should order it otherwise; as my dear wife and sister in the Lord well
knows, for I often conversed with her about it, the Lord be thanked
forevermore. I took leave from all the churches, and heartily asked
every one among them to forgive me if I had grieved them. I did the
same towards them, and then went away. But a far better journey was in
store for me, on which I now am, the Lord be praised for it, for I am
in good hope that, through the grace of God, it will tend to my great
advantage. O my brethren, my heart is full of joy, yea, it is running
over with it. It seems to me, for very joy, that I see the heavens
opened. O that I might by writing (since I am prevented from conversing
with you), pour out my heart to you and refresh it. My ink is almost
exhausted. As it is with me, so it is also with Joosken and Herman, my
dear fellow prisoners and brethren. We wait for our God, and greet you
all with a holy kiss. And the salutation with mine own hand is this:
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all believers in Christ unto
the end. Amen. 1 Cor. 16:26, etc.
Care for my young orphan children, as also all other orphans, as you
would for myself; bring them up with reproof and correction, to piety;
teach them to read, and when the time has come, keep them at work. Get
Aelken cured, if you can; I bequeath to him the three pieces of money,
the silver piece and the two others; also a Testament to each; this
shall be their inheritance from their father.
I likewise commend to you my wife, as long as she fears God, as I hope
that she will do unto the end, if she gets out. The Lord own what I
have told you, and what I have sought concerning all believers,--not
riches or treasures on this earth, but the salvation of men’s souls.
And I desire that you firmly keep together, with teaching, admonishing
and reproving. And follow your leaders and submit to them, for
they watch over your souls. Hebrews 13:17. And you ministers, show
yourselves a pattern of good works to all believers, not in semblance
only, but in sincerity. Read how Paul admonishes Timothy and Titus; be
you also admonished by it. May the Lord give you understanding. Amen.
Dear brethren, concerning our examination and hearing, I wrote to you
previously very briefly, as you know. But if I am to write to you, one
by one all the questions they put to me, and the answers I gave them,
I should require much ink, paper and time; especially, for what was
spoken during the day between me and the Count, in a friendly manner
and also with sharpness; for it is very much. Yet, if we were where the
Count wishes us, we would be released. His conscience is not easy, but
accuses him. May the Lord put true repentance into his heart, and give
it a clear sight, to know the will of God, and to discern light from
darkness, and that he, in consequence thereof, may hate and utterly
forsake darkness and love the true light, and adhere to it with his
whole heart, so that he may also, in that day, with the true children
of the light, receive his part from the hand of the Lord. This I wish
him and all our enemies and opponents, from God, (as much as possible)
from the bottom of my heart. Otherwise, it goes still well with us in
every respect, in body and soul. We hope to help fulfill the number
of the righteous, and to rest with our fathers, and to wait for the
glorious reward of all the righteous. I greet all the believers with
a holy kiss. Greet one another with a kiss of love. And do not forget
us, nor any of the prisoners; but persevere in strong prayer for us
to God, for this is highly necessary. For, it seems to me, it was an
easy matter to be imprisoned in the time of our brother Thomas; for the
subtlety of men increases every day. Hence, pray diligently for us; we
trust also not to forget you; the Lord be with us all. Amen.
By me, MATTHIAS SERVAES,
Your weak brother, and unworthy minister and prisoner of Jesus Christ,
whom I serve in the Gospel in my bonds. I hope that my dissolution is
near at hand.
I desire of you, J. N. B., that you properly transcribe this, and see
that my wife (who is also imprisoned) gets a copy of it. If it pleases
you, it may also be read before the brethren; but if you do not deem
it expedient, or promotive of the glory of God, then dispense with it,
for I do not in the least seek my own glory by it, but the praise of
the Lord and the consolation and joy of believers. My mother I greet in
particular, and desire that she serve the Lord without guile; the same
I desire of my brother John and my sisters. Written and read with many
tears, and this from the heart. You know my brethren, that I did not
lightly take up my ministry, but with many tears; in like manner I now
resign it. Then I wept for sorrow; but now I weep for heartfelt joy.
