Part 115
Eight days after the sacrifice of the preceding persons, a woman named Catharine was also sentenced to the fire. While yet in prison, she was greatly tormented by the monks, in order to make her apostatize, but she said: “I stand so firmly to my faith that for it, to the honor of God, I will suffer myself to be burned at the stake. What would you do for your faith? not much, I think. Hence repent, before you be brought to shame.”
Having been sentenced to be burned alive, and on her way to death, she was saluted by a brother. When she arrived on the scaffold, her hands were untied at her request. She then knelt down, and prayed fervently to God for strength, which he also gave her; for when she had arisen, and was tied to the stake, she boldly said: “I am put to death for the truth’s sake; whatever you are able to inflict upon me, I am freely ready to suffer.” A seducer then came up, to comfort and strengthen her, as he said, but she replied: “Be still, I am tired of your tormenting; forbear comforting me, and comfort yourself; for he whose name I suffer, shall now be my comfort.”
Thereupon, calling with a firm confidence upon God, she was burned alive in the sight of all men, steadfastly offering up soul and body to God, as a burnt sacrifice.
BROTHER JOHN BAIR, of LICHTENFELS, A. D. 1551.
In the year 1528, on the Wednesday after All-saints-day, Brother John Bair of Lichtenfels, was apprehended for the faith and the divine truth, and was confined for twenty-three years in a tower at Bamberg, in Franconia, on account of his constancy, as is seen from the following letter, written by him from there to the elders of the church. It reads thus:
“Dear brethren, I have received the writing tablets and the account of the doctrine and faith of our religion, as also six candles and pens; but most important, the Bible, I did not receive, as is written in the fore part of the tablets; but it is my request, that you will send it to me, if it can still be found; for I would like to have it above all things; if it can be according to the will of God; for I am sadly in want of it, and suffer great hunger and thirst for the word of the Lord these many long years. To God and his church I make this complaint; the days of my miserable imprisonment are twenty years, wanting eight weeks; the Wednesday after All-saints-day will be the anniversary. I, John Bair of Lichtenfels, the most miserable of the miserable, and the most forsaken of the forsaken, captive in Jesus Christ our Lord, again make the complaint to God and his angels, and to all his laborers and churches. Now, my most dearly beloved brethren and sisters in the Lord, pray to God for me, that he will deliver me from this peril and great distress, a distress which is unspeakable; this God knows, and I poor man, and you know it with me. Adieu.”
Written at Bamberg, in a dark dungeon, in the year 1548.
After this writing, he remained in prison three years longer, that is, twenty-three years in all; when, in the year 1551, he cheerfully fell asleep in the Lord, in his prison, and obtained the martyr’s crown.
JEROME SEGERS, WITH HIS WIFE LIJSKEN DIRCKS, AND BIG HENRY, A. D. 1551.
In the year of our Lord 1551, Jerome Segers, with his wife Lijsken Dircks, and Big Henry fell into the hands of the tyrants, for the testimony of Jesus, at Antwerp in Brabant. They suffered many severe torments and sharp examinations, but, through the grace of God, endured them all. And as they, through faith, were so firmly bound to their Captain Christ Jesus, that nothing could induce them to apostatize, they brought Jerome Segers and Big Henry to the slaughter, on the second day of September, A. D. 1551. Both, each at a stake, surrendered their bodies in great steadfastness to God as a well pleasing sacrifice. Lijsken Dircks, the wife of Jerome Segers, who was pregnant, was (after her delivery) thrust into a bag early in the morning, between three and four o’clock, and murderously thrown into the Scheldt and drowned, before people were up. Nevertheless; there were some that saw it, who testified to her firm and steadfast faith unto death. They now rest together under the altar. Read the following beautiful letters written by them, which attest their strong faith, firm hope and ardent love to God and his holy truth.
A LETTER FROM JEROME SEGERS, WRITTEN IN THE PRISON AT ANTWERP, TO HIS WIFE LIJSKEN, WHO WAS ALSO IMPRISONED THERE, A. D. 1551.
_Always fear God._
In narrow prison walls I lay, well guarded and confined; Because for Christ I testified, sore troubles I did find; But it cometh from the Lord, Who to me doth strength afford.
