Thieleman J. van Braght · 193 of 210

Old Book of the Martyrs Mirror · Part 131

By me your son, whom you well know, at present confined in prison, at 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 Saviour, 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 forever 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; I 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 dear 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 Saviour, 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 (Isa. 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 dryshod 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 Today, 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; I Pet. 2:2. For the apostle Peter says: "I deem it expedient and profit= able, 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. II 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." I 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.

Thug, 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. I 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. 2:1Q; 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. Oh, I thank you so heartily for what you have so faithfully sent me. I am 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 BEET.

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 1, 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 Gad 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 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 afore mentioned 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 afore mentioned 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, m 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 ocupations, as they have previously done.

All with this provision and understanding, that when greater tranquility 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

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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. II 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 m the Lard. II Cor. 1:2; Phil. 4:7; I 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 Calvinistic 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 afore mentioned 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

MIDDLEBORGH

The Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau, Lard and Baron of Breda' Diest, etc., to the noble, pious, honorable, wise, particular, etc.

Whereas, certain residents, living there, said to be Anabaptists, have at divers times indicated to us by way of complaint, that you daily molest them, and deprive them of the means, in peace and quietness to gain a living for themselves and their families, prohibiting them from opening their shops, under the pretext that they refuse to render the oath in such form as other citizens; which we have duly considered; and since the aforesaid people offer to bear in equity all burdens, together with other citizens (however, in the matter of arms, which chiefly moves them to take this course, levy upon them such a contribution as you, or those who may have charge of it, may find to be proper in all justice and equity); hence we think that you are doing very unjustly, in not letting them live in peace and quietness, according to the dictates of their conscience, pursuant to the act which we, with the advice of the governor and the councilors, have previously granted them, which they say they have exhibited to you; and yet, as we learn that you have hitherto not been willing to regard it, nor our previous letters, we have been compelled to write you this final act, by the which we openly declare to you, that it does not behoove you, in particular, to concern yourself with any one's conscience, as far as there is nothing done that might tend to any one's offense, in which case we wish to regard or tolerate no one: and therefore, we expressly command and ordain you, in future to desist from molesting the aforesaid people, that are Anabaptists, or from preventing them to exercise their traffic and trade, to gain a living for wife and children; allowing them to open their shops, and to work as they have previously done, at least until the time that the generality, whose province it is to do this, shall have decreed otherwise. Hence beware of attainting anything contrary to this and the act granted them, and to take from them any fines for the above cause; because there is nothing attainted with them, except what might tend to the offense of any one; and because they shall also, together with others, bear all civil and reasonable burdens. Herewith, noble, pious, honorable, wise, discreet, dear, particular, I commend you to God. Written at Antwerp, on the sixteenth day of July, 1578.

Subscribed

PAR COPIE DE BAUDEMONT.

The aforegoing copy was certified to as follows

Written by the secretary Baudemont, and found to agree with it. By me Jacob Masureel, notary public of the town van der Vere, the 15th of November, 1579.

Signed:

J. MASUREEL, Notary

REMARK. Notv'vithstanding the P r i n c e of Worshipful Memory, had now the second time so strictly commanded this liberty of conscience in the practice of the worship of God, the true fruit did still not follow, notwithstanding it was obeyed for a few years immediately afterwards; for after the decease of that good prince they began again; however, to the salvation of the defenseless church of God, it was terminated by a third prohibition, by his son, as shall be stated in the proper place.

HENDRICK SUMER AND JACOB MANDEL, A. D. 1582

In the year 1582, in the first week of September, the dear and faithful brother Hendrick Sumer, a minister of the Word of God, still under trial, and with him Jacob Mandel, were apprehended for their faith and the testimony of Jesus Christ, at Torzag, in Switzerland, and were then conducted into the town of Baden, where they; by the high bailiff of the country, and the judges, were publicly examined in the presence of the people, in the council house, and interrogated concerning their faith, which they freely confessed. At this examination were present twenty four priests, who tried whether they could not cause them to apostatize and err in their faith: but they could accomplish nothing, nor were they able to convict them of any wrong or error, much less perceive in them a just cause of death.

Now when these brethren and Christian heroes were quite steadfast in the faith, and boldly testified and proved by the Word of God, that they were on the true, narrow way of the truth unto the eternal life in Christ Jesus, from which they would in no wise depart, though it should cost them their lives; then the priests were at their wits end, and said to the councilors, that they could not do anything further; since they remained obstinate, they must now deal with them as they deemed proper.

They were then to be sentenced to death; but the councilors could not agree, for some among them would not take the responsibility of their death upon themselves, nor be guilty of it, because it was on account of matters of faith, and they knew them to be good men. But as the majority of the voices were for putting them to death, they determined that their sentence should be proceeded with, which when the brethren learned that their time had come that they should depart out of the world, they rejoiced from the heart, and were glad and of good cheer; they also said that it was a greater joy for them than if they were to go to a marriage; yea, they were of very good cheer, that God had counted them worthy, that they should glorify His name through such a righteous death which many righteous ones and friends of God had done before them, and thus obtained the heavenly crown.