The First Letter of Hans Bret, Written on Monday after Whitsuntide, in the Year 1576

Grace and peace from God our heavenly Father, through His only Son Christ Jesus, and the comfort of the Holy Ghost, for the increase of your faith, and to the salvation of your soul, this I wish you, my heartily beloved mother, from the very depth of my soul. Amen.

Most dearly beloved mother, let me tell you that I am well according to the flesh, thanks to the good God; but according to the spirit, I thank the Lord and praise Him for His unspeakable grace, that He gives me strength by His Holy Spirit, so that my mind is unchanged, the Lord be thanked. And I trust in the Lord that He will give me strength by His Holy Spirit, just as by grace He has done up to this hour for me, a poor man, for which the Lord be praised forever. For from Him alone we look for our strength, to withstand these cruel wolves, so that they can have no power over our souls; for they are more cruel than wolves. They are not satisfied with our body, that they tear that; but they seek to devour and kill our souls, as I told three priests. Isaiah 40, verse 29; Zephaniah 3, verse 3. However, according to the words of Christ, they cannot harm our souls; for when they have done all that they can (though not without the Lord's permission), they can only kill our body, which I gladly suffer for the name of Christ, and I have a desire to be delivered from this flesh, and to be in joy with Christ, who has prepared for us a dwelling not made with hands, but which is eternal in the heavens. Romans 7, verse 24; Second Peter 1, verse 14; Philippians 1, verse 23; Second Corinthians 5, verse 1. We now look not at the things which are seen, but hope in the things which are not seen, in the imperishable, to be crowned with the crown of eternal life; indeed, to be clothed in fine, white linen, and to rest with the souls that are under the altar, who were slain for the word of God, until the number of our brothers is fulfilled, who shall also be killed, according to the testimony of John in his Revelation. Second Esdras 2, verse 43; Revelation 19, verse 8; Revelation 6, verses 9 and 11.

Therefore I long, dear mother, from one Saturday to another, to offer up my sacrifice. I had so fondly hoped that I should offer up my sacrifice this day, but it has not pleased the Lord; so I hope to offer up my sacrifice next Saturday, if it please the Lord, and to have with the Lord that joy and gladness which ear has never heard, and which the heart of man cannot conceive, indeed, which is prepared for the righteous, who were not ashamed to confess the name of the Lord before this adulterous generation, as long as they had breath to speak in their bodies, indeed, until they were deprived of speech. First Peter 1, verse 8; First Corinthians 2, verse 9; Mark 8, verse 38. Therefore, my dearest mother, rejoice and thank the Lord, that He counts me, your son, an unworthy man, worthy to suffer for His name, and to offer up my body to Him, to the praise of His holy name. Acts 5, verse 41; Romans 12, verse 1.

For, my dear mother, nothing happens to me but what has happened to all God's righteous ones, from the beginning of the world until this present day. If they killed Christ, the Author of faith, in whom was no sin, what will they do to the servants? For the disciple is not above his master, says Christ. So comfort yourself, my dear mother, and rejoice in this; for they can do no more to me than the Lord permits them. For the Lord says that the very hairs of our head are all numbered. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without His will; but how much greater value are we than the sparrows. Matthew 10, verses 29 to 31. Indeed, He says that we are not to fear those who kill the body, for they have no power over the soul. So be resigned, and pray the Lord for me and my fellow prisoners.

My mother, I would write you more for your comfort, but I hope that you are better comforted by the Lord than I would be able to comfort you with my writing; and I also hold back so that you may learn something about how it goes with our imprisonment, for otherwise my paper would not be enough. For I suppose that you greatly desire to hear it, just as I desire to hear from you, how you are. I hope that you, and all of you, are well, both according to body and soul, for which I pray the Lord, and I remember all of you in my prayer to the Lord. Remember also, in your prayers, us poor prisoners according to the flesh, but rich according to the spirit, as I also hope to remember you, for James says that the prayer of the righteous accomplishes much (James 5, verse 16); that we may finish our conflict with joy, for we have to strive not only against flesh and blood, or the priests of Jezebel, but against invisible spirits, namely the enemy, who always seeks to hinder and quench what is good, with deception and lies. Indeed, I fear that you will hear, or have already heard, through the great falsehoods which the enemy of the truth is spreading, that I wanted to listen to the priests. Yes, they do not hesitate to tell great falsehoods here in this prison, for they went twice in one day to N., and told her that I wanted to listen to the priests. Indeed, the great priest, the Dean, was not ashamed to speak abominable falsehoods to N., in order to rob her, by deception and lies, of her salvation, with these words: "Your servant wants to listen to us, and to repent;" and other words like them which Satan (who was a liar from the beginning) knows how to use; so that she has to endure no small conflict, from the priests as well as from her brother, who causes her great conflict. As for N., her friends are working very hard to obtain her release; but in what way, I do not know. I have urged her to take heed; to repeat it here would take too long. She has told me that her mind is unchanged, and that she does not want to be ashamed of the truth.

