Martyrs Mirror 663QUIRINUS PIETERS OF GR(ENINGEN, BURNT ALIVE FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AT AMSTERDAM; IN HOLLAND, ON THE 16TH OF APRIL, A. D. 1545

When the constraint of conscience and faith did not cease, but increased and broke forth more and more through the adherents of popery, against the pious Christians, who, according to the command of Christ had been baptized upon their faith, it occurred, that a certain pious brother, named Quirinus Meters, a native of Groeningen, also separated from popery; and joined the cross bearing church of Jesus Christ, called Baptists, or, contemptuously; Anabaptists, having been received into the church through baptism upon confession of his faith, by Menno Simons, who was at that time one of the most eminent teachers in Friesland.

But when he, about six years ago, went .to Holland; and settled down at Amsterdam, there to live in quiet according to his faith and conscience, be was very speedily discovered by the authorities, apprehended; and finally, as he would not apostatite, sentenced to death, on the sixteenth of April, A. D: 1545, namely, to be burned to death; which dreadful and severe punishment this pious hero of Christ steadfastly endured, having commended his soul into the hands of God.

Ail of this we have taken from the following sentence, which was publicly read to him, on the day of his death, by the rulers of darkness, and a true copy of which, extracted from the book of criminal sentences, has now been transmitted to us through the secretary there. The contents of the same, with the exception of the title, are as follows