Two Letters Written by These Imprisoned Friends

We poor and despised strangers, who are under persecution for the testimony of Jesus Christ, wish all men, of whatever race or office, from God, that the Lord would grant them a long peace, so that we may live in peace with one another, in all godliness, to the praise and glory of the Lord, and the salvation of the soul.

Since we are so very unjustly accused and slandered by so many persons, both with word and with pen, we are for this weighty reason compelled to set down briefly, in writing, the ground of our faith, and so to make it known as follows

We are not addressed and questioned about our faith with a meek spirit, as the holy Scriptures teach; but reproach is heaped upon reproach, and lie upon lie, to increase and enlarge our afflictions and sorrows; and because they also have no pity for our poor weak women and children. Our country and kindred, and our property, we had to leave (partly because of the great tyranny), and we fled as lambs before wolves, only for the true evangelical truth of Jesus Christ, and not for any sedition or heresy, such as the Munsterite errors or abominations were, and as (God forbid!) is reported of us. We would gladly have our whole faith and life written on our forehead, so that everyone might know and see what we believe, and what we seek and desire here upon earth. Nothing would be found there but a true faith in full accordance with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and a blameless life, seeking to provide bread for our wives and children, just as God has commanded and as the Scriptures teach. First Thessalonians 2, verse 9; Second Thessalonians 3, verse 8; Ephesians 4, verse 28; First Thessalonians 4, verse 11. Oh, if our persecutors knew that this is the desire of our hearts, they surely could not but have great pity and compassion on us poor, despised strangers, if there is any human pity and compassion in them at all, and they would, according to the words of the Lord, have compassion on us, as the prophet says: "Bring the poor who are afflicted to your house." Isaiah 58, verse 7. Moses says: "If a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not wrong him; but the stranger who dwells with you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself." Leviticus 19, verses 33 and 34.

Mark well that God commands us to love the stranger as our own self. Who is in misery and living in a strange country, that likes to be despised, and driven out of it with his fellow believers, and to suffer great loss besides? So Christ says: "All things whatever you would have men do to you, do so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matthew 7, verse 12. Oh, if they would deal so with us, according to natural fairness and the evangelical truth (of which our persecutors boast so greatly), how soon would the persecutors cease, and the lying and slandering mouths be stopped. For Christ and His own persecuted no one, but in His true Gospel taught the opposite, as He says: "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good." Matthew 5, verses 44 and 45. This is the doctrine left by Christ and His apostles, as they themselves declare, just as Paul says

"Even to this present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are beaten, and have no certain dwelling place; and we labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure it; being defamed, we plead: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things to this day." First Corinthians 4, verses 11 to 13. Paul further says: "All who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Second Timothy 3, verse 12.

From all this it can be shown that those who have the true evangelical doctrine and faith will persecute no one, but will themselves be persecuted. If it is said to us that we are persecuted for our heretical faith, according to Paul's teaching, and because God has commanded that the false prophets be killed (Deuteronomy 13, verse 9), we reply in this way: "Paul says that we are to reject (avoid) a man who is a heretic, after the first and second admonition." Titus 3, verse 10. He does not say: "Drive them out of the country and city without hearing or admonishing them." Besides, one must also know who are heretics: namely, those who advance a doctrine that is beside and contrary to the word of the Lord. But no man can convince us of this; that is, that our doctrine and faith are contrary to the doctrine of Jesus Christ and His holy apostles, as what follows will show.

As to their claim that God commanded in His law that false prophets be killed, we reply that if in this time of the New Testament we were to kill all whom God commanded to be killed in the Old Testament, we would have to kill not only false prophets, but also adulterers, whoremongers, those who take the name of the Lord in vain and curse, and other like transgressors. Leviticus 20, verse 10; Deuteronomy 22, verse 21; Leviticus 24, verse 14. And if they would overlook these, and bring against us only the commandment concerning the false prophets, in order to be rid of us, then at least consider rightly the word of the Lord, by what sign false prophets are to be known. For God speaks in this way through Moses

"If a prophet or dreamer says to you: Let us go after strange gods, which you do not know, that prophet shall die." Deuteronomy 13. But we do not teach men to go after strange gods, nor do we have a heretical faith which is contrary to the word of Christ. But we believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the pure virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; on the third day He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is now sitting at the right hand of God the Almighty Father, from where He must come again, to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Ghost. We believe that Christ Jesus is true God and man.

