THE COMPLETE WORKS OF

MENNO SIMON,

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL DUTCH OF HOLLAND.

Volume Two

Volume 1 Contains Renunciation of Popery, Foundation and Plain Instruction, The True Christian Faith, Concerning the New Birth, Cross of Christ, Pleasing Meditation on the Twenty-fifth Psalm, The Spiritual Resurrection, Excommunication, The Education of Children and Letters.

Volume 2 Contains Reply to Gellius Faber, A Supplication to Christians, Apology, Reply to John A’Lasco, The Triune, Eternal and True God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Christian Baptism, Reason Why, A Confession, Reply to Zylis and Lemmekes, Replication, The Incarnation, Reply to Martin Micron, Jesus, the True Scriptural David, Letters, etc.

Volume Two.

“The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of Judgment.  The Law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.”  Psalm 37:30, 31.

“Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.”  Hebrew 13:7.

Elkhart, Indiana

Published by John F. Funk and Brother,

1871

Entered according to Act of Congress,

in the year 1871, by

JOHN F. FUNK & BROTHER,

In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.

 

 

MENNO SIMONS.

Born in Witmarsen, in Friesland, Holland, in the year 1496, and died in Woestevelt, formerly called Oldeslohe, on the 13th of January 1561, in the 66th year of his age.

The Complete Works of Menno Simon,  Volume 2

Menno Simons’ prominence as a leader of the Anabaptist movement came somewhat as a result of his prolificacy.  Being one of the few Radical Reformers who did not suffer an early martyr’s death, he had much more time to write and develop his ideas.  His complete works include his magnum opus: The Foundation of Christian Doctrine, plus essays, devotionals, letters, and tracts.  Even a brief skim of his work can lead to much greater appreciation and understanding of both early Anabaptism and the contemporary Mennonite tradition.

Kathleen O’Bannon

CCEL Staff

Digital Versions

Restored, Corrected and Reset

by

Bruce Armstrong

Central Highlands Congregation of God

Volume 2 Released

18th February, 2024

Published by

Central Highlands Christian Publications

PO Box 236 Creswick Vic 3363 Australia

info@chcpublications.net

chcpublications.net

Digital Edition Foreword

It is almost 500 years since Menno Simon wrote this material, and 150 years since the English translation was printed, but his work remains valuable for God’s children to read and understand.  From the moment Menno decided to truly walk with Christ, his life was in constant danger, and many of his fellow believers were cruelly murdered for their faith.

This edition began with the CCEL digital version.  It has been carefully corrected using the original printed translation and then ‘translated’ into modern English, as it seems inappropriate to leave it in the archaic King James Bible style English which the 1871 translators chose, rather than using contemporary language and making it more like the Dutch used by Menno.  The updates included restoring God’s name─Jehovah─everywhere it is used in the original manuscripts of the Bible.

As Menno stressed many times, we too need to hold fast to Christ, study his Word, and follow His Instructions to the end of our days.  Menno taught baptism was only for believers, our need for the indwelling of the Holy spirit, non-violence, obedience to Christ first and then to secular rulers, separation from the unbiblical myths and traditions of Catholicism and Protestantism and the exclusion of unrepentant sinners from our congregations.  May this version of Menno’s work inspire you to deepen and strengthen your faith, especially if you find yourself threatened with the viciousness the early Mennonites faced in the coming Great Tribulation.

Bruce Armstrong

Central Highlands Congregation of God

Contents

A

REPLY TO A PUBLICATION

OF

GELLIUS FABER,

PREFACE.

Notwithstanding that it is well known to many thousands of honest and reasonable people (as I suppose) that we seek nothing else upon earth but that we may in our weakness, willingly walk in the footsteps of Christ, in obedience to his word; that we may again light the extinguished lamp of truth, may call many unto righteousness and that we may save our souls by the assistance and grace of the Lord.  On this account we, poor ones everywhere, must endure so much tribulation, misery, anxiety, cross and persecution.  Nevertheless, the above mentioned Gellius, who in this case should be our assistant and fosterer (for he claims to be a servant of the holy word), still increases our anxiety and sore persecution and the hatred and bitterness against us, by his unscriptural arguments and hostility to our foundation and doctrine, by his covert, malicious complaints to the magistracy and by his infamous slanders which he publishes, through his writings, to the world, to the dishonor of God and his holy word; to the disgrace of all the pious; to the confirmation of his own condemnation and to the deceiving of the simple.  Therefore, no well-disposed person will think hard of me, that I, by an open reply, in accordance with the Spirit and word of my Lord, defend, to the best of my ability, the honor of God, the salvation of my brethren, the foundation of my faith and the praise of Christ, my Lord, whose service I entered, unworthily, by his grace and calling, according to his divine will.

I trust, too, with the gracious help of God, that I shall be able to do this so powerfully and clearly, with so many plain reasons and Scriptures, that not only the theologians but also all reasonable and impartial readers and hearers will, by the grace of God, clearly understand that he and the preachers of his class, support deceiving lies; and that we, through the grace of God, support the sure foundation of truth.  I, with this, humbly beseech and faithfully advise all my readers, friends and enemies, that they will attentively read, assiduously examine and judge according to Scripture my forced reply and defense, not with partiality, not drowsily or spitefully but with care and impartiality.  This matter is of like importance to us all, namely, the praise of God and of Christ and the salvation of our poor souls.  Let none imagine that he cannot be accepted.

There is but one road and gate that leads to life, which is a strict road, Mat. 7:13, also, but one doctrine.  If we wish to enter with Christ into the kingdom of his glory, we must all walk the strict way and enter in at the narrow gate and be obedient to his word; of this let everyone be aware.

Since, then, it is evident that Gellius and the learned, base their doctrines, sacraments, &c., mainly upon human wisdom, garbled Scriptures, upon ideas and opinions; and that we base ours upon God’s word; that he and his followers walk upon the broad road and that our followers walk upon the strict road; that he is not persecuted, but does persecute by his writings; and, on the other hand, that we are persecuted and do not retaliate; therefore, all right-minded persons must admit that the truth and the true church is not with them, but with us.  It is an infallible rule as proven by the word of God and the example of all the pious, that where the true church is, there also are and necessarily must be the saving doctrine, true sacraments, unfeigned love, a pious, godly life and the excommunion or separation of the impenitent and perverse, according to the word of God; as may be clearly concluded, by the grace of God, from the following replication.

I would, therefore, earnestly pray for all the pious, for God’s sake, that they would assist me by their ardent prayers to the Most High, that he will bestow upon me, a poor, weak man, together with my beloved brethren and faithful servants in the Lord, the gift of his grace and the power of his wisdom; so that we may silence all opponents, by virtue of true doctrine and an unblamable walk and thus maintain to the end, the house of our God, in pure, godly zeal and christian love, to the honor and praise of his great name, to whom be praise and the eternal kingdom, Amen.

 

 

REPLY TO A PUBLICATION OF GELLIUS FABER.

OF THE MISSION OR CALLING OF THE PREACHERS.

But Gellius and we should well consider that the sower should, by the power of true faith and the co-operation of the Holy Spirit, be changed into the Spirit and nature of Christ and should then teach or present to the people the pure, unadulterated seed, which is the word, without all abuse, leaven and hypocrisy, for where there are such sowers, there it will bud and bring forth.  The word of the prophet, which the mouth of the Lord has spoken is true and firm.  But where there are not such sowers, they arise too early or start out too late; labor and pains will be in vain; for God works not unto repentance but through those who are of his Spirit.

Inasmuch, then, that the word with true preaching does not remain fruitless as we have seen and since we clearly see that the seed of the preachers of the world brings forth no fruit unto repentance, but only hypocrisy, therefore it is an indisputable fact that they do not have the word of the Lord in power; but that they are artful workers and not true preachers, or else the word of the prophet must be false, which says, “If they had stood in my counsel and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings,” Jer. 23:22.

Since then, that preachers are known by their fruits and that Gellius and his like preachers have preached their doctrine and sacraments so many years to the whole world (which they may continue to do without fear, while they are not opposing the impenitent in their hypocrisy and uncontrolled life, but rather console and encourage them) and yet do not convert a miser nor usurer to liberality; do not bring forth their disciples further than that they profess in name and appearance.  They remain unchanged in their heart, hate and oppose true righteousness, walk upon the broad way and earnestly strive after the world, flesh, money and possessions.  The pompous remain pompous; the proud remain proud; and liars continue in their falsehood, as is manifest; therefore their fruitless preaching, vain doctrine and church-service fully prove that their calling is not from God and his word, but from the son of the abyss, anti-christ and of the world, however much they adorn and boast of their cause.  The word of Jehovah God is and will remain true, Isaiah 55:11.

Gellius then refers us to his fruits and says, Is not the preaching of the truth and the light of the holy gospel, which we assiduously preach and promulgate both by teaching and writing a good fruit and glorious testimony that our calling is from God and not from the devil; by which the kingdom of the devil is destroyed and by which the papistical abominations, idolatry, masses, absolutions, vigils, &c., have become a deadly stench?

Answer.  If they did not mix the dross with the silver and water with wine, that is, if they would preach the truth, without falsehood and the light without darkness in the power of the Spirit and would testify it before the whole world by a pious and unblamable life, then we would agree with them that it is a glorious light and a noble fruit.  But while they practice wrong and pervert truth into lies, the true apostolic baptism into the baptism of heretics, the church of Christ into pernicious sectarianism and conspiracy, &c. and on the other hand pervert lies to truth, the anti-christian to christian baptism and the reckless, wild world to the Lord’s church, &c., we say that their doctrine is deceiving, offensive and wrong and is not the true doctrine, as Gellius boasts and pretends.

Yes, my reader, they so preach the word of the Lord that unrighteousness and abuse yet remain in full sway; they so teach the truth that in many respects, false doctrine, lying and deceiving is not yet weakened nor destroyed; they so use and practice divine service that the high places are honored and idolatry is not avoided; they so preach the christian church, that the church of anti-christ remains in full power, as is openly manifested to the whole world both by their work and their tyranny.

In short, it is manifest that they so preach and promulgate the gospel that no repentance follows but that everyone, alas, remains as he is; yes, what is worse, that the people are not only not regenerated but are daily growing more wicked.  Neither encomiums, reasoning nor artful demonstrations will avail here, for their fruit testifies that their doctrine is faithless and false, as said before, Jer. 23.

The serpent spoke the truth when he said, “God knows that in the day you eat of it, then your eyes shall be opened; and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil,” Gen. 3:5.  But that which he promised before was a lie, namely, “You shall not surely die.”  Adam and Eve were by this deceived.  Thus, also, do those who teach the serpent’s word.  They so teach the impenitent, carnal people, concerning the death of the Lord, by their unscriptural sacraments of impenitence and so console them in their reckless, Adamic nature and life, by false promises (although they do some times speak the truth, as did the serpent, produce Scriptures, partly reprove sin and praise virtue) that there is no body to be found who truly feels sorry for his sins, who sincerely repents of his wickedness, saying, “What have I done,” Jer. 8:6.  Behold, says the prophet, so they practice falsehood and strengthen the wicked, that none repent of their wickedness.

That some of them have thus weakened the papistical abominations, for this they and we give praises to the Lord.  But what does it avail if they renounce the pope and they themselves step in his stead?  It is true that many branches of the tree of anti-christ are hewn off, but the roots and body still remain.  And although he destroyed some high places, yet they walk in the ways of Jeroboam and have not come to Jerusalem for the purpose of truly worshiping.

Yes, kind reader, had the learned firmly trusted the living God, faithfully adhered to his word and had they not acted hypocritically with the world and had they themselves, in power and deeds faithfully practiced, without fear of the cross and the disfavor of the magistracy, what they have, in some of their writings, pointed out, O, what a noble and clear light would have shone on the world, which now, alas, has become such a pernicious darkness and destruction and a broad way, through the fear of the cross, through hypocrisy, selfishness, desire of ease, ambition and favor of men.

In the second place he says, Is the whole Bible, translated (into the German language) by the memorable D. Martinus, a despisable fruit?  Are the songs or hymns composed by Luther and many others a contemptible fruit?  Is, also, the constancy, which exists in these times of peril and danger of body and possessions, as it did in the beginning of the gospel, not a noble and genuine fruit of our calling?  But such fruits are of no account in their sight or else they will not see them; although they are the surest and the best fruits, &c.  The fruits of the outward life and dealings with men, although often mere hypocrisy, only avail in their sight.

Answer.  The deceased translators, authors and composers we will leave undisturbed, for they have already found their Lord and Judge; but we will turn to the living, with whom we have to speak.  His saying that writing, translating and composing are the surest and best fruits, is, in my opinion, a very senseless assertion, for such things can be done through learning and skill in languages, without regeneration and change of heart, as he himself well knows.  Yes, as the Bible or the Scriptures are read by the greater part of the world, with impure, carnal hearts, so, also, they can, undoubtedly, be translated, through the knowledge and skill of languages, from one language into another, with a carnal, unregenerated and impious heart.

And as hymns are generally sung in God’s houses or temples, carelessly and are light-mindedly sung, here and there, in the streets and in riotous taverns; so, also, can they be composed by a light-minded heart without spirit or regeneration?  These are, therefore, not the surest and best fruits, as Gellius pretends to say, for they do not remain.  But whatever some, in by-gone times may have written, in true zeal, which is Scripture or conformable to Scripture and useful to the regeneration of the pious, we should, reasonably, praise and esteem.

However, the surest and best fruits are to so preach the word of God in power, that many may be born of him and be led to sincerely fear and love him; to cordially serve their neighbors; to die unto flesh and blood; to believe on Jesus Christ with all the heart and tremble at his word; that they may do nothing contrary to it; that they may truly worship God and conform their whole life or walk according to his Spirit, word and example, for such fruits remain.

I would further say, He boasts of the danger and constancy (as he calls it) of some of their number; now, in these times of war, which he calls a time of trial, because, (if we understand him aright), they can no longer uphold and protect their cause by force of arms; and consider it a noble fruit, although they have, perhaps, not been tempted unto death as we daily are; and therefore he so indiscreetly condemns and profanes our cause, which the Lord knows we have maintained and will maintain in spite of sword or any other deadly weapon, something which cannot be truthfully refuted.  We have patiently walked according to the example of Christ; sacrificed our possessions and blood which might have been saved by a single, hypocritical word; and at all times, for our invincible constancy, we suffer with fire, water and sword; being defenceless and without any resistance “we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter,” Rom. 8:36.

But we give praise to God, that some of them have sacrificed their blood for the sake of the testimony which they had and with James count them happy; yes, that they are joint-heirs in the sufferings of Jesus Christ; for their deeds have proven that they sought God and were faithful as far as they were enlightened.  But what will that avail them, while they close their hearts to the light of truth; contend against the Spirit, word and will of God; preach lies, pervert and abuse the sacraments and console and encourage the wild, wicked world in their impenitent, reckless life?  Something which the faithful heroes have not done, for they were faithful in everything which they acknowledged as the truth.  If they had acknowledged more they would, doubtlessly, have died for the sake of it as well as for that which they did, at the time, acknowledge.

If our opponents are of the same spirit then they may boast.  But their fruits openly testify that that they are, alas, very different.

Again, he writes that the fruits of an outward life alone, avail in our sight, &c.  Do not our sore oppression, trials, great tribulation, misery, possessions and blood; besides, our open and frank confession, openly testify that he makes this assertion without all truth?  Yes, that he openly slanders and wrongs us?  O malitiosam calumnian ac perversitatem, (O malicious calumny and perversity).

My kind reader, observe that all Scriptures and the power of true faith constrain us to zealously teach an upright, pious, godly and penitent life; for Jesus Christ says, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works.”  Paul, also teaches, “That you may approve things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.”  That we might walk worthy of the Lord and his gospel.  Peter says, “Having your behaviour honest among the Gentiles;” and John says that we should walk even as Christ walked, Mat. 5:6; Phil. 1:10; Col. 1:10; 1 Pet. 2:12; 1 John 2:6.

Since Scripture, on every hand, enjoins upon us a pious life, as has been heard; therefore it is reasonable and just, if we believe the word of God, that we zealously follow, in our weakness, that which the Spirit of the Lord has so clearly taught and enjoined in his holy word.

But his assertion that such fruits only avail in our sight comes, alas, from an impure heart.  For, I presume, he well knows that we plainly teach that we cannot be saved by outward works, however great and glorious they may appear or that we can thus entirely please God; for they are always mixed with imperfection and weakness and, therefore, through the corruption of the flesh we cannot acquire the righteousness required in the commandments; therefore we point to Christ Jesus alone, who is our only and eternal Righteousness, Reconciliation and Propitiator with the Father and do not trust in our works at all.  My reader, I write the truth in Christ Jesus and do not lie.

O, that Gellius would quit his unguarded talk and speak no more than that which is true, for a liar is a disgrace and shall not inherit the kingdom of God; and that he could once feel what a true christian faith is, what it requires in its nature and what it produces in power.  He would then know what it is that brings forth such a pious, penitent and unblamable life, which he has in times gone by so disgracefully slandered and upbraided as devilish fruits, hypocrisy and a new mockery; and, as it appears, would yet upbraid, if it was not for the experience of many and the great quantity of innocent blood which has been shed.

Behold, dear reader, now you can see how they adorn and deck their abominable hypocrisy and fruitless, impenitent church-service with writing, translating, singing, &c., although generally alone, without repentance and regeneration, as heard; and how they basely construe and explain the sincere, pious fruits of true faith which are taught and represented by all the Scriptures, ceremonies and sacraments; that they may daub the wall with untempered mortar and console the poor, miserable people in their disregard of the word of the Lord.  But when Lord Jehovah’s hurricane, flood and great hailstones shall come with a great noise, then they will break down the wall that they have daubed with untempered mortar and bring it to the ground so that the foundation of it shall be discovered, &c., Ezekiel 13:13, 14.

In the third place, Gellius writes that the office of a preacher consists of two parts, namely, in rooting out, destroying and opposing; also in sowing and building, &c. and boasts that their fruits, especially as regards the first part, cannot be denied in many kingdoms and principalities; and that the Lord Jesus Christ (as he says), has, through their services, planted sincere repentance and such true christian faith in many hearts, that the small community at Emden, in sure expectation of a reward in heaven, willingly supports several hundreds of poor people by their alms, &c.

Answer.  We admit that the first part of a preacher’s office consists in rooting out, destroying and opposing and the other of sowing and building up and this is a proof for us that they are not the preachers to serve in such capacity.  Although they have renounced, in different cities and countries, (for which we praise the Lord), some abuses and idolatries, which were so gross that they might be plainly noticed, even without Scriptures, to be abominations; yet the root of all deceit remains untouched, namely, the false doctrine and unscriptural sacraments with which they console the world and encourage them in their impenitence and natural state or Adamic heart which is the source of all unrighteousness, as may, alas, be seen on every hand by the fruits.

If, then, they are the true preachers as they pretend to be, let them execute the first part, namely, to break in pieces with the hammer of the divine word the proud, obdurate hearts, the impure, avaricious hearts, the blood-guilty, tyrannical hearts, &c., of whom it is written that they are worthy of death; to humble them by the eternal judgment and punishment of Almighty God; to discover to them their ungodly and corrupt nature and flesh, by virtue of the commands; that they may learn to know themselves, see their shame and thus, with sorrowing and repenting hearts, in the fear of the coming wrath and eternal punishment of the just and great God, sincerely and tremblingly repent and die unto their sins, crucify their flesh, smother their lusts and walk before their God with broken and humbled hearts.  Behold, this is the true and principal rooting out, destroying and opposing to which Scriptures say the true preachers are called.

Then let such moved and humbled hearts, such penitent and sighing sinners, who are, with Peter and Magdalene, heart-broken, bitterly weep and with David confess their guilt; then point them to the only and eternal seat of grace, Christ Jesus; teach them the eternal mercy, love, favor and grace of God, according to the Scriptures; console them with the gospel of peace; carefully anoint their wounds, caused by the sharp and smarting wine, with the oil of the joyful promises of Christ, that they may thus, through faith arise with Christ from the death of their abominable sins into the new life of all virtue; that they may, in true faith and in pure, unfeigned love, always walk without all offence, according to the example of Christ and all the pious; and give thanks to the Lord for his manifest love.  Behold, all true preachers who are called by the Spirit of the Lord and are fit for his service thus sow and build.

Dear reader, observe; Since Gellius and the preachers, then, are not such destroyers and builders, rooters and planters, as their deeds testify; but destroy that which is good and build up that which is bad; that they root out truth with their offensive doctrine and plant falsehood with their false sacraments and easy life; therefore our assertion is incontrovertible that they are not the servants of Christ nor his true messengers.

Gellius writes, “that the Lord, through their service, has planted true repentance and such a true christian faith in many hearts, that the small congregation at Emden were comforted in expectation of a heavenly reward.”

Answer.  If this were true indeed, as he writes, it should be attested by their fruits and manifested by their works.  Paul says, “The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power,” 1 Cor. 4:20.  Let nobody falsely boast; we will be judged by one before whom nothing is hidden.  Nobody knows what true, christian faith and true repentance are, but he who has truly received them and felt their power.  If God, then, plants repentance in so many hearts, as Gellius pretends, why is he and his like preachers, yet so impenitent, so inimical and refractory to truth and so offensive and blamable in wholesome doctrine?  If those of whom he speaks are of the same mind with him, which we trust they are not, then he has not written the truth; this is too plain to be denied.

Those hearts in which God has planted true repentance and an ardent, true, christian faith cannot, especially in these times of manifest truth, long be hidden, nor remain without the cross promised by the Holy Scriptures, if even their own preachers and relations are to persecute them.  For if they would testify their faith by a frank confession, by a pious life and by works, which are the fruits of true and ardent faith, they would soon find that they have to bear the cross with Christ, their Lord.  However much Gellius may garble it in his writings, the word of Christ is and remains the word of the cross; all who accept the word in power and in truth must be prepared for the cross; this, both Scriptures and experience abundantly teach us.

This had necessarily to be said, lest we be consoled with a false boasting and idea and lest the word of our Lord Jehovah, spoken to the false prophets, be applied to us; saying, You promise life to those souls to whom you should not promise it, “By your lying to my people that hear your lies,” Ezekiel 13:19.

Notwithstanding, many are allowed in their churches who wantonly live in pomp, splendor, carousing, avarice and according to the lusts of the flesh, which service a true and faithful preacher, through which God works, does not allow, if the evangelical Scriptures and apostolic ordinances and doctrine shall avail and are true.

But, as to the alms and support of the poor, I would say that it is a good and praise-worthy work and cordially approve of it.  Also, that many pious gentile philosophers, such as Aristotle, Plato, &c., have considered it as right and just.  But we contradict that.  Sincere and true repentance, or the true seed and foundation of sincere love, which is a fruit of true faith, consists in this; for we may give in hypocrisy, as well as in love, as may be seen by the Scribes and Pharisees, by the open heathens and daily, yet, by the papists.

Paul also agrees with this, saying, “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and do not have love, it profits me nothing,” 1 Cor. 13:3.  Therefore, let everyone take heed for what purpose and with what heart he bestows his alms.  For the love which is of God and of a divine nature hates all boasting and hypocrisy, neither does it know them; of this I am convinced.

If Gellius points to the support and service of the poor, which I deem praiseworthy, as a fruit of true repentance, then I would ask in the first place, whether he finds a lack of alms with our church; although they are exiled to foreign countries and live in poverty and misery and are partly robbed of their possessions?

In the second place I would say that while he wants to boast of true repentance, he should first commence with the repentance of such faith as brings forth the love and fear of God and not with the alms for the poor.  For the Lord’s own mouth speaks, That love is the keeping of his commandments; yes that it is the greatest commandment, Deut. 6:6.

Yes, my reader, if he and his could fully comprehend sincere, true repentance and true christian faith, which he thinks has been planted in their hearts, O, how cordially would they fear their God, love and thank him for his favors and loving-kindness and how willingly would they follow and obey his holy word!  But how they do love and thank him for his loving-kindness and how they obey and follow his word, their actions and fruits, alas, too plainly testify.

If they love God and if a true, living faith and genuine repentance has been implanted in their hearts, as he boasts, why do they, then, yet walk after the manner of the Gentiles in pomp and splendor, in the lusts of their eyes, embellishment of their bodies and houses, in avariciousness, carousing, &c.?  And why do they not heed the words of Paul, namely, “If you live after the flesh, you shall die,” Rom. 8:13.

If they love their neighbors, as the Scriptures command and true repentance brings forth, why are they, then, so usurious, avaricious and perfidious among themselves?  Why do they litigate?  Hatred, envy, lying, deceit, backbiting and defamation still prevail among his followers; besides this, they curse, swear, brawl, fight, war, destroy, rob and some of them are fornicators, perjurers, &c.; to say nothing about their disgraceful upbraiding, profaning and defaming of all those who seek and fear the Lord.  What sort of repentance and faith it is, of which he so loudly boasts, you may consider in the fear of God.

O, my kind reader, it never fails that where true faith is, there, also, is the righteousness of faith; where there is unfeigned, christian love, there also is obedience to the holy word and where there is true, sincere repentance there also is an unblamable life.  According to the truth; this is incontrovertible.

Is it not a false assertion to say that the giving of alms shows true repentance, since we do not know whether it is done in sincerity of heart or in hypocrisy and vanity while he can plainly see that those who give alms generally are merely of the world and flesh, yes, without regeneration and repentance?

It would be well if he could take to hear what stands written: The alms (gifts) of the ungodly do not please the Most High; and sins are not remitted by much offering.  And he who offers from the possessions of the poor does even as if he slaughtered the Son, in the sight of the Father.  But to keep God’s commandments, is a pleasing offer and to do according to the command, this is an offering which avails.  “To depart from wickedness is a thing pleasing to the Lord; and to forsake unrighteousness is a propitiation.’ Again, “To obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken [is better] than the fat of rams,” Eccl 35:3; 1 Sam. 15:22.

I would further say that it is my fixed opinion that the before-mentioned alms, of which he boasts, are not the two mites or pennies of the widow’s necessaries; but only a small crumb of their abundance, riches and wealth.  This I frankly assert and I do not have the least doubt that if they would apply, to the support of the poor, their silk damask and the superabundance of clothes in which they go splendidly attired, the ornaments of their houses, the golden and silver rosaries, the useless, costly ornaments, gold rings, chains, silvered and gilt swords, besides the booty of the persecuted which may be found in the houses of some, then the poor would not, in the least, suffer from want.

O, my reader, yet by him, this must be called true repentance and a highly boastful work.  If such boasting of outward works was heard from our side, how soon would we hear that we are work-saints and that we want to be saved by our own merits.

O, Lord!  O dear Lord!!  Thus the ignorant people are deceived and consoled in their impenitent, reckless life with their own works and merits.  I think that such preachers may justly be called peace-preachers, bolsterers and false daubers of the Spirit of the Lord, since they praise such a carnal people as penitent and happy according to the prophetic word, while they are still quite earthly and carnally-minded; as their daily walk openly testifies before the whole world.

My faithful reader, observe the word of the Lord and take heed; for it is not always a true christian faith nor sincere repentance which the children of the world, who are prone to walk upon the broad way, sometimes teach and represent as true faith and sincere repentance.  But this is true faith; which cordially accepts all the words of God, the threatening commands as well as the consoling gospel and trusts in them as the sure and true word of God, &c.  From such faith, which Paul calls a gift of God, springs the fear of God which drives out sin and the true love which gladdens, enlivens and cheers the heart and leads it into the obedience of the word.

Where there is such a faith which brings forth a new, converted and changed mind; which makes us dead unto sin and leads us into a new life; changes us from Adam to Christ; puts off the old man with all his works and puts on the new man with his works and thus conforms all his thoughts, words and works to the Spirit, word and ways of the Lord, behold, there is true repentance to which the holy prophets, John the baptist, Christ Jesus, together with all the apostles and pious servants have so earnestly pointed us and so faithfully advised us.

All those who would rightly preach this faith and this genuine repentance and would by this bring forth fruits, must themselves first truly believe and sincerely repent; this is too obvious to be denied; and that Gellius and his like preachers do not yet, in power and truth, believe and sincerely repent, I will leave to be judged by their own writings and fruits, both here on earth and before the throne of God and Christ.

Gellius further writes and says, If it were true that many of our audience turn the preaching of the holy gospel to lasciviousness, as in Jude 4 and that our preaching avails but little, although many pious, penitent hearts incontrovertibly prove the contrary, then the old lamentation of the prophet Isaiah were but verified, that says, Who has believed our report, &c?  He also points to the saying of Christ, namely, If they have kept my word they will also keep your word; with which he doubtlessly means to say, as the world has not kept my doctrine, therefore they will not keep your doctrine.

He also refers to the four kinds of seed and four kinds of earth, Mat. 13:8, 19, 23.

Answer.  God has never, from the beginning, preached repentance through the impenitent.  The mouth and wisdom of God say, “Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles,” Mat. 7:16.

Since it is clear that Gellius and his like preachers remain so earthly and carnally minded and are driven by such an unmerciful, tyrannical and slandering spirit, which is, properly, the inborn spirit, nature and fruit of the old serpent; how, then, can they rightly preach the penitent, pious life and the fruitful, merciful, amiable spirit, nature and disposition of Christ, which they not only do not acknowledge, but upbraid as hypocrisy and which they sincerely hate in all the pious?

In the second place, I say that the preaching of peace and the making of cushions by the learned, as they do, will bring forth but few truly repentant persons.  For although the world is so wicked and wild that we should reasonably be terrified at their very great wickedness, yet they are so comforted and consoled by their preachers, with their infant baptism, supper, alms and with the merits, grace, death and blood of the Lord, that they presume themselves to be the Lord’s chosen holy church and people.

In the third place I would say because he speaks doubtfully, saying, If it were true that many of his audience turn the preaching of the word to lasciviousness and little fruit was brought forth by it, something which he however does not admit, &c., the reader should well mark how assiduously they defend the world and the church of anti-christ, saying, If it were true, &c.  Yet the whole German nation has degenerated to such a wild and reckless freedom, by the preaching of their free gospel that if we reasonably admonish and reprove them for their open unchastity, carousing, pomp and splendor, cursing and swearing, lascivious and foul words, we must immediately hear that we are conspirators, vagabonds, fanatics, heaven-stormers, anabaptists and other indecent, disgraceful slanders.

But in regard to the complaint of Isaiah and the saying of Christ, If they have kept my saying, &c., John 15:20, with which he wishes to cover and adorn his unscriptural practices and doctrine of impenitence, I would ask him if Christ and the apostles have received those who lived after the lusts of their flesh, such as drunkards, railers, extortioners, avaricious, fornicators, adulterers, &c., as their disciples, so long as they had not sincerely repented?

If he answers in the affirmative, then he speaks contrary to all Scripture.  For Paul says that we shall not eat with such, if he does call himself a brother, 1 Cor. 5:11 and that they shall not inherit the kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 6:11.  If he answers in the negative, then I would again ask why they receive them as disciples while they are not disciples of Christ, but are, according to his own words, of the world?

If he answers that they do not receive them, then I would ask him why they baptize their children before they let them partake of the supper?  And whether it would not be better if he would separate them, according to the Scriptures from the communion of those whom he esteems pious?  If he answers that he does not know of such, which he can by no means truthfully say, then I would, lastly ask if he does not know a tree by its fruits; if he cannot see a light that shines in darkness, as all true christian lights are called in the Scriptures, nor a city which is built upon a high mountain?  Mat. 5:14.

Since Gellius and all the preachers receive and allow such impenitent persons, whom he himself calls of the world, as heard, in the communion of their churches, against the practice of Christ and of the apostles, therefore they must by this acknowledge that Christ’s church is of the world or the world is Christ’s church; that they, contrary to the apostolic doctrine, ordinance and example, dispense the sacraments also to the world, which according to the Scriptures properly belong to the penitent alone; who have placed themselves in the church of the Lord, in obedience to the word; that they, by this, include the penitent (if such there be) in the communion of the impenitent; and that they are open flatterers and enemies of the cross of Christ, Phil. 3:18, who act hypocritically with the higher class and flatter the world, lest they lose their favors; and thus openly and faithlessly transgress the Lord’s word and ordinance, for the sake of their bellies and reject it as powerless and discouraging.

Again, as to his reference to the Lord’s parable, I would say that I would have him take a better view of it and not console himself with this; for it has reference to the true preachers and disciples who have been put to the trial of the cross of Christ, in obedience to the word and not to the cross-fleeing preachers and the world, as may be learned not only from the Scriptures but also from experience.

For some reject the received and manifest truth and the sown seed is devoured by the fowls of the air and does not bring forth fruit.  Some are withered by the scorching sun of the cross, oppression and misery, which proves them to be wood, hay and stubble, 1 Cor. 3:12.

Others are smothered by the cares of this world and by deceitful riches and the lusts of the flesh, so that the received knowledge dies in them and the lusts and love of this world prevail, which in our times, as well as in the times of the primitive church, is too often the case with those who, with Demas, alas, again grasp the love of the world.

But the last receive it in a sincere, pious heart and meekly bring forth fruit with patience; although they are much tempted by all kinds of trials, anxiety, oppression and deadly perils, yet they are, by the gracious help of God, so armed with a true faith, love, hope and patience or long-suffering; are so confirmed in God, that neither the fire of tribulation can consume them (for they are gold, silver and precious stones), nor sword and pain can frighten or deter them from the ways of the Lord, Rom. 8:38.

That the before-mentioned parable has reference to such christians and not to the world and its preachers, is too clear to be controverted or denied.  And Gellius and his like preachers of the world remain defenders of unrighteousness, comforters of the impenitent and servants of the kingdom of anti-christ, who not only pitifully deceive their own souls but also those of their church and support and defend them in their gross abominations and impenitent carnal lives, by their perversion of Scriptures and useless consolations, to their eternal destruction.

In the fifth place it should be observed, what the preachers’ desire and seeking should be.  The Scriptures teach that Moses and Jeremiah, Exo. 4:10, reluctantly accepted of the service when they, Jer. 1:6, were called and sent by God, as Jeremiah laments when the cross bore heavily upon him, Exo. 4:10; Jer. 1:6; Jer. 20:8.

