regeneration, and constantly, all the days of our life, walk before the
eyes of the Lord in holiness, as the truly regenerated children of God,
who are not born of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, namely, by
the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. Hence, my dear and
much beloved sister, if you are truly in this regeneration, which has
been effected in you from above, show forth the nature of that of which
you are born, so that you have all your conversation in heaven, and are
no longer minded toward flesh and blood, nor anything that is visible,
as Paul says, but towards that which is invisible. Philip. 3:19,20.
For Paul says, that our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding, and eternal weight of glory; while
we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are
not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things
which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor. 4:17,18. Hence let us remain
steadfast, and look at and believe only that which is invisible. For
Peter says: “At the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ: whom having
not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing,
ye rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end
of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” 1 Pet. 1:7–9. O yes,
dear sister, let us do according to the doctrine brought us from above
through the Holy Ghost, that we purify our souls, and be born again
from above of water and of the Spirit, so that we may see the kingdom
of heaven, and forever possess it through the grace of the Lord; and
let us always firmly trust and believe in the invisible God, and in
the Lord Jesus Christ our Redeemer, and the Savior of the world, so
that our souls may be forever saved. O yes, that we may be with all
the elect and regenerated children of God, and with all the saints of
the supreme God of heaven and earth, and with the heavenly, great, and
beautiful host of the holy angels of God, in unspeakably great glory
and joy, and glorious and imperishable brightness; and may forever
reign with the Lord of lords and King of kings, in great glory, and
in exceedingly great joy, and then, with all the great heavenly, holy
hosts, from great joy of heart, forever praise, glorify, honor, and
sanctify with great honor, the exalted name of the Lord; for, glory
belongs to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will toward
men. Luke. 2:14. Herewith, my dear sister, I commend you to the Lord,
and to the words of his eternal grace. Amen.
Written out of great, fervent, brotherly love, to you Cijntgen, my
dearly beloved chosen sister, as a perpetual and blessed memorial in
the Lord, by Hansken, your poor, miserable and weak brother, who is
imprisoned at Ghent, in the Sausselet, for the true word of the Lord.
Remember me in your prayers to God, so that through me poor, miserable
man, who am weak, the exalted, holy name of the Lord may be honored and
praised forever; for it is good to sing praises unto our God. Amen. Ps.
147:1.
THE SECOND LETTER FROM HANSKEN VAN DEN WEGE.
The eternal, abundant, unfathomable, great grace and mercy of God the
heavenly Father, which came by Jesus Christ, the only and true Son of
God; and the great humility and meekness, holiness and peace of our
Lord Jesus Christ the Savior of the world, together with the great
power, consolation and full joy of the Holy Ghost; this I wish you from
the depth of my heart, and from the inmost of my soul, my dear and
much beloved friend Jacob Kesij, and mother Martijntgen; this is my
perpetual and blessed wish and holy salutation to you, and to all men
that fear and love the Lord, and call on him out of a pure heart; yea,
may the Lord of eternal grace grant you this my blessed wish and holy
salutation, and make you wise in that which is good, and simple in that
which is evil, so that you may with Job be found perfect and upright,
fearing God, and eschewing evil. Amen. Rom. 16:19; Job 1:1.
Further, my dear and beloved friends Jacob and Martijntgen, I pray
you from the depth of my heart, and by the great and fervent love and
mercy of God, and by Jesus Christ the Son of God, and this by his
merits, bitter death, bleeding wounds, and his precious blood, which he
suffered to be shed on the cross to purchase us, and to redeem us from
the bonds of death; yea, I beseech you and say with the apostle Paul:
“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity,
peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy
2:22. O take heed to it, and follow faith, for without faith it is
impossible to please God, and he that believeth not shall be damned,
says Jesus Christ our Lord. Heb. 11:6; Mark 16:16. Hence, O dear Jacob
and Martijntgen, turn, turn, and follow the true faith, which worketh
by love (Galatians 5:6), yea, by the fervent love of God, without which
[faith] no one can now or ever please God, as Paul says. Hence take
good heed, that you confirm the faith with love, and follow love with
all the strength of your heart, the nature of which love consists in
meekness and gentleness. Yea, charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not
itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not
her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in
iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all
things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth.
