The Eighth Letter from Jan Wouterss, to his Sister in Law

Affectionately written to you, my much beloved sister Neelken, Jacob's daughter, mother in the convent: I, Jan Wouterss van Kuyck, your beloved brother in law, imprisoned at Dortrecht, not for any evil, but for obedience to the Gospel of Christ; which is no shame before my supreme Lord, who created us, but a great honor to Him, that someone for His name's sake, indeed, for doing good, endures contempt and bloody stripes; such people are counted blessed by the holy Scriptures, and this blessedness [salvation] Christ has earned by His great sufferings.

And since I sought my salvation in Christ, I have fallen into affliction, but I do not therefore regret it, for salvation is dearer to me than this passing life, and I will give my life for it, knowing and believing that I shall, according to God's promises, which will not fail, receive an eternal one, which is better.

So I most affectionately beg you, do not grieve on my account; I thank you very kindly for all the great friendship you have shown me and my dearest wife, and also my only daughter, and whatever more you may have shown while I have been in bonds.

From now on I know of no greater friendship to show you, my beloved sister, than that I must at my end invite you still to the marriage of the Lamb, which is Christ; indeed, heartily urge you to prepare yourself for it during this short time. So put off the old man with his evil deeds, and put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge of God, of Him that created him. Put off the old Adam, and put on the new, and walk in him, and from now on you will not be conformed to the world, but transformed by the renewing of your mind. Colossians 3, verses 9 and 10; Romans 12, verse 2.

See, beloved sister, I declare to you from the holy Scriptures that you cannot come to Christ, the Bridegroom, unless you sincerely follow Him in His footsteps, in the narrow way which He walked; and I ask you, lay it to heart, for it is of great importance to you. I say and declare to you that neither you nor anyone (I do not mean infants) can follow Christ unless you first deny yourself and give up to Him your own understanding, reasons, opinions, and your own life, just as He gave up His life for us, so that all who believe in Him, and do not live to themselves, should not perish, but have everlasting life through Him. Allow yourself to be told, and have mercy on yourself, and do not trust in the learned, or in the fact that you bear the name of a Christian; from the learned, God's wisdom is hidden, and the name does not make a Christian. But if you would still trust in the learned, see by their fruits what kind of trees they are, as Christ taught, that every tree shall be known by its fruit. Consider how Christ condemns them in the Gospel, and how they were enraged against Christ and His apostles, and how they laid hands on them; and though the heathen judges found no cause of death, they still had to put the innocent to death, if they wished to remain the friends of the scribes and of Caesar. So it still is; do not think that it is better now; they fill up the measure of their fathers, so that the righteous blood may be found on them. I have worked or labored for my needs, for my widow, and for my orphan child; they will not work themselves, and would rather live off what belongs to other people, and cannot bear that another works; so the bailiff forbids me to work, for their sake. Again, when I was to be tortured the second time, so that I should betray my neighbor, which I could not do because of my conscience, they brought me the superior, who was to prove to me from the Scriptures that I might do it. The superior said that I might do it, for, he said, "If you are the true people, your fellow brothers will receive the martyr's crown with you. How can one attain to greater honor? So you may name them. But since you are not the true people, you ought to name them, for God hates the wicked." This is what the superior said to me. O dear, consider in your heart what spirit drives these learned men, how they expound; the ultimate object is nothing but murder. O dear Lord, forgive them. [n1059-1] You teach us better, namely, to love our neighbor as ourselves, indeed, to lay down our lives for the brothers. So separate from them; you have long been one with them; lest you share in their sins and their abominable plagues.

It is now, out of great love, declared to you beforehand by your very familiar brother in law, before that day comes upon you like a thief in the night; as the warning came in the first world, so it comes still. So if you would be saved and protected with Noah and his house, take yourself under the protection of the true Noah, and keep His commandment, which is life everlasting; He calls you and all people; He knocks; He stretches out His hand to you; refuse Him no longer, and do not rely on this, that you are called a Christian, and that God is merciful. Remember along with this, that neither the name, nor the water, nor the sponsors make a Christian, but he that does righteousness is righteous; those who are led by the Spirit of Christ are His. And remember also that God is just, as David declares, saying: "God is a righteous God, or a righteous judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he does not turn, he will whet his sword; he has bent his bow, and made it ready. He has also prepared for him the instruments of death; he aims his arrows against the persecutors." Psalm 7, verses 11 to 13. Pay close attention to every word, for he is a strong archer when he lets fly his arrow; none can escape him. So consider his arrows, which he let fly at the first world, at Sodom, Gomorrah and others. These accounts have been left to us in writing so that we should fear the Word of the Lord more than the learned men just mentioned; and if we, through fear and love, keep His commandments, then the Word, that God is merciful, will hold good for us. For His divine nature is such that His wrath and His mercy go out from Him together, and in this way: that if the righteous forsake the way of the Lord, his righteousness shall not be mentioned, but he shall die for the sake of the blasphemy. Ezekiel 18, verse 24.

