Another Letter from Jan Gerrits, to his Acquaintances

After all affectionate greeting, dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, here is what you asked of me. I have done what you wished, according to my feeble ability, as much as is in me; and for this I most heartily thank God the Father and His beloved Son Jesus Christ, that He does not forsake His own, but always helps them to gain the victory; for His gracious eyes are always upon His own, and His ears are constantly open to their prayers. Psalm 34, verse 15. For it is written: "When you pass through water and fire, I will be with you." Isaiah 43, verse 2. So I give Him alone praise and honor for His great help and working, which He has shown in me, a poor sinner, in my tribulation, suffering and pain; indeed, my dear brothers and sisters, so much so that the dogs, lions and bears have not been able to harm me, however much they bark, roar and growl; for the Lord was my protector. Just so I put my hope of faith in Him, that through His great grace He will also preserve me to the end; for if God is with us, who can harm us, and if the Lord keeps the house (as David says), who can injure it. My friends, I wish I could describe to you the state of my heart and mind when I was hung up and severely beaten for the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ; for His Word, and His bitter suffering which He endured for us poor sinners, were so present with me that I thought of nothing else. See, my brothers and sisters, how the Lord can keep and protect His own who trust in Him, as the apple of His eye. I would further tell you, my dear brothers and sisters, that they first pressed me with questions, namely, what my name was, where I was born, how old I was, and how long I had lived in Tessel. In the second place, when I received baptism. Answer. "Five years ago." Question. "Where did it take place?" Answer. "I do not wish to tell you." Then they replied: "You will be made to tell," and they pointed to the executioner, saying further: "If you are asked about the truth, you certainly ought to tell it." Answer. "All that concerns the faith, I am willing to tell you; but God has not commanded me to tell this." In the third place they asked me whether my wife was also of this persuasion. Answer. "No, I regret to say." In the fourth place: "Who had administered it?" Answer. "I do not wish to tell you." Question. "Was it N?" Answer. "God has not commanded me to tell it; and even if I did tell you, he does not live in the king's dominions." Question. "Christ, when He was brought before the authorities, answered when He was questioned; why then will you not do the same?" Answer. "When He was asked questions that concerned the honor of His Father, and His own divinity, He answered; otherwise He was silent. Anything you may ask me about His law, Word, commandments or prohibitions, I am willing to confess before emperors, kings, dukes, counts, princes and other lords, and not to keep silent about it." He immediately said briefly to the executioner: "Seize him." In short, when they laid hold of me, I fell down prostrate and begged the Lord for His help. He immediately said to the rackers:

"Lift him up." So they fell upon me, and dealt with me as the Lord our Master was dealt with, when He was stripped of His garments. They tied my hands behind my back without mercy, blindfolded me, drew me up, and then beat me, laying into me as though I had been a tree, so that the rods cracked like hemp stalks. They said: "Speak; if you have a dumb devil in you, we will soon drive him out." But the Lord, blessed be His holy name, closed my mouth, so that not a single cry of pain, nor any other sound, escaped my lips; for the suffering of our Lord, as already said, and His testimony, so filled my heart that it is impossible to express it. In short, when they saw that faintness had seized all my limbs, they said: "Let him down; perhaps the dumb devil will speak sooner then." When they let me down, I fell with my head against the boards; so they took me and set me on a bench, where I would have fainted again if they had not held me. They stood there like lions and bears, demanding that I answer their questions; but the Lord was my help and strength, praise and glory be to Him for His grace, so that nothing escaped my lips.

Then the president said: "Have you no stout rods to drive out this dumb devil?" He replied: "No; but I have rope." They would have blindfolded me again, but he said: "Let him see it." When he struck, I thought: "O Lord, You see it," and closed my eyes. Indeed, my friends, if they had kept on beating as long as there was breath in me, I think they would have got nothing out of me; such was the strength of the Most High with me. When they saw that it was of no use, they fetched the hundred pound weight and hung it on my feet. Then my heart went out to the Lord: "Keep, keep, my treasure." In short, all their efforts proved fruitless. Then they asked whether I understood Latin. I replied: "Yes, as much as it is." Question. "Do you understand French?" Answer. "No." Question. "Where did you go to school?" Answer. "At Delft." Question. "When?" Answer. "At the time when Delft was burned." They also asked me whether I had read the books of Menno or Dietrich Phillips. "Yes," I said; for Boshuysen had taken my books of doctrine, namely, the New Creature, by Menno, and the Spiritual Restitution, by D. P. They asked me how I had come by it. My lips were sealed. Then the order was: [n891-1] "Fetch water candles! The dumb devil must come out." But the Lord was my preserver, for which I cannot thank Him enough. Sirach 43, verse 30. Finally, the order was given:

"Loose him; he must cool off a little; we will give it to him better yet." As they were leaving I told them to take care what they were doing; the day of the Lord would also come upon them; and so they left me. My dear brothers and sisters, with this I bid you my last farewell, with the peace of Christ. I would have written more, but time does not permit me. If it pleases the Lord, I want to stand at the stake with Him. The Lord be with you all. Amen.