1 Corinthians 13:4. Hence I repeat it, see well to it, that you follow
this beautiful fruit of love, and that it may be found with you forever
so that you may adorn your faith with true love, and thus please God
and be saved. Therefore, O my dear friends, follow faith, love, and
also peace with all men. For it is a wisdom that is from above, and
is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full
of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
And the fruit of righteousness[325] is sown in peace of them that
make peace. James 3:17,18. Hence, make peace, and continue therein,
that the peace of the Lord may rule in your hearts (Col. 3:15), and
bring forth the fruit of righteousness to the praise of the Lord, and
to the salvation of your souls. O yes, dear Jacob and Martijntgen,
do thus according to my request, and the admonition of Paul, and you
will not be deceived. Follow all this righteousness which is by faith
(Rom. 3:22), with all your heart, and with all your strength and
ability; pray, lament, call, and weep in spirit and in truth, to God
the heavenly Father, for grace and mercy; yea, trust and hope in him
with all your heart, and with steadfastness, and the Lord, who is full
of all goodness (Psalm 118:1), will be gracious unto you according to
his great goodness, and unfathomable mercy; for the Lord is gracious
and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him
of the evil; for the Lord is not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance. Joel 2:13; 2 Pet. 3:9. Yea, this
is his will; for Christ says: Repent, ye, and believe the Gospel. Mark
1:15. Hence receive this good doctrine, so that you repent and bring
forth genuine fruits of repentance, and thus flee youthful lusts. And
love not the world--which liveth in pleasure, as John says--neither the
things that are in the world; for if any man love the world, the love
of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust
of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not
of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and
the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
1 John 2:15–17. Hence I tell you once more: flee carnal and youthful
lusts in this world, that you be not condemned with the world. Gal.
5:16; 1 Corinthians 11:32. O yes, turn from this wicked generation,
who live in pleasure, for they are dead while they live, as Paul says.
1 Tim. 5:6. Therefore, O Jacob and Martijntgen, turn away, turn away
from this wicked way of the ungodly, so that you may not with them be
punished without mercy by the Lord; for God will rain lightnings, fire
and brimstone upon the ungodly, and reward them with a tempest. Rev.
18:4; Gen. 19:24; Exodus 9:24; Ps. 7:12. For the Lord is righteous,
and loves righteousness, so that according to his righteousness he
cannot let sinners go unpunished; hence flee youthful lusts, but follow
righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on God out of
a pure heart. Ps. 11:7; 2 Tim. 2:22. Yes, dear Jacob and Martijntgen,
follow this high gift of the Lord, namely, the wisdom that is from
above; yea, I say, follow after it, and bring forth genuine fruits of
repentance, and it shall be well with you. And always humble yourselves
under the mighty hand of God, and be no longer high-minded, but fear
with great humility of heart and of the spirit, before God the heavenly
Father; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 1
Pet. 5:6; Rom. 11:20; 1 Pet. 5:5. Hence I repeat it: humble yourselves
under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; for
whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted, says Jesus Christ our Lord. Luke 14:11.
Therefore, O dear Jacob and Martijntgen, follow righteousness, and
strive for it with all your power and all the diligence of your heart;
and sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto you. John 5:14. And learn
henceforth truly to fear the Lord with all your heart; and learn to
love him with all your strength, so that your names may be written in
the book of life, and you may thus through God’s great grace be forever
saved, and may, with all the holy angels in heaven, and with the great
heavenly host, with the Lord of lords, in unspeakably great joy, glory
and brightness, reign forever in heaven, where the great and holy name
of the Lord will be forever praised, glorified and honored; for glory
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke
2:14.
[325] _Of the Spirit_, in the original.
Herewith, I commend you to the Lord, and to the word of his grace.
Amen. Written by me,
HANSKEN VAN DEN WEGE.
Imprisoned for the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ.
THE THIRD LETTER OF HANSKEN VAN DEN WEGE.
My blessed wish, holy salutation and perpetual memorial to you,
Claerken, my dear sister, is, that you may live holy, and die happy,
and that you may arise with a holy body, acceptable to the Lord, to the
salvation of your soul, and also to the praise and honor of the eternal
and almighty God of heaven and earth, to whose name be eternal praise,
glory and honor, now and forever. Amen.
