Antwerp, on the 7th of July, A. D. 1576, for the Gospel, and for the
confession of the only Son of God, Christ Jesus our Savior, whom the
world does not confess, but denies.
HANS BRET.
ANOTHER LETTER FROM HANS BRET, WRITTEN FROM A DARK PIT INTO WHICH HE
HAD BEEN CAST, AND SENT TO ONE OF THE SISTERS IN THE FAITH, ON A SUNDAY
IN AUGUST, 1576.
Grace and peace from God our dear heavenly Father, full of grace and
truth, rich in mercy and loving kindness, through the bitter suffering
and death of his only Son Christ Jesus, who loved us, and washed us
in his blood, from all our sins and iniquities that we have done; the
power of the Holy Ghost, to strengthen you in the belief of the truth,
which the Lord through his unspeakable grace and mercy has revealed to
you: this I, your weak brother, wish you from all the heart, to the
salvation of your soul. Amen.
Affectionately beloved sister in Christ Jesus, whom I love from the
heart, I cannot refrain from writing you this brief letter, here in
this pit into which I have been cast, without any light except the
light of the candle.
Hence, I herewith bid you adieu, if I should write you no more, which
is known to our dear heavenly Father.
I further inform you, my beloved friend, that by his divine help,
I want to keep the covenant that I have made with my God, and wait
for the coming of our Bridegroom Christ Jesus, that when he comes,
I may enter in with him to the marriage, and be for ever in joy. O
dear sister, I cannot sufficiently praise or thank our God for his
unspeakable mercy, that he succors and strengthens me here in this pit
into which I have been cast for the word of truth.
Dear sister, remember me poor prisoner in your prayers to God, as I
hope that you also do; that it may please him to deliver me soon out of
this flesh, so that I may offer up my sacrifice to the praise of his
holy name and to the salvation of my soul, so that these enemies may
be confounded in their purpose, who think to rob me of my inheritance,
through this pit into which they have now cast me; but thanks be to the
Lord that succors me in my distress, and is my only helper, to whom I
fly for refuge, for Paul says that he is faithful and true, and will
not lay upon us more than we are able to bear. Col. 1:12; Ps. 46:1; 1
Cor. 10:13.
Hence, dear sister, always remember your poor, weak brother to the
Lord, for the prayer of the righteous avails much.
O dear sister, these cruel wolves have taken from me all my letters
which you have sent me, pens, ink, and paper, altogether, and also a
few things that I had written myself. Also two letters, one which I had
written to my dearest brother H., and another, almost finished, to my
brother Willem, and besides one thing and another; but I hope not that
any trouble will arise from it.
The fact of our writing was disclosed by one that was confined with me;
if I were to write you all of it, my paper would give out. This paper I
have received since, from the man that was confined with me in this pit.
Thus, I have been confined here ten days; how much longer I am to
remain here, is known to our dear Lord. I was confined here, according
to my recollection, on a Friday night, the 27th or 28th of July.
But, my dear sister, always adhere to the truth, which is Christ; be
not afraid of these wolves, for our God always succors us, according to
his promise, in all distress. Heb. 13:5.
I bid you a cordial adieu, my dear sister, greet my mother most
heartily in my name, and all my sisters, our brother Hans, and my dear
master, and also all the friends. I pray you, do not let my mother
know that they have cast me into this Lazarus’ pit. The Lord be with
you, and keep you in his ways always and for ever. Amen.
Written by me your weak brother, by the light of a candle, in a pit
which is called _Lazarus’ pit_, where I am confined for the word of
truth. The Lord knows my redemption.
HANS BRET.
ANOTHER LETTER FROM HANS BRET, WRITTEN TO HANS C., ONE OF THE BRETHREN
IN THE CHURCH.
