Another Letter of the Prisoners: In which We Vindicate Ourselves of That…

We poor prisoners, named Hendrick Terwoort and Jan Pieterss, lying in bonds in the Mersey, for the testimony of Jesus Christ, and from there sentenced to death, to be burned to ashes at the stake, for which we have willingly prepared ourselves here, this 10th of April, in the year 1575, in London.

Further, we poor prisoners kindly ask that you will accept in good part our simple writing to your honor; for the reason we do this is that we are very sorry your honor is not well satisfied with the simple answer we made; which has caused us to write briefly to your honor, so that you may better understand and know what views we hold in regard to it. Hence we have also briefly written our confession concerning it.

This is the confession of our faith of God our heavenly Father.

1. We believe in one only God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and of the earth, as is written, Genesis 1, verse 1; in whom Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and all the prophets believed. Hebrews 11.

2. We further believe in Jesus Christ the only Son of the Father, who was in the beginning with God. Micah 5, verse 2; John 1, verse 1; First John 1, verse 1. And when the fullness of the time had come, which God had promised, this Word became flesh, and was born of the house of David, Romans 1, verse 3, of the pure virgin Mary, promised in marriage to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David, who is blessed above all other women. We believe that this true Son of God, by many signs and miracles which He did, proclaimed to us the word of His Father. And after He was delivered up to the Jews, He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, died and was buried. Matthew 27, verse 1; Mark 15, verse 1; Luke 23, verse 1; John 18.

3. We also believe that this same Jesus Christ is true God and man, and suffered for our sins. Isaiah 53, verse 5. And when we were His enemies, He suffered a bitter death for us, so that those who believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3, verse 16.

4. We also believe that this our Savior was raised up from the dead, Matthew 28, verse 6; Mark 16, verse 6; Luke 24, verse 6; John 20, verse 9, even as He had foretold. Matthew 17, verse 9; Mark 9, verse 9; Luke 9, verse 22. And is sitting at the right hand of His Father. Mark 16, verse 19; Acts 7, verse 55.

5. We furthermore believe in the Holy Ghost, even as is written, First John 5, verse 7, saying that there are three that bear record in heaven: The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one.

6. We also believe in the communion of the saints, whose prayers avail much for us, First John 1, verse 3;* James 5, verse 16. We also believe in a holy church, in which are those who believe in Jesus Christ, who by one Spirit are baptized into one body, even as Paul says, First Corinthians 12, verse 13. And Jesus Christ is the Head of it, namely of the holy church, even as it is written, Ephesians 5, verse 23; Colossians 1, verse 18. [n1144-1]

We believe and confess that this holy church has power to close and to open, to bind and to loose, and whatever is bound upon earth is also bound in heaven, and whatever is loosed upon earth is also loosed in heaven. Matthew 16, verses 18 and 19. We also believe that God has ordained in this holy church, apostles, prophets and teachers, First Corinthians 12, verse 28, bishops and deacons. First Timothy 3.

7. We believe in and confess also a baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, even as the Lord Jesus Christ commanded us and ordained (Matthew 28, verse 19), and as the apostles practiced (Acts 2, verse 38), and as they wrote with regard to it (Romans 6, verse 3; First Corinthians 12, verse 13; Galatians 3, verse 27; Ephesians 4, verse 5; First Peter 3, verse 21). And we believe that all those who have received this baptism are members of the body of Jesus Christ, in the holy church. First Corinthians 12, verse 13.

8. As further regards the holy Supper of Jesus Christ, we believe and confess even as Christ said with reference to it, as is written, Matthew 26, verse 26: As they were eating the supper, Jesus took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, and said: "Take, eat; this is my body." And He also took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying: "Drink, and divide it among yourselves; for this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins: do this in remembrance of me." Matthew 26, verse 26; Mark 14, verse 24; Luke 22, verses 17 and 19. We believe as Paul declares, saying: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" First Corinthians 10, verse 16. "Whoever eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, has eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6, verse 54.