O dear and much beloved chosen sister, I wish you from the depth of my
heart, and the inmost of my soul, much grace and mercy from God our
heavenly Father, who is true and almighty, of whom are all things, and
this through Jesus Christ our Lord, the Son of the true and living
God, by whom are all things, who is the Savior of the world, and
especially of those that believe; for he is our High Priest, Prince,
Reconciler, and Savior, by his death and precious blood, which he once
shed for us; and this with great humility and meekness, in holiness
and peace; together with the great power, consolation and full joy
of the Holy Ghost. O yes, dear sister, may the Holy Ghost who is the
supreme comfort of our afflicted conscience, impel and guide you
into all truth. O Claerken, dear sister, strive for this, and purify
yourself thereto, that you may be a member in the body of the Lord,
and a stone in his temple; and so humble yourself now, that it may be
seen and perceived in you, that you now humble your flesh and spirit,
so that the Holy Ghost may dwell in you; and that you also show forth
the nature of him that dwells in you, by great gentleness, mercy, love
and peace toward all men, not being quarrelsome, not clamorous, not
cursing, not puffed up, nor proud, not minded to worship idols, nor to
hearken after the commandments of men, and also not greedy of filthy
lucre, which has to be left behind. O yes, Claerken, dear sister, flee
all these abominations and evil things, and moreover, all that are
like them. O yes, shun them, as you would shun snakes and serpents;
for if you come too near you will be bitten by them so that no man
can heal you. Sir. 21:2. Hence, dear sister, separate from all these
abominations, and touch not the unclean thing; but strive to be found
excelling in good works, so that you may be fit for the Spirit of God
to dwell in you; and may at all times bring forth the fruit of the
Spirit; for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness
and truth. Eph. 5:9. Yea, strive for the kingdom of heaven, which is
righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, (Rom. 14:17). Amen.
And I greet my dear and much beloved chosen mother, who is also my
dearest sister in the Lord, very cordially and affectionately; yea,
I greet you, O dear mother, with all the strength of my heart, and I
wish you always and forever Jesus Christ, the Son of the most high
God, that he may, with his great power, by which all things are made,
uphold you in the true way, that leads to life eternal, yea, to the new
Jerusalem, where the streets are of pure gold, so that you may enter
in there, through his great grace, and thus be forever saved, and live
in eternal, great joy and rest, and triumph and reign forever with the
Lord of lords, and forever praise, glorify, and honor his great, high
and holy name; for glory be to God in the highest, and on earth, peace,
good will toward men. Herewith I commend you forever to the only and
almighty Lord, and to the eternal words of his grace. Amen.
Adieu, adieu, dear mother, dear mother, farewell, farewell; O yes,
blessed, blessed. Amen, amen.
THE FOURTH LETTER OF HANSKEN VAN DEN WEGE.
The unfathomable and abundant great grace and mercy of God our heavenly
Father, given and bestowed upon us through Jesus Christ the Son of the
true and living God, and Jesus Christ, with all his humility, meekness,
and great holiness, yea, the great power, consolation and full joy of
the Holy Ghost, this we wish you from the depth of our soul, and with
all the strength of our heart, our dear and much beloved chosen sister
in the Lord, together with all that fear and love the Lord, and call
on him out of a pure heart. This is our perpetual, blessed wish, yea,
holy salutation; may the Lord grant you this our blessed wish and holy
salutation, and make you wise in that which is good, and simple in that
which is evil; so that you may be found upright and perfect, fearing
God, and eschewing evil. Amen.
Further, dear and much beloved chosen sister in the Lord, we wish you
and also us, and all men, the eternal, great and blessed treasure to
which Christ compares the kingdom of heaven; which a man found and hid,
and for joy over it went and sold all that he had, and bought that
field. Yes dear sister in the Lord, let us also be minded as he was
that had found the treasure, since the treasure is now also revealed
to us, through Jesus Christ the Son of God. let us also hide it, and
this with great diligence, with prayer, supplication and fasting in the
Spirit to God, for where there is a treasure, the thieves and murderers
seek to get it; hence let us take good heed that it be not taken from
us, and let us go in righteousness and peace, and with great joy and
gladness, in the Holy Ghost; for the kingdom of God is righteousness,
and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Rom. 14:17. Hence let us thus go
on, since to us is revealed the treasure that lies hidden in the field
before so many. Let us therefore be diligent, yes, dear sister; let us
go on, and with great steadfastness in meekness follow the infallible
truth Jesus Christ; for he is the way, the truth, and the life. Hence
let us always follow him, and let us thus go on until the time that we
have forsaken and sold everything, and let us then buy the field in
which the treasure is hid; for he that does not forsake everything,
says Christ, is not worthy of me. For if it were hid in a great, broad
field many would come and seek for it, but only one would find the
treasure; so also the good and blessed treasure, Jesus Christ the Son
of God, lies hid in the field of the holy Scriptures, and many indeed
come and seek for it, but only one finds the same; namely, all the
members that are in the body of which Jesus Christ is the head, have
found the treasure Jesus Christ, with all his graces and merits, and
also eternal life. They now may well greatly rejoice in the Holy Ghost,
that they have found the great, beautiful, and holy treasure (Jesus
Christ), and say with the prophet: The lines are fallen unto me in
pleasant places; the Lord is the portion of my inheritance: therefore
I will not fear; though my flesh and my heart fail, thou, O Lord, art
the strength of my heart, and my portion forever; yea, the Lord is
my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in him. Ps. 16:6,5;
73:26; Lam. 3:24.