Nor do we seek salvation in our works, as is reported of us; but we believe that we shall be saved only through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Nor do we boast of being without sin, but confess ourselves at every moment to be sinners before our God. But from presumptuous sins we must refrain, if we would be saved: namely, from adultery, fornication, sorcery, sedition, shedding of blood, cursing and swearing, lying and cheating, pride and drunkenness, anger and strife, hatred and envy. These are the sins of which the Scripture says: "They who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5, verse 21.

That they also say we will not hear the Word of God, because we do not hear the preachers in church, to that we reply that we do not hear the preachers; to this the Word of our God constrains us, since they are not fit persons to fill such an office. For Paul teaches Timothy and says

"The things that you have heard from me by many witnesses, commit to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." Second Timothy 2, verse 2. For he who would reprove and teach another must be blameless himself. But if the preachers were according to the apostolic doctrine, we would gladly hear them from the depths of our hearts, and would also be the first and the last in church.

But if it is said to us that Jesus Christ says "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat; all therefore that they tell you to observe, observe and do; but do not do according to their works" (Matthew 23, verses 2 and 3); we answer: "If the preachers are the scribes and Pharisees, then they are the ones who have crucified Jesus Christ, and then all the woes that follow after will also come upon them. But if they are not the scribes, then the preceding words, that we are to do according to their words, and not according to their works, are not spoken of them." Again, those who sat in Moses' seat were from the tribe of Levi, like Moses, teaching the people of Israel: "All that the priests and Levites teach you, and as they command you, that you shall observe, and do according to it." Deuteronomy 17, verse 10. The prophet says: "The priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth." Malachi 2, verse 7. Since Christ did not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them, therefore He taught His apostles in this way. But that this should be an argument from the word of Christ (Matthew 23) for hearing the preachers cannot be; since the preachers are not of the tribe of Levi, whom Israel had to hear, but from the Gentiles. Besides, it must be considered that when Christ Jesus had fulfilled the law in every respect, by His bitter death and the shedding of His sacred blood, He ordained another priesthood that should teach His holy law, namely, His Gospel, when He said to His disciples: "As my Father has sent me, even so I send you." John 20, verse 21.

These holy messengers of Christ directed us to hear, not blamable teachers, but such as are blameless; who are not given to wine, not self-willed, not quickly angry, no brawler, not covetous, not given to filthy gain; but given to hospitality, kind, sober, just, holy, temperate; holding fast the faithful word. And let the deacons also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Second Peter 3, verse 2; First John 4, verse 1; First Timothy 3; Titus 1; Romans 2, verse 21; Romans 16, verse 17.

So we dare not regard the preachers as the persons who are to fill the office of the ministry; nor dare we hear them, because they, according to Paul's teaching, are blamable and unfit for it. When it is therefore said of us that we will not hear the Word of God, great injustice is done us; for to hear the Word of God is the greatest joy that can come to us upon earth, for it is the comfort of our hearts.

That they would also accuse us of being disobedient to the magistracy, because we do not have our children baptized, to this we reply that we desire to obey the magistracy in all things not contrary to the Word of God. That we do not have our children baptized by the priest, this we leave undone not from stubbornness or presumption, but through the fear of God, because Christ commanded that believers be baptized, and the messengers of Christ did not baptize infants, who were unable to speak, but reasonable persons, upon confession of their sins and of their faith, as may be read, Matthew 3, verse 16; Mark 1, verse 9; Luke 3, verse 21; John 3, verse 22; Acts 2, verse 28; Acts 9, verse 37; Acts 8, verse 18; Acts 10, verse 48; Acts 16, verse 33; Acts 18, verse 8; Acts 19, verse 5; Acts 22, verse 16. Thus did Christ and the apostles teach concerning baptism, as we may read, Matthew 28, verse 19; Mark 16, verse 16; John 3, verse 23; Romans 6, verse 3; Galatians 3, verse 27; Ephesians 4, verse 5; Colossians 2, verse 12; Titus 3, verse 5; First Peter 3, verse 21; Hebrews 6, verse 2. These are the Scriptures that testify of the baptism of believers. But of baptizing infants who have no reason or speech, upon the faith of the fathers, and of exorcising the devil from them, of this the Scriptures do not say one word. So we dare not consent to such a baptism, because God has commanded that one shall neither add to nor take away from His words. Nor dare we do what seems right to anyone, but only what He commands. It is further written: "Do not add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar." Proverbs 30, verse 6.

