I wish you, my dear and beloved father, and my dear and much beloved mother, the Spirit of truth, and the knowledge of the faith, according to the mind of Christ Jesus, a clear vision and an open heart in all divine matters and in the word of God, thereby rightly to discriminate which is light or darkness, lies or truth, yea, flesh or spirit; in order that you may not be deceived, but firmly adhere to the word of God, so that you may receive a full reward, and lose none of those things which you have hitherto wrought through your faith. 2 John 8.
Further, my dear and much beloved father and mother, whom I well remember in my bonds, and still pray for you every morning and evening, that the Lord would comfort you in your sorrow, which you have for me, poor, unworthy man, who am not worthy that you should sorrow for me. Furthermore, my dear and much beloved father and mother I inform your love, that I have undertaken to write your love a little, as to how it still is with me, and that it is still my purpose to fear the Lord with all my heart, with all my strength, and with all my soul, as long as I remain in the flesh, for which I can never sufficiently thank and praise the almighty, great and only wise God for his unspeakable, yea, incomprehensible grace, which he has hitherto shown me and still daily shows me through Jesus Christ and the supply of his Spirit. Philip. 1:19. For this I thank the almighty God, and bow the knee of my heart (Prayer of Manasses) before the Father full of grace, who is a true and righteous God of mercy, and a God that comforts us all with his holy word. Therefore, my dear and much beloved father and mother, sorrow not for me poor, unworthy man, but much rather rejoice herein, and praise the Lord for it, that he has called and made worthy your son, to suffer for his holy word and his Gospel. And we find, that the apostles and the prophets, yea, Christ himself, had to suffer according to the flesh, from evil and perverse men. Hence my dear father and much beloved mother, do not grieve too much, and be content herein, as much as is possible for you, this I most kindly ask you for the name of the Lord. And always comfort yourselves with the words of Christ where he says: He that loveth aught more than me is not worthy of me; and every one that forsaketh, house, home, lands, and father and mother, shall receive a hundred-fold. Matt. 10:37; Luke 14:26; Matt. 19:29. Therefore, my dear and much beloved father and mother what else can we meet with in this life, than with great poverty? And what is man’s life? nothing but as the flower of the field: the grass withereth and the flower fadeth; and as a vapor, that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away. Isaiah 40:6,7; Jas. 4:14. Further, my dear and much beloved father, I am of good courage to offer up my sacrifice, and to suffer for the name of the Lord; for Christ says: Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. Matt. 10:32. Christ also says: Let your light shine before men. 5:16. And I fain would, when I am to offer up my sacrifice, that they would place me on a wagon and carry me around town, and scourge me four times, that I might let the light shine before this evil, blind and perverse generation; for I am not ashamed to suffer for the Gospel. Rom. 1:16. For I shall not suffer as a thief, or a rogue, or robber, or evil- doer, but I shall suffer as a Christian. 1 Peter 4:15,16. For if we suffer for evil-doing, what profit is it to us? but if we suffer for well-doing, this is acceptable with the heavenly Father. 2:20. Furthermore my dear and much beloved father and mother, I inform your love that they have let me know that I should commit myself into the hands of the clergy; then they thought I should get out of here. Thereupon I sent back word to them, that I had no intention of doing this, and that they should go to no trouble about it.
Hence, my dear and much beloved father and mother, be not dismayed on account of this, I humbly pray you for the name of the Lord, for of such things a Christian ought not to be ashamed. For there was Joseph, who was tempted by the Egyptian woman; and she had caught him by his coat or mantle, and wished to commit whoredom with him; and she would not let him go; but he fled from her, and left the mantle or coat in her hand, rather than commit this great sin with her. Therefore, my dear and much beloved father and mother, if the whore of Babylon takes hold of our coat or mantle, that we should commit whoredom with her, rather let go, through the grace of the Lord, your coat or mantle, namely, your temporal life, than that you should commit whoredom with her. Revelation 17:1,2.
Furthermore, my dear and much beloved father and mother, I ask you very humbly, with weeping eyes, for forgiveness for all that I have done amiss against you by word or deed, or by any thoughts, that you will forgive me. It seems that my time will soon be here now, when I shall offer up my sacrifice. Hence my dear and much beloved father and mother, I will commend you to the Lord, and bid you adieu till the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. The peace of the Lord be with you forever and ever. Amen.
Written by me, your beloved son, in my bonds.
Clement Hendrickss,
Unworthy prisoner in the Lord.
Fourth letter of Clement Hendrickss, to his father and mother.
A most friendly greeting to you my beloved father and mother. I inform you, that I am still of good courage and well, as I hope that also you are.
