# A Brief Confession Of Faith, And Part Of The Disputation Which I, Lauwerens Van Der Leyen, Had On The Fourth Of July, 1559, With The Lords Of The Law, At Antwerp, And The Dean Of Ronse.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: A BRIEF CONFESSION OF FAITH, AND PART OF THE DISPUTATION WHICH I, LAUWERENS VAN DER LEYEN, HAD ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, 1559, WITH THE LORDS OF THE LAW, AT ANTWERP, AND THE DEAN OF RONSE.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

(To relate it all would require too much time.)

A confession of faith, and a confession of the
eternal God, who is from everlasting, and who will
abide forever, without beginning and without end,
who is and was; this same only One is an eternal
God; and there is no other; him I confess to be
an eternal God, namely, an eternal Father, and I
also confess his only Son to be one with his eternal
Holy Spirit. Thus he is a perfect God, and besides
him there is no other, namely, Father, Son and
Holy Ghost. 1 John 5. According to my belief and
the testimony of the holy Scriptures they are one.
Amen. The almighty, eternal God, with his eternal,
almighty Son, who is also the Word of the
Father; to this great, incomprehensible, unblamable,
and invisible God, who by his eternal Word
made the world, and without him was not anything
made that was made, that is in heaven and upon
earth, the invisible became visible; to this eternal
Son, who also is the Word of the Father, be
praise forever and ever. Amen. John 1:1,2; Colossians
1:10.

Of him we want to speak, of this eternal Son, who
was with his Father, and was with him in essence or
in divine form, through whom and with whom he
operated from everlasting; for by him the world was
made, and all that is in it, and without him there is
not anything made; to this eternal Son, who is one
with his eternal Father, who is from the beginning
of the creation of God (Rev. 3:14), without beginning
and without end, to him be praise and glory
forever and ever. Amen.

For when God made man, he created him after
his image, and made him ruler over all things, and
gave him a commandment, which he was not to
transgress. But as man was frail, and the devil subtle
and cunning, and deceived man by fair pretenses,
the devil induced him to transgress the faith;
and man thus transgressing, sin was brought into
the world; and he was ashamed and hid himself from
the face of God, and thus the curse came upon the
whole world; so that God said: Cursed is the
ground for thy sake. And thus man remained under
the curse; so that no one could make atonement
for sin, since it was impossible for man, because he
was weak through the flesh, was compassed with
infirmities, by sin or weakness, according to the
holy Scriptures. Hence sin could not be taken away
or atoned for by man, because all were subject unto
sin. Now as it was not possible that reconciliation
for sin could be made by man, God promised his
eternal Son, even as he often spoke to the people
through the prophets, that he should raise up Jesus,
the Savior, whom he had promised through many
generations, as we find written in Matthew 1. These
promises were fulfilled from Abraham to Jesse, the
father of David; from David to Jacob, the father of
Joseph, the husband of Mary, the pure virgin, whom
God honored, and who also waited for the promise
that the Savior should be raised up, and was not
unbelieving when the angel said to her: Behold,
thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a
son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be
great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest.
Luke 1:31,32. Here we have the assurance that
the promises are fulfilled which he had promised
from generation to generation, Matt. 1, which are
now fulfilled in that generation; hence there is fulfilled
the word, Acts 13:22. I have found David the son
of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall
fulfill all my will. Of this generation was born the
Savior Jesus, the Son of the most High God, though
he existed before; but he was manifested in the latter
days, to redeem us, and to gather those that were
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scattered, of whom Paul says that he gave many
precious promises in the Holy Scriptures concerning
his son, which was made of the seed of David
according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son
of God with power, according to the Spirit. Romans
1:2,4.

One of the judges said to me: “If Christ is not
of Mary’s flesh, then the promise is not fulfilled
yet.” I said: “It is not written that Christ is of
Mary’s flesh.” This Dean said to me: “It is written;
you lie, for it is written: That holy thing which
shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Again: A virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son.
Again: That he was born of the seed of David, according
to the flesh.” I said: “My lords, it is
true; but it is not written as you have said. Hear,
my lords, I call you to witness, he has brutally
called me a liar; nevertheless, it is not written thus.”
Again he said: “You lie.” I replied: “If I were
disposed to call you a liar, I would say that you lie
yourself.” I said: “My lords, listen: Luke 1:26,
etc. The Angel was sent from God to a virgin
espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the
house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary,
and she was a pure virgin. And the angel came in
unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored,
the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou
among women. Thou shalt conceive in thy womb,
and bring forth a son. He shall be great, and shall
be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God
shall give unto him the throne of his father David,
and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Mary
said: How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
The angel 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 shall be called the Son of God.
That which was conceived in her was of the Holy
Ghost. Matt. 1:20. It does not say there, that he is
of Mary’s flesh.” One of the judges again said:
“The promise is not fulfilled yet.” I replied: “It
is fulfilled; if you will listen to me, I will tell you.”
I then told him that the Savior and Redeemer came,
and suffered much here for our sakes, even as is
written that Christ the Savior himself said: God so
loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life. John 3:16. And thus he
came into the world. And he left us an example,
that we should follow his steps. 1 Peter 2:21.

