Valerius Schoolmaster Martyred, in the Year 1568

In the year 1568, a God fearing, pious brother called Valerius Schoolmaster, who in his time had served as a schoolteacher at Hoorn, in Holland, and at Middelburgh in Zealand, was arrested for the testimony of Jesus at Brouwershaven, in Zealand. He was a zealous follower of Christ, and would not hide in the earth the talent he had received, but put it out at interest with great diligence; so that on paths and highways, wherever he saw a fit opportunity, he exhorted the people with the word of God, threatening the sinner with the terrible punishment and vengeance which at the speedy appearance of Christ from heaven will fall upon all ungodliness; and again, comforting the penitent with the great and glorious promises and rewards which the Lord God will give to all believers at the end of the world. As a result he incurred the displeasure of benighted men, who can neither hear nor endure the light of the Gospel, so that he was once put in bonds at Goes, in Zealand, but was released again, keeping his faith. Finally, however, he was arrested at Brouwershaven, in the district of Zierickzee, where he suffered many assaults and long imprisonment, but by the grace of God overcame everything, and attested and sealed the faith of the truth with his death and blood, and so, through grace, obtained the crown of eternal life.

He was not idle during the time of his imprisonment either, but wrote two excellent little books, well worth reading, and sent them out from prison. The first is entitled, Of the Decrease and Decay of the Apostolical Church; and Of the Rise of Antichrist, and how the Light of the Gospel is obscured by him. Written in the sixtieth week of his imprisonment; together with an earnest exhortation to apostates from the Word of God, that they may seek the grace of the Almighty in good time, while He may still be found.

The other book bears the title, The Proof of Faith; in which he teaches with great earnestness to count this world and all visible things nothing but mere loss and dung, if only Christ may be won. Therefore he exhorts all believers to become poor for Christ's sake, and to expect riches hereafter with God in heaven. Hence he greatly commends the poverty and piety still remaining in Menno Simon's S. G., and says that in this he puts many others to shame. We have therefore added here, in his remembrance, the first part of that book, so that by this little the reader may judge of all the rest, which would be too long to give here in full. He wrote it in the fourteenth week of his imprisonment. Read it with attention.

"Natural, impartial reader or hearer, you who have any understanding, you may well know and imagine that a man who is so depraved and wicked, and has done so much evil, as to ensure his death if he were arrested, ought to be afraid of committing any more evil, lest at last he be arrested and put to death. But if he does not cease from evil he may at last be arrested for his crimes. Then, when imprisoned, he may reflect and concern himself night and day how he may escape or obtain his freedom, whether by strategy, violence or breaking out—and all this so that he might prolong his uncertain life for a little while, which, though he should escape, he must ultimately give up. And if a poor prisoner cannot help himself, he may consider whether some good friend cannot assist him. And if his friend fails him, he may wonder whether the judges might not be merciful to him, at whose feet he may fall, and beg them to spare him in mercy; moreover, he may promise to reform thoroughly, and that he will commit such misdeeds or the like no more all the days of his life. And when the prisoner has done this much, indeed, all that he knows to do, and all his plans, and everything else, prove of no avail, he may in desperation give up all courage. And when he sees the monk coming, he may become greatly alarmed, knowing that his confessor (who with lies and empty comfort may promise him eternal life, seeking in that way to assure his soul) is the herald of his death; and when the doomed man hears the court pronounce his sentence of death, he may become still more afraid and dismayed. And when at last he is led to death, and sees the instrument of his death, the gallows, wheel, stake, or water, he may fear and quake most of all, so seized with mortal dread and horror that he is as though dead while still living, unless he is assured of his salvation by the priests or some other liars, in which case he might be of good cheer, one in this way, another in another way. And if someone should bring to this doomed criminal, under the sword or at the stake, good news assuring him of his life, and tell him to get up, and should himself kneel down in the malefactor's place, how joyfully the man would accept his fleeting life with gratitude! But Christ, who gives redemption and eternal life by His death, few are willing to accept gratefully, rightly and to repentance. John 3, verse 16; Colossians 1, verse 14; Isaiah 53, verse 4.

