Letters of Christian Langedul Written During His Imprisonment

The first letter of Christian Langedul, written to his wife, Maeyken Raedts, on the 11th of August; in which he relates the joy of his mind, as also, on the other hand, his sorrow for his wife and children, and, finally, how he and his fellow prisoners were examined

I wish you grace and peace all the days of your life, from God our heavenly Father, through Christ Jesus, in the power of His Holy Spirit. Amen.

My chosen and most affectionately beloved wife, and sister in the Lord because of the faith, as I hope by the grace of the Lord, and that this relationship will last forever. Matthew 12, verse 50; Galatians 3, verse 26.

Had it been possible for me, I would have written you sooner about the great grace, joy and comfort that I have enjoyed during this brief time in prison; and I pray the Lord to let me enjoy these blessings to the end, to my salvation. However, the Lord knows the great sorrow and tears I have had, and still have, and will yet have, before my departure comes, for you, the children, grandmother, and for all the friends.

I have wondered, and am still unable to comprehend what a God it is that we have; for He is the God of all comfort, who comforts me in all my temptations; and I hope that He will also comfort you whenever you need comfort. Second Corinthians 5, verse 3.

My most beloved wife, be of good cheer in all your sufferings which you have with me; for the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us; for we have accepted our pilgrimage in this way, and always counted these costs. So comfort yourself with the Word of the Lord, as I hope you will do; and I also have confidence in you, that you will not make me more sorrowful than I am already; I know you to be too brave for that. So I hope that the Lord will strengthen us to the end. Always pray the Lord for us, for we need it, for the prayer of the righteous avails much, and you are one of them in my heart's estimation; and I hope to see you after this life in the eternal, where we shall part no more. And in whatever I have at any time grieved you, forgive me for the Lord's sake, for I gladly forgive everything to those who have sinned against me, so that I hope the Lord will forgive me everything: all my sins and weaknesses. I cannot wonder enough at what the Lord does for me, nor thank Him enough for it; He is too wonderfully good a God, this I now truly realize.

So I inform you that we were all examined today before the margrave, and of us six, we four freely confessed our faith, for it had to be; either the soul or the body had to be sacrificed; the Lord had to be either forsaken or confessed.

So Hans Symons, Cornelis the shoemaker, and Mattheus confessed, and I, unworthy one, as well; and I hope to keep it, to the praise of the Lord, not through my own power or merit, but by the power and grace of God; for through weakness we are made strong, this I must confess. Ephesians 1, verse 19; Second Corinthians 12, verse 9. So be of good cheer in the Lord, and do the best with the children, of whom I dare not think, for they lie heavily on my heart.

When the margrave examined me today concerning my faith, he asked me about nothing but baptism, and I held out against him as long as I could, saying that I knew only one baptism, according to the Gospel and Christ's own command and injunction; but his constant question was: "Say yes or no, whether you are satisfied with the baptism you received in your infancy, or whether you have received another?"

I replied that I knew nothing to say about infant baptism; but this was not enough, I had to confess that I had received another, and so I confessed it, the Lord be praised; and I have not regretted it yet, and I hope that I shall not regret it to the end, for it is the truth.

I must stop, for my paper will reach no further. Greet all the friends much in the Lord, whenever you have a proper opportunity, and also all friends according to the flesh; especially greet grandmother, and comfort her as best you can, since I have great anxiety for her sake, and for you and my children. I often think of my sweet P., but I am glad when he is out of my thoughts. Do the best in everything; I greet you with a holy kiss of peace. I hope the Lord will shorten my days, because He loves me. I hope to write to L. E. yet, when I get time; greet her much in my name. With this I commend you to the Lord. Written as above.

By me, your very weak husband, Christian Langedul, from prison, in which I am for the testimony of the Lord.

The second letter of Christian Langedul, in which he relates how cruelly he was tortured, and the misery of his body after the torture, as also, his sure hope and firm confidence in the Lord

Know, my beloved wife, that yesterday about three o'clock I had written you a letter, which I now send you. I could not send it then, for soon afterwards the margrave came here to torture us; so I was not able to send the letter, for then all four of us were severely tortured, one after another, so that we now have little inclination to write; however, we cannot keep from it, we must write to you.

