Another Letter by Jan Hendrickss, to Maerten Janss, His Fellow-Prisoner.
The eternal God of all grace, who has called us with a heavenly calling, from the power of Satan into his eternal, marvelous kingdom, strengthen and confirm you, my brother Maerten Janss, with his holy word, and give you the power of the Spirit, that you may be able to resist all the wicked wiles of the Evil One, whether through himself, or through his emissaries, so that you may be able to stand in this grace; and grant you and me a valiant faith, firmly rooted and grounded, that you may neither be moved nor cast down by the great tempest of false doctrine. This, I Jan Hendrickss, your weak fellow-brother in imprisonment, tribulation and affliction, wish Maerten Janss, my dear brother, in his bonds and imprisonment, as a friendly salutation in the Lord, for the refreshing of your mind. Amen.
Further, my dear brother, I inform you, that I am still of good cheer in the Lord, and my heart and mind have still no other purpose than to fear him, and to adhere to his holy word, according to my great weakness, with the help of God. Without whose assistance I am utterly powerless to perform the same. Thus I hope and am confident in my heart, that it is also with you. I furthermore thank you much for the comforting letters you have sent me to refresh and console me in my tribulation, and that you still remember me in your prayers, which I also do for you, that we may help each other fight in this great conflict, which we now have with the great red dragon, which draws the third part of the stars from heaven with his tail. Revelation 12:3,4. When I read your letters, it was no sorrow for me to hear that you were of such good cheer and courage in the Lord, but it rejoiced my spirit. Hence, my dear brother, let us take good heed to, and well consider, the teaching and admonition of Paul, where he says: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him.” Col. 2:6,7. Mark, dear brother, it is needful that we attend to these words and admonition of Paul. For since we have put on Christ by baptism, and have become members of his body, let us walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and firmly abide in him, even as he says: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” John 15:4–6. Mark, dear brother, how well it is with him that is in Christ, and Christ in him: but he who has no consciousness of Christ, is like a branch that is cut off and withered, which receives no sap or strength, nor the nature of the stem of the vine.
Dear brother, let us now earnestly consider the matter, whether this is not the case with men. Let us therefore abound in him with thanksgiving, and by him offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, that we be not spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Heb. 13:15; Col. 2:8. “For it is now an evil time, a time that searches and tries Christians, whether they are firmly rooted and built in the faith. For when a woman has conceived, and the time of her delivery is drawing nigh, before she is delivered, great pain comes upon her, which is the forerunner and sign of her impending delivery; but when she is delivered, she soon forgets the great pain, because she has gotten a child.
Behold, my dear brother, thus it is also with us now; the great temptation and vexation, conflicts without, and fears within, which happen to us daily, these are our pains which precede delivery, whereby we may perceive, that the time of delivery is fast approaching; but as soon as we are delivered, then we shall remember it no more; namely, when we shall have put off this tabernacle, the mortal clothing, that shall be the last of our pain; then we may say: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 15:55–57. Then shall the last enemy, death, be conquered. Then shall we no more weep, mourn, or lament; all torment, pain and affliction shall then have passed, like a vapor, that endures for a little time. Then we shall no more be tormented or tempted, apprehended or hunted; but we shall rest from our heavy labor, and help keep the eternal day of rest, with many thousand saints under the altar, who are chosen out of every kindred and nation, who have also sealed the word of God with their blood, and have passed through the world through many great tribulations, and not loved their lives above their Creator unto the death. Rev. 14:13; 7:14; 12:11.
Behold my dear brother Maerten Janss, what will it matter then, whether we have lived in great luxury and pleasure, or whether we have been persecuted, imprisoned, tormented, tortured, burnt or beheaded, yes, what will it matter when it is all over? For then we shall all follow the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, with a great multitude of saints, arrayed in fine linen clean and white, palms in our hands, and crowns upon our heads. O what a glorious work will that be for him that will be able to endure here unto the end! Hence, my dear brother, I say with tears, though I write it to you, let us keep good courage; for in the world, says Christ, ye shall have tribulation: But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. John 16:33. So doing let us hold fast the promise, without wavering; for he is faithful that promised (Hebrews 10:23); though they say that we have the devil of pride in us, and that he is too firmly seated in us. But it will be found otherwise, when that comes what shall come; there is no doubt about it. Though we are here deprived of our right, when the Judge of judges shall judge, we shall get it back, I have no doubt at all. Herewith I will commend you to the Lord, and to the rich word of his grace, who is able to keep you unto the end. Amen.