The great unspeakable grace and peace from God our heavenly Father,
who is a Father full of grace and truth, a God of comfort and of
peace, rich and abundant is his mercy, and inexpressible is his grace
and goodness, which he has shown us through his only begotten Son
Christ Jesus our Redeemer and Savior, who has redeemed us from the
power of Satan, whose slaves and servants we were through our sins and
iniquities. But he loved us, says St. John, and washed and cleansed
us in his blood from all our sins and iniquities, with which we were
burdened and laden; and made us kings and priests before God his
Father. The invincible power of the Holy Ghost strengthen your inner
man, so that you may grow up and increase in the faith of the truth
which the good God through his unspeakable grace and mercy has revealed
to you; that you may with Joshua and Caleb and all God’s righteous ones
take the promised land, namely, eternal life. This is the whole wish of
my heart to you my brother in Christ Jesus, to the salvation of your
soul. Amen.
My beloved brother in Christ Jesus, sanctified and cleansed, and
elected of God, I greet you with this my letter, which I write to you
here in these my bonds, out of Christian love, that you may know how it
is with me, for which I cannot sufficiently praise or thank the good
God, who has assisted me, unworthy one, in all my temptations, so that
I can say with the prophet David: Where is a God like unto our God, who
never forsakes him that trusteth in him; for he that trusteth in the
Lord shall not be ashamed. For the prophet says: He that trusteth in
the Lord shall not fall, but stand forever as mount Zion. Ps. 125:1.
Hence, dear brother, my trust is in the Lord alone, in whom all the
righteous have trusted from the beginning of the world; nor were they
confounded, but in all tribulation and distress the Lord was their
helper, and, according to his promise, succored and preserved them in
the water and the fire (Is. 43:2), as we have many examples concerning
it in the Scriptures, for our instruction. When we consider how God led
the children of Israel dry-shod through the Red Sea, and thus delivered
them from the hand of cruel Pharaoh, who persecuted them and attempted
also to cross the sea, but they all perished; hereby you may perceive
how the Lord delivers him that trusts in him. Again, consider holy and
righteous Daniel, who was in the lions’ den, without any food; behold,
the Lord did not forsake him, but fed him through the prophet Habakkuk.
History of the Dragon 34.
Thus, dear brother, the Lord also feeds those that firmly trust in him
with spiritual food, namely, with his holy word, which he has given us
as food for our souls. For Christ clearly says that man does not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
the Lord. Matthew 4:4. For as man is fed and nourished by bread, so the
inward man is fed and nourished by the word of the Lord. For as a man,
when that which is necessary for his sustenance is withheld from him,
perishes; so also, my dear, when from the inner man, the soul, there
is withheld her food, namely, the word of God, by which she is fed and
nourished, she perishes; hence, it is so necessary that we exhort one
another, as the apostle Paul says, while it is called To-day, to the
keeping of God’s commandments, that the inner man may daily be fed and
nourished, and thereby grow up and become strong. Heb. 3:13; 1 Pet.
2:2. For the apostle Peter says: I deem it expedient and profitable,
as long as I am in this tabernacle, to exhort you, though you are
established in the present truth; lest, as Paul says, any of you be
seduced or hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 2 Peter 1:12,13;
Heb. 3:13. Hence, my dear brother, have in remembrance the words of the
holy apostle Paul, who says: Warn them that are disorderly, comfort the
feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. 1 Thess.
5:14.
O my dearest brother, weary not in the ways of the Lord, neither become
slack in keeping God’s commandments; have your delight therein day
and night, with all God’s righteous ones, and say with the prophet
David: Lord, thy word is a greater comfort and joy to me, than all the
treasures and riches of this world. And again: Thy word, O Lord, is
dearer to me than much gold or silver. Psalm 1:2; 119.
Consider how all God’s righteous ones comforted themselves with the
word of the Lord. So, do also you console yourself with it; have it in
remembrance all your life; let it be planted in your soul, that it may
save you. James 1:21.
