# A Letter From Jerome Segers, Written In The Prison At Antwerp, To His Wife Lijsken, Who Was Also Imprisoned There, A. D. 1551. · Page 2 of 4

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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.



## Original source

[Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_487)

[Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855)

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