have not time to write much; besides, I am closely watched. And I
desire that you walk steadfastly in the fear of God, with all humility,
meekness, kindness, and goodness. And do not please yourself; but much
rather endeavor to please your neighbor for his good to edification;
and tell this also to the others. Herewith I commend you to the grace
of God. Remember us in your prayers before the Lord, as also we,
through the grace of God, are purposed to do for you and all men, as
much as the word of the Lord teaches us. But the God of peace and of
all grace, who has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
make us perfect in every good work, to do his eternal, immovable will,
and cause that our works may be pleasing in his sight, through Jesus
Christ. Yea, may the same also confirm, strengthen, stablish, and
prepare us who are ready here to suffer, through him, reproach for
his name’s sake, if this is to be. To him be honor and might forever.
Amen. Otherwise, we are still well in body and soul. We are in good
hopes that we shall help fulfill the number of those that lie under the
altar, and shall rest with them, and wait for the glorious reward of
all the pious. Greet the brotherhood in Christ Jesus, in my name. The
grace of God be with us all. Amen.
MATTHIAS SERVAES, of Kottenem.
THE FOURTH LETTER, WHICH MATTHIAS SERVAES WROTE FROM PRISON TO ALL
BRETHREN AND SISTERS IN GENERAL.
The grace of God that bringeth salvation, and the peace of Jesus
Christ, be multiplied unto all believers that are scattered here and
there, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, sanctified and
justified through faith in Jesus Christ his dear Son, and washed in his
own blood from all our sins, in order that we should henceforth be holy
and without blame before him in love, to his praise and honor, now and
forever. Amen.
O my most affectionately beloved brethren and sisters in the Lord, we
ought justly to thank God the Father without ceasing day and night,
through Jesus Christ his Son, for our salvation, yea, for the fatherly
grace he has shown us, and has foreseen and ordained us from the
beginning, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and without blame before him in love, which latter he did not forget
to show us. Though for a time we regarded him but little, yet he,
according to his goodness (as he alone is good) did not forget us.
Yea, when we were dead through infirmities and sins, he called us to
life; and this not according to our works (for these were evil), but
according to his great mercy he saved us; and while we were sinners,
he reconciled us by the death of his Beloved. And though we have set
at naught and disregarded all this, he notwithstanding, at the end
of the world, yea in these evil days and deplorable times, now that
wickedness is at its height, has manifested his long-suffering toward
us, and not desired our death (nor that of any sinner), but that we
should be converted, and live, and commit the keeping of our souls to
him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator and Shepherd. Hence it
behooves us, dear brethren and sisters, that we attend in the fear of
God to the calling wherein we are called; for we are called with a holy
calling; mark, to what: not to uncleanness, not to lasciviousness, not
to fornication, not to gluttony, not to carousing, not to pomp and
pride, that one should please himself, or put on a pleasing appearance
before others, in order thereby to seek praise with men, which praise
is not of God, but contrary to God; for all the abovementioned points,
if we practice them, shut us out from the kingdom of God. Neither are
we called to covetousness, which is idolatry, that we should lay up
treasures for ourselves, and seek riches, that we should prepare an
earthly, present kingdom, or to trust in uncertain riches, and thus be
conformed to the world. Mark, he says: _to the world_. But whom does
the world serve? who is its lord? who is its prince? What does Christ
say on this subject? He calls the devil the prince of this world. What
is it like, with all its glory, the lust of the eyes, and its pride?
It is like the grass with its beautiful flowers, which to-day is
pleasant, green and glorious to behold; but in the morning, yea, also
in the evening, all its beauty and all its glory are vanished. Thus
it is also with all the comeliness of man; but few know themselves. I
speak not only of those that are without, but include also ourselves.