Therefore my dear and much beloved chosen sister in the Lord, let
us go on with a valiant, firm and strong confidence, and with great
humility and meekness of heart, and with a great desire after our holy
and blessed treasure (Jesus Christ); and the Lord shall desire our
beauty, and when the Lord shall come with his mighty angels, and with
the sound of the trumpet, in the clouds, to reward every man according
to his works, then shall the elect be gathered together from the four
winds of heaven, and they shall, as sheep, be set on his right hand,
and the ungodly, as goats, on the left; then shall we hear the sweet
and blessed words: Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom of my Father,
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 2 Thess. 1:7;
Matt. 16:27; 24:30,31; 25:33,34. Then we shall enter into the great,
beautiful and imperishable glory of the Lord, where we shall be in
great glory and unspeakable, great and eternal joy, and thus forever
be with the Lord of lords, King of kings, God of gods, and Father of
fathers, and praise, thank, glorify, honor and sanctify him, for Holy,
holy, is the holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come,
Rev. 4:8. But to them on the left hand he shall say: Depart, ye cursed,
into everlasting fire, prepared for you and the devil; there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth. Hence, O dear and much beloved in the
Lord, let us take good heed, that we do not sleep in sin, lest our
treasure be taken; for when people sleep, thieves go and rob them. But
let us watch and pray and adorn ourselves as the five wise virgins, who
had oil in their lamps; so that when the bridegroom comes, we may enter
in to his glorious and imperishable marriage, where the Lord will be
praised forever, for it is a good thing to sing praises to our God.
Herewith I commend you to the Lord, and to the rich word of his grace.
Amen. Always remember us in your holy prayers to God, as Paul says:
Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them. Heb. 13:2. For we
also remember you for the best in our prayers, according to our weak
ability, for it is written: All things whatsoever ye would that men
should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the
prophets. Matt. 7:12.
Written out of great brotherly love, and sent by us three prisoners
for the word and the holy name of the Lord, to you our dear and much
beloved sister in the Lord. Amen.
BARBELKEN GOETHALS, AND SAERKEN VAN DUERHOVE, A. D. 1570.
At Ghent, in Flanders, there were imprisoned for their faith, two
pious sisters, named Barbelken Goethals and Saerken van Duerhove.
While confined in the convent of St. Peter, they had to resist many
temptations, sufferings and vexations; but adhering nevertheless
steadfastly to the divine truth, they were finally sentenced to death
as heretics, and, on the 21st of November, 1570, burnt without Ghent,
in consequence of which they are delivered, and shall remain so
forever, from the eternal and unquenchable fire of hell.
HERE FOLLOWS A LETTER WHICH BARBELKEN GOETHALS WROTE IN PRISON, AND
SENT TO JASPER N., ONE OF HER FELLOW BELIEVERS.
The abundant and unfathomable great grace peace and mercy of God our
heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ, his only and eternal dear and
beloved Son, by whom we are redeemed and loosed from the chains of hell
and the shadows of death, and reconciled through his precious blood
alone; him I wish you, my dearest brother in the Lord, as the preserver
of your soul; and that he would comfort you with the great consolation,
joy, and gladness of the Holy Ghost, in all that may befall you yet for
the true testimony of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. To this God who only
is wise, be praise, glory, honor, power, strength and might, forever
and ever. Amen.
