Author's Preface

TO MY BELOVED FRIENDS AND COMPANIONS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR

Next to God we are joined to our fellow believers who have received the same faith with us, and so it is to them that we speak.

But most beloved, do not expect that we will bring you into Grecian theaters, to gaze on merry comedies or festive shows. We will not open to you the pleasant arbors and pleasure gardens of Atlas, Adonis or Semiramis, which are said to have been built in the air, and of which the ancients used to sing their merry songs. Yet far be it from us to lead you to places of sadness, surely not to such as can truly be called places of sadness.

True enough, we will lead you into dark valleys, even into the valleys of death (Psalm 23, verse 4), where nothing will be seen but dry bones, skulls, and the frightful skeletons of those who have been slain: these beheaded, those drowned, others strangled at the stake, some burned, others broken on the wheel, many torn by wild beasts, half devoured, and put to death in many cruel ways. Besides these, a great multitude who escaped death bear the marks of Jesus, their Savior, on their bodies, wandering over mountains and valleys, through forests and wilderness, forsaken by friends and family, robbed and stripped of all their earthly possessions, and living in extreme poverty.

Yet to look upon all this will not cause real sadness, for though the sight is dismal to the body, the soul will still rejoice in it, seeing that not one of all those who were slain preferred life to death, since life was often offered to them on the condition that they turn from the constancy of their faith. But this they did not want. On the contrary, many of them went boldly onward to meet death. Some even hurried to outstrip the others, so that they might be first, and did not shrink from suffering anything the tyrants could devise, indeed more than could be thought possible for a mortal man to endure.

Among a great number we saw a God-fearing hero and knight of Christ who, advancing before the others, went cheerfully to suffering and death, and acquitted himself so well in it that he fought, or pressed his way, with such force through the strait gate that he left his flesh on the posts. [n8-1]

When we had seen this with the eyes of faith, and had meditated on the matter, our spirit was kindled, and we almost seemed to welcome him, and to wish him everything good, in these words

Klimt op uw' gulden Hoogt', Voorvechter van de bende

Der heil'ge Zielen, die God's roode Bloedbanier Navolgde, in 't gedrang, in 't midden der ellenden, Daer niet dan rook en damp van menschen offervyer

Tot door de wolken vloog; noch gingt gy Held haer voor,

Ja streed, door d' enge poort, ten ruymen Hemel door. [n8-3]

[Climb up your golden height, champion of the band of holy souls, who followed God's red banner of blood, in oppression and in the midst of misery, where nothing but the smoke and vapor of human burnt sacrifices rose to the clouds; yet you, hero, went before them, indeed, you fought your way through the strait gate into the wide Heaven.]

Then followed a great multitude of very devout and virtuous people, men, women, young men and young women, all clothed with the same armor of faith and walking in the same path. Some of these were, like their leader, put to death; the rest were led to different places of execution, where they saw many of their fellow brothers and sisters, whose lives had been taken by the most dreadful means, burned and roasted at the stake. Even so they were not terrified, though they had to expect to be put to death in the same manner. They were of good cheer, calling on God for help, that they might not falter in their sufferings, but prove steadfast to the end. This done, they too were burned.

This seemed almost to break our heart. Our soul was horrified, and filled with pity at their misery. But when we remembered their constancy, and that now, for the heat they endured, they found refreshing with God, and indeed could look for the blessed crown of immortal glory, our grief subsided and sweet consolation filled our soul, so that we, in their memory, wrote the following words for ourselves and our fellow brothers and sisters:

Het schriklyk offervyer, de glinsterende staken, Den smaed, die Zion leed, kon God's verkoren volk Belet noch hinder doen, noch geensins angstig maken

Te dragen Christi naem, als in een witte wolk: Tot dat een heete vlam haer lyven heeft verslonden; Waer door haer zielen toen by God verkoeling vonden. [n8-4]

[The dreadful sacrificial fire, the shining stakes, the shame which Zion suffers, could neither disturb nor hinder God's chosen people, nor make them afraid to bear the name of Christ, as in a white cloud: until a burning flame had consumed their bodies, and by it their souls found refreshing with God.]

Some were not only bold, but went to death rejoicing, which was plain from the way they carried themselves. Others showed it by their words, as they spoke of the consolation in their heart and the glad hope living in their soul, when they were placed at the stake. Many, when the fire was kindled, and even when the flames had closed over them, sang with a loud voice to the honor of their God and Savior, because they had been counted worthy to be offered up as sacrifices for His holy name's sake. Acts 5, verse 41.