Cornelis the shoemaker was the first; then came Hans Symons, with whom the captain also went down into the torture chamber. Then I thought: "We shall have a hard time of it, to satisfy him." My turn came next; you may imagine how I felt. When I came to the rack, where the lords were, the order was: "Strip yourself, or tell where you live." I looked distressed, as may be imagined. I then said: "Will you ask me nothing further then?" They were silent.

Then I thought: "I see well enough what it means, it would not exempt me from the torture," so I undressed, and fully resigned myself to the Lord: to die. Then they racked me dreadfully, twisting off two cords, I believe, on my thighs and shins; they stretched me out, and poured much water into my body and my nose, and also on my heart. Then they released me, and asked: "Will you not yet tell it?" They entreated me, and again they spoke harshly to me; but I did not open my mouth, so firmly had God closed it.

Then they said: "Go at him again, and this with a vengeance." This they also did, and cried: "Go on, go on, stretch him another foot." Then I thought: "You can only kill me." And stretched out like that, with cords twisted around my head, chin, thighs, and shins, they left me lying, and said: "Tell, tell."

They then talked with one another about my account which J. T. had written, of the linen, which amounted to six hundred and fifty-five pounds; and that it was so much cash and rebate. Then the margrave said: "He understands the French well;" and I lay there in pain. Again I was asked: "Will you not tell it?" I did not open my mouth. Then they said: "Tell us where you live; your wife and children, at all events, are all gone away." In short, I did not say a word. "What a dreadful thing," they said. So the Lord kept my lips, so that I did not open them; and they released me, when they had long tried to make me speak.

Then two of them, the executioner and his assistant, carried me from the rack. Think how they dealt with us, and how we felt, and still feel. Then they half carried, half dragged me from the torture chamber up into the jailer's room, where there was a good fire of oak wood. There they gave me some Rhenish wine to drink, once or twice, which revived me somewhat. And when I had warmed myself a little, they again half dragged me up over the porter's room. There they had such pity for me; they gave me wine again; they gave me spices, and some of everything you had sent me, all of which did me very good service. They had wine brought and helped me to bed. But the sheets were very coarse, and greatly hurt my shins and thighs; however, soon afterwards the sheets and pillow you sent me arrived, and there were also two or three pocket handkerchiefs. They then covered me with the sheets, which came very conveniently for me, as did the spices. Had the sheets not come, I do not know how I would have passed the night; but as it was, I slept tolerably well. But I am hardly able to stand yet, and the lower part of my legs is as though it were dead from the racking; however, it is all well, as I trust by the grace of the Lord.

We have such a God, so mighty, that He did not let me be tempted above what I was able to bear, and I hope He will not in the future either, so firmly do I trust in Him; for I know for certain that there will never be found another way or another truth. So be urgent, whether in season or out of season. Second Timothy 4, verse 2.

I received your letter, and thank you much that you remember me so kindly, as you have always done. In my first letter, before I received yours, I wrote you the right answer to the letter you sent me. I still have much to write to you, but am not well able to do so now, for it is too soon.

After me Mattheus was tortured; he named his house and the street in which we live, and said it was in a gate; however, I am of the opinion that there are no longer any gates in that street. So move away altogether, if you have not done so yet; for I think the lord will find his way there. Therefore let no one who stands in any danger go into the house. He also named R. T.'s house, and the street where F. V. St. lives. In this matter do immediately the best you can. He is very sorry for it.

Cornelis and Hans told nothing. I still have much to write, but the time is too short. I hope to write again today, if it is the Lord's pleasure. I wish that H. T. would come out once. I greet you all most affectionately. It was well that J. T. went away yesterday, for the margrave came soon after. But I cannot write you much more, for the time until daybreak is too short.

With this I commend you to the Lord, and to the Word of His grace. Pray the Lord diligently for us, for he who asks receives. I dare not let my thoughts dwell much on the children and you; it is so exceedingly hard for me to part from you and them. Satisfy all the friends as best you can, for I am tolerably well content, only it grieves me much on their account; however, the Lord has ordered it so.

By me, your weak husband, Christian Langedul, in prison at Antwerp, the 12th of August, 1567.

I have not fully recovered from the torture yet, as may be imagined; but I trust it is all well; do not grieve too much about it. If J. T. could bring along my account book, I would be glad; I would show him everything, or write it down for him. Bring us something to seal letters with.