All that the prophets, apostles and faithful servants of God always sought and desired was nothing else than that they might proclaim the name of Jehovah, their God and might point their neighbors to the way of peace.  They did not seek money, gold, honor and an easy life, but they executed their office to which they were appointed and which was, alas, not weighed [valued] by the heedless people, under many sore trials, miseries, anxieties, tribulations, beatings, poverty, oppression and tortures and at the risk of life even, as sacred and profane histories, in many instances, teach.  But why the preachers of the world have until now refused and yet refuse the service and what they seek by this, experience and the Holy Spirit plainly teach us, saying that they promise death to the pious and life to the wicked, for the sake of a handful of barley or a piece of bread; that they seek the fat and the wool, milk and flesh; that they eat but do not feed the Lord’s sheep, Ezekiel 34:3; that they preach peace for their bellies’ sake (that is, if well paid) and war if not well fed, &c.

Facts testify openly that it is true that they do not seek the salvation of souls, but a careless, easy life; for we never saw in all our life that the preachers lived where there were no rents or liens.  That, also, Gellius does not seek the salvation of his sheep, but the rents, he has testified when he left Norden, where he was called by the same calling and moved to Emden where the annual income was greater; something which the paters, in times gone-by, esteemed as unjust in their councils and decrees and punished with excommunication.

If he sought the salvation of their souls and not the rents, as becomes a good and faithful shepherd, according to the example of Jesus Christ and of all faithful servants, why, then, did he make void his first calling, which was, according to his assertion, divine and leave the first sheep who were no less delivered through the death of the Lord and bought with his precious blood, than the last, of which he now has the charge.  O, hypocrisy and feigning!

Again, Gellius says in regard to the sustenance of the preachers, That they have little care as to how the community, of whom the magistracy are a part, provides them the necessaries of life, while it is certain that if they serve the gospel, as he says, they shall also live by the gospel; and cites Mat. 10:10; Luke 10:7.

Answer.  If Gellius and the preachers were such servants as are referred to in these Scriptures, then it is plain that the sustenance of the gospel was promised to them.  But if anybody goes into the service and uselessly destroys and ruins the Lord’s goods, if faithless, seeks his own self in all things and does the things which are contrary to the will and honor of the Lord, should such a faithless servant receive the reward which is reasonably due to the faithful, assiduous laborer?  I think you will answer in the negative; and that he should rather receive the displeasure and punishment of the Lord: For he speaks, “Therefore when the Lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do unto those husbandmen?  They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons,” Mat. 21:40, 41.

We acknowledge that sustenance has been promised by Scriptures, to the true and faithful servants.  But, since Gellius and his like preachers are unfaithful servants who destroy the Lord’s goods, steal his gain, scatter his sheep and do not gather them together; who, alas, fearlessly lead to hell his precious treasure, namely the poor miserable souls, in great numbers, as those truly regenerated can scripturally judge by the testimony of their open deeds; therefore their sustenance is not the sustenance of true preachers, but an unreasonable, shameful gain; an unbecoming livelihood and the reward of the deceived souls; this, all of sound understanding must acknowledge and admit.

O, my faithful reader, remember, so long as the world donates such splendid houses and large incomes to their preachers, the false prophets and deceivers will be numerous.

They pretend to vindicate by Scripture all heresy, deceit, idolatry, pomp, hypocrisy, tyranny and drunkenness, together with their unreasonable and shameful service of the flesh and world and make the ignorant and blind world believe that it is right.

But I openly testify, I testify it unreservedly, that the preachers of the world, to take them all in all, are Balaamites, who love the reward of unrighteousness and serve for the sake of a handful of barley and a piece of bread, whereby they profane the name of Jehovah God, Ezekiel 13:19.  “Prophets which eat at Jezebel’s table,” 1 Kings 18:20, servants and defenders of Maaz, 1 Chron. 2:27, who are honored with great rewards of Antioch, that is, anti-christ; Ahabites, who, for the sake of an acre, stone the pious Naboth, 1 Kings 21, that is, who advise and instigate the world by their speeches, writings, backbiting, complaints and permission to the killing of many an innocent, pious child of God.

Again, they are priests of Jeroboam, who, contrary to the example of Christ Jesus and his holy apostles, hire themselves, for an annual stipend, to an unevangelical service of impenitence, which is practiced, in all respects, without power, spirit, repentance and regeneration, as may openly be seen; their service is vain labor and mockery, besides an unbecoming speculation.

Besides, their liens and properties have been obtained from anti-christ, through artful dealings, enchanting roguery and clerical robbery and are yet, daily, thus obtained from those who walk upon the broad way without repentance and who find, alas, no pleasure in the Lord’s holy word.

They act hypocritically and flatter the magistrates and those of high-standing; they console the impenitent and persecute the pious; they adulterate the plain word, sacraments and ordinances of Jesus Christ, by which the church should be gathered and maintained in Him.  They preach to suit and please the world, that they may receive, under the semblance of the gospel, the blood-reward of the poor and miserable souls, for which they assiduously strive; that they may peaceably possess it and turn it to the advantage of easy times.  Yet they console themselves with the idea that they serve the gospel and therefore should live off the gospel.  Behold, thus they give a scriptural shape to all kinds of false doctrines and works and thus they give a fine appearance to hypocrisy.

My faithful reader, I warn you in sincere love, take heed.  Again, I say unto you, the true and faithful servants of Jesus did not have such annual stipends, rents and property attached to the apostolic churches; but the greater part earned their livelihood by their own labor; yet served the church of Christ, and, in all love and humility, walked before them with true doctrines and an unblamable life.  They have diligently watched over the Lord’s house, city and vineyard; opposed all evil and deceiving spirits with the word of the Lord; admonished the disorderly, consoled the afflicted, reproved the transgressors, excommunicated the disobedient and refractory; served reasonably, left the world to the world and have patiently borne its cross; and what necessaries they needed they received, not from the world, but at the hands of their pious disciples, in humility, without avariciousness or in desire of shameful gain.  Scriptures allow this much, as said above, for they rightly pastured the Lord’s sheep, they faithfully planted the vineyard, assiduously tilled the land and stored the sheaves and fruits in the Lord’s barn, as the example of the prophets and apostles points out and the Spirit and word of the Lord command and enjoin upon all faithful servants.

I will conclude my remarks in regard to the calling of the preachers and would yet say, since the Scriptures teach that the servants of the holy word are called either by the Lord himself, or by means of the pious, as has been heard; that they shall be unblamable; able rightly to rule the Lord’s church, bring forth permanent fruits, destroy and build up; that they shall not seek unreasonable gain, but sincerely seek the honor and praise of God and the salvation of their neighbors, &c.; and since we plainly see and palpably feel that they, alas, are altogether called by such as we would wish had the Spirit of Christ; moreover that they are blamable in all things, for they are of an unmerciful, tyrannical disposition and of an earthly, carnal life; pervert the gospel and do not teach it in power and true repentance; wrongly use the sacraments without power, spirit and repentance and dispense it to those who are not disciples of Jesus Christ.  They deceive the people; do not bring forth permanent fruits, plant that which is evil and root out that which is good; they do not seek the honor and praise of God but their own profit and gain, the favor of the world and an easy, careless life.  I will let their doctrines, sacraments, fruits and life testify to this; therefore I say without any reservation that they are not the called preachers and servants of the church of Christ, whom we shall, according to the Scriptures, obey, accept and follow, as they pretend we should, but that they are preachers for the sake of gain and servants of anti-christ, against whom we are, on every hand, warned by the word of God; not to hear or follow them nor their doctrine but to flee from and avoid them as deceivers, false prophets, wicked men and faithless servants.

Yes, my reader, what can they say about their calling, preaching and church-service?  It is, briefly stated, not possible, according to the sure promises and prophecies of Christ Jesus and the prophets, that a true and faithful preacher, witness or teacher, especially in these evil times and in this wicked and tyrannical world, can faithfully teach and proclaim, without respect of persons, the pure gospel of Jesus Christ, without being exiled, proscribed or killed; much less enjoy life at ease and liberty, as they do, without persecution, yes, receive annual stipends from the world and be highly honored and loved by them.

Peruse all the Holy Scriptures and see if you can find that Christ Jesus, with his holy apostles, true witnesses and followers fared as they do and received as they do; whether persecution, cross, tribulation, anxiety, prison and death were not, generally, their lot and part.  Besides experience, yet daily, teaches this abundantly.

If, then, the preachers acted rightly, if they were walking according to the example of Christ and his apostles; if their teachings and dealings were right, as they pretend them to be, then all the Holy Scriptures must be wrong, the word of the cross be fulfilled and Christ and his prophecies must be false, this is incontrovertible.  Therefore, all their boasting and artful citations concerning their calling, office, doctrine and church-service, together with their defense are, in fact, wrong, futile, hypocritical, unjust and without truth.  “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s,” Phil. 2:21; their own ease and not the salvation of their neighbors; they are enemies of the cross; they serve their own bellies, Rom. 16.  If they would rightly reprove all the ungodliness, idolatry, abuse, pride, pomp, splendor, hypocrisy and unfaithfulness of this world, without respect of persons with the same earnestness, assiduity, heart and mind, &c., as did Christ with his holy apostles and true witnesses and in other respects would not act so freely; if they would hate all unrighteousness of the world as Christ Jesus and his apostles hated it, then they would not long remain at ease in their comfortable houses; they would not have such incomes and they would be little regarded by this reckless, wild world.  Of this I am convinced.

But they do differently; they make the garment to fit the man (as the saying is) and they so teach and act that the world may tolerate them and love them and that they may be the friends of the world, so that they may be at ease, not be persecuted and enjoy good times; this is something which is generally well understood and a sure proof that their sending or calling together with their doctrine and church-service is in every particular without the ordinance, Spirit and word of God, as said before.

With this, Gellius’ article on the calling has been replied to.  I would earnestly beseech him and all the preachers to reflect in the fear of God, for before the flaming eyes of the Lord, which search heaven and earth, nothing wrong will be hidden, however artfully it may be covered before man’s eyes and however much it may be embellished and adorned with smooth words.

Next, Gellius denies our calling and says before we can agree with the preachers or teachers who claim that they bring forth fruit, they must first be rightly called by a church of God and not from a collection who have been deceived by false prophets; and then come boldly forward and preach; or they must show by facts (as he says) that Christ has done wrong and that he should have rather preached secretly to avoid the cross (as he says we do) than in public, &c.

Answer.  The sending or calling of Moses, of Christ, of Paul, of the apostles and prophets was also denied by the perverse.  Moses had to hear that he had killed the Lord’s people and that he had led them into the wilderness that they might perish through want and misery.  Christ Jesus was called a wine-bibber, blasphemer and one possessed of the devil, Mat. 11:19.  Paul was called a rebel and an apostate Jew, &c.  Behold, thus in their times the sending of the faithful servants of the Lord, no, the Lord and Messiah himself was despised, although testified by many miracles.  How much more, then, shall we be despised, who are such weak and insignificant instruments and live in seven fold worse and more wicked times than those in which they lived.

Inasmuch, then, as we are accused by our opponents, the learned, that we are not called by a church of God, but by false prophets, or by a false church, therefore I would briefly advise the reader to weigh well with the Scriptures who, how and what the church of God is.  It is not a collection of proud, avaricious, extortionate, vain persons, drunkards and impenitent, as the church of the world is, by whom the learned are called.  It is a collection or congregation of saints, as the Holy Scriptures and the Nicene symbol clearly teach and represent, namely, of those who, through true faith, are regenerated by God unto Christ Jesus and are of a divine nature, who will gladly conform their lives according to the Spirit, word and example of the Lord, are actuated by his Spirit and are willing and prepared patiently to bear the cross of their Lord Jesus Christ.

Behold dear reader, such were they whom the apostles and faithful servants won unto Christ Jesus and added to his church with his Spirit and word, nor does Scripture acknowledge any others.  From such and of such they have, with fasting and prayer, chosen and called unto the service of the Lord the pious and unblamable pastors and teachers; and not of the world, as has been heard.

Since, then, the preachers of the world and their congregations are not the church of Christ, but are such preachers and churches as shown, by their spirit, words and deeds that they are of the world; and since the merciful, great Lord in these latter days of abominations, graciously gathers together, by his Spirit and word, many faithful hearts from the different unscriptural sects, both great and small and from different nations and tongues, in one faith.  He places them as an admonition to sincere repentance, with their doctrine, life, goods and blood, before the whole world, yes, as a light upon a lampstand; therefore these must be the Lord’s church and people; or else the word of God, which is and remains true, must be wrong and false.  And some from these and of these are chosen with fasting and prayer and ordained to the service of the Lord by the laying on of hands according to the example and doctrine of the apostolic churches; now, all of sound mind may judge and weigh, according to Scripture, whether such a calling or choosing is consistent with Scripture and according to the usage of the primitive churches; and whether it can stand before the Lord and his church as divine, holy and just.

Further, it is a fact well known to me, that the preachers tell the simple and which Gellius’ writing, if carefully read, also insinuates, that I should have received my faith, doctrine and calling from a deceiving, refractory and corrupted sect, by the secession of whom the Lord intends to purge his church.  For this reason I am necessarily forced to explain my actions briefly, which I, under different circumstances, would, for the sake of modesty, remain silent; namely, how I first came to the knowledge of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; and how I afterward, unworthily, became one of his servants; and I by this beseech all my readers, for God’s sake to consider well my narration and that they will not think hard of it, nor consider it as vain boasting that I tell it here; for the honor of my God and the love for his church urge me to do so.  Let all judge me as they will.  He who has created me and has until now graciously delivered me from my enemies knows me; he knows what I seek in this life and what my greatest desire is.

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Here follows in the original works of Menno Simon his Renunciation of the Church of Rome.  See it in the First Volume, commencing on Page 2.

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Again, that Gellius wants us to preach publicly, has been sufficiently replied to above, as I trust, in treating of night preaching.  Yet I would propound these three questions.

In the first place, Whether a person would not be guilty of blood, if he would persuade somebody by artful words or force him into a deep water or by such means get him to take poison, if he knew beforehand that death would be the consequence?

In the second place, Since he boasts to be a called preacher and preaches in public, I would ask, Why he is not moved to love and compassion for his own country?  Why he does not, among the papists, openly proclaim his faith, sacraments and doctrines, contrary to the emperor’s decree, tyranny, persecution and ill-will as he would have us to do?

Thirdly, since he will admit, as I suppose and must admit, if he judges according to the Scriptures, that the avaricious, proud, haughty, drunkards, vain, extortioners, liars, unrighteous, &c., can not inherit the kingdom of God and that they therefore are not christians; I would ask him why it is that he does not lay aside the fear of the cross (of which he blames us) and separate, without all respect of person, the impenitent of his church, from the communion of his sacraments, according to the doctrine and ordinance of the Holy Spirit, since it is God’s express word and ordinance?  He would have us preach publicly, notwithstanding that he well knows that we can no more do so without the loss of life, than to go on the water without sinking, or to take poison without dying.  For he and the learned have brought about such a state of affairs, by their disgraceful slanders and preaching, that we are, alas, already judged before we are caught.  Besides he advises the magistracy to stop our doings; and he well knows how he treated a certain person, about ten years ago, who would gladly proclaim to the people the testimony he had, in sincerity of heart and that he refused me a discussion of Scripture twice, as has been heard.  Yet he says, if we are true teachers we should preach in public; while he himself, for the sake of a livelihood and the fear of the cross does not preach his doctrine (whatever it amounts to) in his own place but has moved to another and more safe place and there, although he can freely practice his doctrine and sacraments, he neglects separation, scriptural reproof and the ordinances of God from the fear of the cross.  Now the reasonable reader may conclude from all this what kind of a christian, not to mention preacher, he is; since he would have us, miserable ones, to do that which he himself dares not do nor touch, as you may see.

If Gellius could take these three questions to heart and would consider them in a scriptural light and in the fear of God, he would be ashamed all his life that he so indiscreetly attacks us, against all love, reason, intelligence and the Scriptures and that he, under such a semblance, so tyrannically strives after the ruin, blood and death of the pious.

But in answer to his writing that the prophetic and apostolic doctrine and sacraments should not be taught and dispensed in secret, retired corners and shops, but in public, I would say, We admit that Christ Jesus, generally preached in public, however with such discretion that he sometimes avoided the raving, mad people, after they had resolved upon his death, until the time of his suffering had arrived (which time was known to him beforehand) and the prophecies were fulfilled, Luke 21:32.

He writes further, that our calling is not testified by anything, further than that we not only fill the hearts of many with a mad and irreconcilable hatred of all church ordinances and true servants of the church, however pious they be, but also inspire them with a contentious, envious spirit.

Answer.  If animosity and bitterness of heart had not so entirely blinded him and if but a small spark of a true, christian spirit were in him, then he would soon acknowledge the precious fruits of true repentance.  But as it is, he has become so blinded that, alas, he calls the glorious fruits of the Holy Spirit, the fruits of the devil and new monkery; and the burdensome, pressing cross of so many pious saints, the cross of evil-doers or heretics.  Which is in my opinion an abominable sin and gross slander.

The Pharisees said, “This fellow does not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub, the prince of devils,” Mat. 12:24, although they strongly felt in their hearts that it was the finger and power of God.  Christ said that it was blaspheming against the Holy Spirit, Luke 12:10.  But what Gellius does against us I will leave to the Lord.

God knows that I wish that I might deliver him and all the preachers from their sore damnation, even at the cost of my own life.  Behold, this is how I hate him and all those who seek my life; although we must hear so much evil spoken against us; and I trust that all who fear the word of the Lord will be of one mind with me in this regard.  Notwithstanding this, he writes that we fill many hearts with anger and irreconcilable hatred against them, &c.  By no means.  And this for no other reason than that we in sincere and faithful love, earnestly reprove the hypocritical deceivers, whom he calls the true and pious servants of the church and the unscriptural infant baptism, together with all the abuses which he calls church ordinances, not only by the Spirit and word of the Lord, but also by our possessions and blood and because we point them to Christ Jesus and him crucified, to his Spirit, word, ordinances and to the doctrine and usage of his holy apostles.

I truly believe that a spiteful, envious person has no part in God’s city.  And if we, who are daily killed for our love, are yet spiteful and envious, then much suffering is in vain.  I trust that I write the truth when I say that I am more terrified of hatred and envy than of fire and sword.  Yet we must hear that we are spiteful.  Behold, thus good is always turned to evil and our love to hatred.  What sentence the Scriptures pronounce against such may be seen in Isaiah 5.

He also accuses us That we are not unanimous, but quarrel among ourselves in regard to many articles of christian religion; namely, in regard to obedience to the laws; to the justification of man; to the Godhead of Christ and his becoming man and in regard to the powers of the magistracy, &c.

Answer.  I trust that I can write with a clear conscience that we, who are grains of one loaf, are also of one mind in Christ Jesus.  But as in the times of the apostles, false teachers arose in the apostolic church who started and taught false doctrines and who were, after faithful admonition, separated from the communion of their church, if they did not repent, as may be learned from many Scriptures; so also it is in our times.  Satan is always at work.  Paul says, “There must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you,” 1 Cor. 11:19.  And if such be deaf unto truth, reject admonition and start perverse sects, then we may no longer receive them as brethren, as the Scriptures teach us.  So long as we continue to do this in obedience to the holy word and in the true fear of God, we are convinced from the inmost of our hearts, that we will be clear of all sectarianism as also of blasphemy and perversity; although we must innocently hear such charges from the world.

Since it is a fact well known to Gellius and his fellow-preachers that peace-breakers and sectarians are not allowed in our communion at all, but are unanimously separated from us, according to apostolic doctrine and usage, Rom. 16:17; Tit. 3:10, therefore it is very wrong of him to call so many pious persons contentious and cause them to be of such bad report with the world, without truth; while they hate discord and strife and seek nothing but that they may humbly follow the crucified Jesus, in the peace of their hearts.

If he should say that he accounts them as of us because they have received the same baptism with us, then I would say again that Peter, Simon, Paul and &c., were also one.  Then all papists, Lutherans and Zwinglians besides all thieves, murderous wizards, buggerers, fornicators and rogues are one; for they have received one baptism; this is incontrovertible.

Again, in regard to his accusation that we dispute among ourselves in regard to obedience to the laws; the justification of man; the power of the magistracy &c., I would say that I trust I can testify before the Lord and his church with a clear conscience, that I never but once to my knowledge, disputed, or as Gellius calls it quarreled with anyone in regard to the justification of man and this one has already ran to ruin.  Nor have I ever discussed the questions of obedience to the laws or the power of the magistracy other than by way of brotherly instruction.  What our confession and grounds are concerning the before-mentioned articles, may be clearly concluded from our writings.

O, dear Lord, that Gellius would once consider his own words when he writes that the calling of the pious should not be nullified on account of the impious and would have sufficient fear of God in him to feel concerned about the lies, violence and injustice which he unreasonably practices on us.  For what else does he but wilfully defame the pious, perhaps against his own sentiments, that he may oppose the word, may uphold his cause by making ours [appear] false and suspicious, lest his pharisaical faithlessness be made manifest.  Yes, he writes as if he would say, Judas was a traitor and thief, therefore all the other apostles are traitors and thieves.  Again, Simon was a rogue, therefore all the members of the apostolic communities were rogues, &c.  For he well knows that we do not, may not suffer heretics, peace-breakers &c. in the communion of the peaceful and pious, as already heard.

O, that he would leave off slandering the peaceable and could rightly see into the angry quarreling, bitter hatred, division, rupture and brawlings of all those who uphold infant baptism; could see how dreadfully they are divided among themselves; that they are so inflamed by envious zeal one against another that they not only slander and adjudge each other to hell by calling each other fanatics, profaners of the sacraments and anti-christians, but that they also take up the sword against each other, as is the way of sectarians; that they utterly destroy countries and inhabitants, cities and towns, against the meek nature, doctrine and example of Christ Jesus and his apostles.

Besides their learned men are so divided among themselves that we can scarcely find five or six in one country who agree in doctrine.  One includes everything in the providence and predestination of God, Quasi necessarium (as an implied necessity).  Another disputes it; the third includes Christ’s flesh and blood in the bread and wine; the fourth understands it spiritually; the fifth baptizes the children on their own faith; the sixth on the strength of the covenant with Abraham and its promise; the seventh says that faith is no obstacle to persecution; the eighth denies it; the ninth believes in faith without fruits or work; the tenth says that faith through love shall be active; the eleventh says that the sacraments may be dispensed to the impenitent and perverse; the twelfth denies it; and other like differences exist among them.

Notwithstanding this, they call the godly, pious hearts and peaceable children of God, who are zealous for God and his righteousness, as much as is in their power and who do not countenance quarreling, a contentious sect and ungodly, deceiving conspirators, while they, on the contrary, are peaceable, teachers of one mind; besides they call the impenitent, wicked world the church and people of the Lord.

Behold, so manifestly the Lord “will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent,” 1 Cor.1:18, yes, that to them Christ Jesus is Belial and Belial is Christ Jesus; light is darkness and darkness is light, 2 Cor. 6.  Alas, they consider the doctrine, life, power, confession and the sacrifice of possession and life of the chosen as nothing; but they judge everything perversely, unfavorably and with partiality, according to the flesh and thus construe everything to offensiveness.  They seek all kinds of excuses to offend the pious, to blaspheme truth and to uphold unrighteousness, that nobody is converted, repents and sincerely seeks and follows the word of the Lord.  O, Lord!  Grant that this may be made manifest unto them.

He further writes: “Nor is it a desirable fruit, but a shameful disgrace, that they, contrary to the example of Christ and the apostles, constitute themselves a church, desecrate the Lord’s Sabbath, leave the open assembly and service, hate and upbraid the servants and not only do not examine the solicitous labors and prophecies of the servants but also boldly despise them, contrary to the command of the Holy Spirit and the doctrine of the command of the Sabbath.”

Answer.  Observe, reader, how adroitly they can adorn lies and how frightfully they can suppress and despise truth under cover of virtue.  All the evangelical Scriptures teach us that the church of Christ was and is, in doctrine, life and worship, a people separated from the world.  It also was in the times of the Old Testament, 2 Cor. 6:17; 1 Peter 2:9, 10; Exo. 19:12.

Since the church always was and shall be a separate people, as has been heard and since it is as clear as the meridian sun that for centuries no difference has been made between the church and the world, but that they have been indiscriminately blended together in baptism, Supper, life and worship, which is so plainly contrary to all Scripture, therefore we feel ourselves constrained by the Spirit and word of God and not by our own account, to gather together, to the praise of Jesus Christ and to the salvation of our neighbors and not unto us, but unto the Lord a pious and penitent church or community from all the untrue and deceiving sects of the whole world.  This is not contrary to the doctrine and example of Christ Jesus and the apostles, as Gellius falsely accuses us, but is according to the Spirit, doctrine and example of Jesus Christ, manifested unto us.  Yes, gather them patiently under the cross of misery, in spite of all the violence and gates of hell and not by force of arms and persecution as is the custom of the world, but separate them from it, as the Scriptures teach, that they may be an admonition, example and reproach to the impenitent world as has already been heard.

We do not hate and envy the open deceivers and false preachers who so miserably deceive the poor people, as Gellius accuses us, but earnestly reprove them in love according to God’s Spirit and word, that they may repent and be converted, as the Scriptures teach us.

In short, we do not despise the solicitous labors and the prophecies of the true and faithful servants of Christ, nor the precious gifts of the Holy Spirit, [nor are we] against the commands of the Holy Spirit and the doctrine of the command of the [true] Sabbath, as he very wrongly complains we do, but we shun, at the risk of possessions and life, according to the advice, doctrine and admonition of the Holy Spirit and the doctrine of the Sabbath, the false labors and the powerless, impenitent and hired prophecies of the anti-christian servants, who do not serve Christ and the church, as they boast; but serve their bellies and the world; and they dare not hear and follow them because their doctrine and fruits show that they are those whom the Scriptures and divine truth forbid us to follow.

Their priests, says Jehovah, “teach for hire and the prophets divine for money.”  They rely upon their Lord and say, Is the Lord not among us?  No evil can betide us; therefore “Zion shall be plowed like a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps,” Mic. 3:12; Jer. 26:18.  It is also manifest that Gellius and his like preachers have done the very thing of which he accuses us, for they, long before we did, have separated themselves from the papists into a separate church, as is known to all mankind to be incontrovertible.  But we are sorry to say that our separation from them was caused by themselves.  For if we would have found them to be right we would have remained with them; but as it is, we have, alas, had to leave them.  At the cost of life and possessions, as may be seen.

Behold, my kind reader, here you have before you, my brief reply to the main articles concerning the calling of preachers, which Gellius so respectfully brought forward to the defense of his cause and to the detriment of ours.

I have no doubt but that you, by the grace of God, will find a clear difference, explanation and foundation, if you compare his writing with ours and judge according to the word of the Lord by the manifest fruits on both sides; and this is the summary of my writings, that nobody can be a truly called preacher and God-pleasing servant in the Lord’s house and church, without having the Holy Spirit which works in all true christians; without regeneration which transforms the heart from earthly to heavenly things, through faith; nor without unfeigned love, which seeks nothing but the praise of God and the salvation of his neighbor, nor without the salutary, precious word which cuts and cleaves without respect of person; nor without the pious, unblamable life which is from God.

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CONCERNING BAPTISM.

Seeing that they, although convinced, obstinately persevered in falsehood and would not receive the powerful and plain truth, as did the Pharisees, I was much grieved and said, Men!  Men!!  Since I find it to be a fact that you, in perversity of heart, reject God’s truth and delight in falsehood, I will be silent and not speak another word with you concerning this matter; for, alas, it is all in vain!  Reader, in the day of the appearance of Jesus Christ, before his impartial and eternal judgment, it will be found true as I here write.

Gellius first says in regard to this matter, That we blasphemously speak against the holy church, because we say that the children cannot believe, cannot repent and cannot obey the word of the Lord, while they (as he says) constitute a great part of the church and that they are referred to in plain and clear words by the prophet Joel, in the preaching of repentance, &c.

Answer.  His commencement is unscriptural and his end will [also] be unscriptural.  Observe, the word of God shall be our judge.  Say, beloved, is it not a great blindness in him to undertake to include unaware children in the preaching of repentance?  A little further on he admits himself that they cannot, in their feeble understanding, understand the doctrine, which is a doctrine of penitence.  If they cannot understand the doctrine, how can they then believe?  If they do not believe, how can they then repent and if they do not repent, how can they be included in the preaching of repentance?  If they, then, have neither doctrine, faith nor repentance, which he admits they do not have, on account of their feeble understanding and which is not necessary for them to have, while they are God’s own and while sin has not become alive in them to bring forth its fruit, therefore all of sound judgment must admit he reproves himself and acknowledges that he wrongfully accuses us, when he says that we speak blasphemously against their holy church, because we say that the unaware children cannot repent, believe nor obey; for he admits that they, in the feebleness of their understanding, cannot understand the doctrine, from which faith, repentance and obedience originate, as has been already said.

In the second place he writes, That there is one church and one faith, both under the Old and New Testaments, from the time of Adam to the end of the world; and that from the time of Abraham, under the Old Testament, preaching and circumcision was commanded for the purpose of the gathering, edification, growth and extension of the church and under the New Testament, preaching and baptism, without regard to the age of persons.

Answer.  I understand that all those who, from the time of Adam to the present time and also hereafter, had, have and shall have the Spirit, mind and nature of Jesus Christ and who did, do and shall walk as obedient children by virtue of such a spirit, in truth, were, are and shall be the Lord’s church, kingdom and people.  But we would have reasonably expected that Gellius would have added that each in his time had a peculiar doctrine, ordinance and usage.  That from the time of Adam to Abraham no ceremony was practiced on the children because the Lord had not commanded it; and that circumcision was commanded from Abraham to the time of Christ.  But now we have Christ, the promised prophet, Deut. 18:15; Acts 7:37, to whom all the Scriptures pointed that we should obey and follow him.  He is the {eternal} Word and Wisdom of God; all that abide in his doctrine walk in the truth, for his word is truth and his command is eternal life.  What ordinance this wise counsellor has commanded us concerning the children under the New Testament?  What he has commanded us and what he has not, concerning them, all pious, faithful hearts may learn from his holy word.

But what he says in regard to them is that in the New Testament no regard is made as to age, but that we should preach to all and baptize them.  In my opinion this is so directly contrary to Scripture, common sense and his own words, that he should reasonably be ashamed of the assertion.  For how can we teach a little, unaware child repentance according to the word of God?  Christ commanded that we should preach the gospel to those who have understanding and those who believe are to be baptized.  Nor has he left in his gospel any other command, ordinance or example concerning this matter.

Besides, he acknowledges that the children, on account of their feeble understanding, cannot understand the doctrine, as already heard.  Yet he writes, in the face of this plain ordinance of the Almighty God and his own confession, that in the New Testament, teaching and baptizing are commanded, without respect to age.

Behold, thus grossly err all who reject the word of the Lord.  Is this not violently rejecting Christ and accepting anti-christ and is it not plainly wrong?  I must admit that I have never read a word in the Scriptures with such misunderstanding.

In the third place Gellius writes, That the church should give the seal of the covenant of grace to children according to the command of God because they are participants in the covenant or promise of God and in the sanctity of the church and in eternal life; for the covenant is not altered and God is no less gracious to our children, who are born under the promise, than to the children of Israel who were born according to the flesh; for it is written, I will be your God and your children’s [God] after you; and that therefore, in the gathering of the churches, under the Old and New Testaments the same command obtains, both as regards the preaching and the use of the holy sacraments.

Answer.  Gellius does even as all the false prophets have done who miserably deceived the people and pretended that the Lord of lords said so, although Jehovah had not spoken it, as Scripture informs us, Jer. 23 17; Ezek. 13:7.

Say, reader, is it not an intrepid deed and a condemnable boldness, that he dares publish to the whole world that God has commanded it; since eternal Wisdom has not commanded it, neither by word nor deed?  Peruse the whole New Testament from beginning to end and if a word can be found that the mouth of the Lord has commanded it, or that the apostles have anywhere taught or practiced it, then we will, by the grace of God, unanimously admit that he is right.

Inasmuch, as it is clear that nothing has been mentioned concerning it in all the Holy Scriptures, as has been said and that he, in the face of this, dares write that they do it according to the command of God, then the pious reader may imagine how abominably he sins against his God, especially since truth is manifest and how lamentably he deceives the poor souls by open falsehood when he writes that God commanded it; since the Holy Spirit, I say, has not expressed it in a single word, nor manifested it unto the church of God by word or practice of the true witnesses of Christ.

His assertion that the command is not altered is so diametrically opposed to truth that we may well wonder at it.  The Scriptures clearly testify that God promised Abraham the multiplying of his seed and the land of Canaan as an eternal inheritance and commanded him that he should circumcise himself, his son Ishmael, &c.; also all male children at the age of eight days; for it was a covenant in the flesh, Gen. 17.

And thus was commanded to Abraham, at the promise of the multiplication of his seed and the possession of the land of Canaan, the blood-sign of the circumcision of the foreskin, on the eighth day of their age, of all the male children and not the female children.  But to us the blood-sign of circumcision is not commanded, but baptism in the water.  Now, observe the first difference.  Not on the eighth day, but when we, through the spirit, in faith, are born of God and have become followers of Abraham.  Observe the second distinction.  Not only the males, but both males and females, who through the preaching of the holy word, have died unto the old life and have arisen with Christ in newness of life; who are pricked in their hearts; who circumcise their hearts and minds; who put on Christ and who have the testimony of a clear conscience, before God, Rom. 6; Acts 2:37; Col. 2:11-13; Gal. 3:27; 1 Pet. 3:21.  Observe the third difference.  Not to possess a literal kingdom and land and to become a great people upon earth, as was promised to Abraham and his seed; but to bear all manner of anxiety, affliction, tribulation and misery upon earth, for the sake of the testimony of the word of God; to turn the heart away from all visible and perishable things; to die unto pomp, splendor, the world and flesh and thus to walk in our weakness as Christ has walked in his perfection, &c.

