# A Testament From Bartholomeus Panten To His Little Daughter, Who After Her Father’S Death Was Put Into A Convent By The Priests; The Lord Grant That She May Yet Be Brought Into The Right Way.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: A TESTAMENT FROM BARTHOLOMEUS PANTEN TO HIS LITTLE DAUGHTER, WHO AFTER HER FATHER’S DEATH WAS PUT INTO A CONVENT BY THE PRIESTS; THE LORD GRANT THAT SHE MAY YET BE BROUGHT INTO THE RIGHT WAY.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

My dear child, hear the instruction of your father,
and forget it not, if God permits you to grow up,
and you attain to your understanding; and remember
how I went before you, according to my limited
ability, in all imperfection (which I lament before
God), to enter in through the strait gate, for wide is
the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat:
because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find
it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in
sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do
men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
My dear child, I say that it is impossible; hence
take heed to their fruits; for it agrees in no wise
with the holy Scriptures, that any one should be
apprehended, spoiled of his property, and put to
death, for his faith; for neither Christ nor his disciples
did this, but they had to suffer themselves from
unbelievers, and were put to death by them, as it
clearly appears, that Christ himself was numbered
among the transgressors, and was led to death like
a lamb, and as a sheep dumb before her shearers.

Hence, my dear child, endeavor to follow this
Shepherd, if you would be one of his sheep; for
Peter declares of him: “Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example, that ye should follow his
steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in
his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not
again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but
committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.”
1 Pet. 2:21–23. Hence, my dear child, the author
of our faith went before, as Paul declares to us:
“Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset
us, and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher
of our faith: who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is
set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider him that endured such contradiction
of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and
faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto
blood, striving against sin.” Heb. 12:1–4.

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Thus, my dear child, lay this to heart, and when
you attain to your understanding, it is my fatherly
request of you, that you will join yourself to those
that fear God, who are by far the least among all
people, but are yet the true congregation and church
of God, who regulate themselves according to the
ordinances of the Lord, and according to the practice
of the holy apostles, namely, a baptism which
is founded upon faith, and must be received as
Christ has commanded, and is written in Matthew:
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”
Matt. 28:19,20. Also in Mark: “Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Mark
16:15,16. Also in the Acts of the Apostles, where
Peter practiced it on many. This confession of faith
must not only be made with the mouth, but it must
also be apprehended with the heart, and shown by
the works, even as John declared to the Pharisees
and Sadducees, whom he saw coming to his baptism,
and said: “O generation of vipers, who hath
warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring
forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.” Matthew
3:7,8.

It must withal be understood, that confession is
not enough, but that sorrow of heart must also be
evinced by good works; that the old man with his
evil works, must first be put off, and that it must be
done out of pure faith, as Philip said to the eunuch:
“If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.”
Acts 8:37. For all outward action, without
renewing of the spirit, cannot please God. And the
Supper we keep in remembrance of the Lord’s bitter
death and sufferings, as is declared [a letter] to
the Corinthians: “I have received of the Lord that
which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus,
the same night in which he was betrayed, took
bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it,
and said, Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken
for you: this do in remembrance of me. After
the same manner also he took the cup, when he had
supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in
my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance
of me. For as often as ye eat this
bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s
death till he come.” 1 Cor. 11:23–26. Now if we
are to show his death till he come, he is not daily
in their mass, nor in all their idolatry, nor in their
idol, with which they visit the sick in their distress,
where they say he is; this is far from the truth.

And as regards the incarnation of our Lord Jesus
Christ, we believe what the holy Scriptures declare
concerning it, and are satisfied with the confession
of Peter, when Christ asked his disciples, who men
said that he was: Some said Jeremiah, Elias, or
one of the prophets. Hence Christ asked his disciples:
But whom say ye that I am? Peter answered:
Lord, thou art the Son of the living God. Matthew
16:13. And as also Nathaniel testifies: Thou art
the King of Israel. John 1:49. 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 John says: The blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7. And in the
Acts of the Apostles it is written: God raised up
his child Jesus. Acts 3:26. Now if he raised up his
child, it must certainly have been dead. And in
Isaiah it is written: A virgin shall receive [conceive],
and bear a son. Is. 7:14. If she received
[conceived] him, it is my belief that she did not receive
more than she brought forth; and I am satisfied
with the work of God, however it may have
been effected. That I should believe, that he is of
her flesh and blood, of this I have no testimony in
the holy Scriptures, and am content with the aforesaid
confession.

