Last Letter of Jerome to his Wife, Written the Night When He was Sentenced, in the Year 1551

Grace and peace from God the Father, the unfathomable mercy of the Son our Lord Jesus Christ, and the loving kindness and communion of the Holy Ghost be to you, for an everlasting comfort, joy, gladness, and strength in your bonds, trouble, sufferings, and distress in your labor, and for strength in your faith, love and trouble. To Him be praise forever and ever. Amen.

I wish for you, my dearly beloved, chosen wife in the Lord, the true, genuine, repentant faith, which works by love, and a very firm, immovable, steadfast mind in my and your most holy faith. I further wish you the crucified Christ for a bridegroom, who has chosen you for a daughter, bride and queen. To this King of the Most High, to the everlasting Father and jealous, loving God, I have now commended you, my beloved in the Lord, that He will now be your Comforter and Bridegroom, since He has called and taken me first, with which I am well content, seeing that it was the will of the Lord; eternal praise and glory be to the Lord for His great power which He has shown in us.

Therefore, my most beloved in the Lord, do not complain, or grieve much, because He has taken me first; for He has done everything for our best, that I should be an example to you, and that you may follow me as bravely as I, through the grace of the Lord, who has made us both worthy to suffer for His name, shall go before you. Oh, my dear lamb, I humbly beg you, not to listen to the papists or other sophists, but steadfastly to follow your Bridegroom, your immovable Bridegroom. Follow His footsteps, and do not fear their threats, and do not let their tortures terrify you; for they can do no more than the Lord permits them; they cannot hurt a hair of your head without the will of the Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10, verse 30.

So do not fear, but continue firmly and steadfastly in the doctrine of Christ, and in the right truth; for the Lord will not forsake you, but will keep you as the apple of His eye; indeed, as His daughter and child, since it is impossible for God's elect to be deceived; for His sheep hear His voice, and follow Him; but they do not hear the voice of strangers. So no one shall pluck them out of His hand; for He is their Shepherd and Protector. So fight bravely, my chosen lamb, for the glory of the Lord, even as He fought so bravely, for the salvation of our souls. Be therefore of good cheer, even though you have to lie yet a little longer in this den of lions. Your deliverance is near; it does not delay, but comes; and when He comes who will come with power, He will receive you as His bride and queen; for it is His pleasure to have His chosen with Him, since He delights in beholding them; and the day of the Lord is at hand. Habakkuk 2, verse 3; Psalm 45, verse 14; Isaiah 13, verse 6.

Therefore, my dear wife in the Lord, fight bravely now, and do not fear man, but rather say with Susanna, that you would much rather fall into the hands of man, than into the hand of God; for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Susanna, verse 24; Hebrews 10, verse 31. Go to meet the Lord with burning love as you have done until now by the grace of the Lord, who works in you; and fight bravely, for the crown of life is prepared for you, since to those who overcome all things are promised, and they shall also inherit all things; for Christ says: "Blessed are you, when all men speak evil of you; for great is your reward in heaven." Matthew 5, verse 11. He also says: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The Lord also said that when they have brought us before lords and princes, and tortured and killed us, they shall still think they have done Him service by it. John 16, verse 2. Therefore, trust firmly in Christ alone, and the Lord will not forsake you, and the crown of life is prepared for you.

With this I will commend you to the Lord, and to the Word of His grace, and take leave of you, here in this world; for I do not expect to see your face any more; but I hope to see you under the altar of Christ before many days. Therefore, my beloved wife in the Lord, though the world counts us liars, and separates us bodily, yet the merciful Father will soon bring us together again under His altar, together with our brother; for I do not doubt it, but am firmly trusting in Him; for I have commended us three into His hands, to do His divine will with us, so that His name may be most praised and thanked, to the salvation of our souls, and to the comfort and strengthening of all those who fear the Lord, and serve and love His name; this He will also do, I do not doubt; for He does not forsake His own who trust in Him; so I go with a glad heart, to offer up my sacrifice to the praise of the Lord. If I could still have come to you, I would have done so; but Joachim would not have it. But Christ will soon bring us together again under His altar; this men will not be able to prevent. With this I bid you adieu, till we meet under the altar. I commend you to the Lord. Big Henry greets you much in the Lord. See, my dear wife in the Lord, the hour has now come that we must part; and so I go before, with great joy and gladness, to my and your heavenly Father (John 20, verse 17), and I most humbly beg you, not to grieve on this account, but to rejoice with me. Romans 12, verse 15. However, I am sad in one respect, because I leave you among these wolves; but I have commended you and the fruit to the Lord, and know for certain, that He will keep you to the end, and in this I rest content. Be brave in the Lord.