With tears I received the ministry from you (I believe, also from God);
but with many tears of great joy I surrender it back to the Lord (if
it pleases him) and to you. May the Lord manifoldly fill my place with
faithful servants. Amen.
O how my heart is in yours. Show a fatherly heart to all, with all
humility; and whether it go well or ill with you, ascribe the praise to
the Lord, for he causes and does everything, and not we. And do not,
under any circumstances, forsake the people in the Nederland; reprove
them sharply for pride; this is my desire. H. and F. and all, keep well
that which is committed to your trust, and do not forget it. Greet T.
W., my dear brother, whom I love from the heart. Concern yourselves in
a godly spirit in the affairs of the Upper Country; prevent divisions
among the people wherever you can. This is written to all those
who desire that I should write to them, for I cannot write to each
individually. I do not seek any glory therein. The grace of God be with
us all. Amen. Given the 9th day of July, 1565.
THE FIFTH LETTER WHICH MATTHIAS SERVAES WROTE FROM PRISON, TO HIS
MOTHER, HIS BROTHER JOHN, HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW LEONHARD, AND HIS TWO
SISTERS.
Grace and Peace from God the Father, and the prompting of the Holy
Ghost to all righteousness, I wish unto you all, my beloved, through
Jesus Christ. Amen.
Further, I inform you, dear mother, and brother John, and Frances and
Barbara, my dear sisters, that according to the flesh it is very well
with me (excepting these bonds which I nevertheless also deem good);
and according to the soul it is still much better. Praise and thanks
for it be to the eternal God, who has ordered it so well with me,
unworthy, weak servant; for it had already been determined (as you
yourselves partly know) that I was to leave you; but of this journey,
on which I now am, we all knew nothing. This was the journey which I
was to take. I have now proceeded on it a little way, and am (thanks to
the Lord), not yet worthy of it, though I have hitherto traveled a very
dangerous and painful way, and it has cost me many a drop of sweat. I
also well know that the delicate children of the Lord must go rough
ways, and though I have suffered, and still daily suffer much, from
robbers, evil workers, false brethren and deceitful, lying apostles,
yet I trust that I shall not look back, but go on joyfully by the help
and succor of God, till I come to the blessed end and inherit the
beautiful city. Baruch 4:26; 2 Corinthians 11:26; Rev. 2:2. But he who
sent a guide with Tobias, preserved the prophet Daniel in the den of
lions, and deprived the fire of its power, so that it could not harm
the three men in the fiery furnace, the same, and no other, has also
mightily preserved me hitherto, and I feel confident that he will also
safely keep me unto the end. Amen.
Hence, my dear mother, and John my brother, and my two sisters, it is
my multiplied entreaty and fatherly and brotherly exhortation, that
you steadfastly walk in piety before God; for it will avail nothing to
cry: Lord, Lord, if we do not diligently perform what he has commanded.
Therefore put your own wisdom and your pride far from you, and beware
of sudden anger and violent passions; for they produce no good, but
pollute the mind, and defile prayer; and let each take heed that his
conscience be not sullied with deceitful, malicious, and perverse
thoughts; for they separate from God. And I desire of you, my dear
mother, who are very dear to my heart, that you be content with humble
fare, and not allow evil thoughts to come into your heart; but thank
God for everything, and remember that at Kottenem you often did not
have enough to eat. And if you now were still there, and held all
the property still in your possession, and had to run and go day and
night, laboring and toiling, you would scarce get a living from it.
