Part 170
On the third of May 1568 some brethren were assembled at Tillegem, near Bruges, in Flanders, to hear the word of God preached, when they were unexpectedly set upon by some who had come out to get may-poles, and five of them were apprehended, namely, Karel de Raet, a shepherd, born at Wingen; Hansken in’t Schaeck, called Hansken Koordedraeger, from the Schaeck at Kortijck; Willem de Snijder of Honschote; and two others who, since they did not valiantly adhere to the truth, are not worthy to have their names recorded here. The wife of Karel de Raet, and that of Willem de Snijder, were not apprehended with them, nor had Karel’s wife as yet united with the church, but was ready for it. Thus it happened, when these men had been apprehended, that Maerten Lem, a burgomaster of Bruges, went out, about twelve o’clock in the night, with the watchmen, and first apprehended Christijntgen, Willem Snijder’s wife, and when a watchman was desirous of turning Maerten Lem off from the house where Grietgen, Karel de Raet’s wife was to be sought for, and they were rapidly walking along the fortress, between the Asses Gate and Jerusalem, Grietgen with two of her children unexpectedly met them, which caused Maerten Lem to say: “See, God gives this whore into our hands;” and he asked her: “Where are you going?” Greatly amazed, she replied: “To church.” Thereupon he said: “It is no time now to go to church. Where is your husband?” She answered: “You know it well.” He asked whether the two children were baptized. She said: “No.” “Have they no name then?” he asked. “Yes,” she replied. “Well how is this?” said he; “have they a name before they are baptized?” She replied: “Dogs and other animals receive names; how much more should children, that are created after the image of God? I was not aware that my lords of Bruges are so blind yet.” “If you want to talk this way,” said Maerten Lem, “You shall be burnt.” “I know it,” she replied; “but then the crown of life is prepared for me.” And thus these two women were likewise taken to prison, where much vexation, pain, and suffering were inflicted upon them, as also upon the three men mentioned, to draw them from the faith; but all in vain. Hence, first the men were sentenced to be burnt on the Hillige, near Bruges, where they also boldly offered up their sacrifice; and a few days after, also the two women, because they steadfastly adhered to God, and his truth, were sentenced, and burnt in the castle in Bruges. And they now wait together for the coming of him that shall come to avenge all their sufferings.
JAN DE SMIT, DANIEL DE PAEU, DANIEL VAN VOOREN, AND PASSCHIER WEYNS, A. D. 1568.
In the year 1568, at Ghent, in Flanders, also four brethren were apprehended, namely, Jan de Smit, Daniel de Paeu, Daniel van Vooren and Passchier Weyns, who boldly confessed their faith and all the articles in regard to which they were examined, and were not ashamed of God and his word, but valiantly and undauntedly contended for the truth accepted and apprehended; against all that withstood them, unwaveringly even unto death, which they therefore tasted, as valiant soldiers; first, Jan de Smit, and shortly after, the other three. But they obtained to live forever where the new wine will be given them to drink in the Father’s kingdom.
VALERIUS SCHOOLMASTER MARTYRED, A. D. 1568.
A. D. 1568, a godfearing, pious brother, called Valerius Schoolmaster, having in his time exercised the functions of schoolteacher at Hoorn, in Holland, and at Middelburgh in Zealand, was apprehended for the testimony of Jesus, at Brouwershaven, in Zealand. He was a zealous follower of Christ, and would not hide the talent he had received in the earth, but put it with great diligence out upon usury; so that in paths and highways, wherever he saw a fit opportunity, he exhorted the people with the word of God, threatening the sinner with the terrible punishment and vengeance which at the speedy appearance of Christ from heaven will fall upon all ungodliness; and, again, comforting the penitent with the great and glorious promises and rewards which the Lord God at the end of the world will give to all believers. In consequence of this he incurred the displeasure of benighted men, who can neither hear nor endure the light of the Gospel, so that once he was put in bonds at Goes, in Zealand, but was released again, keeping his faith. Finally, however, he was apprehended at Brouwershaven, in the district of Zierickzee, where he suffered many assaults and long imprisonment, but by the grace of God, overcame everything, and attested and sealed the faith of the truth with his death and blood, and thus, through grace, obtained the crown of eternal life.
He also was not idle during the time of his imprisonment, but wrote two excellent little books, well worth reading, and sent them from prison. The first is entitled, _Of the Decrease and Decay of the Apostolical Church_; and _Of the Rise of Antichrist, and how the Light of the Gospel is obscured by him_. Written in the sixtieth week of his imprisonment; together with an earnest exhortation to apostates from the word of God, that they may seek the grace of the Almighty betimes, while he is yet to be found.
