One of the judges said to me: “If Christ is not of Mary’s flesh, then the promise is not fulfilled yet.” I said: “It is not written that Christ is of Mary’s flesh.” This Dean said to me: “It is written; you lie, for it is written: That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Again: A virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son. Again: That he was born of the seed of David, according to the flesh.” I said: “My lords, it is true; but it is not written as you have said. Hear, my lords, I call you to witness, he has brutally called me a liar; nevertheless, it is not written thus.” Again he said: “You lie.” I replied: “If I were disposed to call you a liar, I would say that you lie yourself.” I said: “My lords, listen: Luke 1:26, etc. The Angel was sent from God to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary, and she was a pure virgin. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Mary said: How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? The angel said unto her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born shall be called the Son of God. That which was conceived in her was of the Holy Ghost. Matt. 1:20. It does not say there, that he is of Mary’s flesh.” One of the judges again said: “The promise is not fulfilled yet.” I replied: “It is fulfilled; if you will listen to me, I will tell you.” I then told him that the Savior and Redeemer came, and suffered much here for our sakes, even as is written that Christ the Savior himself said: God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16. And thus he came into the world. And he left us an example, that we should follow his steps. 1 Peter 2:21.
Again Zachariah truly said: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.” Luke 1:68–75. Thus we find indeed, that the promise is fulfilled; but that Christ is of Mary’s flesh, this we find nowhere written. The Dean of Ronse asked me: “How then did he become flesh?” I told them that he who was from everlasting with his Father, by whom all things were created and made, that are in heaven and upon earth, visible and invisible, yea, the living Word of the Father, who was with the Father, came from his kingdom on high, and became man, and thus came into the world, and saved us with his own blood. Rev. 1:5. The Dean asked: “Did he then become changed?” I told him as is written: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” John 1:14. The Dean said to me: “You are the vilest sect that ever was upon earth.” I told him that he was a rotten sect, in presence of all the judges, or the court; and (said I) I will prove to you that you are a sect; for your people cannot prove a single point of all that you observe, with the word of the Lord; and Christ says: “Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.” Matt. 15:13. I then asked him, where he found anything written concerning the institutions observed by them, such as the christening of bells, tonsure, the consecrating of water, that one wears shoes with holes, and another stockings without toes, each in his own way, all of which is certainly not sanctioned by the word of God.” I further said: “My lords, I have offered to dispute from the Holy Bible, publicly, before the whole court.” The Dean said to me: “You will be thrust into a bag, and suffocated with a ball in your mouth.” I said: “You hypocrite, do you not fear the word of the Lord, which says that with the breath of his lips shall he slay the unmerciful? Isaiah 11:4. Again: A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him. Prov. 28:17. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Matt. 23:33. Repent ye, and believe the gospel; for your days may be brief.” Mark 1:15.
He asked me how I knew that the Gospel is the Gospel. I said to them: “This is a strange question; but if you will listen to me, I will tell you. Should I not know, said I, that it is Gospel, that Almighty God said and taught: Repent ye, and believe the Gospel? and that he came down from his kingdom above, and suffered so much for our sins; yea, he who was rich, became poor, that we through his poverty might become rich; when he called men unto him, that they should follow him, and commanded his apostles to preach it throughout all the world: He that believeth it, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned.” Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16. They asked how I knew that his apostles had written this; and said: “Other men printed it; you have never spoken with or seen the apostles—how then do you know it? there are other evangelists whom you have never seen; how then do you know whether this is the Gospel? men wrote this to suit themselves.”
O subtle devil, thought I in my heart, and told them that the holy Scriptures were given through the Holy Ghost, and not without him, since Paul says: I will not dare speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the gentiles obedient, by word and deed. Rom. 15:18. And, as the apostle Peter has said, that no prophets ever produced the Scripture by human will; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Pet. 1:21. Thus, the Holy Ghost bears testimony, that the Gospel which we have, is the word of the living God, which he has given us, that we should live according to it, and thus be saved at the last day; even as it is written that these words are written, that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name.” John 20:31. A monk asked me concerning infant baptism, whether I did not think it good. I said: “Baptism does not belong to children, but to believers.” Mark 16:16. He said: “Are the children damned, then?” I replied: “No; the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.” Matt. 19:14. He said: “Those who are not baptized are damned.” I said: “This is nowhere written, neither, that children are to be baptized.” He said; “It is written.” I said: “It is not; children have no faith; but they are assured of eternal life.” Matt. 19. He said: “It is written: ‘Except ye be born of water and of the Spirit, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’ ” John 3:5. I said: “They cannot be born again, for they have no sin.” He said: “They have; for it is written that all are under sin.” I asked him what sins children had. He said: “Original sin.” I asked him why Christ had died. He said that he had made atonement; but that we must first be baptized, before original sin is taken away. I said: “This is speaking contrary to the word of God; for when John saw the Lord coming to him, he said: ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me; for he was before me.’ John 1:29,30. Of whom it is also written that he himself bare our sins in his own body on the tree. 1 Pet. 2:24. As John tells us, that he was manifested to take away our sins (1 John 3:5), and as Paul says that they are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Rom. 3:24. Paul further tells us, that we should thank him who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Col. 1:12–14. The apostle says that he upholds all things by the word of his power, and has by himself purged our sins. Heb. 1:3. Again Paul says: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, and thus reconciled to him, we shall be saved from wrath. Rom. 5:8,9. He says: Therefore, as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation: even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Ver. 18. Even as the prophet Isaiah says: He took our sins upon him.” Is. 53:11. They asked me whether I had not yet changed my mind. I asked them: “In regard to what should I have changed my mind?” They replied: “In regard to your errors.” I said: “I do not err; but I trust in the living God, in his holy word, and in nothing else; and from this I will not depart, for Christ has said: He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Matt. 24:13. They said: “Shall none be saved but you people, who began but twenty or thirty years ago, while our church has existed already fourteen hundred years, and has remained united—shall we all be damned—?” I said: “The word of the Lord, which was before ever your church existed shall judge men in the last day; it shall judge all men. Jn. 12:48. This [word] is given us through his Holy Spirit, that through teaching we should observe all things whatsoever he has commanded us. Matt. 28:20. Hence, those who will not observe it have no promise of eternal life, but indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish will come upon them. Rom. 2:8,9. Yea, he will take vengeance on them that have not known God, and have not obeyed the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction. 2 Thess. 1:8,9. We must therefore believe that which has been spoken and written through the Holy Ghost, as it is written that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Tim. 3:16,17. Therefore we are assured concerning the holy Scriptures which we have, that they were written by the apostles through the Holy Ghost, as Peter has said: We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye witnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. Should we not then believe these words, where he says: We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed? and thus we do take heed to these words.”
