Another Letter of Joost Verkindert, Written to his Dear Wife, and, Generally

Grace, joy and peace from God the heavenly Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has shined in our hearts, and brought us into the kingdom of His dear Son; together with the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, who proceeds from both the Father and the Son, to comfort all those who are in tribulation and sorrow. To Him be praise, honor, glory, dominion, power, and majesty, forever and ever. Amen.

This I wish you as a friendly greeting, my dear and beloved wife and sister in the Lord, together with all fellow believers of our most holy faith; informing you that our mind is still fixed, to adhere to the eternal truth, and to the faith once delivered to the saints, trusting by this to obtain eternal life, not through our own merits, but through pure grace, and also because of the hope, that Christ with His faithful mouth says: "Whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospel's, the same shall find it hereafter in life eternal." Matthew 10, verse 39; Luke 17, verse 33; John 12, verse 25.

O my dear brothers and sisters, let everyone follow the advice of Christ, and search the Holy Scriptures; for they are the ones that testify of Him. John 5, verse 39. And Paul says: "Whatever things were written in former times were written for our learning." Romans 15, verse 4. And let us not fear men, who must perish like grass; but let us fear Him who, after He has killed, has power also to cast soul and body into hell; fear Him. Isaiah 51, verse 12; Luke 12, verse 5. For heaven and earth shall pass away, but His Word shall remain forever. Matthew 5, verse 18.

Know further, that on the 17th of August we were both called down to speak with the bishop's commissary; and when we had come down we courteously greeted him, and bade him good evening. He did the same, asking: "Joos, to what conclusion have you come?" I replied: "I pray the Lord night and day for my greatest salvation, and the more I pray, the greater my assurance becomes that I have the truth." He said that it was true I was seeking my salvation, but ignorantly, like the Jews, who wanted to be justified through the law. And, with folded hands, he made a long speech and highly praised and thanked the name of God, and of Jesus Christ, that He had done all things so well, and had given the holy church so many good ordinances, and had promised to remain with it even to the end of the world. Then Lauwerens asked where his church suffered persecution. He answered: "That was seen three years ago, when some of our people were killed by the Protestants." I said: "My lord, if the authorities did not protect your church with the sword, it would soon come to nothing, for it has no strength." He said that it was of God, and had continued from the time of the apostles to Timothy and Titus, and from them to all the holy teachers even to the present day. I asked whether the apostles had so observed or instituted them [the ordinances] as they were now used by them. "Yes," he said, "as regards the faith." I said that they were far from the right way; for I had previously shown him that their ordinances were only commandments of men; and Christ says: "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up. [Let them alone:] they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." Matthew 15, verses 13 and 14. I showed him that Israel was forbidden to follow their own opinions, but were to observe only what the Lord had commanded; and I told him how severely Saul was punished by the Lord, because he, following his own mind, had spared the king of the Amalekites, and the best of the oxen and sheep. He answered that Saul did this contrary to the command of the Lord, but that they did not; for it was all instituted on account of certain matters that had arisen in the church: even as in the time of the apostles, when there were some that contended, a council was held. Also, that Paul commanded Titus to set in order the things which he had left unfinished (Titus 1, verse 5); and other words. Then I told him of the pious king Josiah, that he did not regard the ancient customs and ceremonies of his forefathers, but that he destroyed all that had been instituted contrary to the law, and commanded the law to be kept rightly. Second Kings 23. To this he had little to say. I also asked him, saying: "My lord, I am much surprised that you do not banish us, as they do in Germany, the Eastern country,* and England." [n1009-1] He said: "Where would you go? for wherever you go, there you corrupt and seduce the people." I told him that faith was the gift of God, and also that not all men have it. Ephesians 2, verse 8. He said:

