Martyrs Mirror 1203TWO LETTERS WRITTEN BY THESE IMPRISONED FRIENDS, AS WE HAVE FOUND THEM IN A SMALL, OLD, PRINTED BOOK

We poor and despised strangers, who are in persecution for the testimony of Jesus Christ, wish all men, of whatever race or office, from God, that the

* My hope is in God.

Lord would grant them a long peace, so that we may live in peace among one another, in all godliness, to the praise and glory of the Lord, and the salvation of the soul.

Since we are by so many persons, both with word and pen, very unjustly accused and slandered, we are for this important reason constrained briefly, in writing, to present the ground of our faith, and thus make it known as follows

We are not addressed, and interrogated concerning our faith, with a meek spirit, as the holy Scriptures teach; but reproach is heaped upon reproach, and lie upon lie, to increase and augment our afflictions and sorrows; and because they also have no pity for our poor weak women and children. Our country and kindred, and our property, we had to leave (partly, because of the great tyranny), and fled as lambs before wolves, only for the true evangelical truth of Jesus Christ, and not for any sedition or heresy, as the Munsterite errors or abominations were, and as (God forbid!) is reported of us. We fain would that our whole faith and life were written on our forehead, so that everyone might know and see what we believe, and what we seek and desire here upon earth. There should nothing be found but a true faith in full accordance with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and an unblamable life, seeking to provide bread for our wives and children, even as God has commanded and as the Scriptures teach. I Thess. 2:9 ; II Thess. 3:8 ; Eph. 4:28 ; I Thess. 4:11 . Oh, that our persecutors knew that this is the desire of our hearts, they certainly could not but have great pity and compassion upon us poor, despised strangers, if there be any human pity and compassion in them at all, and they would, according to the words of the Lord, have compassion upon us, as the prophet says: "Bring the poor that are afflicted to thy house." Isa. 58:7 . Moses says: "If a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him; but the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself." Lev. 19:33 , 34 .

Mark well that God commands to love the stranger as one's own self. Who is in misery and dwelling in a strange country, that likes to be despised, and driven out of it with his fellow believers, and suffer great loss besides? Hence Christ says: "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matt. 7:12 . Oh, that they would deal so with us, according to natural equity, and the evangelical truth (of which our persecutors so greatly boast), how soon should the persecutors cease, and the lying and slandering mouths be stopped. For Christ and His own persecuted no one, but in His true Gospel taught the contrary, as He says: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good." Matt. 5:44 , 45 . This is the doctrine left by Christ and His apostles, as they themselves declare, even as Paul says

"Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; and labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day." I Cor. 4:11 ; 13 . Paul further says: "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." II Tim. 3:12 .

From all this it is demonstrable, that those who have the true evangelical doctrine and faith will persecute no one, but will themselves be persecuted. If it be said to us, that we are persecuted for our heretical faith, according to Paul's teaching, and because God has commanded to kill the false prophets ( Deut. 13:9 ), we reply thus: "Paul says, that we are to reject (avoid) a man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition." Tit. 3:10 . He does not say: "Drive them out of the country and city without hearing or admonishing them." Besides, one must also know who are heretics: namely, those who advance a doctrine that is beside and contrary to the word of the Lord. But no man can convince us of this; that is, that our doctrine and faith are contrary.to the doctrine of Jesus Christ and His holy apostles, as the sequel will show.

In regard to their allegation, that God has commanded, in His law, to kill false prophets, we reply that if we, in this time of the New Testament, were to kill all which God had commanded to kill in the Old Testament, we should have to kill not only the false prophets, but also the adulterers, whoremongers, and those who take the name of the Lord in vain and curse, and other like transgressors. Leviticus 20:10 ; Deut. 22:21 ; Lev. 24:14 . And if they would wink at these, and allege against us only the commandment concerning the false prophets, in order to be rid of us, do at least rightly consider the word of the Lord, by what sign false prophets shall be known. For thus does God speak by Moses

"If a prophet or dreamer say to you: Let us go after strange gods, which you know not, that prophet shall die." Deut. 13 . But we do not teach to go after strange gods, neither have we a heretical faith which is contrary to the word of Christ. But we believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the pure virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; on the third day He rose from the dead, ascended up to heaven, and is now sitting at the right hand of God the Almighty Father, whence He must come again, to judge the quick and the dead. We believe in the Holy Ghost. We believe that Christ Jesus is true God and man.

