Another Letter Of Joost Verkindert, Written From Prison, To His Wife, On The 23d Of July.

Grace, joy and peace from God the heavenly Father, and our dear Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood; together with the consolation and communion of the Holy Ghost; this I wish to be constantly multiplied in you, as a friendly greeting, my beloved wife and sister in the Lord, informing you that I am still tolerably well according to the flesh; and as regards the spirit, my mind is still fixed to adhere to the eternal truth by the help of the Most High, from whom we must expect comfort; for of ourselves we have not one good thought, but much rather an aversion; for the flesh loves life, since it is of the earth, and seeks nothing but what is earthly. But I hope in the goodness and long suffering of God, that he will not forsake me, but will keep me, according to his promise, as the apple of his eye. My beloved, we are now put to a very severe test; for at no previous time was there before us such an opportunity of being released as there is now. For there are some that got out, who would have been put to death three weeks ago; but as one of them was confined to his bed by sickness, their day of execution was postponed, and in the meantime the pardon helped them out. This pardon is also held out to us as seductively as possible; they promise to restore to us that of which we have been despoiled, and, to set us free, provided we should renounce our second baptism, which we have refused, preferring rather with old Eleazar, to die honorably, than to live with ignominy (2 Macc. 6:19): praying the almighty Father through Jesus Christ, to keep us in this purpose, and to preserve us from evil. I also cannot keep from you what happened to me. On Friday last, about evening, I was taken down alone, to speak with one of the bishop’s underlings; whom I saluted, and bade him good evening. He did the same to me, saying: “Good evening, Joos.” I remained standing with my head uncovered, and he also took off his cap, and made a long speech, and began greatly to praise the name of God, since he left his saints the promise to abide with his church unto the end. Thereupon I asked him, whether the apostles had put the church in the form and ordinances in which it now stood.

He replied: “Yes, that is as regards the faith; and as touching the ordinances, these the holy teachers instituted through counsels and decrees, on account of certain causes that arose, even as it also happened during the times of the apostles: that all the elders came together, because contention arose in the church.” Acts 15:6. Then I said to him, that the Lord had commanded the children of Israel very strictly neither to take from nor add to the law; and how severely Saul was punished by the Lord, because he, following his own mind, had spared the king of the Amalekites, and the best oxen and sheep, contrary to the command of God. Deut. 4:2; 12:32; 1 Sam. 15. Thereupon he said: “The Lord had commanded him, to kill them all, and not to spare them, and for this reason he was punished; but we neither take from nor add to the faith.” I returned that they were nothing but human plants. And Christ says: “Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall 817 fall into the ditch. Matt. 15:13. Then he said, that plants were not doctrines; but they are trees, said he, which are called men. I rejoined, that Christ, Matt. 15, did not speak of trees. He said: “Yes.” I said: “No;” so that he finally said: “I will let you have it.” He then asked me, where I had learned the Scriptures, or by whom I had been instructed. I replied that I had taken my foundation from the Scriptures, as Christ teaches us, saying: “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. (John 5:39.) Hence, I searched, and asked the Lord for a right understanding and wisdom.” Then he said: “O we must be instructed.” I said: “We had also teachers.” He asked of whom our teachers had received understanding. I asked him in return where the prophets and apostles had received understanding. He answered, saying: “We are the ancient church, from the time of Christ to the apostles, who first instituted the holy church, and established it with many signs and miracles; and from the apostles to Timothy and Titus, and to all the holy teachers, and thence to all the holy popes and doctors even to the present day.” And we had many other words, concerning baptism, which it would take too long to relate; but we could not agree.

Finally, in parting, he showed me great friendliness, saying: “Dear Joos, you err, and do not understand the Scriptures.” I said: “My lord, even as you think that I err, so I think that you err.” He said: “Ask the Lord for understanding.” I replied, that I did so. Guilliame, the thief-catcher, was present throughout the whole conversation, and they were both very deeply moved on my account, as I well perceived; and he spoke much of the great pardon which had come from King Philip and the Pope together. In parting, I asked him, whether any one might be put to death on account of the faith. He answered, saying: “What else is the magistracy for?” I said: “For the protection of the good, and the punishment of the evil” (Rom. 13:3). He rejoined: “Peter killed Ananias and Sapphira” (Acts 5:5,9), and with this some persons came in, so that this remark received no reply.

Herewith I commend you to the Lord, and to the word of his grace. Greet W. B. and all his acquaintances in the Lord, in my name, with the peace of the Lord. Lauwerens, my fellow prisoner, also greets you with the peace of the Lord.