made us free, and called the children to him, declaring that to such
belongs the kingdom of God.” _Priest._ “Flesh or blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God; hence we must be born of water and of the Spirit:
therefore it follows that infants must be baptized, if they are to be
regenerated and inherit the kingdom of God.” _Reytse._ “Children are in
the grace of God as long as they are in their ignorance, and they are
washed through the blood of Christ; hence baptism in their case is vain
and to no purpose.” _Priest._ “How do you understand regeneration?”
_Reytse._ “A man must truly repent and amend his life, with a contrite
heart confess his sins before God, that he is sincerely sorry for them,
and with confidence call to God for forgiveness, and thus believe in
God’s word and submit to it in all obedience; upon such confession he
is to receive baptism for the remission of sins; this certainly cannot
be done by infants.” _Priest._ “Nevertheless, infants must be baptized;
for the apostles baptized entire households, and there doubtless, were
also children.” _Reytse._ “The house of Stephanus addicted themselves
to the ministry of the saints, which no children can do.” (1 Cor.
16:15). They then asserted that first the apostles, and after them the
holy fathers, had instituted it, fifteen hundred years ago. I said that
the Pope had instituted it, who wanted to improve on Christ.
Then they were mad, and said that I was seduced, and should plunge
my soul and body into perdition. I said they might take my life,
but my soul I should save unto life eternal. _Priest._ “What do you
think of the holy Roman Church?” _Reytse._ “I do not believe in it.”
_Priest._ “Do you not believe that the priests can forgive sin?”
_Reytse._ “No; for it is God alone that can forgive sin.” This they
wrote down. _Priest._ “Do you not believe that God’s flesh and blood
are in the bread which we break?” _Reytse._ “No.” _Priest._ “This is
clear enough; for Christ says: ‘Take, eat; this is my body;’ this you
cannot contradict.” _Reytse._ “Christ gave his disciples bread to eat
and wine to drink, as the evangelists testify, and not his body, for
he still sat there bodily at the table with them. And to his disciples
who understood his words carnally, as you do, and murmured at it, he
said: ‘The flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit, and they are life.’ John 6:63. His flesh and blood he
gave as a redemption for many, and not that his flesh is to be eaten.
He is sitting at the right hand of God his almighty Father, and shall
not come thence, before he shall judge the quick and the dead; hence he
shall not come under your teeth.” _Priest._ “Nevertheless Paul says:
The bread which we break, is it not the body of Christ? and the cup
which we bless, is it not the blood of Christ? hence we must believe
that God’s flesh and blood are in the holy sacrament.” _Reytse._ “I
have not read of a sacrament, but of the Lord’s Supper; this I indeed
want to observe with the church of God, but yours I do not desire.”
They said much more with regard to it, which is too lengthy for me to
relate. They esteemed the sacrament so highly, that whenever they name
it, they raise their caps, and they looked sharply at me, because I
would not show it reverence too. They also asked me whether I did not
believe that Christ had received flesh and blood from Mary. I said that
Christ came by his divine power out of heaven, was conceived in Mary
through the Holy Ghost, and born of her, and took upon him the form of
a servant, and became like unto us in all things, except sin, so that
he was not born of the blood, nor of the will of the flesh, and did not
receive flesh or blood from Mary, which came to pass in such a manner,
that Mary at first could not understand it herself, for she asked the
angel: How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? The angel answered
her: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest
shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be
born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:34,35. Against
this they did not say much. _Priest._ “Do you not believe that the
saints in heaven are to be honored and worshiped?” _Reytse._ “I indeed
desire to honor the saints, for men are honored; but not to worship
them. But I want to worship God alone, for it is written: ‘Thou shalt
worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.’” Matt. 4:10.
_Priest._ “What do you believe of purgatory?” _Reytse._ “I have not
read that there is a purgatory; where is it written?” _Priest._ “In the
books of the Maccabees.”
