# Another Letter From Janneken Munstdorp, Wife Of Hans Van Munstdorp, To Her Sister; Written When She Was Confined In Prison At Antwerp, For The Testimony Of Jesus Christ, And Sentenced With Three Others To Be Burnt; Written At One O’Clock In The Night, The 5th Of October, In The Year Of Our Lord 1573.

1573 · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: ANOTHER LETTER FROM JANNEKEN MUNSTDORP, WIFE OF HANS VAN MUNSTDORP, TO HER SISTER; WRITTEN WHEN SHE WAS CONFINED IN PRISON AT ANTWERP, FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AND SENTENCED WITH THREE OTHERS TO BE BURNT; WRITTEN AT ONE O’CLOCK IN THE NIGHT, THE 5TH OF OCTOBER, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1573.

Source heading; not independently verified

The abundant and unspeakable great grace of the
Father, and the mercy of God, and the loving kindness
and love of the Son: with the communion of
the Holy Ghost, who through grace has been sent
us by the Father, through the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, to the comfort and joy of all faithful,
true children of God, by whom we are all guided,
taught and instructed; the same keep your understanding,
heart and mind in Christ Jesus, to the
praise and glory of the Father, to the salvation of
your soul, and to the edification of all dear brethren
and sisters that fear the Lord and love the truth.
The same God, who only is wise, make you fit
hereunto; to whom be glory, honor and power,
might and strength, forever and ever, Amen, and
for a perpetual adieu. After this, my heart’s wish
940
from God, for an adieu, and a perpetual farewell
to you, my very dear brethren in God, and to you,
my very dear and chosen, affectionately beloved
sisters, [I would say that] the time has now come
that we must part from one another; I shall now be
freed from all sorrow; sorrowing and sighing shall
befall me no more. My dear friends, adieu, adieu,
we must now part here. Though the Lord has so
ordered it with me, I am yet constrained to write
you once more for the last time. True, I have
written you adieu, but now it goes to my heart;
sentence has been passed upon me that I must die.
I said to them, that they should take good heed—that
our blood should be severely required at their
hands. They said they did not do it, that it was the
decree of the king. I said that this would not save
them; but the Lord forgive you if you do it ignorantly;
but I think that you, in part, know well
enough what kind of people we are. They washed
their hands from it. I said: “Pilate did so too.”
They said that Pilate was a just judge, and that we
acted contrary to the king’s command. I said that
we had greater reason to obey God, than the king;
it is a little matter that you inflict this temporal
death upon us, for we know not how long we shall
live, but we know that we must certainly die sometime;
and I said that they should take good heed
with regard to shedding innocent blood. Thus we
four were sentenced, and it will now soon be over
with us. My dear brothers and sisters, the Lord
has heard me, that I am permitted to offer up a
sacrifice for his name. I did not think that the Lord
did so love me: I have certainly never merited it
of him; but he will make me fit hereunto through
his grace. O what a strong helper in distress we
have, who does not let us be confounded. How
short has seemed to me the time that I have been
here, whereas I was previously so afraid of it; and
that he has so faithfully succored me in all my distress,
and now makes me so happy that I know
nothing to say of sadness. O, oh! how strong is our
God; who should not want to fear him? of whom
will we be afraid? God is with us; who can be against
us? At all events we must here leave everything behind.
I may well say that there was never more joy
in my heart, than I had when I was sentenced. My
dear sister, fear not men who must pass away like
grass; for they can do no more than the Lord permits
them. My dear brethren and sisters, be not
afraid; if the Lord had permitted them, they would
not have waited with me so long; but now the Lord
permits them. I am well pleased with it, that they
shall remove me out of this evil, wicked world, from
the evil that I might yet have had in it, so that
I shall not be moved; for I expect no joy in this
world, because of my dear husband, who went this
way before me, and whom, by the grace of the
Lord, I am now to follow, having long waited for
this time. I also go before you now; follow me.
This is the narrow way which the prophets and
apostles went, who also had to drink the cup which
we must now drink. We shall now soon have passed
through this wilderness, as soon as we have drunk
the bitter waters. Ex. 15:23. The time of travail
is now at hand; weeping and mourning shall then
be over. O what a joy this is in my heart, so that
I cannot describe it to you. O how mightily the
Lord works in us poor, weak vessels; for I know
that I have never merited it from the Lord, but am
worthy of nothing but eternal death. If the Lord
would enter into judgment with me, I should in no
wise be saved; but now I must expect salvation out
of pure grace, and I doubt not that he will remember
my past sins no more, as the prophet says:
When a sinner turns away from his wicked life, and
does righteousness, he will remember his unrighteousness
no more. Ezek. 18:21,27.

