# The First Letter Of Hansken Van Den Wege.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: THE FIRST LETTER OF HANSKEN VAN DEN WEGE.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

I wish you, my cordially beloved and chosen
sister, whom I love from the very depth of my
heart, the unfathomable, abundant, great grace and
mercy of the eternal and almighty God, the heavenly
Father; and also the great humility and meekness,
and the great peace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the only and true Son of the living God; and the
great power, consolation and full joy of the Holy
Ghost; this is my eternal and blessed wish and
holy salutation and perpetual memorial to you, my
dear, chosen sister; and also to all men that fear
and love the Lord, and call on him out of a pure
heart. This is ever my blessed wish and holy salutation,
to the eternal salvation of your souls, and to
the praise of the eternal, supreme, almighty God
of heaven and earth; to whose name be praise,
thanks, glory and honor, forever and ever. Amen.

O see, my dear and much beloved chosen sister,
what more shall I wish you? or what more shall I
write you than I have written? But I repeat, and
this from abundant, pure and fervent love to God,
with the holy, chosen apostle Peter, where he
writes to you, and also to us, and to all men:
“Purify your souls in obeying the truth through
the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren,
and see that ye love one another with a pure
heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of
God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all
flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the
flower of grass. The sun is risen, and hath withered
the grass, and the beauty of it is perished: but the
word of the Lord endureth forever. 1 Pet. 1:22–25.
O dear sister, what a good ointment and blessed
doctrine this is which Peter has here taught us by
the Holy Ghost. O yes, what a precious medicine
this is which the Lord has left us by his apostles,
by which the soul can be purified and healed.
Hence let us open our ears, and unlock our hearts,
that we may hear with our ears and understand
with our hearts, what the obedience of the truth
teaches us. For it is Jesus Christ, the genuine
truth, with all the precious medicines of grace and
mercy, and the sweet-smelling oil of love, whereby
we purify our souls, and by no other.

Hence, O dear sister, let us hear this truth, and
obey it; for he proceeded from the Father, yea,
came from and was sent by him, a teacher from
heaven, to teach us the way of truth, and the life,
which he was himself; and all that he has heard
and seen from his Father, he has taught us, in
order to purify our souls, and save them for ever;
for he teaches us, saying: “Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born of water and
of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God.” John 8:42; 1:4; 14:6; 8:38; 3:5.

O dear sister, earnestly pray the Lord for a right
understanding of this regeneration, which must be
effected from above, of water and of the Spirit,
since otherwise we cannot enter into the kingdom
of heaven. Hence, let us pray with a firm confidence
and a strong faith, yea, pray with an unwavering
mind to God the Most High, in spirit and in
truth; and it shall be given us, as he himself says:
“For every one that asketh receiveth,” says the
Lord Jesus Christ. Matt. 7:8. Let us therefore so
ask him that we may receive it, that is, understand
the regeneration, and live in accordance therewith,
and then remain forever and constantly regenerated
unto the end. O yes, so born from above, that
whereas there was nothing before, there is something
now; and whereas formerly we knew nothing
but lying and cheating, together with presumptuous
pride, proud cursing, fighting, swearing, evil speaking,
and lived in much pleasure of the flesh, we
now speak the truth from the heart, and walk in
the truth, as children that are born of the truth;
and live in the fear of our God, with an humbled
heart, in lowliness, gentleness, and in great joy
of the Spirit, and no longer go to dumb idols, to
worship or honor them, nor do we go into their
Baal’s dens, where nothing but the commandments
of men are taught, which doctrines destroy men’s
souls, and with which the devil has destroyed the
whole world, for his name is destroyer. Rev. 9:11.
O yes, dear sister, whenever we went there, we saw
them perform their mass and abominable idolatry,
which are but fables and commandments of men,
and instituted by the same destroyer, the devil.
And when they elevate their abominable idol, every
one must fall down before it, and worship and
honor it. O what abominable idolatry this is! Sentence
has long ago been pronounced upon them;
for idolaters, says Paul, have no part in the kingdom
of God: but their part, says John, is in the
lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which
is the second death. 1 Cor. 6:9; Rev. 21:8. Hence,
O dear sister, keep away from idols, and touch not
the unclean thing, and let us be turned from idolatry
to the service of the living God, to serve him,
for he alone is to be heard, praised, honored, worshiped,
served, and loved, forever. Yes, dear sister,
let us thus apprehend the meaning of Christ, that
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we be truly turned from the power of this world,
where there is nothing but darkness, namely, the
night of sin (1 Thess. 5:7; Rom. 13:12); to the day
of grace, where shines in the beautiful Sun of righteousness,
Jesus Christ, with all his promises and
grace (Mal. 4:2; Rom. 6:14); and from lies to the
truth, and from unrighteousness and wickedness to
righteousness and good works; and thus demonstrate
in power, that we are regenerated in humility
of heart and spirit, love one another with brotherly
love out of a pure heart, and have peace with
all men, if it be possible; yea, as ye would that
men should do to you, so do you also to them:
for this is the law and the prophets, says Christ,
who is the infallible truth. 1 Pet. 1:22; Rom. 12:18;
Matt. 7:12.