Again Zachariah truly said: “Blessed be the
Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed
his people, and hath raised up a horn of
salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets,
which have been since the world began: that we
should be saved from our enemies, and from the
hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy
promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy
covenant; the oath which he sware to our father
Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we, being
delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might
serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness
before him, all the days of our life.” Luke
1:68–75. Thus we find indeed, that the promise
is fulfilled; but that Christ is of Mary’s flesh, this
we find nowhere written. The Dean of Ronse asked
me: “How then did he become flesh?” I told them
that he who was from everlasting with his Father,
by whom all things were created and made, that are
in heaven and upon earth, visible and invisible, yea,
the living Word of the Father, who was with the
Father, came from his kingdom on high, and became
man, and thus came into the world, and saved
us with his own blood. Rev. 1:5. The Dean asked:
“Did he then become changed?” I told him as is
written: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us.” John 1:14. The Dean said to me:
“You are the vilest sect that ever was upon earth.”
I told him that he was a rotten sect, in presence of
all the judges, or the court; and (said I) I will
prove to you that you are a sect; for your people
cannot prove a single point of all that you observe,
with the word of the Lord; and Christ says:
“Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not
planted, shall be rooted up.” Matt. 15:13. I then
asked him, where he found anything written concerning
the institutions observed by them, such as
the christening of bells, tonsure, the consecrating of
water, that one wears shoes with holes, and another
stockings without toes, each in his own way, all of
which is certainly not sanctioned by the word of
God.” I further said: “My lords, I have offered
to dispute from the Holy Bible, publicly, before the
whole court.” The Dean said to me: “You will
be thrust into a bag, and suffocated with a ball in
your mouth.” I said: “You hypocrite, do you not
fear the word of the Lord, which says that with the
breath of his lips shall he slay the unmerciful? Isaiah
11:4. Again: A man that doeth violence to the
blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man
stay him. Prov. 28:17. Ye serpents, ye generation
of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Matt. 23:33. Repent ye, and believe the gospel;
for your days may be brief.” Mark 1:15.

He asked me how I knew that the Gospel is the
Gospel. I said to them: “This is a strange question;
but if you will listen to me, I will tell you.
Should I not know, said I, that it is Gospel, that
Almighty God said and taught: Repent ye, and
believe the Gospel? and that he came down from
his kingdom above, and suffered so much for our
sins; yea, he who was rich, became poor, that we
through his poverty might become rich; when he
called men unto him, that they should follow him,
and commanded his apostles to preach it throughout
all the world: He that believeth it, and is baptized,
shall be saved; but he that believeth not,
shall be damned.” Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16. They
asked how I knew that his apostles had written this;
and said: “Other men printed it; you have never
spoken with or seen the apostles—how then do you
know it? there are other evangelists whom you have
never seen; how then do you know whether this is
the Gospel? men wrote this to suit themselves.”

