the day of Christ is at hand, and while it is called to-day. Heb. 3:13.
And see that you care for one another; and, my dear friends, when you
assemble together, make not many inquiries concerning others, or as to
where each particular one lives: in such things be ignorant, and in
malice be children; but in understanding be old and hoary, and keep the
doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom, 1 Corinthians
14:20; Micah 7:5. My dear friends, if you have understanding, answer
your neighbor; if not, lay your hand upon your mouth, lest you be
caught in an unseemly word, and put to shame. Sir. 5:12. Let no corrupt
communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the
use of edifying, and may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve
not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of
redemption. Eph. 4:29,30.
My dear friends, herewith I hope to take leave. Do not take it amiss
that I have written you a little; I hope it will tend to edification; I
have done my diligence with the little gift the Lord has given me.
By me, Adrian Corneliss, glazier, your unworthy brother, who am not
meet to be called a brother. 1 Cor. 15:9. Written in my imprisonment,
sitting in the stocks, with two fellow-companions, and one who is
separately confined, and two sisters that are below us. We wait daily
for the redemption of our body; and our pilgrimage, I trust, is half
finished. I hope that we shall soon have completed the rest.
We commend you to the Lord, dear brethren. Remember the prisoners; we
remember you in our prayers. Heb. 13:3. Salute all lovers of the only
salvation by name; the times are too perilous now, to mention them;
hence we must govern ourselves accordingly.
Let me inform you, how it went with us in our last time. When we were
to be offered up on Monday, a priest came to us on Sunday, who talked
to us, and said: “You have to die.”
_Answer._ “Thus did also the Jews, who said: We have a law, and by our
law you must die. So must we also, as the decree of the Emperor shows.”
But we asked the priest, whether their things were right.
He replied: “Not all; for we have also abuses in our church.”
We then said: “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” 1 Cor. 5:6.
He replied; “It has to be leavened.”
By this we may perceive that their things are not good. But beware of
such; for they are not sent from God. Jer. 14:15. Salute all lovers of
the divine word.
_Confession of Adrian Corneliss before the magistrate and the priests,
together with an account of the manner of his apprehension._
My dearly beloved brethren and sisters, to the twelve tribes which are
scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
with all that call on the Lord out of a pure heart, in their and in
our places, greeting. Jas. 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Tim. 2:22.
I must yet write to you a little, hoping herewith to take my leave.
Let me tell you how it went in my imprisonment. I had come to Leyden,
and there conversing with a brother, we wondered how it came that they
kept our friends confined so long. We therefore agreed that I should go
and see Jan of Delft, the Bailiff’s servant, and ask him, how it stood
with the prisoners, and whether they would not soon be offered up. He
replied: “I hear nothing at all concerning it.” I then said: “This long
imprisonment gives you much trouble.”
_Jan._ “I would be well satisfied to see it come to an end soon.”
_Adrian._ “You can hardly get away any more.”
_Jan._ “Yes, that is so.”
_Adrian._ “You ought to have some rest.”
_Jan._ “It would soon be time.”
_Adrian._ “Jan Jans, I should like to have a little conversation with
you about certain things.”
_Jan._ “I have something to do yet; I shall speak with you; just wait
here a little while for me.”
I waited a little, and he returned, even before he had attended to the
prisoners or brought them their food. He came and spoke to me in a
friendly way, and accepted my words with such suavity (Psalm 55:21),
that I knew not but that he would also embrace our faith.
I then said: “Jan Jans, what do you think, will you abandon this
service, and release the prisoners? I shall see that you will not be a
loser by it; for it is in your power, you have the keys.”
Previous to my saying this to him, he had said to our friends in
prison: “Shall I leave the door open some time that you can escape?”
“Why should you do this?” replied our friends. On this account I
spoke the more boldly to him, remembering the words concerning Paul
and the jailer (Acts 16:29), if peradventure the Lord had showed like
grace to this man; and having been urged by our friends, I had a
long conversation with him. He asked me whether I knew those whom he
named to me. I said: “No, but I have heard of them.” One, however, he
mentioned, whom I well knew. “Yes, I know him well,” I said. He asked
me, where I was from. I replied: “I am a native of Schoonhoven,” but
I did not tell him that I resided at Delft. But with all my prudence,
the devil, as is well known, was still more cunning. Gen. 3:1. When we
had walked together for a long time, we arrived again at the prison. He
then said: “Do you want to talk with the prisoners?” I went in without
any fear, and coming to our dear sisters, we conversed together,
without manifesting previous acquaintance, however. This servant then
went off a little ways, and spoke to another servant. I then plainly
saw what I had got myself into.