Know, Maerten Janss, that the tormentors have been with me all the week, except one day, and I daily expect their return. Adrian Corneliss was also here this week, with the chaplain. And on Saturday the chaplain was here, with a steersman from Egmont, named Jacob Meulenaer, who wanted to prove to me, that however bad a man was, he might teach the word of God aright, and save men; yea, though it were the devil, he might teach men the word of God aright. He took off his cap, and sat there as though he was about to deliver an exhortation, and made a speech almost a quarter of an hour long, commencing at the very beginning. I could not refrain from laughing, whenever I looked at him, for I thought that his head was out of order. When he had finished, all three of us fell in a dispute; yet I did not intend to make many words, but it is difficult for a man to keep silence. Hence when they perceived that I would not listen to them they assailed me very hard. The steersman said: Had I been officer, you would not have lain here so long; he would have made short work with me. He said to the priest: The lords must put this man to death secretly; he [the devil] was so firmly seated in me, he said, that he could not come out; and many other ugly words he said. I said: “The plainer you make it the better I understand it.” And the chaplain and I had many hard words, and he was greatly incensed. I said that I did not desire him so any more. He said that he marveled with Paul, that I had so soon suffered myself to be led to another gospel, when yet there was no other. I said; “What other gospel have I accepted?” He said: That I had not been willing to have my children baptized. “Indeed,” said I, “you have not a single letter of Scripture that they must be baptized.” Observe, dear brother, his view: If Paul had ordained it as a command and custom to baptize infants, and we rejected the same, we had accepted another gospel. I also had some words with the steersman; what he said was neither rhyme nor reason, and he was very abusive to me. I said: “Calling names breaks no bones; one can do it seated as well, and I offered him a chair. He said that he knew more in one finger, than I in my whole body; and many other things he said. Farewell, and acquit yourself valiantly; I hope to do the same. And let us remember each other in our prayers. Take this my simple letter in good part, for it has been written out of love; and excuse me for having waited so long before writing, for I have many visitors, not friends, however, since no one is allowed to come to me except my father. Write me again, how it is with you, for I hear nothing but good of you, God be praised.
Written, A. D. 1572, in my bonds, by me,
Jan Hendrickss.
ANOTHER LETTER FROM JAN HENDRICKSS TO POUWELS AND AECHTGEN, HIS BROTHER AND SISTER, FOR AN ADMONITION TO THEM, AND FINALLY FOR A FAREWELL.
The God of all grace, who has called us from the power of darkness into his eternal kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord, grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Col. 1:13; Ephesians 3:16–19. This, I Jan Hendrickss, a poor prisoner for the word of the Lord, at Delft, wish Pouwels H. and Aechtgen H., for an affectionate salutation in the Lord. Amen.
Further, after all proper salutation to you, my beloved brother Pouwels Hendrickss, and Aechtgen Hendrickss, daughter, whom I love much according to the flesh, and also after the spirit, I inform you, that I am still valiant and of good cheer in the Lord, as I hope that this is also the case with you. And as, according to human calculation, my departure, or time is near at hand, to put off my tabernacle, I cannot forbear, but must exhort you briefly, out of pure, faithful, brotherly love, to strive firmly, steadfastly and constantly in the faith once delivered to the saints, that you may through this faith receive God’s promises, so that we may meet together under the altar, with the great number robed in white, who are chosen and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb out of every kindred and nation under heaven, and have passed through the world through great tribulation, being burnt, pursued, beheaded, and the like; therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his presence. Rev. 7:14,15.
See, dear brother, all these had to drink of this bitter cup, before they attained their present state; and they all had to walk this narrow, strait, slippery, and perilous way, and did not love their lives unto the death, and had to leave everything behind for the name of the Lord, whether it be lands, sand, house, home, wife, and children, before they reached this exceedingly glorious state. Yea, the Son of God himself entered into his Father’s kingdom through great affliction, being apprehended, mocked, scourged, crucified, and put to death, so that he said: “I am a worm, and no man.” Psalm 22:6. Hence let us take these for an example and pattern, lest we become slothful, drowsy, or faint on the way, and thus be taken captive by the wiles and snares of Satan, for a man that is asleep is easily caught. But be fervent in spirit, and seek to be the first in every good work, and not the least; and beware of the arrows of the devil, which he shoots in darkness; and pray to God day and night, for it is needful to pray always, lest we fall into temptation, for he that seeks to murder our soul neither sleeps nor slumbers, and is constantly walking about us as a roaring lion. And beware of pride, of spiritual as well as other pride, for it is the nature of man to be rather high-minded. Let all envy and hatred, railing and slandering, and all craftiness and malice be far from you, together with all murmuring of the heart. Covetousness or rapacity, ambition and selfishness, let these not be found with you, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and follow his example in everything, as well as you can. Have brotherly love, and endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Be patient in all tribulation and affliction that come upon you, and the God of peace will be with you; for we have great need of patience, as I have proved. For Sirach says: “Woe to him that has lost patience,” and well may he say so.
