In the year 1569, a pious and faithful brother by the name of Dirk Willems was apprehended at Asperen, Holland, and charged with the crime of being re-baptized (Anabaptism) as an adult.
Concerning his apprehension, it is stated by trustworthy persons that when he fled, he was hotly pursued by a thief-catcher. There had been cold weather the night before and Dirk took a shortcut over a frozen pond. However, when the thief-catcher tried to follow him, the thin ice gave way and the thief-catcher broke through. Dirk perceived that his would-be captor was in danger of his life, so he quickly returned and helped him out of the water, thus saving his life. Understandably, the thief-catcher wanted to let him go, but the town marshal reminded him of his oath and demanded that he take Dirk into custody. And the thief-catcher did so. Dirk was seized, imprisoned, and made to stand trial. He was found “guilty” and was later put to death at a lingering fire. Yet through it all, Dirk endured with great steadfastness, confirming the genuine faith of the truth with his death and blood as an example for all Christians.
The above story was excerpted from J. Van Bright’s Martyrs Mirror (1600).
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Great story. The residents of Asperen, where Dirk Willems lived, still remember it, though none of them actually follow his Anabaptist faith. By the way, they doubt that the town marshall was present. It serves as a convenient justification for the thief-catcher’s actions. But if we can ignore the gift of Christ in as many ways as we do, it’s not surprising that a civil servant could put out of his mind that he was imprisoning the one who saved him. It was just a job, after all. If you really want to follow Christ, you can lose more than your job.