A LETTER FROM ADRIAENKEN, JAN’S DAUGHTER, OF MOLENAERSGRAEF, WRITTEN TO HER HUSBAND, WHILE SHE WAS IN PRISON, IN THE VUYLPOORT AT DORTRECHT, WHERE SHE WAS BURNT WITH JOHN WOUTERSS VAN KUYCK, THE 28TH OF MARCH, AS PREVIOUSLY SHOWN.
Grace and peace from God our heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord and Savior, and the co-operation of the Holy Ghost, be multiplied to your love, and to all the godfearing, for consolation in your pilgrimage, to the praise of the Lord, and to the salvation of all your souls. Amen.
After this my cordial salutation and good wish, please know, my dearest and cordially beloved husband and brother in the Lord, that I your dearly beloved wife and sister in the Lord, called Adriaenken Jan’s daughter, am still of good cheer in the Lord, and I can never thank the Lord of lords enough for his daily greatness in showing his grace, is to me unworthy one. Eternal praise and glory be to him, for ever and ever. Amen.
Please know further, J. A., my cordially beloved husband, that I your dearest, beloved wife and sister in the Lord, could not well forbear, but must leave your love, a few lines in remembrance of me, on account of the great love which we have had to each other, and which I hope will abide forever, and that no one shall separate us from it, and though we are separated from each other according to the eternal body, yet love remains. And, in the second place, to comfort you a little, that you would moderate your grief, as one that well knows, that these are the costs of our house which we have founded upon the rock Christ, which house will now certainly continue to stand, through the grace and power of the Lord, though many a storm beat upon it, wherein we rejoice that we have such a faithful helper in distress. But it is not expedient, that we keep this joy to ourselves alone, but that we spread the same, so that you, my dearest on this earth, and all the godfearing, if it were possible, might also rejoice, in order that you, my especially beloved husband, and all the godfearing, may steadfastly persevere, and not be afraid. Though our enemies are so many, we say with the prophet Elisha: There are more with us than against us, 2 Kings 6:16. As also Paul says: If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Rom. 8:31,32. And the prophet David says: The Lord is an invincible shield to all that trust in him; and a faithful helper in distress, for he hears the cry of the afflicted. Hence, my dearest, go on in the confidence in the promises of the Lord, for he is a faithful, true God: there is none like him; all his promises are yea in him, and not nay, as well to help us in distress in this present time, as to give eternal life hereafter to them that believe in Christ. We two unworthy lambs of Jesus Christ go now quite near the city full of all good things, which has become our inheritance through the merits of Christ; yea, we are going out from tribulation, out from all difficulty and peril, and leave you and all the other dearest brethren, sisters and friends, in this dismal wilderness, even in this wicked world full of all unrighteousness where on every hand are evil examples, to the detriment and sorrow of our soul, for one cannot well touch pitch and remain undefiled therewith. Hence it is our conviction that it is the Lord’s pleasure to take us two weak lambs away speedily, that we may not be deceived, like Eve, but saved in and through faith in Jesus Christ. And that the only-wise, good and merciful God first tries us somewhat in this one chastisement; this is a token of grace and of special love, for he now deals with us unworthy ones, as a dear father deals with and bears affection to his children, whereby he confirms, according to his great mercy, that he does not know us as bastards, but as true heirs. Heb. 12:8.
Hence we are of good cheer; whatever the Lord suffers to come upon us, is all for our good, for in tribulation he forgives sin; therefore his holy will be done for our profit, that is, for our salvation, which is our greatest desire, wherefore we endure everything, and are patient, according to the example of Job, the prophets, the apostles, and the end of our Lord, and other martyrs after them. We now go steadfastly forward, to finish our conflict by the help of the Lord with a faithful heart, even unto death, for we know and believe that the crown of eternal life is prepared for us. Amen. Thus, my cordially beloved husband and dearest brother in the Lord, I your specially, cordially beloved wife, Adriaenken Jans, your dearest sister in the Lord, who have married each other before the Lord and his church, I will herewith bid your love adieu, and await you there with your and our dearest bridegroom, Christ Jesus. Therefore hold fast that which you have, for it is the only and unadulterated truth, that no one take your crown, for Satan works wonderfully in his own.
The superior of the Franciscan convent said to me: “Give me Jan Wouterss, he at least said that he is sorry for it.” O villain, thought I; I well know your trickery, Thus the Lord kept me, that we may always triumph in Christ: he will still, according to his promise, help us on further in the way to the promised land of our rest.
Herewith I will commend you my dearest husband and beloved brother in the Lord, to the almighty God, and to the rich word of his grace, which is able to build you up, to keep you from evil and to bring you to the eternal inheritance; there I hope to see you with eternal joy, to which end the good God grant his grace. Amen. Take this, my brief letter, in good part. To write much I do not deem necessary, for the godfearing have left us, through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, an abundance of writings, for correction, for doctrine, for consolation and strengthening.
I Adriaenken Jan’s daughter, your cordial and dearest wife and sister in the Lord, greet you my most beloved husband and dearest brother in the Lord, affectionately with the kiss of eternal love and peace of Christ, with the mouth of my heart, present with you in spirit
Finally, I herewith bid you adieu once more, and thank you as much as lies in me, for your good company and faithfulness.
Written by me your beloved wife Adriaenken Jans, imprisoned for the testimony of the gospel of Christ, to the praise of the Lord, to the comfort and joy of our neighbor, for a light to them that are yet in darkness, to the confusion of those who have condemned us as apostates, and to the salvation of our souls. Amen.