The Bloody Theatre, or Martyrs Mirror of the Defenseless Christians / who baptized only upon confession of faith, and who suffered and died for the testimony of Jesus, their savior, from the time of Christ to the year A.D. 1660

by Thieleman J. van Braght

THE LAST LETTER FROM RAPHEL VAN DEN VELDE, WRITTEN TO HIS WIFE AFTER HE HAD RECEIVED THE MESSAGE THAT HE WAS TO DIE.

Grace and peace, love, patience, longsuffering, kindness, power and strength in your faith, this I, Raphel, wish you my dear and in God beloved wife and sister in the Lord, as an affectionate adieu; the Lord grant you and us all grace, that we may hereafter see one another in the eternal joy. My love, I thank you for your letter, which you sent me for a comfort in my last extremity. And I also thank Kestijntgen heartily; and her dear husband also thanks her, and now bids an affectionate adieu; the Lord grant you grace, that you may follow him at the proper time; and he also thanks you, that you the last time so cheered and rejoiced his heart; adieu, adieu. I wrote this after I had received the message that I must die, which was to me a joyful message, according to the spirit. But it seems that the flesh now and then is inclined to shrink back, which is not surprising, for it is touched by it.

Herewith, my love, I will commit and commend you and my dear son to the Lord; he will provide for you in soul and body, this is my confidence to God. My love, be resigned to my sufferings and death, for all men must once die, and many a man loses his life in an ignominious, dreadful and unhappy manner; but this is for the most glorious cause that one can find, and the most blessed work that one can do, and though it is attended with distress, yet the reward will make ample amends. O my love, be resigned and of good cheer, and Kestijntgen our sister too; and thank God, that you had such husbands, who confessed the truth, with all might and great power, and with much labor. Thanks be unto God, who has helped us to triumph. 2 Cor. 2:14. We may now say with the apostle Paul: The fight is fought, the course is finished, the faith is kept; the crown of life is now ready for us. 2 Tim. 4:7,8. O Lord, what a glorious comfort. O my love, remember frequently what I have written you for the edification and consolation of your mind; and forget me, for it is a sealed fact, that the dead will not return.

Herewith I bid you adieu, adieu, adieu, flesh and blood, adieu, adieu, farewell.

Written in my extremity, by me, your dear husband and brother in the Lord.

Raphel van den Velde.

TO CLAES SCHEPENS.

The eternal grace and peace from God our heavenly Father, and the kindness and love of his Son, and the fellowship and consolation of the Holy Ghost, be with you my dear brother and sister in the Lord, as an affectionate greeting and perpetual adieu in this time. The Lord grant his grace, that we may hereafter see one another in eternity. Amen.

After much affectionate greeting and loving reverence to you, let me please inform your love, that my mind is still unchangeably fixed, to confess and serve the Lord, according to my weak ability, all the days of my life; and I also have the same good confidence concerning you; which I also partly understand from what you write in your letter, by which I was comforted, when I heard it read. May the Lord always grant you to grow up, and to be strengthened and increased in the same, to his praise, and to the salvation of your souls. Amen.

Further, dear brother and sister in the Lord, I inform you how it goes with me in my bonds, namely, that I am very much resigned, the Lord be thanked for his great grace; the Lord comforts and strengthens me so and makes my bonds so light, that I sometimes scarcely know that I am imprisoned; and he takes away my fear, and rejoices my heart, and gives me new strength. 2 Cor. 1:5; Is. 40:31. And though the false prophets shoot their deadly arrows at me, the Lord so faithfully preserves me, that it does not harm, but rather rejoices me, though they have assailed me very subtly, with many fair words, and I had to resist very many, and to hear from my father, and Lieven de Kroock, and Maeye Moeye, and our cousin Pieter, and Daniel de Keyser. Those who apprehended me were with me on Ash Wednesday, and they led me upon such a high mountain, and offered me so many fair promises without power, if I had wanted to listen to them; but thanks be to God, who always helps us to triumph. Yea, they said so much to me, that I think it could not be written on four sheets. Lieven de Kroock said at first, that I had devils in me by the score, and that he saw them sitting on my shoulders. Then said I: “Will you not take down one?” And it seemed to me, they sought to make me drunk, but I would not drink, though they tormented me greatly to do it; but the Lord gave me strength to resist it. I further inform your love, that my father was with me again to-day alone, and tormented me greatly; but I told him, that he should be satisfied, since I did in no wise wish to forsake the Lord. And he told me, that you were also spoiled of and driven from your possessions, which greatly grieved me when I heard it. But, my dear brother and sister in the Lord, be of good cheer, and patient in your tribulation and affliction; for we must know, that it is given unto us, not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for his name. Phil. 1:29. And Christ himself says: If any man forsake not all for my name’s sake, he cannot be my disciple; and if any man love aught more than me, he is not worthy of me. Luke 14:26,27.