"Now, suppose that the doomed criminal were a filthy, unclean harlot, imprisoned for a crime, or for having by herself alone committed (if that were possible) all the wickedness and sins ever done by the whole world, for which she were condemned to the most shameful death that could be devised, and the King should send His only beloved Son from His kingdom and glory into great poverty, imprisonment, suffering and an innocent death, in the place of the unclean harlot, who by every kind of contempt and evildoing had angered the King, and had deserved death a thousand times, but is now nevertheless, out of grace, through the death of the King's Son (on condition of her amending), reconciled to the King, made at peace with Him, set free from prison, and delivered from death, and remains alive, a partaker and heir of all the riches of the King; ought she not to accept this great love and grace, love the King, amend her ways, and be greatly afraid of vexing the King any more all her life, who cleansed her, forgave all her evil deeds, paid all her debts, betrothed her as his beloved queen, raised her into his glory, and protected her as himself from all enemies? But if she should not amend (according to her promise), should anger the King again, and do worse than before, would this not be great ingratitude, worthy of a sorer punishment than before? By this we may test ourselves, whether we who are redeemed through the grace of God also keep our promise of amendment. And though all this were to happen so, a thing which was never heard of or seen, nor ever occurred; yet, since it would be only temporal and of short duration, it is not an adequate comparison to that which is eternal and does not pass away, namely, the love of God, which has come to us through Christ His beloved Son.

"For God so loved the condemned world, His enemy, steeped as it was in sin, and lying in wickedness, that He did not spare His only Son, but sent Him from His glory in heaven, and delivered Him up to the shameful and cursed death of the cross, so that whoever believes should not perish or be condemned, but, through the love, mercy and grace made manifest through Christ, be acquitted, blessed, redeemed, cleansed from sin, protected from the wrath to come, wooed, wedded and exalted as His chosen bride, obedient wife (Hosea 2, verse 20), and glorious queen, and His eternal and imperishable kingdom, and live with joy unspeakable; whereas we were so unclean in our sins, polluted in our blood, with no one attending to us (Ezekiel 16), taken captive by the devil at His will, and sentenced by God, according to His justice, to eternal death and damnation.

"Now let us consider well and take counsel with ourselves, according to the simile of the criminal, imprisoned harlot under the sword or at the stake. Let us examine ourselves well, whether we have risen from our sins, amended, and still amend daily, and whether we have rightly accepted, by the faith which works by love, this love, grace and redemption of God, made manifest through Christ, and whether we in return love God, keep His commandments, and are afraid of offending Him.

"The world was by nature corrupted by sin, and judged or sentenced to condemnation, so that Christ did not come to judge or to condemn what was already judged, but to redeem from judgment and condemnation all those who rightly, by faith, accept His grace (Titus 2, verse 11), that is, those who die to and forsake their sinful life, repent and amend; in a word, those who are born again and live after the Spirit (John 3; Romans 8), as the Scriptures abundantly testify in many places.

"But the others, who do not rightly accept, by faith, to the amendment of their entire life, according to the holy Word of the Lord, this love, grace and redemption, remain nevertheless held captive by their sins, under the condemnation and wrath of God, and because of their unbelief, impenitence and unrighteousness will not see the kingdom of God, nor inherit eternal life, because they still continue in sin, and so cannot receive redemption and forgiveness of sins; and if they have once received it, yet, when their new sins exceed the old ones, it may go worse with them than before, because they are so ungrateful, and do not keep their promise of amendment. For Christ bore our sins in His own body on the tree of the cross (on this condition of our amendment), so that we believers, being dead to sins, should live to righteousness: by whose stripes we were healed. For we were as sheep going astray; but have now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. First Peter 2, verses 24 and 25. From this we may clearly see that those who do not die to their sins, nor live according to righteousness, are not yet healed or redeemed by the stripes and death of Christ; for they have not yet returned by faith to God, from their sins, in which they still live. Hence they assure themselves in vain of eternal life, and of their redemption by the death of Christ, since they are still bound by their sins. Either they must turn from their sins to God, to serve Him obediently all the days of their life, in all holiness and righteousness of faith which is pleasing in His sight; or they still remain captive, unbelieving and condemned, as the Scriptures declare more abundantly than I can point out; for I have never had a Bible in prison. Let everyone examine himself. Second Corinthians 13, verse 5.