The other book bears the title, _The Proof of Faith_; in which he teaches with great earnestness, to count this world and all visible things nothing but mere loss and dung, so only Christ be won. Wherefore he exhorts all believers, to become poor for Christ’s sake, and to expect riches hereafter with God in heaven. Hence he greatly commends the poverty and piety still remaining in Menno Simon’s S. G., and says that herein he puts to blush many others. We have therefore added here, for his remembrance, the first part of said book, that by this little the reader may judge of all the remainder, which would be too long to adduce here in full. He wrote it the fourteenth week of his imprisonment. Read it with attention.
“Natural, impartial reader or hearer, who have any understanding, you may well know and imagine that a man that is so depraved and wicked, and has done so much evil, as to insure his death, in case he were apprehended, ought to be afraid of committing any more evil, lest at last he be apprehended and put to death. But if he do not cease from evil he may at last be apprehended for his crimes. Then, when imprisoned, he may reflect and concern himself night and day, how he may escape or obtain his liberty, whether by strategy, violence or breaking out--and all this, that he might prolong his uncertain life for a little while, which, though he should escape, he must ultimately relinquish. And if a poor prisoner cannot help himself, he may consider whether some good friend cannot assist him. And if his friend fail him, he may meditate whether the judges might not be merciful to him, at whose feet he may fall, and implore them to spare him in mercy; moreover, he may promise thoroughly to reform, and that he will commit such or like misdeeds no more all the days of his life. And when the prisoner has done this much, yea, all that he knows to do, and all his plans, and everything else, prove of no avail, he may in desperation give up all courage. And when he sees the monk coming, he may become greatly alarmed, knowing that his confessor (who with lies and vain consolation may promise him eternal life, thereby seeking to assure his soul) is the harbinger of his death; and when the doomed man hears the court pronounce his sentence of death, he may become still more afraid and dismayed. And when at last he is led to death, and beholds the instrument of his death, the gallows, wheel, stake, or water, he may most of all fear and quake, so seized with mortal dread and horror as though he were dead while still living, unless he be assured by the priests or some other liars, of his salvation, in which case he might be of good cheer--one in this way, another in another way. And if some one should bring to this doomed criminal under the sword or at the stake, good news assuring him of his life, and tell him to arise and he himself should kneel down in the malefactor’s stead, how joyfully should the latter with gratitude accept his transient life! But Christ, who gives redemption and eternal life by his death, few are willing gratefully to accept aright and unto repentance. John 3:16; Col. 1:14; Is. 53:4.
“Now, suppose that the doomed criminal were a filthy, unclean harlot, imprisoned for a crime, or for having herself alone committed (if it were possible) all the wickednesses and sins ever perpetrated by the whole world, for which she were condemned to the most shameful death that could be devised; and the King should send his only, beloved son from his kingdom and glory into great poverty, imprisonment, suffering and an innocent death, in the stead of the unclean harlot, who by all manner of contempt and evil-doing had angered the King, and merited death a thousand times, but is now nevertheless, out of grace, through the death of the King’s son (on condition of her amending) reconciled to the King, made at peace with him, liberated from prison, and delivered from death, and remains alive, a partaker and heir of all the riches of the King; ought she not to accept this great love and grace, love the King, amend her ways, and be greatly afraid of vexing the King any more all her life, who cleansed her, forgave all her evil deeds, paid all her debts, espoused her as his beloved queen, exalted her into his glory, and protected her as himself from all enemies? But if she should not amend (according to her promise), should again anger the King, and do worse than before, were this not great ingratitude, worthy of sorer punishment than before? Hereby we may prove ourselves, whether we that are redeemed through the grace of God, also keep the promise of amendment. And though all this were to happen thus, a thing which was never heard of or seen, nor ever occurred; yet, since it were but temporal and of short duration, it is not an adequate comparison to that which is eternal and intransient, namely, the love of God, which has come to us through Christ his beloved Son.
“For God so loved the condemned world, his enemy, steeped as it was in sin, and lying in wickedness, that he spared not his only Son, but sent him from his glory in heaven, and delivered him up to the ignominious and cursed death of the cross, that whosoever believeth, should not perish or be condemned, but, through the love, mercy and grace made manifest through Christ, be acquitted, blessed, redeemed, cleansed from sin, protected from the wrath to come, wooed, wedded and exalted as his chosen bride, obedient wife (Hos. 2:20), and glorious queen, and his eternal and imperishable kingdom, and live with joy unspeakable; whereas we were so unclean in our sins, polluted in our blood, no one attending to us (Ezek. 16), taken captive by the devil at his will, and sentenced by God, according to his justice, to eternal death and damnation.
“Now let us well consider and advise with ourselves, according to the simile of the criminal, imprisoned harlot under the sword or at the stake. Let us well examine ourselves, whether we have risen from our sins, amended, and still daily amend, and whether we have rightly accepted, by the faith which worketh by love, this love, grace and redemption of God, made manifest through Christ, and whether we in return love God, keep his commandments, and are afraid of offending him.