Neither do we seek salvation in our works, as is reported of us; but we believe that we shall be saved only through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Nor do we boast of being without sin, but confess ourselves every moment as sinners before our God. But from presumptuous sins we must refrain, if we would be saved: as namely, from adultery, fornication, sorcery, sedition, shedding of blood, cursing and swearing, lying and cheating, pride and drunkenness, anger and strife, hatred and envy. These are the sins of which the Scripture says: "They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal. 5:21 .

That they also say that we will not hear the Word of God, because we do not hear the preachers in church, to that we reply that we do not hear the preachers, to this the Word of our God constrains us, as they are not fit persons to administer such an office. For Paul teaches Timothy and says

"The things that thou hast heard of me by many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." II Tim. 2:2 . For he that would reprove and teach another must be unblamable himself. But if the preachers were according to the apostolic doctrine, we would gladly hear them from the depths of our hearts, and would also be the first and the last in church.

But if it be said to us, that Jesus Christ says "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works" ( Matt. 23:2 , 3 ); we answer: "If the preachers are the scribes and Pharisees, then they are the ones who have crucified Jesus Christ, and then also will come upon them all the woes that follow hereafter. But if they are not the scribes, then are also the preceding words, that we are to do according to their words, and not after their works, not spoken of them." Again, they that sat in Moses' seat, were from the tribe of Levi, like Moses, teaching the people of Israel: "All that the priests and Levites teach you, and as they command you, that shall ye observe, and do according to it." Deut. 17:10 . The prophet says: "The priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth." Mal. 2:7 . Since Christ did not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them; therefore He taught His apostles thus. But that this should be an argument from the word of Christ ( Matt. 23 ) , to hear the preachers, cannot be; since the preachers are not of the tribe of Levi, whom Israel had to hear, but from the Gentiles. Besides, it must be considered, that when Christ Jesus had fulfilled the law in every respect, by His bitter death and the shedding of His sacred blood, He ordained another priesthood that should teach His holy law, namely, His Gospel, when He said to His disciples: "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." John 20:21 .

These holy messengers of Christ directed us to hear, not blamable teachers, but such as are unblamable; who are not given to wine, not selfwilled, not soon angry, no brawler, not covetous, not given to filthy lucre; but given to hospitality, kind, sober, just, holy, temperate; holding fast the faithful word. And let the deacons also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. II Pet. 3:2; I John 4:1 ; I Tim. 3 ; Tit. 1 ; Rom. 2:21 ; 16:17 .

Hence we dare not regard the preachers as the persons that are to wait on the office of the ministry; nor dare we hear them, because they, according to Paul's teaching, are blamable and unfit thereto: When it is therefore said of us, that we will not hear the Word of God, great injustice is done us; for to hear the Word of God is the greatest joy that can come to us upon earth, for it is the comfort of our hearts.

That they would also accuse us of being disobedient to the magistracy, because we do not have our children baptized, to this we reply that we desire to obey the magistracy in all things not contrary to the Word of God. That we do not have our children baptized by the priest, this we omit not from stubbornness or presumption, but through the fear of God, because Christ commanded to baptize believers, and the messengers of Christ did not baptize infants, who were unable to speak, but reasonable persons, upon confession of their sins, and of their faith, as may be read, Matt. 3:16 ; Mark 1:9 ; Luke 3:21 ; John 3:22 ; Acts 2:28 ; 9:37 ; 8:18 ; 10:48 ; 16:33 ; 18:8 ; 19:5 ; 22:16 . Thus did Christ and the apostles teach concerning baptism as we may read, Matt. 28:19 ; Mark 16:16 ; John 3:23 ; Rom. 6:3 ; Gal. 3:27 ; Eph. 4:5 ; Col. 2:12 ; Tit. 3:5 ; I Peter 3:21 ; Heb. 6:2 . These are the Scriptures that testify of the baptism of believers. But of baptizing infants devoid of reason or speech, upon the faith of the fathers, and exorcising the devil from them, of this the Scriptures do not say one word. Hence we dare not consent to such a baptism, because God has commanded, that one shall neither add to nor take away from His words. Nor dare we do what seems right to any one, but only that which He commands. It is further written: "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." Prov. 30:6 .

