Joost Verkindert and Lauwerens Andriess, in the Year 1570

A letter of Joost Verkindert to his wife, mother,

brother, and sister; written on the 7th of June,

being the ninth day of his imprisonment

Grace and mercy from God the heavenly Father, and the merits of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, who redeemed us on the tree of the cross by the shedding of His precious blood, while we were still His enemies, together with the consolation of the Holy Ghost, who comforts all afflicted hearts: all this I wish you together as a friendly and heartfelt greeting. I commend myself wholly to you, and I also thank you all for the love shown me, and for the exhortation and comfort in my present great tribulation, which I must now receive as permitted and foreordained by the Lord. For Christ says, "The very hairs of your head are all numbered." Matthew 10, verse 30. Still, when I went out I was afraid of meeting the officer, and that is what happened, since the plan to meet together at that time was not well timed. But all things must have a cause. I must tell you something about our arrest, and how the bailiff with some of his servants met me and Lauwerens and asked,

"Where do you come from? And where are you going?" When we heard this we were both greatly dismayed, so that they saw at once what kind of people we were. They bound us immediately and took us upstairs; and while they were leading us they cursed us bitterly and called us rogues. When we reached the prison, they examined Lauwerens alone at once. Afterwards I too was brought before them, and was asked whether I had received another baptism besides the one I received in my infancy. I asked him in return what he had against me. He said, "You are rebaptized; your servant has told me." I answered, "Leave me alone; tomorrow I will confess my faith before the margrave." But he was not satisfied with that, for he had a notebook to write in; and when he could get no other information from me, he became angry and said, "I will make you say yes or no." I said, "My lord, be satisfied for this time." And when he saw that he could get nothing more from me, he made me sit in the emperor's chair, and so they left me, while I thought that they were going for the executioner. While I lay there alone I was troubled by many thoughts. Satan also tormented me greatly with wife and children, sustenance, and many other temptations, so that I wept from the heart and called to God for help. And I began to measure my life and conduct by the Word of God, from the beginning of my Christian life up to this present day, and I found no cause good enough to cease from all the hard labor I had done. Though I have often transgressed the commandment of God, yet it was not done willfully, and I found grace with God.

The next day we were both brought into the tower, where Lauwerens was tortured. They also asked me about my age and my faith, all of which I freely confessed to them, and I was not ashamed. They asked whether I had a wife. And when I had said, "Yes," they asked whether I had children. I said, "Two." They asked what their names were, and whether they were baptized. I answered, "They are not baptized, for I acknowledge no infant baptism; and in the Scriptures we also find only one baptism, upon faith, as Christ left it to us, and as His apostles practiced it." When I spoke the names of the children, they laughed, because the children had names without being christened. We had many other words besides, which it would take too long to tell; so I write this to you very briefly, for I am so closely guarded that no one can speak with me, and I have never talked with Lauwerens alone. So keep quiet about everything, for I fear being tormented still much more, and of this I am greatly afraid according to the flesh; for they have so many tortures here: chains for suspending, the pulley, cords, and the rack, on which I was tortured, as you know.

O friends, let all of you entreat the Lord for me from the heart, and have prayer made for me. Acts 12, verse 5. Oh, I pray to the Lord with tears; indeed, I water my couch with my tears before the Lord (Psalm 6, verse 6), that He would make me worthy of Him through His grace.

With this I commend you to the Lord and bid you all farewell.

Written in bonds by me,

JOOST VERKINDERT,

Unworthy prisoner in the Lord.

NOTE. He was arrested on the 30th of May, and put to death on the 13th of September of the same year.