Thus, my beloved brother Hans, I bid you adieu; adieu, if it should
be the last time that I write you. I pray you, my dear, persevere
steadfastly in exhorting, instructing and teaching, according to the
gift which God through his unspeakable grace has given you. If you have
received much, dispense liberally; if you have little, communicate also
of that little. Be ready always to give an answer to every man that
asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you. 1 Pet. 3:15. Get much
gain with that which you have received, so that the Lord may say to
you: Come, thou faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few
things, I will make thee ruler over many things. Matt. 25:21. Behold,
dear brother, if a man is faithful to the Lord, he will not leave him
unrewarded for it. Hence, God says in his Revelation to John: He that
remains faithful shall receive the crown of eternal life. Rev. 2:10;
Matt. 19:29; James 1:12. Do also you, my dearest brother, remain
faithful, so that you may with all God’s righteous ones be crowned with
the crown of eternal life; to this end may the good God strengthen you,
that you may enjoy this forever. Amen.
My dear brother H., my heart and mind writes you indeed more, according
to the little gift which I have unworthily received from the Lord; but
I lack paper, and I am afraid that you will hardly be able to read
this, since the paper blots so. O, I thank you so heartily for what you
have so faithfully sent me. I was so glad, that I should not be able to
describe my joy to you; for I had not heard from you for a long time.
I pray you, thank our brother H. very heartily in my name, for his
letter, which I could not read without tears, because of his comforting
exhortation. He writes me that I should write a letter to A. H. and
one to B. O brethren, I would most gladly do so, rather than eat; but
the enemies of the truth have prevented me from it, so that I do not
know how I could send you the letters. I know not how I shall send this
letter; but I have written it in the hope that our dear Lord would
provide a means; and though I would like to write more, I have no more
paper. I have written this with a little bilberry juice; I hope that if
it pleases the Lord you will send me some writing materials, to employ
myself while I must pass my time here. Hence, dear brother, no more for
this time, through want of paper.
Herewith I bid you adieu; adieu, my brother, adieu. The God of comfort
and of peace, the God of Jacob and of Israel, keep you in the faith of
the truth; may he be with you forever. Amen.
I greet you, dear brother, with a holy kiss of peace. Greet my mother
very heartily in my name, and all my sisters, and our brother H., my
master. Say that I sent her a letter not long ago; but whether she
received it, I do not know. Greet all the saints in my name. Grace and
peace be with you all. Amen.
Written by me, your weak brother, whom you well know, at present in
bonds for the testimony of the Gospel, which is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth. Rom. 1:16.
HANS BRET.
NOTE.--When this great heat of persecution which the papists had
kindled everywhere as far as their jurisdiction extended, began to
abate in several cities of Holland and Zealand, and especially in
the town of Middelborgh, where the Prince of Orange, William I.,
of worshipful memory, had granted liberty of conscience, for the
Anabaptists as well as for others, so that many of the innocent and
defenseless lambs of Christ settled down there, and in quietness served
God with a thankful heart; some of the citizens of said city, though
they had previously themselves been under the galling yoke of popery,
envied them for this, and obtained so much from the magistrates there,
that there was announced to all the Anabaptists that sojourned there:
That they should have to swear allegiance to said city, in the form of
an oath, and, moreover, arm themselves, together with other citizens,
with external weapons, to resist the enemy; and that if they did
not do this, they should be obliged to cease from their trades and
occupations tending to the sustenance of the body, to close their
houses, etc.
This announcement having been made, the Anabaptists, since they did
not think it right to swear any oaths, nor to arm themselves with
external weapons, had recourse to the aforementioned Prince of Orange,
humbly requesting of him, that they might enjoy the liberty of their
conscience, in practicing their faith; and to be permitted faithfully
to pay all civil imposts, taxes, and the like, together with others, to
be believed on their yea and nay (according to the doctrine of Christ),
in place of the oath, and to keep this truly, without evasion, guile,
or subtlety.
Thereupon, the Prince, not long after, consented to it, commanding the
magistrates there, not to ensnare these people with the aforementioned
announcement, nor to oppress their consciences with such burdens.
These things, as we have obtained full information in regard to them,
we deem profitable and expedient to add here, to the praise of the
princely house of Nassau, in the hope that it might prove an example
for other magistrates which have not yet attained to this gentleness of
disposition to follow.