For who is there that, if riches come to him, does not to some extent
set his heart upon them? Or who does sincerely pray with King Solomon:
“Lord, give me neither riches nor poverty; but give me only that which
I need.” Prov. 30:8. O, consider it well, all you who profess to be
Christians, and give diligence to walk with a pure conscience in the
truth before God, that in the melting furnace (if you should get into
it yet) you will have no regrets to cause you to prove dross, or to
look back. For, my dear brethren, in this trial a dead faith is of
no account, however glorious the same may seem in the eyes of men,
and with however many Scriptures it may be clearly demonstrated, and
professed with the mouth; much less will it avail before a strict God
and his righteous judgment; for whatever is to stand here and there
must be genuine; yea, it must be done through a living faith which
works by love. And such a faith is not in him who does not firmly grasp
God, and believe and confess that heaven and earth, and all creatures,
the sea and all that therein is, owe to him praise and blessing, thanks
and honor (to him alone, and to none else, I say, it is due); and who
does not write it in his heart and inmost thoughts, and learns to know
himself, that he is preeminently created and made exalted and glorious,
namely in the image of God and after his likeness, a possessor and
ruler of the things that in this world are created for him; yea,
adorned and endowed with reason and knowledge, to discern between good
and evil, and to know him who is the Creator of all things, and who has
given us our free will, whereby we present ourselves to him, not by
constraint, as other creatures, but in voluntary surrender, and from
pure, filial love, thus: Lord, here am I; what wilt thou have me to do?
For I acknowledge that I owe it to serve thee, and to do only thy will,
with all my ability, yea with all my strength, so that I am to withhold
nothing in this earth, whatever it be, not even my life, nor to refuse
in my thoughts to pay thee the willing debt of obedience, which I owe
to thee, and am to give thee, not because I expect a reward from thee,
but only that I show thereby that I love thee; so that we learn to hate
all visible things for the Lover’s sake, that we may love him alone
above all, and may also be loved by him.
I write this, my brethren and sisters, in order that we may learn to
know God, and why he created man, yea, what he requires of him that he
shall do and not do, and why we are to show him love and obedience;
so that we may not seek righteousness or salvation from our works,
from what we do or not do; for by the works of the law shall no flesh
be justified before the Lord, as Paul says. Gal. 2:16. Nor shall we
be able to pay what we owe; but we hope to be justified and saved
only through the grace of God, through the merits of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Acts 15:11. Hence let every one take heed that (as said above)
he so love God, that he obey him only from such love, without hoping
for a reward for any works or merits of his own; but let him commit
everything to him, so that he may give us what he will, and do with us
what is well-pleasing to him. If we are thus resigned in everything,
we shall not miss it, and our hope will not be vain, but sure. But if
this (as said) be not found thus with us, though we speak with the
tongues of men and of angels, and have a faith so that we could remove
mountains, and bestow all our goods upon the poor, and give our bodies
to be burnt, what is it all if it is a work of constraint, and not a
voluntary work of love?
Therefore wake up, all you that have to be driven to piety like
horses and mules, that must be driven and beaten to the field. As
soon as driving and beating is left off, there is no more work. O
the unfaithful Christians and slothful servants, who have in their
faith no more force to work than that if they are told: Do this and
leave undone that, they are impelled to take a few steps forward. I
say, alas! for such poor Christians, that do not drive themselves!
Hence let also those take good heed who show liberality or minister
of their substance, that the Pharisaical trumpet of boasting be not
blown or heard before them; for if any showeth mercy, let him do it
with cheerfulness and gladness; and if any giveth, let him do it
with simplicity, (Rom. 12:8) without seeking any glory, for it is a
work which we are in duty bound to show to our neighbor out of love.
Therefore, all our works are to be done in love, that we may not show
such ministration through hope of reward, but from sincere love and
mercy. For it is not man’s, but the Lord’s. 1 Corinthians 10:26. Hence
I believe that if righteousness came by our works, then Christ would
have died in vain; but God forbid. Gal. 2:21. Therefore let also every
one that receives such benefactions, take heed, for Christ says: Ye
gave me meat, ye gave me drink, ye clothed me, ye took me in. Matt.
25:35. Hence if we give food or drink to Christ, they who receive such
benefaction must be ingrafted members of Christ. And if one receives
the ministration who is none of his, how will he be able to answer for
it when he is placed before him?