Another letter of Christian Langedul, in which he shows the assurance of his mind, the nothingness of his own self, his love to his son-in-law, J. T., and lastly, the fear which they had of being tortured again, and why

Grace, mercy, and joy in the Holy Ghost, from God our heavenly Father, through Christ Jesus, this I wish you, my chosen and greatly beloved wife in the Lord, and all those who love His appearing. Second Timothy 4, verse 8.

Dearly beloved wife in the Lord, I hope you partly know by this time how it is with me, by the two letters I wrote you yesterday, which I hope you have already received. In them I wrote to you partly concerning the state of my mind, which is still unchanged; praise the Lord forever for His grace, which He gives to me, a poor, unprofitable and exceedingly great sinner; for I consider myself unworthy and unfit for this glory, to which the Lord now calls me. Of myself or by my own strength I cannot attain it; so I hope by His grace to hold to the end to the truth and the faith once delivered to the saints; for I am assured in my heart, and have certainly known it all the time of my pilgrimage (which is now about twelve years—true, only a short time, and imperfectly spent), that there will never be found another. So I hope to hold to it, only by the strength and grace of the Lord, and not by my own; and I hope by the grace of God to gladden, by my death, all those whom I may at any time in my life have grieved. And I hope that all those whom I may have wronged in any way will forgive me, since I have always been very ready to forgive whenever anyone wronged me; I hope that all men and the Lord will also do so toward me. I am greatly concerned for J. T., for I know his kindness; so I will let this be enough, and wish him, as I have often done, true faith. This the Lord must give him; but he must also pray for it and heartily desire it. Oh, that I might die another death for him, and for all the friends, so that they might be saved; how gladly I would do it! O J. T., how much you have done for me, and, I hope, will yet do for my weak wife (your mother), and my children, on whom I dare not let my thoughts dwell much. She (your mother) is a woman who fears God with all her heart. Keep company with her, for she will seek nothing but your common salvation. I will let this be enough for the present, or else I would not have time to send this letter. I wrote you yesterday that I hoped to write to you during the day, but I could not do it; Mattheus and I lay in bed until two o'clock, so greatly were we afraid, because the margrave came here to torture Cornelis again, and we feared that we would also be tortured a second time, which we dreaded greatly, more than death, for it is an excruciating pain. Cornelis was tortured and scourged to such a degree the second time that three men had to carry him up, and they say that he could scarcely move a limb, except his tongue. He sent word to us that if they come again it is his opinion it will finish him. So the margrave did not come yesterday, but we expect him again today; may the Lord help us, for it is a horrible pain. Yesterday I received a small basket with food and a nightcap from J. T. I have lent the nightcap to Mattheus, and would like to have another, when convenient, and also a comb, and a Testament, a hymn book, or something else to read, so that we may delight ourselves a little with the Word of the Lord. There is a turnkey here, by the name of Pieter, who will see that we get it. Enclosed I send you a little memento, and W. D. B.'s account. Yesterday evening we were told that J. T. and P. V. D. tried hard to get to me; but it could not be, because the margrave had said that he would come again; however, he did not come, for he attended a great banquet at Mansfield.

While I am sitting here writing, we are informed that the margrave will hold a penal court today; I hope it is for us. Pray for us. I hope God will strengthen us by His power, which surpasses everything. Oh, that we might be delivered so soon; but I am afraid it will not be.

With this I commend you to the Lord, and to the Word of His grace. Always hold to the truth, which, and nothing else, I have confidence you will do. I heartily greet you and all the God-fearing with the peace of the Lord; and Mattheus does the same. Greet all the friends, especially grandmother, most heartily, when convenient. Mattheus would say to you and all the God-fearing that if he has grieved you in that he did not guard his lips better, he is sincerely sorry for it. Written in bonds, at Antwerp, on the 13th of August, 1567, by me, your weak husband,

CHRISTIAN LANGEDUL.

Do the best, and be of good cheer, and pray for us.

Another letter of Christian Langedul, in which he exhorts his brother R. L. to perseverance in the pilgrimage begun; and, being assured in his mind, requests, for completion, the prayers of the saints; commends his wife to him, and relates how a little priest came to speak with him

May the eternal, Almighty God and Father of mercy, through His Son, our Lord and Savior, the same almighty, eternal, worshipful, only wise God and merciful Father of all grace, strengthen and establish you to the end with His Holy Spirit, my dear brother and sister in the Lord, and also according to the flesh; that you may receive the crown of life with all the saints and elect children of God. With this I will bid you final farewell and greeting in this present time, with all dear brothers and sisters in the Lord who live with you and know me. Amen.