"You did have the faith, but now you have adopted another"; and he added a comparison: that we were like soldiers who had run away from their lord without a passport, and were nowhere free. I asked him whether infant baptism was a taking in into his church. He said: "Yes." I asked again why they did not go to Turkey to take in children. He answered: "No, this does not belong to them, for they are a rejected people." I further asked him by what scriptures they might put us to death, which he tried to show from the law; but I said that we were under the law of grace, namely, under the Gospel; and Christ says of the tares, that they should be allowed to grow up with the wheat until the harvest. Matthew 13, verse 30. He said: "We have other scriptures, that the magistracy has not received the sword in vain" (Romans 13, verse 4). I showed him that the sword was given to the magistracy for the punishment of the evil, and the protection of the good; moreover [I said] I have not been disobedient to the magistracy, but have obeyed it in all things according to the power which it has received from God. And when I had asked him whether he had no other scriptures, he said: "Peter killed Ananias and Sapphira." I said: "With what, and why?" He replied: "Because they lied." "That is true," I said; "for they lied to the Holy Ghost, and had kept back and said nothing about part of the price of the land which they had sold." He said: "Nevertheless, he killed them with the sword of his mouth." And though I told him it was done for evil doing, and without the sword, it was of no use; he would prove by it his point that we might be put to death, and he also added the words of Paul: "I wish they were even cut off who trouble you." Galatians 5, verse 12. I replied that Paul did not mean such cutting off as they were now doing. He said: "Paul then did not yet have the magistracy on his side."

We then also spoke of infant baptism, which he would prove to be a command of Christ, namely, because Christ says: "Unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3, verse 5. In this passage he would also include the children, namely, in the expression, a man.* I then made him read that chapter, in a Bible which was there, namely [n1009-2]

"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that you do, unless God be with him. Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God." I then asked him whether he knew and understood what it was to be born from above; and I also said that a child could not be born from above, but that Christ meant by this persons that had understanding. "Yes," he said, "and infants too," and he fell back on his old proposition, and held fast to it, namely: "Unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit," and so on. And he also quoted Paul and Titus, that Christ cleansed His church with the washing of water by the Word. Ephesians 5, verse 26. Thereupon I answered that Paul did not mean children by this. He would also establish it with John's epistle, namely, that there are three witnesses in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one; and three witnesses on earth: the spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three are one (First John 5, verses 7 and 8); to which he added that infants must be cleansed from original sin through baptism. I told him that infants are cleansed from their original sin through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. For Paul says: "Even as by the unrighteousness of one man death entered into the world, so grace much more abounded by Christ Jesus; and as in Adam all die, even so in Christ are all made alive again." Romans 5, verse 17; First Corinthians 15, verse 22. Also, that the prophet says that the child shall not bear the iniquity of its father. Ezekiel 18, verse 20. He said: "It is true, this grace has come upon all men; but children must nevertheless be baptized, if they are to be saved;" and he made a great many words which had a fair appearance. Then I asked him whether infants were saved by the water. He replied: "When they are baptized with water, they receive the Holy Ghost, and are then redeemed by the blood of Christ; which he established with the three witnesses on earth, namely, the spirit, the water, and the blood" And upon this he strongly insisted. I told him that with his infant baptism he rejected and undervalued the blood of Christ, with which he was not well satisfied. I then asked him whether baptism was not a burial of sin. He replied: "Yes." I said again that infants had not committed sin, and that they were simple and innocent. But it was all of no use; children must be baptized, for this had been practiced from the time of the apostles. I asked him again whether the apostles had baptized children. He answered that they had baptized entire households, among which there might probably also have been infants. I said that the households had devoted themselves to the ministry (First Corinthians 16, verse 15), which children could not do, but it is necessary to minister to them; nevertheless he held to what he had said. I asked him, if there were a woman who had two infants, and one of them were baptized, and the other died without baptism, what he held in regard to this. He answered: "The baptized infant would be saved, and the unbaptized one not." I said that the blood of Christ had more power than their baptism, and that they also baptized those to whom it did not belong; for Christ has commanded that believers be baptized, and not infants, and has also commanded the baptized to keep His commandments. I also said that they were dear with baptism, but that it had no power. He therefore made many words, for he wanted to establish infant baptism with circumcision as well. But I proved to him that the figure did not apply to it; also, that only the male children, and not the female, were circumcised. But it was all of no use; it had to be a figure of baptism, and as the uncircumcised soul had to be cut off from the people of Israel, he said, so should the unbaptized also be damned; which I contradicted him with various Scriptures. He said: "Joos, it seems to me that you understand it better than you pretend; for I have certainly proved to you plainly enough that infants must be baptized." I answered him and said: "My lord, do not think that I would contradict you against my own mind and understanding, when I am in such severe confinement." And so we had to be poor and miserable men; and we had many other words together regarding baptism; but we could not agree on this point. When he had waited a little before speaking, he said: "Joos, you have allowed yourself to be grievously deceived." I told him that I had the truth, and that I had not allowed myself to be deceived; and I asked him whether it was not his opinion that we should go from this fire into the eternal one. "Oh," he said, "that is beyond a doubt." "I have a better hope," I said, "and would gladly see you also come to a better knowledge." When he heard this, he stopped a little, as though he were startled and terrified, and he pitied us greatly, and I saw that he meant it from the heart.

