ANOTHER LETTER FROM JANNEKEN MUNSTDORP, WIFE OF HANS VAN MUNSTDORP, TO HER SISTER; WRITTEN WHEN SHE WAS CONFINED IN PRISON AT ANTWERP, FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AND SENTENCED WITH THREE OTHERS TO BE BURNT; WRITTEN AT ONE O’CLOCK IN THE NIGHT, THE 5TH OF OCTOBER, IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1573.
The abundant and unspeakable great grace of the Father, and the mercy of God, and the loving kindness and love of the Son: with the communion of the Holy Ghost, who through grace has been sent us by the Father, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to the comfort and joy of all faithful, true children of God, by whom we are all guided, taught and instructed; the same keep your understanding, heart and mind in Christ Jesus, to the praise and glory of the Father, to the salvation of your soul, and to the edification of all dear brethren and sisters that fear the Lord and love the truth. The same God, who only is wise, make you fit hereunto; to whom be glory, honor and power, might and strength, forever and ever, Amen, and for a perpetual adieu. After this, my heart’s wish from God, for an adieu, and a perpetual farewell to you, my very dear brethren in God, and to you, my very dear and chosen, affectionately beloved sisters, [I would say that] the time has now come that we must part from one another; I shall now be freed from all sorrow; sorrowing and sighing shall befall me no more. My dear friends, adieu, adieu, we must now part here. Though the Lord has so ordered it with me, I am yet constrained to write you once more for the last time. True, I have written you adieu, but now it goes to my heart; sentence has been passed upon me that I must die. I said to them, that they should take good heed--that our blood should be severely required at their hands. They said they did not do it, that it was the decree of the king. I said that this would not save them; but the Lord forgive you if you do it ignorantly; but I think that you, in part, know well enough what kind of people we are. They washed their hands from it. I said: “Pilate did so too.” They said that Pilate was a just judge, and that we acted contrary to the king’s command. I said that we had greater reason to obey God, than the king; it is a little matter that you inflict this temporal death upon us, for we know not how long we shall live, but we know that we must certainly die sometime; and I said that they should take good heed with regard to shedding innocent blood. Thus we four were sentenced, and it will now soon be over with us. My dear brothers and sisters, the Lord has heard me, that I am permitted to offer up a sacrifice for his name. I did not think that the Lord did so love me: I have certainly never merited it of him; but he will make me fit hereunto through his grace. O what a strong helper in distress we have, who does not let us be confounded. How short has seemed to me the time that I have been here, whereas I was previously so afraid of it; and that he has so faithfully succored me in all my distress, and now makes me so happy that I know nothing to say of sadness. O, oh! how strong is our God; who should not want to fear him? of whom will we be afraid? God is with us; who can be against us? At all events we must here leave everything behind. I may well say that there was never more joy in my heart, than I had when I was sentenced. My dear sister, fear not men who must pass away like grass; for they can do no more than the Lord permits them. My dear brethren and sisters, be not afraid; if the Lord had permitted them, they would not have waited with me so long; but now the Lord permits them. I am well pleased with it, that they shall remove me out of this evil, wicked world, from the evil that I might yet have had in it, so that I shall not be moved; for I expect no joy in this world, because of my dear husband, who went this way before me, and whom, by the grace of the Lord, I am now to follow, having long waited for this time. I also go before you now; follow me. This is the narrow way which the prophets and apostles went, who also had to drink the cup which we must now drink. We shall now soon have passed through this wilderness, as soon as we have drunk the bitter waters. Ex. 15:23. The time of travail is now at hand; weeping and mourning shall then be over. O what a joy this is in my heart, so that I cannot describe it to you. O how mightily the Lord works in us poor, weak vessels; for I know that I have never merited it from the Lord, but am worthy of nothing but eternal death. If the Lord would enter into judgment with me, I should in no wise be saved; but now I must expect salvation out of pure grace, and I doubt not that he will remember my past sins no more, as the prophet says: When a sinner turns away from his wicked life, and does righteousness, he will remember his unrighteousness no more. Ezek. 18:21,27.