They asked me concerning the sacrament of the altar. I told them that I found nothing written about it; but of a supper which the Lord observed with his apostles, when the time had come that he was to fulfill that for which he had come, that it might be fulfilled which was written of him, and that he should return to whence he had come. When it was two days yet until Easter, he said: The Son of man shall be delivered up, to be crucified. And his disciples asked him: Lord, where wilt thou that we eat the passover? He told them a place to which they should go, and went with them. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and said: “Eat; this is my body; likewise he took the cup, saying: Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many; this do in remembrance of me.” Matt. 26:20; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14. I also asked them: “Did each eat his body, as he was with them, in flesh and blood?” They said: “Yes; they there ate his flesh, and drank his blood.” I asked them once more: “How did they eat him? just as he was with them? did each eat a Christ?” They said: “Yes; just as he hung on the tree of the cross.” I said to them: “But he had only one body, and that had to be given as a ransom for the sins of the world, and was delivered into the hands of the Jews, and they hung him to the tree of the cross, and killed him, and thus he redeemed us with his blood, even as is written. 1 Pet. 1:19. He took upon him our sins, and bare them on the tree.” 1 Peter 2:24. They said that they had also now had him even as he had hung on the cross. I said to them: “I do not believe that such a great Lord is eaten of you people, who are utterly contrary to the word of God, and full of wickedness, and disobedient to the word of the Lord; but I believe that he ascended to heaven, and is sitting at the right hand of God his Father in heaven, Acts 1, from whence we also look for him to come again (Philip. 3:20); and that you do not have him; for if you had him, he should be crucified once more, hence, you people cannot be believed, since you all act contrary to the word of God; for it is found written that the apostles of God held their supper with a unanimous faith; and were all of one mind, and continued steadfast in all that they had seen of God (Acts 4:32); nevertheless they did not teach or say that they ate Christ’s flesh, and drank his blood, just as he hung on the tree of the cross; but that he ascended to heaven, and is sitting on the right hand of God, this they taught. 1 Peter 2:2; Mark 16. Yet, all that they taught was through the power of the Holy Ghost, and they continued steadfast in the faith which God had commanded them. For other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Christ, and upon this his apostles laid their foundation, and I want to remain upon it, without ever departing therefrom.” Hence I said to them: “If you want to dispute with me publicly, with the Holy Bible, I shall answer you with the word of God, concerning all that you shall speak with the word of the living God. He that is right, shall be hearkened to; but he who is wrong, shall proclaim and confess that to this day he taught a false doctrine. This is a small part of the words which we had with the judges, the bailiff, and ecclesiastics
THIRD LETTER OF LAUWERENS VAN DER LEYEN.
The peace of the Lord be with you. Amen. Grace be to you; and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
A most affectionate greeting with the peace of the Lord to you, my dear brother Nathanael, I, your imprisoned brother Lauwerens, wish you the grace of the Lord for a greeting, and inform you, that I am of reasonably good cheer, the Lord be praised; which, I trust, will continue so unto the end through the grace of the Lord; yea, I hope thus to appear in the day of the Lord. Know that we are waiting for the redemption of our flesh from day to day. Know further that I send you two hymns composed by Lauwerens de Huyvemaecker in his bonds. My dear brother, let us always hold fast those things which we have wrought, that we receive a full reward (2 John 8); and let us not be moved from our purpose, since we are certain that we have the truth; and that no other will ever be found; of this our conscience assures us. I am heartily sorry that I frittered away my time so long with the wicked and blind world, and did not improve it better. But though I have not been long in the better way, and am now a prisoner, I hope nevertheless to keep what I have, trusting in the grace of the Lord that he will not forsake me.
Know dear brother, that I should have written you much more Scripture; but you are yourself taught of God, and know the truth. See that you continue in it; may the Lord preserve you and all friends therein.
Herewith I commend you to the Lord, and to the word of his grace. We twelve, imprisoned together, greet you all with the peace of the Lord.