in the Lord, of whom I am now deprived through the bonds in which I
now am for the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the faith in
God, which I hope to seal with my blood and death, and thus to enter
into rest with all the saints of God under the altar--which altar is
Christ--and wait for all my fellow-brethren and sisters, where we
shall be gathered together and remain forever and ever, and thus be
in everlasting joy, where parting will be heard no more, but we shall
reign forever with God and the Lamb, and all the saints. There neither
sighing nor weeping shall be heard any more, but all tears shall be
wiped away from our eyes; our tribulation shall be turned into joy
and gladness, our weeping into laughing, our parting into eternal
gathering, where there will be nothing but joy and gladness. “For eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But
God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit.” 1 Cor. 2:9. Therefore
let us be of good cheer, and patient in tribulation, knowing that we
must through much tribulation and suffering enter into the kingdom of
heaven; and let us continue instant in prayer, and firmly persevere
with prayer and supplication in the Spirit, that he will always
comfort, strengthen and stablish us, so that we may always be steadfast
in all tribulation and suffering that may befall us; in which suffering
he will not leave us without comfort; for as the sufferings of Christ
abound in us, so our consolation aboundeth by Christ. 2 Cor. 1:5.
Now, my most beloved, we may be of good cheer, and have good courage,
and rejoice in hope, that we have obtained such glorious promises, and
expect so un-hoped for a salvation. For we who sometime were far off,
are now come nigh; yea, we who sometime were strangers and foreigners,
are now become fellow-citizens with the household of God; and are built
upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner stone, and are thus framed together unto a holy
temple, even as Peter says (1 Peter 2:5): Ye also, as lively stones,
be ye built up a spiritual house, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ; for he loved us, and washed us from
our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto
God and his Father (Revelation 1:5,6); even as Peter also writes in
his first epistle, second chapter: “But ye are a chosen generation, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show
forth the virtues of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now
the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained
mercy.” Verses 9 and 10. For we must know that we were without God in
the world, when we served the lusts of our flesh, and walked according
to the course of this world, whose friend we were, yea, what is more,
we were praised by the world; but, alas! despised by God; for, even
as James says: Whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy
of God. James 4:4. Then we were of those who had not obtained mercy
of God; for, even as Christ says: Ye cannot serve two masters: ye
must hate the one, and love the other. Matt. 6:24. And if we renounce
the world, and forsake our own life, to live no longer according to
the will of our flesh, but according to the will of God, he will have
mercy upon us; and turn us from lies to the truth, from darkness to
the light, from the serving of idols to the worship of the living God.
Then we who were not a people, become the people of God, and can
proclaim all the virtues and glorious benefits which the Lord has shown
us, having also adopted us as his children; for it was such a people,
converted and changed into newness of life, to whom the apostle Peter
wrote: “Ye are a chosen generation,” etc. And observe, my beloved,
that he commences his epistle as to a people who were scattered abroad
every where for the faith in Christ Jesus; hence it need not surprise
us, though we are dispersed, scattered, apprehended and put to death;
for thus, as you may hear and read, it has been from the beginning, and
will be made unto the end, since darkness does not love the light.
Thus, my most beloved, let us not fear; God is our Leader; and if God
be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give
us all things? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?
It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is arisen again, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. This we
know, yea, what is more, we know that he preserves us as the apple of
his eye, and has said: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
So that we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper, and I will not
fear what man shall do unto me,” (Heb. 13:5,6), even as he has also
admonished us, not to fear them that can kill the body; since after
that they can do no more. But let us fear him who has power to cast
soul and body into hell. Even as he also says through the prophet: “Who
art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of
the son of man which shall be made as grass?” Isaiah 51:12.
Hence, my most beloved, fear not that which may befall you yet: neither
be without comfort: but be of good cheer out of bonds, and be patient
in tribulation, even as I am by the help of the Lord, in my bonds;
and let us firmly continue in faith and love, and say with St. Paul:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or
distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written; for thy sake we are killed all the day long: we are
accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Rom. 8:35–37.
Therefore, my most beloved, have good courage, and be of good cheer and
patient in all your tribulation, and stand firm in the faith, steadfast
unto the end, so that, even as we are now separated from each other by
much tribulation and suffering, we may meet in the day of resurrection,
and thus rejoice forever with one another, and reign with the Lord and
all the saints, and all the angels of God, forever and ever. Amen.
To this end, may the Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
strengthen you, and me (and all that love the Lord and keep his
commandments) through the power of his Holy Spirit. Amen. Herewith I
commend you to the Lord, and to the word of his grace. Amen. The peace
of the Lord be with you.
A LETTER WRITTEN BY JELIS BERNAERTS TO BRETHREN AND SISTERS, AFTER HE
WAS SENTENCED.