Now, some one may ask: Why did you go in? O dear friends, my flesh and
blood did not impel me to go in there. In vain we run; it is just as
the prophet says: “We may flee, but cannot escape.” Ps. 139:7. Hence,
we must all come whither our destiny calls us. I had anticipated that
my journey to Leyden would not be a fortunate one.
The other servant then asked me whether I wished to go above to the
others. I thought to myself that it was now as bad as it could ever
become, and went above. They then shut the door after me, and one of
them went for the Bailiff. Having been above for a little while, and
conversed with our friends, I went below again. They opened the door,
and the night Bailiff stood before it. He said: “You will have to
remain here a little while.” I then asked whether I should go above. He
replied: “Yes.” I then said: Christ had twelve apostles, and one was a
Judas; but here were only two, and one was a Judas. However, the Lord
be praised for his grace. Without much delay, they shut me up above
alone, whereupon I immediately began to sing the hymn: “_O Waerheydt
hoe zijt gy nu vertreden!_” Is. 59:14.
I did not, however, enjoy a very long respite; since much people came,
and hence they immediately came and took from me my testament, and the
hymn about our four friends, which I had composed. They then shut me
up with E. S. Soon after, the Bailiff came with the whole council. The
gates were shut, and it was reported that there were a dozen in Leyden;
hence they were very assiduous, thinking they had caught a great
gentleman or captain; but alas! they had not.
The Bailiff then asked: “Where is your rapier?”[256]
[256] A light sword with a very narrow blade.--_Trans_.
I replied: “My Master has not taught me to carry a rapier.”
_Bailiff._ “Who is your Master?”
_Adrian._ “Christ is my Master.”
_Bailiff._ “Christ is the Master of us all.”
_Adrian._ “If Christ were your Master, you would not dare fight against
him; but it will be hard for you to kick against the pricks.” Acts 9:5.
_Bailiff._ “We are responsible for that.” They then asked me where I
had slept.
_Adrian._ “I have slept well; did you sleep badly?”
_Bailiff._ “No, I shall make you tell.” One of the lords then asked me
whether I had been rebaptized. I replied: “No, I was baptized aright
once.”
_Bailiff._ “Who baptized you?”
I asked him whether he also wished to be baptized.
_Bailiff._ “Don’t be ashamed to tell; I will tell you, where and by
whom I was baptized: here in St. Peter’s church.”
_Adrian._ “If you wish to be also baptized, I will tell you.”
_Bailiff._ “I have no desire for it as yet.”
_Adrian._ “Neither are you fit for it.”
_Bailiff._ “Where is the servant with the hat, that accompanied you?”
_Adrian._ “I know nothing of a servant with a hat.”
_Bailiff._ “We saw him walk with you.”
_Adrian._ “Lord bailiff, you lie; if you are a servant of Christ, you
ought not to lie.” Eph. 4:25. They then showed me the hymn about the
friends and asked me who had written it.
I replied: “I wrote it.”
Thereupon they asked whether I had also composed it. I told them I
wrote it, but said nothing about composing. The under bailiff then
said: “You were at my house one Friday, and taught me a refrain about
Mary Magdalene?”
_Adrian._ “You have also lied; for my Master has taught me no refrains.”
_Under bailiff._ “Or an exhortation?”
_Adrian._ “It is not so.”
The servants and others then said: “The fellow is drunk.” Yes, dear
friends, then I remembered the words of Peter, Acts 2; as they were
drunk, so was I, having tasted neither beer nor bread all day. They
were then about to leave, but found themselves at a loss where to
put me; for John of Delft, the servant, said: “It is all right with
E. S.; but now this rogue will spoil him again.” Nevertheless, they
put me with him. All this took place the same Monday on which I was
apprehended.