The Scriptures declare in many places that those who forsake His Word and follow their own opinion will be most grievously punished by God, as was Saul, the first king of Israel; Uzzah, who touched the ark of the Lord; and the two sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, who did what was not commanded them, and therefore they were also punished. First Samuel 15, verse 24; Second Samuel 6, verse 6; Leviticus 10, verse 2. These are to us remarkable examples, that we dare use no religious rites or ceremonies without a command from God. For Christ says: "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up." Matthew 15, verse 13. And Martin Luther, commenting on the third chapter of Daniel, writes: "Divine worship without the word is always idolatry." That they say that the children believe of themselves, and that God is almighty, so that He can easily give the children faith, since faith is the gift of God, to this we reply that God is almighty, and can easily give the children faith, and not only faith, but also speech, and works, by which faith is also confessed (for faith is not without confession or good works); but now God gives the children neither speech nor works, to say nothing of faith.* Paul says: [n1143-2] "How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" Romans 10, verse 14. It is certainly plain to everyone that infants can neither hear nor understand, as the Scripture also openly declares. And even if the Scriptures did not teach us this, experience teaches us that they must be guarded and kept from all sharp and dangerous instruments, from water and fire, by which they prove that there is neither faith nor understanding in them. And since they are not willing to permit infants to receive the sacrament, they thereby prove of themselves that they do not regard their speechless children as believers.

That they also claim that their children are filled with the Holy Ghost in their mother's womb, as John the Baptist was; if this is true, how does it come about that they exorcise the unclean spirits from their children when they baptize them, if they have previously had the Holy Spirit?

That they also bring forward the words of Christ: "Let the children come to me, for of such is the kingdom of God," as a proof for baptizing the children, we answer that the kingdom of God is theirs we heartily admit; but that they are therefore to be baptized we do not admit, for the reason that Christ did not baptize the children that were brought to Him, nor did He command that they should be baptized; but they are saved through grace, without any ceremonies, through the blood of Christ, just as the children who died without circumcision in Israel.

That they also assert that we must be born again of the water and the Spirit, or we cannot enter into the kingdom of God, and would conclude that children must be baptized, because water comes before the spirit, or they will not be saved; to this we reply, in the first place, that Christ here does not speak of children, but to a grown person who came to Him by night, to whom Jesus said: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John 3, verses 5 and 6. In the second place, Christ speaks of a regeneration before the water (verse 3), which regeneration cannot be brought about except through faith in Jesus Christ, as the Scriptures teach. This Martin Luther also writes, that faith is a divine work in us, which changes and renews us by the power of God, mortifies the old Adam, makes of us entirely different beings in heart, mind and every power, and brings the Holy Ghost with it. [n1143-3]

These words in no respect concern innocent children, for they do not have the old birth, from the original sin which condemns them, as some would try to prove, because David says: "I was begotten of sinful seed; and in sin did my mother conceive me." David made this psalm when he had committed adultery with Bathsheba, and was reproved by the prophet Nathan. Then he lamented on account of the inborn sin from Adam, but it was not counted to his condemnation, because of the promised seed which had been promised to Adam and Eve, namely, Christ Jesus, who reconciled Adam's transgression and took the original sin upon Himself, as Paul says: "As by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men, to justification of life." Romans 5, verse 18. So also Martin Luther declares, writing on the fifteenth chapter of John

"That original sin was taken away through Christ, and that since Christ's coming it no longer condemns anyone. Since, then, original sin was taken away through Christ, and no longer condemns anyone, there is also no sin that can condemn infants if they die without baptism; for the children shall not die for the iniquity of the father, says the Lord." Deuteronomy 24, verse 16; Second Kings 14, verse 6; Second Chronicles 25, verse 4; Ezekiel 18, verse 20. So it is a great sin before God to demand that the children be baptized for the sake of original sin, or that they shall not be saved. Those who demand this esteem Adam's sin greater than the merits of Christ; they also seek salvation more in the water than in the blood of Christ, which is openly contradicting the Scriptures, since it is so clearly declared "that the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin." First John 1, verse 7; Colossians 1, verse 14; First Peter 1, verse 19; Revelation 1, verse 5; Hebrews 9, verse 12.

