The Seventh Letter of Matthias Servaes

Grace and peace be with all believers in Christ Jesus. Amen:

Know further, dear brothers and sisters, that it is still very well with us, namely, with me and Herman; for our hearts are full of joy, indeed, running over with it. Time seems as short to us as it ever did. In the night we praise our God with one accord. We are now alone. Eberhard, the bishop's chaplain, visited me again, on the Saturday after Saint James' Day, and spoke with me very pleasantly about infant baptism and the resurrection of the dead. And the count urged me, saying: "Dear Matthias, tell us your fundamental views concerning these articles, for I told you that your people in the other tower confessed that the dead bodies will not rise; but from you I have received no clear answer, and as you have taught them, they must have it from you." I replied: "It is true, Sir Count, you had such a conversation with me the last time, and I answered you then, as I do now, namely, that I call all the prisoners to witness that I presented no further views in my doctrine (which is not mine, but Christ's) than that the time will come when all the dead will rise from their graves, the righteous to life, the wicked to eternal death, and that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that everyone may receive in his body according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad. But that this same flesh and blood which we now have should inherit the kingdom of God, this I did not teach, but the contrary, namely: 'That flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption.'" First Corinthians 15, verse 50.

Then Eberhard, the chaplain, said that he too did not believe that this flesh and blood should inherit the kingdom of God. I also said: "We shall be changed." Now, whoever would know how this will come to pass, and how the dead will rise, and with what bodies they will come, to him Paul says

"You fool, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies: and what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may happen to be of wheat, or of some other grain: but God gives him a body as it has pleased him." (First Corinthians 15, verse 35). This, I said, is my ground. Oh, that I might become worthy to rise with the righteous, this is my care; as to how the Lord will give me a body, this I leave to Him, and am well satisfied with that. More than this I will confess to neither you nor any other man. In this, he said, we do not differ much.

I then said further: "The cry now raised against us is: This one has confessed this, and that one that, and another one something else. My good friend, go among the people, and question each one separately concerning all the articles; what do you think, would they answer or confess to you anything certain? Certainly nothing at all, or at least only very little." "It is true," he replied. We had much more conversation yet, concerning what ancient writers say on infant baptism. I rejected them all, and left them to God; but he begged me to consider it. I put the same request to him, and said: "I feel assured and confirmed in my heart that it is the pure truth, and I want to live and die for it." I also told them something about their unclean and defective church, the brothel, the gambling house, the fencing school, and their daily life, which they lead in an utterly heathen manner; and also about the injustice and violence they had inflicted on us by way of torture, only because we would not be traitors; all this I told him to consider, if he were a shepherd of the sheep. He replied that he was heartily sorry for it, and the count's face fell, as it seemed to me. They arose, and Eberhard gave me his hand, and in a very friendly manner commended me to the Lord.

So it is still very well with us, the Lord be thanked. Amen. Remember us day and night in your prayers, as we also intend to do for you. And I wish that all prisoners might be admonished and warned to decline all conversation: they are quite at liberty to refuse it. Brothers, how subtly and craftily they spread their nets, to chase my soul into them, but they shall not capture it, this I confidently hope; for in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. Proverbs 1, verse 17.

Therefore I ask of all prisoners that they guard their lips, and bridle their tongues. While the wicked is before you, as David says (Psalm 39, verse 1), do not be hasty to speak, or you will deceive your heart; and wait with patience until Christ speaks in you, or His Spirit, according to His promise, through you. Matthew 10, verse 20. And though you do not reply to every question, you need not be ashamed of it, for He who was the wisdom of God, namely, Christ, was also not ashamed of it, as the scriptures of the Old and the New Testament sufficiently testify. And if you are asked about others who are still at large or in prison, as to whether they are of our number or not, or whether they are baptized or not, you may reply: "I am not imprisoned here for another, but for myself; so I may speak for myself, and not for another." And if they then threaten you with the torture or long imprisonment, let them threaten, let them torture; only firmly trust in the Lord, and they will not be able to do more than God, who has the king's heart in His power, will permit. Proverbs 21, verse 1. If it is then the will of the Lord that you suffer, remember that you often said: "Lord, Your will be done." And surely, if you firmly trust the Lord, the very hairs of your head are all numbered, and not one of them will fall from it without the Father's will. Matthew 6, verse 10; Matthew 10, verse 30; Luke 12, verse 7.

Therefore do not fear their threats in the least, and do not be terrified; but submit to the Lord with patience and longsuffering in all that befalls you because of the truth. Trust God; He will not forsake you, even to death. Amen.

But if I could see, my dear fellow members, that it might promote the glory of God, and your salvation and theirs, if you should answer all their questions, I would not only admonish you to wait until they ask you, but I would heartily urge you by entreaty and admonition, to tell and confess it to them of your own accord, before they ask you. But how they in this seek the glory of God, and the welfare and salvation of your souls, indeed, of their own, this I will leave to the consideration and impartial judgment of every God fearing lover of the truth.

Therefore guard your lips, my beloved, as said above. I have composed a hymn, doing it not out of wantonness; so I wish that it be sung not to my honor, but to the praise of God.

Dear brothers, faithfully remember me in your prayers. I greet you all with the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ; he who does not love Him is Anathema, Maran atha. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with us all. Amen.