The following Thursday the Bailiff came, with two judges, and a
commissary from the Hague; they asked me many questions, which I could
not answer, and also demanded to know where I had slept, which I would
not tell, together with many other things too tedious to relate. They
also asked: “Do you know Jelis of Aix-la-Chapelle?” I replied: “I never
in my life was at Aix-la-Chapelle.” As they kept on asking me for a
long time, I finally said: “I know him.” They then asked where I had
been with him. I replied: “I cannot tell you this;” more I would not
say. “We shall make you tell,” said they. “My lords,” I replied, “I
have always been careful not to know much, so that in case I should be
apprehended, I might not have much to tell.” They then laid before me
the letters I had sent them, and also the hymn; they readily saw that
it was the same hand-writing; but I did not confess it. I thought to
myself: There is plenty of time yet for it; for I will have to tell
them something any way, when they torture me. For the matter concerned
myself; hence I did not keep it secret, when I was tortured; but as
regards others, I had no warrant to accuse them, and hence I did not
want to know where the friends lived, when I talked with any one. And
let me tell you, dear friends, this matter is sadly overlooked by some,
who are continually inquiring after this one and that one, and take it
amiss, if you do not give them the desired information. O dear friends,
if you knew what suffering it would mean if you were imprisoned,
you would not make such inquiries. Hence, if you wish to make any
inquiries, inquire after the faith that can save your souls. See, my
dear friends, accept this in good part; for I have written it out of
love. All the torture I have suffered was inflicted upon me, to make
me inform on others; hence, the less you know, the less you have to
answer. The commissary then examined my testament, and said: This is a
proscribed testament. I replied: “There you have also lied.” Thereupon
he was silent, and evening came on. They then went away, promising to
consider my case in the daytime.
Saturday morning they all came before eight o’clock, and took me into
the torture chamber, where the executioner was. They then asked me
whether I had not changed my mind, and would answer their questions. I
began to admonish them. They said: “We have not come here to be taught
by you; but we ask you whether you will answer our questions.” But this
I did not intend to do. The executioner then stripped me, and bound my
hands behind my back. There was a windlass there, and tying a block
to my feet, they drew me up and left me hanging. While thus suspended
they interrogated me, but I did not answer. They then let me down,
and the Bailiff asked me where I had worked since I left Flanders. At
Delft, I replied. Thereupon they asked me still other questions, and as
I refused to answer them, they drew me up again, and untied the block.
The executioner then placed a piece of wood or iron between my legs,
which had been bound together, and stood on it. Being let down again, I
was asked by the Bailiff, whether I and six of my friends had not been
at Leyden at a certain time, which he specified. I did not confess it.
Again the executioner drew me up, they having blindfolded my eyes, and
they took rods and scourged me. After I was let down, the bailiff said:
“Tell it, or I shall tell you?” I would not accuse any one. They drew
me up again, pulled my beard and hair, and beat and scourged my back;
but as my eyes were blindfolded, I could not see who did it. They might
also have asked: “Who smote you?” Luke 22:64. This continued until I
had been beaten with seven or eight rods. When they let me down, and I
did not answer for a long time, they, fearing that I should faint away,
poured water over me, which they had also done while I was suspended.
I sat down, and as I did not speak for a long time, the Bailiff said:
“You will not tell it; I will tell you: you slept at Stephen Claess’.”
_Adrian._ “That is true.”
_Bailiff._ “You were here before the prison, with six of your friends,
and exhorted the prisoners, that they should strive valiantly, and
adhere to their faith; and you went and hired a boat for six stivers.
Who was the fellow to whom the boat belonged, and the one who was in
the other boat, who gave the skipper half a stiver, into whose charge
he committed his chest, because he was to sail with you? And he knew
the fellow’s name, and knew also what we had done, and that a woman
was with us, and how we had read, and that two, sat there, bareheaded,
and where we had gone up. I then acknowledged that it was so, and they
wrote it down; however, I excused the two from those that were in the
boat; but it was of no avail, and thus the matter was left. They then
showed me the letters, about four or five in number. “Yes,” said I, “I
wrote them.” Upon this they said: “This is the placard writer.” “It is
certainly not proper,” said the judges, “that you disparage the Emperor
in such a manner.” I replied: “I do not disparage the Emperor; however
great the Emperor is, the Supreme Emperor is still greater. Bring me a
Bible; I shall prove to you what I have written.” Thereupon they said:
“Why did you write these letters?” I replied: “I wrote them because my
grief was stirred, and that you might no longer stain your hands with
blood, and might repent, as did those of Nineveh.” Jonah 3:5. Thus the
matter rested.