My dearly beloved brother and sister, whom I love from the bottom of my heart, I feel prompted now at the close of my life to write you a little for a memorial. I trust you will accept it in good part, so that it may be a perpetual memento and admonition from this your second brother now, who has been imprisoned here in the city of Antwerp for the testimony of the Lord, for which I hope to lay down my life by the grace of God; and I hope that you will not lose heart on account of this our tribulation which we now suffer for Christ's sake, hoping that it happens for the furtherance of the Gospel, and to the awakening of many who possibly have long walked drowsily and half asleep, (that they may become awakened and sober); and I hope by the grace of the Lord that it will not tend to your weakening, but much rather to your greater edification, and that it will serve you as a perpetual direction in your pilgrimage which you have yet to take through a dismal wilderness, in which you may yet meet with many trials. Philippians 1, verse 12; Ephesians 5, verse 14; First Thessalonians 5, verse 6; First Peter 2, verse 11. So take diligent heed, and do not lust after evil things; neither be like those who murmured; but give diligent care that you constantly press on to the promised land, with valiant Joshua and Caleb, so that you may take it by force. First Corinthians 16, verses 6 and 10. And be content with the Word of the Lord, and look to the promise, for He is so faithful; and you know that the Israelites remained outside for no other reason than because of their unbelief. Hebrews 3, verse 19. So, my dear friends, believe God's work, and hold to it until death, and God will give you the victory. Though they seem like giants in our eyes, we shall devour them as bread, and this through our faith, by which we overcome the devil, hell, death and the world. Numbers 13, verse 33; First John 5, verse 4.

O dearest friends, you know that all the pious overcame by faith, as you yourself, my dear brother, know better than I can write it to you. Hebrews 11. Take good heed, my beloved, that you do not fall in the wilderness, as so many do; for in that case it would be better for us not to have known the truth, indeed, never to have been born; for if we lose our birthright, with what will we obtain the blessing again? For it is written that Esau sought it with tears, but did not find it. Second Peter 2, verse 21; Hebrews 12, verse 17. Therefore do not lose heart, but firmly persevere; it is the true grace of God in which you stand, as I hope you yourselves know. I do not doubt that there will never be found another way. First Peter 5, verse 12.

O brother, if another were to be found than this anxious, narrow and strait way, how gladly would the flesh put up with it; but it must pass the strait gate, and O how narrow this is, so that flesh and blood will stick to the posts. But, dear and faithful brother, what great salvation the merciful Father has provided for me, who am so utterly unworthy; what great thanks shall I give Him for it, who has so endowed me with His grace and provided such a salvation for me. Continue in it, my dear brother and sister, and pray the Lord for us, that He may preserve us in our sorest distress, and comfort us when we are most in affliction, and in extreme need of consolation and help, as I hope He will do, for He is faithful who promised it. He also will do it, and will be with us even to death, and not forsake us; for who was ever confounded who trusted in Him? I hope He will not let us be confounded, and that He will finish the good work which He has begun in us, and this through His unfathomable mercy and grace. To this end, help us to fight, with your prayers to God on our behalf; this is my desire and the desire of us all; in this you can now help us the most.

My dear brother, why do you grieve for me; rather take comfort in it, for the Lord has obviously ordered it so. He loves us, and means to bring us into rest. I feel that it is all of the Lord, for when I hear nothing of deliverance for a time, I receive great joy in my heart and refreshing from the Lord; but as soon as something comes again, and the flesh lusts greatly after it, the joy departs, and we have great difficulty getting it back from the Lord. Therefore I hope that you will resign yourselves better in this, for the Lord intends to deliver us from this body of death, and to help us out of this anxiety. The Lord be praised forever for the love He shows me, and that He helps me so. I hope He will keep you also in His truth; so be of good cheer, and comfort yourselves with His beautiful promise, with which we too comfort ourselves entirely.

Therefore, dear brother, I will now conclude my letter; and I kindly ask you to accept it in good part, for it has been written to you and your dear wife out of heartfelt brotherly love, for a perpetual farewell and memorial. I also thank you here for the great trouble and labor you have put yourself to for my sake, and for the great expense you have on my account. I can never repay it to you; but I hope that the Lord will repay it to you and yours, now and hereafter; also as regards that other matter, which you well know. O brother, do not let it trouble you that I was so situated; I would so gladly have done it for you and yours, as God knows, who is acquainted with every heart. If convenient for you, lend my wife a little assistance while you are here, in the things in which she may need your services, and comfort her in the exceedingly great sorrow in which she now is; this I kindly request of you.

