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.

We also spake with the Jesuits, and with others, about the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, in which we did not agree, for they said that he had flesh and blood from Mary. And I said that he is the Son of God, who was born of the virgin Mary, since she had known no man: and I also said, that Paul says: For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Rom. 5:10. And in the Acts of the Apostles it is written: “Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” Acts 3:26. And John says in his first epistle: The blood of Jesus Christ his Son, and not the blood of Mary. 1 John 1:7. The apostle Paul also says to the Corinthians: “The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.” 1 Corinthians 15:47. And in the gospel we read: “He that cometh from above is above all; he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth; he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony, hath set his seal that God is true.” John 3:31–33. And unto the Hebrews it is written: “Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me.” Heb. 10:5. And Matt. 1:20 it is written: “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is received (conceived) in her is of the Holy Ghost,” That which she received (mark well) did not come from her; else it would be of the 1029 earth, as was Mary, and as are all the children of Adam. Not that we had all these words with them, but that you might the better understand the foundation of our faith. The others used many more words than are put here, but I have not remembered them all. They asserted that he was of the natural seed of David. Thereupon we confess that he came forth from the seed of David, and that he is of the house of David, and born of the virgin Mary, through the power and operation of the Holy Ghost; for Mary herself was astonished at this work, when she received the message from the angel, and said to the angel: “How shall this be seeing I know not a man?” And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:34,35. In John it is written: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51. Mark well here, whence this bread, which he calls his flesh, came, whether it came from Mary, who was of the earth, or whether it came from heaven? We say with Christ: From heaven, and not from the earth, of which Mary was.

Again, I also inform you, that we spoke some concerning the Lord’s Supper and the breaking of the bread, with the Dean of St. John’s and their pastor, and their view was, that Christ’s flesh and blood were in their sacrament. Thereupon Michiel said: “If this was so, then they would be eating flesh on Fridays; which they took amiss, and said that it was not eaten like other flesh. And Kalleken said from John 6: “The flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” And I quoted to them the declaration of Paul, 1 Cor. 11:26: “As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew forth the Lord’s death till he come.” “Hence he is certainly not there,” said I. They said that he was everywhere; and there stood ink on the table at which we sat, and they, or one of them, said that he was in the ink. And one among them had a pen in his hand and said: “He is in the pen.” One of them also said that he was in hell. It did certainly seem, according to their saying, that God was everywhere; and I said: “Into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter; nor dwell in the body that is subject unto sin; for the Holy Spirit flees from the froward. Wisdom 1:4,5. And there were many other words said, concerning their images and idols and their view was: That they might be made and set up, but that they might not be worshiped, and that if there were any one that did this, he should be reproved, as they said; and after this manner they spoke. I said to the Jesuits: “If candles are lighted or placed before them, and they are carried upon the shoulders, is that not honoring and serving them?” And I said: “The gods of the heathen are of silver and gold, and the work of men’s hands; they have ears, but hear not; they have eyes, but they see not.” Ps. 115:4–6. One of them, when he heard this, wanted to say, that they did not have any; but upon maturely considering the matter, they had some of silver and gold. And there was still more said about it between Michiel and them; but what I said I have remembered best.