Martyrs Mirror 648OF A CERTAIN DECREE PUBLISHED IN ALL WEST FRIESLAND AGAINST MENNO SIMONS, AND, CONSEQUENTLY,. AGAINST ALL AD; HERENTS OF HIS DOCTRINE, ABOUT A. D. 1543

In Chronijk van den Ondergang, page 1104, col. 2 and 3, we find these words

About this time the servants of antichrist caused a dreadful decree to be proclaimed throughout all West Friesland, in which all malefactors and murderers were promised pardon for their crimes, the favor of the Emperor, freedom of the country, and one hundred earl guilders, if they would deliver vlenno Simons into the hands of the tormentors and executioners.

This decree, when properly considered, indicates the extreme wickedness and tyranny of the West Friesian Regents of those times, against those who maintained or, at least favored the true faith. All malefactors and murderers, who certainly, according to the laws of the country, were subject to very severe punishment, yea, to death, because of their crimes and murders, were here accounted better than a pious Christian, who injured no one; yea, their crimes were remitted them, and over and above this, ,a large sum of money, according to that time, was promised them, merely to deliver into the hands of the criminal judges, a single person, who maintained the true doctrine. How much may we suppose would they have promised them, had they been able to exterminate all orthodox believers, and, consequently, the entire church of God? We certainly have just cause for the belief, that this came down very severely upon the heads of the true witnesses of Jesus in general; that is, on those that resided in these regions; in regard to which we shall also show in the proper place, how very unmercifully the authorities there, through the instigation of some so called spiritual persons, dealt with the innocent and defenseless sheep of the flock of Christ.