Thieleman J. van Braght · 182 of 210

Old Book of the Martyrs Mirror · Part 120

Finally the bishop made a long speech, that I would not obey my superior, and had thus apostatized from their holy faith, and joined the Mennists and Tibbites. I said I had never been disobedient, and had never opposed the king, and did not want to bear the sword against any one, as Christ teaches. Then the bishop said he would take the clearest of that which I could say nothing against, and that I should suppose myself to be ignorant, and he would suppose that he was ignorant, and so the Scriptures should judge between us. I told him to say on; if it would agree with the Scriptures, I would hear him. He said the Lofd spoke very clearly in the Gospel, where He says: "Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you; likewise the cup;" hence we must eat His flesh; and drink His blood, as He said; this you cannot contradict. I said I well knew that it is written that the Lord said: "Take, eat; this is my body"; but I know that the Lord is in high heaven and does not come under men's teeth for your own people do not believe that you give them flesh and blood. He said they had to believe it. I said that the Lord spoke thus: "Take, eat; this is my body which shall be broken for you." This is what the Lord said, but the disciples asked: "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" But the Lord said that flesh and blood profit nothing, but the words are spirit and life (John 6). Hence it is clear enough, that we are not to eat and drink Christ's flesh and blood, as He said, but that we are thereby to remember His death and sufferings; for the Lord gave His body for the whole world, and for the original sin in which we were born. If the Lord had not redeemed us from the sin imposed upon us by Adam, we could not have been saved; but now the Lord has redeemed us with His flesh and blood, and made us free from all sin, and shed His blood for many; hence we cannot eat His flesh, because He made us free with it. Gal. 5:1.

The bishop said that Christ did not say of His own flesh. that it profiteth nothing, but of other flesh; hence, since the Lord so clearly says it, we must eat His flesh, and drink His blood if we are to be saved; for he said that Paul says: "Is this not the cup of blessing?" Hence you cannot contradict what Christ .and Paul have so clearly expressed. Reytse. "My lord, I well know what Christ and Paul said, for the apostles brake bread from house to house, as we clearly read, in proof of it, and as Christ. has left us." But he kept insisting that we, had to eat the Lord's flesh, if we are to be saved..

The bishop further made a long speech concerning the resurrection of the dead, how we shall die, and rise again with this flesh, and many other remarks which he made about the resurrection. I finally said that I indeed believe that there is a resurrection of the dead, for if there were no resurrection of the dead, Christ would profit us nothing and I would in that case .not suffer thus; but that this was a useless disputation. Then he dropped the matter, and made along speech, how it was written of one Lord, one faith and baptism; hence I had transgressed this, having suffered myself to be rebaptized, when I had been baptized once, and that I had transgressed the holy Scriptures, and been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is contrary to the ordinance of the holy Church. Reytse. "I have not been rebaptized, having been baptized once; for I well know that there is written of one Lord and one faith; hence I betook myself to one baptism as the Lord teaches in many places, that the believing are to be baptized: I therefore betook myself to the baptism of repentance, as is proper according to the Scriptures, and according to my human weakness. But what you say, that I have been rebaptized, this I deny; for I do not recognize the baptism of infants as a baptism, but as a human institution, as is obvious enough, since there is no Scripture that children ought to be baptized."

The bishop said that we must be born of water and of the Spirit, if we are to be'saved; hence children must be baptized, if they are to be saved. Reytse. "No; this is no Scripture, that children ought to be baptized; for the Lord called the children to Him, that they should not be turned away, for theirs is the kingdom of God; hence they are already saved." He said that they were believing [believers?] children, that were circumcised, and he made a long speech about the circumcision of Abraham, that the children had to be circumcised, or they were damned; and as then was circumcision, so now' baptism has been ordained 'by the holy fathers, as is now the case. Reytse. "To this I say no; it is not so , that the children that were not circumcised were damned; for it was a command of God, that they should be circumcised. They were to be circumcised because they were Abraham's seed; the Lord had so commanded it, because they should be His people, and not for the reason that they that were not circumcised should be damned. For they were circumcised on the eighth day, and many must have died before they reached the age at which they received the sign of circumcision; hence great injustice would certainly have been done the poor children, 'and in such a case all the female children would certainly have been damned, who are heirs of the kingdom of God as well as we." To this he said the children had nevertheless to he baptized, if 'they were to be saved. Reytse. "No; I further"say, that the children are in the hands of God, so long as they are ignorant, and baptism does not' belong to them; but to those that have repented'; for John preached repentance and amendment, and only those [the penitent] to be baptized, for the remission of sins as he also says: O generation of vipers, who hatl• warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Repent, therefore, and save yourselves from this untoward generation." Luke 3:7, 8; Acts 2:40.