Let us therefore well consider this, that we may
not err; for we would indeed be willing that men
should show us much favor and mercy, and always
live peaceably with us; hence let us also always
show much favor and mercy to all men, and do
them many kindnesses, thus showing love to them,
and seek to live in peace and love with one another,
and with all men. Yes, dear sister, let us so purify
our souls as Peter says: “Purify your souls in
obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned
love of the brethren, and love one another
with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not
of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”
1 Pet. 1:22,23. O yes, dear sister, let us so follow
the advice of Peter, that we obey the truth of Christ,
and through obedience purify our souls, and be
truly born from above, of water and of the Spirit,
which must be effected from high heaven, whereby
we must be born again, namely, of the water, as
Christ says: “He that believeth on me, as the
Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers
of living water.” (But this spake he of the Spirit,
which they that believe on him should receive.)
John 7:38,39. And by the words of truth, as Christ
himself says: “The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63. O
yes, dear sister, this is the true water and the true
Spirit, whereby we must be born again from above,
if we are to see the kingdom of heaven; for Christ
gives and sends the Holy Spirit from above down
upon every one whom he sees prepared; and his
word he also brought from above, and hence this
regeneration is effected from above. John 15:26;
8:26; 3:3,7.

Therefore, dear sister, let us take good heed, that
we well keep this regeneration, and constantly,
all the days of our life, walk before the eyes of the
Lord in holiness, as the truly regenerated children
of God, who are not born of corruptible seed, but
of incorruptible, namely, by the word of God, which
liveth and abideth forever. Hence, my dear and
much beloved sister, if you are truly in this regeneration,
which has been effected in you from above,
show forth the nature of that of which you are born,
so that you have all your conversation in heaven,
and are no longer minded toward flesh and blood,
nor anything that is visible, as Paul says, but
towards that which is invisible. Philip. 3:19,20.
For Paul says, that our light affliction, which is but
for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding,
and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at
the things which are seen, but at the things which
are not seen: for the things which are seen are
temporal; but the things which are not seen are
eternal. 2 Cor. 4:17,18. Hence let us remain steadfast,
and look at and believe only that which is
invisible. For Peter says: “At the appearing of the
Lord Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, ye love;
in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing,
ye rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation
of your souls.” 1 Pet. 1:7–9. O yes, dear sister, let
us do according to the doctrine brought us from
above through the Holy Ghost, that we purify our
souls, and be born again from above of water and
of the Spirit, so that we may see the kingdom of
heaven, and forever possess it through the grace
of the Lord; and let us always firmly trust and
believe in the invisible God, and in the Lord Jesus
Christ our Redeemer, and the Savior of the world,
so that our souls may be forever saved. O yes, that
we may be with all the elect and regenerated children
of God, and with all the saints of the supreme
God of heaven and earth, and with the heavenly,
great, and beautiful host of the holy angels of God,
in unspeakably great glory and joy, and glorious
and imperishable brightness; and may forever reign
with the Lord of lords and King of kings, in great
glory, and in exceedingly great joy, and then, with
all the great heavenly, holy hosts, from great joy
of heart, forever praise, glorify, honor, and sanctify
with great honor, the exalted name of the Lord;
for, glory belongs to God in the highest, and on
earth peace and good will toward men. Luke. 2:14.
Herewith, my dear sister, I commend you to the
Lord, and to the words of his eternal grace. Amen.

Written out of great, fervent, brotherly love, to
you Cijntgen, my dearly beloved chosen sister, as
a perpetual and blessed memorial in the Lord, by
Hansken, your poor, miserable and weak brother,
who is imprisoned at Ghent, in the Sausselet, for
the true word of the Lord. Remember me in your
prayers to God, so that through me poor, miserable
man, who am weak, the exalted, holy name
of the Lord may be honored and praised forever;
for it is good to sing praises unto our God. Amen.
Ps. 147:1.





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