# A Letter From Jerome Segers To His Wife.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: A LETTER FROM JEROME SEGERS TO HIS WIFE.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

The grace, joy, and peace from God the Father,
and the loving kindness and love of the Son, our
Lord Jesus Christ, and the communion and consolation
of the Holy Ghost, strengthen, console and
confirm and keep us, both in all righteousness and
holiness unto the end. To him be praise forever
and ever. Amen.

I wish to my chosen wife in the Lord, and to me,
eternal joy, and the imperishable and incorruptible
life, and may he grant, that we both adhere unchangingly
to his divine word and eternal truth,
unto the end; which he will also do, since he has
promised it to us, if we continue faithful in what he
has given us, and are willing to contend for it for
his glory, even as he contended for our salvation,
and was obedient to his Father unto death. If we
also continue thus faithful unto death, we shall receive
the crown of life, and inherit eternal life with
him, and he will never forsake us; for the Lord
will or can do nothing contrary to his word, for his
word shall never pass away. Matt. 24:35. And he
has so faithfully promised to keep us, if we do not
forsake him; so that no one shall pluck us out
of his hand; he will keep us as the apple of his
eye, yea, as his sons and daughters. For, behold,
my beloved, how faithfully he preserved those who
faithfully served him; even as Noah was preserved
in the ark, as Lot was led out of Sodom, as Jacob
was preserved from his brother Esau, who sought
to kill him, and as Joseph was preserved from his
brothers, the sons of Jacob, Joshua and Caleb from
all the heathen, and entered into the promised land,
David before Goliath; Susannah before the false
witnesses: Daniel from the lions; and many other
examples too lengthy to recite. Hereby we may perceive,
how faithfully he preserves those who sincerely
fear and love him, and how ignominiously
they fall who forsake him, as we may see from the
beginning of the world, how it perished, on account
of its wickedness, and how Lot’s wife was punished.
Esau could not find his birthright again, and the
whole house of Israel perished in the wilderness.
See, my beloved wife, all this the Lord permitted to
happen not only for the sake of those who had
sinned, but also for our sakes, that we should see,
how Christ is with the righteous, and preserves
them, and how he forsakes and brings to nought
the ungodly; for Paul says: “Whatsoever things
were written aforetime were written for our learning.”
Rom. 15:4.

Hence, let us diligently take heed, that we seek,
fear and love the Lord from the bottom of our
heart, faithfully serving, and not forsaking him; for
Christ says: “He that is not with me is against me;
and he that gathereth not with me scattereth” (Luke
11:23); even as we daily see how mightily he preserves
those who trust in him, and how soon they
fall who forsake Christ, and put their trust in man.
Therefore, my beloved wife in the Lord, let us trust
in the Lord Almighty, constantly look to Jesus, the
Captain and finisher of our faith, always keep the
crucified Christ before our eyes, faithfully follow him
as he went before us, and patiently take up our
cross, always remembering the words of Christ,
where he says that they shall kill us, and will think
that they do him service; and remembering that
this is told us beforehand, that when it happens to
us, we may not be offended; for the servant is not
greater than his lord. And these things will they do
unto you, because they have not known the Father,
nor me. John 16:3. For the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish, foolishness, but unto us, the
power of God. 1 Cor. 1:18. Hence, let us always
remember the words of Christ: Whosoever shall
confess me before men, him will I confess also before
my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever
shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before
my Father which is in heaven, and before his
holy angels. Matt. 10:32,23. Let us firmly trust
in him, and he will not forsake us; for he does not
forsake his own, but he prayed his heavenly Father,
that where he is, he will that we shall be with him.
John 17:24.

Hence, let the world call us heretics and Anabaptists
and condemn us as much as they please; for
Paul says: “Who shall lay anything to the charge
of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he
that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is ever at the right hand of
God, who also maketh intercession for us. He that
spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us
all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all
things! Now, if God so loved us, when we were yet
enemies, how much more shall we be preserved
500
from wrath, seeing we are justified through his
blood: for being justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom
also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also;
knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and
patience, experience; and experience, hope; and
hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God
is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost
which is given unto us. Rom. 8:33,34,32; 5:10,1–5.

My dearly beloved, let us therefore firmly trust
the Lord, and patiently wait for his promises, even
as the husbandman waits for his fruits; and let us
not forsake him, and he will not forsake us. I have
committed us both and also the fruit into his hands,
to do his divine will with us, that his name may be
glorified thereby, and that it may tend to the salvation
of our souls, and to the consolation and joy of
all that fear the Lord, and I firmly trust him, and
doubt not, that he will preserve us as his sons and
daughters, yea, as the apple of his eye. Know, that
I rejoiced greatly, when I read your letter and that
you write, that you pray the Lord with weeping
eyes, to make you fit to suffer for his name. My
beloved, be not anxious, but pray the Lord with a
humble heart, to give us what is best for our souls,
which he will doubtless do, and will not tempt us
above that we are able. May he keep us in all
righteousness, holiness and truth, unto the end.

Know also, my beloved, that they greatly tortured
me, to find out the midwives where our sisters
lay in child-bed; but the Lord, who kept my lips,
was stronger than all their tortures. Eternal praise
and glory be to the Lord, who does not forsake
his own. They obtained no names from me, save
one or two, which they had read to me from a letter,
and which I told them, to see what they would say.
But they asked me whether I was making sport of
them, and tortured me still more, demanding that I
should tell them concerning the women, and others,
or they would torture me till the next morning, and
stretch me a foot longer than I was. They told Gileyn
to rack, and his assistant racked vigorously,
and Gileyn poured my body full of water. They had
me lying stark-naked on the bench, with nothing
but the shirt to cover my shame. I was bound to
the bench with four cords, so that it seemed to me,
as though my head and legs were severed; but they
obtained nothing more, praise and glory be to the
Lord. When they released me, two or three of them
had to lift me from the bench, and dress me; yea,
it would not have been possible to endure the pain
without the help of the Lord. They told me to consider
the matter, and become a good son of the
Roman church, and that I should indicate all those
whom I knew, or they would deal more severely
with me. I replied that I had not erred, and would
far rather die than forsake my faith. They then
said that they would come again; but they can do
no more than the Lord permits them. John 19:11.
Eternal praise to the Lord, who has made us fit for
this, may he further fit us to become children of his
Kingdom. Amen. My beloved wife, I commend
you to the Lord and to the word of his grace.





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