Hence, you that receive the alms dispose of them in the fear of the
Lord, that you may be able to stand before God; for there account and
answer must be rendered for everything. And watch diligently over the
poor, and over the forsaken widows and orphans, and let them have a
place in your heart, as your own children.
Remember the words of Sirach where he says: “Be as a father unto the
fatherless, and instead of a husband unto their mother: so shalt
thou be as a son of the Most High, and he shall love thee more than
thy mother doth.” Sir. 4:10. Beware also with all diligence that no
discriminating may be found to exist among you, in the matter of
bringing up, and of showing love; for herein some err greatly so that
it is not a service of love, but of constraint; which is not pleasing
to God.
And I desire of the widows, that they be quiet and attend to their
business, and not think that they are more than others. No, that is
neither the meaning nor intention of Paul; (1 Tim. 5:3) but this is
what is meant: That they should be watched over, and counsel and
instruction given them, if they need such, and that they should also
follow brotherly advice, and beware of unprofitable conversation, of
wantonness, and of the lust of the flesh; also of slothfulness, and
going about from house to house, for this, first of all, ought not to
be, and she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, will also beware of
it; and she trusteth in God alone, and continueth in supplications and
prayers to God day and night; but she that liveth in pleasure is dead
while she liveth.
I also sincerely desire of all believing brethren that have wives
(over whom they are placed as the head, even as Christ is the head of
his church), that you watch over them; and diligently attend to your
office, so that you may rule your house, and your wives, even as Christ
his church.
Thus also, you wives, watch with all carefulness, and attend with
discreet prudence to your office,--into which you are placed by the
Lord,--that you be obedient unto your husbands as unto the Lord, so
that you may be able to stand before the righteous God; and bring up
your children in such a manner that you can account for it before God;
and beware of being too indulgent towards them, lest you incur the
same punishment before the Lord as did Eli, who also was too indulgent
towards his sons. Ephesians 5:22; Sir. 7:23,24.
Likewise you children, obey your parents in the fear of God with all
humility; and do not set yourselves against them, lest you incur the
wrath and displeasure of God, like the sons of Eli, like Absalom, Esau,
and others like them.
In like manner, I also desire of all man-servants and maid-servants
that you be obedient in all things to your masters according to the
flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of
heart, and in the fear of God; and remember that you are serving the
Lord and not men, for of the Lord you shall receive the just reward.
Eph. 6:5–8.
Thus also, you masters, forbear your threatening, and do to your
servants whatever is right and equitable, and know that you also have
a Master in heaven with whom there is no respect of persons. Eph. 6:9.
Consider if you were servants, as you then would have your masters
do unto you, even so do now to them. Matt. 7:12. But finally, dear
brethren, order your lives and strive to walk only so that it will be
conformable to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And since we are
to be a chosen generation, and a holy nation, acceptable to the Lord
as his peculiar people (1 Pet. 2:9), that we should walk before him
as lights, and should also be a light unto the world; therefore it is
necessary for us to give diligence that we may in every respect be
found holy and blameless before him, so that we may see the city of
God exalted above all the mountains of unrighteousness that are seen
in righteousness, and that it may in no wise be hid. Hence, let also
become manifest now the holy radiance of the divine brightness, before
all that are still walking in darkness and show yourselves to all men a
pattern of good works, and do not suffer the gift given you by God to
remain idle or unemployed but put it out upon usury with the greatest
diligence; for the Lord, from whom you have received it, will, at his
coming, require it back from you with gain and usury. Matt. 25:14. O my
brethren, and all fellow members in Christ, watch diligently, and have
your ears open to learn when something may be gained, and grudge not to
toil and labor for it, for you will also partake of the gain, yea, you
will as faithful servants, be adjudged to eternal joy. But a servant
should nevertheless be prudent, that he do not carelessly invest his
Lord’s money, but with all prudence, yea, with fear and trembling, and
he should always before he invests it, consider and calculate whether
it may bring gain or loss, lest the Lord’s money be eventually lost
through carelessness. And since the Lord will require his own with
usury, how could we account to the Lord, if we did not have the sum
received, nor were able to produce it.
