The Second Letter From Bartholomeus Panten, Being An Instruction From The Word Of The Lord, To All Lovers Of The Truth; Together With A Brief Account Of His Examination.

Hence, my dear friends, and all those that seek their salvation, learn from this to know the sheep from wolves, the doves from hawks. For Christ sent out his own like sheep in the midst of wolves, and admonished them, to be wise as serpents and simple as doves. Matt. 10:16. For all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 2 Tim. 3:12,13.

But when I told it to our persecutors, they said that they also had been persecuted; whereupon I told them, that they only suffered persecution when they were too weak and feeble; but when they had the ascendancy again, they were persecutors themselves, and took our goods, and tormented and threatened us, so that there is fulfilled the prophesy of Esdras: “They shall be like mad-men, sparing none, but still spoiling and destroying those that fear the Lord. For they shall waste and take away their goods, and cast them out of their houses. Then shall they be known who are my chosen; and they shall be tried as gold in the fire.” 2 Esdras 16:71–73. Also Christ says: “These things have I spoken unto you, that you should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them.” John 16:1–4.

But, my dear friends, the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us; for ear hath not heard, nor eye seen, what God has prepared for them that love him; for the righteous shall live forever; the Lord is their reward, and the care of them is with the Most High; therefore they shall receive a glorious kingdom and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand. Wis. 5:15,16. Hence let us with the eyes of the spirit look at the beautiful promises, and with Moses rather choose to suffer affliction with the children of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward, and esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt. Hebrews 11:25,26.

Herewith, my dear friends, I will commend you to the Lord, and to the rich word of his grace; that thereby you may in this time grow up, blossom, be fruitful and flourishing. By me,

Bartholomeus Panten.

The following are some controversies which we prisoners had with the Jesuits. I have written them briefly, according to the best of my recollection; for to write them word for word would be impossible. If we could have been together, I could have written a little more fully, for quite a number of days have passed, since it took place. Again, for proof they quote much from Augustin, and other of their teachers, and also assert that they have existed so long. They know not or will not know, that they have possessed the earth for a long time with deceit, violence and tyranny, kept down the untarnished truth, and instead of the truth believed lies, as Paul declares how that God sends strong delusions, because they received not the love of the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness: Read 2 Thess. 2. There it is written of the man of sin and the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped.

I further inform you, that they have assailed me, and would have liked to bring me back to their doctrine. I would have liked to show them by the parable of the tares of the field (Matt. 13:24) that it is unbecoming and contrary to the doctrine of Christ, and also contrary to common love and propriety that any one should be apprehended for his faith (of misapprehension of the holy Scriptures), spoiled of their goods, tortured or put to death; and I partly presented to them the declaration of Christ, that the Father of the household commanded his servants, that they should permit the tares and the wheat to grow up together until the harvest, which is the end of the world, according to Christ’s own declaration. But they said: Jam marces est, that is: “It is now harvest.” I said: “The harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels;” adding: “You assume the service of angels.”

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They wanted to excuse themselves with the authorities; but I warned them, seeing that they were the teachers and preachers of the authorities; that our blood should be required at their hands, if they teach the authorities this, and encourage, constrain or counsel them thereto, as they do according to my understanding, for it is contrary to the doctrine of Christ, and the command of God. When his servants asked him, whether they should root it out, he told them: Nay, lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. But they want to be wiser, and to rule over Christ; whereby they show that they are antichrist, that is, contrary to Christ and his doctrine. For if they were true Christians, and disciples of Christ, the bride, yea sheep, doves and members of Christ, or branches on the vine, they would not persecute or inflict suffering upon any one, but would rather suffer and bear persecution. “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” 2 Tim. 3:12,13.