They then asked me what I thought of the sacrament of the altar. I told
them that it was good for nothing.
_Ques._ “How long have you not been to it?”
_Ans._ “Not for four years.”
_Ques._ “Have you belonged to this belief so long?”
_Ans._ “No.”
_Ques._ “Why did you not go, then?”
_Ans._ “Even in my ignorance I knew that it was good for nothing?”
Thereupon they went away, having been engaged with me from eight
o’clock until half-past eleven in the forenoon.
This is what I said on that occasion. Dear friends, be not discouraged,
though what I have written presents rather a gloomy aspect; the Lord
helps his own; if the Lord had not helped me, it would not have been
possible for me to bear it; but we can do all things through him who
strengthens us, that is, Christ. And as the sufferings of Christ abound
in us, so also our consolation aboundeth by Christ, 1 Cor. 10:13; Ps.
46:1; Philip. 4:13; 2 Corinthians 1:5.
Here I will let this matter rest. I bear in my body the marks of the
Lord Jesus, spoken of by Paul. Gal. 6:17.
On Sunday morning they came, and read to me my examination, and asked
me whether it was correct. Then I remembered the words of the prophet:
“They are evening wolves, that let nothing remain till the morrow, yea,
whose feet run swiftly to shed innocent blood.” Zeph, 3:3; Prov. 1:16.
I then asked the bailiff, whether he was not yet sated with innocent
blood, since he was so diligent in the way of unrighteousness. He
replied: “I do not put you to death.” I said: “The Emperor’s edict puts
us to death; but you ought therefore be satisfied with what you have,
and not ask for more. By what will you prove that you may put us to
death? It is written: If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go
and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he will not hear
thee, then take with thee one or two more; and if he will still not
hear, tell it unto the church; and if he will then not hear, let him be
unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.” Matthew 18:15–17. Here the
Scripture says nothing about putting to death.
_Bailiff._ “We have another Scripture, where Paul says: The powers are
not ordained in vain; for God himself has ordained them.” Rom. 13:1.
_Adrian._ “Yes, for the protection of the good, and the punishment of
the evil (1 Peter 2:14); but it seems to me the order is inverted, that
they are for the punishment of the good, and the protection of the
evil.”
_Bailiff._ “We shall prove to you from books, that we may put you to
death.”
_Adrian._ “You can not do this with the gospel?”
_Under bailiff._ “What do you know about the gospel?”
_Adrian._ “It is written: Repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Mark 1:15.
_Under bailiff._ “There are eight gospels written.”
_Adrian._ “I am well content with four; if these cannot teach me,
neither can the others.”
_Bailiff._ “Shall we send you learned men, to instruct you with the
word of the Lord?”
_Adrian._ “I am willing to be instructed with the word of the Lord.”
_Bailiff._ “Well said.”
_Adrian._ “I will not speak with them except in the presence of the
court, and of those that are imprisoned with me.”
This did not please them, and they went away, the bailiff leaving
immediately for Delft.
Three weeks after this, the bailiff came into the prison where we
three in number, were sitting, and asked us whether we were not almost
beginning to get tired of it. We said: “No.” I then said: James says:
“Take it for an example of suffering affliction.” James 5:10. It
surprised them greatly that we minded it so little. I then said to the
Bailiff: “As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation
also aboundeth by Christ.” 2 Corinthians 1:5.
_Bailiff._ “I should think it would weary you?”
_Adrian._ “Don’t you also begin to get weary of shedding this blood?”
He did not reply. Thereupon he asked whether they should send us
learned men. We replied: “We are always willing to be instructed with
the words of the Lord.”
_Bailiff._ “You will not be instructed otherwise than with the word of
the Lord?”
_Ans._ “We are always willing to give our faith for a better one, that
it may not be said that we are obstinate; and our adversaries ought to
do the same.”
_Bailiff._ “That is so; suffer yourselves to be instructed, perhaps
your stay here is but brief?”
_Adrian._ “You do not know whether your stay here will be long. Though
we are now as forsaken, the Lord will soon be gracious to us.”
