Thus also, you wives, watch with all carefulness, and attend with discreet prudence to your office,—into which you are placed by the Lord,—that you be obedient unto your husbands as unto the Lord, so that you may be able to stand before the righteous God; and bring up your children in such a manner that you can account for it before God; and beware of being too indulgent towards them, lest you incur the same punishment before the Lord as did Eli, who also was too indulgent towards his sons. Ephesians 5:22; Sir. 7:23,24.
Likewise you children, obey your parents in the fear of God with all humility; and do not set yourselves against them, lest you incur the wrath and displeasure of God, like the sons of Eli, like Absalom, Esau, and others like them.
In like manner, I also desire of all man-servants and maid-servants that you be obedient in all things to your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, and in the fear of God; and remember that you are serving the Lord and not men, for of the Lord you shall receive the just reward. Eph. 6:5–8.
Thus also, you masters, forbear your threatening, and do to your servants whatever is right and equitable, and know that you also have a Master in heaven with whom there is no respect of persons. Eph. 6:9. Consider if you were servants, as you then would have your masters do unto you, even so do now to them. Matt. 7:12. But finally, dear brethren, order your lives and strive to walk only so that it will be conformable to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And since we are to be a chosen generation, and a holy nation, acceptable to the Lord as his peculiar people (1 Pet. 2:9), that we should walk before him as lights, and should also be a light unto the world; therefore it is necessary for us to give diligence that we may in every respect be found holy and blameless before him, so that we may see the city of God exalted above all the mountains of unrighteousness that are seen in righteousness, and that it may in no wise be hid. Hence, let also become manifest now the holy radiance of the divine brightness, before all that are still walking in darkness and show yourselves to all men a pattern of good works, and do not suffer the gift given you by God to remain idle or unemployed but put it out upon usury with the greatest diligence; for the Lord, from whom you have received it, will, at his coming, require it back from you with gain and usury. Matt. 25:14. O my brethren, and all fellow members in Christ, watch diligently, and have your ears open to learn when something may be gained, and grudge not to toil and labor for it, for you will also partake of the gain, yea, you will as faithful servants, be adjudged to eternal joy. But a servant should nevertheless be prudent, that he do not carelessly invest his Lord’s money, but with all prudence, yea, with fear and trembling, and he should always before he invests it, consider and calculate whether it may bring gain or loss, lest the Lord’s money be eventually lost through carelessness. And since the Lord will require his own with usury, how could we account to the Lord, if we did not have the sum received, nor were able to produce it.
O my dear brethren, let it become manifest who dwells in you; (Rom. 8:9) let love and your faith become manifest before all men, and love one another, with a pure heart as members of one body, of which Christ is the head. And forgive one another, if any one have a complaint against any; and even as God, in Christ forgave you, so also do you. Col. 3:13. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Gal. 6:2. And be not pleased with yourselves. Let each esteem other better than themselves. Philip. 2:3. Diligently beware of frivolity. And all young brethren and sisters I would faithfully warn against wanton scoffing and mocking, spiteful words and foolish babblings, which are not becoming.
And you older ones, lay this to heart too, and let neither in your words nor in your works any hypocrisy be found, for I have perceived that some are very subtle or cunning of speech, which I cannot praise, nor have I praised it; for if we are to be simple, we certainly must lay aside craftiness, for, mark, whatsoever is more than yea and nay cometh of evil. Matt. 5:37. However, hereby is not meant that we should not say more than yea and nay, but that we should end and confirm our words, without anger or dissimulation simply with yea and nay, and thus use moderation, and cut off all excess; that is, we should deal with the simple truth. If one, when asked in regard to something, does not reply with reference to this, but to something else, and then says that he did not err, since what he replied was true, such action is not noble, my brethren. It also happens now and then that when one has erred in some matter and is then reprimanded for it, he gives a reason, but which, in fact, is not the reason, doing this to cover himself, and to prevent the error from coming to the light. This is the nature and disposition of the old Adam (which ought justly not to obtain with Christians regenerated by the word of truth), that he would always cover his nakedness with fig leaves; for when he was addressed by the Lord on account of his transgression, a reason immediately presented itself by which he thought to cover himself; namely, “the woman whom thou gavest me,” he said, “gave it me, and I did eat.” Gen. 3:12. And, likewise, when Eve was addressed, she laid it to the serpent. But if they had wanted to plainly tell the fundamental cause of their transgression, it would have been: Over curiosity and pride brought us to it, namely: we desired to have our eyes opened; to be wise, to know good and evil, to be like God; in short, we saw that the tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, hence we allowed ourselves to be persuaded, and did eat of it. Had they thus answered the Lord, it would have been a true answer. The answer which they gave was true; but it was not yet the true kernel or fundamental cause of their fall and transgression. But in order that you may thoroughly comprehend the true sense and meaning of what we have written here, we will present to you a single comparison by way of example, namely: Suppose a believing husband had an unbelieving wife, who should give birth to a living child; and the husband would fain retain the friendship of his neighbors and the world, and remain in possession of his house and home, and yet wished also be at peace with Christ and his people (though this, according to the word of God, is impossible, for no one, as Christ says, can serve two contrary masters at the same time). Hence he should say to his wife that he did not intend to consent that the abomination of antichrist, (you understand what I mean), should be applied to the child. And though he could change it, and persuade his wife to obey him in the matter, yet he should allow it to be done without himself taking any notice of it, thinking with himself: If she does it, I can notwithstanding remain at ease, and in the enjoyment of my possessions: and shall not be persecuted by the world, and if the brethren take me to task for it, I can say that it was done without my consent by my wife. See, my brethren, this would certainly not be a true, simple answer, as you may judge for yourselves. Many other like examples and comparisons might be adduced; however, for the sake of brevity I will forbear for the present. I desire that you will yourselves meditate more deeply on this, than I have shown you here; and be warned hereby to beware of such dissimulation. For though a man cover himself before his fellows (with such fig leaves, made by him into an apron), so that his nakedness is not seen, yet God beholds his reins and can search the heart, and he knows the thoughts and intents of all men, and will also judge all works and purposes; also, all secrets and hidden things, whether they do good or evil. Therefore give diligence that in all your words and works, in all your walk and conversation, you practice simple sincerity, as becomes the children of God, and our calling demands. And if any among you be overtaken by a fall, let him confess it simply and truly, without dissimulation, just as it is, and let him not be ashamed to confess it, since he was not ashamed to commit it; else it might be to his sorrow. He that covereth his sins, it is written, shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Prov. 28:13. I have told you before, and tell you again, that before men one can sometimes justify himself with a fair pretense, and cover himself with an apron of fig-leaves; but whether it shall stand the test when brought to the touch-stone, each may see for himself.
