# This Hendrick Maelschalck, On The 26th Of January 1568, Wrote The Following Letter From Prison At Ghent.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: THIS HENDRICK MAELSCHALCK, ON THE 26TH OF JANUARY 1568, WROTE THE FOLLOWING LETTER FROM PRISON AT GHENT.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

We wish you abundant grace, joy, peace, and
mercy, and eternal salvation, from God, our heavenly
Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave
himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from
this present evil world, according to the will of God
our Father, to whom be praise, glory and honor,
and power and thanks, for ever and ever. Amen.

After wishing you all grace and salvation, we
would inform you, Goelken our beloved friend295 in
the Lord, and all dear friends that fear the Lord,
that we four prisoners at Ghent, for the testimony of
our Lord Jesus Christ, are still well according to
the flesh, and according to the spirit we thank and
praise the Lord, that he thus strengthens us by his
grace; for it is still our mind and purpose, by his
grace and mercy, always to adhere to the Lord, and
to depart from him neither for life nor death. Praise
and thanks to the Lord, who thus strengthens us
by his grace, since we are weak and miserable. But
through the help of the Lord we have been able to
endure so far, and we trust through the same
Helper to persevere unto the end; for in that he
himself was tempted, he is able also to succor and
deliver them that are tempted. For he hath said, I
will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; so that we
may boldly say with the apostle: “The Lord is my
helper.” Phil. 4:13; Heb. 2:18; 13:5,6.

Now, dearly beloved brethren, if God is with us,
who can be against us; for all men are but the works
of his hands, and he has created everything, and
has power to bring it to nought again at his pleasure;
why then should we be afraid of mortal men?
Rom. 8:31; Is. 51:12. Surely, we must much
rather fear this God; for he alone it is that can save
and condemn, and though we should escape the
hands of men, we cannot escape him. Hence we
will rather say with Susanna: “It is better to fall
into the hands of men, than to sin in the sight of
the Lord.” Sus. 23.

Therefore, dear friends, we trust by no means to
forsake the Lord, but always to go on to the promised
land, to possess it, which is full of all good
things; to this end, may the Lord strengthen, confirm
and fit us by his grace and mercy, and all them
that fear and accept him.

I, Hendricks, have written you all, dear friends,
a little about the state of our minds. Further, I
would kindly entreat you, always to continue steadfast
in the fear of the Lord; for they that fear the
Lord will do good things, and those who love him
will strive to do his pleasure, and humble themselves
before him. If ye fear God, says the prophet,
depart not from him, but enter into the eternal joy
and gladness. They that fear God shall attain to a
good end, and in the day of their death they shall
be blessed. Therefore, dear friends, let us always
fear the Lord with all our heart and mind; let us
obey him and keep his word, for they are blessed
695
that hear the word of God, and keep it, and they
are also those who love him, and keep his word,
and he that loves him is known of him. But he that
saith, I know him, and keepeth not God’s commandments,
is a liar, and in him the love of God is
not perfect. Luke 11:28; John 15:10; 1 John 2:4; 4:18.
Therefore, my dear friends, let us love him,
because he first loved us, even as Paul testifies that,
though he was rich, yet he became poor, that we
through his poverty might be rich; yea, he who
knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might
be made the righteousness of God through him.
2 Cor. 8:9; 5:21. Hence, seeing we well know
that the Lord has loved us thus, and so abundantly
shed his grace upon us, let us all take good heed
that his grace be not bestowed in vain upon us; for
we are made partakers of him, if we hold the beginning
of our confidence steadfast unto the end. Hebrews
3:14.

Hence, dear friends, as ye have therefore received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him; rooted
and built up in him, and established in the faith, as
ye have been taught (says the apostle), well knowing
that it is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
Col. 2:6,7; 1 Pet. 5:12. Therefore, always give
diligence to make your calling and election sure;
for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall, says
Peter; for so an entrance shall be ministered unto
you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. 1:10,11.
Therefore let us hold fast the profession of our faith
without wavering, and let us always watch diligently,
and wait for the Lord, even as good and faithful
servants, that he do not come at an inopportune
moment for us; but that we may always be prepared,
as were the five wise virgins, who had trimmed their
lamps, and went in to the marriage. But the five
foolish virgins had to remain without. Matt. 25:4.
Hence, dear friends, let us not be as were the foolish,
but as the wise. Herewith we commend you
to our dear Lord, and to the comforting word of
his grace; may he strengthen and confirm you all,
and us all, in all truth and righteousness. Amen.

