# To My Beloved Friends And Companions In Christ Jesus Our Savior.

Date not assigned · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: TO MY BELOVED FRIENDS AND COMPANIONS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR SAVIOR.



Next to God we are joined to our fellow-believers
who have received the same faith with us; and we
shall therefore address ourselves to them.

But most beloved, do not expect that we shall
bring you into Grecian theatres, to gaze on merry
comedies or gay performances. Here shall not be
opened unto you the pleasant arbors and pleasure
gardens of Atlas, Adonis or Semiramis, which are
said to have been built in the air, and of which the
ancients used to sing their merry lays; yet far be it
from us to conduct you to places of sadness, surely
not to such as can, in verity, be called places of
sadness.

True enough, we shall lead you into dark valleys,
even into the valleys of death (Ps. 23:4), where
nothing will be seen but dry bones, skulls, and
frightful skeletons of those who have been slain;
these beheaded, those drowned, others strangled
at the stake, some burnt, others broken on the
wheel, many torn by wild beasts, half devoured, and
put to death in manifold cruel ways; besides, a
great multitude who having escaped death, bear the
marks of Jesus, their Savior, on their bodies, wandering
about over mountains and valleys, through
forests and wildernesses, forsaken of friends and
kindred, robbed and stripped of all their temporal
possessions, and living in extreme poverty.

Yet to look upon all this will not cause real sadness,
for though the aspect is dismal according to
the body, the soul will nevertheless rejoice in it, seeing
that not one of all those who were slain preferred
life to death, since life often was proffered them on
condition that they depart from the constancy of
their faith. But this they did not desire; on the
contrary, many of them went boldly onward to meet
death; some even hastened to outstrip others, that
they might be the first, who did not shrink from
suffering anything the tyrants could devise, nay
more than could be thought possible for a mortal
man to endure.

Among a great number we perceived a godfearing
hero and knight of Christ,3 who, advancing before
others, went cheerfully unto suffering and
death, in which he acquitted himself so well that he
fought or pressed his way with such force through
the strait gate, that he left his flesh on the posts.

When we had beheld this with the eyes of faith,
and had meditated upon the matter, our spirit was
kindled, and we almost seemed to welcome him,
and to wish him everything good, in these words:

Klimt op uw’ gulden Hoogtt’, Voor-vechter van de bende

Der heyl’ge Zielen, die God’s roode Bloed-banier

Navolgde, in’t gedrang, in’t midden der ellenden,

Daer niet dan rook en damp van menschen offer-vyer

Tot door de wolken vloog; noch gingt gy Held haer voor,

Ja streed, door d’enge poort, ten ruymen Hemel door.

[Climb up your golden height, champion of the
band of holy souls, who followed God’s red banner
of blood, in oppression and in the midst of misery;
where naught but the smoke and vapor of human
burnt sacrifices ascended to the clouds; yet thou,
hero, didst go before them, yea, didst fight thy way
through the strait gate to the wide Heaven.]

Then followed a great multitude of very pious
and virtuous people—men, women, youths and
maidens, all clothed with the same armor of faith
and walking in the same path. Some of these were,
like their leader, deprived of life; the rest were led
to different places of execution, where they beheld
many of their fellow brethren and sisters whose lives
had been taken by the most dreadful means—burned
and roasted at the stake. They nevertheless were
not terrified, though they had to expect to be put
to death in the same manner; but were of good
cheer, calling upon God for help, that they might
not falter in their sufferings, but prove steadfast to
the end; this done, they also were burned.

This seemed almost to break our heart; our soul
was horrified, and filled with pity on account of their
misery; but when we remembered their constancy,
and that now, for the heat endured, they found refreshing
with God, nay, could expect the blessed
crown of immortal glory, our grief subsided and
sweet consolation filled our soul, so that we, to their
memory, wrote the following words for ourselves
and our fellow brethren:

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Het schriklyk offer-vyer, de glinsterende staken,

Den smaed, die Zion leed, kon God’s verkoren volk

Belet noch hinder doen, noch geensins angstig maken

Te dragen Christi naem, als in sen witte wolk:

Tot dat een heete vlam haer lyven heeft verslonden;

Waer door haer zielen toen by God verkoeling vonden.

[The dreadful sacrificial fire, the shining stakes,
the shame which Zion suffers, could neither disturb
nor hinder God’s chosen people, nor make them
afraid to bear the name of Christ, as in a white
cloud: Until a burning flame has consumed their
bodies; whereby their souls found refreshing with
God.]

Some were not only bold, but went forth unto
death rejoicing, which was evident from their conduct.
Others showed this by their words, as they
spoke of the consolation in their heart and the glad
hope dwelling in their soul, when they were placed
at the stake. Many, when the fire was kindled, and
even when they were enveloped by the flames, sang
with a loud voice to the honor of their God and
Savior, because they had been counted worthy to be
offered up as sacrifices for his holy name’s sake.
Acts 5:41.