This ought to be well considered by those whose daily business is that of trading, whom I would rather see engaged in some honest kind of labor, than in trafficking, and this not without reason. For as a nail sticketh fast between the joinings of the stones, so doth sin stick close between buying and selling, as Sirach says. Unless you hold yourself diligently in the fear of God, your house shall soon be overthrown. Sir. 27:2,3. And in whatever I may in all these things have erred, or grieved any one, I am sorry for it from the bottom of my heart. But thanks be to God in heaven, who has given me poor weak servant an unwounded or uncondemned conscience (of which I acknowledge myself unworthy); for I never had greater joy on earth as long as I can remember, than I now have. May the Lord preserve me from speaking boastingly; however, I have no doubt that he, whose unworthy servant I have been in my weakness, will not suffer me to be confounded. I have heartily desired, and so still heartily desire it, if I, of God, should be counted worthy, I might be led through the whole city of Cologne, and scourged with rods, and then cast back in prison. Not that I seek any merit by it, O no, but that what the Lord has put into me might become known and manifest before all men, to his praise, and not to mine. However, the will of the Lord be done; nor do I wish anything else, the Lord knows, cost what it may. And I desire from the bottom of my heart, yea, command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep that which God has entrusted to you, for it is the truth; this I testify before God and man. No matter who shall approach you, do not listen to them. Let the Hutterites[287] slander as much as they please. God keep me from them, namely from the doings of their teachers. I am free in my heart on their account, in regard to all the dealings I have had with them. And if they say that I dared not renounce because of the people (as I understand that they have said concerning our brother Thomas), I reply, “No;” for I know no man on this earth, so dear to me that without the faith I would lay down my life for him. But thanks to the Lord I have found this in me, and do still find it strongly in me, that I will much rather lay down my life for my brethren, than bring into trouble or reveal any one, in order thus to save my life; this I say, God knows, from faith, and not in a spirit of boasting. But as many among them as please God, whether I have seen them or not, these, as also others, I do not judge, for they stand to the Lord. Rom. 14:4.
I likewise tell you to leave the others be where they are except they sincerely come back in the matter of marriage, and the other articles, and humble themselves before God, and also use a little more restraint in their lives than they now do; for pomp and pride stink before the Lord. Therefore they are also not acceptable or pleasing in my eyes. Hence put them off, for they are an abomination unto God; and let not pride and presumption have dominion either in your words or actions; for in pride has originated all destruction, as Tobit teaches his son. Hence humble yourselves from the heart under the mighty hand of God; for he giveth grace to the humble, but resisteth the proud, 1 Peter 5:5. As regards how it is with me, I inform you that I have entirely committed myself into the hand of the Lord: What his will is, is mine also. I know of nothing better to choose for myself, than that I might be an acceptable offering to him, and might offer up my sacrifice without the gate, in the daytime (Heb. 13:12); O how greatly would I thank him. O my dear fellow members, out of what great sorrow the Lord has delivered me, which I carried in my heart day and night, on account of the Nederland journey: but O what a faithful God! how well he knows how to deliver out of temptation, at the right time, those who can trust him for it from the heart. 1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Pet. 2:9.
It often occurred to me that I should not get away—that the Lord should order it otherwise; as my dear wife and sister in the Lord well knows, for I often conversed with her about it, the Lord be thanked forevermore. I took leave from all the churches, and heartily asked every one among them to forgive me if I had grieved them. I did the same towards them, and then went away. But a far better journey was in store for me, on which I now am, the Lord be praised for it, for I am in good hope that, through the grace of God, it will tend to my great advantage. O my brethren, my heart is full of joy, yea, it is running over with it. It seems to me, for very joy, that I see the heavens opened. O that I might by writing (since I am prevented from conversing with you), pour out my heart to you and refresh it. My ink is almost exhausted. As it is with me, so it is also with Joosken and Herman, my dear fellow prisoners and brethren. We wait for our God, and greet you all with a holy kiss. And the salutation with mine own hand is this: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all believers in Christ unto the end. Amen. 1 Cor. 16:26, etc.
Care for my young orphan children, as also all other orphans, as you would for myself; bring them up with reproof and correction, to piety; teach them to read, and when the time has come, keep them at work. Get Aelken cured, if you can; I bequeath to him the three pieces of money, the silver piece and the two others; also a Testament to each; this shall be their inheritance from their father.