The Scriptures declare in many places, that they will be most grievously punished by God who forsake His Word and follow their own opinion, even as Saul the first King of Israel; Uzzah, who touched the ark of the Lord; the two sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, who did that which was not commanded them, wherefore they were also punished. I Samuel 15:24 ; II Sam. 6:6 ; Lev. 10:2 . These are to us remarkable examples, that we dare use no religious rites or ceremonies without a command from God. For Christ says: "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." Matthew 15:13 . And Martin Luther, commenting on the third chapter of Daniel, writes: "Divine worship without the word is always idolatry." That they say that the children believe themselves and that God is almighty, so that He can easily give the children faith, since faith is the gift of God, to this we reply that God is almighty, and can easily give the children faith, and not only faith, but also speech, and works, whereby faith is also confessed (for faith is not without confession or good works), but now does God give the children neither speech nor works, to say nothing of faith. * Paul says: "How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" Rom. 10:14 . It is certainly evident to everyone, that infants can neither hear nor understand, as also the Scripture openly declares. And even though the Scriptures did not teach us this, yet experience teaches us, that they must be guarded and kept from all sharp and dangerous instruments, from water and fire, whereby they prove that there is neither faith nor understanding in them. And as they are not willing to permit that infants should receive the sacrament, they thereby prove themselves, that they do not regard their speechless children as believers.

That they also claim that their children are filled with the Holy Ghost in their mother's womb, as was John the Baptist; if this be true, how comes it then that they exorcise the unclean spirits from their children, when they baptize them; if they have previously had the Holy Spirit?

That they also adduce the words of Christ: "Suffer the children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of God," as a proof for baptizing the children, we answer that the kingdom of God is theirs we heartily admit; but that they are therefore to be baptized, we do not admit, for the reason that Christ did not baptize the children that were brought to Him, nor did He command that they should be baptized; but they are saved through grace, without any ceremonies, through the blood of Christ, even as the children which died without circumcision in Israel.

That they also assert that we must be born again of the water and the Spirit, or we cannot enter into the kingdom of God, and would conclude that children must be baptized, because water precedes the spirit; or they will not be saved; to this we reply, in the first place, that Christ here does not speak of children, but to an adult person, that came to Him by night, to whom Jesus said: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." ,john 3:5, 6. In the second place, Christ speaks of a regeneration before the water (v. 3), which regeneration cannot be effected, except through faith in Jesus Christ, as the Scriptures teach. This also Martin Luther writes,t that faith is a divine work in us, which changes and renews us by the power of God, mortifies the old Adam,

* Thus writes Martin Luther in his preface to the Epistle to the Romans.

** In the preface to the Epistle to the Romans.

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makes of us entirely different beings in heart, mind and every power, and brings the Holy Ghost with it.

These words do in no respect concern innocent children, for they do not have the old birth, from the original sin which condemns them, as some would prove, because David says: "I was begotten of sinful seed; and in sin did,my mother conceive me." This psalm David .made, when he had committed adultery with Bathsheba, and was reproved by the prophet Nathan. Then he lamented on account of the inborn sin from Adam, but it was not accounted unto his condemnation, because of the promised seed which had been promised to Adam and Eve, namely, Christ Jesus, who reconciled Adam's transgression and took the original sin upon Himself, as Paul says: "As by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men, unto justification of life." Rom. 5:18 . Thus also Martin Luther declares, writing on the fifteenth chapter of John

"That original sin was taken away through Christ, and that since Christ's advent it does no more condemn any one. Since, then, original sin was taken away through Christ, and no longer condemns any one, there is also no sin can condemn infants if they die without baptism; for the children shall not die for the iniquity of the father, saith the Lord." Deuteronomy 24:16 ; II Kings 14:6 ; II Chronicles 25:4 ; Ezekiel 18:20 : Hence it. is a great sin before God, to demand that the children be baptized for the sake of original sin, or that they shall not be saved. Those who demand this, esteem Adam's sin greater than the merits of Christ: they also seek salvation more in the water than in the blood of Christ, which is openly contradicting the Scriptures, since it is so clearly declared "that the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." I John 1:7 ; Col. 1:14 ; I Pet. 1:19 ; Rev. 1:5 ; Heb. 9:12 .

