View source for Sonnius, Franciscus (1506-1576)

   [[File:Franciscus-Sonnius.jpg|300px|thumb|right|''Franciscus Sonnius (1506-1576) 

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'']]     Franciscus Sonnius (Frans van der Velde), professor of theology at the University of Leuven, [[Belgium|Belgium]], thereupon (1560) [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] bishop, first of 's [[Hertogenbosch (Noord-Brabant, Netherlands)|Hertogenbosch]], then of [[Antwerp (Belgium)|Antwerp]], is known in Mennonite history as an inquisitor. He was born 12 August 1506 at Zon in Brabant. In 1545 he was appointed to oversee the extirpation of heresy in the Dutch provinces of [[Netherlands|Holland]] and [[Zeeland (Netherlands)|Zeeland]], and in 1553 also in [[Friesland (Netherlands)|Friesland]]. He also dealt with [[Anabaptism|Anabaptists]]. The [[Martyrs|martyrs]] gave him a good testimony, saying that he was willing to hear them and that he was moderate. The insolence and brutality of many other inquisitors were foreign to Sonnius. He wrote to his instructor that he preferred a certain lenience toward the heretics, trying to save souls and rejecting all kinds of cruelty. Sonnius died 30 June 1576 in [[Antwerp (Belgium)|Antwerp]].


= Bibliography =
Halkin, L. E. <em>La Reforme en Belgique. </em>Brussels, 1957: 58.

Hoog, I. M. J. <em>De Martelaren der Hervorming. </em>Schiedam, 1885: 47 f.

Hoop Scheffer, Jacob Gijsbert de. <em>Inventaris der Archiefstukken berustende bij de Vereenigde Doopsgezinde Gemeente to Amsterdam</em>, 2 vols. Amsterdam: Uitgegeven en ten geschenke aangeboden door den Kerkeraad dier Gemeente, 1883-1884: v. I, 379 f.

Molhuysen, P. C. and P. J. Blok. <em>Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek, </em>10 vols<em>.</em> Leiden, 1911-1937: v. II, 1346 f.


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