A Letter of Consolation and Admonition, in the Year 1546

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, by the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. [n681-1] For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ." * Second Corinthians 1, verses 3 to 5. So Paul says: "I desire that you do not faint at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named." Ephesians 3, verses 13 to 15. He Himself says: "I thank You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight . . . And no one knows the Son except the Father; neither does anyone know the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him." Matthew 11, verses 25, 26 and 27.

He therefore says: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." ** Matthew 11, verses 28 to 30.

Therefore, my dear brothers, since we have such "a high priest, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful who promised; and let us consider one another, to stir up love and good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching . . . . For we know Him who has said, Vengeance belongs to me, I will repay, says the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10, verses 21 to 25, 30 and 31. For he says: "Whoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whoever will lose it for the Gospel's sake shall save it." *** Mark 8, verses 34 and 35.

You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I give you a new commandment, says Christ: "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, so 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, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the publicans do so?" Matthew 5, verses 43 to 47.

"Be therefore followers of God, as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor."* Ephesians 5, verses 1 and 2. [n681-2]

"Flee youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and unlearned questions, knowing that they breed strife. And the servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all men, apt to teach, patient; in meekness instructing those who oppose themselves, if perhaps God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." ** Second Timothy 2, verses 22 to 26.

"Who is a wise man, endowed with knowledge, among you? Let him show his works out of a good manner of life, with meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, do not boast, and do not lie against the truth. This wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife are, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." *** James 3, verses 13 to 18.

"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. [n681-5] If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house, and do not bid him God speed; for he who bids him God speed is a partaker of his evil deeds." Second John, verses 9 to 11. "Beware of false prophets,**** who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire." Matthew 7, verses 15 to 19. "Be therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Do not judge, and you shall not be judged; do not condemn, and you shall not be condemned; forgive, and you shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given to you: good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you measure with, it shall be measured to you again. And he spoke a parable to them: Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not above his master, but everyone who is perfect shall be as his master." Luke 6, verses 36 to 40. "He who overcomes the world

shall inherit all things; all things are in God, and God works all in all." First John 5, verse 4.

Therefore, my dear brothers, "Let your manner of life be as befits the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you, or else am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and in nothing terrified by your adversaries; which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation . . . . For to you it is given, on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me." * Philippians 1, verses 27 to 30.

"Therefore, my most beloved brothers, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice,** inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, so that when his glory shall be revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you; on their part he is spoken evil of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it first begins with us, what shall the end be of those who do not obey the Gospel of God? And if the righteous are scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as to a faithful Creator." First Peter 4, verses 12 to 19.

"It is a faithful saying: For if we are dead with him, we shall also live with him; if we suffer, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we do not believe, yet he abides faithful: he cannot deny himself." *** Second Timothy 2, verses 11 to 13.

Therefore, my dear brothers, let us "walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5, verses 15 to 17.

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like; of which I tell you beforehand, as I have also told you in time past, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. [n681-9] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Galatians 5, verses 19 to 24. Yes, say the wise of this world, the heretics do not believe that God is in the sacrament. Indeed, they are right in not believing it, for Paul says: "He does not dwell in temples made with hands, neither is he worshiped with men's hands." Acts 17, verses 24 and 25. "I give you charge in the sight of God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession, that you keep this commandment without spot and beyond reproach, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ

. . . the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in the light which no one can approach; whom no one has seen, nor can see; to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen."* First Timothy 6, verses 13 to 16.

"No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son . . . he has declared him." John 1, verse 18. Stephen said: "I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." Acts 7, verse 56. "At the appearing of Jesus Christ; whom, having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you do not see him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." First Peter 1, verses 7 to 9. I say that it is great presumption for men to undertake to say that they handle God. For John, concerning whom the Lord Himself declared that a greater was not born of women than John the Baptist, did not consider himself worthy to unloose the latchet of His shoes.**

And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to those who look for Him He shall appear the second time, without sin, to salvation. [n681-12] But this is my belief: that to those who through faith in Christ Jesus are dead from the rudiments of the world (Colossians 2, verse 20), and have crucified the flesh with its evil affections and lusts (Galatians 5, verse 24). Christ left the Lord's Supper in remembrance of His death, so that they should show the Lord's death till He comes (First Corinthians 11, verses 25 and 26), as Paul says: "I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 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? For we, being many, are one bread and one body, for we are all partakers of that one bread. Look at Israel after the flesh: are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What do I say then? That the idol is anything, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything? But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God; and I would not have you have fellowship with devils. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils; you cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and of the table of devils." * First Corinthians 10, verses 15 to 21.

End of these letters, translated and finished the 12th of January in the year 1614.