He further admonished me, that I should suffer myself to be instructed
by the holy Church, which had stood for fifteen hundred years, while
our sect had existed only fifty years, for Menno Symons had first
introduced it. _Reytse._ “There were from the beginning of the world
two classes of people, a people of God and a people of the devil. But
the children of God have always been persecuted and dispersed, so that
they have always been in a minority, and sometimes very few in number,
so that they had to hide themselves in caves and dens, and as they are
not of the world, the world does also not know them; but the ungodly
have always been powerful, and have prevailed, and therefore you do not
know the children of God, neither did your fathers know them, and you
think that they have only now arisen.”
They said that I was seduced; their church had always existed from the
beginning. I said: “When we shall appear before the judgment-seat of
Christ, it will be found otherwise; then you will say: These are they
whom we had in derision: O how they are now numbered among the children
of God.” Wisdom 5:3,5. They also told me that I should not concern
myself with the Scriptures, but simply go to church, and suffer myself
to be instructed there, and not be obstinate, since the Scripture says
that every word is established in the mouth of two or three witnesses,
and hence I was bound to believe them. _Reytse._ “I believe the word
of the Lord far more than your testimony; I do not want to depart from
it, and hope by the help of God to live and die for it, because Christ
says: ‘Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also
before my Father which is in heaven.’” Matthew 10:32.
We had many other words, which it would take too long to relate. They
approached me so with sophistry, that if the Lord had not been on my
side, I would have had to succumb; so that I may well say: The Lord is
my helper, of whom shall I be afraid? Ps. 56:11.
After I had been in prison nine weeks, I was again conducted to the
Poorte, where were two priests and the bishop’s commissary; one was
the priest of Nyehoof, the other was from the country. When I came
to them, I uncovered my head, and greeted them. They first asked me
on what I had determined, whether I would not amend. I said: “Yes,
as much as is in my ability.” They then produced a letter, which
contained the articles which I had previously confessed; this they
read to me and asked whether I would adhere to it. I said: “Yes.” They
said, then I was damned, and should plunge soul and body into eternal
perdition. _Reytse._ “How dare you condemn me so dreadfully, whereas
judgment belongs to the Lord?” _Priest._ “You have offended against the
Scriptures, and apostatized from the holy Church, which has stood for
fifteen hundred years, while your sect has not existed more than forty
years; and you have suffered yourself to be rebaptized, whereas you had
been baptized before.”
Then we had many words again concerning baptism; his conclusion was,
that children which die without baptism are damned forever. _Reytse._
“And are you not afraid, so dreadfully to condemn the innocent
children, when Christ has promised them the kingdom of heaven, so
long as they remain in their innocence?” _Priest._ “No one can enter
into the kingdom of heaven, he must first be born of water and of the
Spirit; hence children must be baptized, if they are to be saved; the
apostles also baptized many households, where certainly there were also
children.” _Reytse._ “So far as the households are concerned, it is
written that the house of Stephanas addicted themselves to the ministry
of the saints, which is certainly not a work of children. 1 Cor. 16:15.