Receive this in good part, my dear mother, for it is all done for your
good, that you may keep a pure heart, free from evil thoughts, and thus
see God, and be saved. Matt. 5:8. Thus I also desire of you all, that
whatever you do, you do voluntarily, without murmurings and disputings,
that no one may accuse you. 1 Cor. 10:10; Philip. 2:14,15. I had set
apart three _Kœnigs Thaler_,[288] as a lesson for you brother John, for
your and my mother. If you do not already have them, I think you will
get them yet. Keep Barbara at work, and admonish her to fear God from
the heart; and this I desire of you all, for there is no one among you
with whom I have had more trouble and anxiety. I wish my brother-in-law
the highest good from God. Finally, I desire of you, my dear mother,
that you do not complain, or grieve too much, on account of my bonds
and imprisonment; but thank the Lord, who has kept me, that I have not
come into these bonds and imprisonment for evil doing, but for his
name’s sake; hence neither I nor you need feel ashamed of it. Pray
also diligently for me, that He would henceforth preserve me from all
evil, and give me a steadfast mind, and true patience, that I may in
all temptations and afflictions steadfastly adhere to his word unto the
end. And take, my dear mother, for an example, the manfulness of the
mother of the seven sons, of whom we read in 2 Macc. 7. For said mother
of the seven brothers, from perfect wisdom, stirred up her womanly
heart with manly thoughts, and said to her sons: I cannot tell how ye
came into my womb; for I neither gave you breath nor life, neither was
it I that formed the members of every one of you; but doubtless the
Creator of the world, who formed the generation of man, will also of
his own mercy give you breath and life again, as ye now regard not your
own selves for his law’s sake. Behold, mother, what a manful spirit
this was; hence be you also manful now, and surrender me willingly to
the Lord, from whom you received me; for we are also sure that we shall
receive again in that day, and keep forever, the life which we now
gladly despise and lose for the name of Christ. This, my affectionately
beloved mother, I wanted to present to you very briefly, so that you
might be valiant and of good cheer while I am in bonds, and might also
not love your life, but willingly resign it for the name of Christ, if
it should come to that. And as the Lord has called you almost at the
eleventh hour, and sent you into his vineyard, give all the diligence
you possibly can, faithfully to do the work of the Lord for this one
hour; and remember the words of the prophet where he says: Cursed be
the servant that doeth the work of his Lord slothfully. Jer. 48:10.
Hence be faithful, and wait patiently for the evening, and you will
also receive the penny, yea, the beautiful crown, and the glorious
kingdom, from the hand of the Lord, together with all the children of
God. But may this God, who only is wise, make us prepared unto every
good work, to do his will, and grant that our works be acceptable
before him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be honor and might forever
and ever. Amen.
[288] King’s Dollars.
I commend you all to God; we must part here; entreat God for me, as I
for you. I salute all believers.
THE SIXTH LETTER WHICH MATTHIAS SERVAES OF KOTTENEM WROTE FROM PRISON,
TO HIS DEAR WIFE AND SISTER IN THE LORD, WHO WAS ALSO IMPRISONED.
Grace, peace, and joy in the heart, through Christ, be with you my
dearly beloved wife, whom I love from the heart, yea, as my own soul
and also with all the prisoners that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Further, my dear sister in the Lord, I reply to your first remark, by
which you indicate that it grieves you that I am alone. But, my dear
child, I am not alone, but have the comfort of all believers (John
14:26) with me. I do not know whether I ever had greater joy on earth;
for I am certain and truly assured that the Lord will not lay on me
more than I can bear; for I do not wish to be freed from suffering (if
it be the will of the Lord that I suffer); but may his holy will be
done. Hence, my dear child, dismiss this grief from your mind, this I
desire. In the second place, you lament your disobedience, that you
have not been much more obedient to me; thus I also deplore it from the
heart before my God, that I have not been more diligent than I have
hitherto been; hence we have no cause for boasting, but much rather for
lamenting, for I say with Solomon: Who can say, I have made my heart
clean, I am pure from my sin? Prov. 20:9. And with this agree also the
words of Esdras, where he says: “Let not the sinner say that he hath
not sinned: for God shall burn coals of fire upon his head, which saith
before the Lord God and his glory, I have not sinned.” 2 Esdr. 16:53.