Behold, reader, how openly he adulterates the Scriptures and how grossly he perverts the truth when he writes that the command is unchanged and that the gathering of the churches under the Old and New Testaments are the same and that no different commands are given, both as regards preaching and the use of the sacraments; for it is changed and renewed as may be clearly concluded from the foregoing references.  I will leave to your reflections if such a thing may not be called perverting truth into falsehood.

Again, from his saying that the church is no less gracious to our children than to the children of Israel, born in the flesh, I understand him to say, If God will not have our children baptized, that he is less gracious to them than he was to the children of the circumcision; by which he openly testifies that he couples the kingdom, grace and promise of God with that sign.

O no, to children belongs the kingdom of God.  Not by virtue of any sign, but alone by grace through Christ Jesus, Mat. 19:14.  And as to his calling infant baptism a sealing of the covenant of grace, I would reply, If he can show me a place in all the New Testament where the baptism of the believing is called a sealing of the covenant of grace, then I will admit that he is right.  But I know to a certainty that he cannot do so.  If the baptism of the believing, which is ordained by God himself, is not called such, how can infant baptism then be called such, which is not ordained by God, but is merely self-chosen fiction invented by man?

If he should allude to the circumcision, I would say that they are two distinct and different signs and that the first has no relation whatever to the second; for these following reasons: Firstly, because all the signs, before and under the law, given to the patriarchs, as the coats of skins to Adam; the rain-bow to Noah; the circumcision to Abraham; the yearly offering of the high priests, &c., Gen. 3:21; 9:16; 17:10-11; Lev. 16, all unitedly pointed to Christ, who has now appeared and in whom all the preceding signs are fulfilled.  Now we have no sealing or assurance through outward signs and symbols, but through the true Sign of all signs, Christ Jesus, as he himself says, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life; for God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten son,” John 3:14-16.  Secondly, because we, now, are not a people according to the letter, as was Israel, but are a people according to the spirit; who, before they receive the sign, are turned to God through the preaching of repentance; who die unto the old sinful life; who receive the light of grace in their hearts; who accept the true Sign of peace, Christ Jesus, through faith; arise with him into a new life and are thus sealed in their hearts, through the promise of the Holy Spirit and the eternal covenant and the grace of God.  For if we were not sealed in our hearts before the sign, then we could not truly repent before the sign; nor could we burden ourselves with disesteem, disgrace, anxiety, tribulation and misery which are connected with the cross.

But by the sign, which we accept in obedience to the holy word, we testify that we, through Christ, the true Sign, given to us by the Father and made known to us through the word, have peace with God and that we are assured of the spirit of his grace.

Behold, my reader, here you may now observe that the signs of the New Testament do not seal or assure us, as the learned teach the poor people; but that our only, eternal surety is Christ Jesus; that the sealing of our hearts is the Holy Spirit; and that the signs or sacraments are nothing more than that they are given to the penitent, sealed and assured christians, for the purpose of admonishing and reminding us that we should walk in continual repentance; that we should practice our faith and that we should eternally give praise to the Lord for his inexpressibly great kindness and grace, through Jesus Christ.

All who teach differently and point you to water, bread and wine as a sealing or assurance, as Gellius does, point you away from the true Being to the sins; from Christ to Moses again.  They give you a vain hope and a false surety and cause you to remain impenitent and without Christ all your lifetime; for you console yourself so much with the signs that you remain without the signified truth, as may, alas, be plainly seen by the whole world.

For however drunk, covetous, pompous, vain and given to lies they may be, they still boast themselves christians.  They are so consoled with this ungodly sealing of the idolatrous water (I say ungodly sealing because it is so directly contrary to the word of God) and with the bread and wine of the preachers, that they all walk upon the broad road and remain without the word of God.

Behold, this is the proper fruit and effect of the sealing of Gellius, which he so highly praises and so artfully teaches.  But, as regards the saying: ‘I will be your God and your seed’s after you,’ from which they conclude that as the children of Abraham were circumcised with him on account of the promise; that also our children should be baptized on account of the same promise, I would reply, Firstly, God promised Abraham to be his God and his children’s God.  In this promise the females were included as well as the males; this must be admitted.  Notwithstanding, Israel did not circumcise the females but only the males, although the females were included in the promise; and that because God had so ordained it.  From which it may be safely concluded that the male children of the seed of Abraham were not circumcised for the sake of the promise but for the sake of the ordinance which was commanded to Abraham and his seed.  For if it had been done for the sake of the promise and not for the sake of the ordinance, then the females should also have been circumcised, as joint participants and joint heirs of the same promise.  This is incontrovertible.

In the second place I would say, That if Israel had followed the doctrine of Gellius and some other preachers, in respect to this matter, then they would also have circumcised the females, notwithstanding they were not commanded to do so; for they were joint heirs of the covenant of grace, as our children whom they want to have baptized, are joint heirs of the promise.

If they should answer that the ordinance referred to the males and not to the females, although the females were joint heirs of the covenant of grace, then I would reply that their cause is already lost.  For as the command of circumcision at that time had only reference to the males and not to the females, although the females were joint heirs of the promise, so also does now the ordinance of baptism have reference to the believing and penitent and not to the unaware children, although they are joint heirs of the promise, as heard.

They further say, If infant baptism is not commanded neither is it prohibited.  To this I reply: The circumcision of the females was neither ordained nor prohibited, even as infant baptism is neither ordained nor prohibited; yet they did not circumcise the females and that because they were not commanded to do so.  Therefore, all who blame us because we do not baptize our children, who are joint heirs of the promise and are not prohibited from being baptized, also blame Israel because they did not circumcise their female children, who were joint heirs of the promise and were not prohibited from being circumcised.

Thirdly, I would say, since I observe that Gellius only includes the children of believing and not of unbelieving parents in the baptism and since he well knows that the proud, avaricious, pompous, envious, blood-guilty, whoring and idolatrous are not believers, nor, according to Scripture, joint heirs of the promise, therefore I cannot stop wondering at his inattention, that he, against his own belief and doctrine, yet baptizes the children of such parents, whom he must acknowledge as being without God and Christ and therefore having no promise.  If he says that he does not know the faith of others, then I would say again, that he then acknowledges, in the first place, that his infant baptism has an unstable foundation, if we, according to his own words, are to baptize them on account of the promise to the parents, while he does not know whether the parents believe or not; and, in the second place, that such parents are not fruitful trees nor shining lights.

But what shall we say!  If Gellius were to tell all his pompous, drunk, usurious and unrighteous members, without respect to person, that they are without Christ and have no promise and would not baptize their children, he would not long remain a preacher at Emden, nor enjoy his easy, careless life in peace.

He further writes, That Paul testifies that baptism has taken the place of circumcision, has the same signification and is called the circumcision of Christ.

Answer.  In this instance Paul himself rebukes him, that he has mistaken his word; for he says, “Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ, for in him dwells all the fullness of the God-head bodily; and you are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power; in whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised him from the dead; and you, being dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, has he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses,” Col. 2:8-13.

My faithful reader, observe the word of the Lord; the doctrine of the New Testament and his sacraments treat of none but those who have ears to hear and hearts to understand.  For it is a service of the Spirit and not of the letter, as Paul says, 2 Cor. 3:6.

Inasmuch as the preachers always point the poor, simple people to the elementary water, bread and wine and teach that baptism is our seal which assures us that we are heirs of the covenant of grace; that God operates through his sacraments, &c. and, since we find, however, that neither the sealing, surety nor power are found in their hearts, as the fruits testify, but that they are led by the preachers to a false profession, vain hope and an unstable surety, under the semblance of the gospel; therefore I would faithfully advise all my readers and hearers with these words adduced from Paul, not to be at all deceived by such high-sounding, smooth words of the philosophy and artful fictions of men, nor by the hypocrisy and worldly institutions of the learned, but to follow after the perfect Institutor, Christ Jesus, in whom is embodied the perfection of the God-head, truth, light, power, righteousness, &c. and who therefore does not point to uncertain, deceitful, dark and unrighteous ways, but in him all true christians are perfect and full of his grace, Spirit, love and power.

Behold, dear reader, this is the proper ground and meaning of the words of Paul, by which Gellius tries to show that baptism has taken the place of circumcision and is called the circumcision of Christ.

Judge now, if you fear God, whether you find a word in the writings of Paul that has reference to unaware infants.  That this saying of Paul has reference to the believing and penitent and not to unaware children, all reasonable, to say nothing of spiritual persons, must acknowledge and admit.  Notwithstanding, he writes that this saying implies that baptism has taken the place of circumcision and is called Christ’s circumcision.  He does not, or will not, observe that the circumcision of Jesus Christ to which Paul alludes is done without hands and that he daily serves with his hands the infant baptism which he calls the circumcision of Jesus.  Behold, thus lamentably does he satisfy Paul and thus violently break the word of God.

If he seeks an evasion to adorn his cause and says that God works through his sacraments invisibly in the heart, which the sign represents, then the deceit will be more distinct.  For how shall God operate through a sign which is an abomination before Him?  I say an abomination, because he has not commanded it and because neither doctrine, confession, faith nor repentance precede it, which these signs represent in the New Testament.  Then, also, the sign and the signification must be one and the same, which never was nor ever will be the case unless the letter becomes spirit.  This is incontrovertible.  Yes, my reader, how the baptized children are circumcised with the circumcision of Christ Jesus in the foreskin of their hearts, which is the circumcision of the New Testament, the deeds and the fruits of the world, alas, plainly show.

In the fourth place he writes, As in the Scriptures, which testify that women are participants in the merits of Christ and are disciples, a command is implied that the Holy Supper shall be dispensed to them, so, also, a command is implied in the Scriptures, which testify that children are of the church of Christ and of the Kingdom of God, [so] that they should be baptized.

Answer.  The words of Gellius prove clearly that women are participants of the Lord’s Supper; for he acknowledges that they are disciples.  If they are disciples, as they are in fact, then it is manifest that they hear the word of God, believe, repent, allow themselves to be baptized and that they are gifted by God in power with the representation of the Holy Supper and that they are participants of his mystery no less than the men.  Since they are believing and penitent disciples, as heard, therefore it is reasonable and right that they should partake of the sign, whereby this mystery of faith and of the holy gospel are represented to the believing and admonished to the repenting.  As we cannot deny but that the believing, repenting women understand and realize the representation of the Holy Supper─namely, the remembrance of the offering of the flesh and blood of Christ, the love of God and one’s neighbors, &c., for which purpose it was instituted by the Lord, therefore they should have a place at the Lord’s table, as believing, penitent disciples.  Now, Gellius, to make his infant baptism of effect, must prove and show to us by works, Scriptures and truth, that little unaware children realize the effect of holy baptism, namely, faith, repentance, obedience to the word, a clear and peaceable conscience, &c., for which purpose the sign of baptism was instituted by the Lord, as the believing, penitent women realize the signification of the Holy Supper.  But if he cannot prove this, then it is sufficiently plain that his assertion and argument are not according to the Scriptures, but that it is deceitful, false and contrary to God’s word.

He further says, If such a command to baptize children is not sufficient, as the one he has adduced from the Scriptures, then he wants us to point him out a prohibition (as he says), or sufficiently prove that God wills that we shall not baptize children.

In the first place, I reply: Gellius with this openly betrays that his reference to the command of infant baptism can, in his own opinion, not stand according to the Scriptures.  For he turns from the doctrine of commands and wants us to point out a prohibition, never observing that if one wants to partake of anything (that is a ceremony), he must first adduce and point out the command of the institution.

If he wants to make good the infant baptism which he teaches and practices, then he must prove that it is commanded and not ask us to point out or show where it is prohibited.

We practice baptism in a manner as the mouth of the Lord has commanded, for we know that it stands written, “What things soever I command you, observe to do it; you shall not add to it nor diminish from it,” Deut. 12:32; Prov. 30:6.  Yes, my reader, I would say to Gellius and the learned that if they can find an instance in all the Scriptures where the pious and faithful servants of God have changed a word of the commands and ceremonies and practiced them differently than God had commanded them, then we will further reflect upon the matter.  But we know it to a certainty that it cannot be done.

The Lord commanded Israel that they should circumcise their male children on the eighth day; there was no command that they should not do it on the fifth, or on any other day.  And they never circumcised a female; nor did they circumcise on any other day but the eighth.  For the ordinance and command of the Lord was on the eighth day, to the male children and not on the seventh or ninth; nor to the female children as has been heard.

If they had circumcised the females, or if they had circumcised the males before or after the eighth day, although it was not expressly forbidden, they would have committed an abomination, as Nadab and Abihu did with the strange fire and circumcised without God’s word.  By the grace of God, no man can Scripturally convince me to the contrary.

It was also commanded to Israel that they should eat the Passover in remembrance of their deliverance and departure out of Egypt, on the fourteenth day of the first month, in the evening; it had to be a male lamb, without blemish, of the first year, &c., Exo. 12:5.  Israel did exactly according to the command and never offered a female lamb, but in every instance a male, although the Lord had not expressly prohibited the offering of a female lamb.  But if they had offered a female, they would have offered contrary to the command, which stipulated that it should be a male.

In the second place, I would say that I would refer to the testimony of the Almighty and great God, who says, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear him,” Mat. 17:5.  If Gellius can point to a single word of divine truth and unadulterated testimony of the Holy Scriptures, that this Son of God, Christ Jesus, the eternal Father’s Truth and Wisdom, has taught or commanded one word of infant baptism, or that his holy apostles and [faithful] missionaries have taught or practiced it, then I will recall my doctrine, willingly submit to dungeons and bonds, confess my guilt, repent and stand before the whole world conquered and abashed; this I promise in sincerity of heart.

But if he cannot do so, as he never can and still professes that infant baptism is apostolic and right, by this he forsakes the ordinance of Christ and the apostles’ doctrine and usage, but consoles the people in their impenitence: then it is manifest that he is a deceiver of the poor souls and an adulterer of the holy word, who [pretends to] be wiser than the Son of God himself; for he says that it is a sealing of the covenant of grace, an embodiment into the church of Christ, &c.  And the great Lord has not at all commanded that he should reprove the Holy Spirit which has not manifested unto us in the Scriptures this doctrine and usage; nor the apostles, for they did not at all disclose unto the pious such an important matter, as he says and that they have not given a word in all their writings, in testimony of it and thus manifested it unto their descendants.

In the third place I would refer Gellius and all his preachers, to Luther, who writes very clearly that we should renounce not only that which is contrary to the word of the Lord, but also that which is beside it and advises everybody, although, alas, he himself did not follow his advice, to follow certainties and not uncertainties; for the Scriptures admit of no addition nor diminishing, by which he has caused quite a rupture in popery.  If the Scriptures admit of no additions and we find nowhere a word in Scripture commanding infant baptism, as Luther himself admits, then I would leave it to the impartial judgment of all who have understanding, whether infant baptism is not prohibited.

In the fifth place, Gellius writes, They say that the children have no ears to hear; and cannot distinguish between good and evil.  But it does not follow from this, he says, that the sacrament of the embodiment into the church should not be practiced upon children; for the children of the ancient church had no such ears that they could hear and they could as little distinguish between good and evil as our children can.

Answer.  If Gellius will show us the command, ordinance or usage of the Lord, that we shall take them in by such sign, then we will consider the matter further.  But he cannot do so.

We say with holy Paul, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love; having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace,” &c., Eph. 1:3-6.

My faithful reader, understand well what these words of Paul mean.  This paternal adoption unto membership; this great favor, love and grace through Christ Jesus; this holy, unblamable life in love, of which Paul speaks, is taught by the gospel.  All who rightly believe this and who are, through faith, truly converted, changed, renewed and born of God and have the Holy Spirit, are children of the covenant, are graciously accepted by God and are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; even before they have the sign of baptism.

Behold, thus we are, by God’s choice through faith in Christ Jesus and through the inspiring power and renewing of the Holy Spirit, embodied into the body of Christ, which is the true church and become flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone; and not through any outward sign.

But this rule does not apply to unaware children; for they have no ears to hear nor hearts to understand.  They are, however, in grace, children of the kingdom, participants in the promise; not through any outward sign, I say, but in the adoption of Grace through the reconciliation, mediation and merits of the death and blood of Christ, as the Scriptures teach.  The New Testament treats those of understanding minds and its sacraments belong to the penitent.  Let this be to you a sure and eternal reference and doctrine.

All those who give a different meaning to the signs of the New Testament, by their philosophy and teach you that they should be dispensed before faith, deceive you, however much they may adorn it with choice words, such as, sealing, sign of grace, embodiment, &c., for it is in fact, nothing but human wisdom, deceiving of souls and hypocrisy.  If the children under the old covenant were incorporated by circumcision and the children under the new covenant are incorporated through baptism, as he says they are, then we are forced to conclude that the children which died before the eighth day and those who were left in the wilderness, besides, all the females, were not in the Israelitic church and consequently had no share in the grace, covenant nor promise.

The same would also apply to our children which are hindered from baptism, through death.  O abomination and blasphemy!  If that is not attaching God’s selection, grace, favor, love, kingdom, covenant and salvation, to the element water and to works, I will leave to the judgment of all the godly and pious.

In the sixth place he writes and says, We have always received, in return for our assiduity and clear, convincing explanation of the Scriptures, yes, for our solicitous care, to again gain them, nothing but anathemas.  For what else do we hear from them than that we are wolves, blood-hounds, deceivers, &c., who run their own course and bring forth no fruit?

Answer.  All those who rightly seek our salvation, who rightly teach the word of the Lord and who walk before us with an unblamable life and understand according to the doctrine, Spirit and example of Christ Jesus, are not reproved by us, nor by the Scriptures; but we sincerely thank and love them and will by the grace of God, never despise their fraternal assiduity and paternal solicitude, but will, in sincere love and very thankfully, accept them and as much as we, in our weakness, are able to do, follow them.  But we are not to blame that Gellius and the preachers are called deceivers, false prophets, ravening wolves, men guilty of blood, &c., by the Scriptures, but they themselves are the cause; because they so lamentably adulterate the Scriptures, reject Christ Jesus and his Spirit, word and walk; because they preach according to their own pleasure, seek improper gain; because they teach and walk to suit the world, destroy the poor sheep by their false doctrine and deceiving practices; and because they upbraid, blaspheme, belie, betray the pious, faithful hearts and thus deliver them to the sword of the magistracy and executioner, as may, alas, be too clearly witnessed at many different places.

Yes, reader, if he cannot bear to be called by such hard names, of which he is guilty, according to the Scriptures, then he should reasonably consider how shamefully he accuses, in his writings and conversations, the poor, miserable souls who are quite innocent, as being ungodly heretics, apostles of the devil, deceived conspirators, hedge-preachers, sneaks, adulterators, &c. and how he, by his rebellious, fiendish, bloody doctrine, deprives the innocent of their property, welfare, honor, blood and life; and instigates the unmerciful cruel tyrants to robbery, imprisoning, banishing and murder.  My faithful reader, reflect and see if I do not write the truth.

In the seventh place he writes, The example of the apostles shows that it is a command; for the Holy Spirit testifies that the apostles baptized whole families; no children are excepted, which, surely, would have been excepted if it were wrong to baptize them.

To this I reply, in the first place, that Gellius by this testifies that there is no command for infant baptism; for he here founds his doctrine and faith upon presumption and not upon imperative words, according to which all things should be judged that are to be a pleasure in the sight of the Lord.  In the second place I would say that the Holy Spirit has testified in plain words, that the three families of which the Scriptures make mention in particular, to have been baptized, were all believing persons as may be plainly understood from reading Acts 10:16.

But as to the house of Lydia, it is plain that she at that time had no husband; for the house is called after her name, which is neither the custom of the world nor of the Scriptures, if the husband is alive.  Since the New Testament, then, makes mention of but four households in particular, to have been baptized and three of them were believing and the fourth, as it appears, had no husband; as has been heard, how much then should we rely on it, that there were little children in these households, both nature and the Scriptures teach us.

He further writes, That it cannot be gainsayed that the children, all through the Scriptures, are always included in the household, for a household or family includes both young and old; therefore also children should be baptized because the Scriptures mention that whole households were baptized, which includes children.

I reply: If Gellius proves to us, by the testimony of God’s word, that the unaware children have faith, then we would gladly include them in the believing, baptized households and allow them to be baptized.  But as he cannot possibly do so, we would faithfully admonish him and all the preachers to take heed, how and what they say concerning this matter; for all they philosophize and teach about it is mere deceit.  Besides, I would yet ask, if we can also cause unbelief in small children by false doctrine, or, if we can teach them faith, through God’s word?  If he answers in the affirmative, then his answer is contrary to all the Scriptures, common sense and contrary to his own words; for he admits that they, through their feeble understanding, can not comprehend the word.  But if he answers in the negative, then he admits, himself, that his including both old and young in one household, is contrary to Paul.  For Paul says that the vain talkers and deceivers subvert whole houses, Tit. 1:10, something which cannot be done to little children, on account of their not having sufficient understanding, as he himself admits.  He also says that we too boldly exclude the children, which the Holy Spirit has not excepted, &c.  To this I reply: The Holy Spirit has commanded and ordained that we should teach the understanding and baptize the believing and this ordinance we follow.  Therefore, it is not boldness, but obedience to do as the mouth of the Lord has commanded us.  But whether the preachers are not boldly opposing the Holy Spirit, who reject his doctrine, advice and ordinance as heretical and sectarian and institute instead a doctrine and ordinance to suit their own taste, of which we find not a single word in the Scriptures, I will leave all the pious to judge according to the word of the Lord.

As to his reference to Tertullius, Cyprian, Origenes and Augustinus, I would reply: If these writers can support their assertions by the word and ordinance of God, then we will admit that they are right.  If they cannot do so, then it is a doctrine of men and condemned by the Scriptures, Gal. 1:8.  In the second place I say, Rhenanus annotates on Tertullius that it was customary with the ancients to baptize adults with the baptism of regeneration.

Cyprian left infant baptism optional.

Erasmus writes that the ancients have disputed much concerning infant baptism and never came to a conclusion.

Zwinglius writes, “Although we are aware that the ancients baptized children, yet it was not practiced so commonly as it is in our times.  They were openly instructed in faith; and when they verbally confessed their faith which was imprinted in their hearts, they were allowed to be baptized.  This doctrine (he says) I wish to have again resuscitated,” Lib. Are. 18.

Bucer writes that the ancients generally baptized adults and not children.

Oecolampadius writes, “I, in my weakness, cannot yet find Scriptures which command infant baptism.”

Luther admits that they have no express command to baptize children.

What Martin Cellarius and others write, concerning this matter, is too lengthy to be reproduced here.

Since it is plain that few children were baptized by the ancients, as the above mentioned Rhenanus, Zwingli and Bucer show; that Cyprian left infant baptism optional and the others acknowledge that there is no express command for it; how can Gellius then truthfully write that they received infant baptism from the apostles; that it is an incorporation into the church and a sealing of the covenant of grace?

Yes, my reader, if infant baptism has the virtues which Gellius ascribes to it, then our ancestors grossly sinned to have baptized so few children; and also because they left optional that which (he says) the apostles practiced and taught to be an incorporation into the church, a sign of grace and a sealing of the covenant of grace.

In the third place I answer, If we consider the confession and doctrine of the learned in regard to infant baptism, we find it to be such a Babel that we are forced to acknowledge that it is not of God.  For some of the ancients (not the apostles) as it appears, baptized some children, but not a considerable number.  Some said they had received it from the apostles; others, again, denied it.  Some have and some still baptize them to wash off hereditary sin; others because they are children of the covenant.  Some baptize them for the sake of the faith of the church; others, again, for the sake of the faith of their parents.  Some on the strength of the faith of the patriarchs; others on the strength of their own faith; and again, others that better care shall be taken of their education.  Behold, thus the defenders of infant baptism are divided among themselves.

Inasmuch, then, as they do not teach one doctrine and are not of one mind in regard to infant baptism, therefore it is manifestly proven that they baptize them without the word of God.  For if their cause had a foundation in Scripture; then they would baptize to the same purpose or end, according to the same ordinance, rule and doctrine.  This is incontrovertible.

In the eighth place he writes “that it is not prohibited at all, in Scripture, nor testified that infant baptism is wrong.  And that the Lord Jesus Christ testifies that it is not his word and will, but the will of his Father who is in heaven.”

Answer.  Peruse all the Scriptures—Moses and the prophets, Christ Jesus and the apostles and diligently meditate upon them and you will find different instances that God was not only displeased at unbidden ceremonies and worship, but that he has often severely punished such.  O, dear Lord, what blind reasoning!  If they can, with a clear conscience do so because it is not expressly forbidden that infants shall be baptized, then they may as well accept holy water, candles, palms, clocks, confession before a priest, masses, the building of convents, altars, becoming monks, pilgrimages and praying for the departed souls, &c., as just and right; for there is not a word to be found in the Scriptures which expressly prohibits these works; or which says: You shall not do these things.

If he should say that the circumstances of Scripture and its fruits testify that they are contrary to the word of God; then I would again say: Still clearer do the circumstances of the Scriptures and the fruits testify that infant baptism is contrary to God’s word.  For the mouth of the Lord has not commanded [doing] so at all.  All those who practice it, misuse the name and ordinance of God and act hypocritically and those that receive it, console themselves, when they come to years of understanding, that they were baptized as children, although their whole walk is manifestly, for the greater part, quite impenitent, ungodly, earthly and carnal.

In the second place I answer: Christ Jesus has testified and said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He that believes and is baptized shall be saved,” Mark 16:15, 16.  Behold, this is the express, eternal and unchangeable ordinance of the Lord, which he has commanded and left for his church to follow.  Also the apostles have so taught and practiced it.

If the unaware children now have faith, that is, if they are penitent, Rom. 6; have circumcised the foreskin of their hearts by the circumcision of Christ, Col. 2:11; if they have a clear conscience before the Lord, if they have a new mind, which are all the result of faith and which are represented by baptism—then baptism can not be refused to them.  But while it is plain that they do not have these before-mentioned qualities, therefore we say that infant baptism is a self-chosen superstition, an abuse of the glorious and holy name of God, an adulteration of the ordinance of Christ, a vain, hypocritical consolation to the impenitent, a sacrament of the church of anti-christ, no, an open deceit, blasphemy and idolatry.  Notwithstanding all this, this thoughtless man writes that it is the word and will of the Father and then uses the eternal Father and his beloved Son and Holy Spirit, together with the chosen, holy apostles, as a cover for his deceitful abomination and wicked blasphemy.  O Lord!

In the ninth place he writes: “That they have the promise, that God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, a true and living God, is powerful in his command and works; and will, through his power, sanctify the children of the church and bestow on them his Spirit.”

Answer.  If he could prove that infant baptism was commanded by the word of God, by apostolic doctrine and usage, or by the example of Christ, as he pretends that it was, then we would gladly admit it to be a holy rite and pleasing to God and that it would be a blessed, admonishing, useful, fruitful and powerful thing, for God commands nothing in vain.  But since it cannot be proven that it was commanded and since baptism cannot apply to little children, because the signs of the New Testament are applied to the penitent, therefore we say again, that it is not a God-pleasing ceremony, but according to all Scripture, a wicked blasphemy and abomination, as has already been heard.  And how powerfully God works through such abominations, may be plainly seen in the cases of Nadab, Abihu, Jeroboam, Uzza and others.

The pious reader should also know that the children of the churches are not sanctified by means of ceremonies, words and water, but solely through the grace, favor, merits, blood and death of the Lord and by no other work nor means, at all.  But as to his writing that God bestows upon the baptized children his Spirit, we would say that we would have him consider more deeply and learn to know what the work of the Spirit is, before he teaches such doctrine.

Is it not deeply to be regretted that such people dare take upon themselves the care of souls, while they have not yet learned what is the nature, fruit and power of the Holy Spirit?  For wherever the Holy Spirit is, there also must be its fruits; this is incontrovertible.  And what fruits we find in children when they begin to become of understanding minds, we may, alas, conclude from their words, works and life.

I would further say that if the Spirit is bestowed upon children, through baptism, as he says and since the Scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit is given to the believing, then it must follow from this, since the children do not believe, that the Holy Spirit is not given to them through faith, but that it is given through the merits of the ceremony of baptism, which the preachers practice.  And what is worse, such a spirit is in every respect without knowledge, intelligence, inspiration, power, fruit and work, as may be seen.  O, great blindness and error!

In the tenth place he writes: “The Lord Jesus Christ commanded that the children should be brought to him (which the anabaptists do not [do] at all) and that he embraced them, laid his hands upon them and blessed them, that is, baptized them with the Holy Spirit; and all this, done by Christ, is not powerless.”

Answer.  Here I would ask Gellius and all who practice infant baptism, Firstly, if all the believers brought their children to Christ when he was preaching?  If they answer in the affirmative, then they ought to be ashamed; for they can not prove their assertion by the Scriptures.  But if they answer in the negative, then they acknowledge that they, in the first place, are wrong to teach that children should be brought to him, that is (according to their understanding), [for him] to baptize them.

In the second place I ask, whether in any part of Scripture bringing to Christ is called baptism?  If they answer in the affirmative, then [as we know] they can not produce proof.  If they answer in the negative then they admit that they, in the second place, adulterate the word of God, by explaining and construing bringing to Christ to mean baptizing.

In the third place I ask whether Christ baptized the children, brought to him with water?  If they answer in the affirmative, then I would answer with John, that Christ, himself, did not baptize, John 3:5.  But if they answer in the negative, then they acknowledge, in the third place, that it is a false doctrine to try to defend infant baptism on the strength of this bringing to him.

In the fourth place I would ask this, because he says that Christ baptized the children with the Holy Spirit.  Is baptizing with the Spirit is the same thing as baptizing with water?  If they answer in the affirmative, then Spirit must be letter, or letter, Spirit.  But if they answer in the negative, then they, themselves, pronounce sentence against infant baptism: that Christ’s action with the children does not teach nor imply it.

O, that God would grant that Gellius and his followers would more deeply consider this spiritual bringing to Christ, as I trust that many of ours do, by the grace of God; and that they would abandon their unscriptural infant baptism, of which they make so much ado.  This, in my opinion, would be a very desirable thing.  For, as a general thing, they abandon their children, from the cradle on, to the wiles of the devil, by educating them in ignorance, blindness, pomp, splendor, vanity and idolatry, as their fruits plainly show to all of understanding minds.  Behold, my reader, from these questions and answers you may conclude whether Gellius and the learned can stand on the strength of the saying, “Allow the little children to come unto me,” with their doctrine and practice of infant baptism, which they practice so indiscriminately and about which they make so much ado?

Observe, too, that Gellius, by his writing that we do not bring our children to Christ at all, not only judges and disgraces us but also Christ Jesus, because he has not commanded us [to do] such bringing to him; he also judges the holy apostles who have not testified nor taught us a word in regard to this matter, neither by word nor practice in the whole Scriptures.

In the eleventh place he writes: Since Luke testifies that John the baptist was sanctified in his mother’s womb and leaped in the presence of Christ (which, he says, doubtlessly, was caused by a spiritual movement) and as also Jacob, &c, therefore it is manifest that God also works in the children of the church according to their measure, through his Holy Spirit and that infant baptism is a command and has the promise.

Answer.  If these particular miracles of God, which were fashioned in the case of John and of Jacob, are to be a common rule, then these following miracles were also common rules, namely, that Sarah and Elizabeth, two barren women, conceived in their old age and that Balaam’s ass spoke, Num. 22:28; and, therefore, all aged, barren women should conceive and all asses speak.  O no.  That such miracles of God were not common rule things may be concluded from the floating of iron at Helizeum; from the passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea and from the standing still of the sun and moon, 2 Kings 6:6; Exo. 14:21; Joshua 10:13.

I would further say, if, according to the doctrine of Gellius, it follows from the case of John, that all the children of the church, or of the believing members, have the Holy Spirit, then the greater part of his fellow believers of the German nation (whom alone, he esteemed as faithful servants and who, with him, are of the same calling, office and service) are greatly despised in their doctrine, faith and usage; for he writes that the children of the holy church have the Holy Spirit and they believe and teach that they have the evil spirit, for, before they baptize them, they say, Depart you evil spirit and give room to the Holy Spirit.

Behold, thus it is generally with all who teach and practice this shameful doctrine.  And, although they are unanimous in the practice, yet they are so divided in opinion as to the grounds of this doctrine that we are forced to say that it is nothing but a vain mask and infernal mockery.  Notwithstanding, he writes that infant baptism is commanded and that it has the promise; while he well knows that he cannot advance one plain word from all the Holy Scriptures to show that the wisdom of God has commanded it, or that the apostles have taught or practiced it; or, moreover, that its signification, penitence, regeneration, &c., can apply to children.  To say nothing of the author mentioning that the primitive, incorrupt church did not practice it, as has been heard.

Is this not adulterating the word of God, breaking the Scriptures, perverting truth into lies, stealing the honor and praise of God, killing souls and defending the church of anti-christ?  I say again, as I did before, I have never read a word in the Scriptures with such misunderstanding.

In the twelfth place he writes: “That, according to Matthew, baptism was not first instituted by Christ.  For it was before commanded by John and practiced by the disciples of Jesus Christ; so that we are not obliged to follow one rule.”

Answer.  Let everyone take heed and observe what the word of the Lord teaches.  Gellius, alas, is not at all ashamed to deny the plain word of God and writes: “That we are not obliged to follow one certain rule in regard to baptism; that Christ did not command to baptize the believing persons alone; nor that his heavenly Father did, when he commanded John that he should baptize; and that it was not Christ’s meaning that such and such persons should be baptized.”  Behold, thus the Lord’s holy word is perverted.

Inasmuch as Gellius so degrades his Lord’s mouth and so lamentably adulterates his word, therefore I will place the words of Christ, according to Matthew and Mark, before the reader, that he may see what rule and law he has made concerning baptism and what command he has given.  Christ says, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them (understand, whom you make disciples, by your doctrine) in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you,” Mat. 28:18-20.  Again, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He that believes (namely, the gospel) and is baptized shall be saved; but he that does not believe shall be damned,” Mark 16:15, 16.  Behold, this is the word and ordinance of the Lord, how and when we are to baptize.  I think these words are too plain to admit of perversion by fine words and cunning:  Preach the gospel and baptize those that believe!

