# The States, Etc.

17th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: THE STATES, ETC.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

To the city of Berne in Switzerland:

Noble, very respectable, wise, prudent lords, especial
good friends and neighbors. From the complaints
of divers persons, delegated by their respective
churches, who here in this land are called Mennonists,
citizens and inhabitants of the cities of Dortrecht,
Harlem, Leyden, Amsterdam, Goude, and
Rotterdam, all situated in the province of Holland,
we have learned, that their fellow-believers, under
the name of Anabaptists, are suffering great persecution
at Berne and thereabouts, by virtue of very
rigorous edicts enacted against them, whereby they
are not only prohibited from continuing to reside in
the country, but are not even permitted to depart
elsewhere with their families and goods, though
they cannot be charged with any crimes.

That also some of the abovementioned persuasion
are kept in close confinement there.

All of which has moved us to Christian compassion,
and we could therefore not forbear, but, on
the contrary, have deemed it well, hereby to request
you very kindly and neighborly, also most earnestly,
that you will not only not meet, neither suffer
to be met,—the fellow-believers of the supplicants,
who under the name of Anabaptists are found in,
or belong to your dominion and are obedient, with
improper proceedings, and release and set at liberty
the aforesaid prisoners,—but also much rather, according
to the good example of the lords of the
government of Schaffhausen, grant them sufficient
time, to remove with their goods and effects,
whithersoever they shall resolve to go.

Taking into favorable and proper consideration,
that in the year 1655, when the Vaudois, our and
your fellow-believers, were so miserably dispersed
and persecuted by the Romanists, solely for the
profession of their Reformed religion, that the distress
of the poor, dispersed people, could not be
relieved in any other way, than by the giving and
gathering of great contributions in England, in this
country, and elsewhere, where the Reformed360 religion
was practiced, the Anabaptistic church, now
the aforesaid supplicants, upon this simple recommendation
of their respective magistrates, from due
obedience to the same, and at the same time, also
out of Christian love and compassion for the aforesaid
dispersed and persecuted Christians, gave so
liberally in their meetings, that it swelled to a notable
sum, which the deacons of the aforesaid church,
by the order of their aforementioned respective
magistrates, turned over to where it belonged.

We will rest confident, that you will defer to our
well meant friendly and neighborly intercession, as
much as the justice of the matter demands, and as
we expect from your usual wisdom and discretion;
assuring you, that we shall never fail to return and
acknowledge respectively this favor to you collectively
and individually, also to your inhabitants,
whenever an opportunity for it shall present itself
to us, and you shall be pleased to try us in this
respect. In the meanwhile we pray God Almighty:
Noble, etc. In the Hague, the 19th of February,
1660.

This accords with the minutes preserved in the
records of their High Mightinesses.

J. Spronssen.

Besides this writing of their High Mightinesses
to the lords of Berne, there was drawn up also the
following, to those of Zurich, which (excepting a few
words expressed in the foregoing, and hence not
necessary to be repeated), we will present here.





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