LETTER OF PRIVILEGE GRANTED BY WILLIAM I., TO THE ANABAPTISTS AT
MIDDELBORGH.
_Whereas_, in behalf of certain citizens of this town of Middelborgh,
a supplication has been presented to His Excellency, in which they
complain that the magistrate of said city recently caused their
shops to be closed, and consequently prohibited their occupation,
which is nevertheless their only means of supporting their families;
they proceeding to this prohibition, for the reason that they should
render the customary oath, as others have done; the aforesaid citizens
remonstrating the more, because they now for certain long years,
without ever having rendered the aforesaid oath, have willingly borne,
together with other citizens and inhabitants of said city, all civil
imposts, contributions and taxes, without ever having been found in any
default, and wherefore also they ought still to be left unmolested,
seeing they thereby request nothing but to live in the liberty of their
conscience, in respect to which this present war has been undertaken
against the King of Spain, by his subjects, and all ceremonies that
militate against it are resisted; wherein, by the help of God, it has
now come so far, that the aforesaid liberty of conscience has been
conserved, and it would therefore be unjust to take it away from the
petitioners, who helped to gain the same, not without great peril of
body and life, by taxes, contributions, and bearing other burdens;
which, after they had presented it in the form of a request to the
aforesaid magistrate, it was answered them, that they had to regulate
themselves after the institutions and ordinances of the aforesaid
town; whereby the aforesaid magistrate seems to endeavor, by the
oath, to drive out of the country, to their total destruction, not
only their petitioners residing in Middelborgh, but, consequently,
innumerable others in Holland and Zealand, who, pursuant to his
decrees, have betaken themselves under His Excellency’s protection,
whereby no one can derive any profit, but there should only great and
signal damage result to these countries, and trade everywhere become
greatly diminished; wherefore they humbly petition His Excellency, to
consider the matter with compassion, and to take the necessary steps,
particularly, seeing the aforesaid petitioners offer to tender their
Yea in place of oath, and that the transgressors thereof are to be
punished as perjurers: _therefore_, His Excellency having considered
the foregoing and caused it to be duly deliberated upon, has, by
the previous advice of the Governor and the Councilors of Zealand,
ordained and decreed, and ordains and decrees by these presents, that
the aforesaid petitioners shall be allowed to use, with the magistrate
of the aforesaid town, their Yea offered by them, in place of the
oath; provided, that the transgressors thereof are to be punished as
perjurers; His Excellency commanding and charging the magistrate of
Middelborgh, and all others whom this may concern, not further to
oppress the petitioners, contrary to their conscience, with regard to
the oath and otherwise, but to allow them to open their shops, and to
pursue their occupations, as they have previously done.
All with this provision and understanding, that when greater
tranquillity of affairs exists, and the matter has been considered with
mature deliberation, proper measures shall be enacted.
Thus done, under his Excellency’s name and seal, in the town of
Middelborgh, the 26th of January, A. D., 1577. Sealed with a red wax
seal pending from it. Signed:
WILLIAM OF NASSAU.
What ensued thereupon, shall be shown for the following year, 1578.
In the meantime, the papists proceeded, as ravening wolves, with all
cruelty and tyranny, wherever they bore rule, against the lambs of the
flock of Christ; so that many among them had to lay down their lives,
as can be seen from the following accounts.
LOUWERENS JANSS NOODTDRUFT, OF DELFT, A. D. 1577.
After manifold persecution, slaying, and burning of the true followers
of Christ, there was also a pious brother, by the name of Louwerens
Janss, a shoemaker by trade, who chose rather to suffer affliction with
the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season with
the unbelieving; hoping hereafter to enjoy liberty in heaven, with all
the true children of God; yea, rather to die here for a little while
unto his flesh and the pleasures of this world, than hereafter to have
to pay for it with an eternal lamentation in the torment of hell.
He was therefore apprehended by the persecutors and enemies of the
truth, in the month of August, in the year 1576, at Antwerp, where he
endured severe imprisonment, and, through the grace of God, resisted
much temptation. And as he could by no means be brought to apostatize,
but was firmly built upon Christ, the lords and rulers of this world,
through the instigation of priests and monks, condemned him to death.