With this it rested. He then said: “We shall send you some one.” We
called to him, as he descended the stairs, that he should bring a Bible
or Testament with him.
In the afternoon there came a priest with two servants; he advanced in
fine style and laid out his wares, thinking to sell something, and his
words were full of suavity. And when one of us spoke, he had much to
say. Thereupon I said that the Lord had warned us of the leaven of the
Pharisees, and of them that go in long clothing.
_Priest._ “The clothing don’t make it.” I then told him that their
things, as infant baptism, ringing of bells, mass, and all other
trumpery, were good for nothing. Upon this he replied that holy baptism
of infants was right. I asked where the authorization for it was to be
found.
_Priest._ “In the 16th chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians.”
_Adrian._ “There it is written: The house of Stephanas are the first
in Achaia who addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints. These
certainly could not have been infants; infants cannot addict themselves
to the ministry of the saints, but have themselves to be ministered
unto.”
He asked us in regard to the jailer and his household, whether there
were no infants there.
_Ans._ “No.”
_Priest._ “How do you know it?”
_Adrian._ “It is written there: The jailer rejoiced with all his house,
that he had become a believer in Christ Jesus. Infants cannot rejoice
in faith; for they have no faith.” Then he was at his wit’s end again.
He fared likewise in regard to Lydia, the seller of purple.
_Priest._ “When I was young, my faith was as perfect as it is now.”
_Adrian._ “What did you say then?”
He made no reply. He also said: “When I was born, I had my hand, and
was not conscious of it; so also, my faith, which was hid in me; and
the original sin which I had was taken away through the regeneration of
the water which takes place in the font.” I asked him whether the water
had been crucified for him, or Christ.
_Priest._ “Christ.”
_Adrian._ “And yet you seek your salvation in the water?” He was
silent. Dirk Jans then asked him where it was written that bells ought
to be baptized.
_Priest._ “This is instituted by the holy church.” He also asked him
concerning the reading of mass. He replied that he had God in the mass,
corporeally in flesh and blood. I then told him that he was a deceiver.
_Priest._ “Did not God say: ‘Take, eat; this is my body; and drink,
this is my blood, and as often as you eat this bread, ye do shew the
Lord’s death?’”
On this point we had much discussion. I then asked him whether he had
read 1 Tim. 4?
_Priest._ “Yes.”
Thereupon I inquired as to whether he had brought a Testament with him.
_Priest._ “Yes, here is a Latin Testament.”
_Adrian._ “We have not studied in Latin universities, but in the
highly celebrated school of the gospel, of which the Spirit of God is
teacher.” John 16:13.
He said he could read it in Dutch. He then read the passage relating
to the forbidding to marry, and the commanding to abstain from meats.
1 Timothy 4:3. I asked him concerning whom this was spoken. He replied
that he did not know.
_Adrian._ “If you are a teacher you ought to know this?”
_Priest._ “It relates to the end of the world.”
_Adrian._ “It speaks there of the latter times; now do you mean to say
that these are not the latter times?”
Upon this he replied nothing, but said that he had not forbidden
marriage, nor meats.
We said: “Your father, the Pope, has done it, and you exerted
yourselves with Haman to obtain mandates to put us and our people to
death, and contributed in giving the Emperor ten thousand pounds of
silver?”
_Priest._ “I did not.”
_Adrian._ “Are you Christians? Christians ought not to persecute any
one.”
_Priest._ “We do not persecute you.”
I then asked him, whether the Christian church persecuted, or suffered
persecution.
_Priest._ “It suffers persecution.”
I asked him wherein he suffered persecution, whether we were not the
ones that suffer persecution.
_Priest._ “We suffer persecution from the devil.”
We then demanded to know where it was written that we might be put to
death for our faith. He replied that it was ordained on account of the
evil sects. We said: “We belong to no sect.”
_Priest._ “It is suspected that it might also be the case with you.”
Thereupon Dirk Jans said: “Is a man hanged because he is suspected of
having stolen, though he has not done so? So neither may we be put to
death before we are convicted.”
The priest finally went away. We had silenced him in many things
concerning which he had no understanding. I also said that he was one
of those who rob God of his glory by their confession, presuming to
forgive sins. Herein he was likewise defeated, whereupon he went away.
I hope that we shall soon offer up our sacrifice together.