A Letter Of Hans Symons, Which He Wrote In Prison At Antwerp, Where He, With Three Others Was Burnt, On The 13th Of September, 1567.

Herewith I commend you all to the eternal, Almighty God; may he comfort, strengthen and stablish you all, and us poor, forsaken sheep, deprived of all men, unto the end of our lives; for it lies not in the beginning, nor in the middle, but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matt. 24:13. Behold, dear brethren, I go before, and hope to wait for you under the altar, where they cry: “Lord, Lord, when wilt thou avenge the blood of thy saints?” Rev. 6:9,10. But the Lord will shorten the days for his elect’s sake; and then will he clothe them in white raiment, and wipe away all tears from their eyes, and they will see sorrow no more, for it has never entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for them that love him. Matt. 24:22; Rev. 3:5; 1 Cor. 2:9. Herewith I bid you all a final adieu in this world, and thank you all for the good intercourse I have had with you in my life. And wherein I have grieved you, or any one else, forgive me; I am heartily sorry for it. I hope and trust to God that he has forgiven it me; and if there be any one who has wronged me, I forgive him from the bottom of my heart, no matter who he be. We four, Hans, Cornelis, Mattheus, and Christian, in bonds for the testimony of Jesus, greet you and all that fear the Lord with his peace. Amen.

The Almighty God keep you all from evil. Greet my mother, Charles and his wife; and Maeyken, who took care of my wife. Adieu to you all. This is my testament to you all, Vincent, Kaerle, Neelken, Willem, Hans, to each with his wife.

By me, Hans Symons, your dear brother, imprisoned at Antwerp for the testimony of Jesus.