O my dear brethren, let it become manifest who dwells in you; (Rom.
8:9) let love and your faith become manifest before all men, and love
one another, with a pure heart as members of one body, of which Christ
is the head. And forgive one another, if any one have a complaint
against any; and even as God, in Christ forgave you, so also do you.
Col. 3:13. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law
of Christ. Gal. 6:2. And be not pleased with yourselves. Let each
esteem other better than themselves. Philip. 2:3. Diligently beware
of frivolity. And all young brethren and sisters I would faithfully
warn against wanton scoffing and mocking, spiteful words and foolish
babblings, which are not becoming.
And you older ones, lay this to heart too, and let neither in your
words nor in your works any hypocrisy be found, for I have perceived
that some are very subtle or cunning of speech, which I cannot praise,
nor have I praised it; for if we are to be simple, we certainly must
lay aside craftiness, for, mark, whatsoever is more than yea and nay
cometh of evil. Matt. 5:37. However, hereby is not meant that we should
not say more than yea and nay, but that we should end and confirm our
words, without anger or dissimulation simply with yea and nay, and
thus use moderation, and cut off all excess; that is, we should deal
with the simple truth. If one, when asked in regard to something, does
not reply with reference to this, but to something else, and then says
that he did not err, since what he replied was true, such action is
not noble, my brethren. It also happens now and then that when one has
erred in some matter and is then reprimanded for it, he gives a reason,
but which, in fact, is not the reason, doing this to cover himself,
and to prevent the error from coming to the light. This is the nature
and disposition of the old Adam (which ought justly not to obtain with
Christians regenerated by the word of truth), that he would always
cover his nakedness with fig leaves; for when he was addressed by the
Lord on account of his transgression, a reason immediately presented
itself by which he thought to cover himself; namely, “the woman whom
thou gavest me,” he said, “gave it me, and I did eat.” Gen. 3:12.
And, likewise, when Eve was addressed, she laid it to the serpent.
But if they had wanted to plainly tell the fundamental cause of their
transgression, it would have been: Over curiosity and pride brought
us to it, namely: we desired to have our eyes opened; to be wise, to
know good and evil, to be like God; in short, we saw that the tree
was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to
make one wise, hence we allowed ourselves to be persuaded, and did
eat of it. Had they thus answered the Lord, it would have been a true
answer. The answer which they gave was true; but it was not yet the
true kernel or fundamental cause of their fall and transgression.
But in order that you may thoroughly comprehend the true sense and
meaning of what we have written here, we will present to you a single
comparison by way of example, namely: Suppose a believing husband had
an unbelieving wife, who should give birth to a living child; and the
husband would fain retain the friendship of his neighbors and the
world, and remain in possession of his house and home, and yet wished
also be at peace with Christ and his people (though this, according
to the word of God, is impossible, for no one, as Christ says, can
serve two contrary masters at the same time). Hence he should say to
his wife that he did not intend to consent that the abomination of
antichrist, (you understand what I mean), should be applied to the
child. And though he could change it, and persuade his wife to obey
him in the matter, yet he should allow it to be done without himself
taking any notice of it, thinking with himself: If she does it, I can
notwithstanding remain at ease, and in the enjoyment of my possessions:
and shall not be persecuted by the world, and if the brethren take me
to task for it, I can say that it was done without my consent by my
wife. See, my brethren, this would certainly not be a true, simple
answer, as you may judge for yourselves. Many other like examples and
comparisons might be adduced; however, for the sake of brevity I will
forbear for the present. I desire that you will yourselves meditate
more deeply on this, than I have shown you here; and be warned hereby
to beware of such dissimulation. For though a man cover himself before
his fellows (with such fig leaves, made by him into an apron), so that
his nakedness is not seen, yet God beholds his reins and can search
the heart, and he knows the thoughts and intents of all men, and will
also judge all works and purposes; also, all secrets and hidden things,
whether they do good or evil. Therefore give diligence that in all your
words and works, in all your walk and conversation, you practice simple
sincerity, as becomes the children of God, and our calling demands.