As for N., so far I know nothing but good, and that her mind is right, the Lord be thanked; for she longs with me only for the day of our deliverance from this flesh, and to offer up our sacrifice. For yesterday evening, which was Whitsuntide evening, about eleven o'clock I spoke with N.; then she was somewhat grieved, because she had said to the priests that she would listen to them in whatever agreed with the Word of God; for she thought that the priests had gotten some occasion from this to say of her that she wanted to listen to them. So I comforted her about this, and told her that I myself would say it, and that there was nothing evil in it, since their abominable idolatry is contrary to the Word of God, and can never agree with it, for there is a great difference between darkness and light. Isaiah 5, verse 20; Second Corinthians 6, verse 14. And as for myself, I thank the good God, who looks on me, an unworthy man, with His eyes of mercy, and gives me strength by His Holy Spirit to confess His Word and truth before this adulterous generation; indeed, who counts me, a poor miserable man, worthy to offer up my body to Him, to the praise of His holy name. Philippians 2, verse 17. O my mother, thank and praise with me the good God, who looks upon me, an unworthy man, with His eyes of mercy, through His Son Christ Jesus, who shows me so many benefits. How shall I be able to praise and glorify Him enough for the unspeakable grace and mercy that He is showing toward me here in this lions' den. Thank the Lord now with me for His goodness, which He shows us through His Son Christ Jesus, for which praise be to Him now and forever. Amen.

I hope now to write you a little, telling very briefly how my examination by the priests went.

The first time that I spoke with the priests, which as I recall was about eight days before Whitsuntide, there came the Dean, that great, large priest, with another priest, whom we usually call the inquisitor (my master knows him well), and who cries and storms the most. We talked for a long time, and I reproved their idolatry, as much as the Lord by His Holy Spirit gave me words to speak. Then this priest began to speak of the Supper, and asked me whether that was not the real body which Christ gave to His disciples, and His blood. I said: "No." Then the priest began to clamor and to rave, and talked very abusively, saying that it would be better if I had busied myself with making my confectionery, or selling groceries, than with the Scriptures. I said: "I may busy myself with reading the Scriptures, for Christ says: 'Search the Scriptures; for they are the ones that testify of me.'" John 5, verse 39. Then the dean said: "Hear those who have studied the Scriptures all their life." "Yes," I said, "they study wrongly." "I ask you," I said, "where did Paul study or go to college? Show me this from the Scriptures." "Did he not?" "No." "Did he not go to Ananias?" said the dean. "Yes; but he did not study there." Then he began again to talk abusively, and they said that the devil had me by the throat. Matthew 12, verse 24.

While we were talking in this way, there came another priest, a Jesuit, so that there were three of them sitting there. Then the priest began again to speak of the Supper. So I asked them

"When Christ gave the bread to His disciples, and said: 'Take, eat; this is my body: this do in remembrance of me,' did Christ Himself remain sitting there?" He said: "Yes." I said

"Then it is not to be understood so" (as you say); and I told him that he did not understand the Scriptures. I said that a carnal man cannot understand what is spiritual, for, says Paul, it is foolishness to him. First Corinthians 2, verse 14. Then he cried

"What can you say about me, am I a drunkard?" Answer. "Your idolatries bear witness what you are, and the Scriptures also reveal your horrible idolatry, which is an abomination in the sight of God; yes, I am sorry that you are so much in error." They cried: "You err." The Jesuit cried every time that the devil had me by the throat, and that I was a proud fool, and other words like them. I said: "I rejoice that I am despised in this way for Christ's sake." They clamored so loudly that one could hardly utter a sentence. The dean cried to the others

"Domine, Domine;* let him go, we shall gain no laurels with him." [n1161-1] But the priest began again to talk of the Supper. I told him that he had to understand it spiritually, and proved it to him from several Scriptures, as, John 1, verse 29: "Behold the Lamb of God." Again, chapter 15, verse 1: "I am the true vine."

If I were to tell it all, though I had much more paper, I should cover it with writing. We then spoke of baptism; he asked me why children might not be baptized. [I replied]: "Because Christ did not command it, nor the apostles teach it.

Then he brought forward several Scriptures that were quite to the contrary, John 3, and others. I showed him that Christ there did not teach water baptism, but that He had taught it in Matthew 28 and Mark 16; and I stated what baptism signified, to whom it belongs, and that it is horrible to hear that they want to save children by baptism, by which they deprive Christ of the honor. Romans 6, verse 3; John 3, verse 16; Acts 4, verse 12. When we had talked in this way for a long time, the dean cried to the priest: "Hear, hear, Lord; Audi, audi, Domine; let him go; we waste our time with him, and he remained as obstinate as ever." I said: "I am sorry that you will not listen to the truth; it is all in vain, it is only casting pearls before swine." Matthew 7, verse 6.

Then the dean became very angry, so that I soon parted from them, for it was getting late. I must be brief, for my paper is running out. Afterwards I talked further with a priest alone, on Whitsuntide evening; so that the priest went away from me when I told him that he should show me that Christ and His apostles, in this manner, went about the street with an idol, with torches, lanterns and bells. Psalm 112, verse 4; Baruch 6, verse 4. He would not talk with me long; we talked a little about the Supper and baptism, but not long, for the priest went away, and I began to admonish him a little. But I must be brief. Though you hear much said that I wanted to listen to the priests, do not believe it; but be fervent in prayer, for in the end it will be made clear.

Mother, I ask you to send the letter enclosed here, which I have written to my brother D. in England, to him; and if there is anything written in it that is not suitable, erase it. And I ask you, write him my faith. I would write it myself, but for want of paper I cannot. Write him, so that he may know for what I deliver up my body to the burning; for I suppose that many will write what is not the truth. So, dear mother, it is time to stop, for want of paper. I greet you, my mother, and also all my dear sisters, with a holy kiss of peace; and greet also from me those whom you know well, also my master, yes, and all the friends. G. and my sister K., the Lord be with you and us all, and keep you. So, my dearest mother, farewell, and the Lord be with you; for I think that you will see my face no more in this life, nor do I know whether I shall have another chance to write. So, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob be with you all. Amen.

By me your son, imprisoned for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

HANS BRET.