That they also want to argue, that circumcision is a proof for the validity of infant baptism; this can not be. Reason, if children were to be baptized as they were circumcised, only the male children would have to be baptized, and not the female, for the female children were not circumcised, but only the male children. Paul does not apply circumcision to baptism, but to the circumcision of the heart, which is a circumcision of the spirit. Rom. 2:29 ; Col. 2:11 ; Phil. 3:3 . God commanded Abraham to use circumcision on the eighth day; this commandment Israel kept until Christ came, and they did not change it, whether in little or in much, but adhered to the eighth day, and did not want to follow their reason and say: that when children die before the eighth day without circumcision they are damned; but they would obey God and His commandments and would not follow their own wisdom. In this manner we in the New Testament are also to use baptism: Namely, at the time Christ commanded it; that is, on believers and we are not to follow our own opinion in the matter of baptism, that we should use it before the proper time on speechless and unreasonable children; because God has not commanded it, and it has not been His will. Had it been the will of God, that infants should be baptized, as they were circumcised when they were eight days old, God would doubtless have commanded it with an express command, that children should be baptized, even as well as He commanded to circumcise the children. Christ would also have received baptism in His infancy, as well as that He was circumcised when He was eight days old. But now this was not the will of God; hence He did also teach otherwise, and received it Himself in a different manner. For Christ came to John, and desired that he should baptize Him, as he also did. By this He teaches us, and has shown us by examples, that they who are to be baptized must have a desire for baptism.

That the preachers assert that Origenes received infant baptism from the apostles, this cannot be; for Origenes lived a hundred years after the time of the apostles, as history testifies. But it is very surprising, that the learned are trying to prove any thing by Origenes, since Martin Luther so strenuously rejects him. They write and say what some Romish bishops or popes instituted, and proved the same from the historian Platina. They write thus: "That Pope Innocent commanded to baptize children as soon as they were born." The same is contained in a book printed at Magdeburg, entitled a "Prayer Book, new from the holy Scriptures." Again, Sebastian Franck's Chsonika, and Adriaen van Bergen write that Ignius the tenth pope instituted the sponsors in baptism. This is the reason why we cannot see the propriety of infant baptism: because it is instituted and commanded by men, and the holy Scripture does not know such a baptism, but knows only the baptism that is taught upon faith, as said before.

We are also branded as profaners of the sacrament and forgetters of God. To this we reply

"We neither profane nor forget the sacrament of our Lord Jesus Christ, but hold it in great gratitude, and remember, whenever we observe it, the great love which Christ showed us on the cross, when He suffered His body to be broken, and shed His sacred blood for our sakes; and thus we show forth the death of the Lord, as Paul says: "As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." I Cor. 11

26. This is our faith concerning the sacrament. That we do not receive it from the preachers, and observe it with their church, is for three reasons.

The first reason is that the minister or dispenser must be blameless according to the teaching of Paul; he must rule well his own house, and have his children in subjection, and his wife must be faithful in all things. I Tim. 3:2 ; Tit. 1:6 . In the second place, the church that is to eat of the bread must be a blameless church ( Eph. 5:27 ), as Paul says: "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." Paul further says: "I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no not to eat." I Cor. 5:7-11 . Since we openly find such works in their church, the Word of God forbids us to observe the Lord's sacrament with them.

The third reason is that they do not observe their sacrament according to the practice of Christ and His apostles, for they took bread, and break it, and gave it to the people. Matt. 26:26 ; I Corinthians 10:16 ; 11:23 ; Acts 2:42 ; 20:11 . But the priest break no bread, but give unbroken wafers. The wafers were instituted by Pope Alexander. Christ commanded it to be done in remembrance of Him ( I Cor. 11:24 ); the priests say that it is to be done, partly, for the forgiveness of sins. These are the reasons why we dare not observe it with them, through the fear of God, for we dare do nothing but what the Word of God teaches us. And we observe it with a blameless dispenser, in a blameless church who fear God, with bread and wine, according to the practice of the Lord and His apostles, in the houses, as Christ and the. apostles did.

