# A Letter Of Hans Symons, Which He Wrote In Prison At Antwerp, Where He, With Three Others Was Burnt, On The 13th Of September, 1567.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: A LETTER OF HANS SYMONS, WHICH HE WROTE IN PRISON AT ANTWERP, WHERE HE, WITH THREE OTHERS WAS BURNT, ON THE 13TH OF SEPTEMBER, 1567.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father,
and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be
God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who
comforted us in all our tribulation, that we may be
able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by
the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted
of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in
us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
And whether we be afflicted or comforted, it is all
for our good, and for our salvation. 2 Cor. 1:3–6.
This I wish you, my dear brethren and sisters in
the Lord, Vincent, Kaerle, Willem, and Hans Symons,
and Tanneken, Vincent’s wife, as a heartfelt
greeting in the Lord. And brethren and sisters in
general, I write this that you may remember me,
what tribulation and distress I suffered in Antwerp
for the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ; and because
the time has come that I must part from you
all. Amen.

Further, my dear brethren and sisters in the
Lord, and co-workers and followers of the Gospel,
whom God has shown great mercy in this world, in
that he, out of grace, revealed his will. Hence, dear
brethren and sisters in the Lord, I beseech you from
the depth of my heart, that you receive not the grace
of God in vain, for he says: “I have heard thee in
a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I
succored thee.” Therefore, dear brethren, let us
not give offense to any one, that our ministry be
not blamed; but let us approve ourselves as the
ministers of God, in much patience, in necessities
and distresses. 2 Cor. 6:1–4. Hence, dear brethren,
accept this as a sincere request from me, that
you take heed to your calling, wherein you are
called to holiness, for he says: “Be ye holy; for I
am holy.” 1 Pet. 1:16. And I pray you, that you
show love to one another all the days of your life,
for Christ says: “By this shall all men know that
ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
John 13:35. If any prosper more than others, let
one assist the other, and do not become alienated
from one another, lest one be grieved on account of
another; but exhort one another with the law of the
Lord when ye come together, and always remember
the days when you were illuminated—how zealous
we all were when we came together, to speak of the
great benefits which God has bestowed upon us, in
that he has called us from the power of darkness
into his marvelous light, which is kindled in our
hearts, so that we have surrendered ourselves to
serve the Lord all the days of our life, and no more
to live to ourselves. Heb. 10:32; 1 Pet. 2:9; Romans
14:7.

O dear brethren and sisters, always write the law
of the Lord into your hearts, and keep him ever
before your eyes, and serve him faithfully unto the
end of your lives; for if there is anything that is not
clear, be it ever so small, in which the conscience
is troubled, Satan produces, by way of accusation,
all he can produce, in order that he may at least
lead astray or trouble us; however, he frequently
has cause, for we all sin in many things, as James
says. Rev. 12:10; Jas. 3:2.

Therefore, dear brethren and sisters, awake, and
make straight paths for your feet, that you may
always be prepared for the Gospel of peace, which
calls us only to peace, for beautiful are the feet of
them that fear the Lord. Eph. 5:14; Heb. 12:13;
Eph. 6:15; Rom. 10:15. Never separate from the
church of the Lord; for it is the body of Christ, and
he is the Savior of his body. And though sometimes
there are some in it who do not truly follow
the Lord, think: Lord, I have no right to sin too,
because another sins, since the Lord has no pleasure
in the multitude of sin, but that every one turn from
his evil way, and he shall live. And I pray you and
all the brethren and sisters in the Lord, that they
do not think it a small thing to grieve their neighbor,
whether by word or deed, or by the putting
on of apparel. We can avoid this sometimes, but
we will not, caring not that our neighbor is troubled
thereby.

O dear brethren, when one is apprehended or put
into bonds, or the Lord takes us from this world,
it greatly troubles our conscience. And our stay
here is so brief; hence prepare well your lamps,
that when the bridegroom comes, you will not have
to go for oil, for the doors will then be shut. What
is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul? or what will you give in exchange
for your souls? Matt. 16:25. Let not sin
therefore reign in your mortal body, but sanctify
God in your hearts, and give thanks unto the
Father, who has made you meet to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in light. Rom. 6:12;
1 Pet. 3:15; Col. 1:12. O dear brethren, how true
and certain we daily find it to be, that it is the truth
for which we must suffer, of which I am becoming
convinced more and more every day, though I never
doubted that it was the truth.

O dear brethren and sisters, continue herein unto
the end, and you will prosper; and do not suffer
yourselves to be deceived through philosophy, or
vain deceit, through vain pomp and subtle inventions;
for men are soon corrupted from their
simplicity which they have in Christ, for it is a
great grace which we have received from God, that
the truth is revealed to us, which is hid from so
many thousands. Col. 2:8; 2 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 1:9.
Hence, my dear brethren and sisters, think now of
us, how many tortures we have endured, how many
sighs we have spent, how much weeping and supplicating
to God we have done, with strong crying
684
and tears unto him for help, that you might be able
to keep unto the end the faith wherein you stand.