O my dear and much beloved, chosen sister,
whom I greatly love from the heart, and this out
of a godly love, you have shown me so much
friendship, and assisted me in need, that I cannot
fully requite you, since I am now but a poor, weak
creature, and about to pay all that I owe, whether
according to the flesh or according to the spirit.
Hence, my dear sister, I cannot reward you, but
I thank you very heartily (writing you still some
more) for all that you have ever shown me. O dear
sister, you write me that I should forgive you what
you may have done amiss to me: O my dear sister,
you have done nothing amiss to me, but know that
I fall short to you in many things; but I trust that
you will bury it with me, and remember it no more.
I know that I fall short in everything; but Christ
died, to pay for that in which we fall short. Did he
not die a bitter death for us, whereas he was without
spot or wrinkle, and no guile was found in his
mouth; how should we then not gladly die for a
righteous man? Hence let us not spare ourselves,
but willingly go into death for the name of Christ,
and not fear what men can do to us. Rom. 5:7;
Heb. 13:6.

And, my dear brother and sister, be of good
cheer; though men put us to death, it is the will
of the Lord. Pray, do not sorrow for me any more;
for I know that you have great sorrow on my account.
It is now all over; I shall soon have conquered
my last enemy, and be able to say with Paul:
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is
laid up for me a crown of righteousness.” 1 Corinthians
15:26; 2 Tim. 4:7,8.

I shall soon be an epistle to you, which may be
read of all men. 2 Cor. 3:2. And, my dear sister,
though we must part here, know that it is for something
better; we have neither hour nor time. It is
so glorious to die for his name, and Peter says:
Rejoice if you suffer and endure for well-doing; this
is acceptable with God. 1 Pet. 4:14; 3:17; 2:20.

But, my dear sister, it is now my turn; it may
very soon, perhaps to-morrow, be your turn; be of
good courage, and patiently abide your time, my
dearest sister. You write me in regard to my child;
I have confidence in you that you will do your best
with it. I have committed it to the Lord, to do his
good pleasure with it, and to move your heart to it.
For, dear sister, I trust that you love me from the
heart, and they that love the tree will also love the
branches. I read your letter again with tears, when
I heard that you were so sad on my account, and
that I was so joyful.

941

O my dear sister, how glad I was that I had
kissed you once more. Grieve not, that you have
not visited me more; I did not take it amiss, for
I well know that you did not lack the will: my dear
sister, you have done so much for me. O my dear
brother and sister, I would write you more yet,
of the hope that is now in me, but I cannot write
you so much; it is much greater still [than I have
described to you]. I hope that you will take this
in good part, and will herewith bid you a perpetual
adieu; and do the best with each other. And you,
my dear brother, pray, comfort my dear sister in
her tribulation which she has on my account, for
I love her from the bottom of my heart. Parting
is grievous according to the flesh, but according to
the spirit I thank and praise the Lord, that I am
permitted to offer up such a sacrifice, which can be
acceptable to him; yea, that I can offer up my flesh
and blood at the stake. Gladly I give it to him
that gave it me; though I had seven bodies, I
should gladly deliver them up for the Lord’s sake.
Pray the Lord heartily for me, that I may now make
strait paths for my feet, to the edification of all dear
brethren and sisters. Herewith adieu. I have sent
knit-needles for my daughter; keep them, and do
the best with her. I also leave you here a poor
little orphan without father or mother: the Lord be
your dear Father, and I commend you to him that
created and made you. My sister, I wish you would
keep my lamp in remembrance of me, and I sent
some sugar for you and your daughter, of which
I ate when I was sentenced; and thank Engel much
in my name for the pot of wine, and tell him adieu.
I know nothing special now to commit to you, but
do the best with my young lamb; the Lord will not
leave unrewarded what you do for his name. Bid
my father and mother, my dear brethren and sisters,
adieu and farewell; adieu and farewell to all; farewell
to my dear brethren and chosen sisters, whom
I love from the depth of my heart; I greet you once
more with the holy kiss of peace, as though I were
present with you; kiss one another. My fellow-sisters
who are with me also greet you, and have
kissed me once for you, and I have done the same
for you. My dear, chosen brethren and dear sisters,
weary not of Jesus Christ. I hope to go before you
yet to the heavenly city, to wait for you under the
altar with all the chosen saints; follow me. My dear
chosen sister, I must now go before you, where
I shall enjoy bliss. Adieu, sister dear; remember
me still; the time of travail is at hand, to offer up
my sacrifice at the stake, much beloved. Herewith
I commend you to the Lord.

I shall seal this with my blood. Adieu, adieu,
my dearest brethren and sisters, with your little
lamb, and also mine, which I bore under my heart.
I have written this for you yet after I was sentenced,
after one o’clock in the night; however, it was not
irksome to me. I take leave and bid you adieu
once more, till we meet hereafter, where men shall
separate us no more. Adieu, till we together drink
the new wine which Christ shall give us at his table.
Matt. 26:29. This other letter is from Augustijn,
who sent it to me. Adieu, adieu, all of you adieu.
I shall follow Hans, my dear husband. The lady
with her midwife, and her nurse are going now,
and shall receive a like reward. Nothing more from
me, but adieu for the last time. Follow me.

Fear God; this is the conclusion.





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