O subtle devil, thought I in my heart, and told
them that the holy Scriptures were given through
the Holy Ghost, and not without him, since Paul
says: I will not dare speak of any of those things
which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the
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gentiles obedient, by word and deed. Rom. 15:18.
And, as the apostle Peter has said, that no prophets
ever produced the Scripture by human will; but
holy men of God spake as they were moved by the
Holy Ghost. 2 Pet. 1:21. Thus, the Holy Ghost
bears testimony, that the Gospel which we have, is
the word of the living God, which he has given us,
that we should live according to it, and thus be
saved at the last day; even as it is written that
these words are written, that we might believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing
ye might have life through his name.” John
20:31. A monk asked me concerning infant baptism,
whether I did not think it good. I said:
“Baptism does not belong to children, but to believers.”
Mark 16:16. He said: “Are the children
damned, then?” I replied: “No; the kingdom of
heaven belongs to them.” Matt. 19:14. He said:
“Those who are not baptized are damned.” I said:
“This is nowhere written, neither, that children are
to be baptized.” He said; “It is written.” I said:
“It is not; children have no faith; but they are
assured of eternal life.” Matt. 19. He said: “It is
written: ‘Except ye be born of water and of the
Spirit, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’ ”
John 3:5. I said: “They cannot be born again,
for they have no sin.” He said: “They have; for
it is written that all are under sin.” I asked him
what sins children had. He said: “Original sin.”
I asked him why Christ had died. He said that he
had made atonement; but that we must first be
baptized, before original sin is taken away. I said:
“This is speaking contrary to the word of God; for
when John saw the Lord coming to him, he said:
‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the
sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, After
me cometh a man which is preferred before me; for
he was before me.’ John 1:29,30. Of whom it is also
written that he himself bare our sins in his own
body on the tree. 1 Pet. 2:24. As John tells us,
that he was manifested to take away our sins (1 John
3:5), and as Paul says that they are justified freely
by his grace, through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus. Rom. 3:24. Paul further tells us, that
we should thank him who hath delivered us from
the power of darkness, and hath translated us into
the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have
redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness
of sins. Col. 1:12–14. The apostle says that he
upholds all things by the word of his power, and
has by himself purged our sins. Heb. 1:3. Again
Paul says: But God commendeth his love toward
us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. Much more then, being now justified by his
blood, and thus reconciled to him, we shall be
saved from wrath. Rom. 5:8,9. He says: Therefore,
as by the offense of one, judgment came upon
all men to condemnation: even so by the righteousness
of one the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life. Ver. 18. Even as the prophet
Isaiah says: He took our sins upon him.” Is. 53:11.
They asked me whether I had not yet changed my
mind. I asked them: “In regard to what should I
have changed my mind?” They replied: “In regard
to your errors.” I said: “I do not err; but I
trust in the living God, in his holy word, and in
nothing else; and from this I will not depart, for
Christ has said: He that shall endure unto the end,
the same shall be saved.” Matt. 24:13. They said:
“Shall none be saved but you people, who began
but twenty or thirty years ago, while our church has
existed already fourteen hundred years, and has
remained united—shall we all be damned—?” I
said: “The word of the Lord, which was before
ever your church existed shall judge men in the last
day; it shall judge all men. Jn. 12:48. This [word]
is given us through his Holy Spirit, that through
teaching we should observe all things whatsoever
he has commanded us. Matt. 28:20. Hence, those
who will not observe it have no promise of eternal
life, but indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish
will come upon them. Rom. 2:8,9. Yea, he will
take vengeance on them that have not known God,
and have not obeyed the Gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction.
2 Thess. 1:8,9. We must therefore believe
that which has been spoken and written
through the Holy Ghost, as it is written that all
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness: that the man of
God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto
all good works. 2 Tim. 3:16,17. Therefore we are
assured concerning the holy Scriptures which we
have, that they were written by the apostles through
the Holy Ghost, as Peter has said: We have not
followed cunningly devised fables, when we made
known unto you the power and coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, but were eye witnesses of his majesty.
For he received from God the Father honor and
glory, when there came such a voice to him from
the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. Should we
not then believe these words, where he says: We
have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto
ye do well that ye take heed? and thus we do take
heed to these words.”

They asked me concerning the sacrament of the
altar. I told them that I found nothing written
about it; but of a supper which the Lord observed
with his apostles, when the time had come that he
was to fulfill that for which he had come, that it
might be fulfilled which was written of him, and that
he should return to whence he had come. When it
was two days yet until Easter, he said: The Son of
man shall be delivered up, to be crucified. And his
disciples asked him: Lord, where wilt thou that we
eat the passover? He told them a place to which
they should go, and went with them. And as they
were eating, Jesus took bread, and gave thanks, and
brake it, and said: “Eat; this is my body; likewise
he took the cup, saying: Drink ye all of it; for this
is my blood of the new testament, which shall be
shed for many; this do in remembrance of me.”
Matt. 26:20; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14. I also
asked them: “Did each eat his body, as he was
with them, in flesh and blood?” They said: “Yes;
they there ate his flesh, and drank his blood.” I
asked them once more: “How did they eat him?
just as he was with them? did each eat a Christ?”
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They said: “Yes; just as he hung on the tree of the
cross.” I said to them: “But he had only one body,
and that had to be given as a ransom for the sins of
the world, and was delivered into the hands of the
Jews, and they hung him to the tree of the cross,
and killed him, and thus he redeemed us with his
blood, even as is written. 1 Pet. 1:19. He took upon
him our sins, and bare them on the tree.” 1 Peter
2:24. They said that they had also now had him
even as he had hung on the cross. I said to them:
“I do not believe that such a great Lord is eaten of
you people, who are utterly contrary to the word of
God, and full of wickedness, and disobedient to the
word of the Lord; but I believe that he ascended to
heaven, and is sitting at the right hand of God his
Father in heaven, Acts 1, from whence we also look
for him to come again (Philip. 3:20); and that you
do not have him; for if you had him, he should be
crucified once more, hence, you people cannot be
believed, since you all act contrary to the word of
God; for it is found written that the apostles of God
held their supper with a unanimous faith; and were
all of one mind, and continued steadfast in all that
they had seen of God (Acts 4:32); nevertheless they
did not teach or say that they ate Christ’s flesh, and
drank his blood, just as he hung on the tree of the
cross; but that he ascended to heaven, and is sitting
on the right hand of God, this they taught. 1 Peter
2:2; Mark 16. Yet, all that they taught was through
the power of the Holy Ghost, and they continued
steadfast in the faith which God had commanded
them. For other foundation can no man lay, than
that is laid, which is Christ, and upon this his
apostles laid their foundation, and I want to remain
upon it, without ever departing therefrom.” Hence
I said to them: “If you want to dispute with me
publicly, with the Holy Bible, I shall answer you
with the word of God, concerning all that you shall
speak with the word of the living God. He that is
right, shall be hearkened to; but he who is wrong,
shall proclaim and confess that to this day he taught
a false doctrine. This is a small part of the words
which we had with the judges, the bailiff, and ecclesiastics





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