Grace, peace, joy, gladness, consolation, a firm faith, and good assurance, together with an ardent love to God, I wish to you, my most beloved wife, Lijsken Dircks, whom I wedded before God and his holy church, and thus took to wife, according to the command of the Lord; may consolation, gladness and joy be increased and multiplied to you my dear wife.
I earnestly pray the Lord, that he will comfort you, and remove from you that which is too grievous. I well know, my chosen lamb, that you are in great sorrow on my account; but lay aside all sorrow, and look to Jesus the Captain and Finisher of our faith, and let us henceforth walk in all righteousness and holiness, as children of peace, and let us make good use of the time of grace, and consider what great mercy the Lord has shown us. O my dear wife, remember how faithful a God we serve; he will not let us be confounded. Remember how faithfully he led the children of Israel with an outstretched arm, from Pharaoh’s house of bondage, and out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and remember how they had to prepare themselves, before they could go out, and how they did eat the paschal lamb with unleavened bread. They had to eat the paschal lamb standing, and the unleavened bread which they had, they bound up in their clothes, and began to go out to the wilderness. And the angel of the Lord went before them, by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire, and thus he gave them light. But when they were closely pressed by Pharaoh and his host, the people began to murmur against Moses; for they had not firm confidence in the Lord, that he would lead them out. But the Lord told Moses, what he would do, and how he would show his power on Pharaoh and his host; and he commanded Moses, to take the rod and smite the sea; and when Moses smote the sea, it dried up, and the waters were divided, and stood like walls to the right and to the left, so that they went through the sea on dry ground. Pharaoh followed with his host, and was drowned, with all his lords and people; but Israel passed through unharmed, and praised and thanked God, that he had delivered them from Pharaoh’s house of bondage. But they were not yet in the promised land; they came into the dreadful wilderness, where there was no bread. The bread which they had brought from Egypt, was but a small quantity; it was the unleavened dough which they had bound up in their clothes, when they left Egypt. Then they were troubled, because they had nothing to eat; but the Lord fed them with bread from heaven.
So also, my most beloved wife, we have not gained all, when we have confessed the truth, separated ourselves from the world, and renounced all lusts and desires; but we must also fight against the enemies, that is, we must here contend against emperors and potentates, and the princes of this world. We must suffer in this world; for Paul has said that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 1 Tim. 3:12. We must overcome the world, sin, death and the devil, not with external swords or spears, but with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and with the shield of faith, wherewith we shall be able to ward off all sharp and fiery darts of satan, and with the helmet of salvation on our head, and with the breastplate of righteousness, and our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel. If we are thus strengthened with these weapons, we shall get through the wilderness with Israel, and overcome and withstand all our enemies: they shall be confounded, who fight against the truth. 2 Tim. 3:8. Now, when the children of Israel were out of the wilderness--the dreadful and horrible wilderness, where the serpents spewed fire,--after they had been wandering forty years through it, had passed through so many dangers, and taken so many cities and countries on this side of Jordan; they nevertheless were not yet in possession of the promised land, for they had not yet crossed the Jordan; however, the Lord showed Moses the promised land from afar. O my dear wife, I have also seen the promised land from afar; I hope soon to come into the beautiful city of which John writes; which is greatly adorned; her foundations are twelve precious stones, and her walls and streets are of pure and clear gold; and the city has twelve gates, each gate of one pearl; and there is no night there, for the Lord her God lightens her, Rev. 21. And the Lord told Moses, that he should not lead the people into the promised land; but Joshua brought them into it, and the Lord led them over Jordan dry-shod, and commanded them to keep his commandments and laws, and he should drive out their enemies from before them. But when they transgressed his commandments and laws, the Lord delivered them into the hands of their enemies, so that they were defeated by them. After they had passed over Jordan, they still did not have the promised land, which flowed with milk and honey; but they had to take it by sheer force, destroy all their enemies, and burn the cities with fire. So must also we take the promised land by force; for Christ says that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence. Not until now have I known what it is to contend; no one knows it better than he who has tried it, such is the subtlety with which they come to seduce us.
Know, that I received your letter through my mother. I read it with tears. I thank you, that you so affectionately comfort me thereby, and I rejoiced when I heard that you are so well contented.
