# A Letter By Willem Droogscheerder, Written In Prison At Antwerp, Where He, With Five Others, Was Put To Death For The Testimony Of Our Lord Jesus Christ, As Already Stated, A. D. 1557. [Previous page: MAERTEN ZAEYWEVER, JORIS OUDKLEERKOOPER, WILLEM DROOGSCHEERDER, VICTOR AND PIETER DE BACKER, A. D. 1557.](/en/stories/mm-maerten-zaeywever-joris-oudkleerkooper-willem-droogscheerder-victor-and-pieter-de-backer-a-d-1557/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: JERONYMUS, LAURENS VAN GUELDERS, PIETER THE MILLER, JACOB VAN YPERES AND MAERTEN THE WALLOON, A. D. 1557.](/en/stories/mm-jeronymus-laurens-van-guelders-pieter-the-miller-jacob-van-yperes-and-maerten-the-walloon-a-d-1557/) Grace, peace, and mercy from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who has called us to his imperishable kingdom, and chosen us before the foundation of the world, and cleansed us with the washing of water by the word, in order that we should be blameless in his sight. Written to you, my beloved brother N., and to my dear sister N. Although I am here in fetters and bonds, for the testimony of Christ, and am ready to seal it with my blood through the grace of the Lord, yet I do not neglect or forget my fellow members in my prayers, which I almost always offer with tears before the Lord, since you are still traveling in the wilderness, among dragons, lions and bears, which constantly run and seek to murder the innocent blood, which cries for vengeance from the time of Abel. For they bring us to death, as the Jews did Christ; for we are grievous unto them to behold; because we do not conform to them; hence they counsel and say: “Let us condemn him with a shameful death; for by his own sayings he shall be respected,” Wis. 2:15. Therefore, my chosen in the Lord, we will not be afraid of their threats and blows, though they run like mad dogs. The Lord holds their hearts in his hand; they cannot hurt a hair of our head without the will of our Father. The Lord preserved the three young men in the fiery furnace, Daniel in the den of lions, Hezekiah in Jerusalem, Moses in Mesopotamia, Elijah in the mountains; yea, all that trusted in the Lord, were never confounded; for his mighty hand, says the prophet, is not shortened; and though a mother should forsake her own child, yet will I not forget thee, saith the Lord; for he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye. Is. 59:1; 49:15; Zech. 2:8. Therefore let us prepare our souls for temptation; our deliverance draweth nigh, and the day of tribulation is at hand. 2 Esdr. 16:74. Hence let us always sanctify and magnify our Lord, that we may inherit all the beautiful promises which he has promised to the Christian people, so that we may not become wearied or faint in our distress, but may be fervent in spirit, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, and continuing instant in prayer. Heb. 13:3; Rom. 12:11,12. When Israel left Egypt, they rejoiced greatly, that they were delivered from bondage; but when they came into the wilderness, where it did not please the flesh, they were very discontented, and murmured, so that they wanted to return, to which they had no right, since they had taken all their possessions with them, that they should have no cause to return. For this reason they were not permitted to enter the promised land except Caleb and Joshua; for these were of good courage, so that they destroyed their enemies like a piece of bread. The Lord was also with David, so that he slew the giant Goliath. They girded a sword to his side to slay the giant with it; but David was not accustomed to it, since he was a shepherd, and he laid aside the sword, and took his sling, with which he smote the giant on the head, so that the latter fell to the ground, whereupon David took the giant’s sword, and cut off his head. Therefore, my chosen brethren and sisters in the Lord, let us turn neither to the right, nor to the left, since we have so great a king, who will not forsake us, if we remain faithful to him; he is so faithful that has promised it that I cannot doubt it; for the city into which we shall come is full of all good things, but it lies in humility. 2 Esdr. 7:6. Know, dear brother N., and sister N., that I give you a hymn for remembrance, and will hereby commend you to the Lord, until we come upon mount Zion, and there sing the new song with all God’s chosen. 2 Esdr. 2:42. Dear brother and sister, when I composed this hymn, a great torment and temptation came upon me, so that I was very sorrowful, and it seemed to me that the Lord had utterly forsaken me. I fell down upon my knees, and wept bitterly before the Lord, and prayed for strength and power. And the Lord heard my prayer and lifted me up again; for he does not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able, and will with the temptation make also a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it. 1 Cor. 10:13. I then received such grace and joy, that for joy I composed this hymn, to the edification of my fellow men. Greet J. de H. much with the peace of the Lord, and you, N., greet your master likewise much with the peace of the Lord, and say good night to your wife; I cannot offer her peace, for it is written: “Woe unto them that comfort men with a vain hope.” Know, dear friends, that I greatly rejoiced when I went to the court, so that it seemed to me that there could be no joy like this, that I should confess my Lord and God, before the world. The Bailiff asked me whether I was rebaptized. And the Holy Ghost spake through my mouth and said that I was baptized according to the doctrine of Christ, and that 548 they were Anabaptists,[265](/en/stories/mm-footnotes/part-15/#Footnote_265) since they baptize against Christ, hence the name by which you call us, belongs to you. And I asked them to let me go to my brethren, since we had the same faith, but they gave me no answer. Thus, my dear friends, we will await you under the altar. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_548) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: MAERTEN ZAEYWEVER, JORIS OUDKLEERKOOPER, WILLEM DROOGSCHEERDER, VICTOR AND PIETER DE BACKER, A. D. 1557.](/en/stories/mm-maerten-zaeywever-joris-oudkleerkooper-willem-droogscheerder-victor-and-pieter-de-backer-a-d-1557/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: JERONYMUS, LAURENS VAN GUELDERS, PIETER THE MILLER, JACOB VAN YPERES AND MAERTEN THE WALLOON, A. D. 1557.](/en/stories/mm-jeronymus-laurens-van-guelders-pieter-the-miller-jacob-van-yperes-and-maerten-the-walloon-a-d-1557/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-a-letter-by-willem-droogscheerder-written-in-prison-at-antwerp-where-he-with-five-others-was-put-to-death-for-the-testim/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+A+Letter+By+Willem+Droogscheerder%2C+Written+In+Prison+At+Antwerp%2C+Where+He%2C+With+Five+Others%2C+Was+Put+To+Death+For+The+Testimony+Of+Our+Lord+Jesus+Christ%2C+As+Already+Stated%2C+A.+D.+1557.&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AA+Letter+By+Willem+Droogscheerder%2C+Written+In+Prison+At+Antwerp%2C+Where+He%2C+With+Five+Others%2C+Was+Put+To+Death+For+The+Testimony+Of+Our+Lord+Jesus+Christ%2C+As+Already+Stated%2C+A.+D.+1557.%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-a-letter-by-willem-droogscheerder-written-in-prison-at-antwerp-where-he-with-five-others-was-put-to-death-for-the-testim%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-a-letter-by-willem-droogscheerder-written-in-prison-at-antwerp-where-he-with-five-others-was-put-to-death-for-the-testim%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+1557%0A%0A%23%23+Correction+or+addition%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Sources+and+evidence%0APlease+include+book%2Fpage+references%2C+archive+links%2C+or+first-hand+documentation.%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Image+credit+%28if+applicable%29%0ACreator%2C+source%2C+and+permission+or+public-domain+basis.%0A%0A%0A%0ASubmitted+for+review%3B+this+issue+does+not+publish+changes+automatically.)