Further, cordially beloved friend Goelken, and
all other friends who read this, accept this in good
part, which I have written in my weakness; for I do
not think myself worthy to exhort you, since I am
fully aware that you are well taught of God. But
I have done this from love, because I heard that
you desired to have something from us; hence receive
this kindly.

Further, should you wish to know something
about our imprisonment, as to whether it will not
soon be at an end with us, we would inform you
that we do not hear much about it. We had expected
to offer up our sacrifice before Christmas,
for we had heard said, it should be very soon; however,
now we hear nothing of it, but by the grace
of God we are constantly expecting it. Affectionately
beloved friends in the Lord, pray for us, that we
may continue steadfast unto the end, and offer up
an acceptable sacrifice unto the Lord. We trust to
do the same for you, according to our weakness.
Furthermore, we send you three new hymns, as
a cordial and friendly greeting. Though they are
simple, receive them in good part, for it has been
done from love. Farewell, till in eternity. Amen.
Greet your husband very much, and Grietgen your
sister, and Bet., and Cor. Versw., and Anna van L.;
and Susanna also greets you all very much. We
further greet all them that fear the Lord.

Written by me, Hendrick Maelschalck, imprisoned
at Ghent for the testimony of our Lord Jesus
Christ; on the 26th of January, 1568.

Cordially, affectionately and much beloved friends,
the Lord has truly said that he shall come as a thief
in the night; for yesterday I had concluded and
sealed the foregoing letter, thinking to send it to
you; but it happened, that the next morning all
four of us were examined, of which we knew little
when we wrote the preceding conclusion. Hence
I say that the Lord has truly said that he shall
come as a thief in the night. 1 Thess. 5:2. Thus,
all four of us were examined, one after another,
in the presence of two commissaries. They asked
us many simple questions, which it would be too
tedious to relate. But they did not ask us concerning
our faith, except whether we were not baptized
or rebaptized. Jan van Paris said that he was baptized;
Lauwerens said that he was not baptized according
to the Scriptures; Pierken said that he was
not baptized; and I said that we were not Anabaptists,
and that I was not baptized. They asked
Pierken, whether if he should be released, he should
have himself baptized. He answered: “Yes, if I
were fit for it.” They also asked him, whether he
would renounce his opinion. He replied: “I do not
consider it an opinion, but the true faith.” They
then asked me whether I would not renounce my
belief or opinion. I told them that I had renounced
lies, and followed the truth. Hence, if I were to
renounce, I should renounce the truth; but by the
grace of the Lord I hoped to adhere to it. In this
manner they continued to ask, so that it would be
too tedious to write it. To Jan van Paris they said
that we should soon be dispatched, and that we
should be patient for nine or ten days yet; they
also said that they should send us men who should
instruct us, and if we desired to hear them, we
might do so. Hence we expect to have priests here;
but we trust to keep our eyes open, for we well
know what they seek. Thus, dear friends, all of
you, we are of good cheer, the Lord be praised and
thanked forever; and by the grace of the Lord we
trust to keep the faith, whether it be life or death.
Thus, dear friends, we think our confinement will
not last much longer; for it seems that we have
been delivered over to the lords of the council, and
that they have orders from the Duke of Alva to
dispatch us, and that the Bailiff and the Judges
have nothing more to do with us. Hence we take
leave from you all, dear friends, and pray you always
to be diligent. We hope to go before; may
the Lord by his grace and mercy strengthen and
fit us thereto. Amen. Written on the 27th of January,
1568. By me,

Henry Maelschalck.

“And fear not them which kill the body; but
him which hath power to cast both soul and body
into eternal darkness.” Matt. 10:28.

696





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Page: http://history.truechristian.church/stories/mm-this-hendrick-maelschalck-on-the-26th-of-january-1568-wrote-the-following-letter-from-prison-at-ghent/

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