# Copy. · Page 1 of 2

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(Translated from the Latin.)

To the Rulers and Councilors of the City and
Republic of Berne, the Burgomasters and Rulers of
the City of Rotterdam wish all happiness and prosperity.

Noble, honorable, highly respected Lords, esteemed
Friends: It is but a few days ago, that there
was presented to us, from the elders of the church,
which, from their predecessor,[361](/en/stories/mm-footnotes/part-18/#Footnote_361) Menno, is called
the church of the Mennonites, a request, in the
name of said church, containing long complaints;
that their fellow-believers, under the odious name
of Anabaptists, are proceeded against with such
fury in your E. E. city, that, in consequence of the
edicts, they are not allowed (though they are harmless
and not accused of any crimes), to remove with
their possessions and temporal effects out of your
E. E. city and jurisdiction, and go elsewhere, yea,
that some, solely out of hatred against their faith,
are deprived of their goods, and confined in prison.

They the supplicants, request, that we, through
our intercession, should endeavor, to avert, if possible,
the punishments decreed against their brethren;
which their request, being founded upon just
arguments, if they at all are founded on truth, we,
by virtue of our duty and office, could not ignore.

Hence we request your E. E. Highly-esteemed
Lords, yea, we beg your E. E., for the sake of religion
and the faith in Christ; which we have in
common with your E. E., that your E. E. would
be pleased, either utterly to abolish the aforesaid
exceedingly severe decrees enacted against the innocent,
erring or wandering ones, or, if your E. E.
should not deem this compatible with the situation
of your State, of which the judgment belongs to
your E. E., would at least permit, that the afflicted
people, after selling their real estate, and arranging
their matters, may remove with their means to where
they may expect more tranquillity and safety.

As far as we are concerned, Honorable Lords, we
have ever since the foundation of this city held, that
this class of people can quite safely be tolerated in
the state, without injury to the Republic.[362](/en/stories/mm-footnotes/part-18/#Footnote_362)

And for this our judgment we have to thank
Prince William of Orange, of blessed memory, who
through his valor established for us freedom of conscience,
whom the entreaties and perverse zeal of a
class of evil disposed men never could move, to refuse
the Mennonites any civil privileges. And, truly,
we have not yet regretted it, having never found,
that the Mennonites, under the cloak of religion
(which alone is pernicious for all Republics), have
ever sought to brew any thing in the state; but, on
the contrary, that they have always with a cheerful
and willing mind rendered custom and taxes, and
all that a subject owes to his prince, yea, that they
relieved, with their very liberal contributions, the
Reformed that were elsewhere suffering trouble for
their faith, and again recently, the Vaudois, our fellow-believers,
when they, upon the instigation of
the pope’s ministers, were miserably maltreated by
the duke of Savoy.

It is not hid from us, highly esteemed Lords, that
certain madmen, through a wrong and perverse
1075zeal, endeavor to persuade your E. E. by arguments
that the tolerating of the Mennonites is injurious
for the Republic; but they do this with such
arguments, the weight of which was never sufficient
to induce us, to oppress the Mennonites with any
severe edicts.

For, that they do not consider the office of magistracy
lawful for a Christian, and religiously abstain
from the swearing of oaths (with which two points
they are principally charged), this cannot be detrimental
to the Republic; seeing they do not refuse
obedience to the magistrates, to whom, though they
command something onerous, they, constrained by
their conscience, consider themselves in duty bound
to obey; and will be so bound to their naked declaration,
that, when convicted of broken faith and of
falsehood, they are willing to submit to the punishment
of perjurers.

Which things, as long as they continue unchanged
we cannot see, what harm the Republic has to expect
therefrom.

That some, through pious, or even superstitious,
fear, abstain from the magisterial office, and from
the swearing of oaths, what will those say against it,
who under the truly glorious name of Reformed,
follow the tyranny of the Pope, and under the favor
of the excellent titles of reformation and purity of
faith introduce popery, with regard to the cruelty
of which, as it was practiced in former times, in
this city, especially against the Mennonites, as often
as the remembrance of it, preserved in our records,
burdens our thoughts, our souls are seized with horror
and we rejoice that through the blood shed in
former times our necks have been freed from the
yoke of the furious harlot.



## Original source

[Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#FNanchor_361)

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

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