# A Letter Written By Michael Sattler, In Prison, To The Church Of God At Horb.

16th century (source section) · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: A LETTER WRITTEN BY MICHAEL SATTLER, IN PRISON, TO THE CHURCH OF GOD AT HORB.

Century of containing source section; exact event date not assigned

My beloved companions in the Lord! grace and
mercy from God our heavenly Father, through
Jesus Christ our Lord, and the power of their
Spirit, be with you beloved of God, brethren and
sisters.

I can not forget you; though I am not present
with the body (Col. 2:5), yet I continually care for
and watch over you, as my fellow members, lest the
body be taken away, and the whole body [the
church], with all its members be overwhelmed with
sorrow, especially at this time, when the ferocity of
the ravening wolf has risen to such a pitch, and increases
in power, so that he has aroused also me to
fight against him; but eternal praise be to God, its
head is completely broken, and I hope that his
whole body shall soon be no more, as is written.

Dear brethren and sisters, you well know with
what ardent love I admonished you the last time I
was with you, that you should be upright and
godly in all patience and in the love of God, by
which you may be known among this adulterous
and ungodly generation, as shining lights (Matthew
5:14) whom God the heavenly Father has illuminated
with his knowledge and the light of the Spirit.
With like fervency I now beseech and admonish
you; that you walk surely and prudently towards
those that are without as unbelievers, that our
office, which God has imposed upon us, may in no
wise be profaned and justly reproached.

Remember the Lord, who has given you the
talent, for he shall require it again with usury. That
the one talent may not be taken from you, put it to
usury, according to the command of the Lord, who
has given you the talent. Matt. 15:19.

I say to you through the grace of God, that ye be
valiant, and walk as become the saints of God.
Consider what the Lord metes out to idle servants;
namely, to utterly lukewarm and slothful hearts,
unfit and cold for all love to God and the brethren.
You have experienced what I now write.

Be admonished by this, lest God let a like punishment
come upon you. Beware, beware of such as
act contrary to the command of God lest ye learn
their abominations; but reprove it with strict attention,
and excommunication, according to the command
of Christ, yet with all love and compassion
for their cold hearts. Matt. 18:17. If you do this,
you shall readily see how the flock of God dwells
among the wolves (Acts 20:29), and shall witness a
brief and speedy separation of those who will not
walk in the right paths and living ways of Christ,
namely, through crosses, misery, imprisonment,
self-denial, and ultimately through death. Then you
can present yourselves to God your heavenly Father,
a pure, godly, true church of Christ, which is
cleansed through his blood (Eph. 5:26), that it
may be holy and unblamable in the sight of God
and men, separated from all idolatry and abomination,
and redeemed, that the Lord of all dominion
may dwell in it, and that it may be a tabernacle unto
him. Beloved brethren, understand whether
what I write unto you be truth, and use diligence to
walk according to it. Let no one divert you from
your aim, as has been the case with some even until
now; but go straight on in all patience, without deviating,
that you do not take up the cross which
God has laid upon you, only to lay it down contrary
to the honor and praise of God, and to the transgression
404
and violation of his eternal, true, just, and
life-giving commandments.

Do not become weary, if you are chastened of the
Lord (Heb. 12:5); for whom God loves he chastens,
even as a father that is well pleased with his
son. To what will you have recourse, if you would
flee from God? What can help you if you forsake
God? Is it not God who fills heaven and earth?
Does he not know all the secrets of thy vain heart,
and the lasciviousness of thy reins? All things are
manifest to him, and there is nothing concealed
from him. Vain man, whither will you go, that
God shall not see you? Why do you flee the rod
of your Father? (Heb. 12:8). If you will not be
chastened according to the will of the Father, you
cannot inherit his riches. Why do you love a short
and transient rest more than the godly and moderate
correction and chastisement of the Lord to your
salvation? How long will you eat flesh of the fat of
Egypt? How long will you be carnally-minded?
(Rom. 8:8). The flesh perishes, and all its glory;
the word of the Lord alone abides forever.

