# The Eighth Letter From Jan Wouterss, To His Sister-In-Law, Who Was Still Among The Papists, And In The Romish Faith.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: THE EIGHTH LETTER FROM JAN WOUTERSS, TO HIS SISTER-IN-LAW, WHO WAS STILL AMONG THE PAPISTS, AND IN THE ROMISH FAITH.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

Affectionately written to you, my much beloved
sister Neelken, Jacob’s daughter, mother in the convent:
I Jan Wouterss van Kuyck, your beloved
brother-in-law, imprisoned at Dortrecht, not for any
evil, but for the obedience of the gospel of Christ;
which is no shame before my supreme Lord, who
created us, but a great honor to him, that one for
his name’s sake, yea, for well doing, endures contempt
and bloody stripes; such are accounted blessed
by the holy Scriptures, which blessedness [salvation]
Christ has merited by his great sufferings.

And since I sought my salvation in Christ, I have
fallen into affliction, but I do therefore not regret it,
for salvation is dearer to me than this transitory
life, and I will give my life for it, knowing and believing
that I shall, according to God’s promises,
which will not fail, receive an eternal one, which is
better.

Hence, I beseech you most affectionately, grieve
not on my account; I thank you very kindly for all
the great friendship you have shown me and my
dearest wife, and also my only daughter, and which
you may have further shown while I have been in
bonds.

Henceforth I know of no greater friendship to
show you, my beloved sister; than that I must at
my end invite you yet to the marriage of the Lamb,
which is Christ; yea, heartily entreat you, to prepare
yourself for it during this short time. Hence
put off the old man with his evil deeds, and put on
the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge
of God, of him that created him. Put off the old
Adam, and put on the new, and walk therein, and
you shall henceforth not be conformed to the world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Col. 3:9,10; Rom. 12:2.

See, beloved sister, I declare to you with the holy
Scriptures, that you cannot come to Christ, the
bridegroom, unless you sincerely follow him in his
footsteps, in the narrow way which he walked; and
I pray you, lay it to heart, for it is of great importance
to you. I say and declare unto you, that
neither you nor any one (I do not mean infants) can
follow Christ, except you first deny yourself and deliver
up to him your own understanding, reasons,
opinions, and your own life, even as he delivered up
his life for us, that all who believe in him, and do
not live to themselves, should not perish, but have
everlasting life through him. Suffer to be told and
have mercy on yourself, and trust not in the learned
or that you bear the name of a Christian; to the
learned, God’s wisdom is hid, and the name does
not make a Christian. But if you would nevertheless
trust in the learned, perceive by their fruits
what kind of trees they are, as Christ taught, that
every tree shall be known by his fruit. Consider
how Christ condemns them in the gospel, and how
they were enraged against Christ and his apostles,
and how they laid hands on them; and though the
heathen judges found no cause of death, yet they
had to put to death the innocent, if they wished to
remain the friends of the scribes and of Cæsar. Thus
it is still; think not that it is better now; they fill up
the measure of their fathers, that the righteous
blood may be found on them. I have worked or labored
for my necessities, for my widow, and for my
orphan child; they will not work themselves and
rather live off that which is other people’s, and cannot
bear that another works; hence the Bailiff forbids
me to work, on their account. Again, when I
was to be tortured the second time, in order that I
should betray my neighbor, which I could not do,
on account of my conscience, they brought to me
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the superior, who was to prove to me with the
Scriptures that I might do it. The superior said
that I might do it, for, said he, “If you are the
true people, your fellow brethren will with you receive
the martyr’s crown. How can one attain to
greater honor: hence you may name them. But
since you are not the true people, you ought to
name them, for God hates the wicked.” This the
superior said to me. O dear, consider in your heart
what spirit actuates these learned men, how they
expound—the ultimate object is nothing but murder.
O dear Lord, forgive them. Thou teachest us
better, namely, to love our neighbor as ourselves,
yea, to lay down our lives for the brethren. Hence
separate from them, you have long been one with
them; lest you partake of their sins and abominable
plagues.

It is now, out of great love, declared to you beforehand,
by your very familiar brother-in-law,
before that day comes upon you as a thief in the
night; as the warning came in the first world, so it
does still. Hence, if you would with Noah and his
house be saved and protected, betake yourself under
the protection of the true Noah, and observe
his commandment, which is life everlasting; he calls
you and all men; he knocks; he stretches out his
hand to you; refuse him no longer, and do not rely
on this, that you are called a Christian, and that
God is merciful. Remember with it, that neither
the name, nor the water, nor the sponsors make a
Christian, but he that doeth righteousness is righteous;
they that are led by the Spirit of Christ are
his. And remember also, that God is just, as David
declares, saying: God is a righteous God, or a
righteous judge, and God is angry with the wicked
every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword,
he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath
also prepared for him the instruments of death; he
ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. Psalm
7:11–13. Attend well unto every word, for he is a
strong archer when he lets fly his arrow, none can
evade him. Hence consider his arrows which he let
fly at the first world, at Sodom, Gomorrah and
others. These accounts have been left us in writing
that we should fear the word of the Lord more than
the aforesaid learned men; and if we, through fear
and love, observe his commandments, then the
word, that God is merciful, will avail for us. For
his divine nature is such, that his wrath and his
mercy proceed together from him, and this on this
wise, that if the righteous forsake the way of the
Lord, his righteousness shall not be mentioned, but
he shall die for the sake of the blasphemy. Ezekiel
18:24.