And of the house of Cornelius it is written: That when Cornelius, the
centurion of Cesarea, had called together his friends and kinsmen into
his house, he said among other things to Peter: Thou hast well done
that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God,
to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. And while Peter yet
spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the
word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as
many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured
out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues,
and magnify God. Then answered Peter, can any man forbid water, that
these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as
well as we? Acts 10:33,44–47. From this you can easily perceive, if
you are not entirely struck with blindness, that this is not spoken of
children. Again, Paul preached the word of God to the jailer and to
all that were in his house, and after they were baptized he rejoiced
with all those that were in his house, that he had come to believe in
God (Acts 16:34), which is above the understanding of children, for
to understand the preaching of the word of God, to believe in it, and
to rejoice on account of the faith, this is far from children.” Then
they said that there were many other writings that testified with
regard to it; but I did not want to receive any writings except the
New Testament, which Christ sealed with his precious blood. Then they
asked me, whether the children of the heathen and the Turks should also
be saved. I said: “Yes, as well as your baptized children.” Then they
were greatly astonished, and spoke scornfully to me and damned me. One
of the priests sat by me, and asked me how I dared speak such words;
he knew that I was damned, as well as he knew that I was sitting by
him. I laughingly said: “How could you know it better?” And after many
words which we had about infant baptism, I finally said that I believed
nothing but what I had confessed. They again asked me, whether I did
not believe that our Lord is present in the form of bread. I said:
“This I do not believe; for he will not come under your teeth.” I asked
the priest whether he believed it. Then he held out his finger and said
he believed more certainly that God was in the bread, than he believed
that that was his finger. And after other words which we had together,
they got some clean paper and asked all the articles of me anew:
whether I acknowledged the church of the Mennists as a true church,
and how long it was since I had been baptized. I said: About four
years. And so on, they asked all the articles of me again. I answered
them in the same manner as before, and they noted down everything
exactly, to deliver it to the lords. Finally, when all the remarks
had been concluded, they produced a letter, which was the sentence
which the bishop had concluded over me, in which they damned me as an
unbelieving, disobedient and obstinate heretic, and delivered me into
the hands of the secular judges. Since he had sufficiently admonished
me, and I would not let myself be instructed, he, like Pilate, took
water and washed his hands, and also thought that he was clear of my
blood; hence I had to expect the sentence, and many other words. Then
they told me to go.
After I had been in prison twelve weeks, they led me into the
castellan’s house, where were the bishop with a councillor, the pastor
of Oudenhoof, the pastor of Nyehoof, the pastor of Jorwert, and the
bishop’s commissary. After they had taken their seats, they called me,
and when I came in I took off my hat and sat as a sheep in the midst
of a troop of wolves. They looked at me sharply and earnestly; but the
Lord my God, in whom I trust, strengthened me and gave me a bold heart,
so that I was fearless before them all. The bishop commenced, and asked
me whether I would still continue in the faith. I was silent for a
while, for it seemed unnecessary to me to answer that question; but he
had so much to say, that I was finally compelled to defend myself; for
I had resolved not to dispute any more. Thus I occasionally reproved
and contradicted their foolish ignorance, for I was grieved that the
truth should be so blasphemed; and that they should not think that I
would listen to them. The sum and substance of what they said was, that
I was seduced, and that those who had taught me had been seducers, as
Menno, who was a vagabond. I said that I did not rely upon Menno, or
human doctrine, but only upon the word of God; in this I desire by the
help of the Lord to live and to die. We also had many other words, as,
of infant baptism. I said: “It is not contained in the Scriptures,
that the children are to be baptized; if this had been the will of the
Lord, he would doubtless have commanded it: but since there is nothing
written concerning it, and neither our Lord Jesus Christ nor his
apostles have made mention of it, it is a great presumption, that we
poor, vain human creatures want to improve it, whereas it is written,
that we are not to add to, or take away from the Lord’s commandments:
he that does this, upon him eternal woe is pronounced.” (Deut. 4:2;
Prov. 30:6; Revelation 22:18).
Finally the bishop said that none of all the articles so surprised
him, than this: That I did not believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is
now personally man in heaven, just as he was upon earth, with wounds
and stripes which he received from the Jews. This I would not accept
because I had not read of it, but I said: “I believe that he is now in
the Divinity, sitting at the right hand of the almighty Father, in his
glory, and shall come again with power and majesty, as the Scripture
testifies with regard to it.” Then the bishop took the Bible, and read
the vision which John had seen in the Island of Patmos, of one who was
like unto the Son of man; and when he had read it, he closed the book,
for it contradicted him. A man can certainly not be of such a nature in
his members, as John declares of that vision.
They then rehearsed the articles of my faith anew, and I confessed as
I had always confessed before; and after they had noted it down, they
went away. The councillor said that I had forfeited my life, according
to the decree. They then took me back into prison.
I would have related all these matters at length, but my gift is small,
and my hand heavy for writing; hence I must run over them very briefly.