If we were to tell of the joy and consolation of those who, having escaped death, wandered about in foreign countries and lonely places, without friends or family, help or assistance, time would fail us and words would not be enough to describe it. Here the testimony of Paul is found true, "that all things work together for good to those who love God." Romans 8, verse 28. For those who were forsaken by friends and human help found help with the angels of God, and protection under the wings of the Almighty. Those who had no eternal rest or dwelling place found rest and a home of contentment in their souls and hearts. Those who went almost naked, having no clothes to put on, were most preciously clothed and adorned in the soul, with the robe of righteousness and the garment of salvation and godly virtues. Those who had to abandon their worldly business, and submit to the plundering of their money, goods and everything they had, so that outwardly they were very poor, possessed great riches within themselves through the grace of God, which they received through the consolation of the Holy Spirit, and the word of the Lord, which was more precious to them than many thousand pieces of gold and silver.

The hard seasons of the year, the heat of summer, the cold of winter, the wet of spring and fall, together with the hazards of thunder, lightning, hail, snow, rain, wind, hunger, thirst, sickness, weariness, and countless other troubles they met while wandering about and suffering persecution, were to them sweet pleasures and refreshment in the Lord, for they knew that this would afterward be turned into joy for them, since it is written: "Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh." Luke 6, verse 21. Again: "That we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." Acts 14, verse 22. And in another place: "If we suffer, we will also reign with Him." Second Timothy 2, verse 12.

This made them say with the apostle: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Second Corinthians 4, verse 17. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Romans 8, verse 18. "For whether we live, we live to the Lord; and whether we die, we die to the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's." Romans 14, verse 8, and so on.

Many of them would not have traded the darkest and harshest dungeons, or the caves of the earth in which they had to hide themselves, for royal palaces. The wilderness was to them a delightful pleasure garden, the howling of the wild beasts around them was as sweet music or the songs of birds, and water and roots or dry bread delighted them more than the choicest food and drink from the tables of the great.

All this was granted them by the generous hand of God, because of the constancy of their faith, from which they could by no means be made to swerve, nor be brought to waver in it; because of their living hope, which bred in their souls a longing for the riches to come, so that they were able to count the present ones as of little worth and forget them; and because of their unquenchable love for God, His holy truth, and their beloved fellow believers, by which their souls were kindled into a flame far more intense than were their bodies by physical fire, though these were reduced to ashes.

But can carnal men understand this? Will any of them believe these things? We think not, for how can a carnal man share in the Spirit of God? How could one who is earthly minded climb to heaven in his thoughts? First Corinthians 2, verse 14. How can one understand what belongs to salvation who is himself altogether unsaved and has no desire to obtain salvation through the grace of God? What fire of divine love can he feel whose heart is wholly cold, and who loves nothing but sin and sinful creatures?

We hold, therefore, that these are things which do not belong to the blind and worldly minded, since in their ignorance they would set no value on them, but to the heavenly minded, who, as spiritual eagles, look with the eyes of the soul on the mysteries of God, who seek their food with God, and find their delight in His saints and well-beloved, who gave up their lives for His holy truth.

For this reason we have spoken to you, most beloved brothers and sisters, who with us, and with our slain friends, the blessed martyrs of God, have received the same faith: this book, the humble work of our hands, which is nevertheless a precious jewel in view of the persons and the matters it contains, we have dedicated to you. Receive it, then, with the same love with which it has been dedicated to you. Read it again and again, and with the same attention and feeling with which we have written and rewritten it. We are fully confident that if you do this, it will not be unfruitful to you. But before all things, fix your eyes on the martyrs themselves, note the steadfastness of their faith, and follow their example.

Ruth, the Moabitess, said to Naomi, the mother of her husband: "Do not urge me to leave you, or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God; where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me." Ruth 1, verses 16 and 17.

With such inseparable love ought we, most beloved in the Lord, to be joined to our blessed fellow brothers and sisters who have been slain for the testimony of the Lord, so that we may follow their footsteps to the end. For surely, the God whom they confessed and served is also our God; the Savior in whom they placed their hope is our Savior; the faith which they all confessed is our faith (we speak of Anabaptists in general); the law and commandments of God which they received as their rule of life are also our laws and commandments. They bowed their knees before God; they bound themselves by the words of their lips to render obedience to God, and then received holy baptism; we have done the same. They promised to continue steadfastly all the days of their life in the faith and in due obedience, without departing from it, indeed, if it should be necessary, to suffer death for it; we have promised the same. What difference, then, is there between us and them? Certainly only this: that they all persevered to the end, indeed, to a cruel death, without turning to the right or to the left, which we have not yet done. They have taken by force the blessed Fatherland, the Canaan rich with milk, the true promised land which flows with honey, which we have not yet done. They have therefore entered into rest, indeed, have come to the Lord, while we are still in unrest, going on with our pilgrimage away from the Lord.

Therefore, my most beloved friends in Christ Jesus, let us in this last respect too seek to be conformed to our beloved slain fellow brothers and sisters, that we may continue steadfastly to the end in the most holy faith which we have confessed with them. Oh, be careful in this matter. Watch over your dearly bought souls, for it is highly necessary, indeed, more necessary than at any time before.