And thus, in the month of January, A. D. 1577, he was burnt alive at
said place, and testified and confirmed the genuine faith of the truth
with his death and blood; wherefore he has obtained, through grace, for
this his broken, earthly house, a building of God, a house not made
with hands, but which shall endure forever in heaven. 2 Cor. 5:1.
And since this friend of Christ could obtain no writing materials, he
wrote and made known to his beloved friends, his affectionate mind,
upon two tin spoons, with a pin.
Upon the one spoon was the following: I wish all my brethren and
sisters much grace from God our Father; and the peace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which passeth all understanding, rule in all your hearts; and
the love of God, which passeth all knowledge, increase with you all,
that you may abound and be steadfast, and continue in the work of the
Lord. O my dear friends, take good heed to yourselves, this I pray you,
I unworthy prisoner in the Lord. 2 Cor. 1:2; Phil. 4:7; 1 Cor. 15:58;
Heb. 10:24.
Upon the other spoon was written: Grace and peace from God the Father
and our Lord Jesus Christ be with you my very dear and in God beloved
sister in the Lord, Weyndelken and her daughter M.; this I wish you
from the depths of my heart before God, who searcheth the hearts and
reins, that you may walk before him unharmed and unhindered, in his
truth, to which he has called you; and always look to Christ and to all
the righteous. Adieu, in this time, adieu.
LOUWERENS JANSS NOODTDRUFT, of Delft.
HANS DE RUYTER, WITH HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER, A. D. 1577.
At Antwerp there was imprisoned for the sake of his faith, with his
wife and daughter, in the year 1577, the brother Hans de Ruyter, a
minister of the church of God, and a very experienced man in the
Scriptures. But when he was assailed with many severe trials, and
many fair promises of release and other things were held out to him,
he suffered himself to be moved to renounce his faith; yea, so that
he even exhorted his wife thereto; but hearing afterwards, that he
should have to die nevertheless, it produced such terror and dismay
in him (seeing how he had suffered himself to be seduced with lies
by the blind leaders, he who ought to have been a leader of others),
that with a distressed heart and anxious mind (perceiving whereunto
he had suffered himself to be brought, and what was approaching him),
he turned himself to the Fountain of grace, and prayed with scalding
tears, from the bitterness of his soul, that this apostasy from, and
denial of his Lord, might be forgiven him, and he be received back
into favor, with the prodigal son; and he would steadfastly adhere
thereto all the days of his life, and suffer nothing again to turn him
away therefrom. This he not only promised with words, but also proved
it indeed, for whatever temptation, pain, or torture was afterward
inflicted upon him, he steadfastly adhered to his reaccepted faith, so
that he was finally burnt for it, with his wife and daughter; and they
are now waiting under the altar, till the number of their brethren is
fulfilled.
NOTE.--In the beginning of the preceding year, 1577, we showed the
perverse zeal of certain followers of the Calvanistic doctrine, who,
at Middelborgh in Zealand, had obtained so much, that the Anabaptists,
who having fled out of the Romish Babylon, and settled there, were
prohibited from exercising their temporal occupation or trade by which
they had to sustain their life: and this, because they refused the
swearing of the civil oath, and the use of external weapons of war.
Thereupon, as shown in that place, the Prince of Orange commanded the
magistrate of said city, to allow the aforementioned people to live in
quietness, and not to oppress their consciences.
But the magistrates there, instead of heeding this, as coming from high
authority, acted entirely contrary; insomuch that the Anabaptists that
lived there, and especially those in the country, were compelled again
to betake themselves with an humble supplication to the Prince, to
obtain their religious liberty; who thereupon, the second time, wrote
and sent the following charge to said magistracy:
CHARGE OF WILLIAM I., TO THE MAGISTRATE AT MIDDELBORGH.
The Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau, Lord and Baron of Breda, Diest,
etc., to the noble, pious, honorable, wise, particular, etc.