# Another Letter From Raphel Van Den Velde, Written To His Wife.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: ANOTHER LETTER FROM RAPHEL VAN DEN VELDE, WRITTEN TO HIS WIFE.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

I Raphel, imprisoned for the truth, wish my dear
and in God beloved wife (who next to God is the
dearest of all that I know, yea, if I could help you,
though it were by dying the death, I should so
gladly do it; and my dear son, I wish you, my love,
as you wish me in your letter) a steadfast mind in
the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, an ardent love of
God, and invincible strength from God our heavenly
Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord and
Savior, so that you may overcome all your enemies,
and preserve moderation in your tribulation,
so that you will not grieve more or further than
godly sorrow goes, as I hope that you will also do,
and willingly be resigned in all wherein God tries
you, that you may thus receive the crown of life at
the hand of the Lord. This is my cordial prayer
and great petition to God for you my dearest love
on earth; the almighty God grant his great mercy
thereto. Amen.

After all affectionate salutation and respects to
you my dear and in God beloved wife, let me please
inform you, that my mind is unchanged and resigned
in God, to serve the Lord, to testify to the
truth, and to suffer for his holy and high name all
978
that comes upon me on his account; and I do not
fear in the least, the Lord be praised and glorified
for his grace.

On Monday afternoon, from soon after three till
about six o’clock, as I think, I was with three
priests, who wanted to tell me so much; but I first
made them confess their faith, since they had come
to instruct me. Then they began to confess some
things of infant baptism, of the incarnation of Christ,
and of their host or wafer, that Christ (after the
words were pronounced), was present there in flesh
and blood, even as he was when they ate the supper.
When they were to prove it with the Scriptures,
they were in a strait, for I insisted so firmly,
and would not leave a single point before they had
proved it to me with all that they could; and when
they had proved it all, I went and confounded them
with their own words, so that at times they blushed
and did not know what they had better say, so that
it seemed to me, that they finally became afraid to
speak any more with me. And now and then they
all three talked, and then I sometimes forgot what
had been said before. Then I said; “I am not good
at disputing; my memory is too poor.” Then one
of them said: “Yet I think that it is tolerably
good;” and he looked at me sharply. Well, my
love, we will let it rest here for this time; for if I
were to write to you all that has befallen me, I think
I should cover six sheets of paper; the Lord be
thanked, who always helps his followers. This new
president is so blood-thirsty, and severe with us; he
has all of us confined separately, one here, and the
other there, and we can scarcely leave our cage long
enough to attend to the calls of nature; and no one
is allowed to come to us. And I have understood
that we shall not be confined long, which I would
gladly see verified, for the long confinement is too
vexatious, always alone; but the Lord be thanked,
the time has not been very irksome yet to either
myself or Jeronymus, my brother and fellow-prisoner,
for it surprises us when we think that we have
been confined eight days already. And I hope that
the Lord will further comfort us, and not forsake us.
Adieu, adieu, till another time. Farewell.





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