“The world was by nature corrupted by sin, and judged or sentenced to condemnation, so that Christ did not come to judge or to condemn that which was already judged, but to redeem from judgment and condemnation all those who rightly, by faith, accept his grace (Tit. 2:11), that is, those who die unto and forsake their sinful life, repent and amend; in a word, those who are born again, and live after the Spirit (John 3; Rom. 8), as the Scriptures abundantly testify in many places.
“But the others, who do not rightly accept, by faith, unto the amendment of their entire life, according to the holy word of the Lord, this love, grace and redemption, abide notwithstanding, held captive by their sins, under the condemnation and wrath of God, and will on account of their unbelief, impenitence and unrighteousness not see the kingdom of God, nor inherit eternal life, because they still continue in sin, and thus cannot receive redemption and forgiveness of sins; and if they have once received it, yet, when their new sins exceed the old ones, it may go worse with them than before, because they are so ungrateful, and do not keep their promise of amendment. For Christ bore our sins in his own body on the tree of the cross (on this condition of our amendment), that we believers, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes we were healed. For we were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. 1 Pet. 2:24,25. From this we may clearly perceive, that those who do not die unto their sins, nor live according to righteousness, are not yet healed or redeemed by the stripes and death of Christ; for they are not yet by faith returned unto God, from their sins, wherein they still live. Hence they in vain assure themselves, of eternal life, and of their redemption by the death of Christ, since they are still bound by their sins. Either they must turn from their sins to God, obediently to serve him all the days of their life, in all holiness and righteousness of faith which is pleasing in his sight; or they still remain captive, unbelieving and condemned, as the Scriptures declare more abundantly than I can designate; for I have never had a Bible in prison. Let each examine himself. 2 Cor. 13:5.
“Mark now, how poor mankind receive redemption and salvation, as they think. One hears and sees openly enough that almost the entire population of Europe are called believing Christians, though by their wicked works they hardly show that they are natural men, since they live more unnatural than irrational beasts. Nevertheless, they are taught by their teachers, that they are called children and heirs of God (Ezek. 13:10), which they also claim they are, being so firmly persuaded of and settled in it, that there are very few of them who can be turned, advised, helped or drawn out of the prison, water, or fire of damnation (Jude 23); for they are already too wise in themselves, already helped, and delivered from death as they think and say, though in this their sinful life and ungodliness, they lie enveloped in perdition; and clothed with a beautiful name, being called Christians and children of God, though they lead a worse life than do Jews, Turks, or Saracens, who do not pretend to be Christians, as these, who so openly and shamelessly forsake Christ, in idolatry with wood and stone, which they call an excellent worship; in avarice which they style only industry; in pride, which with them is only neatness; in lasciviousness and adultery, which they term only friendship; in drunkenness, which they call enjoyment, pleasure, glee, good naturedness, or good cheer, even as they know how to name and varnish over every form of wickedness and sin, as though they were nothing but virtue and righteousness. As though they were blameless, many of them are not willing to be reproved for the lusts of their flesh, in dicing, gambling, singing, jumping, dancing, strutting, boasting, in order to be nowhere the least, but everywhere the first, if possible; in vain, false, and renowned arts of earthly worldly and carnal wisdom; in litigating, sueing, swearing; in subtle, fraudulent, wicked inventions and traffics; in lying, cheating, quarreling, cursing, fighting, and killing, if not in deed, then with the heart; in hatred and envy, defaming, backbiting, foolish talking, jesting, joking, unprofitableness, impropriety, in all manner of lustfulness and wantonness. This is nearly everywhere as common as daily bread; herein and herewith they spend, abuse and fritter away, to the perdition of their souls, the precious time of grace, their life, and every good creature of God; which good gifts of God we have received from his grace for our good, thereby obediently to serve our God and Creator blessed forever, to the honor of God, the salvation of our souls, and the edification and love of our neighbor. For God is not willing that any should perish, neither has he pleasure in the death of sinners; but he is longsuffering, and waits for all to repent and will have all men to come to the knowledge of the truth, and be saved. 2 Pet. 3:9; Ezek. 33:11; 18:32; 1 Timothy 2:4.