O dear brethren, it is so hard for us, and the cup
which we must drink is so bitter. O how am I
straightened till the child is born! These woes are
so bitter, dear brethren; I speak the truth; it is impossible
to make any one believe what pain it is to
bring forth a child, except him who has experienced
it; however, when it is born, then the pain is remembered
no more. Thus it is also with me and
my fellow-prisoners; we are now in the throes of
travail, many a heart-grief fills us with anguish, and
we must cry to God for help. And he comforts us,
for he is a God of comfort, who can comfort all
troubled hearts, as he also does. But I hope that
we shall soon have brought forth; then we shall
remember the anguish and distress no more, and
all the tears, that now ofttimes course down our
cheeks, so that at times we almost, with David,
water our bed with our tears, will be wiped away;
for he is faithful that promised it us, and will also
keep it. We comfort one another much with the
Lord’s promises. John 16:21; Isa. 26:17; 2 Corinthians
1:3,4; Ps. 6:6; Is. 25:8; 1 Thess. 5:24.

Therefore, dear brethren and sisters, exhort one
another daily, and be subject to one another in love.
And I pray you, dear brethren and brothers-in-law
in the Lord, I pray you, exercise good care over
my sisters, for you are placed over them; the watch
over them is committed to you. Dear brothers,
live with them according to knowledge, as I also
trust you will do. I commend them to you from
the heart. And you sisters in the Lord, and according
to the flesh, I pray you from my inmost soul,
in my bonds, which I suffer for Christ’s sake, that
you bear with all modesty your husbands, whom
the Lord and his church have given you, that you
should live with them in all subjection and obedience.
It well becomes women to honor their husbands,
for a woman of understanding is the crown
of her husband, and the wife is honored through
the husband, and the husband through the wife.
Therefore I entreat you, dear sisters, assist your
husbands with all willingness, lest you discourage
them. O if the wife knew what trouble and grief
she can cause her husband in his work, she would
shun to do it as she would shun poison; for the wife
can cause her husband to consume soul and body
in his labor. Encourage each other in spiritual and
temporal matters, and always shun whatever might
give rise to trouble, for Satan is wily; he is satisfied
with any means by which he can cause contention;
he walks about man, as a roaring lion, seeking
whom he may devour. Hence I beseech you for
the Lord’s sake, lay to heart what I write you with
sighing; I do it because I love you all in my heart,
and also all them that fear the Lord. I say with
Moses: I would rather suffer affliction with the children
of God, than enjoy the pleasures of sin. Always
associate with those who fear the Lord, and
pray, lest Satan take you unawares; for when it is
least expected, the Lord comes, as I and my fellow-prisoners
can testify. I trust the Lord has thus
ordered it with us. We are now in it; may the Almighty
God help us through, as I trust he will do.
Help pray the Lord for us; for the effectual fervent
prayer of the righteous avails much. Acts 12:5;
Jas. 5:16. I beseech you, my dear brethren and
sisters, take heed unto yourselves; the time is short,
and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the
Lord. 1 Cor. 7:29; Heb. 10:31. Call to remembrance
the day when you were illuminated, how
ardent we were in the law of God, to walk in it.
v. 32. I hope you are better instructed in everything,
than I can write. And above all, I pray you,
keep the Lord before your eyes above all else, and
love one another fervently; thereby men shall know
that you are children of the Most High, for love
abides forever, it never perishes. John 13:35;
1 Cor. 13:13,8. Be hospitable, remember them
that are in bonds, comfort the sorrowing, remember
the poor, each according to his circumstances—O,
it gives such peace to the conscience. I wish indeed
I had done much more. Heb. 13:2,3; 2 Cor. 1:4.

Herewith I commend you all to the eternal, Almighty
God; may he comfort, strengthen and stablish
you all, and us poor, forsaken sheep, deprived
of all men, unto the end of our lives; for it lies not
in the beginning, nor in the middle, but he that
shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Matt. 24:13. Behold, dear brethren, I go before,
and hope to wait for you under the altar, where
they cry: “Lord, Lord, when wilt thou avenge the
blood of thy saints?” Rev. 6:9,10. But the Lord
will shorten the days for his elect’s sake; and then
will he clothe them in white raiment, and wipe away
all tears from their eyes, and they will see sorrow
no more, for it has never entered into the heart
of man what God has prepared for them that love
him. Matt. 24:22; Rev. 3:5; 1 Cor. 2:9. Herewith
I bid you all a final adieu in this world, and
thank you all for the good intercourse I have had
with you in my life. And wherein I have grieved
you, or any one else, forgive me; I am heartily
sorry for it. I hope and trust to God that he has
forgiven it me; and if there be any one who has
wronged me, I forgive him from the bottom of my
heart, no matter who he be. We four, Hans, Cornelis,
Mattheus, and Christian, in bonds for the
testimony of Jesus, greet you and all that fear the
Lord with his peace. Amen.

The Almighty God keep you all from evil. Greet
my mother, Charles and his wife; and Maeyken,
who took care of my wife. Adieu to you all. This
is my testament to you all, Vincent, Kaerle, Neelken,
Willem, Hans, to each with his wife.

By me, Hans Symons, your dear brother, imprisoned
at Antwerp for the testimony of Jesus.





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