Further, my dear and much beloved father and mother, I inform your love how it is with me, according to the body, in my bonds. I cannot thank and praise the Lord enough for it, that he so comforts me in my tribulation, and that it is still my fixed purpose to fear the Lord as long as I am here, though flesh and blood should suffer on this account.
Furthermore, my dear and much beloved father and mother, I inform your love, how they dealt with me when I was first apprehended. I had been invited out in the evening, which was on a Wednesday, and we were speaking of going home. Then the watch met us, and we had no light with us, whereupon we were taken up above by the watch, where sat Floris den Bral, who asked us, whence we came, whether we had not been at a meeting of the new religion. We said: “No.” He asked whether we would substantiate this with our oath. I said to him: “Will you not believe my word; I mean to tell you the truth.” But he insisted on the oath, and we would not swear, then he said: “Take them back below.” And we were forthwith taken in the rear, into the dungeon, as though we had been thieves or rogues. The next morning we were taken above, and they brought me first before the lords, having bound my hands behind my back, as though I had been a thief. Then the bailiff asked me and said: “Clement.” And I said: “Sir Bailiff.” He asked: “How many times have you attended the meetings of the Mennists?” I kept silence and gave him no answer. And he insisted hard upon knowing it, whereupon I was led away into a room by myself. Then the others were brought before the lords, and asked concerning their faith. They confessed their faith, and then I was again brought before the lords, and he again asked me, how often I had attended the meetings. He wanted to know whether I had been there ten times. I said: “No.” Eight times? “No.” Seven times? “No.” Three times? “Yes.” Then he asked me, who had been the preacher. I said: “I am not minded to tell it.” He also wanted me to tell in what house I had been, and what people had been there. I told him that I was not minded to tell him. He said that he should make me tell it. I was then taken back into the dungeon. The day following I was again taken up before the lords, and the Bailiff asked me, whether I would not yet tell him, who had been the preacher, where it had been, and what people had been present. I told him that I was not yet minded to tell it, and said: “I am in trouble, and I do not wish to bring any one else into trouble; you have me here, deal with me according to your pleasure.” Jeremiah 26:14. Then the Bailiff said to the judges: I demand him to be put on the rack, in order to learn all the particulars. And he said: “Take him to the rear;” and I was taken to the rack, where I was stripped, and my shirt tied before my body. Thus I was placed in a sitting posture on the rack, and my eyes blindfolded. Then the Bailiff came to me, and asked me whether I would not yet tell it. I told him that I was not yet minded to tell it. Thereupon I was laid upon the rack, and tied to it with seven ropes. On my head there were two knots, which lay on my forehead; and a cord on each of my great toes, and the others around my body. The ropes were twisted together with billets of wood, and I expected nothing else but that he would twist in pieces the ribs in my body. Urine was also poured into my mouth, and as I lay there in pain, I was also scourged on my breast. The Lord knows how they dealt with me. Through the severe pain I named four persons; but I hoped that they were not in town. This lasted about half an hour. I said to them, that they should put a rope around my throat, and dispatch me at once. When they loosed the ropes, I was not able to get up by my own efforts; the servants had to help me up. I was then taken back into a dungeon. The next day I was again brought above before the lords, and if it had not been for Joost Buyck, I would have been tortured again, though I was scarcely able to walk. Then the Bailiff asked me, whether I would not have a monk to come and see me. I said, that he might stay away. He said: “You have to hear a dog bark; can you not hear a man talk?” I was then taken back into the dungeon, and a priest and a monk came to dispute with me. They began to prate much of this and that, and to tell many fables; but I kept silence, and let them prate on; and they got angry because I did not reply to them more, and one of them said that I had the devil in me. Four days after I was taken above again, when they told me that I should prepare myself against Saturday. I said: “Whenever it pleases the Lord I am ready.” I was then taken back into the dungeon, and expected nothing else than that I should offer up my sacrifice on Saturday, and even on Saturday I had no other expectation but of offering up my sacrifice. There came a priest to me, and would have me confess to him. I said that I did not want to confess to him, since he could not forgive my sins; I said: The best confession is to confess to the Lord my God. Then the Bailiff with two judges came to me, and said, that they would wait with me two weeks yet; but I was of such good courage to offer up my sacrifice, as though I had known nothing of death. Phil. 2:17. And so I am still of such good courage, as though I knew nothing of imprisonment. It began to vex me that it is deferred so long. I long to be out of the flesh, and am quite cheerfully resigned to offer up my sacrifice; the Lord does not forsake his own who trust in him. Furthermore, my dear and much beloved father, I inform you, that I received your letter, and I was rejoiced to learn that you are so well content herein.