Martyrs Mirror 743ANOTHER LETTER OR CONFESSION OF JOGS KINDT

To the praise of the Father.

I, Joos Kindt, imprisoned for the testimony in Jesus Christ, entreat and admonish all dear friends, and all dear brethren and sisters in the Lord, with the grace of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, entreating by this grace, that they not only heed or live according to my entreaty or admonition, but that each (as I hope by the help of God) will heed the warning of the Lord, and that each endeavor to amend his sinful life, which I doubt not everyone does who fears the Lord with all his heart; for the Scripture says: "He that feareth the Lord will do good; yea, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom." Sir. 15:1 ; 1:14 . Since then the fear of God guides' us to virtue, let us fear the Lord; for Christ Jesus requires this of us with His blessed lips, when He says: "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but fear him which. after he hath killed, hath power to cast soul and body into eternal damnation." Matt. 10:28 . Therefore I admonish you with these words, and not with them alone, but with the whole sum of the Scriptures, that each will strive to keep them ( Luke 12:28 ); for Christ says: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the wind blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." Matt. 7:24-27 .

Therefore, let everyone strive to give diligence to take heed to himself, and to redeem the perilous time; for Paul says: "Redeem the time, because the days are evil." Eph. 5:16 . Hence, make good use of the time, and exhort one another; for necessity demands it; and let each arm himself well, even as Paul admonishes us: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood." Eph. 6:12 . Paul was right when he taught this. I well experience it now. The Lord be praised, who assists me so faithfully with these weapons, and, even as He promised to give us a mouth to speak, when we should be brought before such, has now opened my mouth, praise to Him, so that through the grace of the Lord I valiantly defend myself with the Word of my Lord, and have manfully resisted my enemies five times, not only my enemies, but the enemies of the cross of Christ, as you will hear further.

Know, that on the afternoon of the day called St. Thomas, in Babel, as I was lying in the cell I have always occupied, I saw and heard that carnal and worldly lords came into the prison, and also the chief bailiff. The servants then came and said

"Joos, come out." Then said I in my heart: "O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise." Ps. 51:15 . With this I came in before them. Then Ronse and Polet both lifted their caps, and said: "Joos, God. greet you," and nodded their heads to me. I also lifted my cap, saying: "I esteem God worthy of such greeting, yea, and more, I am ready to give back these members which He has given me through His gracefor His name and to His praise; I deem the Lord worthy of so much; for He has deemed us of sufficient value in His sight to die a better death for us." Then the inquisitors said: "Joos, have you not yet considered the matter? Will you not yet desist?" I said: "Yes, always from doing evil. Why did you not ask me this, when I yet ran in wickedness, and practiced all manner of unrighteousness?" They replied: "You could have gone and heard the sermons." They also inquired concerning my faith, which I freely confessed. Then they said: "Speak to us, and tell us whether you have not yet considered the matter." I said: "I will not speak to you; for you are not of God; how should I believe in you? Christ died for me; in this I believe; but you would not, be willing to die for me; neither this dean nor that (there were two deans present, Ronse and Olymaecker); neither this curate nor that, would be willing to die for me. I am imprisoned for my life; set me free and die for me." Ans. "Who teaches this?" I said: "Christ. He says: `The good shepherd loves his sheep, and gives his life for his sheep.' John 10:11 . You say that I shall be damned, if I persist in my purpose." Ronse said: "Yes." I said further: "It is surprising, then, that you should kill me; seeing, therefore, that I hold a purpose for which I shall be damned; let me go until I exchange it for a better." Ans. "We will leave you." "Yes," said I, "and deliver me over." Matt. 27:2 . Polet said

"Paul delivered some into the hands of the devil." I Cor.. 5:5. I said: "So do you also; you have damned me; hence, be satisfied, without delivering me into the hands of the judges. Paul did not do so, nor did Christ teach it in Matt. 28 and Mark 16 , where He says: 'Go, and preach the gospel to every creature.' Christ says not: `Them that will 'not believe you, shut into cells, or put great fetters on their legs.' Did they all believe Christ, who heard Him preach? Did all believe the apostles, who heard them?" Rom. 10:16 . Ans. "No." Joos. "Were they put to death, then, who did not believe the apostles." Ans. "No." "How comes it then, that the apostles did not do this, and that you, who say that you are vice regents of the apostles, dare put us to death? even admitting that we were evil, as you say, but you have a better opinion of us, than you say?" Polet said' "That I will tell you have you not read how Elijah put to death the priests of Baal!" I said: "Yes; and this is just what is wanting yet to subdue you; for you serve Baal even more than they did, and you carouse and banquet with Jezebel much more than they did?" Ans. "What does that concern you? You are always looking to our works." I said: "Christ has taught me to know the tree by the fruit, and says that a corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit, nor a good tree evil fruit," etc. And I further said