But that John taught and practiced baptism before Christ, is evidence for us and not against us, for he practiced it upon those who confessed their sins, Mat. 3:6 and not upon unaware children, as these disobedient, offensive preachers do.

Since John did not baptize any but the penitent before Christ; since Christ commanded it at the confession of faith, the apostles taught and practiced it so and also the primitive church, as heard, therefore, the reasonable reader may reflect, in the fear of God, how miserably and lamentably the poor souls are deceived by these degenerated men who so boldly adulterate the pointed, plain words of Christ concerning baptism and his pleasing, salutary ordinance and thus destroy it and found it upon an unstable foundation and wrong meaning.

But his writing, “That the apostles were commanded to gather unto Christ a church from all nations and to teach them, not that which Moses, but that which Christ had taught,” we admit.  Yet through no other command nor ordinance than that they should preach the gospel, make disciples through the doctrine, baptize these disciples and thus to gather unto the Lord a peculiar people, who should walk in Christ Jesus in righteousness, truth and obedience, as the regenerated children of God and give eternal praises to his great and glorious name.  And with such a people, who walk in his fear, love, word, ordinances and commands, he will be always, to the end of the world.  But of infant baptism not a word is mentioned.

In the thirteenth place, he writes, “That the apostles, some of whom were baptized by John and those who came to him from the cities and from Jerusalem were indiscriminately baptized by John and could not have had much knowledge of Christ, or a true, strong, sincere faith in him.”

Answer.  If I understand him aright, he would conclude from this, that, as the baptized disciples were not, before baptism, thoroughly fitted in the doctrine, faith and repentance, but had to exercise themselves in continual penitence and to die unto sin, as baptism represents, that also the children, although they have no faith before baptism, will, after baptism, when they become of understanding minds, study the doctrine, repent, die unto sin and walk in newness of life.

To which opinion (if this is his opinion) I would reply: The prophets prophesied of John, Isa. 40:3; Mal. 3:1.  His birth was made known by an angel; Christ testified of him, that he was the second Elijah, a shining light, not clothed in soft raiment and not like the waving reed; that he was the greatest of all children born of woman, &c.  From which it may be safely concluded that he was no light-minded nor reckless preacher, but that he earnestly and valiantly executed his office, according to the pleasure of God and that he rightly practiced the commanded baptism according to the ordinance.  And, although his disciples were not so thoroughly instructed in all things, yet he did not baptize any but those who confessed their sins, as said in Mat. 3 & Acts 19.

But, as to his explanation of the words: “If you believe with all your heart,” which Philip spoke to the Ethiopian, that they mean to believe without deceit and hypocrisy, which he rightly asked of the Ethiopian; and of Luke, to leave an example to all servants of the church, how those of mature years should be baptized, he has rightly pointed out, since he also had arrived to years of maturity.  We say that this is right.  We would also state what we desire of all baptizers: That they first examine well the faith and foundation of those who wish to be baptized, before they baptize them, that they, in their work and service, may not prove hypocrites.

I think that this is a plain example that the servants of the church should not ask for the confession of faith from others, but from the very ones who wish to be baptized, as also Otto Brunsu says concerning this: He does not say (he writes), If you do believe or answer for your child, it is then permitted to be baptized.

Since Gellius refers us to the disciples and to those baptized by John, and, as it appears, would by this demonstrate that baptism does not require true faith and that it makes no difference whether faith comes before or after; and, since we, also, are called anabaptists by him, therefore I, in my weakness, would ask him, If the command of Christ and the example of the eunuch are not sufficient to show that faith should precede baptism and that baptism requires true faith, then why did Paul re-baptize the disciples of John, who had before been baptized with the baptism of John, even though John’s baptism was not of men, but from heaven?  Mat. 21:25 & Acts 19:1-5.  He cannot, scripturally, answer it otherwise, than that it was done because they had never known that there was a Holy Spirit.  Inasmuch, then, as these disciples were once baptized in their years of maturity, with divine baptism and lacked nothing but that they did not have an understanding of the Holy Spirit and were, on that account, re-baptized by Paul—therefore Gellius should consider whether or not true, christian baptism requires true faith and whether he does not wrong us by contemptuously calling us anabaptists because we re-baptize those who were not baptized with a divine baptism, as were the disciples of John, but with an un-christian baptism, without any knowledge, faith, command or word, as [even] the reckless, ignorant world, in part, can judge and see.

If we, then, are anabaptists because we re-baptize those who received a baptism instituted of man and which was practiced upon those who had no knowledge whatever, how much [more], then, was Paul an anabaptist since he re-baptized those who were of understanding minds and baptized with a baptism which was from heaven and ordained by God.

In the second place I would ask, since he calls us anabaptists, as has been heard, why he still adheres to Cyprian, together with both the Councils─the African and the Nicene, who unanimously resolved: “That heretics have no baptism and that therefore those who have been baptized by heretics should be baptized with the true baptism.”  If he says that it is according to the Scriptures and right, then he admits that he was not baptized with the right baptism and that we are right in re-baptizing those who have been baptized by such who are not [standing] by Scripture alone, but also with Luther, Zwingli and the learned, prominent anti-christian servants and the root of all heresy, before the whole world, as we may on every hand see in their writings.

But if he pronounces it offensive and sectarian, then he by this testifies, in the first place, that the church, or at least a great part of it, was at that time offensive and sectarian.

In the third place, That he couples God’s Spirit, word, work, ordinance and command with the anti-christian and heretical service and works.

In the fourth place, That he is an antichristian and heretic himself, since he was baptized with an anti-christian and heretical baptism and that he yet defends it as the true baptism.

O, my reader, that Gellius had but half an understanding of the word of God and could but see a little of the truth, he would, all his life-time lament to God that he has so lamentably profaned the Lord’s express command and ordinance, given through John, Christ and the apostles; that he has so inimically slandered the pious and that he passes such a thoughtless and ungodly sentence, by his writings that he not only pronounces us, but also Cyprian, all the African bishops, the Nicene Fathers, besides also, holy Paul himself, as open anabaptists; no, as heretics.

In the fourteenth place he writes, “That it is with baptism as it was with circumcision.  As God commenced circumcision with Abraham, upon preceding instruction,—and for the purpose of the sealing of the promise, it was practiced upon Abraham’s seed and children—so John the baptist and the apostles commenced baptism with those of mature years and it was gradually practiced upon the children, since it could not be otherwise on account of circumcision.”

Answer.  That it is with baptism as it was with circumcision before, namely, in this respect; that it was commenced on previous instruction—is our ground and doctrine; for Christ Jesus has so ordained it and his holy apostles have so taught and practiced it.  But that it should, by the command of Christ and by the teaching and practice of the apostles, gradually have been practiced upon the children, is mere conjecture and is not Scripture.

For if it were so, then the apostles did wrongly that they did not, according to the manner of circumcision, commanded by God, baptize both the believing and the children (something which they did not do), as Abraham circumcised himself and his house together with the males of eight days old after him, according to the command of God and did not gradually institute circumcision, as Gellius maintains and would make us believe, that the apostles should have done with baptism.

But that he writes that this should have been done on account of circumcision is conjecture and not Scripture; for as the apostles and also John served on the believing ones of the Jews the sign of baptism, why not, then, on their children, if God had so ordained and commanded it, as Gellius pretends he did?

No, no, the command of the Lord concerning circumcision expressly applied, first to Abraham and his household and then directly to the males of eight days old, Gen. 17:14; but this is not so with regard to baptism, for it applies only to the believing and not to the unaware children, Mat. 28; Mark 16.  Therefore baptism was not gradually practiced upon the children, as Gellius pretends.  It was afterward instituted without the word, ordinance and command of God, by disobedient and self-conceited men, who, alas, have considered their re-shaped ceremony above the Lord’s command and its representation, as is generally the case with the learned and worldly minded.

Again, as to his writing “that the promise is sealed by baptism and that it is given not only to the aged, but also to the children”—the reader should observe that the promise of the grace of God and of the eternal covenant, is not sealed, not any more, by the perishable blood of oxen and rams, nor by visible water and ceremonies, but solely by the precious blood of Christ on the cross.  Blessed is he who believes it and cordially accepts it.  This promise is made to the unbaptized children, no less than to the baptized believing, so long as they are clothed with childish innocence and continue in simplicity.  But when they come to maturity and accept the dispensed gospel of grace through faith, then the Scriptures teach us that we should baptize them, Mat. 28:19; Mark 16:15.  But if they reject grace and lead an easy, impenitent life, neither Christ’s blood nor death will avail them; much less will word and water avail them.  For, “he that does not believe” (the Scripture means those of understanding minds) “is condemned already,” John 3:18.

In the fifteenth place he writes, “They err abominably, because they conclude, from the Scriptures and examples which have reference to those of mature years, to a certainty that it is an ordinance of God that the children should not be baptized, notwithstanding that there is not a tittle in the whole New Testament which forbids it.  And therefore they are no less wrong than I should be if I would not feed my children that cannot labor, because Paul says, he that does not labor shall not eat, which is incontrovertibly spoken in regard to those of mature years and not to children.

Answer.  In my opinion, Gellius wilfully intends to uphold the things contrary to Christ and truth, that he may execute the office of an anti-christian preacher, according to the pleasure of the world.  For, when he should write that we act rightly according to the Scriptures and that there is not a tittle in the New Testament that children should be baptized—he writes that we err abominably and that there is not a tittle that forbids infant baptism, &c.

Inasmuch as he so wilfully and violently contends against the Lord and his truth and since he in various ways seeks to give his cause a fine appearance by the use of many borrowed words, lies, conjectures and perversion of the Scriptures and says that we err abominably, &c., therefore I would briefly state: That if he can at any time prove to us by the unadulterated, divine Scriptures and truth, that John the Baptist practiced infant baptism anywhere; or that it was commanded by Christ and taught and practiced by the apostles; or that it was, through the ordinance of the Lord, gradually practiced upon children, as he writes it was; or, that bringing to him is called baptism and baptism [is] bringing to him in the Scriptures; or, that Christ and the apostles have baptized the children that were brought to them; or, that Christ baptized them with a spirit that was powerful in works (the Spirit of God is never idle); or, that small children have faith, or that they are penitent, that they bury their sins and are circumcised through faith and by this arise with Christ in newness of life; or, that circumcision is called baptism and baptism circumcision; or, that they have the answer of a good conscience; or, that baptism, anywhere in the Scriptures, is called a sign of the covenant of grace, a sealing of the promise and an incorporation into the church, or that unaware children speak with tongues as the believing members of the house of Cornelius did, of whom Peter says, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we” Acts 10:47, or, that the true, primitive church practiced it by the apostolic doctrine, usage or command; or, that God is powerful through works which he has not ordained, then we will lay aside our pen, repent and confess before the whole world that our cause is mere deceit and nothing but falsehood, in this respect.

But if he cannot do so and it is impossible for him to do, then I would faithfully admonish and fraternally beseech him to consider earnestly and thoroughly how shamefully he reflects on God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, John the Baptist and the apostles, in this matter of infant baptism; how lamentably he adulterates the plain Scriptures and deceives the poor souls; what gross falsehoods he teaches the poor people; how deceitfully he teaches the accursed abomination and passes it off as a holy, glorious work; and also, how unjustly he accuses us of abominably erring, we, who clearly have on our side Christ’s plain word, the apostolic doctrine and usage, the signification of baptism and the usage of the true, primitive churches; while he cannot show by a single word of all the Scriptures, that his infant baptism has any foundation in the ordinance and command of God.  My faithful reader, beware; fear God; act justly; search the Scriptures; shun falsehood and follow the truth.

Again, by undertaking to draw the saying of Paul, “That if any would not work, neither should he eat,” into his argument, he contradicts himself and is unworthy of a reply.  For, as Paul by this commands the idlers and busy-bodies to earn their own bread by honorable labor, lest they become an offense and troublesome to others and since such cannot apply to children, therefore such labor was not by this commanded them.  Neither does Paul say, he who does not work, &c., as Gellius writes; but he says, “If any would not work, neither should he eat.”  So, too, baptism is not commanded to be practiced on unaware children, but it is commanded in the Scriptures to be practiced upon those who believe the word of the Lord, lead a penitent life and who have a sound understanding and comprehension of baptism, as has been said several times.

In the sixteenth place he writes, “That in Christ Jesus no respect of persons or time is made.  For the glory of the kingdom of Christ is not limited to any cities, times or persons; so, neither to any age nor generation.”

Answer.  With this, if I understand it, he would assert that, although, according to his assertion, baptism has taken the place of circumcision and the males only were circumcised in Israel, that notwithstanding this, both males and females are to be baptised now, be they believers’ children and born of believing parents or not.  If that is his meaning and foundation, then he should know that as the grace, favor, love, covenant and promise of God under the New Testament, extended to both men and women, so, also did it extend to all under the Old Testament.  For, if God had coupled his covenant of grace to all the signs, whether it be circumcision or baptism and if those alone were in the church who had received the sign, then the Israelitic women and maids and also the children of the primitive churches, were in a bad situation; since the first, according to the Scriptures, were not circumcised and the latter, according to the ancient authors, were not baptized, as has been already said.

No, reader, no.  Abraham and all his seed, I mean both men and women, young and old, were the Lord’s people and church.  But only the males were circumcised and not the females, the male children of eight days old and not the female children, according to the ordinance of God; yet, they all, both men and women, were members of the church under the covenant of God and were children of the promise, although, I repeat it, only the males were circumcised and not the females.

So it is under the New Testament.  The gospel is preached and all who believe it and are baptized shall be saved; be they males or females.  They are members of the church of Christ under God’s covenant and grace; they are joint heirs of the kingdom of God and children of eternal life; also the children, although they are not baptized, Mark 16:16; Acts 5:14; 1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 8:14.

For he says, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear him.”  If, now, this Son had ordained infant baptism, then we should practice it, if we would be his disciples; but since he has not done so, we pronounce it, according to the Scriptures, accursed, as said, Gal. 1:8.

In the seventeenth place he writes, Would to God that they could once rightly understand the 5th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, wherein he describes the church, saying, Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water in the word, or as Erasmus says, through the word.  Then he goes on and says, This incontrovertibly includes the children along with their parents, that is, the believers and their seed, no, the whole church.  How should they, then, be excluded from the word, while it reads, He has cleansed the church with the washing of water by the word?

Answer.  I trust that we, through the grace and enlightenment of the Lord, in our weakness, do not misunderstand these words of Paul, but that we do rightly understand the meaning.  We offer Gellius and all the learned the use of all the Scriptures, besides all reason and experience, if they can show one tittle in the Holy Scriptures to prove that reason and experience teach that we can teach little children the word of God, from which originates the true cleansing of the heart, or that the Scriptures of the New Testament anywhere apply the word and sacraments to them.  If they can, then we will admit that they are cleansed by baptism through the word, or in the word.  But, if they can not do so, then it is already proven that these words of Paul are not written in regard to little children.

It is true, Christ has so loved his church that he has given himself for her and has sanctified her through the power and merits of his innocent blood and cleansed her by water, which is a sign of a new and penitent life, but not otherwise than in the word, or through the word, which, preached in the power of the Spirit and accepted in true faith, is followed by the ordained baptism as commanded.

Christ said, “You are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you,” John 15:3; not, my reader, that they were clean because it was outwardly spoken unto them, but because they believed that which was spoken unto them.  For God does not cleanse the hearts through any literal water, word or ceremony, but through faith in the word; otherwise all who outwardly hear the word and receive the outward sign of the water, would be holy and clean; this is incontrovertible.

In the eighteenth place, He advances an argument and syllogism.  Whatever pertains to the church, also pertains to the members of the church.  Baptism pertains to the whole church, both old and young—therefore baptism pertains to all the members of the church.

Answer.  In my opinion it were better for Gellius, since he boasts himself a preacher of the holy word, to leave his logic to the wise of the world, who, alas, seek their own praise and honor more than they do God’s: and satisfy himself with the true doctrine, foundation and truth of Christ and with the unpretentious, plain testimony of Matthew, the tax collector and of Peter and John, the fishermen, &c., that he does not deceive the unlearned by such cunning reasoning and lead them off the true way.

As to his major proposition (as he calls it), I would say that if Gellius had applied it to grace, reconciliation, promise, eternal life, &c., which were bestowed upon the whole church, young as well as old, for Christ’s sake and not upon the ordinance of the church, then he would have been right; but as it is, he will have to admit that it is wrong and contrary to the word of God.  For, as regards the ordinances of which he speaks, in which baptism is included, I would say that all the members of the church are not of one and the same calling, service and work and are not under one and the same ordinance; for the Lord has ordained apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and servants, in his church and all are not, on that account, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors or servants.  Thus it is with the ordinances of baptism and the Holy Supper in his church; we should therefore not serve them to the unaware children, but only to the believing and penitent, according to the Scriptures.

As to his minor proposition, I would say our doctrine, belief, foundation and confession is that our unaware children, so long as they live in their innocence, are, through the merits, death and blood of Christ, in grace and joint heirs of the promise, as has already been heard.  The doctrine of the New Testament, which is a doctrine of the Spirit, does not include them with those who are ruled and governed by the word and sacraments of God and who are properly called the church of Christ in Scripture.

That the children should be counted into the church on account of the promise, we consent to, but we reject that they should be included in the ordinances of the church; for this is contrary to all Scripture and common sense, as we will prove by Christ’s own words.  He also openly reproves Christ and the apostles, together with the Holy Spirit, for he writes, “Baptism pertains to both young and old;” while they have not left us a single example, nor one word in all the Scriptures whereby it is taught or commanded, as may be seen.

Since both his major and minor propositions are not consistent with the word and command of God, as shown, how then, his conclusion, that baptism pertains to all the members of the church, can be consistent with the word and ordinance of God is sufficiently clear to the kind reader.

I would further say that if this, his syllogism, is right and true, namely, Whatever pertains to the church, must pertain to all the members of the church, &c., which, however, is not so, then it would also be true that as doctrine, faith, knowledge of Christ, true repentance, a regenerated, new life, the circumcision of the heart, a clear conscience, baptism, Lord’s Supper, the love of one’s neighbor, a living hope, ardent thankfulness, &c., pertain to the church—therefore they pertain to all the members, both young and old.

If he denies this first proposition of mine, then he denies his own, for it is like his.  If he denies, besides, the second, because children, on account of their weak understanding, as he admits, cannot understand the word and that they, therefore, cannot repent nor be admitted to the Supper, &c., then he testifies that the children do not belong to the church which is governed by the Lord’s word and sacraments; and that his syllogism, with which he includes all the members of the church, both young and old, in one and the same ordinance, is wrong and false, no, contrary to God’s word.  This is my answer to the argument of Gellius and his fellows.  How they can stand with this, according to the Scriptures, you may reflect upon in the fear of your God.

In the nineteenth place, he makes a long discourse in regard to the child which was, according to Mark and Luke, called to Christ; and will by this prove and teach that children believe, or if they do not believe, that they are accounted as believing, be they of whatever age they may be.  He further writes that a child of two, three or four years old may be corrupted by bad examples; and that we are too timorous because we dare not baptize those whom Christ accounts as believing (as he says).

Answer.  If Gellius and the learned had received but a little understanding of the nature, power and properties of true faith, they would be ashamed all their lifetime to have such a poor idea of that precious faith which is a power and gift of God.  Moses says that the children have no knowledge of good and evil. Deut.1:39.  The wise man says that they have no understanding.  Paul says, “Brethren, do not be children in understanding,” 1 Cor.14:20 and yet Gellius dares write that they believe; as if faith were but a dead thing that has no motive power or work.

O no!  True faith, which avails before God, is a living and saving power which is through the preaching of the holy word, bestowed by God upon the heart; that moves, changes and regenerates it to newness of mind; that smothers all ungodliness; that destroys all pride, ambition and selfishness; that in malice, makes us like children, &c.  Behold, such is the faith which the Scriptures teach us and not a vain, dead and unfruitful conjecture, as the world pretends it to be.  And that such faith is not to be found in children of two, three or four years old, both the Scriptures and common sense teach us.

O, dear Lord!  What great blindness, that this thoughtless man does not observe that he and his like preachers, some of whom have grown already gray, who daily read the Scriptures after their manner, are yet so unbelieving that they dare, for the sake of a piece of bread, adulterate the plain word of God, lead the poor, miserable souls to hell in great numbers, upbraid, slander and hate all the pious and innocently heap upon them slanderous lies and disgraces, incite the magistracy to tyranny and blood and that they delight in pomp, splendor, the lusts of the flesh, avarice, &c., which is such clear proof that they are not only unbelieving, but that they are also quite earthly and carnally-minded; and yet they assert that a child of two or three years of age has faith.  O, folly and error!

The reason that Christ called unto himself the child and placed it in the midst of his disciples, was because the disciples were casting about as to who would be the greatest.  He set the child as an example to them and said, “Truly I say unto you, Except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”  And that we must inherit the kingdom of God as a child (in [their lack of] malice, understand), as Mark and Luke write.  Paul says, “Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.” 1 Cor. 14:20.  Christ says, “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven; and whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name, receives me.  But whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it would be better for him if a mill-stone were hanged about his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea,” Mat. 18:4-6.  Behold, Christ himself explains to what children we should apply this.

Second, If the preachers and magistrates would rightly understand this saying of Christ and believed it just and true, then, in my opinion, the offensive, deceiving doctrine would soon be at an end and the tyrannical sword be put into the sheath, by which, now, alas, hundreds of thousands of souls, are offended to everlasting destruction and consigned to the kingdom of the devil.  O, Lord!  “Woe unto the world because of offences,” says Christ, God’s mouth and wisdom.

Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, offered strange fire before Jehovah, which he did not command them to do and a fire went out from Jehovah and devoured them, Lev. 10:1, 2.

Jeroboam was chosen king of the ten revolted tribes of Israel, worshipped in a manner not commanded by God and therefore he was told by the prophet that God would take away the remnant of his house, as a man takes away dung, till it would all be gone, 1 Kings 14:10.

Uzziah was smitten for life because he burned incense upon the altar of incense, to which Jehovah had not called him, 2 Chron. 26:16.

Luther writes in his preface to Isaiah and says, “God will not be told how he is to be served.  He will teach and lead us.  His word should be our guide; for without his word it is all idolatry and vain falsehood, however fine and pleasing it may appear.”  Again, the 3rd chapter of Daniel shows that worship without God’s word is always idolatry.

I would further say, All those who seek God and sincerely fear him, obey his ordinance and word.

Israel never circumcised a female, nor offered a ewe for the Passover; for God ordained that the males should be circumcised on the eighth day and that rams should be offered, Gen. 17:11; Exo. 12:5, as heard before.

Since we clearly learn from the Holy Scriptures that Moses and the prophets and besides, the Father, himself, unanimously point to Jesus, who is Wisdom and Truth, to obey him; and since we surely know, by the grace of God, that he is the true Prophet and perfect Teacher, whose word is truth and whose command is eternal life and since he has not commanded us a single word of infant baptism, nor his true witnesses, the holy apostles have taught it or left an example of it and since we also find that the signification is not applicable to children and besides, that the Scriptures do not admit of strange worship, self-chosen ceremonies, nor addition, nor subtraction and that God has several times punished such self-chosen righteousness and worship, as heard; and further, that the primitive church did not practice infant baptism, as has been often heard, therefore we are so timorous, that we dare not baptize our little children; for these cases to which we have referred, together with the unfeigned love of salutary, divine truth, the sincere fear of our God and the power of our faith, although in weakness, prevent us.

O, reader, would God grant that our opponents could rightly understand what frightful abominations they commit on every hand with their infant baptism and how they practice it to the dishonor of God and corruption of their neighbors, then, I trust, this matter would soon be reformed and by the help of God, be changed to a scriptural usage.

In the first place, they falsify God and the Holy Scriptures by their infant baptism; for they assert that it is God’s ordinance, while there is not a single word or example to be found in all the Scriptures that teaches infant baptism.

In the second place, they by this destroy the true church of Christ and establish an anti-Christian one which bears the name and semblance of the christian church; although it hates and despises its doctrine, spirit, ordinances and usages, taught by the Scriptures.

In the third place, they by this console the world in their unrighteousness; for however ungodly, adulterous, perjurious, covetous, pompous, envious, blood-thirsty, greedy, drunk, carnal, idolatrous and hypocritical they be, yet they boast that they are baptized christians.

In the fourth place, they hate and persecute all those who, out of pure, godly zeal, avoid this deceitful abomination, reprove their damnable worship and point them to Jesus and his word alone.  No, they are called apostate anabaptists, apostles of the devil, deceived heretics, offscourings and booty.

In the fifth place, although they and their authors, in the past, have condemned unto hell the institutions and commands of men and have written one volume after another against it, yet they, alas, altogether adhere to this horrible abomination, because they want to avoid the cross and gain the favor of the world.  They act hypocritically in all things and do the things which are pleasing to the world; they heap one abominable error upon another; hang crosses upon the child’s breast and forehead; they conjure and ask the parents if they believe, &c., drive out devils and commit other disgraceful acts; so that we are forced to say that all the infant baptizers are hypocrites of all hypocrites and that infant baptism is an open incorporation into the church of anti-Christ, the beginning of all deceit and an accursed blasphemy and enchantment, which is not only contrary to the plain word and ordinance of the Lord, but also against all reason, nature and common sense.  For who that has read the word of the Lord at all, does not know that a cross made with the fingers cannot help or save a child?  That the innocent creature, the unaware child, who is cleansed by the blood of the Lord, is not possessed by the devil and that one cannot insure the faith of others, since it is a gift of God?

Say, kind reader, What worse mockery and hypocrisy could be imagined, than to ask of one in the name of another: Do you believe?  Do you renounce Satan, &c.?  And on an affirmative answer, to baptize an unaware child that knows nothing of either yes or no, of God or devil, of truth or falsehood, of life or death?  O blasphemy and shame!

O, Lord!  O, dear Lord!  How long shall this gross deceit and vile abomination be practiced?  I think it is high time that the world should take heed and learn to know such open deceivers and their doctrine, baptism, supper, life and fruits and that they would pay more attention to the ordinance, will, word, ways and works of the Lord.

In the twentieth place, he accuses us of a false security, as he calls it, because we, or ours, say that we are assured in our hearts that they err and that we are right, &c.

Answer.  Jehovah speaks through Moses, “Whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he” (that is Christ) “shall speak in my name, I will require it of him,” Deut. 18:19.

The Father says, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him,” Mat. 17:5.

Christ says, “Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you,” Mat. 28:29.

Paul says, “Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed,” Gal. 1:8.

John says, “Whosoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God.  He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son,” 2 John 1:9 and other like sayings.

Since all the Scriptures point us to the Spirit, gospel, command, ordinance, usage and example of Christ; and since we, in our worship, do not follow conjectures, our own desires, false explanations and doctrines of men, as we are accused of, [but only] Christ’s plain word and command; the doctrine and usage of the holy apostles and of the true, primitive church; and, as they (our opponents) are no more commanded to baptize children than Israel was to circumcise females, or that they should found churches, altars and places of worship on hills, or in dales, or that they should offer their children as burnt-offerings, or that the papists should baptize bells as they are accustomed to and since they call and persecute the baptism ordained by Christ, as the baptism of heretics and esteem and practice infant baptism, which was instituted through hypocrisy, as a christian baptism and since they, besides, boast that they do right by not abandoning this practice; therefore I would gladly leave it to the judgment of all reasonable and impartial readers, which of us are the Sanherib, Holofernes, Pharisaical and deceiving sects, mentioned as trusting in false security.

Gellius further writes, What else has deceived the anabaptists in the past, that they took up the sword, than just such security.  They imagined that they, as the people of God, were marked with the sign, Tau; should subdue the whole world and hang us preachers, who they said knew better, to our own door-posts?

Answer.  Reader, observe, What else does he by this say than, Beloved lords, will you yet be merciful unto such an offensive people and wicked heretics?  Persecute, imprison, banish and destroy them.  They are deserving of it.  You may consider and judge whether the Holy Spirit, in the Revelation does not call this the sting of scorpions, Rev. 9:10.  Further on he says that our church was originated by me; something which, as will be hereafter shown, I do not admit.  He knows very well that I never was found in the company of the rebellious; but that I reproved their doctrines and abominations with the word of the Lord, as much as I ever did those of these preachers.  Notwithstanding, he accuses us of their ungodly practices and wicked deeds; that he may by this make us, who are innocent, suspicioned by all the world and deliver us unto the sword of the magistracy.  I will leave it to the consideration of all the pious and good-fearing, if this is not seeking the blood of the innocent.

O, that he would have sufficient discretion not to mix the innocent with the guilty.  For what else does he seek than to change Simon Peter into Simon Magus and John and James into Judas?

If I should say, I have known some infant baptists who were open perjurers and thieves, therefore Gellius and all the infant baptists are perjurers and thieves, would that not be wrong?  O, faithful reader, how justly has holy David portrayed such slanderers, saying, The wicked murder the innocent in secret places; his eyes are privily set against the poor.  He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; he lies in wait to catch the poor, &c., Psa. 10:8, 9.  For, by such murderous cries, it is caused that in different places, the pious and faithful hearts—men and women, youths and virgins, the gray-headed, the lame and halt are pitilessly and mercilessly imprisoned and robbed, their children sent abroad in the world, homeless and penniless, as the most wicked upon earth.  Some are thrown into boiling oil; others are hanged, racked, drowned, strangled, burned, beheaded or tortured by some other heathenish and tyrannical means.  Behold, such are, alas, the consequences of the deceiving and false writings of such blood-thirsty preachers in some countries.

Would to God that he and his preachers, together with all the papists and monks who are guilty of innocent blood, may find mercy and grace before the eyes of the great and Almighty God, in the day when the fearful sound of the last trumpet shall sound and that the innocent blood of which they are guilty is not counted against them.  This is my sincere wish and prayer.  But if they continue in their present minds and do not turn from ungodliness, then, says the Spirit of God, the fiery pool will be their reward and part, Rev. 19:21.

Further, I would say, Just as we hate and reprove (understand this in a gospel-like way) the bitter and inimical heart and the bloody and fiendish crying and writing of Gellius and all the contentions—so, also, do we hate and reprove those that take up the sword, steal, rob, or in any manner wrong anyone on earth, be he friend or foe.

In this we should pay no respect as to persons, be it father, brother, emperor, king, neighbor, friend, great or small, baptized or not baptized.  All those who shed human blood against the word of God, who act contrary to love, who wrong, offend or afflict their neighbor can not be our brethren, for they plainly show that they are not christians.

We must always hear that the rebellious and their aiders at Munster, have, in the past, alas, taken up the sword, contrary to God’s word, as if we were one with them in that abomination; although we are quite innocent in the matter.  But they do not see that they arm whole countries and corrupt them; that they destroy one principality after another, that they use all manner of violence and thus cause affliction, misery and sorrow, everywhere.  Yes, this is, alas, called doing right.

Since it is manifest that not only France, Italy, Spain and Burgundy, `but also all the German nations and the rest of the world who boast of the word are guilty of the same deeds, as regards fighting, warring, robbing and shedding blood; why do they, then, reprove the crimes of the rebellious, while they are so far from being innocent, yes, have done the same criminal deeds as those they reprove?  Paul says, “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whosoever you are, that judge; for wherein you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you that judge does the same things,” Rom. 2:1.

In the last place he writes, Our eyes have seen better than the eyes of the anabaptists in regard to wilful sinning, because they have made many doubtful and caused some to recede, &c.

Answer.  If he aims this at us, then he should know that he has written more than he should have done.  For I can say with a clear conscience that I never was troubled concerning this matter by the brethren and that the doctrine has not been broached among us in my time.

I have always taught that all sins which are repented of are pardoned in the blood of the Lord, be they what they may.  David’s adultery and shedding of innocent blood, is to me a sure testimony.  Yet everybody should take heed that he sincerely fears God, acts rightly and that he does not wilfully sin against his God, that he does not pervert falsehood into truth, nor truth into falsehood, as did the scribes.  For who knows but that he who wilfully sins against his God, will never truly repent and receive grace?  Christ says, “Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin,” John 8:34.

I fear that if his imperial highness were to present to me many costly gifts and I should ungratefully squander them, or trample upon them, or cast them from me, his imperial highness would, undoubtedly, severely punish me for such ingratitude and would probably not again offer me such favors and costly presents.

Therefore, take heed that you do not wilfully despise and adulterate your Lord’s word, nor walk according to the pleasure of a carnal mind; lest the manifest grace at once be withheld from you and you are led into perverse ways.  Qui timet Deum, recedit a malo: He that fears God, shuns evil.

As Gellius exerts himself to adulterate, by his false doctrine, the word of the Lord, to render of no avail his precious blood and to harden and console the impenitent, reckless world in their wild and wicked ways, under an appearance of the holy word; so he also exerts himself, in my opinion, to root out the salutary, pure truth from earth and to deliver the pious and godly children into the hands of the executioner, by all manner of false defamations and criminal accusations.  If I am wrong, rebuke me.

If the name, “grasping kite,” is not more applicable to him than a gathering hen, by which name he would like to be called, I will leave to himself and the Lord.

But the Lord, who is the shield and surety of all the oppressed, defends them against the ungodly.  He destroys the liars.  He abhors the bloody and deceitful; “For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is destruction.  Their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.” Psalm 5:9.

Therefore they shall not stand before the storm; their light shall be extinguished and their glory shall vanish.  For the Lord is strong, who shall judge them and he will require the poor, deceived souls and the innocent blood at their hands and he will give them their reward.

Behold, dear reader, from this you may see that the doctrine and confession of these preachers in regard to infant baptism can not stand, according to the Scriptures; that it is not founded upon the Lord’s command, nor upon the doctrine or practice of the holy apostles, as is the baptism of the believing, but merely upon logic, opinion, conjecture, falsehood, borrowed names and custom.  If you are of a reasonable mind, then let the infallible and true word of the Lord and your impartial heart judge between us and the learned.