The bishop said that I could not prove it with John's baptism. I said that Christ Himself came to John, and requested it of John. John refused it to the Lord. The Lord said: "Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness;" and John suffered him. Why do you say that I can not prove it with John's baptism? for Christ Himself requested it. The bishop made but little reply to it. I said: "I will show you still more Scriptures, that it belongs to believers, as the eunuch to whom Philip came. Philip said: "Understandest thou what thou readest?" He said: "How should I understand it, except some one instruct me?" Philip preached unto him from the beginning, and he believed it. He said: "Here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?" Philip said: "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." The eunuch replied: "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God." Then he baptized him. (Acts 8). Here we see that faith was before baptism nor was he a child. Further, in like manner also Paul was baptized, when he had become a believer. Pray, read. the Acts of the Apostles through. The bishop said, they also did want to baptize such adults that had not been baptized in their infancy, as the heathen or Tibbites, who were not baptized in their infancy; hence they would also baptize adults; for he said that it was written

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Though faith is mentioned before baptism, it is all the same; hence children must be baptized: for there are many that do not become so old that they attain their reason; hence they certainly die without baptism and are as certainly damned. Children must therefore be baptized, that they may ail be saved. I said, that the children are in the hands of God, and baptism does not pertain to them, for there is no Scripture which declares that it does. Had it been the will of the Lord, He would have commanded it; but now He has commanded that the believers are to be baptized, as He taught, and as His apostles practiced. Hence prove to me with the Scriptures, that it is commanded to baptize poor innocent infants, which have done no sin; for though I had never so many children, I would not have them receive your baptism. He said, though it was not commanded to baptize children, neither was it forbidden to baptize them; hence there is no Scripture prohibiting it. I said: "All that the Lord has not commanded He has forbidden. Hence, if He has commanded to baptize the believing, men ought not to do differently from what the Lord Himself has commanded, for we everywhere read of a baptism of repentance, and not of a baptism of infants, as you teach and do. Why do you do that which ought not to be? For it seems to me that you know better; tell the truth." But he made me no reply to it; except that I was seduced; if I adhered to this faith I would be damned; hence I should betake myself to the holy Catholic faith. And we had many other words, but it grew late, and he went out, and said to the castellan, that there was no hope for me, and that I would not suffer myself to be instructed; and told me to consider the matter further. I said that I wanted to do that; but in this respect I have already considered; but do you consider it, I pray you.

ANOTHER CONFESSION OF REYTSE AYSESS, MADE

BEFORE AN ARROGANT PRIEST; TOGETHER

WITH AN EPISTLE OR EXHORTATION

TO THE FRIENDS

Shortly after there came a priest, who was very arrogant; he asked me what I had determined with regard to the letter which the bishop had sent me. Reytse. "I have determined even as I said to you the last time. For by what he writes I have not been made weaker, but stronger, he foolishly writes that no sin hinders or prevents a man, and that we may observe the Supper with whores and rogues, and that also no sin is so great that it can prevent a man; all of which he wants to prove with the eighth chapter of Mark, where the Lord fed the great multitude." Reytse. "What do you want to prove thereby? O how blind you are!" He became angry, and would not understand Scripture, but blasphemed and spoke very ugly, and said that I condemned and rejected the Lord's death with my second baptism. But I said that I did not condemn the Lord's death, but deemed it good; "for, if I should confess this as you say, woe would be to me; for I do not recognize your baptism as a baptism, since there is no Scripture for it. But with your infant baptism, you reject Christ's sufferings and death, for Christ has redeemed us; but you say that the children are damned, which you cannot prove with Scripture. But those who live in sin, who, the Lord says shall not enter the kingdom of God, these you say are saved; drunkards, covetous, and fornicators, and whatever sins they may do, who the Lord says shall not inherit the kingdom of God, these you say are saved. But the poor children, who are already saved, as the Lord has said, these you say are damned. Is it not a lamentable matter that you are so blinded? Hence wake up once, I pray you, for it will ruin you." He said that I had a faith like a Turk. I said: "What is the Turk's faith?" He said: "The Turk believes in a piece of wood, or in whatever suits him." I said that they [the papists] believed in a piece of bread, which they held up as God, worshiping it, and falling upon their knees before it, and regarding it as God. Likewise, the idolatrous infant baptism, is that any better than the Turk's faith?" He became angry, and reviled us much, and did not think that we were the right people, I said: "If I should tell you what I consider you to be, you would not like it." He said tell it. Reytse. "Well then I shall tell you; I consider you the vile world, the congregation of the dead, and heathen and Turks according to the spirit, and that you are alienated from the life of God (Prov. 21:16; Eph. 4:18); and as is written concerning you in Daniel 12, and in Revelation, so it shall be found in the day of the Lord. Repent therefore, and come out from her, that ye be not partakers of her sins" (Rev. 18:4).