"Mark now how poor mankind receive redemption and salvation, as they think. One hears and sees plainly enough that almost the entire population of Europe are called believing Christians, though by their wicked works they hardly show that they are natural men, since they live more unnaturally than irrational beasts. Nevertheless, they are taught by their teachers that they are called children and heirs of God (Ezekiel 13, verse 10), which they also claim they are, being so firmly persuaded of it and settled in it that there are very few of them who can be turned, advised, helped or drawn out of the prison, water, or fire of damnation (Jude, verse 23); for they are already too wise in themselves, already helped, and delivered from death, as they think and say, though in this their sinful life and ungodliness they live wrapped in perdition; and clothed with a beautiful name, being called Christians and children of God, though they lead a worse life than Jews, Turks, or Saracens do, who do not pretend to be Christians, as these do, who so openly and shamelessly forsake Christ, in idolatry with wood and stone, which they call an excellent worship; in avarice which they style only industry; in pride, which with them is only neatness; in lewdness and adultery, which they term only friendship; in drunkenness, which they call enjoyment, pleasure, glee, good naturedness, or good cheer, even as they know how to name and varnish over every form of wickedness and sin, as though they were nothing but virtue and righteousness. As though they were blameless, many of them are not willing to be reproved for the lusts of their flesh, in dicing, gambling, singing, jumping, dancing, strutting, boasting, in order to be nowhere the least, but everywhere the first, if possible; in vain, false, and celebrated arts of earthly, worldly and carnal wisdom; in litigating, suing, swearing; in subtle, fraudulent, wicked inventions and dealings; in lying, cheating, quarreling, cursing, fighting, and killing, if not in deed, then with the heart; in hatred and envy, defaming, backbiting, foolish talking, jesting, joking, uselessness, impropriety, in all manner of lustfulness and wantonness. This is nearly everywhere as common as daily bread; in this and with this they spend, abuse and fritter away, to the perdition of their souls, the precious time of grace, their life, and every good creature of God; which good gifts of God we have received from His grace for our good, so that we may obediently serve our God and Creator, blessed forever, to the honor of God, the salvation of our souls, and the edification and love of our neighbor. For God is not willing that any should perish, nor does He take pleasure in the death of sinners; but He is longsuffering, and waits for all to repent, and will have all men come to the knowledge of the truth, and be saved. Second Peter 3, verse 9; Ezekiel 33, verse 11; Ezekiel 18, verse 32; First Timothy 2, verse 4.

"What more should our Lord God do for man than He has done? Does not then men's condemnation proceed from their unbelief, disobedience, neglect, abuse, guilt, sin, obduracy, and ingratitude, because they will not, by faith to repentance, accept this grace and incomprehensible love of God? [n929-1] But they reject this repentance, and would still enjoy this grace and salvation in their sinful life, from which they do not turn.* For since men have also the freedom to abuse themselves or their own life, and every creature of God, though this is not the will of God, only He permits it, therefore men, by their first birth, live contrary to the Word and will of God, hence unnaturally, disobediently, ungratefully, unreasonably, heedlessly, according to the will of the devil, and are devilishly and carnally minded, covetous and ambitious, unmannerly, immodest, faithless, perjured, hateful, envious, unmerciful, without compassion, impatient, morose, cruel, and revengeful; in short, if men had the power of wealth, and of their body, and if there were no human authority which they fear and dread more than God, men might live in such an inhuman manner that we might almost have a hell upon earth; for though men are now feared more than God, still it is altogether too bad.*