I would by this, for God’s sake, beseech all readers not to think hard of it that I reprove falsehood, according to the Scriptures; defend truth with truth, point out the right way, seek the salvation of your souls, refute the false prophets, expose their deceiving, secret snares and defend the Lord’s praise.  He who seeks the Lord in sincerity of heart, read and judge.

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THE LORD’S SUPPER.

The second reason is that we may, by such shunning, testify to you and all others, by open deeds, that you are outside of the Spirit, word, kingdom and church of Christ, that you walk upon the wrong way and that you are miserably deceived by your preachers—so that you may yet awaken in time, depart from evil, walk in truth and be eternally saved.

If you are of reasonable minds, then consider well what we by this seek and do not think that we are so thoroughly deprived of reason that we walk this narrow way through contentiousness and partizanism.  O, how gladly would we save our weak bodies, our wives and small children, our possessions and lives and live peaceably with the world, if we were not constrained by the love of God and the eternal salvation of your souls and our own.  But as it is, we should, for the two mentioned reasons, sacrifice all to robbery, and, if the case requires it, to death, in sincere, genuine love.  For, as a general thing, truth is maintained dearly; and sincere, faithful love crowned with a crown of thorns.  O, Lord!

In the last place he writes, “From this, every pious christian may conclude how unreasonably these people, who accuse us of enmity, contention and discord and who quarrel about the articles of faith among themselves and thus sow enmity, contention and discord, as said, Yes, who never thoroughly searched our doctrine and who have scarcely seen us partake of the Supper, notwithstanding, they reprove us of our Holy Supper and leave the assembly of Christ’s church.”

Answer.  To this I would reply in the first place: The unrighteousness which shuts us out from their kingdom, church, body and Supper of Christ, is not merely included in enmity, contention and discord, but also in all other kinds of works of the flesh, such as pomp, splendor, avariciousness, drinking and carousing.

Although enmity and discord are, by the use of their supper, partially appeased among some of them, as he writes, yet all the other abominable sins and unrighteousness remain untouched, as may be very plainly and publicly seen by their fruits.  The heathens, too, conclude peace among themselves, when they are at variance with each other, yet they are not the right grains of the Lord’s bread and the true members of his body.  Let everyone of sound mind reflect upon what I say.

In the second place I say, He can not with truth substantiate his accusation against us, that enmity, contention and discord exist among us.

But as he and his fellows berate our christian doctrine and faith, our sacraments and actions before the whole world, cause much trouble and affliction; and we, by the grace of God, do not treat them inimically, but patiently bear with them, teach, reprove and admonish them; maintain truth with truth; and in sincerity of heart, show and point out to them the right way, at the risk of blood and life, for which they so hate us, so also, some raise up among us, as was the case in the times of the apostles, who would rather follow their own opinion than the Scriptures; who again return to the broad road, seek honor and a name and therefore make unscriptural pretensions.  With such we entreat and reason, admonish and reprove them, as the Scriptures teach us and I trust we do this reasonably and in love.  If they allow themselves to be taught, change their ways and strive after peace, then we thank the Lord for his blessing.  But in cases where they despise fraternal admonition, remain obdurate in their ways and cause contention and discord, then they cannot be our fellows and brethren, until they acknowledge their faults and return to the Lord’s people in peace, 1 Tim. 6:5; 2 Tim. 2:17; Tit. 3:11.  If this should be called causing contention, enmity and discord about the articles of faith, or whether it should be called purification of the house of the Lord, all the right-minded may judge, both by their common sense and the Scriptures.

In the third place I say, the reason why we do not hear their doctrine and do not see their partaking of the supper, as he complains, is because we have for a long time witnessed by their fruits, that their doctrine is vain and powerless and their sacraments are not according to the word.  For of what spirit both their preachers and disciples are, may, firstly, be concluded from the dishonest, infamous, bitter, false, spiteful and invictive writings of the preachers, and, secondly, from the abominable show of clothes, the extravagance about their houses and from the superfluous, carnal life of the best of their disciples.  What does their fine appearance, their ornamental logic avail, while they, in fact, forsake the Scriptures and the signification, fruit and power of the holy sacraments, no, hate and persecute it?  If I do not write the truth, reprove me.

In the fourth place I would say, Gellius accuses us that we forsake the church of Christ.  But I say that we, according to the teaching of the word and ordinance of God and to the example of the holy, apostles, forsake the world and their false prophets and that we, through the Spirit and grace of God, rid the church of Christ from snares, faithfully admonish her members and in our weakness, establish and edify them, according to the command of the holy word, Isaiah 52:11; 2 Cor. 6:17; Acts 2:40; Rev. 18:4.  What shall this poor man say and boast of the church of Christ, while she is yet quite unknown to him?  I voluntarily make this offer: If they allow me a discourse with them under safe conduct, either privately before witnesses, or publicly, before a full assembly and if I cannot prove or maintain, by the power of the truth that their preachers, in general, are deceivers and not pastors and that their pompous, avaricious, extortionate swearing and cursing disciples, are of the world and are not christians, then I will publicly acknowledge before all the world, that we not only have forsaken the church of Christ, but also lamentably destroy her and cause many a pious heart much misery, affliction and trouble, in vain.

But, as we can substantiate these assertions by the power of the truth, why, then, must we yet hear so many evil words?  It is, indeed, high time that these preachers would quit their deceiving, that they and their disciples, who, where and what they be, would awaken, that they would tremble at the wrath and punishment of God, would repent, conform themselves to the Spirit, word and example of the Lord and establish a true christian church, in accordance to the command of the Scriptures and that they disclaim and abjure their borrowed names and false boastings, as evangelical teachers, faithful shepherds, soul-savers and preachers of the holy word, which they, to the dishonor of God, merely claim in appearance.

Behold, reader, I write to you the truth and do not lie.  I seek nothing before my God, but that I may gain Gellius and all these preachers, wherever they may be, to Christ, by the Spirit and word of God; or that I may be vanquished by them and stand abashed before all the world as an open deceiver.  If they are of christian disposition and preachers of the holy word who are desirous of unity, as they pretend to be, then let them agree to what I desire they should do, namely, have a free discussion of the grounds and doctrines of both sides; that by this the pure, saving truth of Christ may be maintained and the impure, damnable falsehood of anti-christ be destroyed.

But if they refuse this, as they have before twice refused me and continue their infamous defamation and upbraiding as they have always done before and accuse us with all manner of accusations before the common people: that we forsake the church of Christ; that we are a misled, deceived people and that we pervert good into evil; what else can we then do but leave them to the Lord and his judgment; and willingly submit to the cross, as we have done, possess our souls in patience, advise those of unperverted hearts as much as possible, minutely consider what kind of preachers and pastors they have, what great injustice they do us poor miserable ones; how scornfully they reject truth and maintain falsehood, since we, in all humility and true love, invite them to this free, christian discussion of the Scriptures, to the praise of Almighty God and his eternal truth and to the beneficial refreshment of all the oppressed and afflicted souls.  But they refuse us this and besides, slander and defame us by their infamous publications without discretion and without all foundation and truth and thus disgracefully accuse us before the whole world and cause many pious, innocent children to be deprived of their possessions, honor and lives, even, as may, alas, be witnessed in many different localities of the Netherlands.

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EXCOMMUNICATION, BAN OR SEPARATION.

Ah, my reader, my faithful reader, if we could reason with them, how soon would it be shown who are the devilish conspirators and heretics!  But what does it avail?  The Scribes and Pharisees sat upon exalted seats, but Christ had nowhere to lay his head.  Besides, he had to hear that he was possessed by the devil and fashioned his miracles in the name of Beelzebub.

Is it not a perverse, lamentable hypocrisy, that this man undertakes to blame us for their not practicing the ban, while it is known and manifest to the whole world, that the greater part of the preachers are such an indifferent, blind and carnal people, that they neither [truly] acknowledge God nor his word and seek nothing else than that they may satiate their carnal appetites and continue in their careless easy life?  What kind of christians their churches or disciples are, what knowledge they have and how they fear God, may, alas, be concluded from their words and works, in city and country.

In the fourth place he writes, It is a fact well known to the whole community (he refers to the community at Emden) that we have for several years, assiduously labored to again establish the christian ordinance of the ban.

Answer.  The world acknowledges no ban except when such a transgression has been committed that the executioner bans them with the sword, noose or fire for the sake of their evil-doing.  But if one sincerely repents and returns to God, abolishes the wicked, sinful life, in true fear and puts on the new life of true repentance, then they, along with the papists, often deprive such a one of honor, possessions and life, or exile him and thus drive him into the mouth of the gaping lions.

But that they should, according to the Scriptures, shun the misers, drunkards, fornicators, &c.; that they should neither eat nor drink with them, they do not know, since they are, as a general thing, unchanged at heart, earthly-minded and full of all manner of avarice, pomp, extravagance and carnal works.

Therefore I say again, they will advise all their life-time concerning the ban, but never establish it according to the word of God; for how can one avaricious person shun the other, one drunkard the other and one deceiver the other, according to the Scriptures and separate him from the communion of the church, while they are altogether earthly-minded and without the communion, Spirit and word of the Lord, as has been heard.

In the fifth place he writes, “The example of the anabaptists frightens us, who so practice the ban with discord, hatred and irreconcilable anger one against the other, that it tends more to the destruction than to the edification and gathering of the church among them.”

Answer.  All that I read and see of him is a benighted vision, wrong judgment, wheedling of those of high standing, upbraiding and slandering the pious, excusing perverseness and adulteration of the Scriptures.

O, how little does he, as it appears, fear God; for here he undertakes to cover up his fleeing from the cross and his disobedience by citing the example of others.  Reader, remember that the word of God should teach and govern us; that some refractory persons take offense at us, we cannot prevent.  We act as the word of God has commanded us.

All those who once enter into the obedience of the word and afterwards live or teach contrary to it, can not be permitted to continue with us as brothers and sisters, if they will not hear our admonitions.  In this case, neither greatness nor littleness, riches nor poverty avail.  With God there is no respect of persons; they must all bow to the Spirit, word and scepter of Jesus, or else they cannot remain our brethren.

The fact is, the seed did not fall on the right kind of soil, but by the wayside, on rocky ground and among thorns, Mat. 13:5.

I repeat it.  We have applied to them the faithful service of our brotherly love, from our inmost hearts; admonished and entreated them and have patiently borne with some for one or two years, still waiting on their reformation and in truth have not hastily separated them, as he accuses us, without all foundation.  Since we follow and practice the ordinance of the Lord in this respect, if he feared the Lord, he should reasonably commend our action, because we do rightly, following the commands of God at the risk of possessions and life and because we act according to the Scriptures, without any respect to persons; and he would acknowledge the truth if he confessed that not our example frightens them, but the fear of the cross.  For if they would justly act and treat with kings, dukes, lords and princes and also with their drunkards, misers, vain-showers, &c., then it would be quite a different thing with them; this I dare unreservedly say and could prove it by facts.

In the sixth place he writes, “If they think that they do much good by their banning, toward the edification of the church, then let them point out from the several hundreds which they have banned, not ten, but only five, whom they have banned in love and reformed through their brotherly love, or whom they have brought to order and saved by their banning.”

Answer.  He seeks all kinds of causes to blaspheme the word and work of God, that he may give some appearance of reality to his cross-fleeing and hypocrisy.  Inasmuch as he says that separation tends more to destruction than edification, therefore the reader should know that we daily find, by experience, that the following benefits are derived from separation among us: Firstly, that we by this obey God’s word.  Secondly, that we by this rid the community from false doctrine, discord and offensiveness, as has been said.  Thirdly, that the disobedient are by this daily advised to reflect, repent and return.  Fourthly, that we by this testify that we do not consent to, nor unite with the Munsterites and other rebellious sects.  Fifthly, that we by this admonish all preachers and their churches, that they are without the ordinance and word of God in this respect.  Sixthly, that by this the whole world may learn from us that the advice, doctrine, ordinance and command of God should be maintained and obeyed.

Behold, dear reader, these are the fruits which true separation daily brings forth, by the grace of God.  But these [fruits], these preachers, alas, do not regard.  [Even] if it were true that few are reformed by this, as he imputes, they must still admit that these before-mentioned results are obtained by this.

In the seventh place he writes, “It is better not to use the ban, than to abuse it, to the destruction of the church.

In the eighth place he writes, “None have proved a greater obstacle to us in re-establishing the ban than the anabaptists, who have caused a disturbance in the edification of the Church of Christ and in its right course; who have brought the servants into disrepute and have, under the semblance of truth, drawn many zealous hearts from the church (on whom it was to be practiced) and led them into falsehood.”

Answer.  If I had not learned to know Gellius from his other writings, this excuse of his, in regard to the ban, would more than clearly teach me what kind of a man he is.  O, dear Lord!  It is nothing but hypocrisy, falsehood and deceit, whatever he says!  He writes that we obstruct the ban; yet, if he would confess the truth, he would be forced to admit that we do not obstruct him, but his own unbelief, carnal-mind and his cross-fleeing flesh [obstruct him], as said before.

He writes that we have disturbed the edification of the church, while it is manifest that we point out to all the churches of the world, by doctrine and life, by the perilling of possessions and blood, the right way to true worship and ordinances and that they are those who, with all their strength, disturb the course of the edification of the church of Christ, by their light-minded doctrine, false sacraments and vain life.

He writes that we have brought the servants into disrepute because we reprove them, in unfeigned love and direct them by [our] doctrine and life to Christ’s example, Spirit and word, while he acknowledges above that some [of them] are more fit to be herders of swine than shepherds of the sheep of Christ.

He writes that we have, in the semblance of truth, drawn many zealous hearts from the church and led them into many errors; while the facts show that we do not separate them from the church but from the world and that we lead them, by the hand and help of God, into eternal truth.

I would further say, Their doctrine has been preached for over thirty years in Germany and there are whole kingdoms, principalities and cities where not a single anabaptist, as he calls us, is to be found.  Who is it that obstructs the pastors there in re-establishing the ban?  In all the time that they have preached and taught their doctrine, they have never yet banned an adulterer, drunkard, miser, &c. and excluded such a one from the communion of their churches; notwithstanding he writes that we obstruct and hinder them.  O, dear Lord!  Thus are the pious everywhere evilly spoken of, although they seek God sincerely and would gladly see a christian church true in doctrine, sacraments, ordinances and life.

In the ninth place he writes, “For two reasons we could not so soon establish it (he means the ban) as the anabaptists did.  Firstly, because our gatherings are open and consist of many hundreds, whom we cannot all know; while their gatherings are secret and consist of but few.  Secondly, because we do not establish sects, as they do, which is a work of the flesh and befriended by the devil; but we establish an eternal church unto Christ, which is beguiled and robbed by the devil.”

Answer.  Above he has partly acknowledged that many of their hearers are of the world.  Here he writes that their gatherings consist of many hundreds and that they gather an abiding church; yet they never came to the point that they separate their disciples and church from the world and conform to the divine ordinance.  The reason is because they are of the world.

But to his writing that their assembly is large and kept in public and that ours is small, I would, with the word of the Lord, reply in this manner, “Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and there are many which go in that way; because narrow is the gate and strict is the way which leads unto life and there are few that find it,” Mat. 7:13, 14.

Yes, my reader, if you attentively read the Scriptures you will find that the number of the chosen ones was always small and the number of the unrighteous was always great.  The pure and true gospel of Jesus Christ, the true knowledge of eternal truth, was never so appreciated by the world that the true believers can be counted by many thousands in any country or city.  Christ Jesus and his eternal truth must always abide with few, in retired places; but anti-christ and his falsehood can go abroad undisturbedly and in public and count his followers by thousands.

Again, by his writing that they cannot know all, on account of their great numbers, he testifies that brotherly love is very scarce with them; for where is there a christian pastor who does not know his sheep?  And where is the christian brother who does not know his neighbor?  If the preachers do not know them all, on account of their great numbers, still one brother should know the other; they should teach, advise, comfort and reprove each other; they should seek each other’s salvation; for this the word and unction of God teach us.

Reader, observe.  He pretends “that they cannot possibly know them all;” and I, who am most of the time keeping myself in retired places, could point them out in great numbers.  Let him once travel through city and country where they boast of the word and let him take a close observation and he will find out how they dare heap one falsehood upon another and one ungodly act upon another; how they dare swear by the Lord’s sacred flesh, blood, death, wounds and sacrament and how they are adorned with different, vain ornaments.  Let him take a view of the taverns, fencing-schools, the houses of ill-repute, &c., of which there is no lack in Germany; let him examine the courts of kings and princes; and [look] into the ways of the nobility and I presume he will find thousands doubly deserving of separation.  But an earthly mind and perverse heart has, alas, little regard for the ordinance and word of the Lord.

Again, to his assertion that they do not establish sects, as he says we do and that it is a carnal work, I would reply thus: I do sincerely wish that Gellius and all the Papists, Lutherans, Zwinglians, Davidists, &c., could appreciate this matter, for it is written of heresies and heretics, that they shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

It is a small matter to us to be called heretics by the world; for the children of God, in the apostolic times, were also called the same.  Notwithstanding, we, in our humility, would say this in regard to this matter, that we point to Christ Jesus, God’s eternal Wisdom, Truth and Son; for he is the One on whom to rely and we unreservedly refer to his doctrine, ordinance and usage.  If anyone under the whole canopy of heaven can convince us with the infallible truth that we are wrong and act contrary to his word, then we will gladly hear it and obey the truth.

But if they cannot do so, they must confess that we are the apostolic christian church and that they are the deceiving, carnal sects.

But that sectarians are raised amongst us and not among them, is also a strong proof that we are the church and that they are not.  For Paul says, “There must be also heresies among you, that they who are approved may be made manifest among you,” 1 Cor. 11:19.  John says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us,” 1 John 2:19.

Say, beloved, why should Satan beguile these with heresies, who are already heretics and his adherents?  But those that turn to Jehovah, such he beguiles and seeks to devour them, Gen. 3:15; 1 Pet. 5:8.

In the tenth place he writes, If they only said that we do not teach the ban, it might insult us and many teachers and churches and they might almost be disgraced by this.  But they say that we neither have, hold to, nor practice it.

Answer.  In my opinion it would be well for him not to ridicule these things, but to closely observe the word of the Lord.  Before God, the literal teaching does not avail; but before him, avails action in power and truth.  If they should say that this would cause a disturbance, then I would ask what kind of protectors and shepherds they are, if they neglect the will and word of God on account of the disturbance of the world.  Let all the right minded judge this according to the Scriptures, Mat. 10.

In the last place he writes, But, admit it to be true that this failure exists in all of our churches, although the contrary is true of many of them, for in the German church in London, England, one is banned; and it is not altogether neglected here in Emden.  Would the church on that account lose its name and henceforth, as they say, be no longer the church of Christ?  Then, truly our body, to which the church is likened, would lose the name of body on account of some blemish or wound.

Answer.  I think this is posuimus mendacium spem nostram, “to make lies our refuge.”  For he says the contrary is true of many churches; yet he can point to only one of the many kingdoms, principalities, cities and towns, who is banned, namely, at London, England.  I have never, in all my life-time, heard of a more ridiculous assertion.  How manifestly does the great Lord turn their wisdom to foolishness and their understanding to nothing, 1 Cor. 1.  Yet the blind, ignorant world does not see it.

Reader, reflect and see if these are not the mockers of which Peter and Jude prophesy, 2 Pet. 3:3; Jude 8.  The whole German nation or people, no, all countries, are so replete with ungodliness, abominations and wickedness that we should stand dumb-founded.  Yes, that the righteous, who fear the Lord, are as scarce as the grapes of a vintage which has been diligently gleaned and in which few are left to pluck and use, as the prophet laments, Mic. 7:1; and out of so many hundreds of thousands, he points to one who was banned at London, that it may be said that they practice the ban and thus that they thus may give a semblance to their disobedience.

I think that they act so awkwardly that the whole world must see that it is nothing but hypocrisy, falsehood and deceit.  O, Lord, how long will this mockery be endured!  But to his writing that if the church should lose her name on account of an error, that then, also, our bodies would lose its name on account of a blemish or wound, I would reply: If this was the only error in their church, then there would yet be hopes of a reformation; but their failures and short-comings are so numerous that they would be better compared to a dead body, than to a body that has but one blemish or wound, as he pretends to say.

I think that in this instance the cunning of the fox which destroys God’s vineyard (which he, in his writing imputes to us) is plainly discernable here.  For how cunningly they flee from one latibulo (hiding-place) to another, lest they be caught, may, alas, be clearly concluded from this frivolous excuse of the ban.

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CONCERNING THE CHURCH, AND AN INSTRUCTIVE COMPARISON:

In the third place, it should be observed that the christian church is of God, as Paul says, “For both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified, are all of one,” Heb. 2:11.  For as Christ Jesus, who is the true Savior, is of God, yes, God’s only begotten and first-born Son, so also are all those who, in sincerity of heart, believe his word and are actuated by his Spirit.  John says, “But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God,” John 1:12, 13.  Again, “Everyone that loves is born of God,” 1 John 4:7.

On the other hand, it should be observed that the church of anti-christ is of the evil one, as the Lord said unto the Pharisees, “You are of your father, the devil and the lusts of your father you will do.  He was a murderer from the beginning and did not abide in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own; for he is a liar and the father of it,” John 8:44.  “He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning,” 1 John 3:8.

Reader, observe.  By these words the spirit of truth has already judged all liars, blood-shedders, avaricious, perjurers, adulterers, drunkards, pompous and idolators together with all the unrighteous, that they are of the devil; that is, they are the devil’s community.  Nevertheless they boast that they are the church of Christ, as also the Pharisees boasted that they were Abraham’s seed and children, John 8:39-44.

In the fourth place it should be observed that the church of Christ begets sincere, pious preachers and christians who are actuated by the Spirit of Christ; and who are, as Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter, Paul, John, &c., unblamable in doctrine and life; who, in pure and faithful love, seek the salvation of their neighbors and who can, in sincerity, say with Paul, “Imitate me, even as I also imitate Christ,” 1 Cor. 11:1; who preach the word in the power of the Spirit; who are shining lights before all men; and who, with all their strength, strive with their received talent and may make a great gain to the treasure of the Lord, Phil. 2:15; Mat. 5:16.  For it was God’s way and will from the beginning, to proclaim the doctrine of repentance through pious and unblamable servants, as has been sufficiently shown above under the head of the “Calling of the Preachers.”

On the other hand it should be observed that the church of anti-christ is brought forth by faithless preachers, who are actuated by the spirit of anti-christ; who with Korah, Dathan and Abiram seek the applause of the people, Num. 16:2, who with Balaam seek inordinate gain, Num. 22:24; and who with the prophets of Jezebel seek choice victuals.  Who, with Hananiah flatter the people, Jer. 28:11; who, with the false prophets preach Peace, Ezek. 13:16; who are earthly and carnally minded and seek nothing but the world, ease, honor, belly and gain, Phil. 3:19; Rom. 16:17.

O, reader, how the greatest and highest esteemed preachers of our day, whose names have become wide-spread, seek the poor, naked and crucified Christ Jesus and the souls of men with their gospel, may, alas, be concluded from the accursed, ungodly pomp and splendor about their houses and from the vain and curious ornaments, chains, rings, silk and satin, of their women and children.  Notwithstanding their doctrine is called the evangelical theology and they, the servants of the holy word.

In the fifth place, it should be observed that the church of Christ is begotten by the Spirit and word of Christ.  For as an honorable woman can bring forth no legitimate children but from the seed of her lawful husband, so, also, the bride of Christ, namely, the church, can bring forth no true Christians but from the legitimate seed of Christ, that is, from the unadulterated word, rightly preached through the Holy Spirit and conceived in the heart of the hearers.  Paul says, “In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel,” 1 Cor. 4:15.  James says, “Of his own will he begat us with the word of truth,” Jas. 1:18; also read Rom. 10; 1 Pet. 1.

On the other hand, the church of anti-christ is begotten by deceiving doctrine, through the spirit of error.  Paul says, “Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy,” 1 Tim. 4:1.  Yes, reader, what else has the church of Christ abolished and the church of anti-Christ re-established, but the false doctrines of the learned, the many inconsistent councils, decrees, statutes, doctrines and commands of men?  What else blinds the German nation to-day and what else retains them in their ungodliness, but the light-minded doctrine of these preachers, their ungodly, infant baptism, their unscriptural, idolatrous supper and their neglect of the Lord’s ordinance (separation), as it was practiced by the apostles?

The prophets on every hand complained that Israel inclined their ears to false preachers, Isaiah 30:9; Jer. 8:8 &14:14.

Christ Jesus and his holy apostles faithfully warn us in many Scriptures against false prophets; for they deceive you, says Christ; they serve their bellies and not the Lord Christ, says Paul; they promise others liberty and are themselves servants of corruption, says Peter.  They turn the grace of God unto lasciviousness, Jude 4 and they are of anti-Christ, Mat. 7:15 & 16:9; 2 Pet. 2:19.  O reader, reflect diligently on what I write.

In the sixth place it should be observed that the church of Christ is begotten for the purpose of hearing the Lord, to fear, love, serve, praise, honor and thank God sincerely, as Moses says, “And now, Israel, what does Jehovah your God require of you, but to fear Jehovah your God, to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul; to keep the commandments of Jehovah and his statutes,” Deut. 10:12, 13.

Again, “You shall walk after Jehovah your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice and you shall serve him and cleave unto him,” Deut. 13:4.  Peter says, “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,” 1 Peter 2:9.

Behold, the church of Christ is begotten that his great miracles, his Almighty Majesty, his inextinguishable love and his adorable, high and holy name may be eternally glorified.

But the church of anti-Christ despises, hates and reviles God, as the prophet says, They transgress my covenant, as Adam did, by which they despise me.  Yes, all who reject the Lord’s will, word, advice, admonition, chastening, grace and love, hate him and will not be ruled by him.  They do not his will, but their own; they say in their hearts: Depart from us, we will know nothing of your ways; who is this Most High, that we should serve him?  Behold, thus they boldly despise the Almighty [Jehovah], the eternal God, who is the Creator, [and our] Messiah and Lord of all the world.  May the dear Lord grant them eyes that they may see their great faults; and hearts to realize them; this is my sincere wish for them, Amen.

In the seventh place it should be observed that the church of Christ, [even] in her weakness, is disposed and minded as Christ; for Paul says, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation,” 2 Cor. 5:17; he is led by the Spirit; and acknowledges through this Spirit that he abides in God and God in him; he partakes of the divine nature.  Yes, dear reader, the true church hates that which Christ hates and loves that which he loves; for she is his Bride, flesh of his flesh and “made to drink into one Spirit.” 1 Cor. 12:13.  Therefore she can not be otherwise minded than Christ is minded, for she is begotten by his word and abides in him and he in, over and through her, 1 John 4:12; John l5:4-7.

Compare this with the church of anti-christ and you will find that it is of a like nature as her father from whom she is begotten, namely, proud, envious, murderous, false, disobedient, self-conceited, earthly and carnally minded, selfish, avaricious, bold, proud, pompous, superfluous, impure and altogether opposed to Christ.  For all things that Christ prohibits, they do; and that which he commands, they despise; whatever he hates, they love and whatever he loves, they hate; notwithstanding they boast that they gather an abiding church, as has been heard, 1 Cor. 8:6; 1 John 3:24 & 4:13.  He that has ears, let him hear and judge whether or not I speak the truth.

In the eighth place it should be observed that the church of Christ brings forth the fruits of Christ, as he says, “I am the vine, you are the branches.  He that abides in me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit,” John 15:5.

On the other hand, look at the fruits of the church of anti-christ.  Their preachers falsely teach, boldly deceive and live an easy, superfluous life.  The magistracy behave as if they were born for no purpose but to make war and tumults; to torture, murder, destroy cities and countries; to make vain show, drink, carouse and to live in all manner of lasciviousness.  Yes, many act so that they, alas, would better be called Leones rugientes (roaring lions) and lupi ves pertini (howling wolves) than humani  (human beings) and reasonable persons, to say nothing of christians.

The common people drink, carouse, curse, swear, grasp, tear, lie and cheat.  In short, we find such behavior on every hand, as if God was a chimera and his word a fable.  Behold, such are the fruits of those who boldly boast that they are the church of Christ.  Oh!  Would to God that they could see what Christ Jesus, after whom they call themselves and his holy apostles, have taught them in plain words and what example they left them, that they might yet be saved.  For as it is they only play with the letter, cry and boast; but, alas, no spirit, work, power and fruits are apparent.

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THE SIGNS BY WHICH BOTH CHURCHES MAY BE KNOWN.

The True Signs By Which The Church Of Christ May Be Known.

The True Signs By Which The Church Of Anti-Christ May Be Known.

Gellius should, reasonably, also do this and should not console the poor, reckless people with the idea that other people in the past have also sinned; for this is surely what Sirach calls excusing with the example of other people; neither can it help his cause; for, in the first place, these churches were rightly built, but afterwards some of them were misled by false prophets and heretics and led into byways.  Some of them, as it appears, have again given themselves to an easy, carnal life, as is generally the case with those who turn their backs upon the truth, delight in new doctrines, discord and disputation, as experience, alas, has sufficiently taught me for these last several years, Jude 19; 2 Pet. 3:3.

Paul calls the disturbers at Corinth contentious and heretics; and those of Galatia he calls deceivers; he desires and commands that they be separated from the church, lest the whole lump be leavened by this leaven, 1 Cor. 5:6; Gal. 5:9.

Since the before-mentioned churches, being rightly established in the first place and being afterwards made contentious by the heretics and carnal who arose among them, were reproved by Paul, because they allowed such contentious persons, with their open abominations, to remain in the church; how, then, can Gellius make good their cause by their example, while he and his preachers were never the true preachers and their churches were never separated from the world and therefore were not the church of Christ, as heard?

In the second place, he writes: Zachariah, Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary, Simeon and Anna, together with other saints, heard the word of God in the church of the Jews, among whom were the murderers of Christ; and the disciples of the prophets did not separate the murderers of the prophets from the church.”

Again, we should not follow the before-mentioned church in such abominable abuses and sins, but should be by this admonished how we should, according to the doctrine of Paul, treat such, which always arise among the pious; and that we should not, on account of this, mistrust the promises of the Lord, as if we were not the church of Christ.  We are taught by this that in the church of Christ, which is always beguiled by her opponents, offenses, blasphemies and heresies will arise.  However, we should separate such whenever the case requires it, after proper admonition; whereby she openly testifies before God and man, that she is clear of such offenses and deceivings.  This the worldly church does not do; they allow and retain them as members, against the word and command of God, against the ordinance of the Holy Spirit and against the example or usage of the holy apostles.  Notwithstanding this, they well know that the institution and command of the Lord does not admit it, yet they wilfully do this.  Therefore they can not be Christ’s church and community so long as they continue to do so; or else the express word of God must be fallible and false.  O, reader, reflect upon this matter.

But from his writing that the disciples of the prophets did not separate them from the church, among whom were the murderers of the prophets, I understand him to say that their church still remains the church of Christ, notwithstanding numbers of wicked and ungodly persons are found among them and suffered to remain among them, directly contrary to the evangelical Scriptures and the usage of the apostolic church.  O, no, reader, beware, this cannot be.  So long as the transgressors and wilful despisers are unknown to the church, she is innocent; but when they are known and not excluded, after proper admonition, but allowed to remain in the communion of the church, then, in my opinion, she ceases to be the church of Christ.  For she transgresses wilfully and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ; she despises the word and ordinance of God, because she will not bear the cross of Christ to the praise of God and to the service of their neighbors, and, because she does not want to lose the favor of men; and makes herself guilty of the sins of others, therefore she, according to John, does not have God in power and in truth, 2 John 1:1; 1 Tim. 5:22; Deut. 17:2; Lev. 19:17; Mat. 18:15-17.

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[CHCoG: It is also noteworthy to include at this point that though Christ would enter their synagogues to preach the Truth, as this was a place where the people were assembled, and at least nominally to worship Jehovah God, he did not hesitate to expose their hypocrisy, as shown in Luke 4:15-30 and Mat. chap. 23, etc.]

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In the third place he writes, “That they are plainly the church of God and Christ who publicly assemble, keep the word, accept and preach it; who with open confession and in the holy, divine name, dispense and partake of the sacraments and who banish the offensive criminals and obdurate sinners.”

Answer.  If to meet publicly, although in all manner of vanity, pomp and splendor, to preach as the world likes it, to baptize infants, to break the bread with the impenitent, feignedly to pray and exterminate thieves and murderers with the sword, constitutes the church of Christ, then, also, all the papists, together with the Arians, monks, &c., were Christ’s church; for they all have done these things publicly.  This is incontrovertible.  Oh no, no!  But where they meet in the name of Christ, where the unadulterated word of God is preached, be it in secret or public, where the baptism and Holy Supper are served in accordance with the ordinance of the Lord, where not merely the criminals, who are judged by the law of the emperor, but also drunkards, whores and adulterers, avaricious and extortioners, are excluded from the communion of the pious, according to the doctrine and example of the apostles, behold, such is the [true] visible church, which is attested by the Scriptures.

In the fourth place he writes, “That they, invisible to the eyes of man, which cannot search the heart, but only before the eyes and judgment of God, are the true church of Christ and of God, which are found in the visible church.  That is, among the number of the elect; since God, through the preaching of his holy gospel and through the use of his holy sacraments, powerfully works in them and thereby many are again born unto life everlasting, who are only known to Him who knows his people and who searches the hearts of men.  These are the true bride of Christ.”

Answer.  In part I admit this to be right, however with this understanding; that the visible church, in which the invisible (as he calls them) should be included, must be salutary in doctrine, sacraments and ordinances and unblamable in life before the world, so far as man, who is able to judge only that which is visible, can see.

