But N. is sick, and asks that you would diligently entreat the Lord for him; for he is ready to go into the fire, but he cannot resist the enemies of the cross; for they assail him with sophisms, for their teacher, the devil, knows much sophistry, which he showed when he came to tempt our Savior in the wilderness, as is written in the Gospel. Now, if he employed his sophistry on our Savior, I am not cast down, though I have a little of conflict; for, dear friends, they could easily be resisted if they used arguments, but they assail him altogether with lies. Since their father is a liar, as our Savior also told them, they have the nature of their father, which they partly manifested with regard to me, all of which I cannot communicate to you; but I hope that the Lord will give me so much grace that I may write a little about the disputation with the carnal.
Know then, that Ronse and Polet came into the prison on Saturday afternoon, and summoned me before them. When I came to them, I asked them what they wished of me. They replied: “This will be told you.” They inquired how old I was. I replied: “That I do not know; if you want correct information on this point, you must ask my mother.”
Ronse. “Tell us as near as you know.”
Joos. “Between twenty and thirty years.” Then their clerk wrote: “Between thirty and forty.”
Ronse. “When were you to confession last?”
Joos. “Why do you ask this?”
Ronse. “I want to know it.”
Joos. “You did not have me apprehended? you well know how it is with me.”
Ans. “We do.”
Joos. “Of whom are you, or in whose name have you come to me?”