That they also want to argue that circumcision is a proof for the validity of infant baptism; this cannot be. Consider: if children were to be baptized as they were circumcised, only the male children would have to be baptized, and not the female, for the female children were not circumcised, but only the male children. Paul does not apply circumcision to baptism, but to the circumcision of the heart, which is a circumcision of the spirit. Romans 2, verse 29; Colossians 2, verse 11; Philippians 3, verse 3. God commanded Abraham to use circumcision on the eighth day; this commandment Israel kept until Christ came, and they did not change it, whether in little or in much, but held to the eighth day, and would not follow their reason and say that when children die before the eighth day without circumcision they are damned; but they would obey God and His commandments, and would not follow their own wisdom. In this manner we in the New Testament are also to use baptism: namely, at the time Christ commanded it, that is, on believers; and we are not to follow our own opinion in the matter of baptism, so as to use it before the proper time on speechless and unreasoning children, because God has not commanded it, and it has not been His will. Had it been the will of God that infants should be baptized, as they were circumcised when they were eight days old, God would doubtless have commanded it with an express command, that children should be baptized, just as well as He commanded that the children be circumcised. Christ would also have received baptism in His infancy, just as He was circumcised when He was eight days old. But this was not the will of God; so He also taught otherwise, and received it Himself in a different manner. For Christ came to John, and desired that he should baptize Him, as he also did. By this He teaches us, and has shown us by examples, that those who are to be baptized must have a desire for baptism.

That the preachers assert that Origenes received infant baptism from the apostles, this cannot be; for Origenes lived a hundred years after the time of the apostles, as history testifies. But it is very surprising that the learned try to prove anything by Origenes, since Martin Luther so strongly rejects him. They write and say what some Romish bishops or popes instituted, and proved the same from the historian Platina. They write in this way: "That Pope Innocent commanded children to be baptized as soon as they were born." The same is contained in a book printed at Magdeburg, entitled a "Prayer Book, new from the holy Scriptures." Again, Sebastian Franck's Chronica, and Adriaen van Bergen, write that Ignius, the tenth pope, instituted the sponsors in baptism. [n1143-4] This is the reason why we cannot see the propriety of infant baptism: because it is instituted and commanded by men, and the holy Scripture does not know such a baptism, but knows only the baptism that is taught upon faith, as said before.

We are also branded as profaners of the sacrament and forgetters of God. To this we reply

"We neither profane nor forget the sacrament of our Lord Jesus Christ, but hold it in great gratitude, and remember, whenever we observe it, the great love which Christ showed us on the cross, when He let His body be broken, and shed His sacred blood for our sakes; and so we show forth the death of the Lord, as Paul says: " As often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till he comes." First Corinthians 11, verse 26. This is our faith concerning the sacrament. That we do not receive it from the preachers, and do not observe it with their church, is for three reasons.

The first reason is that the minister or dispenser must be blameless according to the teaching of Paul; he must rule his own house well, and have his children in subjection, and his wife must be faithful in all things. First Timothy 3, verse 2; Titus 1, verse 6. In the second place, the church that is to eat of the bread must be a blameless church (Ephesians 5, verse 27), as Paul says: "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." Paul further says: "I wrote to you in a letter not to keep company with fornicators: yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company, if any man who is called a brother is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one, not even to eat." First Corinthians 5, verses 7 to 11. Since we openly find such works in their church, the Word of God forbids us to observe the Lord's sacrament with them.

The third reason is that they do not observe their sacrament according to the practice of Christ and His apostles, for they took bread, and broke it, and gave it to the people. Matthew 26, verse 26; First Corinthians 10, verse 16; First Corinthians 11, verse 23; Acts 2, verse 42; Acts 20, verse 11. But the priests break no bread; they give unbroken wafers. The wafers were instituted by Pope Alexander. Christ commanded it to be done in remembrance of Him (First Corinthians 11, verse 24); the priests say that it is to be done, partly, for the forgiveness of sins. These are the reasons why we dare not observe it with them, through the fear of God, for we dare do nothing but what the Word of God teaches us. And we observe it with a blameless dispenser, in a blameless church of those who fear God, with bread and wine, according to the practice of the Lord and His apostles, in the houses, as Christ and the apostles did.