Grace and peace from God our heavenly Father, and his Son Jesus Christ
our Lord, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from
this present evil world, according to the will of his Father; to him be
praise, honor, glory and thanksgiving, now and forever. Amen Gal. 1:4;
Revelation 5:13.
My most beloved wife and sister in the Lord, and all dear brethren and
sisters of the church at Gh., after I was sentenced to death, my heart
felt inclined to write something to you, and to my beloved wife, whom
I commend to you and to the word of God, out of a true, affectionate
heart, and genuine, unfeigned brotherly love, which I have to you even
unto death. Hence it is my brotherly exhortation and epistle to you
all, not to fear those who can kill the body; since after that they can
do no more. And, as Peter says: “Be not afraid of their terror, neither
be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.” 1 Pet. 3:14,15.
And as he further says (dear brethren and sisters in the Lord): “Think
it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as
though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as
ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be
revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” 1 Pet. 4:12,13.
Well might the apostle exhort us to rejoice; for I can write it with
truth, since every thing has now befallen me, except death; however,
sentence has been passed upon me. In the first place I had great joy
according to the spirit when I was delivered into bonds; though many
thoughts and misgivings came to the flesh, yet I rejoiced according to
the spirit, that I had been chosen of God, to suffer for his name. In
the second place, when I had confessed my faith before the authorities,
and was then greatly tortured, I felt that God was with me; for he gave
me such strength, that no matter what sufferings and tortures they
inflicted upon me, they could get nothing out of me, but what tended
to the praise of the Lord, and to my salvation; wherefore they became
angry, and asked me whether I would not yet tell; for, said they, “We
have power to torture you thus every day.” I said: “My body is before
you; do with it as you please.” After all this had taken place, my joy
was still greater; I could not express the praise of the Lord, nor
sufficiently thank him for the grace he gave me, that I was counted
worthy to suffer for his name, and to seal his word with my blood; for
the marks which I then received, and the pain, remained in my members
unto the last day; the Lord be praised forever, since I well deserved
to be chastised for my sins and transgressions. Afterwards I was twice
brought before a monk. The first time he wanted to know my faith. I
said: “Ask the authorities before whom I confessed it.” He thereupon
commenced to talk a great deal about incarnation, and baptism. When
he had finished speaking, I asked him whether he meant thereby to
maintain his ground; or he meant, that I should interrogate him, and
prove the contrary to him; but he would not hear my defense, and began
to rail greatly against Menno and his books, which, as he said, he had
read much, and found many lies in them. I said: “Bring them all here,
and let us discuss them for a week.” He replied: “You are not the man;
so much trouble will not be taken with you.” We had many other words
yet about his doctrine and church, which it would take too long to
write. And thus I left him.
Afterwards I was brought before him again, when another was with him.
He wanted to dispute much about the sacrament, baptism and incarnation.
But I said: “You would not let me defend it, when I was with you the
last time; hence I do not want to speak with you now.” He was not
satisfied with this, and said he should compel me to speak, with the
instruments of the Margrave; he also asked me whether I was ashamed
of my faith. I replied: “I was not ashamed to confess it before the
authorities; but I do not want to have anything to do with you people.”
We resolved among ourselves that we would all do so; and I would advise
everyone, to observe this; for it profits nothing to dispute with them,
since they are carnal men. I was then sentenced to death, when my joy
became complete, so that I could not express it, since my deliverance
was so nigh, and I considered the words of the apostle, where he says:
“Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that,
when his glory should be revealed, I might be glad with exceeding joy;”
and what he further says: “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ,
happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you; on
their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.”
1 Pet. 4:13,14. When I thought upon this, and other passages of
Scripture, and when I saw how transient tribulation and suffering were,
and what beautiful promises were given me, and that I was to enter into
rest with my dear brethren and sisters who went before and are under
the altar, and wait for all our fellow brethren and sisters that must
yet follow us, then all tribulation had to flee from me, when I beheld
this with the spirit.
Therefore, my dear brethren, I do not write you this out of vain glory,
but for the consolation and strengthening of your hearts, so that you
may not be afraid of those who can kill the body, since after that they
can do no more; but that you, dear brethren and sisters, may always
be manful, and ever remember your leaders, who have spoken unto you
the word of God, even as Paul says: “Remember them which have the rule
over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow,
considering the end of their conversation.” Heb. 13:7. Hence, my most
beloved, give attendance always among yourselves, to exhortation, to
reading, to praying; and do not forsake the assembling of yourselves
together, but exhort one another to love and good works, and be firmly
united in love, and use hospitality one to another; always be of one
heart and of one soul among yourselves, so that when you get into bonds
(if this be the will of the Lord) your heart may be unencumbered.
Herewith I commend you to the Lord, and to the word of his grace. Amen.