We further had some words concerning the incarnation of Christ, who, he said, had taken flesh and blood from Mary. I told him that he should prove it to me. He quoted Romans 1, verse 3, that He was David's son according to the flesh. I said: "I confess this too." He then quoted Paul to the Hebrews, where he says: "He does not take on angels, but he takes on the seed of Abraham." Hebrews 2, verse 16. He also quoted Matthew 1, about the generation. Thereupon I asked him whether he did not believe that the Word became flesh. He replied, "Yes, for Christ took flesh and blood from Mary." I quoted to him Luke 1, that the angel came to Mary, greeted her and said that she should conceive in her womb, and bring forth a son, who should be called Jesus, and the Son of the Highest. Mary answered and said to the angel: "How shall this be, since I do not know a man?" The angel answered and said to her: "The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God." I also added Matthew 1, that the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying: "Joseph, you son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife to you: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." I also quoted Paul, where he says:

"The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven." And that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. First Corinthians 15, verses 47 and 50. But no matter what I proved to him, he insisted that Christ must be of the nature of Mary, so that after many other words which we had together, concerning the incarnation of Christ, we could not agree. He then took up the Supper, saying that it was true flesh and blood, which he would establish with the words of Christ, where He says: "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has eternal life." John 6, verses 53 and 54. I replied to him that Christ did not speak these words with reference to the Supper. He answered: "Is it not written: Take, eat; this is my body?" (Matthew 26, verse 26). I replied that it signified His body: for it is also written: I am the true vine (John 15, verse 1) though He was not a natural vine. Moreover, Paul states it clearly, where he says: "I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered to you, That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you; this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till he come," (Mark, till He come). First Corinthians 11, verses 23 to 26. Hence, I said, He is not present there bodily, as you say, my lord. I also told him of the paschal lamb, proving to him that it was a true figure of the Supper; but we could agree on no point. The subject of monasteries was also brought up, all of which I called sects, and I asked him whether God's children must not all be spiritual. He answered: "Yes." I asked again why they were not all of one kind, since there were many and various monasteries plainly differing from one another in caps and ceremonies. He answered and said that the Holy Ghost worked manifold gifts, with which He wanted to establish the monasteries. I also asked him whether he had not read the prophet Baruch. "Very likely," he said. Then I told him how the prophet there warns Israel that when they should be in Babylon, and should see them there carrying idols upon their shoulders, and many people running before and behind, they should think in their hearts:

"O Lord, you alone are to be worshiped." Baruch 6, verse 3. And I asked him whether the same ought not to be done on Sunday. He answered and said: "That is to be only an image." I said that the image makers are cursed. Exodus 20, verse 4; Deuteronomy 27, verse 15. He said: "They are the books of the simple," and he maintained that the images were like letters, and would also prove that images might be made, and this with the cherubim that were on the ark. We also had many words together concerning the worshiping of the saints; but we could not agree. I have been before him three different times. O dear brothers and sisters, let each one persevere steadfastly; and heartily entreat the Lord for us, that we may be able to stand against all the gates of hell; for our conflict is not little, for we are in the midst of our enemies. Farewell, all of you, and adieu till a better time.

Written in my bonds, by me,

JOOST VERKINDERT.

Unworthy prisoner in the Lord.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Matthew 5, verse 8.