Then he arose and hastened away, but I overtook him in another room, where we conversed for a little while about infant baptism and other things. Finally he said that he could not remain any longer, since he was to stand godfather to a child, I begged him not to do it; "for" said I, "The child is as good as you can make it." He said that he would do it, nevertheless. He also spoke much about the war, and about the Gueux* that their cause was a bad one, and that we aided them with money and property. I told him what he said was not true; for we did not want in anywise to defend them with money or blood, "for I think nothing of the Gueux, neither of you, for you cannot stand before God, miserably as you are betraying and slaying one another. However, the Gueux are not as bloodthirsty as you are, for if they had apprehended me, they would let me go, but you want to shed my blood." He became angry and said: "You desperate miscreant, should we not kill you? we should not be able to answer before God [if we should allow to live] such a heretic as you are; for we do so much running on your account that no money could hire us to do it; hence you shall here receive the temporal fire, and hereafter the eternal, because you will not suffer yourself to be instructed, as much as we have done for you."

I talked to him very gently, but he said that I had the devil in me, and that he transformed himself into an angel of light, and had seduced me, that I could. not remain in the true way. Reytse. "I have no devil, but I speak with a free and glad heart." He reviled much; adducing no Scriptures but only saying that they had done much for me, and were always on the run to win my soul and save my life, and now there was no prospect that I would renounce my heresy; hence the bishop had to cut me off, as was right. Reytse. "I never desired that you should come to me, and you may stay at home for I do not wish to hear you, nor to believe you, and you might have saved all your running, for the reward which you earned by me will not be great."

Finally he spoke about praying, and boasted much of his praying; he said that he prayed more in one week, than I in three months, and he had much to say about praying, and that Christ prayed in the temple. I said that he was like the Pharisees, who boasted themselves so much of their praying, and stood in the, temple, and on the street corners, to be seen of men. And in all your words you are like them; hence take good heed how you boast, for a tree shall be known by its fruit; for I do not like

* Beggars, a sobriquet of the Reformed.

your fruit. He said that I had the heart of a Pharisee, and he their clothes; which is the better. Reytse. "No; it seems to me you have both, the heart and the clothes, for the Lord did not act thus, neither did His apostles lead such a life, nor have such clothing in their time, as you have, which is contrary to the Scriptures, hence take heed what you put on, for I beseech you to repent; for you cannot stand before the Lord with your faith, nor with your walk, nor with your church, for which you want to be responsible in the day of the Lord." Finally he went away. I told him to tell the bishop that he did not need to come again on my account, since I would in no wise hear him. He bade me good day, and they brought me back into prison. About three days after, a messenger came from the bishop, and said that I should hear my sentence in three days from that time. On the appointed day they came and transacted their business, as they understood it, and passed judgment upon me, being very pompous and verbose in their sentence. When they had finished their business, they went away; but there remained a priest, who reviled much and talked improperly and unfitly. I would not talk with him, because they had delivered me over, and also because he spoke so ill and unseemly. Then he went away. A considerable time elapsed before I wrote this down, for I could not well recollect it because of my fellow prisoners. And my memory also is rather short; some remarks I have forgotten; and if I were to write all, it would be far too much, for I have been before the bishop and his colleagues eleven times at least, and I talked much with them concerning all the articles of the faith.

Written by me, your beloved brother in the Lord.

REYTSE AYSESS.

