The execution of Jan van Essen and Hendrik Vos

Jan van Essen and Hendrik Vos or Voes, were the first two

Lutherans Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

executed by the

Council of Brabant The Council of Brabant was the highest law court in the historic Duchy of Brabant. It was presided over by the Chancellor of Brabant. One of its functions was to determine that new legislation was not contrary to the rights and liberties establi ...

for their adherence to

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...

doctrine. They were burned at the stake in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

on 1 July 1523.

Background

Essen and Vos were Augustinian monks of Saint Augustine's

Monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

. When in 1522 all the monks there publicly professed Lutheran doctrine, the

Bishop of Cambrai The Archdiocese of Cambrai ( la, Archdiocesis Cameracensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Cambrai'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France, comprising the arrondissements of Avesnes-sur-He ...

had them all arrested and imprisoned in

Vilvoorde Vilvoorde (, french: Vilvorde ; historically known as ''Filford'' in English) is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the city of Vilvoorde proper with its two outlying quarters of Koningsl ...

, where they were interrogated by the Flemish inquisitor Jacob van Hoogstraten, who ordinarily resided in Cologne, and some dependably Catholic professors. When the monks realized that they risked being burned alive if they did not recant, all except three — Jan van Essen, Hendrik Vos, and Lampertus Thorn — recanted. The recanting monks were released but were not returned to the monastery, which instead was declared defiled and soon demolished.

Refusal to recant

Van Essen, Vos, and Thorn, still held in custody, were questioned again by the ecclesiastical inquisition court, but they refused to recant. They were then handed over to the secular court and sentenced to death. They were taken to Brussels and held until the appointed day of execution on 1 July 1523. New attempts were made meanwhile to get them to renounce. Vos was brought first to the inquisitors, but he refused to recant. Van Essen also refused to renounce Lutheranism. Thorn asked for an additional four-day period to study the scriptures with respect to his views, and thus he was not executed then with van Essen and Vos. Van Essen and Vos were summarily delivered to the executioner, brought to the

marketplace A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a '' souk'' (from the Arabic), ' ...

in Brussels, and burned alive. For some reason, the charges against them were not read aloud as was the established practice. It has been conjectured that the authorities were concerned that hearing the charges might cause Lutheran ideas to spread among the public witnesses or that the ideas were already there and would ignite a protest. Thorn was spared in prison for an additional five years, dying in prison in 1528.

Luther's response

On learning of the execution of van Essen and Vos,

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutheranis ...

wrote what is thought to be his first

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

, " Ein neues Lied wir heben an" ("

A new song we raise Jan van Essen and Hendrik Vos or Voes, were the first two Lutherans executed by the Council of Brabant for their adherence to Reformation doctrine. They were burned at the stake in Brussels on 1 July 1523. Background Essen and Vos were Augusti ...

") which was printed in the

Erfurt Enchiridion The ''Erfurt Enchiridion'' (enchiridion, from grc, ἐγχειρίδιον, hand book) is the second Lutheran hymnal. It appeared in 1524 in Erfurt in two competing editions. One of them contains 26 songs, the other 25, 18 of them by Martin Lut ...

of 1524. This is generally known in English as John C. Messenger's translation by the first line and title "Flung to the Heedless Winds" and sung to the tune of ''

Ibstone Ibstone (previously Ipstone) is a village and civil parish within Wycombe district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the Chiltern Hills on the border with Oxfordshire, about south of Stokenchurch. The village name is Anglo Saxon in origi ...

'' composed in 1875 by Maria C. Tiddeman or to that of ''

Denby Denby is a village in the English county of Derbyshire that is notable as the birthplace of John Flamsteed, England's first Astronomer Royal, and the location of the Denby Pottery Company. The population at the 2001 Census was 1,827, increasi ...

'' composed in 1904 by Charles J. Dale.

Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Essen, Jan 16th-century Protestant martyrs People of the Habsburg Netherlands Year of birth unknown 1523 in the Habsburg Netherlands 1523 deaths Converts to Lutheranism from Roman Catholicism Augustinian monks