Let me inform you, my chosen and beloved wife Lijsken, that I have been before the margrave. He had with him two Dominicans, two judges, and the clerk of the criminal court. He asked me whether I had changed my mind yet, and added that he had prevailed upon these two good men or lords, to try and win my soul, if I would repent. I replied that I would not forsake my faith, since it was the truth. They then asked me what my faith was, I said to the monks: “Ask the Margrave, I have confessed my faith to him; ask him.” They tormented me much, but I would not tell them anything. They asked whence I knew that it was the truth--whether God had spoken orally with me. When they could get nothing else out of me, my confession was read, namely, that I had no regard for the sacrament. I said: “No, it is nothing more than a god of bread.” The priests were angry, because I thus despised their god. They all wished to talk with me. I said: “I will not hear you, nor talk with you; but let my brother come here to me, and I will talk with you, and confess our faith.”
They then asked me whether I was not strong enough in my faith, since I appealed to my brother.
I replied: “Yea, my faith is strong enough; but that you may not pervert our words.”
They then said: “We shall not pervert your words.”
I said: “I know you and your roguery well.”
The Margrave said: “It shall be granted to you.”
I understood him to say, that he should bring a Bible with him.
The priests said that when the children are baptized, they then have faith.
I laughed at it, and said: “Why then do you not go into Turkey, and baptize the Turks; if thereby men become believers, as you say, they would all become believers.”
They replied: “Though the Turks should be baptized, they would still remain Turks.”
They importuned me greatly, to apostatize, and become a child of the Roman church. And the Margrave and the judges felt such unrighteous compassion for me, that they said: “If your life should be spared, and you should repent and become a good child of the Roman church, I should have good hopes of you; for you have been brought to this in your youth and innocency. I well know by whom (he meant Jelis of Aix-la-Chapelle); and because you descended from such good parents, and your mother is almost dead with grief.”
I replied: “Though the door should stand open, and you should say: Go, only say: I am sorry; I should not go; for I well know that I hold the truth.”
The Margrave then said: “I shall cause you to be burnt alive, if you will not hear.” I laughed again, and said: “All that you inflict upon me for my faith, I will willingly suffer.” He said: “His wife is the greatest heretic in the city.”
I cannot thank the Lord enough for all the great strength and power which he gives me in this distress. I perceive now, that the Lord is with us; for he helps us so faithfully out of all distress (Psalm 91:15); he is such a faithful Captain, he gives his servants such courage and strengthens them, that they are not afraid (Job 5:22); they neither fear nor tremble, because of the great love which they have to their heavenly Father: for Paul says: “Who shall separate us from the love of God? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 8:35–39.
Therefore, my most beloved wife Lijsken, redeem the time; be patient in tribulation, continue instant in prayer, and look constantly to the beautiful promises that are promised us everywhere, if we persevere unto the end. And let us guard well the treasure; for we have this treasure in earthen vessels (2 Cor. 4:7), and cannot conceal it; it breaks out everywhere; it is far too precious to be hid. We rejoice greatly in this treasure, which treasure is our faith, hope, and love; and these will not leave us destitute, even though they put us singly into dark dungeons, separated from one another. The treasure is of such a nature that it will not be hid; one calls to the other, and so pours out his treasure, that it may be seen. We are so cheerful, eternal praise and thanks be to the Lord! we call, we sing with each other, we have such joy in comforting and strengthening each other; the Lord gives us such strength and power, that we cannot thank him sufficiently for the great grace which he shows us. Mal. 3:16. “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.” 2 Cor. 4:16–18.
Hence, my dear wife, cease not to serve the Lord thy God with the whole heart, and to follow his footsteps; “For we know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven ... not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon ... for whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.” Mark 12:30; 1 Pet. 2:21; 2 Cor. 5:1,2,4,6.