Farewell, farewell to you all, my dear brethren and sisters in the Lord.
Written by me, Jelis Bernaerts, to you, my dear brethren and sisters in
the Lord, from the bottom of my heart, and out of true love. Amen.
JAN BOSCH OF BERGH, OR JAN DURPS, A. D. 1559.
This Jan Bosch, commonly called Jan Durps, was a pious, honorable
man, and a linen-weaver by trade. He lived at Maestricht, and though
the divine knowledge of the truth was greatly estranged and obscured,
the light of divine grace appeared unto him, and the true evangelical
truth was presented to him, and he thus joined the church of the Lord,
fulfilling the obedience instituted and commanded by Christ, the Son of
God (Mark 16:16); and as he for a time gave good heed to his calling,
it was entrusted him of the church, and he was ordained, that he should
take the oversight somewhat of the church, and minister to her with
the word of the Lord, by reading as well as exhorting; which, when he,
though with much reluctance, had consented, he faithfully did, putting
his talent to usury, to the best of his ability.
As this tended to the glory of God, and to the edification of the
church, Satan, who is ever the enemy of everything that is good and
God-pleasing, sought to destroy this good work, and to this end
inspired his ministers to report this good man to the authorities, as
a heretic and Anabaptist. The authorities, deceived by this spirit,
thought they were doing God service, and proceeded with rashness. One
of the burgomasters, in broad daylight, went with his constables to
the place where Jan Durps, under his master, was working at the loom:
he apprehended him, and, leading him through the city, brought him
to the Landtskroon (the city hall), and imprisoned him there. He was
immediately examined by priests and monks, who approached him in many
ways. He plainly confessed his faith to them, and that he was baptized
upon faith in Christ Jesus; also, what he thought of the sacrament. All
this he confessed according to the Scriptures, reproving the idolatry
which they committed therewith.
When this petty council and the priests had examined him, and he had
confessed his faith, and immovably adhered to it, they deemed the case
so grave as to be criminal in its nature; hence they delivered him to
the lords through the Bailiff. These took him, and put him in prison,
in which Jan remained for a time in confinement. In the meantime his
wife sent him a letter, in which she exhorted him, to be of good cheer
in his sufferings, and to adhere faithfully to the truth unto death;
which he very thankfully received, comforting, in return, his wife, and
exhorting her, and the friends together, that they should adhere to the
truth, and continue therein unto the end; he also earnestly requested
the prayers of the faithful. He suffered many tortures, because they
sought to extort from him who, in the city, were his brethren and
fellow-believers. But the Lord kept his lips, so that not a single
name could be obtained from him, however greatly he was tortured for it.
The time having arrived, sentence was pronounced upon him, namely, that
he should, according to the imperial decree, be burnt alive to ashes;
to which he listened with good cheer, and submitted to it, suffering
himself to be bound, and led between many sergeants armed with sticks
and halberds, which now and then descended upon the head of some
individual approaching Jan too closely, in order to hear his words;
for on his way from the prison to the _Vrijthof_, Jan spoke much to
the people, telling them to remember that a man had been among them,
who had told them the truth. He urged them hard to repent, amend their
life, and seek God’s grace. When he arrived in the _Vrijthof_, where
the scaffold had been erected, said place was found to be filled with
arquebusiers fully armed, all the four companies of arquebusiers of
the city having been commanded to appear there with their arms. Jan
artlessly ascended the scaffold too, and was led into a hut by the
executioner, who then set fire to the same in several places. As Jan
stood in the flames, he cried aloud several times: “O Lord, into thy
hands I commend my spirit”: and was thus burnt to ashes as a faithful
witness of Jesus Christ. This took place on the 23d of September, in
the year 1559.
HANS VERMEERSCH, ALSO CALLED HANS VAN MAES, PUT TO DEATH AT WAESTEN, IN
FLANDERS, FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, A. D. 1559.
_Confession of Hans Vermeersch, written by him while imprisoned at
Waesten in Flanders A. D. 1559._
In October A. D. 1559, I was brought before the inquisitor to confess
my faith before him. He demanded to know my age, my name, and where I
had been; he then asked me whether I was rebaptized. I said: “I know
but one baptism, as is written in Ephesians (4:5); which is the baptism
of believers, as is stated by Matthew and Mark in their gospels.
