The original account
TO THE BLOODY THEATRE OF THE ANABAPTISTS, OR NON-RESISTANT CHRISTIANS.365
Second Part. · AN ACCOUNT OF THOSE WHO SUFFERED IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY,
Original wording, with book contents, page navigation, and linked notes. Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned
To my Brother T. J. Van Braght:
A zeal and heavenly desire prevades th’ inspired strings
Of David’s harp, whose tuneful chords a mournful feeling brings;
When fear of death was strong within, those strains from Zion would roll,
In psalms to demonstrate his grief and gloominess of soul.
Such zeal, O brother, did I see from thee, like flashes burst,
As thou the Christian martyrs’ deaths and steadfast faith rehearsed:
E’en at the very time when sore afflicted, thou didst lie,
And thou didst seem to realize that thou must shortly die.
Wilt thou not save that care and zeal which thou dost now exhaust,
And cease awhile that sacrifice, which all thy strength has cost?
And with the sick and weak awhile from active service hold,
In which, as I have said, thou hast engaged with zeal untold.
Yet, well I know that thou, like Christ, must ever onward go,
And teach the world the word of God, while traveling here below.
To show the world what we should bear, and what the martyrs bore:
Thou wast, by studying God’s blest word, impelled to work the more.
P. Van Braght.
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