“What more should our Lord God do for man, than he has done? Does not then men’s condemnation proceed from their unbelief, disobedience, neglect, abuse, guilt, sin, obduracy, and ingratitude, because they will not by faith unto repentance accept this grace and incomprehensible love of God? But they reject this repentance, and would still enjoy this grace and salvation in their sinful life, from which they do not turn.[296] For since men have also the freedom to abuse themselves or their own life, and every creature of God, though this is not the will of God, only he permits it, therefore men, by their first birth, live contrary to the word and will of God, hence, unnaturally, disobediently, ungratefully, unreasonably, heedlessly, according to the will of the devil, are devilishly and carnally minded, covetous and ambitious, unmannerly, immodest, faithless, perjured, hateful, envious, unmerciful, without compassion, impatient, morose, cruel, and revengeful; in short, had men the power of wealth, and of their body, and were there no human authority which they fear and dread more than God, men might live in such an inhuman manner that we might almost have a hell upon earth; for though now men are feared more than God, still it is altogether too bad.[297]
[296] See whether a criminal is pardoned, if he is not willing to amend his ways.
[297] Many think they are good Christians, because they do not steal or commit murder, and because they do not perpetrate violence or highway robbery, or because they refrain from evils which they can or dare not do; however, this is no virtue in their case.
“Many that are poor refrain from drunkenness because they have no money or pledge, while the rich may refrain from it on account of their honor or pride, or because they have no company according to their liking, or because they wish to preserve their health and mind; and for such reasons also lasciviousness is avoided. Men often refrain from stealing on account of the gallows, and from murder because of the wheel; in short, every sin is left uncommitted more on account of constraint, shame, and fear of men, than from voluntary goodness for the Lord’s sake. And though men are so devoid of shame and given up to evil that they openly keep brothels, and live far more detestably than beasts; they are nevertheless called Christians, and claim to be children and heirs of God by grace. How much more then those who manage it a little more decently and secretly, as they think, though they frequently are much worse? Can one do worse, than those who without shame live in adultery and other secret sins, when God the Lord knows every secret of the heart? Rev. 2:23; 16:7. O if men’s sins were written on their foreheads, how constantly would they keep in the house, and conceal themselves in corners, holes and dens, so as not to be seen by men.
“But they are not ashamed before God, nor afraid of him, from whom they cannot hide; and who can kill the body, and cast both it and the soul into the fire of hell. Intelligent and impartial reader or hearer, prove whether these false Christians in this their improper and unchristian life can be saved through God’s mercy and the death of Christ, or not? even as they presumptuously say, that the kingdom of heaven is for them, and not for the beasts, and besides utter so much nonsense, as though they were raving, as they also are, so that a true Christian may well be ashamed and afraid to see or hear their madness and their unrighteous works. 2 Pet. 2:8.
“O depraved and wanton men! Though the Jews, because they were called Abraham’s seed, claimed to be God’s children, Christ showed them that a thief, liar and murderer from the beginning, even the devil, was their father, because their works were evil. John 8:44. This may have seemed strange to them, even as it may seem strange to those who obey not the Gospel of Christ, that according to the testimony of the holy Scriptures they are called, and are servants of sin (Rom. 6:20), an evil and perverse generation of serpents, vipers and adders (Matt. 3:7), the seed of the devil, children and heirs of wrath (Eph. 2:3), accursed and of eternal damnation, seed of Cain, Ishmaelites, filthy swine, devouring dogs, ravening wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt. 7:15), that is, under the cloak of sanctity, uncircumcised, gentiles, aliens and strangers from the covenants of the promise of eternal life, who have no part in the kingdom of God, though they entertain a vain hope of it; without God, without Christ, godless and idolatrous in the world. These evil works are the nets, snares, fetters, blocks, chains, bonds, and imprisonments, with which the prince of this world, the devil, who works in the children of disobedience holds men captive, blinded and bound at his will. Eph. 2:2; 2 Tim. 2:26. And so long as the false Christians go or creep about bound by their sins, and entangled in their unrighteousness, they boast in vain and heap one great lie on top of another, when they boast that through Christ they are redeemed and freed from their sins, when they still live in their toils, and because of their unbelief and disobedience are predestinated unto eternal damnation, unless they turn from their sins to God, and by faith rightly receive his grace unto repentance; whereby they will not perish, but are predestinated to eternal life, and become vessels of honor prepared unto glory, according to my simple view. Rom. 9:23.
“Mark what Christians these are, because they say that there is a gracious God, which the devil also believes, and trembles; moreover, they say that they are sorry for their sins, and still they go on in them, the longer the more, the older the worse, and under the cloak of the grace of God commit all kinds of sin, the one in this, another in that, so that no wickedness is left undone. Let every one search the secrecy of his heart, and he will better understand and find what I, prisoner, here write. One man cannot alone commit all these sins, for his life is too short and insufficient. For it is generally seen that sins leave men when sickness or old age comes, which, however, does not tend to their repentance, amendment, or salvation, though many who are robust and healthy abandon and deceive themselves, saying: I shall repent when I am old, when I lie upon my death bed, or I care not longer to serve the world; if any one sorrows for his sins then, and the end is good, all is well.