Again, if the sinner turns away from his evil ways, does what is good and right, and walks in the way of the Lord, his sins shall be remembered no more, for the Lord has no pleasure in the death of the sinner, but that he turn from his way and live. Ezekiel 18, verse 21; Ezekiel 34, verse 11. So I beg you, free yourself from all the ways of the world, from the anxious cares, and from the old things of which your heart may be full; so that the Word of God may be planted in you with meekness, and you may be found good earth, bringing forth fruit that lasts to life eternal. God's judgment is now declared, that every tree which does not bring forth good fruit shall be cut down and thrown into the fire. Matthew 7, verse 19. So let the hammer of the divine Word break your heart in pieces; remember the words of the prophet: "Rend your hearts, and not your garments: for God is longsuffering and merciful and of great kindness, who forgives sin." Joel 2, verse 13; Psalm 103, verse 3. So, dear sister, remember that the longsuffering and daily kindness invite you to salvation; refuse it no longer, for by refusing you would wrong your own self. Therefore amend your life and ways, and believe and obey the Gospel, and you shall be saved through Christ, for this is the promise, even eternal life. First John 2, verse 25. But if you want to continue in the ordinances of men, and to be led by them like the ox to the slaughter, you will find yourself deceived in the end; for you keep the commandments of men in vain, since they have no promise from the Lord, as I also said to the superior. He said that what God has not forbidden, He permits. Oh, is this not a feeble reed to trust in? But Christ teaches differently, saying: "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up." Matthew 15, verse 13. And the apostle says that no other foundation can be laid than Christ alone. First Corinthians 3, verse 11. In the second place, the apostle has declared all the counsel of God and kept nothing back from us. Acts 20, verse 27.

In the third place, he says: "If anyone preaches any other gospel than I have preached, let him be accursed." Galatians 1, verse 8. Indeed, even if it were an angel from heaven (mark this well), his doctrine must not be received, if it is anything different. How should we receive, for the purpose of honoring God with it, what has come from men, who are prone to wickedness from the cradle, and drink iniquity like water? So what man institutes is like the labor of the spider; it can be used neither for covering nor for clothing; but everyone who hears and keeps the Word of God for his salvation needs to add nothing to it.

Finally, I declare to you once more in the name of my Lord: "Amend your life and ways, believe the gospel, and flee idolatry." But if you still think that you do not worship them, it is at least clear that you serve them, kneel before them, and honor them, which God has forbidden, for He requires His true statutes to be kept, and says through the prophet Jeremiah: "Obey my voice, and I will be your God and you shall be my people." Jeremiah 7, verse 23. And another prophet: "A son honors his father, and a servant his master: if I then am a father, where is my honor? and if I am a master, where is my fear?" Malachi 1, verse 6. So, if God is our Father, we must obey Him more than men; if He is our Lord, we must honor Him with what He commands us. Then if we are reproached we will think: "The servant is not better than his lord; if they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, why should they not call those of his household so?" In short, he who would follow Christ to His marriage feast must deny himself, take up the cross, and prepare his heart to suffer with Christ, in order afterwards to rejoice with Him. And this suffering is short, so it is light; do not remain behind on this account. The Lord will help me and all the God fearing through, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear, but will help you to triumph, though your enemies be ever so many; God is our shield; who can overcome Him? Dear beloved sister, it is nothing strange that I suffer; it is a sign that the Lord loves me, and I count it for my salvation. He tries me as gold is tried in the fire; so He tried many chosen saints of God before my time: Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Caleb, Joshua, Daniel, John the Baptist, who was the holiest of those born of women; Christ Himself and His apostles and others were tried, as Job was; but if we hold to the Lord in temptation, the crown of eternal life is ready for us.

With this I will close this letter, kindly asking you not to reject my humble labor for you, which I have done out of great friendship. Search the Scriptures about these things, and see whether they are not so. If you cannot understand or grasp it, I kindly ask you, love your dear sister nevertheless, for she has been a very affectionate and faithful wife to me, so that I cannot thank her enough for her friendship and good company. Likewise love our only daughter, for I think that she has prolonged her beloved mother's life; the Lord be praised. But do not lead our child to dumb idols; by doing so you would sin still more against God. Take my letter in good part, for it has been done out of a faithful heart. O Lord, grant our beloved sister Your holy knowledge, as You did to Saul, who also had a zeal without knowledge.

With this I bid you, my beloved sister, adieu. Farewell.

Written in my bonds, on the fifth day of March, in the year 1572. By me, your beloved brother in law, (in the Vuylpoort at Dortrecht).

JAN WOUTERSS KUYCK.