Hence, my much beloved friends, think of the words of Tobit, when he had also become so poor, for the Lord’s sake: “My child,” he says, “true, we are poor; but be of good cheer, we shall have much wealth, if we fear God, do good, and shun sin.” Tob. 4:21. For, dear and in God beloved friends, we are children of the saints, and hope for a life which God shall give to those who stand up for him and continue steadfast in the faith. Therefore do not become weary in the way of the Lord, and do not faint because of the tribulation, but persevere firmly, until you are taken hence. I further understand from your letter, that it is your intention to remove; which I pray you myself to do, since they greatly seek your life, and ask you much concerning me. And Maeyken Moeye said, that it was your fault, that I was here; but I said: “No.” Furthermore, dear brother and sister, I entreat your love, that you would remember me with a fervent heart in your prayer to God, that I may fight a good fight, and finish my course, to the salvation of my soul; I hope to do the same also for you, and that the Lord will prosper you on your journey, in soul and body. I now bid your love, my dear and in God beloved brother and sister in the Lord, an affectionate and perpetual adieu. The same great, omnipotent, almighty God, who led Jacob, when he had to flee, guide also you, and bring you into everlasting rest. Amen. Adieu, farewell, farewell, adieu, adieu.
I Raphel van den Velde (the writer of this) also greet your love most heartily with the peace of the Lord.
Love overcomes all things.
Your beloved weak brother.
Jeronymus Schepens.
LOUWERENS THE SHOEMAKER, A. D. 1576.
In the year 1576, at the time of the Spanish Fury (on the 4th of November), there was in confinement at Antwerp a godfearing, pious brother, named Louwerens the Shoemaker, for no other reason, than that he would not follow the world and all its false inventions and wickedness (in which she lies), but forsook it, and sought with the people of God to lead a godly life, and to follow Christ in the regeneration. He was therefore apprehended and tormented with great and dreadful tortures, by the enemies of the truth, the blood-thirsty papists. They tortured him in such an unchristian-like and tyrannical manner, that his body was completely crippled, for in the Spanish Fury the prisons were opened, and the prisoners ran out, so that the jailer said: “Louwerens, run out too.” He answered: “Whither shall I run? for I am so crippled, that I cannot earn my bread.” And remaining thus in confinement, he was, after the Spanish Fury was over, brought forth, and confirmed the faith of the truth with his death and blood, at said place. Therefore, at the glorious appearing of Christ from heaven, he shall receive the glorious crown, which no man shall ever take from him; and having been thus planted with Christ in the likeness of his death, he shall also forever be a partaker with him of the glorious resurrection. Rev. 20:4; Acts 1:11; 2 Thess. 1:10; 2 Tim. 4:8; John 16:22; Rom. 6:5.
HANS BRET, A. D. 1576.
Hans Bret, who was about twenty-one years old, and the son of one Thomas Bret, an Englishman, was (besides his daily labor which he performed in the service of his master) very diligently concerned and engaged with the study of the word of the Lord, in which he constantly exercised himself in the morning and evening also, generally, exhorting with edifying, profitable and instructive passages from the holy Scriptures, those with whom he had intercourse, to a virtuous and godly life. He would also not spend Sunday idly, but truly sanctifying and observing it, generally sought together a number of new converts, to whom he diligently went in all kindness, giving out to them in the fear of God some edifying questions from the Scriptures, whereby he exhorted them to repent and desist from their sinful life, showing them the indignation which God shall pour out upon the children of unbelief and unrighteousness, and the gracious promises of salvation which are promised in eternal life to the penitent children of faith. This his exhorting he did with such becoming earnestness and edifying doctrine, that many sought to be with him, perceiving in him the powerful work of God and his advancement in the knowledge of Christ, with which he, though so young in years, was very richly filled, and which he also did not keep to himself alone, but allowed it to break forth and flow from him without fear, to the profit and advantage of his neighbor. 2 Cor. 3:5; Phil. 3:8; 1 Tim. 4:12; 1 Cor. 10:33.
But the devil, the enemy of righteousness, and envier of the increase of virtue and of the church of Christ, could not long tolerate or endure this; for, perceiving in this servant the godly zeal in the truth, and assiduity to convert the erring, he, by his instruments (blood-thirsty men, who always have dishonored the temple of God, murdered his sheep, slain his saints, shed their blood, and given their flesh as meat to the beasts of the field), sought to trouble this servant of God with affliction, and to hinder the brightness of his light, which he also partly effected and accomplished; for about two months after he had been baptized upon the confession of his faith, according to the command of Christ, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, there came, on the sixth day of May, in the year 1576, about nine o’clock in the evening, the Bailiff of Antwerp, with many servants, to the house of Hans Bret’s master, who had been betrayed with all his household. They closely guarded this house from behind, where it had two exits, as well as in front, with armed men and beadles, and then knocked at the front door, which Hans Bret came to open (not knowing that those who thirsted for the blood of his master and his household, and for his own, stood before it), and asked who was there. They said: “Open,” and pretended that they wanted to buy something. In the meantime, hearing that they had inserted an instrument in the door, to open it from the outside, he began to think that they were the wolves and tyrants, who came to devour the innocent and harmless sheep of Christ, and did not open the door to them; but they managed to open it from without, which perceiving, Hans Bret ran into the house, where his master with his wife and several other women sat eating, and warned them of it, who all quickly rose up and ran to the rear, thinking (as also Hans Bret) to escape by the back door; but when they opened this, the Bailiff’s beadles showed themselves with great cruelty, speedily apprehending and capturing all whom God permitted them, among whom there was also this servant of God; but his master and several others with him were wonderfully and remarkably delivered and preserved through the hand and assistance of God. Jer. 1:8; Acts 26:17. Behold, thus did this innocent sheep of Christ fall into the hands of the wolves, and was confined in prison, only for the faith in the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the practice of the same.
Now, how he conducted himself in his bonds; how they, through wiles and snares, fair promises and severe threats, sought to move him from, and despoil him of, the salvation of his soul; and how they, because he had written some letters to his brethren and friends, cast him into a loathsome dungeon; together with the various disputations which he had with the priests and soul-seducers, and also how he answered them, and what boldness he manifested through the help of God; all this you will find fully treated and revealed in the following letters written by him.