This is our faith and confession concerning holy baptism: that it may be given to none but adults who believe, and who know themselves what they are receiving, just as those who eat of the bread of the Lord must have understanding and faith, and must examine themselves. Because we thus rightly observe these two sacraments according to the command of Christ, this is partly why the preachers are so exceedingly hostile to us. It grieves them that they should lose their profit. They do not know what evil things they can falsely tell the authorities and the common people, so that they should not tolerate us in any city or country. They pretend that there are so many thousands of us in the country, who want to take possession of countries and cities; whereas no such thoughts have entered into our hearts, for it is impossible to take possession of countries and cities without violence and bloodshed. And if we had such a liberty as would permit us to commit murder, and to deprive another of his property, we would also have liberty to let our children be baptized by the priests; then we would not need to allow ourselves to be driven from our possessions and paternal inheritances, from our ease into great misery, as a reproach to all. If we had such a heart as is reported of us, we would suffer all this in vain, for they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God, as Paul says: Galatians 5, verse 21. "A lie," says Sirach, "is a foul blot in a man, yet it is continually in the mouth of the untaught. A thief is better than a man who is accustomed to lie." Sirach 20, verses 24 and 25. For they had also invented this lie against Paul, that he had made an uproar, and had brought four thousand secret murderers from the wilderness. Acts 21, verse 38. But with regard to us they have magnified the lie still further, and speak of many thousands as being of our faith. We do not have so easy a faith that they flock to us in crowds; only here and there may be a household, which are very solitary and few, as a sparrow alone upon the housetop, like the pelican of the wilderness, and the owl of the desert, a lily among thorns, and the apple tree among the trees of the wood, which brings forth good fruit (Psalm 102, verses 7 and 6; Song of Songs 2, verses 2 and 3; Psalm 1, verse 3), as a penitent life, to deny one's self, and to hate his own life, for otherwise he cannot be Christ's disciple. Luke 14, verse 26. They who are Christ's crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts. Galatians 5, verse 24. He who says he abides in Christ ought himself also to walk even as Christ walked. First John 2, verse 6. Christ says that there are few who walk in His way, in the way which leads to life, and who find it. It is hidden from the scribes and the wise of this world. God has chosen base things, and things which are most despised, and things which are not; to them it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Thus Christ and His apostles declare that there are few who have the true faith and know the way. As the prophet also laments: "The faithful fail from among the children of men." Psalm 12, verse 1. For iniquity abounds, so that, if it were possible, even the elect should fall into error, as Christ Himself says: "When the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18, verse 8. So there will be few believers at Christ's coming, and there have also been few from the beginning of the world. As, for instance, in the time of Noah, only eight believing souls. In Lot's time, there were only three believers. In the time of Israel, there were eight hundred false prophets against one. Also, four hundred false prophets, to one [true] prophet. First Kings 18.

Thus the perverse have always outnumbered the righteous. This is our open confession before God and all men: that the faith and heart of every one of us is of such a nature that we do not desire in any way to injure our enemies who persecute us, or to wish them evil; but we desire from the depths of our hearts to pray for them, and if they should need us, we would most heartily serve them according to our ability, for they do not know but that they are right, and are in this doing God great service. John 16, verse 2. Even as they will hereafter have to confess, as it is written in the fifth chapter of Wisdom; but it will then be too late for them. For this reason the promise of eternal salvation is ours; as Christ Himself said: "Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven." Matthew 5, verses 11 and 12. This promise have those who are persecuted here. But to those who persecute here, woe is prophesied, as Christ says: "Woe to you, scribes, who kill the prophets; fill up the measure of your fathers." The apostle says: "Come now, you rich men, weep and howl, for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is corroded; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as if it were fire. You have heaped treasure together for the last days. You have condemned and killed the just; and he does not resist you." James 5, verses 1 to 3, and verse 6. If it is replied that they do not want to shed our blood, but only order us out of their cities and countries, we answer that though there is nowhere a place for us, still we must certainly live somewhere; so we must for this reason go to bloody countries, from which we fled, partly because of the great tyranny, where the blood of the saints is poured out like water. But when that great day of the Lord will come, when men shall say: "You mountains and hills, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;" then it will be found how guilty they have been of our blood. For they shall have judgment without mercy, who have shown no mercy. For with whatever measure a man has measured, it shall be measured to him again.

So we request and pray, for the sake of Jesus Christ, that what we have written be received in good part, since it has been done out of pure love, as a warning against the punishment of the Lord, lest you sin against us; since we are the true strangers and people of God, who are persecuted for the true doctrine of Jesus Christ and His holy apostles. May the eternal and merciful God look with gracious eyes upon all His afflicted children, who are hated by so many, and not give the souls of Your turtle doves to the beasts, for His great and holy name's sake. Psalm 74, verse 19.

O Lord, shorten the days, and look upon the reproach of Your people, which they must suffer every day for the sake of the holy testimony of the Gospel, through Your dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

(End of the first letter)

As then he who was born after the flesh persecuted him who was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Galatians 4, verse 29. [n1143-5]

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful who promised. Hebrews 10, verse 23.