AN EPISTLE OR EXHORTATION OF REYTSE AYSESS,

WRITTEN TO THE FRIENDS

O dear friends, fear not, neither be surprised, when you are tried by manifold temptations which may come upon a Christian, and also do come upon him in bonds and imprisonment, as I now find, it is grievous according to the flesh, but very light according to the spirit, for it is the power of God. This I have experienced in these bonds, that the Lord is with those that seek and fear Him from the heart. Hence, my dear friends, who have received like faith with me, fear the Lord from the heart, that if it should be the Lord's will to have you here in such bonds or imprisonment, you may be able to withstand, for they employ much craftiness and subtlety, to draw us away from the truth, and they know how to exalt lies, and abolish truth, with feigned words of their own devising; sometimes with very gentle words, and sometimes with harsh ones, by which they think to weaken and discourage one, as they have done with me. And also Satan, as Peter says, walketh about us as a roaring lion, seeking where he can devour us; so he has also assailed me, but the Lord has hitherto kept me, for which I thank Him. But Satan ,once assailed me with a temptation which I must write to you, to show you how crafty the evil One is. I once spake with a priest, who reviled us and said that they sang the psalms of David, while we sang hymns which men had made. And when I came back into prison, the tempter very craftily assailed me, that it was true, that we did sing hymns which men had made. And I was grieved that I should suffer, and it might be wrong, and I was still young in years, and it grieved me much. Finally I thought: I know better; I know that the hymns aTe made from the holy Scriptures, and that it is right; if I could do according to them, I should be saved. Then I reflected on the priest's walk, and on their faith, and on the things which they had spoken against the holy Scriptures, which are lies, and I entreated the Lord, and it entered my mind no more. Hence, dear friends, Satan is very crafty; but we must always pray the Lord in every assault which he makes upon us, in manifold temptations, for the almighty, eternal, merciful God will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, as he has spoken (I Cor. 10:13); for He is our Captain, our Champion in all our distress. And do not fear though they place me at the stake, and burn me; but be strengthened thereby, that the Lord is still so powerful in His works; and. always fear Him, and praise Him, and thank Him, now and forever. Amen.

I further thank those who sent me that book, for it delighted and rejoiced me much in the Lord; and I commend all of you who fear Him to the Lord.

ANOTHER CONFESSION OF REYTSE AYSESS, MADE

BEFORE THE COMMISSARY

After I had been imprisoned nineteen weeks, I was brought before the commissary of the royal court, who first demanded an oath of me, that I should tell the truth. I said: "The Lord has forbidden us to swear in anywise; hence I do not want to take an oath." Then he said that I should answer to his questions with yes and no. I said: "I do not want to do this, for you might ask me something which it would not be proper for me to tell; hence I must first hear what you want to ask me." He then first asked me my age. I answered

"Twenty four or five years." He wrote it down. He further asked where I was born, where I had last resided, and how many children I had. I said "One." Com. "How old is it?" Reytse. "Half a year." Com. "Is it baptized?" Reytse. "No, not that I know." Cove. "What is the reason that it has not been done?" Reytse. "Because it is not commanded in the holy Scriptures." Com. "Are you baptized?" Reytse. "Yes, upon my faith, as Christ has commanded." Com. "Were you not baptized in your infancy?" Reytse. "Yes, but I do not recognize that as a scriptural baptism."

He wrote it all down. He asked me who the one was that had baptized me, where it had taken place, and who and how many had been at my father's house. I said: "I do not want to tell you this; I hope you will not ask me concerning it. If you thirst so much for the blood and life of men, you have me in your hands; do with me according to your pleasure, I shall by the help of the Lord freely offer my neck for it; but I hope of your grace, that you will not question me so severely in regard to it." He said they should indeed question me more severely yet; hence you better tell me voluntarily, than involuntarily. I said: "The Lord my God will keep me, for this I trust His grace." And after he had written down everything, he told me to go.

A LETTER FROM REYTSE AYSESS, WRITTEN TO HIS

FATHER

Dear father, some time when it suits you, write me something concerning your intentions or purpose, as to where you intend to live, and how your temporal affairs stand, also in regard to my sister, and also some consolation, for this rejoices me much.