9. We also confess and believe in a marriage state, as being an ordinance of God, as we read, Genesis 2, verse 24. A man and a woman joined together in the name of the Lord, in the holy church. First Corinthians 7, verse 2. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. Ephesians 5, verse 31. Therefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder. Matthew 19, verse 6. For marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Hebrews 13, verse 4.

10. We further believe and confess that magistrates are appointed and ordained of God. Wisdom of Solomon 6, verse 3; Sirach 17, verse 17; Romans 13, verse 1, for the punishment of the evil, and the protection of the good; to which magistrates we desire from the heart to be obedient, even as is written (First Peter 2, verse 13): "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake." "For they do not bear the sword in vain." Romans 13, verse 4. And Paul further teaches us that, first of all, we are to make supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, for kings, and for all who are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty; for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved. First Timothy 2, verse 1. He further teaches us that one should be subject to principalities and powers, obey magistrates, and be ready to every good work. Titus 3, verse 1. Hence we would kindly beg your majesty to rightly understand our meaning, that is, that we do not despise the august, noble, and gracious queen, and her wise council, but esteem her majesty worthy of all honor, and we also desire to be subject to her in all that we can; for we confess with Paul as stated above; for she is the minister of God; and that whoever resists this power resists the ordinance of God; for rulers are not a terror to those who do good, but to those who do evil. Hence we confess that we owe, and are ready to give, to the secular power, custom, tribute, honor and fear, even as Christ Himself taught us, saying: "Render to Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and to God, the things that are God's." Matthew 22, verse 21. Hence, since she is a minister of God, we would kindly entreat her majesty, that she would be pleased to show mercy to us poor prisoners, even as the heavenly Father is also merciful to us.

We hereby do not consent at all to those who would resist the higher powers, but confess with all our heart, that one must be obedient and subject to them, as we have stated above,

11. Furthermore, to the question put to us, whether we would not be willing to swear any oath, we reply that we do not find ourselves free in our conscience that we may do this, because, as is written, Christ says (Matthew 5, verse 33): "You have heard that it was said by those of old time, You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord your oaths: but I say to you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your speech be, Yes, yes; No, no; for whatever is more than these comes of evil." Further, James also teaches us (James 5, verse 12), saying: "But above all things, my brothers, swear not; neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yes be yes, and your no, no." For these reasons we dare in no way swear.

12. We further believe in the resurrection of the dead, as is written, Isaiah 26, verse 19; Job 19, verse 25; Daniel 12, verse 2; John 5; First Corinthians 15, verse 12; First Thessalonians 4, verse 16. That men shall rise from the dead in their own body, Job 19, verse 26; Isaiah 26, verse 19; First Corinthians 15, when the Lord shall come in the clouds, with His angels, when He shall judge every man according to his deeds, Matthew 25, verse 31; Romans 2, verse 6.

13. We furthermore believe all that is contained in the holy Scriptures, both in the Old and New Testament. And we poor prisoners make humble entreaty, if we have in any way done wrong to her majesty, or her subjects, praying them to forgive us for it, and to be merciful to us, even as the heavenly Father is merciful; for we are a poor, simple people, of humble knowledge and understanding, and we are sorry that we cannot write more courteously. Hence we beg your highness, that your majesty would accept our simple writing in good part.

Herewith we will commend your royal majesty to the Lord for this time; the Lord be with you and us all. Amen.

Written in our imprisonment, in London, on the 21st of July, in the year of our Lord 1575, by

HENDRICK TERWOORT,

JAN PIETERSS.

A clear account of the foregoing matters is contained in the following letter, written by one Jaques de Somere (a member of the Calvinistic church, then living in London), and sent to his mother, Tanneken van der parent, living at Ghent, in Flanders; in which city he afterward became a pensionary, while the Reformed ruled at Ghent, before the city was delivered up to the [Duke of] Parma, in the year 1584. [n1144-2]