Digibron cookies

Voor optimale prestaties van de website gebruiken wij cookies. Overeenstemmig met de EU GDPR kunt u kiezen welke cookies u wilt toestaan.

Noodzakelijke en wettelijk toegestane cookies

Noodzakelijke en wettelijk toegestane cookies zijn verplicht om de basisfunctionaliteit van Digibron te kunnen gebruiken.

Optionele cookies

Onderstaande cookies zijn optioneel, maar verbeteren uw ervaring van Digibron.

Bekijk het origineel

Selcart (5)

Bekijk het origineel

+ Meer informatie

Selcart (5)

(An historical account of the persecution of the Churches Under the Cross)

8 minuten leestijd Arcering uitzetten

Accompanied by Anneke, Selcart started to walk toward the city gate where the prison was located. When they arrived there, the main gate of the prison had been opened, and while Selcart went inside, Anneke waited in the foreground, craning her neck to see if she might catch a glimpse of her husband at one of the windows but to no avail. Selcart knocked on the door and was soon admitted while Anneke anxiously awaited his return in the hope that she would be permitted to see her husband. That hope was soon dashed to pieces because Selcart returned with the message that they had to receive permission from the priest, Jan Harmensz, of the St. Jacobs Church. It was likely that the jailer could have been moved with a monetary bribe, but he was expecting visitors, so he dared not do that. The only thing that remained was to go to the priest to see if he would give Anneke the desired authorization.

Anneke did not feel as brave as the previous evening, but the desire to see Cor was so strong that with Selcart showing her the way, they started to walk toward the rectory. The rectory was located in a beautiful area of the city, surrounded by a small forest where in an enclosed park-like setting the priest kept a menagerie of exotic animals and birds. The priest lived in a very large home and enjoyed great wealth as the “foremost” priest of the Hague. When they came to the entrance of the street where the rectory was located, Selcart showed Anneke where she had to go, and he returned towards home. They both thought that it was best that Selcart not go with her.

Coming to the gate by the rectory, Anneke lifted the latch and soon stood before the door. With a silent prayer in her heart, she rang the bell. The door was opened by a housekeeper, and Anneke was taken to a room where she was told to wait for a few moments. It soon appeared that the priest was home, and Anneke was brought into his study where he was sitting at a desk in his official robes, dictating some letters. Pastor Harmensz, along with the priest of the Elizabeth’s convent, Jan Claesz, were the leaders of the Inquisition before whom anyone who was suspected of straying from the faith of the Roman Catholic Church would have to appear.

“Well, dear lady, you wished to speak to me. What can I do for you?” asked the priest in a syrupy tone of voice.

Anneke who was somewhat put at ease by the friendly tone of the priest answered, “Esteemed father, I am a simple farmer’s wife from Naaldwijk who wishes to request a great favor from you, for a very serious matter has filled my heart with grief. In the middle of the night they have taken my husband, Cor Stevens, a man who has never done any harm to anyone, one who is a good father and husband, dragged him from his bed, and cast him into prison. I have no doubt when he is examined that it will be very clear a mistake has been made, and he will quickly be allowed to go free. I would like so very much to be able to see him and to bring him some refreshment. I have heard that you are able to give me a permit to do that.”

The priest had listened patiently to Anneke’s request, but he had raised his eyebrows when Anneke mentioned the name of her husband.

“Certainly, dear lady, I can give you that permit, but before I give that to you, I must tell you that under the rule of his Catholic majesty and under the further direction of the mighty and righteous governor, innocent people are not just picked up and thrown into prison. I recall the case of your husband very well, and it appears to me that he is definitely not as innocent as you state him to be.”

After saying this, the priest picked up some papers from his desk and began to read, “Cor Stevens is a dangerous man who is guilty of transgressing many of the rules of the Roman Catholic Church. He has housed and protected heretics who have not only turned their backs to our church, which is the only church whereby you can be saved, and has used his home where he has led church services and thereby work towards the breakdown of our holy mother, the church.”

“You can see, therefore,” continued the priest, “that there were reasons enough to bring your husband before the Inquisition, and it is only because of the patience and love which we have toward our members that we did not arrest him earlier. I do not doubt that, when the errors are pointed out to him, he will quickly turn from them. We, from our side, hope that you will also do your duty and work along with us. It is only on that condition that I can give you the requested permit. You will promise to do that, will you not?”

Anneke, who had been put at ease by the priest’s kindly manner, was suddenly quite troubled by the request of the priest. Her shrewdness, however, soon gave her the means to also get out of this trap, and she answered with earnest conviction, which was very surprising to the priest, “Certainly, esteemed father, I will gladly, as much as I am able, convince my husband of the error of his ways and try to get him to turn away from them.”

“That is well spoken,” said the priest, who did not readily sense the meaning of Anneke’s words. “If you are so inclined then, with the help of the holy mother, to have the soul of your husband saved, he will soon be returned to the bosom of the Catholic church, but,” and here the priest smiled, “he has certainly shared with you some of his erroneous ideas and tried to win you over to his beliefs.”

“Oh, yes, your honor, I always went with my husband to bring our cheese and butter to the market. As far as his beliefs, I cannot judge, for I am a simple woman, and you gentlemen of the judiciary can evaluate that better than I can. I know my husband only too well; if you gentlemen point out to him the dangerous nature of his beliefs, he will gladly let go of all that does not belong to the true faith.”

“I do hope, little lady, that you have not been infected with the heresies of your husband; you follow your religious duties faithfully, do you not?”

“Oh, certainly, your honor, as well as a farmer’s wife can do that. Even if I am a weak vessel who cannot do much for the church, I do hope to live and die in the only true saving faith.”

“I can hear it already,” said the priest. “Here we have a powerful fellow member. We are halfway home with our work if you will now go to your husband and have great influence by telling him that you so long for his return, the children miss him, and the farm cannot miss his oversight.

“I will gladly give you a permit which will allow you to visit your husband at any time. Use your time well when you are with him, and consider that a great treasure is laid away for you when you bring a straying sheep back into the fold of our holy mother the church.”

“Come, Father Anselm, please write a permit for this good woman.”

Father Anselm, who until now had sat quietly listening, wrote a few lines, upon which pastor Harmensz placed his signature and the seal of the church of the St. Jacobs church. Then he placed his hand out to bless her, and Anneke’s face flushed; she did not know how to hide that other than by bowing her head, which the priest misread as a token of deep respect.

“And now, dear mother, go in peace. The holy mother and all the saints protect you.”

Anneke said goodbye very respectfully and hastened to leave. Although she was very happy to have received the requested permit, she realized that she had paid a steep price for it. The love for her husband had caused her to be weak in the confession of her most holy faith because of fear of man.

In the meantime, she had quickly returned to the home of Selcart who, in great anxiety for her safety, had walked back and forth to the front door numerous times to see when she would return.

(To be continued)

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Bekijk de hele uitgave van maandag 1 mei 2017

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's

Selcart (5)

Bekijk de hele uitgave van maandag 1 mei 2017

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's