After I had been imprisoned about thirteen weeks, they conducted me
once more into the castellan’s house, where was the pastor of Nyehoof,
who again began to say that Christ is now personally in heaven, as he
was upon earth, in like form as we are. I defended myself, and proved
it to him from John’s Revelation. He said that no one could understand
John’s Revelation, which surprised me. And in all his remarks he called
me brother. I said: “Why do you call me brother? I do not want to be
your brother.” He answered that he hoped that we should yet become one
fold. And after some more conversation he left me.
ANOTHER CONFESSION WHICH REYTSE AYSESS MADE BEFORE THE BISHOP, ON THE
5TH OF JANUARY, A. D. 1574.
The love of God, the communion of the Holy Ghost, and the love of the
Father, who gave his only Son for us all, keep, strengthen and confirm
you and us all unto the end, that we may hereafter come to the Shepherd
Jesus Christ. My affectionate request of you, my cordially beloved
friends, is, that you make haste to enter into his rest. Heb. 4:11.
After all proper salutation, let me inform your love, that on the fifth
day of this year, 1574, I was before the bishop, who said: “Good-day,
and a Blessed New Year. Will you not yet give yourself to the holy
Catholic faith, in which all your forefathers believed, and in which
we still believe?” _Ans._ “A blessed New Year I indeed desire from
the heart; but in your faith I do not wish to believe, but I want to
believe in the holy Scriptures.” The bishop said, I had built upon men,
and upon the doctrines of men. _Reytse._ “I have not built upon men; I
have built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, yea, upon
the rock; therefore my house shall stand. Behold, these are now the
tempests that assail my house; had it such a foundation, it would fall;
but now it is founded upon the rock.” _Bishop._ “What is the reason
that you went out from us, for you have confessed that you have never
heard our doctrine?” _Reytse._ “Hear me; I shall tell you: When I was a
child, I went there as others; but my parents kept me from the sinners’
path, for which I am very thankful to them. But when I attained to
my understanding, I read in the holy Scriptures that the way to the
kingdom of God is narrow and strait, and that flesh and blood must
remain on [the posts]; that we must be well fitted; that there must be
a pure church; that the stones must be hewn and squared, before they
may be put into the house of God, of which Christ Jesus is the corner
stone; and that there are to be no whores, rogues, drunkards, covetous,
or idolaters in the church of God. But I found that your church of
which you are the head or ruler is such a church; and I am concerned
for you, because you are a meek man; hence I pray you, that for once
you will search the holy Scriptures; for it seems to me that you know
better than you speak; you have a soul to lose as well as I.” He said
that as regards drunkenness, fornication and other sins that were in
their church, they had ordained that one should pray for it, and the
priests would forgive the sins. I said: “The priests cannot forgive
sin, but to pray God to forgive sin, is very good: but a man must pray
from the heart, that he may never during all the days of his life sin
any more. But I must ask you once, whether you think, that if a man
sins to-day or to-morrow, and asks the Lord for forgiveness, and does
so every day, the Lord will forgive him?” He said, this could be. I
said it could not.
Finally the bishop made a long speech, that I would not obey my
superior, and had thus apostatized from their holy faith, and joined
the Mennists and Tibbites. I said I had never been disobedient,
and had never opposed the king, and did not want to bear the sword
against any one, as Christ teaches. Then the bishop said he would take
the clearest of that which I could say nothing against, and that I
should suppose myself to be ignorant, and he would suppose that he was
ignorant, and so the Scriptures should judge between us. I told him to
say on; if it would agree with the Scriptures, I would hear him. He
said the Lord spoke very clearly in the Gospel, where he says: Take,
eat; this is my body, which is broken for you; likewise the cup; hence
we must eat his flesh, and drink his blood, as he said; this you cannot
contradict. I said I well knew that it is written that the Lord said:
Take, eat; this is my body; but I know that the Lord is in high heaven
and does not come under men’s teeth for your own people do not believe
that you give them flesh and blood. He said they had to believe it. I
said that the Lord spoke thus: “Take, eat; this is my body which shall
be broken for you. This is what the Lord said, but the disciples asked:
How can this man give us his flesh to eat? But the Lord said that flesh
and blood profit nothing, but the words are spirit and life (John 6).