Since it is as clear as day that Gellius and his like preachers are blamable in everything, because they adulterate the word of God, abuse the sacraments, flatter the world, upbraid the pious, do not separate their church from the world and none of their disciples reprove such open transgressions and abuses, but everyone is satisfied with his doctrines and sacraments, follows and maintains them; therefore they all act the hypocrite, walk upon the broad way, hate the cross of Christ and lay it upon others.  Notwithstanding all this, that the invisible church should still be among them, I cannot admit; and for this reason: I know to a certainty that it never fails, that where the true church of Christ is, there she will be made manifest among this wicked and perverse generation by words and work, for she can as little be hidden as a city upon a hill, or a lamp upon a lamp-stand, Mat. 5:14; Phil. 2:15.

In the fifth place he writes, “That the churches at Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, &c.; and also the strangers here and there in Pontos, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, are called, by Paul and Peter, saints and chosen.  For the church, he writes, is called after the better part of its members and is called the church of God or of Christ, holy, pure and unblamable.”

Answer.  Do not think, kind reader, that all those who lived at Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Pontos, Galatia, Cappadocia and Bithynia are called the church of Christ by Paul and Peter, just as [not] all those who live in Meissen, Duringen and the German countries are called the church of Christ by the preachers.  By no means.  But they meant the small number who, begotten by the word of the divine power, separated themselves from the world and with open confession willingly placed themselves under Christ and his covenant.  If I should write, the chosen children and saints of God at Antwerp, Ghent, Leeuwarden and the strangers in the German countries, here and there, I would not mean all those that live at those places mentioned.  By no means.  For those who persecute and trouble the chosen children of God also live there; but I would refer to those who confess Christ Jesus through true faith and are obedient to his holy word.

Behold, reader, if these preachers, in the same manner, would separate their church from the world, would preach the word of God in purity, would use the sacraments in accordance with the Scriptures and would strive with their churches, after a pious and christian life, then he might truthfully boast that the chosen, which he calls the invisible church, are included in their church, as he pretends they are.

In the sixth place he writes, “If they should say, your church is not believing, holy and unblamable, then I would refer them, first, to the Jewish church, from which we may learn that they, at the time of Elijah, Jeremiah, Daniel and all the prophets, of John the Baptist, of Christ and the apostles, were not all holy; this the Scriptures of the prophets and of the apostles sufficiently teach us.  But that they, notwithstanding both people and magistrates were for the most part wicked, were called the church of God and of Christ and were thus called on account of some pious persons, to whom God sent his prophets.”

Answer.  If the preachers would rightly discharge the duties of their office, as Elijah, Jeremiah and the prophets did; and if some were found in their church who follow the word of the Lord, as in the time of the prophets, then this might help the case of Gellius.  But they are not such as Elijah, Jeremiah and Daniel, nor the teachers who are led by the Spirit of Christ; but are such preachers and teachers as were reproved by Jeremiah, as may be seen in many of his Scriptures.  [They are] such as were destroyed by Elijah and against whom we are faithfully warned by Christ and his apostles not to hear them, Jer. 8:14 & 23:27; Mat. 7:15; John 10:3.

I would further say, Israel was the literal people and had the promise of the fathers, on account of their birth after the flesh.  The law was given to them, that they should serve God and walk according to his commandments.  When they transgressed the law and did not observe that which [Jehovah] God had commanded them, they yet remained his literal people; and God, always mindful of the covenant he made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, had awakened his faithful servants, the prophets and often sent them to reprove them earnestly, out of the word of the Lord, to point them again to the law and boldly threaten them with punishment for their sins, Gen. 15:17, 18; Deut. 5:32.  This is not the case with us at present, for we are not the literal race, brought forth from the loins of Abraham and Isaac, but are begotten by the word of God, through the Spirit.  If we again forsake this birth which is from God, do not abide in the word of Christ and again enter into the broad way, then we do not remain his church and community, 2 John 1:9.  Behold, reader, it being manifest that Gellius and the preachers of his class, together with their churches, were never the spiritual people, because they, as it appears, are not born of God in truth but are earthly and carnally minded, live according to the lusts of the flesh, did not enter in at the right gate, teach an impure doctrine and use strange sacraments, where by no abiding church can be gathered unto Christ, as has been heard.  Besides all this, they act altogether contrary to the Spirit, word and will of Christ, no, they hate and despise them.  How then can they be likened unto Israel, who were the people and church on account of the patriarchs, while this people and church were never the church of Christ in the Spirit, as has been heard?  Lastly I would say; All the Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testaments, on every hand, point us to Christ Jesus, that we shall hear him, Mat. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Deut.18:15.  Whosoever does not hear him, it will be required of him.  Therefore take heed.  As I have said before, although all the pious, from the beginning, were the community, church or body, yet at different periods they have had [some] different doctrines, ordinances and worship.

Moses gave the law and Israel had to obey it until Christ appeared, who was the promised [Savior].  We are now directed to his Spirit, Word and ordinances.  If it can be proven to us by his word, that his Spirit allowed drunkards, avaricious, pompous, adulterers, blasphemers, tyrants and murderers (understand, such as do not repent), in the communion of the apostolic churches; and also that his Spirit ordained open deceivers and worldly minded persons to be bishops and pastors, then I will admit that they are the church of Christ.  But if they cannot do so and it is impossible for them to do so, then they must confess that their church, which is full of such people─aye full, is not the church of Christ, as they boast it to be.  It is a disorderly, refractory and disobedient people, no, theirs it is the church of anti-christ and of the world; and that their pretensions in this respect are nothing but open seduction, falsehood and deceit.  Reader, observe, I testify this unto you in Christ; believe it if you will; I write the truth unto you.

In the seventh place he writes, “In the second place I refer them to the church of the Corinthians, whom Paul, in the first place, reproves on account of their dissensions,” saying, “I, brethren; could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal,” 1 Cor. 3:1.

Answer.  Heretofore I have said that this church was first rightly taught by Paul and won unto Christ; but, being deceived by philosophers, who despised the doctrine of the cross and by false apostles, they became divided; for which they were reproved and fraternally instructed by Paul and advised to separate the unfaithful and carnally minded; for the Scriptures command and instruct us to do this, namely, that such should first be admonished and if they do not repent, that they should be unanimously separated from the communion of the church.  Judge now, what Gellius can substantiate by this, since he and his, having never been separated from the world, are not the church of Christ.  Yes he, good fellow, does nothing more nor less than that he by this manifests his cross-fleeing and open disobedience and that he covers up and defends the abominable transgressions of his disciples, however gross they are, with the [poor] precedents of others.

In the eighth place he writes, “In the third place I refer them to the parable of Christ, of John the baptist and of Paul.  Christ likens the church unto a field in which the tares grow with the wheat until the harvest.  Again, she is likened unto a net in which both good and bad fish are caught.  Again, unto the virgins, of whom five were wise and five were foolish.  Moreover, unto a royal wedding, where the good and evil are gathered together, one of whom is found by the king to be without a wedding garment.”

Answer.  This first parable is explained by Christ himself, saying, “He that sows the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world” (understand this rightly, Christ says it is the world and not the church, as Gellius claims); “the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels,” Mat. 13:37-39.

Reader, understand it rightly.  Christ, the Son of man, sows his seed (God’s word), through his Spirit, in the world; all who hear, believe and obey it are called the children of the kingdom.  In the same manner the opponent sows his tares (false doctrine) in the world and all that hear and follow him are called the children of evil.  Now, both the wheat and tares grow together in the same field, namely, in the world.  The husbandman does not want the tares to be plucked out before their time, that is, he will not have them destroyed by rooting them up, but wants them left until the harvest, lest the wheat be destroyed with the tares, Matt:13:29, 30.

O, reader, if these preachers rightly understood this parable and feared God, they would not cry so loudly against us, who, alas, are everywhere called tares, heretics and conspirators.  “Down with the heretics;” [they shout].  Even if we were heretics, from which God save us.  Oh!  What noble wheat they destroy!  But what does it avail?  Satan must rebel and murder, for it is his nature and work, as the Scriptures teach, Gen. 3:4; John 8.

Some of the other parables, as of the net in which good and bad fishes are caught; of the wise and foolish virgins and their lamps; of the wedding of the king’s son and the guests and of the threshing floor with wheat and chaff, although the Lord spoke them in allusion to the church, yet they were not spoken for the purpose that the church should knowingly and wilfully accept and allow open transgressors, drunkards, carousers, defilers of women, avaricious, robbers, gamblers and usurers, in their communion; because, then, Christ and Paul would differ in doctrine; for Paul says that we should avoid and shun such.  But they were spoken because many intermix with the christians, in semblance only and place themselves under the word and sacraments, who, in fact, are not christians, but are hypocrites and enemies before our God.  These are likened unto the refuse fish; unto the foolish virgins who had no oil in their lamps; unto the guest without a wedding garment and unto the chaff, which will be cast out by the angels at the day of Christ.  For they pretend that they fear God and seek Christ; they receive baptism and the Lord’s Supper and outwardly act in semblance, but, in fact, no faith, repentance, true fear and love of God; no Spirit, power, fruit nor work is found in them.

But as to the two kinds of laborers in the vineyard, Mat. 21:28, 29 and as to those called to the great supper, Luke 14:16-24, the reader should know that they have a different meaning and cannot conform to his sentiments.  Whosoever loves truth may examine them and judge by the Holy Scriptures what their proper meaning is.  Again, as to his citation of the vessels to dishonor, I will let Paul’s words explain them.  He says, “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and fit for the Master’s use and prepared unto every good work,” 2 Tim. 2:21.

Behold, dear reader, hero you may observe how miserably he perverts the word of the Lord, that they may appear to be the church of Christ, although they knowingly and wilfully admit open transgressors into the communion of their church, against the Scriptures.  But the flaming eyes of the Lord, which search everything, cannot be blinded by such sophistry.

In the ninth place he writes, “The church, now being perplexed by such evils as these which she has to suffer unto the day of judgment, as some of these parables imply; no, that it was never her lot to be entirely rid of evil ones and hypocrites, however strictly she used the ban.  Therefore they are wrong and grossly sin by condemning us and saying that we are false teachers and not the church of God, as was the church of the patriarchs, prophets and Moses; and by maliciously and wrongfully calling our church, which is founded by our faithful service upon the true foundation, according to the example of all the messengers of God and which is daily increased and built up upon the chosen cornerstone, an unbelieving, unholy and blamable church, against all the Scriptures and by this not only bringing our church into disrepute, but also all the churches of the German countries, no, of all the christian world, which have and must have a different doctrine from their church, which they call holy, pure, unblamable and spotless on account of their dreadful ban.”

Answer.  If he had said that their church is troubled with such evils and that she must suffer them, in such a manner as to mean that the true church must suffer the enmity, rebellion, violence and tyranny of the wicked and ungodly actions of the perverse, then he would have written the truth.  But since his meaning is that since the church always has hypocrites among her number, that therefore the evil ones, that is, the open despisers and transgressors should be tolerated; therefore he writes contrary to the word of God; for Paul says, “Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person,” that is, separate him who is wicked from the communion of your church, 1 Cor. 5:13.

Again, to his writing, “that we grossly sin by saying that they are not the church of God,” and to his boasting “that they build their church upon the cornerstone,” I would say that his boasting is false; for their light-minded doctrine, false sacraments, reckless life and his indiscreet writing, alas, prove too plainly that they do not build their church upon the true cornerstone; it being manifest that they, on every hand, are at fault, adulterate the word of God, abuse the sacraments, practice no separation and for the greater part, both teachers and hearers walk upon perverse ways.  Whether we therefore sin, because in faithful love we advise them for their own good and in humility show them that they, under such a state of affairs, are not, nor can be, the church of God, the reader may judge.  We know to a certainty that where there is no pure doctrine, no pure sacraments, no pious christian life, no true brotherly love and no right-minded confession, that there is no christian church; though they boast ever so much.

Again, in regard to his complaint, “That we not only call them, but all the churches of the German countries, no, of the whole christian world, unbelieving, unholy and condemn them,” the reader should know that we condemn no one; for he, Jesus Christ, to whom the Father has given it, will do that.  Yet we say and teach it verbally and by writing, that all those who are not born of God and his word and are not actuated by the Spirit of Christ, [have] not been changed into his nature and disposition, however high and fine an appearance and name they may assume.  In this case, [being] neither emperor, king, doctor, licentiate, pope nor Luther will avail.  All who would be in the church of Christ must be in Christ, must be of his mind and walk as he walked, or else Christ Jesus, John, Paul and all the Scriptures must be false; this is too clear to be denied, John 5:22; 1 John 2:6; Rom. 8:14; Phil. 2:5.

Since he accuses us that we condemn all the churches of the German countries and of the whole christian world, therefore I would answer with a few plain words: If the German churches and the before-mentioned world were born of God, were of Christ’s mind and walked as he walked, then the accusation of Gellius would be right, since we do not acknowledge them to be true churches.  But as they prove by deeds that they are without Christ and walk and act against his word and will; as they are quite earthly and carnally minded, therefore they are not judged by men, but of the word of the Lord, for Christ says, “The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day,” John 12:48.

Further, by his writing that the said churches have and must have a different doctrine, he judges for himself that they are not the church of Christ.  For Christ wills that his church should keep and follow his word, ordinances and commands, whether it be to the joy or to the pain of the flesh.

Behold, dear reader, since it is doubly plain that the Scriptures teach, both by words and examples, that open transgressors should be excluded from the communion of the church; and since these preachers, who fear men more than God and serve their bellies more than the praise of the Lord, neglect this on account of the cross which might result [to them] from such action, therefore their public actions testify that they are not the bride and sheep of Christ; for they do not hear his voice, nor do they follow his doctrines and commands, 2 Thes. 3:6; John 10:26.

Again, to his writing that we consider our church holy, pure and unblamable, on account of the cruel ban, this is my simple reply: We do not at all boast, except of the grace of our God through Christ Jesus.  Our frailty is great, our stumblings are many and we feel with Paul that nothing good dwells in our flesh.  Notwithstanding this, all true members of the church of Christ strive after the unblamable holy being, which is in him; they conform their walk to the word of the Lord; they follow his commands and ordinances and separate those who are [to be] separated by the Scriptures, which he, alas, calls a fearful ban.  O, Lord!

O God!  Thus your precious word is esteemed as unworthy by this thoughtless man.  For, by this abominable, unseasoned blasphemy, not only we, but also the Son of the Almighty and living God, together with the Spirit of eternal wisdom, by whom this ban was commanded and also all the apostles and the primitive church, who so diligently taught and earnestly practiced it, are adjudged fools.  If the ordinance is foolishness, then the Institutor and all who teach and practice it must be fools; this cannot well be denied.

Observe, reader, if this may not be called hating the word and will of God, despising his commands and speaking blasphemies against the Most High, you may reflect upon this and judge by the Scriptures.  O, reader, awaken.  Beware and learn to know your preachers and of whose spirit they are the children.

In the tenth place he writes, “Thus they are given to a wrong understanding, prejudge without knowledge and leave the church from motives of spiritual pride and fancy of righteousness, more than from motives of sincere righteousness; they have no other reason to leave the church, than that they, according to the manner of the Pharisees, would justify themselves by despising others.”

Answer.  I fear that it would weary the reader to reply to all his false accusations minutely.  Yet I would say, in regard to this, If I could speak with Gellius before the public, I have no doubt but many, through the grace of God, would begin to see that it is not us who have a wrong understanding, but them; that they prejudge us indiscreetly; remain outside of the church of Christ from motives of pride; and not only despise us, according to the manner of the Pharisees, but also often deprive us of possessions and life, as may be witnessed in different localities.  But we must allow, bear and console ourselves with this saying, “Blessed are you 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.; for so they persecuted the prophets which were before you,” Mat. 5:11, 12.

In the eleventh place he writes, “They will probably say that if we would be the church of Christ, we must verify the saying of Christ: “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it;” and ask where our church has existed, inviolated by the devil, anti-christ and heresies.”  He further writes, “Since the church, which is not limited to certain boundaries, but is scattered over the whole world, has this article of faith: “I believe in the holy christian church, the communion of saints and that she will endure unto the end of the world,” therefore we are forced to acknowledge that God, true to his promise, saves his church and has always saved her, although the old serpent, the devil, deceives her by the lusts of the flesh, the pomp of the world and by many sects; and, although she is combatted, persecuted and disturbed by the potentates of the world, until she, inattentive to her cause, drowsy in her prayer, indifferent to the will of God and ungrateful for the word of God, or, until found apostatical of Christ, so enrages God that he takes from her the light of his word and lets her fall into weighty errors and adhere to idolatry, adultery, whoredom and other sins and disgraces and follows after them, so that the church in such case, almost destroyed and ruined, is scarcely worthy of the name.”

Answer.  I would beseech the diligent reader to earnestly observe how the words of Gellius sound, which I have here cited at length.  He admits that their church, deceived and enchanted by the devil, the lusts of the flesh, the pomp, sects and potentates of the world, has become drowsy, inattentive, ungrateful and an apostate of Christ, has enraged God and fallen into all manner of wickedness and sins; yet he claims that she remains the church of Christ, as if the church was inherited by one generation from another and did not consist in faith, Spirit and power.  I would not know what poorer excuse he could find.  Therefore observe that which I write and let it be unto you a certain rule, namely, where the Spirit, word, sacraments and life of Christ are found, that there the Nicene article comes in, “I believe in the holy christian church, the communion of saints, &c.  On the other hand, where the Spirit, word, sacraments and life of Christ are not to be found, but where the spirit, doctrine, sacraments and life of anti-christ are followed, there, also, is the church of anti-christ and not the church of Christ, although we might say a thousand times, “I believe in the holy christian church.”  For without─or against─the Spirit, word, sacraments and life of Christ, there can never be a christian church, however much we may pervert the truth.  The word stands immutable. “Whosoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God,” 2 John 9.

In the twelfth place he writes, “Because God, in his grace, has made an eternal covenant with his church and has promised her that the gates of hell, although they may rend and weaken her, shall not thoroughly prevail against her, therefore he will, at all times, preserve a shadow of the evangelical doctrine and of his sacraments, upon which the church shall be upheld; and he will also preserve some members upon the true foundation, who will grow up amidst the thistles, thorns, wolves, bears and lions and deliver them as in a violent hurricane from the elements, as Noah was saved from the deluge.”

Answer.  Where they conform themselves to the Spirit, word, sacraments, ordinances, commands, prohibitions, usage and example of Christ, there the holy christian church is found, as has been heard and there is also the promise that the gates of hell will not prevail against her.  For although she grows as a rose among thorns, as he expresses himself, keeps herself among wolves, bears and lions and as a ship cast about by wind and waves, she must suffer much tribulation, yet she cannot be capsized, that is, she cannot be turned from Christ (understand this to be the true christian church); for she is built upon a rock, Mat. 7:24.

That this is the truth, the Scriptures and their examples teach us on every hand; and we also have found it so by facts within the last few years.  For, however fiercely the lions, bears and wolves have roared, raved and torn for the last few years, by their frightful mandates, apprehending, torturing and murdering; and, although the waves often roll up to the clouds, yet the manifested truth remains with the humble and pious children; and however sharply the thistles and thorns may sting, yet this noble and beautiful rose daily grows, and, praise be to God, increases in size and strength.  Thereby it is made manifest unto many reasonable persons that God’s promise to the church stands firm and it is the miracle and power of the Most High; for neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate them from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, Rom. 8:38, 39.

Yet this thoughtless man thinks that they are the true christian church and does not observe that the before-mentioned thistles, thorns, wolves, bears and lions, by which the true church has been so much troubled and still continues to be, are members of the very church which he claims were and yet are the true church of Christ.  For they, during the last few centuries, have used one sacrament and unseparated, were greeted as the children of grace and were admitted and accepted in the communion of these churches.

He, besides, also consoles the poor people that the Lord has, at all times, preserved a shadow of the evangelical doctrine and of his sacraments upon which to support his church; as if God was well pleased with such a dead shadow of false preaching and of infant baptism; and, as if the church of Christ, the bride of God and of the Lamb, could be supported by adulterated doctrines and unscriptural sacraments.  O, dear Lord!  How long shall such errors yet endure?  Who cannot understand such palpable deceit?  He must have an extremely obdurate and perverse heart, or he must be a very ignorant and blunt man, I think.

In the thirteenth place he produces two arguments whereby he means to prove that their church is the general church (as he calls it) wherewith God has so dealt.  And in the first place he writes, “in which church anti-christ was seated; for, according to the prophecies of Paul, he had placed himself in this and exalted himself above God; and asserts that it is the true church to which God has given the promise, although she was dreadfully stained and miserably torn up.  In our church the anti-christ has been seated and placed himself as a God and has exalted himself above all that is of God and religion─therefore our church is the true church and temple of God, to which the promise of God is given.”  This argument he proves with these words: “The first proposition is true; for Paul calls the church in which the anti-christ would place himself, the temple of God; the other is also too clear to be denied, from the prophecies of Paul and the teachings of experience.  For in the churches which baptize infants, he and all the violent tyrants have exercised their power and violence and trampled under foot all religion and worship.  If both propositions now are true, then it follows, also, that the conclusion is true; and shows the anabaptists, in what a fearful condition they are, since they have left us and our church.”

Answer.  By the side of this I will place my syllogism: Where true religion and worship, as required by the Scriptures, are trampled under foot, there is not the church of Christ.  Anti-christ has, Gellius testifies, trampled under foot the true religion and worship required by the Scriptures, in the church for which Gellius speaks; therefore, the before-mentioned church is not the church of Christ.  All Scriptures teach that my first proposition is true; for Moses says, “Whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he” (meaning Christ) “shall speak in my name, I will require it of him,” Deut. 18:19.  Christ says, “If you continue” (mark, “continue”), “in my word, then are you my disciples indeed,” John 8:31.  Again, Paul says, “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which you have received, let him be accursed,” Gal. 1:9.  John also says, “Whosoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God,” 2 John 1:9.

My second proposition Gellius admits to be true; for he says that anti-christ has trampled religion and worship under his feet, as heard.

Since, then, the first proposition can be substantiated by the Scriptures and the second is acknowledged by Gellius to be right, therefore, my conclusion must also be right, namely, that the church to which he refers is not the church of Christ.  For she does not accept the word of Christ, but a strange gospel; and does not abide in the pure doctrine of his holy apostles.  Therefore they do not have God in power and are not the disciples of Christ; or else the cited sayings must be wrong and false.

As regards the first proposition of Gellius, Paul testifies in plain words, that it is false, for he says, “That day shall not come, except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition,” 2 Thes. 2:3.  Here Paul teaches in tolerably plain words that the falling away of faith would first come as was also the case here.

Since Paul openly testifies by the Spirit of God, that the falling away would come before the day of the Lord and also shows through whom it would come, namely, through the man of sin (son of perdition); and since it is clearly visible that this son of perdition has placed himself in the temple of God, that is, in the hearts of man, or rather, in the stead of God in the before-mentioned church and has quite demolished and destroyed it and through deceit has changed it, under the semblance of the name of Christ, from the doctrine and ordinances of God to his own doctrine and ordinances, [Dan 7:25] therefore, I would leave the attentive reader to judge if this church, which is quite demolished and destroyed by him, can be called God’s temple.  If he judges that it cannot be so called, then he judges rightly; otherwise many passages of the Scriptures would be fallible and false; and, as a consequence, God and the devil, Christ and anti-christ must have been seated in one temple and reigned in one church.  But if they deny this, then I would again say that Luther and the learned have done wrong in bringing about such a disturbance, tribulation and misery in the world by their doctrine and change, since they, according to Gellius, still remained the church of Christ, although the anti-christ had quite destroyed and demolished the true religion.  Reader, reflect upon this and judge whether I write the truth or not.

In his second proposition he judges himself; for he writes that anti-christ was seated in their church, which baptizes children; has placed himself in this as a God; and trampled under foot the true religion and worship.  He also acknowledges, above, under the head of the separation, that the papists are not christians, for he says, “that those who leave us would sooner become papists than christians again.”  Kind reader, observe closely what I write.  Since it is manifest that the Roman anti-christ has, for a number of years, reigned in peace in their church; has given to them to drink from his cup of abominations; has destroyed the true religion and re-instated his abominations; and since he himself admits that the papists are not christians, therefore, it is certain and plain that their church was not, as he claims, the general christian church and temple of God to which the promise of God was given.  For it cannot be that they can be the disciples of anti-christ and then yet remain the christian church and temple.

Now consider if the pious, whom he calls anabaptists, are so much out of way, by renouncing all the anti-christian abominations and false, condemned sects and churches.  And if they place themselves in such a frightful position as he sighingly complains, by humbly submitting themselves to the only eternal Messiah, Christ Jesus and by placing themselves as an example of all obedience and virtue, in their weakness, before all the world.

His second argument is this: “In and with all churches which teach the doctrine and faith of Christ Jesus; are not altogether fallen away; do not altogether reject and profane Christ and his holy gospel and which do not altogether trample upon the use of the holy sacraments and neglect them, as under the reign of Mahomet, there still remains the name of the holy church.  In and with our church, which has the infant baptism as an apostolic ordinance, the doctrine and faith of Jesus Christ, as taught by the apostles, never was altogether fallen away, as it was with the Turks; although abominably adulterated and weakened by anti-christ; therefore, the name of the church remains with our community and has true members in it.”

Answer.  If his first proposition was consistent and right, then it would also be consistent and right to say, The doctrine and faith were never entirely fallen away with the Arians, Circumcellians, Munsterians and other sects; the gospel was not altogether rejected and profaned and the sacraments altogether trampled upon by them.  Therefore, the name of the church remains with them and true members of the church are found among them.  We are, therefore, also wrongfully called “devilish heretics, conspirers and apostate anabaptists,” by him, for we so highly prize the gospel and the sacraments of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we daily sacrifice our possessions and blood for their sake, as may be seen.

If he should say that the before-mentioned sects did not act and teach in accordance with the Scriptures and that they therefore were not in the communion of the christian church; then he judges himself still more markedly.  For the papistic church to which he refers did not do this; if they did rightly act and teach, then he very unjustly says that they are not christians, as has been heard that he did.

Again, by his writing, “There still remains the name of the holy church,” he openly testifies that his assertion is without all foundation in the Scriptures; for he does not refer to the unadulterated doctrine, to the salutary use of the holy sacraments, nor to the pious, unblamable life, which should always be found in the church of Christ.  [It is] as if the name could keep the church in God and could bind it to the promise, without the Spirit, word, sacraments, faith and obedience to Christ.  No, no, reader, no.  “I know,” says the First and the Last, “the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan,” Rev. 2:9.  If the name alone constituted the true church, then all the raving tyrants, enemies of christian truth, all murderers, perjurers, whore-mongers, avaricious, pompous and unrighteous, would be members of the church of Christ, for they call themselves after the name of Christ.  This is incontrovertible.

As to his second proposition, I would say in the first place, Since he says that their church has infant baptism as an apostolic ordinance, that he by this heaps open falsehood upon the holy apostles, the upright, pious testifiers of eternal truth; for he can never prove by a single word in the Scriptures that they taught or practiced infant baptism, as has been sufficiently shown above.

In the second place I would say, That the church to which he refers was not only adulterated and weakened, as he calls it, but has become so estranged from God that she has worshipped, honored and served wood, stone, gold and silver gods and besides this, bread and wine; as has, alas, been seen these many years, in all the temples and houses of worship throughout Europe; and, as may yet, daily, be seen in many kingdoms, cities and towns.  Yet Gellius asserts that their church was always the church of Christ.  I have never heard more inconsistent reasoning.  Therefore, dear reader; beware and do not listen to the smooth talk of the learned, for they deceive you.  But hearken unto him who says, “I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life,” John 8:12 and then you will never be deceived.

Reader, understand what I mean; we do not dispute about whether or not there are some of the chosen ones of God in the before-mentioned churches; for this we, at all times, humbly leave to the just and gracious judgment of God, hoping there may be many thousands who are unknown to us, as they were to holy Elijah.  Our dispute is in regard to what kind of Spirit, doctrine, sacraments, ordinances and life, Christ has commanded us to gather unto him, in an abiding church and how we should maintain it in his ways.

Behold, reader, these are his most important arguments with which to maintain his assertion, “that their church is the true one,” namely, because they sprang from the papists and practice infant baptism.  Just hear how strangely he writes.  In my opinion, he pens all that comes into his mind, if it has but a little semblance, that it may tickle the ears of the thoughtless people and console them in their impenitent, easy life.  If these adduced assertions of his were true, then it could not be otherwise than that until now the church of Christ must have been the church of anti-christ, or that of anti-christ must have been the church of Christ.  Also, Christ and anti-christ must have both reigned in one church; infant baptism must have been called apostolic, without the Scriptures and the mere name constitutes the church of Christ.  This [criticism], by the grace of God, no one can successfully rebut; let him garble and twist the matter as adroitly as he pleases.

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CONCERNING SOME ACCUSATIONS AGAINST US.

Reader, understand my meaning.  I never have thought that God’s Holy and eternal Spirit was not God, with God and in God; yet, he would accuse us, who are not guilty, of denying the sanctification, grace, fruit and power of the Holy Spirit, because some, who have been separated from us, have erred in this respect and probably still err.  Nonetheless, he plainly sees and palpably feels the sanctification and power of the Holy Spirit in us, namely, that it smothers the old man with his lusts and destroys the sins of the flesh; something which he calls the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, as has been heard.  Behold, thus he upbraids and accuses the guiltless.  Whether this is not the Pharisaic, envious and disgraceful spirit which explained away the good intentions of Christ and his disciples and by this inflamed the thoughtless populace against them, I will leave to his own reflection.

In the second place he accuses us, saying, “They have an obdurate faith; one half of which is founded upon the merits of Christ and the other upon their own merits.  For Obbe Philips, who has a great many followers (as he says) does plainly assert that the justification of man is not brought about by faith alone, but by faith, love and good works.”

Answer.  I would humbly ask Gellius this question: Does it follow that because Obbe Philips formerly taught this doctrine, Menno and the others also teach it?  If he answers in the affirmative, then I would say that he does us an injustice, as alas, he often does.  For our doctrine and publications abundantly testify that we and the church of God are not thus minded, but that we seek justification in the righteous and crucified Christ Jesus alone.

But if he answers in the negative, then I wish he would have the kindness and virtue in him to make a difference and not mix the innocent with the guilty; and I also wish that he would say no more than the truth; for he writes that the before-mentioned “Obbe Philips has a considerable number of followers,” and I make the assertion that he cannot find more than six to ten who believe as he does.

In the third place he accuses us, saying, “How can they be a holy church who disagree among themselves about the head of the church; [they] do not suffer him to be the true God and by this resuscitate the old Arian heresy.”

Answer.  We may well sincerely thank the Most High, that he so manifests unto us his paternal grace and great mercy, that even our most adroit and acute opponents cannot accuse us but by such puerile, and, for the greater part, false reasoning.  If he would consult natural honor, not to mention love and truth, as much as he, alas, consults bitter and envious feeling, how loath he would be to think that which he now is not ashamed to publish in writing, indiscriminately saying that we resuscitate the old Arian heresy, while he and his like well know that such have no part in the communion of our churches, so long as they do not renounce such errors, as heard.

O dear Lord, how long will such bitter and envious accusations and false backbitings continue!  Would to God that the magistrates would have a little fear of the Lord and consider what they are doing and that they would hear and compare the different parties, so that they would finally learn whom and for what purpose they persecute and what kind of people and teachers they are whom they daily maintain and encourage in their injustice and abominations, by their violence.

In the fourth place he accuses us, saying, “If they are the true, holy church, the spiritual bride of Christ, pure, holy and unblamable, then let them prove the unity of the Spirit, especially concerning the twelve articles of faith, which are the foundation of the church; then the one should not be Mennonite, the other Adam Pastorite, the third Obbeite, the fourth Dirkite, &c.  For although they may ban one another as much as they please, it still is evidently true that they are all anabaptists and enemies to infant baptism and thus still continue to conspire and fanaticize against the churches of Christ.”

Answer.  I trust that we, by the grace of God, are so wedded to our Lord and Bridegroom, Christ Jesus, that we are prepared to sacrifice our lives for the sake of hearing his holy voice.  We do not boast of our holiness and piety, as Gellius accuses us, but of our great weakness.  I also trust that we, who are grains of one loaf, agree in not only the twelve articles (as he counts them), but in all the articles of the Scriptures, as regeneration, repentance, baptism, Holy Supper, separation, &c., which we, along with Isaiah, Peter and Paul, Isaiah 28:16; 1 Peter 2:6; Eph. 2:20, accept as the only foundation of the churches, as preached by Christ’s own blessed mouth, [which he] left and taught us in clear and plain words; and not only the twelve articles as Gellius does.

Neither are we so divided as he says; for Dirk (Dietrich Philip) and we are of the same mind and I trust, through the grace of God, we will always remain so.  But that Obbe has become a Demas and that Adam Pastor has separated from us, is not our fault.  Such things often happened in the apostolic times also.  God reclaim them at his will; they have taken their leave and are, alas, no more counted among us, so long as they do not repent.

His writing “that we still conspire and contend against the church of Christ,” and other like bitter and resenting words, show that he is so actuated by the spirit of envy, that he cannot write or speak a discreet and reasonable word about us; but he must call us fanatics, conspirators, hedge-preachers and sneaks; and he never observes how different in opinion and how divided in doctrine the baptizers of infants are, who claim to be the true church; and into how many different sects they are divided.  One party is papistic; the other Lutheran; the third Zwinglian; the fourth Calvinistic, &c.; and, although they violently quarrel among themselves, disgrace, condemn and ruin each other as much as they please, yet it is still evidently true that they baptize their children, are unfriendly to the baptism of Christ, continue to conspire against the truth and persecute it and the church of Christ.  O, reader, that the world would once learn to know who are the fanatics and conspirators; then we might hope for the better, but as it is, it is hidden from their eyes.

In the fifth place he accuses us, saying. “If they are the holy church, then let them hearken unto the voice of Christ; which says that the word of the holy gospel and its sacraments should not be preached and dispensed in secret nooks and corners, but in public.”

Answer.  If we are not the true church of Christ, but if Gellius and his like are that church, as he pretends and would yet have us publicly proclaim our doctrine, why has he then twice refused a public discussion with me, under safe conduct, to which I have invited him, while he well knows that I have to endure so much for the sake of my doctrine and faith?  It would be reasonable, if we err in some things, from which God preserve us, that he should go with me before the public, vanquish and convince me of our errors, for God knows that I am willing to be vanquished if I can be convinced by stronger Scriptures and more powerful truths; that he might thus receive the applause of his fellows (which he, in my opinion, very much strives after) and besides, save my soul and the souls of many others.