"Since your works are not good, I do not believe you to be good." Ques. "Are you good?" Joos. "You do not hear me say this; there is none good but God alone, and though we were to say that we are good, which we do not, you, on the other hand, say that we are evil, and this for the reason you told me when we were in the hall of justice, namely, that when men will not believe us, we kill them." Ronse. "I say this yet." Joos. "Where did you see this in me; since you say that I taught the people? did I kill any ore or hurt a single hair, on account of my doctrine, which you say I teach as an opinion?" Am. "We do not know anything of such a character of you." Joos. "But I know such things of you; you burn or murder those who will not adhere to your false worship. You have justly judged yourselves in this matter." II Samuel 12:7 . Ans. "This brings us no further; let us dispute about the faith?" Joos. "I will not dispute here alone." Then they said: "Do you acknowledge yourself vanquished?" and would have delivered me to the judges, had I said, yes. I replied

"No; wherein have you overcome me? I have said it not once, but fifty times: Show me a better way, with the word of the Gospel, and I will renounce."

Ans. "Let us begin then." Joos. "Very well, before the hall of justice, near a big fire, and the one that is overcome shall be cast into it." Am. "This will not be granted you." The under bailiff then said: "You seek to make disturbance," Joos. "You have made it by apprehending me; if you had let me work, Kortrijck would not be in the condition it is in now; it was not in such a state for seven years." Polet. "You will not be taken there, and this for the reason that you may not spread your poison." Joos. "You ought to come before the hall of justice, and the more people present, the. better, for if I have the lies, and you the truth axe you ashamed of the truth before the people? Take me there, and show me that I am in the wrong, and you will stop the mouths of the people, and when you have overcome me, say: `This is the man who has taught contrary to the Christian faith; we now prove to him with the Scriptures, that he is in the wrong,' and then throw me into the fire, and the people will be edified. If you will not do this, you are not willing that the people should know the truth." Rouse. "You will not be brought thither to speak; when you are brought there, speaking on your part will be prevented." Joos. "Why? the people have their five senses, and he that hath five senses, will hear whether I speak good or evil." Rouse. "You will be prevented from speaking there." Joos. "Do it then; put me boldly into a bag, and smother me by night, so that no one will see it; if He sees it, who searches the hearts and reins, enough people see it; and He will see it, and avenge Himself; I leave it to Him, for I am ready any way, to put off this flesh, whether in the fire or in the water, before the hall of justice or here in this fire (the fire on the hearth); it is not big enough, make it bigger."

They then again proposed' to me to dispute, and said that they were sent from God, and appointed His vice regents. I said: "This is not so; for you have bought your benefices, or they have been given you, or you have gained them by serving; but those whom God has sent, from the beginning of the world, have been sent differently." They said that they would prove it to me by the Scriptures, that they were sent. I said: "Prove it?" Am. "This is it, that to Peter the key was given, and he was pope, and it was given to him and his successors." Joos. "Show me, that anything is said there about successors?" Ans. "This will be shown you." Joos. "Show me then?" Then Ronse read from a Testament, Matt. 16 , from the place where Christ asks: "Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am?" to where He says: "I will give unto thee the keys;" but there was nothing said about successors. He then said: "You have heard it, have you not, Joos? it is so long: I would read further, but it is too long a task?" Joos. "I desire that you read on." Rouse. "How far?" Joos. "To where it speaks about successors." Rouse. "You have heard that he says: `Upon this rock I will build my church.' Hence it is founded upon St. Peter, and he was pope." Joos. "Christ is the foundation, as Paul says ( I Cor. 3:11 ): `Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.' But Peter is not the foundation, nor did Christ found the church upon Peter, but upon the confession of his faith where he confesses: 'I confess that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God;' therefore, Christ is the foundation. But," said I, "let us speak about the key; you skip from the key to the church; you say that I run from one thing to another, stick to your text yourselves, and show me, as you have asserted, that Christ says: 'I give unto thee the key, and unto thy successors.' " They replied: "We shall show it to you. But listen, it is this," said Polet, and produced a sophism. I said: "You cannot satisfy me with arguments; show it to me in the book?" Then Ronse said: "We know it by heart, and so do you; hear us repeat it from memory?" I said: "Read it?" They replied

"Is it not the same whether we read or speak it? Joos, hear what I shall tell you?" I said: "Telling will not satisfy me."