And also as Peter said (Acts 2:38,41) to the people that heard it:
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins. Then they that gladly received his word
were baptized. Mark, in the same chapter, and read with attention:
They brake bread; fear came upon them; they were all of one soul, and
had all things common; all of which an infant cannot do.” Verses 42,
43; and 4:32. He then asked me why I believed that the Gospel was
true. I replied: “Because every word is established in the mouth of
two or three witnesses. Deut. 17:6; Matt. 18:16. Now there are four
evangelists, as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, who all together testify
and speak of one Christ and Messiah, who is the Son of God, and God
is his Father. That there is a God, is also clearly seen from the
creation of the world, and the signs and wonders which we daily behold,
as causing corn, grass, apples, cherries, nuts, etc., to grow as may
be seen. That the Gospel is true may further be seen from this: I have
read that Christ says: Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and
shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my name’s sake.
Matt. 5:11 Christ also says: Ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s
sake, 10:22. When I read this, I believed it, and now I find it to be
true in me and in others, and believe that the Gospel is true. Now
every one may know, see and understand that it is as Paul says: All
that will live godly shall suffer persecution. 2 Tim 3:12. Hence I say:
By all these witnesses, who cannot lie, we may boldly say that the
Gospel is true, let every one take good heed.” With this they tormented
me greatly.
They then asked me concerning the Roman church, whether I did not
believe that it was the true church, which is built upon the rock which
is Christ. I said: “No.” Then he asked me which church I believed to be
the true church. I replied: “The congregation of believers in the name
of Christ, as Christ said to Peter: Thou art Peter, and upon this rock
I will build my church (Matthew 16:18); that is to say: those who have
such a faith as Peter had, as can easily be seen in the second epistle
to the Corinthians, (6:16), where Paul says: What agreement hath the
temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as
God hath said, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Thus,
all believers who assemble in Christ’s name are the true church.”
They also asked me whether the sacrament used by the church in the mass
is not flesh and blood after the consecration by the priest--whether it
is not the body of Christ in flesh and blood. I replied: “How should
this be possible; for it is written in Acts (1:9), that he ascended
to heaven; and in the seventh chapter (v. 56) Stephen says: I see the
heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
And Peter, in his first epistle, third chapter, says that he is risen,
and gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; hence he is
not here.” He then asked me, whether he was not able to be here by
his divine power. I said: “He can do nothing contrary to his word; he
is Almighty, I know; but he does not act contrary to his word.” They
further said that when he held his supper with his disciples, he gave
them his body as is written in the text, since he said: “Take, eat,
this is my body.” Matt. 26:26. But I replied that he did not give his
body, but a morsel of bread; for it is obvious that it [the body] was
immediately delivered into the hands of the Jews, and suffered, and
was hung on the cross; hence he certainly could not give his body to
eat, as he says himself: I will not henceforth drink of this fruit of
the vine, namely, the wine which he before called his blood. Read the
tenth and eleventh chapters of the first epistle to the Corinthians,
where you can obtain a fuller understanding. Hence he did not give his
apostles his body; but it represented his body. He then asked me what
I thought of the service performed in the church. I said I regarded
it as a great and abominable idolatry. Thereupon he said: “Then you
consider her the whore of Babylon?” I replied: “Yes, as is written
Rev. 13:4, of the beast that caused himself to be worshiped; hence,
as many as would not worship him, or receive the mark in their hand,
or in their foreheads, etc., who opposeth himself against God in his
elect. He then told me that we could not show that our church, namely,
that of the Anabaptists (as they called it) had been in existence forty
years ago; and that their church had continued, etc. I replied: “We
do not keep a register for our church, as does the Roman church; she
would soon be discovered; for every one seeks to destroy or kill her,
and she has not (as has the Roman church) the Emperor or the King for
her helper, but Emperor, King or Prince diligently seek to destroy her.
But I will show you that she is fifteen hundred and fifty-nine years
old. For Christ is the foundation stone and it is that long since he
was crucified.” They rejoined: “Yes, the Roman church; for she was
instituted by Peter; he was the first; after him all the holy popes,
and all the holy doctors [teachers], as Jerome, Augustine, Ambrose,
Bernard, who are the four doctors of the holy church, will you not
believe these, who were such learned men?” I said: “I believe only the
word of God.”
They also asked me whether I did not believe in God the Father, God
the Son, God the Holy Ghost: three persons, and one true God. I said:
“I find but one person in the Scriptures.” They asked me who it was.
I said: “Christ, who was seen and heard; but the Father no one has
ever seen. Who then can say what person it is? for he is invisible.
John 9:37; 1:18. Neither has any one ever seen the Holy Ghost. True,
he has been seen to descend as a dove upon Christ, but a dove cannot
be a person.” Then they said: “You do not believe that there are three
persons?” I replied: “No, unless it be shown me by the Scriptures; but
I confess that they are three in essence, yet only one true God. The
Father is not the Son, nor the Son the Holy Ghost. The Father I confess
as the Father; Jesus Christ as his Son, who proceeded from him; and
the Holy Ghost, as proceeded from both the Father and the son; yet,
inseparably one true God.” John 17:8; 15:26.