Were we to relate the joy and consolation of
those, who, having escaped death, wandered about
in foreign countries and solitary places, without
friends or kindred, help or assistance, time would
fail us and words be inadequate to sufficiently describe
it. Here the testimony of Paul is found true,
“that all things work together for good to them that
love God.” Rom. 8:28. For those who were
forsaken by friends and human assistance, found help
with the angels of God, and protection under the
wings of the Almighty. Those who had no eternal
rest or dwelling-place found rest and a mansion of
content in their souls and hearts. Those who went
almost naked, having no clothes to put on, were
most preciously clothed and adorned according to
the soul, with the robe of righteousness and the garment
of salvation and godly virtues. Those who
had to abandon their secular business, and submit to
despoilment of their money, goods and everything
they had, so that outwardly they were very poor,
possessed great riches within themselves through
the grace of God which they received through the
consolation of the Holy Spirit, and the word of the
Lord, which was more precious to them than many
thousand pieces of gold and silver.

The inconvenient seasons of the year, the heat of
summer, the cold of winter, the wetness of spring
and fall, together with the contingencies of thunder,
lightning, hail, snow, rain, wind, hunger, thirst,
sickness, fatigue, and other innumerable troubles
with which they met while wandering about and
suffering persecutions, were to them sweet pleasures
and recreations in the Lord, for they knew that this
would afterwards be turned into joy to them, since
it is written: “Blessed are ye that weep now: for
ye shall laugh.” Luke 6:21. Again: “That we
must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom
of God.” Acts 14:22. And, in another
place: “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.”
2 Tim. 2:12.

This caused them to say with the apostle: “For
our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory.” 2 Cor. 4:17. “For I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which shall be revealed in
us.” Rom. 8:18. “For whether we live, we live
unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto
the Lord: whether we live therefore or die, we are
the Lord’s.” Rom. 14:8, etc.

Many of them would not have exchanged the
darkest and severest dungeons, or the caves of the
earth, in which they had to hide themselves, for
royal palaces. The wilderness was to them a delightful
pleasure-garden, the howling of the wild
beasts which surrounded them, as sweet music or
the song of birds; and water and roots or dry bread
delighted them more than the daintiest viands and
drink from the tables of the great.

All this was granted them by the munificent hand
of God, on account of the constancy of their faith,
from which they could by no means be made to
swerve, nor brought to waver in it; on account of
their living hope, which begat in their souls a longing
for the future riches, so that they were enabled
to esteem the present ones as of little worth and to
forget them; and on account of their unquenchable
love for God, his holy truth, and their beloved fellow-believers,
whereby their souls were kindled into
a flame far more intense than were their bodies
through physical fire though these were reduced to
ashes.

But can carnal men comprehend this? Will any
of them believe these things? We think not; for
how can a carnal man partake of the Spirit of God?
How could one who is earthly-minded ascend to
heaven in his thoughts? 1 Cor. 2:14. How can
one comprehend that which pertains to salvation,
who himself is altogether unsaved and possesses no
desire to obtain salvation through the grace of God?
What fire of divine love can he feel, whose heart is
totally cold, and who loves nothing but sin and sinful
creatures.

We maintain, therefore, that these are things
which belong not to the blind worldly-minded,
since they in their ignorance would not esteem
them; but to the heavenly-minded, who, as spiritual
eagles, contemplate with the eyes of the soul the
mysteries of God; who seek their food with God,
and find their delight in his saints and well-beloved
who sacrificed their lives for his holy truth.

For this cause we have addressed ourselves to
you, most beloved brethren and sisters, who, with
us, and with our slain friends, the blessed martyrs
of God, have received the same faith. This book,
the humble work of our hands, but which is nevertheless
a precious jewel, in view of the persons and
matters contained therein, we have dedicated to
you. Receive it, then, with the same love with
which it has been dedicated to you. Read it again
and again, and with the same attention and emotion
with which we have written and re-written it. We
are fully confident that, if you do this, it will not be
8
unfruitful to you. But, before all things, fix your
eyes upon the martyrs themselves, note the steadfastness
of their faith, and follow their example.

Ruth, the Moabitess, said to Naomi, the mother
of her husband: “Entreat me not to leave thee, or
to return from following after thee: for whither thou
goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will
lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God
my God: where thou diest, will I die, and there
will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more
also, if aught but death part thee and me.” Ruth
1:16,17.

With such inseparable love ought we, most beloved
in the Lord, to be joined to our blessed fellow
brethren who have been slain for the testimony of
the Lord, that we might follow their footsteps unto
the end; for surely, the God whom they confessed
and served, is also our God; the Savior on whom
they placed their hope is our Savior; the faith which
they all confessed is our faith (we speak of Anabaptists
in general); the laws and commandments of
God which they received as their rule of life are also
our laws and commandments; they bowed their
knees before God; they obligated themselves by
the words of their lips to render obedience to God,
and thereupon received holy baptism; we have
done the same; they promised to continue steadfastly
all the days of their life in the faith and due
obedience, without departing therefrom yea, if necessary,
to suffer death for it; we have promised the
same. What difference, then, is there between us
and them? Certainly only this: that they all persevered
unto the end, nay, unto a cruel death, without
departing to the right or to the left; which we
have not yet done. They have taken by force the
blessed Fatherland, the Canaan rich with milk, the
true promised land which flows with honey; which
we have not yet done. They have therefore entered
into rest, yea, have come to the Lord; while we
are yet in unrest, proceeding in our pilgrimage in
the absence of the Lord.

Therefore, my most beloved friends in Christ Jesus,
let us also in this last respect seek to be conformed
to our beloved slain fellow brethren, that we
may continue steadfastly unto the end in the most
holy faith which we have confessed with them.
Oh! be careful in this matter; watch over your
dear-bought souls; for it is highly necessary, yea,
more necessary than at any former time.





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