After all proper, cordial and friendly salutations to you, Jasper, my
dearest brother in the Lord, whom I love with godly love in the truth
(2 John 1), and this for the truth’s sake, O, this the Lord knows, to
whom all hearts are known, O my dear and much beloved brother in the
Lord, know that it is still my purpose to fear our dear Lord from the
depth of my heart, according to my weakness, all the days of my life,
and hope by the help of the Lord never to separate from the truth;
not for anything that is in the world, neither for riches, silver or
gold, do I hope by his grace, to apostatize from our dear Lord, to
which end may the almighty God strengthen me, this I pray him. O my
dearest brother in the Lord, I would far rather with Susanna fall into
the hands of men, than to sin in the sight of the Lord; for the pure
and undefiled Susanna said: “If I do this thing, it is death unto me:
and if I do it not, I cannot escape your hands. It is better for me to
fall into the hands of men, and not to do it, than to sin in the sight
of the Lord.” Susanna 22, 23. I likewise well know, that if I forsake
the truth death is unto me; but, oh no! this I hope by the grace of
the Lord never to do; but it is much better for me also to fall into
the hands of men, than that I should forsake the Lord my God. Oh no,
my dearest brother in the Lord! O let us never depart from the truth
of the Lord, for so many beautiful promises are promised us, and if we
continue steadfast unto death we shall be saved. O my much beloved,
dear brother in the Lord, O if we may only be saved, that is enough;
which I hope by his great grace, if we continue in his word, we shall;
for he is faithful that promised, who also will do it; for he says by
his pious prophet Isaiah, comforting his own: Though a mother forget
her own child, which she herself has brought forth, yet will I not
forget thee. Isa. 49:15. Therefore, my affectionately beloved brother
in the Lord, behold, how faithfully our dear Lord comforts us; hence,
dear and beloved in the Lord, let us be of good courage, and willingly
labor, for it (our labor) will not be in vain in the Lord. 1 Cor.
15:58. Hence I am valiant and bold, to the Lord be praise and glory,
now and forever, who so faithfully succors me according to his promise,
O who should not fear such a God, who so preserves his tender branches;
and I also trust valiantly in my Lord and God, that he will preserve me
where I am, and, if it be his will, deliver me out of this murderer’s
den.
Hence, O my dearest and much beloved brother in Christ Jesus, let us
have good courage, though we meet with more adversity than the world.
O let us look unto Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith,
how he went before us in much suffering and reproach. And all the holy
prophets, O let us look to them, how they went before us, through so
much tribulation, yea, in destitution and affliction; of whom the
world was not worthy. For if they had been mindful of that country
from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have
returned; but now they desired a better country, that is, a heavenly:
wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God. Heb. 11. Thus, O
Jasper, my most affectionately beloved brother in the Lord, God will
also not be ashamed to be called our God, if we continue faithfully in
his truth, and do not again lay the foundation of repentance from dead
works, and of faith toward God. Hebrews 6:1. O no, O no, my dearest
brother in the Lord, let us not again lay the foundation of repentance
from dead works, and of faith towards God; but let us hold fast the
faith which we have in Christ our dear Lord. O I hope by the help of
God to hold fast the faith which I have in Christ Jesus; nor shall,
the Lord helping me, any man separate me from the love of God, as
also Paul says: “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. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom.
8:35–39. Therefore, my dearest, beloved brother in the Lord, let us be
of good courage in the Lord; for they can not hurt a hair of our head
without the will of our Father. Luke 12:7.
O Jasper, my dear and beloved brother in the Lord, I am of such good
cheer, the Lord be praised, that I should never be able to describe the
joy which I feel in my heart. O what courage I have to fight against
the princes and rulers of darkness; I think that I could say with
David: “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set
themselves against me round about.” Ps. 3:6. O what joy I have; praise,
glory and honor be to God forever for the great joy that he gives me.
O my dearest brother, rejoice with me, and let it strengthen you, as I
hope that it will. Thus I have briefly written to my dearest brother
in Christ Jesus, with the small gift that I have received through the
grace of the Lord. Herewith I will commend you to our dear Lord, and to
the rich word of his grace. I take leave, and say: Adieu, adieu, adieu,
farewell, farewell, farewell, my dearest brother in the Lord, till we
meet again. Though we must part here, and be separated by men, I hope
that we shall meet again where men can part us no more.
O Jasper, my dearest brother in the Lord, acquit yourself valiantly
unto the end in the word of God; I hope to do the same. Again I say:
Adieu, adieu! farewell, farewell! we must now part. O I beseech you
most affectionately, to receive my simple letter in good part, as I
hope you will, since I have done it out of pure love. Written in bonds
by me, your weak sister in the Lord, who lies in bonds in St. Peter’s,
for the true testimony of Jesus Christ. Keep this letter in remembrance
of me; I hope to seal it with my blood. Always fear God, but not men.
BARBELKEN GOETHALS.