And if any among you be overtaken by a fall, let him confess it simply
and truly, without dissimulation, just as it is, and let him not be
ashamed to confess it, since he was not ashamed to commit it; else it
might be to his sorrow. He that covereth his sins, it is written, shall
not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
Prov. 28:13. I have told you before, and tell you again, that before
men one can sometimes justify himself with a fair pretense, and cover
himself with an apron of fig-leaves; but whether it shall stand the
test when brought to the touch-stone, each may see for himself.
This ought to be well considered by those whose daily business is
that of trading, whom I would rather see engaged in some honest kind
of labor, than in trafficking, and this not without reason. For as
a nail sticketh fast between the joinings of the stones, so doth sin
stick close between buying and selling, as Sirach says. Unless you
hold yourself diligently in the fear of God, your house shall soon be
overthrown. Sir. 27:2,3. And in whatever I may in all these things
have erred, or grieved any one, I am sorry for it from the bottom of
my heart. But thanks be to God in heaven, who has given me poor weak
servant an unwounded or uncondemned conscience (of which I acknowledge
myself unworthy); for I never had greater joy on earth as long as I
can remember, than I now have. May the Lord preserve me from speaking
boastingly; however, I have no doubt that he, whose unworthy servant I
have been in my weakness, will not suffer me to be confounded. I have
heartily desired, and so still heartily desire it, if I, of God, should
be counted worthy, I might be led through the whole city of Cologne,
and scourged with rods, and then cast back in prison. Not that I seek
any merit by it, O no, but that what the Lord has put into me might
become known and manifest before all men, to his praise, and not to
mine. However, the will of the Lord be done; nor do I wish anything
else, the Lord knows, cost what it may. And I desire from the bottom of
my heart, yea, command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you
keep that which God has entrusted to you, for it is the truth; this I
testify before God and man. No matter who shall approach you, do not
listen to them. Let the Hutterites[287] slander as much as they please.
God keep me from them, namely from the doings of their teachers. I am
free in my heart on their account, in regard to all the dealings I have
had with them. And if they say that I dared not renounce because of
the people (as I understand that they have said concerning our brother
Thomas), I reply, “No;” for I know no man on this earth, so dear to me
that without the faith I would lay down my life for him. But thanks to
the Lord I have found this in me, and do still find it strongly in me,
that I will much rather lay down my life for my brethren, than bring
into trouble or reveal any one, in order thus to save my life; this I
say, God knows, from faith, and not in a spirit of boasting. But as
many among them as please God, whether I have seen them or not, these,
as also others, I do not judge, for they stand to the Lord. Rom. 14:4.
[287] Or Moravians.
I likewise tell you to leave the others be where they are except they
sincerely come back in the matter of marriage, and the other articles,
and humble themselves before God, and also use a little more restraint
in their lives than they now do; for pomp and pride stink before the
Lord. Therefore they are also not acceptable or pleasing in my eyes.
Hence put them off, for they are an abomination unto God; and let not
pride and presumption have dominion either in your words or actions;
for in pride has originated all destruction, as Tobit teaches his son.
Hence humble yourselves from the heart under the mighty hand of God;
for he giveth grace to the humble, but resisteth the proud, 1 Peter
5:5. As regards how it is with me, I inform you that I have entirely
committed myself into the hand of the Lord: What his will is, is mine
also. I know of nothing better to choose for myself, than that I might
be an acceptable offering to him, and might offer up my sacrifice
without the gate, in the daytime (Heb. 13:12); O how greatly would I
thank him. O my dear fellow members, out of what great sorrow the Lord
has delivered me, which I carried in my heart day and night, on account
of the Nederland journey: but O what a faithful God! how well he knows
how to deliver out of temptation, at the right time, those who can
trust him for it from the heart. 1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Pet. 2:9.