"Many who are poor refrain from drunkenness because they have no money or pledge, while the rich may refrain from it for the sake of their honor or pride, or because they have no company to their liking, or because they wish to preserve their health and mind; and for such reasons lewdness is avoided as well. Men often refrain from stealing because of the gallows, and from murder because of the wheel; in short, every sin is left uncommitted more because of constraint, shame, and fear of men than from willing goodness for the Lord's sake. And though men are so devoid of shame and given up to evil that they openly keep brothels, and live far more detestably than beasts, they are nevertheless called Christians, and claim to be children and heirs of God by grace. How much more, then, those who manage it a little more decently and secretly, as they think, though they are frequently much worse? Can one do worse than those who without shame live in adultery and other secret sins, when God the Lord knows every secret of the heart? Revelation 2, verse 23; Revelation 16, verse 7. Oh, if men's sins were written on their foreheads, how constantly they would keep to the house, and hide themselves in corners, holes and dens, so as not to be seen by men.

"But they are not ashamed before God, nor afraid of Him, from whom they cannot hide, and who can kill the body, and cast both it and the soul into the fire of hell. Intelligent and impartial reader or hearer, test whether these false Christians, in this their improper and unchristian life, can be saved through God's mercy and the death of Christ, or not—even as they presumptuously say that the kingdom of heaven is for them, and not for the beasts, and besides utter so much nonsense, as though they were raving, as they indeed are, so that a true Christian may well be ashamed and afraid to see or hear their madness and their unrighteous works. Second Peter 2, verse 8.

"O depraved and wanton men! Though the Jews, because they were called Abraham's seed, claimed to be God's children, Christ showed them that a thief, liar and murderer from the beginning, even the devil, was their father, because their works were evil. John 8, verse 44. [n929-2] This may have seemed strange to them, even as it may seem strange to those who do not obey the Gospel of Christ, that according to the testimony of the holy Scriptures they are called, and are, servants of sin (Romans 6, verse 20), an evil and perverse generation of serpents, vipers and adders (Matthew 3, verse 7), the seed of the devil, children and heirs of wrath (Ephesians 2, verse 3), accursed and of eternal damnation, seed of Cain, Ishmaelites, filthy swine, devouring dogs, ravening wolves in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7, verse 15), that is, under the cloak of holiness, uncircumcised, gentiles, aliens and strangers from the covenants of the promise of eternal life, who have no part in the kingdom of God, though they entertain a vain hope of it; without God, without Christ, godless and idolatrous in the world. These evil works are the nets, snares, fetters, blocks, chains, bonds, and imprisonments with which the prince of this world, the devil, who works in the children of disobedience, holds men captive, blinded and bound at his will. Ephesians 2, verse 2; Second Timothy 2, verse 26. And as long as the false Christians go or creep about bound by their sins, and entangled in their unrighteousness, they boast in vain and heap one great lie on top of another, when they boast that through Christ they are redeemed and freed from their sins, while they still live in their toils, and because of their unbelief and disobedience are predestined to eternal damnation, unless they turn from their sins to God, and by faith rightly receive His grace to repentance; by which they will not perish, but are predestined to eternal life, and become vessels of honor prepared for glory, according to my simple view. Romans 9, verse 23.

"Mark what Christians these are, because they say that there is a gracious God, which the devil also believes, and trembles; moreover, they say that they are sorry for their sins, and still they go on in them, the longer the more, the older the worse, and under the cloak of the grace of God commit every kind of sin, the one in this, another in that, so that no wickedness is left undone. Let everyone search the secrecy of his heart, and he will better understand and find what I, a prisoner, write here. One man cannot commit all these sins alone, for his life is too short and insufficient. For it is generally seen that sins leave men when sickness or old age comes, which, however, does not lead to their repentance, amendment, or salvation, though many who are robust and healthy abandon and deceive themselves, saying: I shall repent when I am old, when I lie upon my deathbed, or, I no longer care to serve the world; if anyone sorrows for his sins then, and the end is good, all is well.