Again, if the sinner turns away from his evil ways,
does that which is good and right, and walks in the
way of the Lord, his sins shall be remembered no
more, for the Lord has no pleasure in the death of
the sinner, but that he turn from his way and live.
Ezek. 18:21; 34:11. Hence I beseech you, that
you will free yourself from all the ways of the world,
of the carefulness, and of the old things, of which
your heart may be full; so that the word of God
may be planted in you with meekness and you
may be found good earth bringing forth fruit abiding
unto life eternal. God’s judgment is now declared
that every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit
shall be hewn down and cast into the fire. Matthew
7:19. Let therefore the hammer of the divine word
break your heart into pieces; remember the words
of the prophet: “Rend your hearts, and not your
garments: for God is long-suffering and merciful,
and of great kindness, who forgiveth sin.” Joel
2:13; Ps. 103:3. Hence, dear sister, remember
that the long-suffering and daily kindness invite
you to salvation; refuse it no longer, for thereby
you would wrong your own self. Therefore amend
your life and ways, and believe and obey the gospel
and you shall be saved through Christ, for this is
the promise, even eternal life. 1 John 2:25. But if
you want to continue in the ordinances of men, and
to be led thereby as the ox to the slaughter, you
will find yourself deceived in the end; for in vain do
you observe the commandments of men, which have
no promise from the Lord, as I also said to the superior.
He said that what God has not forbidden
he permits. O is this not a feeble reed in which to
trust; but Christ teaches differently, saying: “Every
plant which my heavenly Father hath not
planted shall be rooted up.” Matt. 15:13. And the
apostle says that no other foundation can be laid,
than Christ alone. 1 Cor. 3:11: In the second
place the apostle has declared all the counsel of God
and withheld nothing from us. Acts 20:27.

In the third place, he says: If any preach any
other gospel than I have preached, let him be accursed.
Gal. 1:8. Yea, though it were an angel
from heaven (mark well) yet his doctrine must not be
received, if it is anything different. How should we
receive for the purpose of honoring God with it,
that which has proceeded from men, who are prone
to wickedness from the cradle, and drink iniquity
like water? Hence, what man institutes is like the
labor of the spider; it can be used neither for covering,
nor for clothing; but every one that hears and
keeps the word of God for his salvation need add
nothing to it.

Finally, I declare unto you once more in the
name of my Lord: Amend your life and ways, believe
the gospel, and flee idolatry. But if you yet
think that you do not worship them, it is at least
evident, that you serve them, kneel before them,
and honor them, which God has forbidden, who
requires his true statutes to be kept, and says by
the prophet Jeremiah: “Obey my voice, and I will
be your God, and ye shall be my people.” Jeremiah
7:23. And another prophet: “A son honoreth
his father, and a servant his master: if I then be
a father, where is mine honor? and if I be a master,
where is my fear?” Mal. 1:6. Hence, if God is
our Father, we must obey him more than men; if
he is our Lord, we must honor him with that which
he commands us. Then if we be reproached we will
think: The servant is not better than his lord; if
they have called the master of the house Beelzebub,
why should they not call them of his household so?
In short, he that would follow Christ to his marriage
feast, must deny himself, take up the cross,
and prepare his heart to suffer with Christ, in order
afterwards to rejoice with him. And this suffering is
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short, hence it is light: do not on this account remain
behind. The Lord will help me and all the
godfearing through, and he will not suffer you to
be tempted above that you are able to bear, but will
help you to triumph, though your enemies be never
so many; God is our shield, who can overcome him?
Dear beloved sister, it is nothing strange that I suffer;
it is a sign that the Lord loves me, and I count
it for my salvation. He tries me as gold is tried in
the fire; thus he tried many chosen saints of God
before my time, as Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Caleb,
Joshua, Daniel, John the Baptist who was the holiest
of those born of women; Christ himself and his
apostles, and others, were tried, as Job; but if we
adhere to the Lord in temptation, the crown of
eternal life is ready for us.

Herewith I will conclude this letter, kindly asking
you not to reject my humble labor to you,
which I have done out of great friendship. Search
the Scriptures in regard to these things, and see
whether they are not so. If you cannot understand
or comprehend it, I kindly ask you, love your dear
sister nevertheless, for she has been to me a very
affectionate and faithful wife, so that I cannot thank
her enough for her friendship and good company.
Likewise love our only daughter, for I think that
she has prolonged her beloved mother’s life, the
Lord be praised. But do not lead our child to dumb
idols; by so doing you would sin still more against
God. Take my letter in good part; for it has been
done out of a faithful heart. O Lord, grant our beloved
sister thy holy knowledge, as thou didst to
Saul, who also had a zeal without knowledge.

Herewith I bid you, my beloved sister, adieu.
Farewell.

Written in my bonds, on the fifth day of March,
A. D. 1572. By me, your beloved brother-in-law,
(in the Vuylpoort at Dortrecht).

Jan Wouterss Kuyck.





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