necessary to be related here: escaped out of prison, and ultimately fell asleep in the Lord, a God fearing and godly woman, in the eighty fifth year of her age.