With this I will commend you to the Lord, and to the Word of His grace; may He strengthen and establish you in His truth to the end of your lives, to His praise, and to your salvation, and the salvation of us all.

This afternoon a little, lean priest visited us. I believe he is a Jesuit, and that he sometimes preaches in Koppenken's church. There is very little in the man. The bailiff came with him. He (the priest) damned us exceedingly, which was about all he had to say. I was with them about two hours. It would take too long to write it all. His arguments were very weak. It seems strange to me that the lords are not ashamed to come with such men, who will by no means defend themselves with the Holy Scriptures, but with the teachers of the Roman church, with Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine; whom [they say] we are to believe. I then confessed that it could not be proved from the apostolic writings that the apostles baptized infants; also, that baptism belonged to believers, and that infants had no faith. But he constantly asserted that the ancient teachers had written it, and that the holy Roman church observed it so, and that therefore we also had to observe it. A poor argument. The others had something at least, but he was too wretchedly deficient. So it would be too tedious to write about it.

With this I commend you to God. Written at Antwerp, in prison, by me, your weak brother in the Lord, and also according to the flesh, Christian Langedul, imprisoned for the testimony of the Lord and my conscience, the 10th of September, 1567.

Christian Langedul's leave and last adieu to Maeyken Raedts, his wife, after he was sentenced to death

Grace and peace from our heavenly Father, through Christ Jesus, this I wish you, my dear and chosen wife and sister in the Lord; and may the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, comfort you in your tribulation, as He will do according to His promise. And I trust, my wife, that everything (whether tribulation or sorrow) will tend to salvation for the Christian, as I also trust it will lead to your salvation, and to mine as well, although no tribulation for the present seems to be joyous, and this according to the words of the apostle. Hebrews 12, verse 11. However, afterward, my beloved, it will work the peaceable fruit of righteousness for those who by good works seek eternal life, as we have done according to our weakness; for so I may well say, and I speak it from the heart. Nevertheless, I expect to inherit salvation through the grace of the Lord, and am of good cheer in this; I will therefore thank the Lord forever for His love. O my love, the winepress must now be trodden; and I am quite ready for it, the Lord be praised. Truly, He is a God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation. Oh, that I could fully thank the Lord for all the comfort and strength He grants to me, unworthy one.

Therefore, my beloved, comfort yourself in the Lord, and in His word; in it you will find such great consolation and refreshment; and may the Holy Ghost dwell in you with all wisdom, as I do not doubt that the Spirit of God does dwell in you, and that He will guide you into all truth and righteousness.

Your letter I received this noon; I thank you very much for it. J. was here, but we could scarcely speak together. I felt somewhat sorry about it afterwards, when I parted from him; but the jailer drove us away, saying that the lord was coming, which I half thought was not so; nor was it so, for the lord did not come. I would gladly not have parted from him in this manner, but the Lord disposes. Tell J. T. and his wife that I wish their salvation from all my heart, and that he and she, and all men, might know the truth. If I promised it to him in weakness, I hope, by the grace of God, tomorrow to demonstrate it in power. J. told me that you were writing me another letter. O my love, you put yourself to too much trouble, I fear; do rest, for it will soon be over with me.

With this I commend you to the Lord, and to the word of His grace. Greet all the friends most cordially with the peace of the Lord; greet R. Langedul warmly; also your sister, and all the friends, whenever it is convenient, and bid them all adieu. Adieu, my dear lamb, adieu. Written on the 12th of September, 1567, by me, Christian Langedul, your husband and weak brother in the Lord, imprisoned and sentenced to death for the testimony of Christ, and for our conscience. All four of us greet you very much in the Lord. We are of good cheer and courage in the Lord, as Kalleken, who visited us, will tell you. Thank R. most heartily in my name for his letter; it rejoiced my heart, the Lord be praised. Amen.

NOTE. As there has been put into our hands a letter written by Hans Symons (who was burned at Antwerp in the year 1567, together with Christian Langedul and two others of our fellow believers) to his wife, shortly before his death, we think it well to insert it here; the copy of the letter reads as follows