Beloved brethren, mark what I write to you; for
it is necessary, since you see that there are but few
who will endure the chastening of the Lord; for by
far the greater number when they suffer a little in
the flesh, become faint and weary, and do no longer
look unto Jesus, the Captain and Finisher of our
faith. They also forget all his commandments, and
esteem the jewel which the calling of God every
where presents and points out to those that overcome
of small value; but they regard this temporal
rest, which is before their eyes as far better and more
profitable, than the eternal for which we must hope.
Moreover, there are some who, when this is presented
to them, accuse God, though very unjustly,
of not being willing to keep them under his protection.
You know whom I mean, take heed that you
have no fellowship with them.

Furthermore, dear fellow members in Christ, be
admonished that you forget not charity, without
which it is not possible for you to be a Christian
flock. You know what charity is, from the testimony
of Paul our fellow brother, who says: “Charity
suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not;
charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth
not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is
not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not
in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; heareth all
things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth
all things.” 1 Cor. 13:4–7. Understand
this passage, and you will find the love of God and
the love of your neighbor; and if you love God, you
will rejoice in the truth, and believe, hope and endure
all that comes from God. In this way the
aforesaid failing will be removed and avoided. But
if you love your neighbor, you will not punish or
excommunicate with fire, you will not seek your
own, think no evil, not vaunt yourselves, and, finally,
not be puffed up; but will be kind, just, liberal in all
giving, humble and compassionate with the weak
and imperfect. Rom. 13:8.

This love has been adulterated by some brethren (I
know who they are); they have not been willing to
edify one another by love, but are become puffed up
and unprofitable with the vain knowledge and understanding
of things which God would have
remain hidden to all but himself alone. 1 Cor. 8:1.
I do not censure nor reject the grace and revelation
of God, but the puffed up make use of this revelation.
What would it profit, says Paul, if I should
speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and
understand all mysteries and knowledge, and have
all faith, tell me, what profit is all this, if love be not
exercised? You have experienced what such presumptuous
speaking and ignorance has produced;
you still daily see their false fruits, though they have
given themselves to God.

And let no man remove you from the foundation
which is laid through the letter of the holy Scriptures,
and is sealed with the blood of Christ and of
many witnesses of Jesus. Hear not what they say
of their father, for he is a liar; and do not believe
their spirit, for he is entirely swallowed up in the
flesh. Judge what I write to you; take these matters
to heart, that this abomination may be separated
far from you, and that you be found humble, fruitful
and obedient children of God. Beloved brethren,
marvel not that I treat this matter with such earnestness;
for I do so not without reason. The
brethren have doubtless informed you that some of
us are in prison; and afterwards when the brethren
at Horb had also been apprehended, they brought
us to Binzdorf. At this time we met with various
designs of our adversaries. Once they threatened
us with bonds; then with fire, and afterwards with
the sword. In this peril I completely surrendered
myself into the will of the Lord, and together with
all my fellow-brethren and my wife, prepared myself
even for death for his testimony; and then I
thought of the great number of false brethren, and
of you, who are but few, namely, a little flock; and
also, that there are but few faithful laborers in the
Lord’s vineyard (Matt. 9:37); hence I deemed it
necessary to stir you up by this admonition, to follow
after us in the divine warfare, in order that you
may comfort yourselves with it, that you may not
become weary of the chastening of the Lord.

In short, beloved brethren and sisters this letter
shall be a farewell to all of you who truly love and
follow God (others I do not know); and also a
testimony of my love which God has given into my
heart towards you, for the sake of your salvation.
I did indeed desire, and it would have been profitable,
I trust, if I had labored a little while longer in
the work of the Lord; but it is better for me, to be
released, and to await with Christ the hope of the
blessed. The Lord is able to raise up another
laborer to finish this work.