On this wise, also the apostle John speaks in his first epistle (1:8),
saying: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us.” Therefore, dear wife, we may well lament, and pray
with David: “O Lord, enter not into judgment with thy servant, but
according to thy loving kindness have mercy upon us, and according to
the multitude of thy mercies blot out our transgressions.” Ps. 143:2;
51:1. Yea, even though we have done all that we are in duty bound to
do, it behooves us nevertheless to say: We are unprofitable servants:
we have done that which was our duty to do. Luke 17:10. Hence we are
not to place ourselves by the side of them that would be saved and
justified by their works; but much rather by the side of those of whom
the Scripture says: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will
not impute sin.” Rom. 4:7,8. Perhaps our appointed time upon earth will
soon be spent, and the Lord wants to purify us before the end comes;
or perhaps we, by reason of weakness, could not have truly known our
transgression, except in this manner, in order that it may be truly
repented of before we are taken hence. For one can work no truer
repentance than thus in the chastisement of bonds. Of this we have a
clear example in Manasseh, the King of Judah, who cared not how much
the Lord warned him through the prophets; yea, all was of no avail,
until he was carried to Babylon into captivity by his enemies. There
he first learned to know his sins, and repented. 2 Chron. 33. The Lord
certainly loves us, that he has called us to this place; do not doubt
it, my dear wife. Heb. 12:6. Hence let us fully trust the Lord, and
cast all doubt from us, lest we fall into greater sins. But if we have
sinned, let us do it no more, lest something worse happen to us (John
5:14); and this is also the best repentance, namely, to do it no more.
O my dear wife, be of good cheer, and cast your sorrow or care upon the
Lord, for he will care for us; despair not. Remember the kind words
of the Lord, where he says: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28. For the Lord will
remember us, and not forget us. Yea, he will forget us much less, than
a mother will forget her child which she has borne nine months. And
though a mother forget her child, yet will he not forget us, but will
preserve us as the apple of his eye. Is. 49:15; Zech. 2:8. But that
the Lord permitted our imprisonment, is all for our best, that through
such chastisement we may learn true obedience; for thus we can be truly
cleansed, and also truly tried, whether we love aught more than our
Lord Jesus Christ. It is comparatively easy to forsake husband, wife,
children, father, mother, sisters, brothers, houses, or fields, for
the name of Christ; but when it comes to a man’s own person, and his
life is concerned, then it is that he is truly tried and refined, for
a man will give skin for skin, yea, all that he has, for his life, as
is written in Job. But Christ says that one must hate and forsake all
this, and his own life also, and take up the cross, and follow him.
And whosoever does not do this, cannot, he says, be my disciple. Luke
14:26,27. But we can hate or renounce ourselves in no fitter way than
by fully surrendering ourselves into the hand of the Lord, so that we
may say in truth: Lord, thy holy will be done, that is: Lord, what thou
wilt, that be done. Behold, my dear wife, this is true renunciation.
I further desire of you and all prisoners, that each, as much as he
finds himself accused in his conscience, humble himself therefore the
more before his God; for the time of grace, and the day of salvation,
yea, the acceptable time, is still at hand. Let us not cease knocking,
until he have mercy on us and open the door for us, and give us,
because of our importunity, the things we need. For he is a gracious
God; he forgives very willingly, and soon repents of the evil; and from
those who turn to him from the heart he will not turn away his face;
but they that depart from him, their names shall be written in the
earth. Jonah 4:2; 2 Chron. 30:9; Jer. 17:13. Therefore, the man that
asks him for grace ought to examine himself as to whether he does it
from the heart; for though man lament with the mouth, the Lord knows
the heart; hence let every one be in earnest, for if this be not the
case, he cannot succeed. Judith 8. Now let it become manifest whether
you truly love God, yea, whether you love him above all.
O what a great word it is which Peter utters: “That our faith might be
found much more precious than perishable gold, which is tried by fire.”
Show now the true virtue of faith, and pay what you promised and vowed
to the Lord, and allow not yourself to be turned aside either to the
right or to the left, but remain in the middle of the road, and you
will enter in. For he that perseveres in the way of the Lord unto the
end, he, and no other, shall be saved; to this end, may the gracious
God help us all, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
I have to write in great fear. O my dear wife, and you altogether, I
commend you into the hand of the faithful God; may he keep you and me
steadfast unto the end. Amen. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
with you. Amen.
Receive one another with a holy kiss of love, and remember me from
the heart, which I trust to do with regard to you. And if we may see
one another no more on this earth, may the Lord grant us grace and
strength, so to acquit ourselves here that we may see one another face
to face hereafter, in the eternal joy, with all the children of God.
Amen.
O my dear Aeltgen, do not forget what I have often admonished you,
namely, that you should firmly keep God before your eyes, and walk
uprightly before him. I mean all of you with this letter. O Lord,
uphold us. Amen.