---- ---- When they would not read it, I addressed the chief bailiff, and Roegaergijs, and said: "My lords, I demand that you assist me in this matter, and compel them to read it; else I say that you are tyrants and not judges." Then said they, "Read it to him." Thereupon they read Matt. 16 . Ronse read, and when he could not find it, he turned as white as a sheet, and then said: "It is not here." Polet said: "These words are not there, but the sense is in Matt. 28 ." He then read: "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." I said

"This is not where he says: `I give unto thee the keys, and unto thy successors."' Polet. "Would you have just these very words; they are not here; why make so much ado about it?" Joos. "No, but because you will say you will show it to me." Rouse. "Be silent, you are not worthy to speak." Joos. "Why should I keep silence, when you with your false mandates have brought about, that neither proctor, nor attorney, nor friend may speak for us; if you are not willing to let me speak, you ought to have let me remain in my cell; but I shall keep silence neither for you nor any one else; I am neither a thief, nor a murderer, nor a ravisher of women; why should I forbear speaking? I shall defend myself, because my life is at stake, and not keep silence as long as I can move my tongue; but do you N. keep silent; you are not worthy to speak, you soul murderers, you enemies of the cross of Christ." Again they proposed to me to dispute. I said: "Before the hall of justice, but not here." Am. "You will not be taken there." Joos. "Well then, do as you please; I have confessed my faith to you when I first came here, and I have told you more than fifty times before, and tell you again, that I think nothing of all your trumpery, nor of a single point held by the Roman church." Rouse. "Do you think nothing of the sacrament? Let us hear what you think of it?" Joos. "An idol, a little flour; and if I had your oil, I would grease my shoes with it." Rouse. "We can hear that you are audacious enough."

Then a contention arose, and they thought to fall upon me; but I defended myself valiantly with the Word of the Lord, as behooves a servant who loves his master. And the Lord gave me such a mouth to speak, that for three hours I did not make one assertion, which they were able to refute. Then the incarnation was made the subject of discussion, which they would carry out to the dead letter. Matt. 1 : The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David. Thereupon I said that in Matt. 22:41 it was written: "Then Christ asked the scribes and the Pharisees: `What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him the son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word."' I also told them of the figure of Melchisedec, and the last chapter of

Revelation, that He is the root of David; which they would not hear, but adhered to their dead text.

When I perceived that they would not acknowledge their error, I said: "If you want to speak of the incarnation, or of any other matter of the faith, come before the city hall." Then Polet said: "Who should judge there, who is right or wrong?" I said: "These good lords." Polet said "They do not understand the Scriptures." I said "They understand them well enough for you, to dispute here, or in the hall of justice; hence they ought also to understand them, to dispute in the city hall. And if they do not understand the Scriptures, then they ought to feel ashamed that they are judges in this matter, when they do not understand the Scriptures." So much was said, that as much paper as I could hold in my hand would not suffice me to write down all their sophistry. I commend all dear friends, and all brethren and sisters in the Lord, into His hands, and entreat them all, to arm themselves wisely, for it is necessary; and when they come as far as I am, not to engage in disputation, for, if it were possible, they would draw us away from the truth. Know, that I am of such good cheer, that it would be impossible for me to describe the joy or gladness I have, and I hope that the seal of this letter will be the putting off of my body. To this end, lnay the Lord give me His grace, that His name may be glorified thereby; for I seek nothing but the glory of the Lord. Nothing more; I commend you to the Lord, and to the Word of His grace. Pray the Lord for me; I will gladly pray Him for you also.

Thep say that Christ by origin is David's Son; If He be David s Son, He's not the Father's Son: For no one has two Fathers 'twere unnatural; He's God's only Son, and not creatural.