Pray that reapers may be constrained into the
harvest; for the time of threshing is nigh at hand.
Luke 10:2. The abomination of desolation is manifest
among you; the chosen servants and handmaidens
of God are marked with the name of their
Father on their foreheads (Rev. 13:16); the world
rises up against those who are delivered from its
error; the Gospel is proclaimed before all the world,
as a testimony against it; therefore it will be necessary
that the day of the Lord do not tarry.

405

You know, my most beloved fellow members,
that it becomes us to conduct ourselves in a godly
and Christian manner. 2 Tim. 3:12. Take heed,
watch and pray, lest your wisdom bring judgment
upon you. Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17)
that you may stand worthy before the Son of man.
Remember your forerunner Jesus Christ, and follow
him through faith and obedience, with love and
patience. 1 Peter 2:20. Forget that which is carnal,
that you may in truth be called Christians, and
children of the Most High God. Endure the
chastening of your father in heaven, and turn
neither to the right nor to the left, that you may
enter by the door (John 10:1), and will not have
to walk in a strange path, in which sinners, sorcerers,
idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie,
must go. Rev. 22:15. Remember our assembly,
and strictly follow that which was resolved on therein;
and if anything has been forgotton, pray the
Lord for understanding. Be liberal towards all
that are in want among you (Heb. 13:3), but especially
towards those who labor among you in the
word, and are driven about, and cannot eat their
bread in peace and quietness. Forget not to assemble
yourselves together, but give diligence that
you constantly meet together, and be united in
prayer for all men, and in breaking of bread; and
this with the more diligence, because the day of the
Lord is approaching. Heb. 10:25. In this assembling
you will make manifest the hearts of the
false brethren, and will speedily rid yourselves of
them.

Finally, beloved brethren and sisters, sanctify
yourselves for him that has made you holy, and
hear what Esdras says: “Look for your shepherd;
he shall give you everlasting rest; for he is nigh at
hand, that shall come in the end of the world. Be
ready to the reward of the kingdom. . . .
Flee the shadow of this world. . . . Arise up
and stand, behold the number of those that be
sealed in the feast of the Lord; which are departed
from the shadow of the world, and have received
glorious garments of the Lord. Take thy number,
O Sion, and shut up those of thine that are clothed
in white, which have fulfilled the law of the Lord.
The number of thy children whom thou longedst for,
is fulfilled. . . . I Esdras saw upon the mount
Sion a great people; whom I could not number, and
they all praised the Lord with songs. And in the
midst of them there was a young man of a high
stature, taller than all the rest, and upon every one
of their heads he set crowns, and was more exalted;
which I marveled at greatly. So I asked the angel,
and said, Sir, what are these? He answered and
said unto me, These be they that have put off the
mortal clothing, and put on the immortal, and have
confessed the name of God: now are they crowned,
and receive palms. Then said I unto the angel,
What young person is it that crowneth them, and
giveth them palms in their hands? So he answered
and said unto me, It is the Son of God, whom they
have confessed in the world. Then began I greatly
to commend them that stood so stiffly for the name
of the Lord.” 2 Esdras 34–36, 38–47; Rev. 19:12;
Matt. 13:43.

Bear in mind most beloved members of the body
of Christ, what I indicate by this scripture, and live
according to it, and if I be offered up to the Lord,
do for my wife what you would for me. The peace
of Jesus Christ, and the love of the heavenly Father,
and the grace of their Spirit, preserve you unspotted
from sin, and present you glad and pure for the
beholding of their glory, at the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that you may be found in the number
of those called to the feast (Luke 14:15) of the one
essential, true God and Savior Jesus Christ, to
whom be eternal praise and glory, Amen.

Beware of false brethren (Acts 20:39); for the
Lord will perhaps call me to him; so take warning,
I wail for my God. Pray without ceasing for all
that are in bonds. God be with you all. Amen.

Written in the tower at Binzdorf. Brother Michael
Sattler of Staufen, together with my fellow
prisoners in the Lord.

Of this hero and witness of Jesus Christ there
are also other writings extant in print, treating of
the atonement of Christ; brotherly union; divorce;
of evil overseers, and the hearing of false prophets.





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