If he is a true preacher and a member of the true church of Christ, why does he, then, desire us to go before the public, while he well knows that I could not do so without the loss of blood and life?  I freely offer myself, if he can show one plain passage in the Scriptures, that the apostles and prophets have publicly taught at such places where they knew that the people had resolved upon their death, as alas, they have everywhere resolved upon our death, and, by the grace of God, we will do the same.

I know to a certainty that he can find no such examples nor Scriptures in the Bible.  Yes, dear reader, if he would be straightforward in assigning the reason why he always desires us to go and preach in public, he would confess that he seeks nothing by his hypocritical and artful pretension, other than to make our cause suspicious with the people, that his cause shall make a good appearance and that he is very desirous and thirsty after the blood of the innocent.  He, I say, against all reason, love and Scriptures, desires us to publicly proclaim our doctrine, well knowing that in all Germany, not a place can be found where this could be done without imprisonment, violence, or rebellion.  If he, now, were in the truth, as he would like to be considered, namely, an upright, unblamable preacher, how loath would he be to think of such gross disgrace, which he now, alas, dares loudly proclaim both by speaking and writing.  David says, “Jehovah will abhor the bloody and deceitful man,” Psa. 5:6.

In the sixth place he accuses us, saying, “As they want to be the true church of Christ, they would do well to look back to the origin of their church and see how it agrees with the origin and age of the true church.  That their church is not of the origin and times of Adam, Abraham, or David, is proven by their wrong opinion and abominable error in regard to the incarnation of Christ, whereby they make him neither God nor man and rob us of our Messiah.  Also, above, under the head of the Calling, he writes, “It is an abominable fruit that they have resuscitated and again introduced into the world such a disgraceful error in regard to the incarnation of Christ.  For if Christ was not of our flesh (of which he was not, unless he received it from the woman), then the law was not fulfilled in our flesh; then the righteousness of God is not yet acquitted, which without the ransom would not leave us unpunished.

Answer.  The learned always slander us and complain because, we, with the angel Gabriel, Luke 1:32; with John the Baptist, John 1:15-36; with Peter, Mat. 16:16; with Martha, John 11:27; with the apostles, Mat. 14:33 and with the eternal Father himself, acknowledge Christ, both according to his divinity and humanity, as the true and only begotten Son of God; and we dare not teach and believe more nor otherwise than the word of the Lord teaches us of him.  I would therefore beseech all readers and hearers to consider well the following brief answers and references.  I trust that, by the grace of God, I will be able to explain the matter so clearly in a few words, that the reader will plainly see that they not only rob us of Christ, the doctrine, sacraments, Spirit, life, ordinances and usage of our Savior, but also rob him of his most holy origin, glory, honor and person; and, that they, by their deceiving comments and reasoning, render Christ as a divided, impure and inconsistent Christ, both according to nature and the Scriptures.  Whosoever has ears to hear let him hear and whosoever has a mind to understand let him understand.

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THE CONFESSION OF THE LEARNED CONCERNING CHRIST.

For, if the Alleosi shall stand, as Zwingli teaches it, Christ must be two persons, one divine, the other human.  This he says, “Reader, observe, to what kind of Christ they teach and point us.

Fourthly, Two sons in Christ; of which the first is the Son of God without a mother; the second, the son of Mary, without a father; in which son of Mary, the Son of God should have been embodied and thus have been united, as they claim.  Just behold what a monstrosity they produce!

Fifthly, The person, Christ Jesus, then was neither the first nor only begotten Son, but the third son of God in order, who was not born, but created by God; and would be, as Pomer says, the accepted son of God, Quod & Bonosianorum five Monosolitarum hæresis est.  “Which is the heresy of the Bonosians and the five Monosolites.”  I say He would be the third in order.  For the first is the Word; the second, the first Adam, Luke 3:38 and the third, the man of Mary’s flesh, who should have been accepted as a son of God, as heard.

Sixthly, Then we are not redeemed and delivered through God’s first and only begotten Son, but through Mary’s son, created from Adam’s impure and sinful flesh, as also the defense and his followers dare assert, in the face of all the Scriptures, saying that the nature embodied in the loins of Adam, which committed the transgression also, according to the righteousness of God will requite and remit the same.

Seventhly, If we are thus delivered through Adam’s flesh, as they claim, then we should not only give thanks to the Father for his Word, but also to Adam’s flesh, through which our deliverance is caused; this, all right-minded persons must admit.

Eighthly, If the man Christ was a creation of Adam’s flesh and we were delivered through him, as the learned claim; and since God speaks through the prophet, That he will not give his glory to another, Isaiah 48:11; and since it is manifest that we should honor our Redeemer, Christ, no less than we honor the Father, therefore it must follow that God either did not speak truly through his prophets, or else they were all idolaters because they gave divine homage to a creature of Adam’s flesh; something which is so strictly forbidden in the Scriptures and which often was severely punished by God.  Behold, reader, such an inconsistent, impure and divided Christ he is to which the learned point and teach you by their sophistry and garbled Scriptures.  A christ composed of two persons and two sons; of which one person and son should have dwelt in the other; and of which one person and son should have suffered and the other not; and the one that suffered should have been the son of Mary and not of God.  I think this may well be called forsaking the Lord who has bought them and preaching a strange christ whom the Scriptures never knew.

Observe, reader, which of these confessions is the most powerful and has the strongest foundation in the Scriptures; and in which of the two the greater love of God and higher honor to Christ is perceptible.  Whether God had taken a man of the seed or flesh of Adam, as the learned teach, or whether he had given his {eternal} Word, power, wisdom, no, the heart of his own body, (to make a common expression), in death, for us, as all the Scriptures teach us that he did.

O what an inestimable word is this, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.  Again, “In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world,” and again, “Here is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins,” 1 John 4:9, 10.  Mark, he has sent his Son and not a man of the seed of Adam who had no father.  Paul says, “He did not spare his own Son,” Rom. 8:32 and other explicit sayings.

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Here, in the original [Dutch] works of Menno Simon, follows a brief argument in reference to the incarnation of our Lord, which the publishers have deemed proper to omit, for the reason that they felt that the book would be more edifying to the general reader without it. [CHCoG: We would have preferred that they had translated and included it, as it may have clarified Menno’s beliefs on this complex topic.  However, Menno discusses this topic extensively in his Reply to John A’Lasco and his Discussions with Martin Micron later in this volume.]

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In the seventh place, he accuses us, saying, “That, secondly, their church has not existed since the time of Abraham; and that she is, therefore, not the true church, is clearly visible from the fact that they, in disobedience to the will of God, refuse the seal of the eternal covenant to the children of the church, which has, since the time of Abraham, been practiced and maintained in the churches.”

Answer.  Abraham was commanded by God that he should leave the land of his fathers and of his kinsmen and that he should leave his father’s house and move to a land which the Lord would show him.  Abraham believed in the Lord and departed as Jehovah had commanded him, Gen. 12:4-6.

Again, Jehovah commanded him that he should offer Isaac, whom he loved, his only begotten [son] from the free woman, as a burnt offering.  Abraham believed in God; he was obedient and prepared to do whatever God commanded, Gen. 22; Rom. 8:32.

In the same manner he was commanded to circumcise himself, his son Ishmael (Isaac was not yet born) and every man child of his household and all the males after him, at the eighth day after their birth.  Abraham believed in God and did as the Lord commanded him.

Behold, thus Abraham believed in Jehovah; and he counted it to him for righteousness, Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3.  In the same manner God has spoken unto us in the New Testament, not only by angels and prophets, as he did unto Abraham and the patriarchs, but also by his Son, which Son has thus commanded, namely, That the gospel should be preached to all the world; to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews; and whosoever believes it should be baptized, Mark 16; even as Abraham was commanded to circumcise all males, Gen. 17:10-13.

This command we have received from the mouth of Christ, therefore we believe in it, even as Abraham believed in his time.  We believe it, I say and do accordingly; we teach those of understanding minds and baptize those that believe, not in disobedience, as Gellius says, but in obedience to the clear, plain and express ordinance and command of Christ, God’s own Son.

Dear reader, observe.  Christ, our Lord, thanked his Father and said, “This is eternal life, that they might know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent,” John 17:3.  At another place he says, “If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed.”  Mark, he says, “If you continue,” John 8:31.  And while the merciful and affectionate Father, through his great kindness, has exposed to us the glorious knowledge and the wonderful, deep mystery of his beloved Son, and, besides has given us such a fruit through his Spirit, that we dare not wilfully and knowingly deviate one hair’s breadth from his holy word, ordinance and command, as is testified and shown by our tribulation, misery and deprivation, to the whole world, yet, alas, according to the judgment of Gellius and of the learned, we are not the believing church, nor the disciples of Christ, as may be seen by their writings.

Behold, thus the righteous judgment of the Almighty and great God is passed upon the wise and learned of this world, that the clear and plain signs by which the true disciples and church of Christ may and must be known, are esteemed an abomination and error.  And those who have received light from above, through grace, are not accounted as christians by them, as has been related.

In the eighth place he accuses us and says, “They must admit that their church has existed but sixteen or seventeen years, that is, since the time Menno Simon commenced preaching.  For they do not want to be counted at all, of the Munsterites, Amsterdamites and Oude Kloosterites, among whom Menno lost a brother, lest they be called seditious or the seed of sedition.”

Answer.  We point to Christ Jesus our only and eternal Prophet and Messiah, sent by the Father, who is the only true Cornerstone in Zion, the true Teacher, Law-giver, Commander, Intercessor and Head of his church, together with all his angels, apostles and prophets, through whom he, in former times, spoke and also his Spirit, word, ordinances, commands, prohibitions, usage and example.  And if Gellius, or any other person under the canopy of heaven, be he learned or not, can convince us by divine truth that we teach or maintain anything contrary to his word and ordinances, then I, for myself, sincerely desire to correct the wrong and to follow that which is right.  This he knows who has purchased me; for I want to be saved.  But if they can not do this by the truth, but only in appearance of truth and thus blaspheme it, as all the perverse do and have to leave our testimony unbroken, then it is sufficiently proven that our hated, despised and small church is the true, prophetic, apostolic and christian church, which began with the first righteous who walked according to the will of God; and not with me, as Gellius, alas, maliciously says.

Secondly, I would say, since he has accused us at different times, of the errors and sedition of the Munsterites, of which we are clear and have always been, before God and man, therefore, I would beseech him to take a view of his own infant baptist church, of which he is a teacher and head and see how abominably they have, for years, rebelled among each other; how they have afflicted countries and nations with their accursed, ungodly wars and have given the blood of innumerable human beings, together with their poor souls, to the prince of hell and have placed them as an offering upon his altar; of which, alas, the learned, by their seditious writings, together with the priests, monks and preachers, were the principal cause, which is as clear as day to many reasonable persons.

Thirdly, I would say that, in my opinion, he here so indiscreetly alludes to the error of my poor brother, for one of these two reasons: Either, that he by this would make me suspicioned with the reader, that I, formerly, also was of the same feeling with my brother, or that he would by this injure my reputation.  For my brother is no longer subject to the punishment of man, which he once suffered in the flesh, but only to the judgment of God.  It seems that Gellius cannot master the envy and bitterness of his heart; for nobody can be corrected or taught righteousness by such a course.

If he did so for the first reason, namely, to make me suspicioned, then all those who formerly heard me, when yet of the papal church and all who have ever heard me until this hour and also my published writings, will be my testimony, that he wrongfully suspicions me; for I never thought of such a thing, much less taught it.

But, if he did so for the second reason, namely, to blemish my reputation, then he should know that I and mine, I trust, never harmed him nor his in the least; and also, that my poor brother, to whom he so cruelly alludes, did no greater wrong than that he erroneously, alas, defended his faith by force of arms and retaliated the violence committed against him, as all the learned, preachers, priests, monks and all the world do.  I presume that I have merited this cruel allusion by nothing less than by my faithful love, because I have, in sincerity of heart, pointed him and all the preachers to the divine truth of the word and because I have advised them to their own well-being.  And how this allusion, which cannot have been made but in envy, agrees with honorableness and with the fear of God, all reasonable readers may judge by the Scriptures and the common rules of decency.  May the kind Lord grant that he may rightly learn the heart from which this unmerited allusion comes, that he may purge it and sincerely repent; this is my revenge and punishment which I invoke on him.

In the ninth place he accuses us and says, “That we cannot prove that infant baptism is an anti-christian abomination; nor show from the anti-christian ordinance who was the institutor of it.  It can also be proven, he says, that infant baptism was practiced ever since the apostolic times; long before the violence of anti-christ, which was yet unknown, or, at least, very weak, at the time of Augustine.”

Answer.  We teach and practice such a baptism as was commanded by Jesus Christ, God’s own Son; as was taught by his faithful witnesses, the apostles, in clear and explicit terms and as was transmitted to us by their practice; which is the baptism of the believing, Mat. 28:19; Mark 16:15; Acts 2:38; 8:36; 10:48; 16:33; 19:5; Rom. 6:3; Col. 2:12; 1 Cor. 12:13; Tit. 3:5; 1 Pet. 3:21.  Whosoever, now, will teach and practice any other baptism, must show by the Scriptures where it is commanded.  But if they can not do this, as it is impossible to do, then it is already proven that it is not Christ’s baptism, but that of anti-christ, however finely it may be ornamented with learned words; this is too clear to be denied.

But as to his assertion that the violence of anti-christ was yet unknown at the time of Augustine, or that it was at least feeble, is too absurd to admit of an answer.  Whoever will, may read history and he will find in great clearness that anti-christ was, at the time of Augustine, in full honor and that he reigned with his doctrine in the hearts of men.

In the tenth place he accuses us, said says,” If they were the true messengers of God, who are to purge and deliver the church of Christ from such abominable anti-christian errors, they should not be a separated sect; for the prophets and all the faithful servants of God, by whom God has often purged his church, did not separate themselves from the church and establish a church of their own, but they remained with the church and bestowed their faithful labor upon the church, at the peril of their lives.”

Answer.  Whatever Gellius does, it seems that he must slander.  I say again, take Christ Jesus and all his prophets and apostles; Spirit, word, ordinance and life and if he can by this convince us that in any article we are at fault and contrary to their teaching (for his slandering amounts to nothing), or that we do not conform to it, or, that, in our weakness, we do not agree with it─I will confess that we are a separated sect.  But if he can not do so, as it is impossible for him and yet he calls us a separated sect, he shows by this that he is no better judge of the church of Christ than Tertullus was when before Felix and the Jews at Rome, before Paul.

I would further say that if he can prove to us that the faithful prophets intermingled with the worshippers of the calf of Jeroboam; with the servants of Baal and the abominations of Israel, which they so zealously reproved; and remained united with those who disobeyed the law; and, also, that the holy apostles admitted [unrepentant] Pharisees and Scribes, together with other refractory persons, in the communion of their churches─then we admit that he has a good cause to reprove us and to write as he does.  If they did not do so, (and they have not), but, on the contrary, reproved, by the power of the Spirit, the abominations that crept in from time to time, according to the pure word and ordinance of God, at the peril of their lives, then he must admit that he accuses us without cause, since we do not do otherwise than according to the example of the holy apostles and prophets, reproving all false doctrine, unrighteousness and abominations with the pure, apostolic teaching, Spirit, ordinance and word of our Lord Jesus Christ (without which no true church of Christ can exist); avoiding that which is wrong, and, faithfully, in love and purity, teaching and promulgating the salutary, christian truth, verbally and by writing, to all the hungry hearts, at the peril of our lives and possessions.

Lastly, I would say, Since he calls us an excluded sect, because we do not unite with them, why have he and his followers seceded from the Papistic and Lutheran churches?  If he answers: Because of their abominations, then I would again say that we do it for the same reason.  For they forsake the Son of the true and living God and point us to an earthly creature of the unclean and sinful flesh of Adam as being our Savior.  Besides, they do not follow the command and ordinance of God in regard to baptism, Holy Supper and separation.  We will never, at any risk, desire to be of one church with those who seek their reconciliation and salvation in the sinful flesh of Adam and who reject God’s testimony of his Son and his ordinance.  But we desire to be of one church and body with those who give the praise to God through his word; with those who confess the whole Christ as the only and first begotten Son of God and who abide unchangeably in his holy ordinances, example, Spirit and word.  Let those of understanding minds understand that which the word of the Lord teaches, John 10.

In the eleventh place he accuses us, saying, “From this it follows that the calling of their doctrine is wrong and that their whole church, service and walk, cannot aid to salvation, but can only lead to the corruption and destruction of the true Churches; and therefore they do not suffer as innocent and harmless christians, but as busy-bodies in other men’s matters (he refers to 1 Pet. 4), except that they want to suffer for such a cause of which they must be doubtful themselves and for which no martyr ever suffered.”

Answer.  As the Spirit of Christ and of unfeigned love, accepts all good and godly actions as right and godly, so, also, the spirit of anti-christ and of bitter envy explains everything that is right and godly as wrong and ungodly.  For it is testified to with possessions and life that we dare not wilfully and knowingly deviate one hair’s breadth from the word and example of the Lord, but judge everything according to the doctrines and usages of the apostles, so far as the Lord gives us grace.  We, in our weakness, gladly conform our lives to the requirements of the Scriptures and gladly seek the praise of God and the salvation of our neighbors, at the peril of our possessions and lives.  Notwithstanding this, he dares write that the calling of our doctrine is wrong, that our walk and actions are not conducive to salvation; that we cause all manner of corruption and disorder and that we do not suffer as christians, but as evil-doers, who are busybodies in other men’s matters.  Behold, thus all good offices of the godly are always explained to the reverse.

O, reader, beloved reader, that the poor, ignorant world would sincerely accept this, our despised doctrine, which is not from us but from Christ and that they would faithfully obey it; for then they might change their deadly swords into plow-shares and their spears into pruning hooks; they would level their gates and walls, dismiss their executioners and hangmen, for all those who accept our doctrine, in its power, by the grace of God, will not desire to injure anyone upon earth, not even their most bitter enemies, much less wrong or harm them by works and actions; for they are the children of the Most High, who sincerely loves all that is good, and, in their weakness, avoid that which is evil, no, hate it and are inimical to it.  Yet we must hear that we suffer for the sake of wrongdoing, as has been heard.

But in regard to his assertion “that we suffer for a cause of which we must be doubtful ourselves and for which no martyr ever suffered,” he should know that if we at all doubted our faith, we would not so deeply impress the seal with our possessions and blood, as we do; for a house built upon the sand cannot withstand such torrents of water and wind-storms as visit us daily, Mat. 7:25.

Nor do we suffer on account of an uncertain cause as he says, but for the sake of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; for the sake of his holy, precious word and ordinances; for the sake of the sincere confession of God and Christ; for the sake of obedience to the Scriptures, for the sake of which all have suffered, from the beginning, who have rightly suffered according to the will of God, as may be plainly and clearly concluded from profane and sacred history.

In the twelfth place he accuses us, saying, “That they are the church and Israel is false, since they stain the true church of Christ by many errors which they daily produce and bring forward as from the abyss of hell; destroy the true sheep of Christ; unreasonably adorn themselves with the sanctity of the church; cause strife and dissension concerning the articles of faith; are carnal, sneak about and preach in secret and do not agree with the elders of the churches, as said before.”

Answer.  If the spirit of truth had been the writer in this case, the game would have, doubtlessly, been reversed and this accusation laid on our opponents; for they still maintain and uphold some gross errors which were formerly brought forward by anti-christ from the abyss of hell (to use his own expression), both by doctrine and force; and by this cause the godly much affliction and tribulation, cause many a pious child to be deprived of possessions and life, adulterate truth, preach falsehood, are carnally minded and in fact deny that the man, Christ Jesus, is God’s only and first begotten Son, while we, with our small, despised number shun and forsake all the anti-christian abominations and errors, build up the church of Christ and again place it upon the true foundation, again publish and proclaim the clear and plain truth to many, both verbally and by writing, at the peril of life and the displeasure of the world.  We confess the whole Christ, as the true, only and first begotten Son of God, as did the angel to Mary, John the Baptist, Peter, Martha and the Father from high heavens himself and rightly use his ordinances of baptism, Supper and separation, as all those did from the beginning who rightly knew God and acted according to his will.

Behold, reader, these are the most important accusations charged against us by him; and that they, for the most part, are artful fabrications, false explanations, false suspicions, false accusations and partial charges, whereby he obstructs the course of divine truth, maintains falsehood, insults the godly and consoles the impenitent in their easy life, is fully proven in this our replication.

In the last place he writes of us, saying, “Experience fully teaches that their teachers and prophets are not the teachers and prophets of God.  And that they are not the people of God, I have, perhaps, already proven too powerfully.  From which, then, it is clear that our magistracy are right not to let them proceed in their wicked course, but to stop them; and they might, in pastoral and paternal faithfulness or solicitude for the church of Christ, speak and act a little harder towards them, lest the church be quite destroyed.  But then we would be their persecutors and blood-hounds.”

Answer.  [Therefore] Jeremiah, Micah, Elijah, Christ Jesus and Paul could not be called the true prophets and servants of God; nor can we.  But the great Lord shall, in due time, make it manifest who are the faithful prophets and servants of God and who are not.

Again, to his saying that we are not the people of God, we answer with holy Paul that it is a very small thing that we should be judged by the judgment of men; and especially by such men who are so diametrically opposed to the ordinance, will and word of God, as may be seen in the case of Gellius, by his writing.  Yes, kind reader, if he and his like preachers acknowledged us to be the people of God, they would by this testify that they are not; something which an ambitious, carnal person, who seeks reputation and fame, will never do.

Again, in regard to his approval of the magistracy hindering our course, which he calls wicked, I would say that the longer and the more he writes, the more indiscreet and offensive he becomes and the more he manifests his blindness.  If he is a preacher called by the Spirit of God, then let him show a single word in all the New Testament, whereby he can prove that Christ or the apostles have ever called on the magistracy to defend and protect the true church against the attack of the wicked, as alas, he calls us.  No, no.  Christ Jesus and his powerful word and Holy Spirit is the protector and defender of his church; and not the emperor, king, or any worldly potentate.  The kingdom of the Spirit must be protected and defended by the sword of the Spirit and not by the sword of the world.  This is too clear to be controverted, according to the doctrine and example of Christ and his apostles.

I would further say, If the magistracy rightly understood Christ and his kingdom, they would, in my opinion, rather choose death than to meddle with their worldly power and sword in spiritual matters, which are not subject to the judgment of man, but to the judgment of the great and Almighty God alone.  But they are taught by their pastors that they should proscribe, imprison, torture and slay those who are not obedient to their doctrine, as may, alas, be seen in many different cities and countries.

In short, kind reader, if the merciful Lord did not, in his great love, temper the hearts of some of the magistrates, but would let them proceed according to the fiendish instigation and blood-preaching of the learned, no pious person could endure.  But some are yet found, who, notwithstanding the crying and writing of the learned, suffer and bear with the miserable, and, for a time, show them mercy, for which we will forever give praise to God, the Most High and for which we feel very grateful and thankful to such kind and discreet regents.

But, to his writing that in paternal and pastoral solicitude and faithfulness they might use harsher means against us, I would say this: If he had entered in at the right door with Christ, who is the Prince and Head of all true pastors and if he could taste in his heart of the friendly and amiable Spirit, nature and disposition of Christ, he would not at all think of such a resolution against the blood of others, much less advocate and invoke it.  This I know to a certainty, for the Spirit of Christ is not thus natured, John l0:2; 1 Pet. 2:3.

Reader, observe that he, in this instance, does not write plainly that the magistracy should put us to the sword; this he does because he does not want to be called a blood-hound or persecutor.  Nevertheless, he makes it understood that if they should do so, he would call it a praiseworthy thing.  Whoever is not quite destitute of understanding well understands what he hints at in this instance.  O, a doctrine of blood!

O, that he could comprehend the force of the word which the Lord says, “You are of your father, the devil and the lusts of your father you will do.  He was a murderer from the beginning,” John 8:44.  For, since he encourages the blood-thirsty by such writing and I have myself heard from his own mouth that it is right to persecute and kill one on account of his faith (understand, such faith as they think to be heretical), he, therefore, has by this burdened the innocent blood on his soul.  I say innocent blood, for neither he nor anybody else upon the face of the earth, can, by the grace of God, convince us by the force of truth, that we act or do anything against Christ or his word; or that we deserve the punishment and sword of the magistracy.

Besides, this stone thrown by him might light upon his own head.  For what greater and more terrible heresy, deception and blasphemy can be imagined than to assert that the pure and holy flesh of Christ is a ransom for sin, to adulterate so sadly his ordinance and the apostle’s clear and plain doctrine of baptism; to neglect Exclusion as required by the word of God; to slander the pious and to console and encourage the impenitent and carnal minded by garbling the Scriptures, as he has constantly done in his writings from beginning to end.

If we were thus to resolve against those who are wrong in doctrine or faith, as he says we should, then we would have to commence with him, because he is a defender of such great errors, as may be plainly seen by comparing both our writings.

May the merciful, dear Lord permit him and all our opponents to see the right foundation of truth; [give them] understanding hearts to understand it rightly and a willing, free and new mind to believe and follow it with sincerity, Amen.

═══════════════

CONCLUSION.

HERE, dear reader, you have my forced answer to the unseasoned, blasphemous writing of Gellius, which he has published and printed, A.D. 1552, against the unadulterated truth of God and his scattered church; thereby he so lamentably adulterates the salutary doctrine of Christ and so miserably accuses the innocent, pious hearts before the whole world, that I could not neglect to do so, by virtue of my office, to which I was unworthily ordained by God, through the pious.  As he in the first place has done against us, I had to refute him with the word of the Lord and publish it through the press, to the praise of God and his truth, to the justification of the innocent and to the instruction of the humble.

Whoever seeks and strives after truth may find it; for it has been shown with great clearness; but whoever despises it does not despise us, but Christ Jesus, who has taught it unto his church through his holy apostles and who has bequeathed it to us by the testimony of the Scriptures through his Holy Spirit.

I hereby offer myself to you and to the whole world, if these writings are not sufficient for you, to let me have safe conduct to an open and free discussion with Gellius and the learned; and if I cannot maintain my doctrine and faith by virtue of the Scriptures and if I cannot prove their doctrine and faith as deceiving, then I will not refuse to acknowledge my fault before the whole world, to retract my doctrine and to consign myself and my writings to the fire.  But if I can substantiate my doctrine, then I desire and ask nothing more than that they acknowledge their fault, discontinue deceiving the people, repent, teach the truth to the people and flee from falsehood.  With this I commend you to God; he will guide your feet upon the way of peace and lead you all in the unadulterated, pure knowledge of his eternal, saving truth, Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all who sincerely seek and fear him, Amen.

 

MENNO SIMON.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A VERY HUMBLE SUPPLICATION OF THE POOR, DESPISED CHRISTIANS

 

TO ALL THE PIOUS, KIND AND REASONABLE MAGISTRATES; CONCERNING THE ABOMINABLE CHARGES, UPBRAIDINGS, BACK-BITINGS AND CLAMOR OF THE LEARNED, WHEREBY THEY ARE, ON EVERY HAND, SLANDERED AND TROUBLED, AS MAY BE HEARD AND SEEN.

 

BY

MENNO SIMON.

 

“And if an immigrant sojourns with you in your land, you will not mistreat him.  But the immigrant who sojourns among you will be to you as one raised up among you and you will love him as yourself; for you were immigrants in the land of Egypt.  I am Jehovah your God.” Leviticus 19:33, 34.

 

 

To all the pious, kind and reasonable magistrates, lords, princes, regents and commanders; we, poor, despised and scattered children wish you eternal happiness, a happy reign and every blessing of God our heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, Amen.

 

 

 

 

“Amend your ways and your doings;” “For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor; if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless and the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your hurt, then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever,” Jer. 7:3, 5-7.

 

“Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and that you bring the poor that are cast out to your house?  When you see the naked; that you cover him; and that you do not hide yourself from your own flesh?  Then shall your light break forth as the morning,” Isaiah 58:7, 8.

 

 

A VERY HUMBLE SUPPLICATION OF THE POOR, DESPISED CHRISTIANS.

If this is heresy and devilish deceit, as the preachers cry, then the Son of God, Christ Jesus, together with all the prophets, apostles and testimonies of God, were open heretics; and then all the Scriptures which teach nothing but reformation and point us to Christ, are nothing but deceit.  This can not be denied; for they, in their weakness, conform in all their doings to the word, Spirit, life, command, prohibitions, ordinances and usages of the Lord, as their open actions testify before all the world, Isa. 1:17; Luke 9:35; Deut. 18:16.

Since, then, they and we walk in unity of spirit, and, before God, seek nothing in Christ Jesus, but that we, in our weakness, would gladly follow Christ, as has been said.  We also trust, by the grace of the Lord, that your excellencies will never perceive anything else in your poor servants (we write of those who are united with us in faith and life), therefore, we beseech your Excellencies and Honors, again, for Christ’s sake, to discard all prejudice against us miserable orphans, to believe us to be sincere in our profession and never think that we have any other intentions, if we should become as numerous as the spears of grass upon the fields, or as the sands on the sea shore (something which will never be verified, since the way is strict and the gate is narrow); for Christ, whose name we bear, has taught so with his own mouth; his holy apostles have preached it unto all the world and have testified it with the holy gospel and have promulgated it at the peril of life, Mat. 7:13; Mark 16:15; Rom. 10:18.

Thirdly, we desire that your Excellencies and Honors would earnestly consider how the Scriptures are being verified in regard to those who boast themselves christians; how mortally the sword of wrath cuts on every side and how the hand of divine punishment is laid upon us; great and many are our sins; great and severe is the punishment of the Lord.  Yes, the fire of wrath is enkindled; unless the Lord in his grace quenches it, it will devour both the green and dry trees, according to the word of the prophet.  The prophecies of Christ concerning the latter days; also, of Daniel and of the apostles, are fast fulfilling.  The flesh consuming sword of the Lord glitters everywhere and his bloody darts are flying in every country; one kingdom has risen against another; one principality against another; one city against another and one neighbor and friend against another.  Some are put to the sword, some are imprisoned; cities and villages are leveled and destroyed; the poor, despised people who are, in part, innocent, are exhausted, profaned, taxed, burned and ruined without mercy; numbers are rendered adulterers and rogues; one pestilence and epidemic follows another; and one panic another.  Storms, hurricanes, misery and tribulation sweep over land and water.  In short, the continual severe punishment show that the Lord is angry; notwithstanding this, the wicked world does not reform, but yet daily degenerates more and more, Deut. 32:23-35; Ezek. 21:1-6; Mat. 24:4.

All of them, in general, boast themselves to be christians and that they have God’s word, although their seeking and doings are quite contrary to Christ and his word.  For, if we turn to the magistrates, whom we should reasonably expect to know the ways and judgments of the Lord, as Jeremiah says, we find that they have broken the yoke and rent asunder the bands.  If we turn to the preachers, we find there the envy of Cain to all those who fear the Lord, an insatiable love of money, a Balaamitic avarice, a light minded, easy doctrine, idolatrous sacraments and a lustful, vain, careless life, as may be openly seen.  If we turn to the common people, there we find extortion, hoarding, drinking, carousing, lying, cheating, cursing and swearing; some commit adultery and fornication, others are marauders, pillagers, thieves and murderers, no, they lead, alas, such a life that we may well, in anguish, sigh with Hosea, that “There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land; by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break out and blood touches blood,” Hosea 4:1, 2; with Paul, “They are all gone out of the way; they have together become unprofitable,”  “and the way of peace they have not known,” Rom. 3:12, 17 and that their sins have reached unto heaven, Rev. 18:5.  O, dear Lord, how long will this dreadfully great blindness, blasphemy, deceit, abomination, blood-thirstiness and recklessness continue!

Noble lords, reform!  Do works fit for repentance, such as can stand before the Lord; humble yourselves with the king of Nineveh; take off the ungodly, tainted coat of sin; repent in sackcloth and ashes; cry out unto the Lord with a broken heart: rend your hearts and not your garments, as the prophet says.  Let the pious Josiah be your pattern, who turned himself unto Jehovah, with all his heart and soul and strength, as soon as the law of God was read to him, from the book which was again found, John 3:7; 2 Kings 22:11.

Dear lords, seek, fear and serve God with all your strength; do justice unto the widows, orphans, strangers and all the forsaken; cleanse your hands of blood, rule your countries in wisdom and peace, let all your thoughts, words and actions be conformed to the crucified Christ Jesus and follow his footsteps; for “Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool;”  “As I live, says Lord Jehovah, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live,” Isaiah 1:18; Ezek. 33:11; 18:32.

Inasmuch as those who boast themselves [as] the church, are so estranged from Christ that they are no more than nominal Christians; and, inasmuch as the salt, which is these preachers, has so wholly lost its savor that it does more injury than good, for they flatter more than they reprove, if they can make some earthly gain by this.  They do not seek the praise of the Lord; by which they all, both preacher and hearer, are led upon the broad road which leads to destruction and since there are, alas, none to stop them in their career, as the prophet complains, and, since we, God knows, would gladly see all men awaken, fear the Lord, sincerely repent and be saved, that thus the fallen city, which is their church, may again be built upon her old foundation, that is, upon the firm foundation of the apostles and upon the pure doctrine of Christ Jesus and that such repentance may be verified unto the world by a pious, penitent, christian life, according to the Scriptures.  Behold, therefore we are so hated by the learned, that by their slanderous crying and clamoring we are often robbed of our possessions and our bodies given to the executioner.  Some of us, through necessity, are forced to seek refuge in foreign lands, on account of their persecution, as has been said.  Therefore we poor, miserable outcasts pray your Honors and Excellencies the third time, to earnestly reflect upon this matter, for Christ’s sake and faithfully compare the doings of the preachers and the tenor of the following writing addressed to them and the matters and things in this set forth, that our apology may be rightly understood and the truth explained according to the word of the Lord; and that the guilty may no longer be protected in their unrighteousness.  Yes, beloved lords, if this was impartially done, in the fear of God, you would soon find, by the grace of God, in great clearness, with whom the truth or falsehood is; and that the doctrine, sacraments and lives of these preachers are not in accordance with the Scriptures, but that they are deceitful and contrary to the word of God.