"O vain consolation! For what kind of repentance can that be, when one is no longer able to commit sin and wickedness? It is nothing but mocking the Lord, sinning presumptuously, and rejecting His grace. Oh, that all men held captive in sin at the will of the devil (Second Timothy 2, verse 26) would always consider this, and so give the more diligence, so that through grace their souls might become disengaged and free from the snares of the devil, or sin; even as a prisoner in the body gives diligence to obtain his freedom, so as to escape bodily death for a brief and uncertain time yet, though he ultimately cannot escape it. If men believed that God is just, and that He will not let any evil go unpunished in impenitent sinners, they would be terrified, and through fear of God's righteous judgment would forsake their sins; but now they are comforted in their misfortune by their preachers, with flattering words and soothing sermons of grace, peace, mercy and salvation; whereas they ought to be reproved for their sins, and threatened with the anger, wrath, fury and displeasure of God (Romans 2, verse 8), and eternal damnation, so that they might repent while the door of grace is open a little while longer. Second Corinthians 6, verse 2.

"I know of nothing that holds men so securely and firmly in the sleep of sin, till the Lord comes as a thief in the night, as to call good evil (Isaiah 5, verse 20), to call the Gospel a sect (of which all manner of evil and falsehood is spoken), and to change the truth into lies. The Christians are called heretics and deceivers; every good work, virtue and righteousness is so misnamed, perverted, painted in such abominable colors, and given the worst construction, that men are afraid of them, as though they would be led astray by the truth, and by God. The devil, on the other hand, does not appear half so ugly as he is represented and as I have described him here, but disguised by a beautiful semblance of love, and changed and transformed into an angel of light, as though he were sent of God, and were himself God. Second Thessalonians 2, verse 4. Then his lies are called nothing less than Gospel and truth; Babylon is called the church of God; idolaters are styled my lords; lying and cheating are termed prudence and cleverness; fighting is called valor, and murder simply misfortune; and so with many like shameful deeds, upon which an honorable construction is put, so that evil is called good. But woe to such, as Isaiah says. Isaiah 5, verse 20. So the ministers and children of the devil know how to change, gloss over, name, and construe in the most favorable light, into good works, virtues, and all manner of righteousnesses, all their evil works, vices, sins, and manifold unrighteousnesses; as avarice into industry and pride into neatness.

"Who can reprove them in this? And with that the devil blinds them so artfully and firmly to his will, so that they think themselves to be pious Christians, and are not willing to be reproved by the truth for their sins, but claim to be blameless children of God; moreover, they say, like Christ's disciples: 'Our Father,' and so on. But let everyone examine himself, whether he is born of God, because he knows how to excuse his sins; and whether he so hallows and adorns the name of God, and does His will, and whether he carries himself before God as an obedient child before his father; otherwise he joins lie upon lie in his prayer, which in that case is a curse and an abomination before God. In short, whoever commits sin is born of the devil, and does not know God. John 8, verse 44; First John 3. And those who are carnally minded cannot please God. Hence, mark whom impenitent sinners call upon as their father. Blind indeed must he be who cannot see this, and hardened he who is not willing to repent.

"O dear reader or hearer, if I may beg you, it is my heartfelt desire of you that you would always consider (and govern yourself accordingly) that men shall give an account of every idle word they have spoken; how much more, then, of their deeds. And everyone shall receive the things done in his body, according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad; namely, before the righteous judgment of God, where anger, hatred, envy, indeed, not loving in deed and in truth, speaking scornfully or spitefully to one's brother, Raca, you fool, or offending him, will be counted and judged murder, worthy of the council, of judgment, and of hell fire. Matthew 5, verse 22; First John 3. In the same way, disobedience will be regarded as witchcraft; to look upon a woman to lust after her, as adultery; and any other evil which is desired with the heart, and consented to with the will (though the power for it and the doing of it be lacking), will be judged and punished as a completed evil work. First Samuel 15, verse 23; Matthew 5, verse 28; Not to keep His Word will be considered lying and perjury, and a good oath, so called, will be as severely repaid as a bad oath; for Christ has forbidden all swearing; Matthew 5, as also to hate one's enemies, and not to love them like one's friends; and many like things. Now mark how adultery was punished under the law by the judges; for those who committed adultery were stoned to death. Leviticus 20, verse 10. And it is daily seen how witchcraft, homicide or murder are punished by the secular lords with fire or the sword to death. Mark how Adam, for one sin, likewise Cain, then the whole world, with the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighboring cities, with fire and brimstone, Egypt, and afterwards the idolaters in Israel and the murmurers against Moses, were punished according to the justice of God, for our example. Of how much sorer punishment, then, are they worthy who murmur against Christ, change His truth into lies, and do not receive His grace and redemption by faith, to the amendment of their life, but reject it, living presumptuously in their sins. Hebrews 10, verse 29; Romans 1, verse 25. God, who did not spare the angels who had sinned, will also not spare those who through unbelief are unrighteous and false Christians, but will punish them with a sorer punishment than Sodom and Gomorrah, which were turned into ashes and condemned and overthrown as an example to all those who commit ungodliness, and do not repent. Second Peter 2, verses 4 and 6; Jude, verse 6; Matthew 11, verse 24; Second Peter 3.