This is our faith and confession concerning holy baptism: that it may be given to none other but adults that believe, and know themselves what they are receiving, even as they who eat of the bread of the Lord must have understanding and faith, and must examine themselves. Because we thus rightly observe these two sacraments according to the command of Christ, hence it partly comes, that the preachers are so exceedingly hostile to us. It grieves them, that they should lose their profit. They know not what evil things they can falsely tell the authorities and the common people, in order that they should not tolerate us in any city or country. They pretend that there are so many thousands of us in the country, who want to take possession of countries and cities; whereas no such thoughts have entered into our hearts, for it is impossible to take possession of countries and cities without violence and bloodshed. And if we had such a liberty as would permit us to commit murder, and to deprive an other of his property, we would also have liberty to let our children be baptized by the priests; then we would not need to allow ourselves to be driven from our possessions and paternal inheritances, from our ease into great misery, as a reproach to all. If we had such a heart as is reported of us, we would suffer all this in vain, for they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God, as Paul says: Gal. 5:21 . "A lie," says Sirach, "is a foul blot in a man, yet, it is continually in the mouth of the untaught. A thief is better than a man that is accustomed to lie." Sir. 20:24 , 25 . For they had also invented this lie against Paul, that he had made an uproar, and had brought from the wilderness four thousand secret murderers. Acts 21:38 . But with regard to us they have still magnified the lie, and speak of many thousands as being of our faith. We have not so easy a faith, that they flock to us in crowds; only here and there may be a household, which are very solitary and few as a sparrow alone upon the housetop, like the pelican of the wilderness, and owl of the desert, a lily among thorns, and the apple tree among the trees of the wood, which brings forth good fruit ( Ps. 102:7 , 6 ; Cant. 2:2 , 3 ; Ps. 1:3 ) , as a penitent life, to deny one's self, and to hate his own life, otherwise he cannot be Christ's disciple. Luke 14:26 . They that are Christ's, crucify the flesh with the affection and lusts. Gal. 5:24 . He that says he abides in Christ ought himself also to walk, even as Christ walked. I John 2:6 . Christ says that there are few that walk in His way, in the way which leads unto life, and that find it. It is hid from the scribes and wise of this world. Base things, and things which are most despised, hath God chosen, and things which are not, to them it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Thus Christ and His apostles declare that there are few who have the true faith, and know the way. As also the prophet laments: "The faithful fail from among the children of men." Psalm 12:1 . For iniquity abounds, so that, if it were possible, the very elect should fall into error, as Christ Himself says: "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8 . Hence there will be few believers at Christ's coming, and have also been few from the beginning of the world. As namely, in the time of Noah, only eight believing souls. In Lot's time, there were only three believers. In the time of Israel, there were eight hundred false prophets against one. Also, four hundred false prophets, to one [true] prophet. I Kings 18 .

Thus the perverse have always outnumbered the righteous. This is our open confession before God and all men: that the faith and heart of every one of us is of such a nature, that we do not desire in any wise to injure our enemies that persecute us, or to wish them evil; but we desire from the depths of our hearts, to pray for them, and if they should need us, we would most heartily serve them according to our ability, for they know not but that they are right, and are therein doing God great service. John 16:2 . Even as they will hereafter have to confess, as it is written in the fifth chapter of Wisdom; but it shall then be too late for them. For this reason the promise of eternal salvation is ours; as Christ Himself said: "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven." Matt. 5:11 , 12 . This promise have they that are persecuted here. But to those that persecute here, woe is prophesied, as Christ says: "Woe unto you, scribes, who kill the prophets; fill up the measure of your fathers." The apostle says: "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl, for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you." James 5:1-3 , 6 . If it be replied, that they do not want to shed our blood, but only order us out of their cities and countries, we answer that though there is nowhere a place for us, still we must certainly live somewhere; hence we must for this reason go to bloody countries, whence we fled, partly because of the great tyranny, where the blood of the saints is poured out like water. But when that great day of the Lord will come, when men shall say: "Ye mountains and hills, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;" then it shall be found how guilty they have been of our blood. For they shall have judgment without mercy, that have shewed no mercy. For with what measure a man has meted, it shall be measured to him again.

Hence we request and pray, for the sake of Jesus Christ, that what we have written be received in good part, since it has been done out of pure love, for a warning against the punishment of the Lord, lest you sin against us; since we are the true strangers and people of God, who are persecuted for the true doctrine of Jesus Christ and His holy apostles. May the eternal and merciful God look with gracious eyes upon all His afflicted children, who are hated by so many, and not give to the beasts the souls of thy turtle doves, for His great and holy name's sake. Ps. 74:19 .

O Lord, shorten the days, and look upon the reproach of Thy people, which they must suffer every day for the sake of the holy testimony of the Gospel, through Thy dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.