Now be of good cheer, my dear wife and sister in the Lord, and lay
aside all grief; for what man is there (as said above) that can say: I
have not sinned; my heart is clean, I am pure from sin? I also might
have walked more diligently before you than I have done; however,
may God take from us all that is displeasing to him in us. Amen. Be
watchful, my dear sister in the Lord; for the devil seeks to disquiet
men.
I have written this in Cunebert’s tower, but now we are in the count’s
house, namely, I Matthias and Herman, and are in daily expectation of
being offered up, with which we are heartily satisfied, if God count us
worthy. Preserve this letter very carefully from the eyes of those who
sharply examine us, lest others get into trouble thereby. The peace of
God be with us all. Amen.
THE SEVENTH LETTER OF MATTHIAS SERVAES, WRITTEN FROM PRISON TO J. N.
AND HIS BRETHREN.
Grace and peace be with all believers in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Know further, dear brethren and sisters, that it is still very well
with us, namely, with me and Herman; for our hearts are full of joy,
yea, running over with it. Time seems as short to us as it ever did.
In the night we praise our God with one accord. We are now alone.
Eberhard, the bishop’s chaplain, visited me again, on the Saturday
after St. James’ day, and conversed very affably with me about infant
baptism and the resurrection of the dead. And the count entreated me,
saying: Dear Matthias, tell us your fundamental views concerning these
articles, for I told you that your people in the other tower confessed
that the dead bodies will not rise; but from you I have received no
clear answer, and as you have taught them, they must have it from you.
I replied: “It is true, Sir Count, you had such a conversation with me
the last time, and I then answered to you, as also now, namely, that I
call all the prisoners to witness, that I presented no further views in
my doctrine (which is not mine, but Christ’s), than that the time will
come when all the dead will rise from their graves, the righteous unto
life, the wicked unto eternal death, and that we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive in his body,
according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. But that
this same flesh and blood which we now have should inherit the kingdom
of God, this I did not teach, but the contrary, namely: ‘That flesh
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption
inherit incorruption.’” 1 Cor. 15:50.
Then Eberhard, the chaplain, said that he too did not believe that
this flesh and blood should inherit the kingdom of God. I also said:
“We shall be changed.” Now, he that would know how this will come to
pass, and how the dead will rise, and with what bodies they will come,
to him Paul says: “Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened,
except it die: and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body
that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other
grain: but God giveth him a body as it hath pleased him.” (1 Cor.
15:35). This, I said, is my ground, O that I might become worthy to
rise with the righteous, this is my care; as to how the Lord will give
me a body, this I leave to him, and am well satisfied therewith. More
than this I shall confess to neither you nor any other man. Herein, he
said, we do not differ much.
I then further said: “The cry now raised against us is: This one has
confessed this, and that one, that, and another one something else.
My good friend, go among the people, and interrogate each individual
separately concerning all the articles; what do you think, would they
answer or confess to you anything certain? Certainly nothing at all,
or at least but very little.” “It is true,” he replied. We had much
additional conversation yet, concerning what ancient writers say on
infant baptism. I rejected them all, and left them to God; but he
begged me to consider it. I put the same request to him, and said: “I
feel assured and confirmed in my heart, that it is the pure truth, and
I want to live and die for it.” I also told them something in regard
to their unclean and defective church--the brothel, gambling-house,
fencing-school, and their daily life, which they lead in an utterly
heathen manner; and also concerning the injustice and violence they, by
way of torture, had inflicted upon us, only because we would not be
traitors; all this I told him to consider, if he were a shepherd of the
sheep. He replied that he was heartily sorry for it, and the count’s
countenance fell, as it seemed to me. They arose, and Eberhard gave me
his hand, and in a very friendly manner commended me to the Lord.
Thus, it is still very well with us, the Lord be thanked. Amen.
Remember us day and night in your prayers, which we also intend to do
for you. And I wish that all prisoners might be admonished and warned
to decline all conversation: they are quite at liberty to refuse it. O
brethren, how subtilly and craftily they spread their nets, to chase my
soul into them; but they shall not capture it, this I confidently hope;
for in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. Prov. 1:17.