"If, then, we are to be saved through God's mercy, we must repent, must be obedient children of God, born again of Him, and must follow Christ in the regeneration and in the footsteps of faith, through the narrow way to eternal life; nor are we then saved through the merit of good works, but by the grace which came through Christ. Ephesians 2, verse 5. For though we lived holy, blameless, and perfect in all righteousness (as the Scriptures require), and suffered for the truth a death more bitter than that of Christ—which with us men is impossible—yet we could not be saved through our own good works, but only by God's mercy, and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who alone has worked out our salvation. And if we sought or placed our salvation in our good works or our sufferings, we should commit idolatry, and we would be our own idol, if we trusted in ourselves. But now our salvation depends only on the mercy of God, and not on our running and following after. Romans 9, verse 16. Though we should run and follow after ever so well (which we are bound to do), so that we attained, and already had, the perfection (that for which we are apprehended of Christ), and had done all those things which are commanded us, and which it is our duty to do, we would yet be only unprofitable servants. Philippians 3, verse 12; Luke 17, verse 10. How much more unprofitable, then, are we now, with our many defects, though we willingly strive after what is good and would gladly perform it, and are sorry that we are not perfect.* Hence we have great reason, and are bound, to humble ourselves very low under the abundant grace of God, and to pray; for eternal life is a gift of God, and not a debt or reward proceeding from our labor, merit, or good works; for we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before prepared that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2, verse 10), as it is our duty to do, in the least as well as in the greatest. But the wages of sin is death; hence we must hate and fear sin, so that we do not consent to it or commit it, if we want to be saved by the grace and gift of God. So we are delivered through Christ from the bonds of the devil, or sin; therefore let no one say or hope that he is saved by his good works, which are far too insufficient. Also, let no one say: 'Should we not take thought, should we not gain a livelihood, else what should we live on?' except to those who say that one is not to support himself by the labor of his hands, but to go idle. Matthew 6, verse 25; Luke 12, verse 22; Ephesians 4, verse 28. And also, let no one say: 'No man knows the hour and the day of the Lord,' except to those who have set the hour and the day, from doing which may the Lord keep me. Mark 13, verse 32; Matthew 24, verse 42; Luke 12, verse 40. Beware of frivolous babblers, for scorners will speedily come to an end. First Corinthians 15, verse 33. And if, when you speak your mind, or reprove with meekness what does not meet with your approval, someone resists you in the good, be silent at once, so that you may keep your peace and the tranquility of your conscience. If it vexes you, still do not engage in contention, so that you may be found in peace when the Lord comes. Second Peter 3, verse 14. We must in any case suffer violence and wrong here; but it will not last long; hence, let us possess our souls in patience. Luke 21, verse 19.

"The fourteenth week of my imprisonment, the first day of January, so called, in the year 1568. I trust that the present year will not pass like the former. [n929-3] Watch and pray, for you know neither the day nor the hour; but the God fearing may consider whether this is the year in which the Lord will deliver His elect and believers; let everyone take warning." There is nothing so good that men will not contradict it, even with the Scriptures."