We further practice, according to the doctrine of
Christ and of the apostles, an excommunication,
whereby the disorderly, who pervert their faith in
improper works must be punished, as Christ and
Paul declare. It must be used with those that have
entered into the communion of the saints and been
baptized into one body with them, but relapse into
any carnal works, as in adultery, whoredom, murder,
drunkenness, idolatry, and the like. Matthew
16:19; 1 Cor. 5:11; 1 Tim. 5:20.

Hence, my child, when you attain to your understanding,
defer not to take up the cross, as much as
you value your soul, for it is written: “If any man
come to me, and hate not his father, and mother,
and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters,
yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come
after me, cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26,27.
Hence everything must be forsaken for the Lord’s
sake, for Christ also says in the same chapter:
“Whosoever forsaketh not all that he hath cannot
be my disciple.” Verse 33.

Therefore, my dear child, look not at the great
multitude, but remember the time of Noah, how few
there were saved when the world perished by the
flood. And that from the five cities of Sodom and
Gomorrah there were left but three persons.

Hence, my dear child, separate also from the
spiritual Sodom, that you be not a partaker of her
sins, and receive not of her plagues. Rev. 18:4.
It is also written, 2 Cor. 6:17,18; 7:1: “Come out
from among them, and be ye separate, saith the
Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will
receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye
shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
Having therefore these promises, dearly
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness
of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear
of God. For the time will come when they shall
lament it, who have spent their life here in that
which was not proper; for when they shall say,
Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh
upon them, as travail upon a woman with child;
and they shall not escape. 1 Thess. 5:3.

Hence, my dear child, Paul says: “But ye are
not in darkness, that that day should overtake you
as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the
children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of
darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others;
but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep,
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sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are
drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the
day, watch and be sober.” Verse 4. As also Peter
says: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast
in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions
are accomplished in your brethren that are in the
world.” 1 Pet. 5:8,9.

We also believe in a resurrection of the flesh, at
the last day, of the good and of the evil, of the just
and the unjust, so that all that are in the grave,
shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they
that have done good shall come forth unto the resurrection
of eternal life; and they that have done
evil shall come forth unto eternal damnation. John
5:28,29.

Hence, my dear child, order your paths according
to the holy Scriptures, which will show you the
right truth; for he that seeketh findeth, and to him
that knocketh it shall be opened. Hence, pray the
Lord for help and assistance, for he is the giver of
every good thing; that after this life you may hear
the welcome voice: “Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world: for I was a hungered,
and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave
me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited
me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Matt. 25:34.

Hence, my dear child, exercise yourself herein,
and have your delight in it; do according to Tobit’s
advice: If thou hast much, give much; if thou hast
little, give little, and that with a faithful heart. Tobit
4:8.

O my dear child, be mindful of what I have written
you, and be always faithful and obedient to people,
in all that is not contrary to the truth; and be
diligent in your labor, courteous, gentle and meek;
for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and
righteousness and truth. Eph. 5:9.

Herewith I commend my dear child to the Lord,
and to those that fear God.

This was written by me your father, Bartholomeus
Panten, on the same day that I was tortured
for the name of the Lord; some of it before the torturing,
and some after it. Let all of you that read
this, or hear it read, bear in mind, and not be surprised,
though this has taken place, for the apostle
Peter says: Beloved, think it not strange, as though
some strange thing happened unto you; but rejoice,
inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings;
that in the time of revelation ye may be glad with
exceeding joy, if ye are now reproached here for
the name of Christ. Amen. By me,

Bartholomeus Panten.





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