A Letter From Jerome Segers, Written In The Prison At Antwerp, To His Wife Lijsken, Who Was Also Imprisoned There, A. D. 1551.

Know, that I received your letter through my mother. I read it with tears. I thank you, that you 487 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.