My son’s testament, written in the year 1557, the first Monday in April, and confirmed by death, the 26th day of the same month.
THREE OTHER BRIEF ADMONITORY LETTERS BY JORIAEN SIMONS AND HIS FELLOW-PRISONERS.
May God grant peace, joy and consolation in all trouble and suffering to all those who have to suffer for his word, through his beloved Son, in the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
We would inform our most beloved brethren and sisters in the Lord, and all who seek to fear the Lord with the whole heart, that we are all (the Lord be praised forever) of very good cheer, and hope to adhere to the word of the Lord, and not to depart from it, for any visible thing, yea, neither for life nor death, since there is nothing, we trust, which shall be able to separate us from the love of God; we shall be able to do all things through him who strengthens us; we trust by our God to leap over walls. Rom. 8:35; Philip. 4:13; Ps. 18:29.
Dear friends, rejoice with us; why should we fear, when there are so many in the world, who, for a little gain, expose themselves to the greatest danger, both of soul and body, on water and on the land, not knowing withal, whether in case of success there will be gain or loss? But we know that when we have completed this journey by the help of the Lord, all is gain, and there can be no loss; for we run not as uncertainly; we fight not as one that beats the air; but we are assured by the grace of the Lord, that, if we fight through valiantly, as we trust we shall do, we shall receive that which is promised us. We intend to return to them four-fold; we shall not keep silence, but proclaim aloud, what the Lord gives and reveals to us. Our sister Mariken is also of very good cheer, and has rightfully confessed her faith, to which she wants to adhere as long as there is breath in her; she is of such courage and good cheer, that she delights and rejoices us all. We exhort each other with the word of the Lord, as much as God gives each to speak, now by words, now by hymns; yea, I have many hours in which I never once think of it that I am a prisoner; such is the joy which the Lord gives us. I thank you with all my heart, that you have fulfilled my request, also for your affectionate exhortation. Do the best you can as regards my H. F. I commend you to the Lord, and to the word of his grace.