Hence it is clear enough, that we are not to eat and drink Christ’s
flesh and blood, as he said, but that we are thereby to remember his
death and sufferings; for the Lord gave his body for the whole world,
and for the original sin in which we were born. If the Lord had not
redeemed us from the sin imposed upon us by Adam, we could not have
been saved; but now the Lord has redeemed us with his flesh and blood,
and made us free from all sin, and shed his blood for many; hence we
cannot eat his flesh, because he made us free with it.” Gal. 5:1.
The bishop said that Christ did not say of his own flesh that it
profiteth nothing, but of other flesh; hence, since the Lord so clearly
says it, we must eat his flesh, and drink his blood, if we are to be
saved; for he said that Paul says: Is this not the cup of blessing?
Hence you cannot contradict what Christ and Paul have so clearly
expressed. _Reytse._ “My lord, I well know what Christ and Paul said,
for the apostles brake bread from house to house, as we clearly read,
in proof of it, and as Christ has left us.” But he kept insisting that
we had to eat the Lord’s flesh, if we are to be saved.
The bishop further made a long speech concerning the resurrection of
the dead, how we shall die, and rise again with this flesh, and many
other remarks which he made about the resurrection. I finally said that
I indeed believed that there is a resurrection of the dead, for if
there were no resurrection of the dead, Christ would profit us nothing
and I would in that case not suffer thus; but that this was a useless
disputation. Then he dropped the matter, and made a long speech,
how it was written of one Lord, one faith and baptism; hence I had
transgressed this, having suffered myself to be rebaptized, when I had
been baptized once, and that I had transgressed the holy Scriptures,
and been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost, which is contrary to the ordinance of the holy Church.
_Reytse._ “I have not been rebaptized, having been baptized once; for
I well know that there is written of one Lord and one faith; hence I
betook myself to one baptism as the Lord teaches in many places, that
the believing are to be baptized: I therefore betook myself to the
baptism of repentance, as is proper according to the Scriptures, and
according to my human weakness. But what you say, that I have been
rebaptized, this I deny; for I do not recognize the baptism of infants
as a baptism, but as a human institution, as is obvious enough, since
there is no Scripture that children ought to be baptized.”
The bishop said that we must be born of water and of the Spirit, if
we are to be saved; hence children must be baptized, if they are to
be saved. _Reytse._ “No; this is no Scripture, that children ought
to be baptized; for the Lord called the children to him, that they
should not be turned away, for theirs is the kingdom of God; hence
they are already saved.” He said that they were believing [believers?]
children, that were circumcised, and he made a long speech about the
circumcision of Abraham, that the children had to be circumcised, or
they were damned; and as then was circumcision, so now baptism has been
ordained by the holy fathers, as is now the case. _Reytse._ “To this I
say no; it is not so, that the children that were not circumcised were
damned; for it was a command of God, that they should be circumcised.
They were to be circumcised because they were Abraham’s seed; the Lord
had so commanded it, because they should be his people, and not for
the reason that they that were not circumcised should be damned. For
they were circumcised on the eighth day, and many must have died before
they reached the age at which they received the sign of circumcision;
hence great injustice would certainly have been done the poor children,
and in such a case all the female children would certainly have been
damned, who are heirs of the kingdom of God as well as we.” To this he
said the children had nevertheless to be baptized, if they were to be
saved. _Reytse._ “No; I further say, that the children are in the hands
of God, so long as they are ignorant, and baptism does not belong to
them; but to those that have repented; for John preached repentance
and amendment, and only those [the penitent] to be baptized, for the
remission of sins, as he also says: O generation of vipers, who hath
warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Repent, therefore, and save
yourselves from this untoward generation.” Luke 3:7,8; Acts 2:40.