Therefore, my dear wife, give diligence that you pass the time of your sojourning here in fear and trembling (1 Pet. 1:17); not with such fear and trembling as that we should fear the world, and tremble before it, because they rage so against us; but we are to fear and tremble before the Lord, so that we shall keep his commandments and statutes, and thus pass the time of our sojourning here in the fear of the Lord, and receive the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls; then shall we rejoice forever with the Lord, and go to meet him in the resurrection of the dead. Is. 51:11; Philip. 3:11. Therefore do not fear the world; for the very hairs of your head are all numbered; they have no power, except it be given them from above. Matt. 10:30; John 19:11. And Christ says: Be not afraid of them that kill the body; but fear him, who after he has killed the body has power to cast the soul into hell; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, and their worm shall not die, and they shall have no rest day nor night. Luke 13:28; Is. 66:24; Rev. 14:11. May the Almighty, eternal and strong God so strengthen and comfort you with his blessed word, that you will remain faithful unto the end, and you shall also come under the altar to all the dear children of God, where all tears shall be wiped from our eyes. Rev. 2:10; 6:9; 21:4. There all tribulation will have an end, and there shall our vile body be glorified, and be like unto the image of his glory. Philip. 3:21. Then shall our weeping be turned into laughter, and our sorrow into joy (John 16:20); then shall we, who for a little while have been despised and rejected, yea, persecuted and dispersed, and put to death with great ignominy, pain and reproach, for the testimony of Jesus Christ, triumph forever, and live eternally with the Lord. We shall be clothed with white robes, as John testifies in his Revelation concerning the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And they lay under the altar, and they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” Rev. 7:9; 20:4; 6:9–11.
O what a glorious people shall we be, when we shall be with that great multitude of which Esdras writes, and John in his Revelation, says: “I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” Rev. 7:9,10, 14–17. Esdras also declares of the same multitude: “that they stood upon mount Sion, and were clothed in white, and that in the midst of them stood one taller than all the rest, who gave palms into the hands of every one, and set crowns upon every one of their heads.” 2 Esdras 2:42,43,46. And John says: “I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.” Rev. 15:2,3. Behold, my dear wife, what glorious promises we everywhere find, which God will give to all his dear and true children who here faithfully adhere to him, who have ended their lives to the praise of the Lord, and washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 1 Cor. 2:9.
O my dearly beloved wife, I cannot thank the Lord enough for all his great goodness shown to me; he gives me such strength and power that I cannot express it. O, now I experience that the Lord is a faithful helper in time of need; he does not forsake those that trust in him, for he that trusts in the Lord shall not be confounded. Isaiah 45:17; Rom. 9:33. He will keep us as the apple of his eye; he will deliver us from all the power of the devil, and the tyranny of this world; yea, he will keep us, that we shall not go into hell, if we remain faithful to him unto the end; for Christ says: “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matt. 24:13.
O my dearly beloved wife, continue faithful to the Lord unto death; for the crown is not at the beginning, nor in the middle, but at the end. If you continue faithful to the Lord, he will not forsake you; he will give you the crown of eternal life, and lead you into his kingdom. Jas. 1:12. He will crown you with glory and honor; and will wipe away all tears from your eyes.
Dear Lijsken, if he will wipe away all tears, tears must here first be shed. Matt. 5:4. He will heal us from our sufferings; hence we must first suffer in this world. Yea, we must fight and contend against ferocious lions, dragons, and bears (Ps. 91:13), yea, against the wicked and perverse generations of vipers (Matt. 3:7) and serpent rulers, and against the subtle serpents of this world, and the wicked seed of Cain; for Paul says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of darkness, and the principalities and powers of this world, yea, against the spirits that work in the air, which is the old serpent and Satan (Rev. 20:2), who, as Peter says, walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Pet. 5:8. Therefore defend yourself diligently, with prayer and supplication to the Lord, and hold fast to the doctrine of Jesus Christ our Savior, that you may receive the end of your faith, even the salvation of your soul. Fight with Paul the good fight. Herewith I commend you, my dearly beloved wife and sister, to the Almighty, eternal and strong God, and to the word of his rich grace, that you may be able to stand against all the gates of hell. Amen.
A LETTER FROM JEROME SEGERS TO THE BRETHREN AND SISTERS.
The eternal joy, peace and grace of God the Father; and the unfathomable mercy, favor, and love of the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been sent through grace, by God the Father, to the salvation of all those that are born again with him, through his imperishable word or gospel, and do his will; and the deep and unspeakable consolation, power, strength, and communion of the Holy Ghost, who is sent by both from heaven, to the everlasting consolation, joy, and gladness of all true, penitent and obedient children of God, who have amended their life, and thus have risen with Christ, through his gospel, into newness of life. May this only God strengthen you all in his eternal truth, and uphold you with the mighty word of his grace in all righteousness, holiness and truth unto the end, and keep your understanding, and your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. To him be praise, honor, glory, might, power, and strength forever and ever. Amen.