Another Testament of John Claess, to His Wife, in the Year 1544

Know, my dearly beloved wife, that it is my will and testament to you in no way to depart from the word of the Lord, but always to comfort yourself with it; for the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us, if we continue in the faith. Oh, let us overcome by it, and not turn away, and we will receive the crown which the good Lord has promised to all who love His appearing. Second Timothy 4, verse 8. If we desire to remain here, we do not love His appearing; but if we ask Him for the Holy Spirit, the same will teach us in all things, and comfort and strengthen us through His grace. O let us pray; for through prayer we must receive everything. So, my dear wife, take no thought for the things that concern the body; but seek the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. With this I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to strengthen and keep you in all temptation. The grace of the Lord be with you and us all. Amen. Bring up my dear children in the admonition of the Lord; this is my will to you; and associate with the good, for they prosper. Do not care for temporal things; for that which is visible must perish. What you can get take with you, and commit the rest to faithful friends; and move away with your little ones far enough to be out of danger from men. Bring them up in the admonition of the Lord, and keep with those who fear the Lord. Deuteronomy 6, verse 20. My dear wife, be well contented; if the Lord had taken me away by a sudden sickness, it would have been your duty to thank Him; do so now. I leave you this as a testament. Watch every day of your life for the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. First Timothy 6, verse 14. The grace of the Lord be with you. Amen.

A testament to his children, and then to his wife

My dear little children, Claes Jans and Gertrude Jans, I leave you this as a testament when you come of age. Hear the instruction from your Father. Hate all that the world and your carnal nature love, and love the commandments of God. First John 2, verse 16. Let this instruct you, for it teaches: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself;" that is, let him forego his own wisdom and earnestly pray: "Lord, Your will be done." Luke 9, verse 23; Proverbs 3, verse 5; Matthew 6, verse 10. If you do this, the Holy Spirit will teach you all that you ought to believe. Do not believe what men say, but obey the commands of the New Testament, and ask God to teach you His will. Do not trust your understanding, but trust in the Lord, and let all your counsel be in Him, and ask Him to direct your paths.

My children, how you are to love God the Lord, how you must honor and love your mother, and love your neighbor, and fulfill all other commandments required of you by the Lord, the New Testament will teach you. Matthew 22, verses 37 and 39. Whatever is not contained in it, do not believe; but obey everything that is embraced in it. Associate with those who fear the Lord, who depart from evil, and who do every good thing through love. Oh, do not look to the multitude or the old custom, but to the little flock which is persecuted for the word of the Lord; for the good do not persecute, but are persecuted. When you have given yourselves to this, beware of all false doctrine; for John says: "Whoever transgresses, and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son." Second John, verse 9. The doctrine of Christ is: Love, mercy, peace, chastity, faith, meekness, humility and perfect obedience to God. Galatians 5, verses 22 and 23.

My dear children, surrender yourselves to that which is good, and the Lord will give you understanding in all things. I give you this as my last farewell. Regard the chastening of the Lord; for if you do evil, He will punish you in your souls. Job 5, verse 17. Therefore stop, and cry to the Lord for help; and hate that which is evil, and the Lord will deliver you, and you will prosper. May God the Father, through His beloved Son Jesus Christ, give you His Holy Spirit, that He may guide you into all truth. Amen. John 16, verse 13.

I, John Claess, your father, have written this while in prison for the word of the Lord. May the good Father grant you His grace. Amen. [n668-1]

MY DEAR WIFE, I ask you to bring up my children in all good instruction, to have my testament read to them, and to bring them up in the Lord, according to your ability, as long as you remain with them. And I ask of you, that you love neither yourself nor your children more than the Lord and His testimony. Luke 14, verse 26. Do not let your flesh overcome you. First Peter 2, verse 11. If they do not tolerate you in this city, move to another. Matthew 10, verse 23. But this I earnestly ask of you: always keep with the good; for blessed is he who associates with them. He who has always been the helper of the lowly, that is, the good Father, will help you. Luke 1, verse 48. If you cannot stand alone, take a husband who fears the Lord (First Corinthians 7, verse 2); but whatever you do, do not forsake the Lord for a little mess of pottage. Genesis 25, verse 34. However great your excuse may be, do not forsake the Lord for all Amsterdam. By His grace I will not forsake Him for the whole world, and you do likewise. Matthew 16, verse 26. Oh, let us press our way through by force; I must, through the grace of the Lord, lose my flesh; forsake yours also. Matthew 11, verse 12; Matthew 16, verse 25.

My dear wife, if we should consider suffering, we would never get out of it; but we must look beyond it to the eternal reward. I joyfully comfort myself in the Lord; do so also. The Lord might have taken me from my bed and you would have had to content yourself; how much more now, for you do not know how long you will remain here? Therefore do as the Lord counsels you: always be ready for His appearing, and you will be able to overcome all things; to those who overcome everlasting rest is promised. Revelation 21, verse 7.

A firm faith, a sure hope of the eternal reward, and a burning love to God and our neighbor be with you and me, and us all. Amen. Matthew 21, verse 21; First Peter 4, verse 8.

Write to me immediately how you are, and I will be the more comforted if you comply with my request. Pray; the Lord will be entreated; this I now experience. Pray together, all of you, that the will of the Lord be done in me and in us all. Amen. Matthew 6, verse 10; Matthew 7, verse 11.

