_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 winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” Matt. 7:24–27.
Therefore, let every one 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 grace--for 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.” 1 Corinthians 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 one or hurt a single hair, on account of my doctrine, which you say I teach as an opinion?” _Ans._ “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.” 2 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.”