I further inform you that there are now two other prisoners with me; they are old men, and we agree tolerably well; for they have been confined with me for about a month, and we have spoken somewhat of the way of the Lord. They are willing to exchange that which they have for something better, and they think that they need salvation as much as I do. They have indeed formed the good resolve. to live no more unto sin, but to be transformed into newness of life, which I am glad to hear; but God knows the heart. I further let you know that one evening the colonel's wife came before the prison, just as we were about to he fed. She therefore first asked how many prisoners there were here. They told her. Then she asked what their crimes were. Then one excused himself, as best he could. She then asked me, what my crime was. I said that my crime for which they held me was not very great. She had heard of me, and said I should suffer myself to be instructed by those who were wiser than I. I said, I would suffer myself to be instructed with that which was right. She further said that people said that I did not believe in the Father, nor in the Son, and also not in the Holy Ghost; which I earnestly contradicted, and said that I thought much thereof, and that my faith was resting thereon, and that if I did not believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, I should not be worthy to live. Then she inquired what it really was. The castellan's son said that I did not believe in the mass. Then she became angry, and I said that I did not believe in the ordinances of men, as, namely, infant baptism, and their sacrament that the blessed Lord was not present in it, but I believed that He was in the throne of eternal life. She became angry and said that if there were no executioner, she would rather put me to death herself, than that I should live, And she gave the two prisoners that are with me seven stivers, and forbade them to give me anything of it, and warned them, that they should not allow themselves, to be seduced .by me, and went away. Furthermore, dear father, deliver to my wife, at the. first, opportunity, the letter which I have written he, and exhort her to that which is good, this I affectionately pray you, .and all my dear friends; my dear old mother above all, and my two sisters, and my young brother, that he conduct himself well, when he gets a little more understanding and also my poor child, for whose poor soul I am so greatly concerned, that it may please the Lord. But I hope the Lord will take it into His kingdom, before it commits sin. Walk in love. Eph. 5:2. Further, dear father, I would desire a Testament, if you could send me one; for I have had our brother's Testament for a very long time, and he needs it himself, and has it now again.

Written in my bonds, by me, your dear son.

REYTSE AYSESS.

A LETTER FROM REYTSE AYSESS, WRITTEN TO HIS

MOTHER

My dear mother, I wish you the gracious, eternal, merciful Father, and the love of God, and the comfort of the Holy Ghost. as a greeting; and the Father of peace rule in your heart. Amen,

My very dear and affectionately beloved mother, who bore me in your own body, and brought me into the world with great pain, yea, whose breasts have nourished me and who nourished and instructed me in all truth, you have kept me ,from all sinful companions; yea, you have kept me from all false doctrine, yea, you have kept me from the whore of Babylon, . yea, you have brought me into the church of the living God. You have kept me from all sin, according to your best ability. You have brought me thus far with the help of the Lord, Behold, my very affectionately beloved mother; it is therefore my entreaty and request of you, that you will not fret and grieve on my account, for I hope that you have not brought me up to the reproach, but to the praise, of God and His church. After all proper salutation it is my request and entreaty of you, that you will forgive and excuse me, if I have in anywise grieved you, whether it may have been done in my youth or ignorantly, this I request of you. Further, my dearly beloved mother, I must write you a little from the bottom of my heart and the inmost of my soul, though you know it, and are taught of God, and are my dear mother, yet I write to you that in none of us there may be found an evil heart of unbelief, and that none may be entangled by the, deceitfulness of sin, and depart from the living God on account of any tribulation. II Peter 1:12; John 6:45; Heti. 4:12, 13,

Behold, my dear, beloved mother; let us not be troubled, or become despondent; though they have touched you in property and blood [kindred], fear not, but be of good courage, for the Lord is our Redeemer. Behold the afflictions of job, how the Lord helped him. And behold the end of the Lord; for the Lord will not forsake you and. me, if we trust in Him, for the Lord has helped me to fight, for I have now been before them twelve times. The Lord is my Captain, He will not forsake me. Nor do I want to forsake Him, neither for life nor death. Hence, my dear and much beloved mother, let us go to and sincerely prostrate ourselves before the Lord, for all our lives end in death, and when we shall all be presented before the judgment seat of Christ, what manner of persons must we then be: Therefore, my beloved mother, who have obtained like faith with me, let us prepare ourselves, and gird up the loins of our mind. And let us lay aside every weight, and the sin Which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; and we shall receive a reward. Heb. 12:1, 2; I Cor. 3:14. Dearly beloved mother, though they have touched you in your property, and me in my life, what does it matter. The Lord our God will help us; but we must trust in Him. The world shall rejoice, and we shall be sorrowful; but our sorrow shall be turned into joy. John 16:20. But, dear mother, we must patiently wait for it. Though they speak evil of us, dear mother, they treated the Lord our God in the same manner before us.