A testament of John Claess to his brothers and

sister after the flesh

Know, my dear brothers, Cornelis Claess, and Gerritt Claess, and my dear sister Adriaentgen Claess, that I affectionately ask of you, that you turn to the Lord, and forsake all your pride, covetousness, and all wickedness, and also all bad company, and be quiet, and associate with the good. Search the Word of the Lord, and ask Him for His Holy Spirit, and the same will instruct you in everything that is needful for you. This will come to pass, if you deny yourselves and forego your own will; for the Lord says: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me." Therefore die to all your lusts, and you will never die, for the wages of sin is death. Colossians 3, verse 5; Romans 6, verse 23. But ask God for His Holy Spirit, who will so change your minds, that you will hate evil and shun it. Oh, my most beloved, hate that which is evil, and love the good, and God, who alone is good, will be with you. But if you will continue in your wicked sensuality, I testify to you from the mouth of the Lord, that you will condemn yourselves. Romans 8, verse 13. But I am persuaded better things of you, though I speak this way. Hebrews 6, verse 9. Oh, keep what the Lord has made known to you, namely: "Whatever you would have men do to you, do so to them," and it will be well with you, and you will prosper in every good thing. To this end may the good God help you, through Jesus Christ His beloved Son. Amen.

Another testament of John Claess, to all his

kindred

Be it known to you, dear brothers and sisters, cousins and relatives, and all my kindred, that I do not suffer as a thief, murderer or evildoer, but for the ordinance which the apostles of the Lord taught and instituted, namely the ordinance of the holy church, made fifteen hundred years ago, which Jesus Christ enjoined upon His dear disciples, and sealed with His blood, and which the apostles preached and taught, and confirmed with their blood. First Peter 4, verse 15; Mark 16, verse 15; Hebrews 9, verse 14; Acts 2, verse 14; Acts 7, verse 58; Acts 12, verse 2. My dear friends, do not be dejected or cast down on my account, because men say that I died as an Anabaptist and heretic. There is only one baptism given, and that upon faith; before faith God has not commanded baptism. Now someone might ask: "What! should infants not be baptized?" [n668-2] No; but they are nevertheless saved through the merits of Jesus Christ, and are baptized in His blood; for it is written: "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all will be made alive." First Corinthians 15, verse 22. This is done through pure grace, without any sign. Acts 15, verse 11. But my dear friends, the Lord has commanded that the Gospel be preached, and those who believe it are to be baptized.

Mark 16, verse 16. He also commanded that the believers should observe His Supper, in remembrance of Him, in such a manner as He instituted, and the apostles practiced it. Matthew 26, verse 26; Acts 2, verse 42. Besides these, He did not command them anything; no mass, no infant baptism, no auricular confession, nor any other outward worship. But He commanded us to love God alone, to obey His Word, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Luke 10, verse 27. Oh, where are they to be found who do this? Search the Word of God; there is no Christian who does not know this. You cannot maintain by it what they teach, namely, that you should continue in the holy church. You must know what the holy church is, namely, the assembly of believers born by the Word of God (First Peter 1, verse 23); for you well know that no one can come into this world without being born, so no one can come into the future world unless he is born again, as Peter declares

"not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever." John 3, verse 3; First Peter 1, verse 23. Oh, well for him who is born of it! Those who are thus regenerated practice the true baptism and the true Supper. They also separate themselves from all who teach a scandalous doctrine, or live disorderly; they do not destroy their bodies, for this is not taught in the Word of God; but they avoid their company until they repent (Second Thessalonians 3, verse 6); for they are the Christian church, the community of the saints; they have forgiveness of sins; for there is no other name given in heaven or on earth by which they can be saved, but the name of Jesus; that is, through His merits. Acts 4, verse 12. They believe and live only according to His ordinances. He did not kill those who did not believe in Him, nor did His holy church do this. But He and His own have been slain from the beginning, and so it will continue. Revelation 13, verse 8. By this you will know who are His own. Not those who boast of His name, and maintain their cause with the sword; but those who live according to the example of their Lord, and confirm their cause with the Word of God, which is the sword of the true believers. First Peter 2, verse 21; Ephesians 6, verse 17. Now some might say: "What has become of the forefathers, who did not know better?" We leave this to God. It might also be said that the Lord promised to be with us even to the end of the world. Matthew 28, verse 20. He is always with believers but never with unbelievers, namely, with His word and the right use of His signs, that is, baptism and the Supper, and will always be with those who walk aright, and live in conformity to His Word.

Dear friends, at the time of the apostles there arose seven different sects among them, but the true doctrine was not to be rejected for that reason. Now, though many wicked miscreants have arisen under the Gospel, the Word of God has not depreciated; he who would be saved must submit to it. Romans 9, verse 6. In the time of the righteous Tobit all Israel worshiped golden calves, which king Jeroboam had caused to be made; he [Tobit] alone adhered to the Lord his God, and did what He had commanded him.

Friends, do not look to the multitude, but to the Word of God, which will not deceive you. "Cursed be the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm; but blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord." Jeremiah 17, verses 5 and 7. I trust in this, that He prays to His Father, not only for those who were with Him, but also for all those who will turn to Him through the word. John 17, verse 20. May the good Father, through His only Son Jesus Christ, give you a true understanding, that you may from now on learn to know Him. Second Timothy 2, verse 7.