In short, conduct yourselves so according to your weakness, that no one may justly have much to complain of you. And serve the Lord with all your heart and purpose; incline your thoughts to God, and let your eyes ever be upon him, even as the eyes of the servant are upon his master, and the eyes of a maiden upon her mistress. And work out your salvation with fear and trembling; moreover, think not that you always fall too short, not doing enough. And do not walk carelessly in the ways of the Lord, but pass the time of your sojourning here in fear, for the heedless and careless will soon have squandered all their substance; but exercise great care for the poor soul which has been redeemed with a great price, and will live forever, either in heaven or in hell. Fight valiantly against Satan with his manifold lusts and desires and false insinuations, and trample his head in pieces under your feet, with earnest supplication and prayer to God, with diligence and earnestness, for Satan comes down with great wrath, knowing that his time is brief. Rev. 12:17. Likewise always remember God’s severe judgment, and great day that shall come upon all the ungodly. For when we bear it well in mind, we can the better guard against it, because it will be most terrible; even as Sirach says: My son, remember your end, and you will never sin, for according to the Scriptures marvelous things indeed will take place when the great day of the Lord shall come; for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thess. 4:16,17. And the sea shall give up her dead; no one shall then remain hid that shall not rise again: but every one shall receive in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Rev. 20:13; 2 Cor. 5:10. Although our body is now placed to the stake, for food for the birds and beasts (Psalm 79:2), it shall therefore not remain lost, but the Lord shall raise it up again in due time, and make it like unto the image of his Son, and then shall we, through his grace, shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, whereas the part and lot of all the ungodly shall be in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. Philip. 3:21; Matt. 13:43; Rev. 21:8.
Therefore, my dear brethren and sisters, faint not at my tribulation which I now suffer, but let it be your glory. Eph. 3:13. For, who art thou, says the Lord by the prophet, that thou shouldest be afraid of man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass? Is. 51:12. Christ likewise says: I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Luke 12:4,5. For, my dear brethren and sisters, it is too wonderful how the Lord can work with his own, which I well experienced when I was tortured; for they first drew me up by the pully, and when I was suspended, they scourged me; and when I would betray no one, they hung a weight to my feet; but as soon as I came up stairs again, I had but little pain, yea, the next day my limbs were no worse than if I had helped catch six or seven loads of herring. Hence keep good courage, and follow me; I hope now to go before you, and to wait for you under the altar of the Lord, with the marked dead of the Lord, who are already slain for the name of their God, and lie and wait for their fellow brethren, that shall be killed yet for the testimony of the Lord, until the time that the number is fulfilled. O that we might meet one another there! what great joy it would be for me, as I hope and have this confidence concerning you, that we shall yet go in and out there as calves of the stall, and help keep the eternal Sabbath; then we shall rest from all our great trouble, misery and torment that have been inflicted upon us, and from the heavy labor which we have done. To this end make you meet the great Shepherd of the sheep, who brought us from the dead through the blood of the everlasting testament. Amen. Hebrews 13:20. For I love your souls with all my heart, and would fain, that I might take you all before me. Herewith I will commend you to God, and to the rich word of his grace; may he keep you unto the end. Amen.
Dear brother and sister, my heart’s great desire of you is, that you have an eye upon our brothers Cornelis H. and Jacob H., and our sister Leentgen H., and direct them in the fear of God as much as you can. But above all, have your eye upon my children, and show them and my wife as much love as you can; for my glass is almost run out, my watch is nearly over; day will soon break, for I have already seen the morning star in the sky. Herewith farewell; I greet Adrian H. and his wife and all dear friends much; bid my friends many adieus. Dear brother and sister, take my letter in good part; though I am somewhat solemn in my letters, it is because I love your souls so much. Written on the 23d of January 1572. Adieu for a little while, my dear brethren and sisters, till we meet again; acquit yourselves valiantly, this I pray you. By me,
Jan Hendrickss.
SANDER WOUTERSS, OF BOMMEL AND EVERT HENDRICKS, OF WARENDORP, BOTH BURNT ALIVE FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST AT AMSTERDAM, ON THE 3D OF SEPTEMBER, A. D. 1575.
The misery of the beloved children of God had not come to an end yet at this time, since the words spoken by the Lord: “They shall put you out of the synagogues; yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service,” were still being fulfilled, which, among many other instances, also appeared in the year 1572, on the third day of September, at Amsterdam, in the case of two pious and valiant champions of Jesus Christ, named Sander Wouterss, of Bommel and Evert Hendricks of Warendorp, both of whom at that time, voluntarily exchanged their life for death, and surrendered it to the Lord as a burnt sacrifice, the Romanistic rulers effecting this through their malice, with fiery flames in the place of execution in front of the city hall at Amsterdam.
But between those who did this, and the others who suffered it, there shall hereafter be a great difference, when there shall be said to those who suffered it: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,” but to those who did it (if they have not sincerely been converted from this wickedness); “Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels,” Matt. 25. O, what an exceeding great difference! our reason is utterly powerless to grasp this, our mortal and frail tongue cannot express it.
Note.—The sentence of death of the aforementioned two persons was sent us from the original book of criminal sentences of said city, through the instrumentality of the clerk of the court there: hence we will add the same here, just as it reads; in it may be seen how perfidiously the papistic rulers of that time misinterpreted the good confession of the pious witnesses of Jesus Christ, and how dreadfully and horribly they proceeded against and dealt with them.