O, beloved, noble lords, we beseech you not to despise our reasonable and christian prayer, but to consider it in love; for it concerns the praise of the Almighty God, his {eternal} Word and truth and the eternal salvation of all our souls, which are so much desired and so dearly purchased with his precious blood.  O, consider the difference, to live eternally with Christ Jesus in the kingdom of heaven, or to die eternally with all the devils in the abyss of hell.

Dear lords, we are in great anxiety and tribulation and are terrified in two ways.  For, if we follow the truth, which we always intend to do in our weakness, by the grace of God, then we are made a prey to all the world.  If we deviate and again enter into the broad way, from which the merciful Father saved us, then we fall into the hands of God and must bear his eternal punishment.  The salvation of our souls is worth more than man can comprehend.  The sweet-sounding, precious word will finally be heard: “Come you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you;” and also the fearful word which is threatened to all who are disobedient to Christ, which pierces body and soul, if well realized: “Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”  Happy [are] they who are awake at that time, who have their lamps prepared and [have] saved their wedding garments.  Yes, blessed are they who are called to the Lord’s Supper.

Dear, noble lords, it is not flattery nor a vain display of words; but that which we write, we mean, as our sore persecutions testify.

The merciful great Lord, Jesus Christ, who is Lord of lords and King of kings, grant that your Honors may acknowledge the truth, faithfully act in accordance with it and that you may rule the people, cities and countries entrusted to your reign in peace and prosperity, to the praise of your God and to the salvation of many souls.  This is our sincere desire.  Amen.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”  Be merciful, as your Father is merciful. “Truly, I say unto you, Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me,” Mat. 5:7; 25:45.  The humble and obedient subjects of your Excellencies and Honors in all things, we can [all] do according to the will of God by his grace.

═══════════════

A LETTER OF CONSOLATION, ADDRESSED TO AN AFFLICTED WIDOW.

GRACE and peace be unto you and kind greeting, sincerely beloved sister in the Lord, whom my soul loves.  The merciful Lord having called you to widowhood, my paternal and faithful admonition to you is, as a father to his children, to bear with your lot as becomes holy women and to serve the Lord with the pious Hannah in the holy temple, that is, in his church, with a new and upright conscience, with fasting and prayer, night and day.  Treat, at all times, the needy saints, as the virtuous widow of Sarepta in Zidon treated the faithful Elijah, at the time of the drought and panic, when she received him in her house and fed him with her handful of meal and a little oil; and the meal of the holy, divine word, from the measure of your conscience and the joyous oil of the Holy Spirit shall not be withheld from you.  And, if the new son of your spiritual birth does sicken a little and lose his breath for a time, through the weakness to which a widow is naturally subject─yet our true Elijah, Jesus Christ, will again animate him through his grace and again restore you to cheerfulness; for, as the Scriptures teach, you receive, love and serve him in his members.

Beloved sister, understand me aright.  I speak of the needy saints and no further.  Those who have enough of their own do not need your aid and services.  True Christians should not put each other to unnecessary expenses.  Faithful sister, walk prudently; fear your God sincerely; crucify your flesh and its lusts; withstand the enemy and all his enchantments; bear everything piously; do not imprudently cause anybody trouble; diligently attend to your occupation, household and children; carefully shun all unchastity, vain babbling, pomp and splendor; earnestly avoid being led by the temptations of the flesh, that you do not become like the widows who lost their first faith and followed after the devil, as Paul says; from which may the merciful Father always save you.

Receive in love, this, my brief greeting, written to you in true, paternal affection and reflect upon it diligently.  The saints here greet you.  Greet all pious friends.  Pray for me.  The eternal, saving power and fruit of the precious blood of Christ be with my chosen, much beloved sister, in eternity, Amen.

Your loving and well wishing brother,

MENNO SIMON.

May 18th.

 

 

 

 

 

A BRIEF

Complaint or Apology

OF THE

DESPISED CHRISTIANS

AND

EXILED STRANGERS,

 

TO ALL THE THEOLOGIANS AND PREACHERS OF THE GERMAN NATIONS, CONCERNING THE BITTER FALSEHOODS, SLANDERS AND ABUSES WITH WHICH THEY, WITHOUT TRUTH, BURDEN THESE SUFFERING CHRISTIANS AND EXILES, TOGETHER WITH A FRIENDLY REQUEST TO HAVE A FREE DISCUSSION OF THE SCRIPTURES, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES OF CHRISTIAN LOVE.

 

BY

MENNO SIMON.

 

“The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,” 2 Timothy 2:24.

 

“For no other foundation can any man lay than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ,” 1 Corinthians 3:11.

 

 

WE poor and despised christians, who have to endure and suffer so much, on account of the testimony of the word of the Lord, wish to all theologians and preachers of all countries who boast of the gospel, whoever and wherever they are, a new, penitent heart; a true, active faith in Christ Jesus; an unfeigned, ardent love; a salutary doctrine; a sound doctrine according to truth and a pious, unblamable life, in the fear of the Lord, of God our heavenly Father, in the operation and power of his Holy Spirit, through Christ Jesus, his beloved Son, our Lord and eternal Savior, Amen.

 

 

 

 

A BRIEF COMPLAINT OR APOLOGY.

DESCRIPTION OF A TRUE PREACHER.

“A bishop, then, must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach.”  He “must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, not a striker, not given to filthy lucre; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; holding fast to the faithful word, as he has been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine, both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers,” 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:7-9.

By us despised strangers and scattered christians, for the sake of God’s word and its testimony.  A.D. 1552.

 

 

 

 

A

TREATISE ON,

AND

SCRIPTURAL EXPLANATION of EXCOMMUNICATION,

A SCRIPTURAL EXPLANATION OF EXCOMMUNICATION.

Menno Simon wishes to all fellow-believers, brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, the grace and peace of God our heavenly Father, through Christ Jesus his beloved Son, our Lord, who loves us and has cleansed us of our sins in his blood.  To him be the honor, praise, kingdom, power and glory, for ever and ever, Amen.

 

 

 

 

Dear brethren, since I find that, for some time, much strife has been occasioned in regard to the ban, and this so violently and indiscreetly, therefore, I fear brotherly love, christian peace and unity, with some, are more diminished than augmented, as was the case in olden times; and it appears that some, through ambition and self-conceit, are desirous of such corrupting disputation that they entertain the opinion, in this matter, that not the banned ones themselves should be shunned, but only their false doctrine and offensive life, not observing that they have already become entangled in false doctrine; for by this they nullify the plain ordinance of Christ, “Let him be unto you as a heathen man and a tax collector,” and also the plain words of the holy apostles, Mat. 18:17; Rom. 16:16; 2 Thes. 3:14; Tit. 3:10.

Others think that the ban should not be practiced, further than that which pertains to the evangelical usages, as the breaking of bread and the kiss of peace; and garble the plain sayings of the Scriptures, to make their opinions good, namely: Do not keep company with such; with such do not eat; “Let him be unto you as a heathen man and a tax collector,” and other like sayings, 1 Cor. 6:10; Mat. 18:17.

Again, there are some who acknowledge the ordinance of Christ and the doctrine of the holy apostles in regard to excommunication as right and just, yet they do not observe it; some, I presume, from being lukewarm, some from motives of carnal love and favor of the apostates and others on account of being neighbors, or relatives, or perhaps on account of former attachments and favors.

And, since the express ordinance of Christ and his holy apostles in regard to excommunication is lamentably weakened, obscured and garbled by the first mentioned and visibly transgressed and dishonored by the latter, and thus the door is opened wide to all corruption and since they thus act against all love: First, against the love of God and Christ, for they by this despise and disobey his holy word, will and ordinance; Secondly, against brotherly love, for by such perverseness and disesteem, they offend and afflict their brethren; Thirdly, against the love of their own souls, for by this, they wilfully expose themselves to the danger of being corrupted; Fourthly, against the love of those deserving the ban, for they despise the advice of the Holy Spirit and do not seek to shame them unto repentance; Fifthly, also against common love, for, by communing with the apostates, they make the worldlings suspicious that we are one and the same people with the apostates and perverse; and, since the precious word of God and his holy church is thus blasphemed and profaned by many, on account of their recklessness and disobedience─therefore, in a christian spirit and brotherly love (of which God is my witness), I have endeavored to explain, for the benefit of my beloved brethren and fellow believers in Christ Jesus, the proper grounds of the ban, according to divine truth; how the ban is instituted by Christ; how it was taught and explained by his holy apostles and what its fruits and benefits are.  But this explanation I will leave to the judgment of those who seek and fear God with all their hearts and who are enlightened and taught by the Spirit of God.  Whoever seeks God and the good of his neighbor will acknowledge that this explanation is in accordance with the foundation, meaning, word and will of God.

Dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, I, your poor, unworthy servant and co-partner in the faith and tribulation of Christ, trust and pray, for the sake of the precious blood of my Lord Jesus Christ, and, for the sake of love to all, that none wilfully and knowingly contend against Christ Jesus and against his holy word; nor against his own conscience, for the sake of maintaining his error, so that he may avoid the disapprobation and shame of the world.

I trust that they, as christians, do not grudge one against another, but that they seek to win again to Christ their erring brethren.  In the same manner, that if the God-fearing errs, he is anxious to return again to the right way; if he falls, he is desirous to rise, and if wounded he would be again healed, James 5:19; and if, by the grace of God, he is again delivered from his error and misunderstanding, through the word of the Lord, he is not ashamed, but is exceedingly glad and praises and thanks his God that he is led from the crooked to the right way and from his error to a true and sound understanding.  He earnestly seeks to deliver and disentangle those whom he has formerly led astray and deceived by his false doctrine and misunderstanding; for true love does not seek self, but God and her neighbor.  Whosoever has ears to hear and a mind to understand, let him hear and understand what the word of the Lord teaches us in respect to excommunication, in great clearness.

Christ Jesus says, “Moreover if your brother shall trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone; if he shall hear you, you have gained your brother; but if he will not hear you, then take with you one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church; but if he neglects to hear the church, let him be unto you as a heathen man and a tax collector.  Truly I say unto you, Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven,” Mat. 18:15-18.

Here, faithful brethren, stands the firm foundation of God, as an immovable rock or mountain, at which all will be wounded and hurt who try to overturn and nullify it, namely: That we shall shun and avoid the apostates, if they take no heed to all the brotherly services and admonitions which have, in faithfulness of heart, been rendered unto them, according to the doctrine of Christ and the dictates of pure love, if they obstinately continue in their errors, as the Jews shunned and avoided the heathen and tax collectors, at the time of Christ.

In the first place, the Jews did not admit the uncircumcised heathen to their Passover, by command of the Lord, through Moses; nor to their divine service, as it appears from the acts of the apostles, for they were strangers to the citizenship of Israel and Israel was alone the church.

In the second place, they so avoided daily interaction with them, that they considered it as impure for them to enter their houses, or to eat and drink with them.  This also applied to the tax collectors.  As the Jews, then, did not admit such heathen and tax collectors to their worship, nor to their daily interaction, but shunned and avoided them, so also, would Christ have us shun and avoid an apostate, unrepenting brother, as was said above.  And that this is the proper and natural foundation of these words of Christ is well explained by holy Paul, 1 Cor. 2, of which more will be heard hereafter.

Behold, brethren in the Lord, all who would rightly understand the meaning of the words of Christ, above cited, should know that Christ does not point to the Jewish custom, in regard to the heathen and tax collectors in the time of Moses and of the prophets, but to the custom of his own times; and he should first make a distinction between the heathen and tax collectors and not consider them as one people; and then well consider and judge according to the Scriptures, how those two classes were dealt with at the time of Moses and the prophets, before the scepter was taken from them and they were placed under the yoke of the Romans.

Inasmuch as the Gentiles and Tax collectors were two distinct people, as has been said, and we should turn to the law to ascertain the freedom of the Jews in regard to the Gentiles, then we must also, in the same manner, ascertain the action of the Jews in regard to the Tax collectors, after the law; for the one word is as valid as the other, because they are both produced and attested by the mouth of the eternal Wisdom.

We are aware, beloved brethren, that Moses, in his law, allowed a great deal of liberty to the outward Israel; to have interaction with the Gentile nations, as in buying, trading and usury.  But, besides, we also know, that he rigorously judges the wilful and open transgressors, by the testimony of two or three witnesses, unto death, without mercy, according to his law, Deut. 17:6; 2 Cor. 13:1.  If we were to understand the before-mentioned words of Christ, Mat. 18, as being of the same nature and rigor as those of the law of Moses, then it would follow, first, from the word heathen that we were at liberty to deal with the apostates, as far as regards daily interaction, as Israel was at liberty to deal with the heathen.  And secondly, from the word tax collector it would follow that we should stone and kill the apostates when their apostasy was established by two or three witnesses.  But it would not be proper to take too much liberty with them and to put them to death.  Taking life is also quite inconsistent with the nature and doctrine of Christ, “For the Son of man has not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them,” Luke 9:56.

Let everyone take heed; for if he takes the word heathen alone and judge that according to the law of Moses and excepts the word tax collector, then he does not wrong man, but the Son of God, and disgracefully annuls his holy word and truth.  For he does not say, Let him be unto you as a heathen, but “as a heathen man and a tax collector.”  Christ says, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”  Therefore it is very advisable not to break the word of Christ Jesus; but to set aside human understanding; to acknowledge the truth; give heed to Christ Jesus; and believe and obey him; for then he will be likened unto the wise builder; if not, his house will fall and “great will be the fall of it.”

In the second place, I pray that every God-fearing heart considers what the word Gentile implies; and see if not all fornicators, adulterers, avaricious, unbelievers, perjurers, idolators, murderers and drunkards are included in the word Gentile.  Yes, Paul says that they are without Christ; have no God, are dead in sins and that they are children of wrath, Eph. 2:11.  Since, then, all sinners and heathens are expressed in the word “Gentile,” for the Gentiles who do not have Christ are also sinners; and without grace and since Christ here speaks as well of open sinners, as of Gentiles, and, moreover, as every word of Christ has its full weight and measure─therefore, the word of Christ can not be explained as meaning that we should deal with an apostate brother as we would with other Gentiles, who never received nor acknowledged the word of the Lord.

In the third place, I hope that no true brother, who is called after the name of the Lord, will knowingly and wilfully adulterate the word of the Lord, but that he will give it its due praise and honor and acknowledge that these tax collectors and sinners, of whom the evangelists speak, were not of the Gentiles, but of the Jews, as is apparent from Mat. 9:10; Mark 2:17.  Since it is incontrovertible that the before-mentioned tax collectors and sinners were of the Jews and were adjudged to death, according to the law; and since Christ points us to the tax collectors as well as to the Gentiles, therefore it must follow that it should not be explained as having reference to the times when Israel yet exercised their liberties with the heathen, which liberties were allowed to them by Moses, in his [God’s] law; for at that time the transgressors, on proof, were adjudged unto death, according to the law.  It would then follow that the lives of the apostates, on proof, should be taken at our hands.  O, no, for we know that such a bloody ban is [now] an abomination before God, neither is it known to christians, much less practiced.

If anyone should assert that it applies to the present time, that is, of treating an apostate as we now treat a Gentile and not to the time of Christ, as the Jews then treated a Gentile, he must also re-establish the Jewish people with their law and religion and their open transgressors, which is impossible.  This everyone must confess.

Since the word Gentile can not be understood as applicable to the time when the Gentiles were not yet so strictly shunned by the Israelites, for then we should have to adjudge the apostates unto death, according to the word “manifest transgressors;” nor as applicable to the present time, for now we do not have the Jewish transgressors─therefore no one can successfully contradict, according to God’s truth, otherwise than that it applies to the time of Christ, at which time they did not put transgressors to death, but separated and avoided both the tax collectors and heathen alike, by means of the same ban.

Having sufficiently proven to the pious and God-fearing, by the above mentioned reasons, that Christ spoke those words as applying to his own times and to no other, we will now show in plain language, first, the proper cause why they so scrupulously avoided the heathen, and, secondly, why they shunned the open transgressors and did not inflict capital punishment upon them.

It is well known to all readers of the Bible, that Jehovah God faithfully warned Israel that they should not make an alliance, nor terms of friendship, with the Canaanites, Hittites and others; nor to intermarry with them, lest they should be led astray by them and follow strange gods, Deut. 7.  Joshua says, “Take good heed therefore, unto yourselves, that you love Jehovah your God.  Else, if you do in any way go back and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you and shall make marriages with them and go in unto them and they to you; know for a certainty that Jehovah your God will no longer drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you and scourges in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which Jehovah your God has given you,” Josh. 23:11-13.

Israel, not taking to heart this paternal warning of God, but, contrary to it, befriended and intermingled with these strange nations, the menace that Jehovah God warned them of through his faithful servants, Moses and Joshua, was verified.  They became quite degenerated by the strange women and idols with which they intermingled and were severely scourged and punished by the Lord.  Yes, even the talented Solomon, whose wisdom was far-famed, was so enchanted by the heathen women that he became unfaithful to Jehovah, his God, (who twice appeared unto him) and inclined his heart to strange gods.  I think, beloved brethren, this is the just recompense of those who despise the counsel of the Lord.

And they, deceived by the artfulness of the heathen, often sinned against their God and being, therefore, so often chastised by God, with his just punishment, they, at last, took to heart the warning of God, given through Moses and Joshua, more than they had formerly done.  They quit their interaction with the heathen altogether, so that they, as it appears, also abandoned some liberties which Moses had allowed them. Yes, such that they considered it improper to enter into their houses, or to eat with them, as may be plainly observed.  And this for the purpose that they should not, as formerly, be led astray and turned away from their God.  For this reason the Jews so entirely avoided interaction with the heathen.  If this reason was of weight, every theologian may judge and weigh with the words of God, Num. 33:35; Judges 3:13; 1 Kings 11:1; 3:12; 9:2.

Again, the reason why they shunned the public sinners and did not punish them with death is this: Because the prophecy of the patriarch Jacob was now verified that the royal scepter, taken from Judah by Pompey the great, was now in the hands of the Romans and that they had officers of their own in Judea, who obeyed their superior.  Therefore, the Jews did not punish with death, according to their law, those who wilfully transgressed; for they were, at that time, subject to the scepter of the Romans.  That this is the truth, the Jews declared before Pilate, when they said, “It is not lawful for us to put any man to death.” John 18:31.  According to God’s law they were permitted; no, it was strictly commanded to them; but the lost scepter, now, made it unlawful; for the Roman servants, Herod, Pilate, &c., who, at that time, swayed the scepter in behalf of the Romans, did not want to judge according to the law of the Jews, but according to the rights and statutes of the Romans, in whose name they ruled and to whom they were bound by oath.  When any Jew trespassed the law of Moses and not the Roman morals, the before-mentioned functionaries did not inflict capital punishment, even if the law of Moses required it.  And since the Jews were not allowed to punish him according to God’s law, for the above mentioned reasons, they separated him from their communion and excommunicated him from their synagogue and shunned him.

Perhaps some will ask, Why then, did they scourge the apostles and stone Stephen?  And why were many saints put to death by Saul?  Why was their community destroyed, since they were not allowed capital punishment?

We are well aware, beloved brethren, that there are some who call this Jewish shunning, or ban, to which Christ has directed us a pharisaic leaven and frankly say, We do not want to be pointed to a leaven, without the Scriptures.  Whosoever these may be, we pray them for the Lord’s sake, first, to consider well what they say; for, in my opinion, they do not understand their own words.  Does not Moses say, “Whosoever does not hearken unto my (God’s) words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him,” Deut. 18:19.  Does not Jeremiah say that he “shall execute judgment and justice in the earth?”  Does not the Father from high heaven say, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear him?”  Does not Paul say, “In whom (Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge?” Jer. 23:5; Mat. 17:5; Col. 2:3.  I am sure that the words and teaching of Christ is Scripture enough for all the pious.  It is He, I say, and not I, who points his believers to the use of the ban.  Tu quis es, qui ex adverso respondes Deo?  That is, “Who are you that would answer God with perverseness?”

If there is any brother under the whole canopy of heaven who can show, by the divine truth, that these words of Christ apply to any other time than to the time of Christ, without violating the Scriptures, then I will gladly hear him and open my ears to the truth; for I do not desire to contend against the truth, which is my testimony, but I desire to uphold it.  For the sake of truth I have had to hear and suffer much, these many years; and I am yet prepared unto death, by the grace of the Lord, to testify to the truth.  But I know and am convinced that it can not apply to any other time, without violating the word and Scriptures of Christ, as we have sufficiently shown and proven, to the reader, above, by abundance of reasons and Scriptures.

Sincerely beloved brethren, if we are to esteem this often mentioned Jewish ban as a leaven, to which Christ directs us, because they, for their consciences’ sake, abandoned some of these liberties (for liberties are of a nature that we can enjoy them, or not, at our option; else they would not be liberties), not contrary to the law, but rather in conformity with the faithful warning, advice and admonition of God, contained in the law-then the holy prophet Jeremiah might, for good reasons, have reproved the Rechabites as leaven, because they, on account of the command of their father Jonadab, would not drink wine, plant vineyards, sow the soil, nor build houses, although all this was free to them, according to the law of God; for to them, with Israel, was the possession of the land and the other blessings promised, Jer. 35:14.  O, no, the Lord did not reckon it as leaven unto them, but it was accounted to their honor to have honored the command of their father and by this they obtained the promise of the Lord.

I would further say that if it is to be called leaven, if we do not partake of our freedom for conscience’ sake, or for the sake of the brethren─then freedom cannot be called freedom and Paul must have been an impure leaven to have taught that we should, if necessary, deny ourselves the liberty, for the sake of the brethren, Rom. 14:14; 1 Cor. 8:13; 9:14; 10:23.

From all this it is evident, according to my understanding of the word of the Lord, that it is a frightful blasphemy, unknown to a God-fearing christian, thus to undertake to master and instruct Christ, the {eternal} Wisdom of God, [about] how he should teach us and what he should command us; and to call that which he commands us leaven, although it is a strong and consolatory shield against corruption and deceit.  Therefore, it is not contrary to the law, but in conformity with it; of this we are convinced, for if it were leaven, contrary to the law, as some say it is, then Christ Jesus would by no means have approved of it, commanded it and said, “Let him be unto you as a heathen man and a tax collector,” since he, in other places, has diligently warned his followers against the leaven.

Some, perhaps, will contradict me by saying that the shunning of the heathen by the Jews, that is, not to eat with them, when the victuals were clean, was openly contrary to the express command of the law.  For Moses had commanded Israel that they should keep the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles, unto Jehovah their God, with a tribute of free-will offering of their hands, which they should give unto the Lord, their God, &c. and that they should rejoice before Jehovah, their God, they and their sons and their daughters and their man-servants and their maidservants and the Levite that was within their gates and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, that were among them.  To such, I would reply, that these strangers also had to keep the Sabbath; to enjoy the tenths of the third year, the first fruits of the land, the gleanings of the field, olive trees and vineyards with the Levites, the widows and orphans.  Deut. 16:1-17; Isa. 56:1-8; Lev. 23:22.

The stranger also had, with Israel, an offering for their sins of ignorance; also, the same punishment with Israel; they had to hear the reading of the law every seventh year, in the solemnity of the year of release. Deut. 31:10-13.  Therefore, it follows from these and other like Scriptures, that these before-mentioned strangers were citizens among the Israelites and not uncircumcised heathen.  For they were already among the Israelites at the time they yet journeyed in the wilderness.  Exo. 12:37-50.

Moses says, “You stand this day, all of you, before Jehovah your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders and your officers, with all the men of Israel; your little ones, your wives and your stranger that is in your camp, from the hewer of your wood unto the drawer of your water, that you should enter into covenant with Jehovah your God and into his oath, which Jehovah your God makes with you this day,” Deut. 29:10-12, Also Deut. 5:14; 16:13, 14; Exo. 20:8-11; 23:12; Deut. 14:27-29; 24:19; Num. 15:27-29; Lev. 4:13-20; Num. 9:14.

I think, brethren, that the cited passages sufficiently show and prove that they were called strangers, because they were not of the seed of Israel and had no part in the distribution of the land; therefore, Moses commanded the Israelites to allow them the right to the tenths of the third year, to the gleanings of the field, of the olive trees and vineyards and the first fruits of the land, as we have shown and explained from the writings of Moses.

In the second place, it might be asked, why we should shun the apostates, since Christ said, “Let him be unto you as a heathen man and a tax collector,” and since it is manifest that Christ did himself eat with the tax collectors.  To this I reply: What kind of sinners they were, with whom Christ ate, is well explained by the evangelists.  For, when the Pharisees murmured, Christ said, “They that are whole do not need a physician, but they that are sick; but you go and learn what this means, I will have mercy and not sacrifice; for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  What kind of sinners Matthew, the sinful woman and Zaccheus were after they had heard Christ is not a mystery, Mat. 9:12, 13.

Again, Luke says that all the tax collectors and sinners came to Christ to hear him and with such he did eat and therefore he did say to the murmuring Pharisees, “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine,” &c., Luke 15:4.

Behold, dearly beloved brethren, however we turn these words of Christ, they cannot be made to apply to any other time than that of Christ; namely, that as the Jews at that time dealt with a heathen and tax collector─so we may also now treat an apostate who, either through false doctrine, or through an unclean, shameful life, dishonors, rejects and disgraces Christ Jesus and his holy word.  I wish, most beloved brethren, that every christian would diligently consider, since we have given our understanding of these words of Christ, whether Paul also understood these words as meaning the same as we have explained.  Yes, he who closely considers this matter will find that Paul, in his doctrine of separation, has in every way conformed to this rule of Christ.

Thus Paul says, “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.  And you are puffed up and have not rather mourned, that he that has done this deed might be taken away from among you,” 1 Cor. 5:1, 2.

In another place, Paul teaches how Christ loved the church and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself as a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish, Eph. 5:25.  If we admit such open profaners as this fornicator, and, moreover, adulterers, drunkards, contentious, avaricious, upbraiders and idolaters and do not shun them, then we must always hear this reproof of Paul, that we are “puffed up” and do not rather mourn to separate such open transgressors from us.  O, brethren, brethren!  I fear that this admonition of Paul is not sufficiently weighed by some.  Paul says further, “For I truly, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that has so done this deed.  In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus,” 1 Cor. 5:3, 4, 5.

These words of the apostle teach us three things: First, The great love of the faithful servant Paul, toward his disciples and children; for although he was not present there, yet as present in spirit, he was paternally solicitous for them and always taught, admonished and advised them to their own good.

Secondly, In whose name, how and by whom this separation shall be practiced, namely, in the name, that is, by virtue of the command and ordinance of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For Paul did not undertake to do anything that he had not first received from Christ, as he says.  Yes, if Christ had not first instructed Paul to do so, he would not have dared to command the Thessalonians, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they should separate themselves from every brother who walked disorderly and not according to his ordinances.  For this may well be called doing things in the name of Christ, when it is done in conformity to his holy word and will.

Again, It shall be practiced by the church; that is, everyone shall not separate at his own pleasure; but it should be done by the congregation of God, after proper admonition in love, diligence and faithfulness, with the power of Christ, that is, with the binding or closing key of the Holy Spirit.  For if it is practiced without the word and Spirit, without love and brotherly affability, whether it is through bitterness, anger, or a false report, not conformable to the word, for reasons not deserving of the ban,─then it is not a work of God, not medicine to the soul, nor fruit of pure love; but a contention of satan, a corruption and pestilence to the soul and a manifest fruit of the flesh.  In short, a curse, abomination and stench before God.  Let every person well weigh these words of Paul and he will, by the grace of God, find how rigidly this separation is commanded in the Scriptures, and how orderly it should be practiced in the church, with the power of the word and Spirit of Christ.

Thirdly, That we should deliver an unrepenting transgressor unto satan.  Not, brethren, that he was not of satan before separation, for as soon as he turned his heart away from the Lord and became ungodly, he became the subject of satan, even as a penitent sinner is a subject of Christ.  But now the voice of man, through the church, tells him that he is deprived of the communion of Christ and his church and that he is now delivered unto satan until he again brings forth true fruits of repentance, before God and his church, that his adulterous, avaricious, refractory and idolatrous flesh may be brought to reflection and become ashamed and repentant by such judgment and shunning of the pious, that he may thus suppress and die unto his flesh, that is, the lusts of his flesh and that he may by these means be brought to repentance and his soul be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Here the god-fearing reader may observe in these words of Paul, the first reason why the Holy Spirit ordained this ban to be practiced in the house of God, namely; for repentance and not for corruption; that, if the transgressor rejects as null and void, all fraternal services and admonitions of faithful love that are shown to him and remains unrepentant─that, then, according to the advice of the Holy Spirit, the judgment passed upon him, should, with sorrowfulness, be made known unto him in the church and that he is separated from the church, that he may thus become ashamed unto repentance.

Again, about this shame, the apostle speaks in another place, “If any man does not obey our word by this epistle, note that man and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed,” 2 Thes. 3:14.

Take notice, brethren, that true, evangelical separation is an express fruit of unfeigned love and not a law of hatred, as some, very wrongly, complain and pretend.

Ah, faithful brethren, if we rightly understood God, if we were enlightened with the Holy Spirit and loved our neighbors with divine love, how diligently we would be engaged in this matter, to follow the faithful advice of the Holy Spirit, in all reasonableness and love, without respect of persons; no matter whether it concerns father, mother, sister, brother, husband, wife, child, or any relative or friend; for how can we show more spiritual love towards them?  But as it is, a great many do not seek that which is of the Spirit, but that which is of the flesh; not their neighbors, but themselves.  If they do so through ignorance, then may the merciful Father enlighten them with his Holy Spirit and guide them into all truth; but if they do so through wilful perverseness, then we know that it is written, “To be carnally minded is death,” Rom. 8:6.

In the third place, Paul says, “Your glorying is not good.  Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?  Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened.  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,” 1 Cor. 5:6-7.

Again, with these words Paul reproves first, the Corinthians, and also all other churches with them, who glory in being the church of Jesus Christ and the spiritual house of Israel and yet tolerate such shameful, corrupting leaven, as this Corinthian and similar defilers in their communion.  For how can we glory in the piety of the church and reprove other churches on account of their ungodly doctrine and life, so long as we tolerate similar leaven of doctrine and life among us, without expelling it?  If we are unleavened, why are we not fearful of the leaven, since the apostle tells us that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump.”

Secondly, He here gives us the outward Israel as an example.  For when they kept the Passover, they did not keep leavened bread in their houses for seven days.  Yes, if it was found in any house the souls of it had to be rooted out from among Israel.  Neither was an uncircumcised or unclean one to eat of it.  Oh, brethren, if the figure and shadow were to be so pure, how much more should the reality be pure?  For our Passover is not a quadruped, but it is the spotless Lamb of God, Christ Jesus.  Nor does our Passover last seven days, as did the Passover of Israel, but it lasts forever, namely, from the offering of Christ until the last day; neither is it kept [only] by unleavened bread, baked from flour, but by the unleavened bread of righteousness and by the word of eternal truth.

Therefore, beloved brethren, let us keep this Passover holy and unspotted, to the best of our ability and let us, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, separate from us the corrupting leaven, that is, all those that walk in the foreskin of their hearts and are impure in life (understand, open, known transgressors), that we may be the holy Israel of God, sprinkled with the blood of the lamb, free from the scourging angel of God and that we may thus rejoice before the Lord, in sincerity and truth and celebrate and serve it all the days of our lives.

Further, all the pious may learn from these words of Paul, “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?”  The second reason why this separation is so necessary and useful to the house of God is that it can not stand without it.  This has been shown in Israel.  Moses, the faithful servant of God, strictly commanded the people of God, that they should, without mercy, destroy from among them the wilful transgressors, when proven by two or three witnesses; also, that if any prophets should arise among them, with signs and miracles to lead them to other gods, they should not hear them, but destroy them.  Again, the father should not excuse his child, the husband his wife, &c., but their hand should be the first upon them.  Also, they should level and destroy any city which went after other gods, that Israel might hear these things, fear God and practice such evil no more.  I think this was a rigid separation which was commanded to Israel.  If they had stood firm and immutable in this and they had followed the command, counsel, teachings and admonition of God, according to the Scriptures, and destroyed the false prophets and idolators, they would never have become so estranged from God and come to such deadly whoring and degeneration (understand this as in the law).  For the rejection of the counsel and will of God will never go unpunished, Deut. 13:5, 7; 17:11; 19:15; Heb. 10:18.

But at present, the Holy Spirit does not teach us to destroy the wicked, as Israel did, but that we should reluctantly separate them from the church and that in the name of the Lord, by the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit; for a little leaven leavens the whole lump.  It is a common saying, One scabby sheep mars the whole flock.  The lepers were not allowed among the healthy in Israel; but had to be separated until cured.  O, brethren in the Lord!  The leprosy of the soul is a leprosy above all diseases, whether it is in doctrine or in life.  It eats like a cancer, and, as Paul says, “leavens the whole lump.”  Therefore the Holy Spirit has abundantly taught us to separate such from among us; not to hear the words of the false prophets, for they deceive us; to separate from such who, contrary to apostolic doctrine, cause offense and contention; to shun those who are not pleased with the salutary words and doctrine of our dear Lord Jesus Christ, but are contentious and desirous of quarreling, &c.; to guard against dogs and artful laborers and the selfish; to flee the voice of strangers; to shun a heretic or a master of sects, after having been once or twice admonished; not to greet nor receive in our houses him who does not teach the doctrine of Christ; and to withdraw from every brother who acts disorderly and does not walk according to the apostolic doctrine.  O, says Paul, that they be cut off who disturb you, Lev. 13:2; Jer. 23:16; Titus 3:10; 2 John 10; 2 Thes. 3:6.

I think, beloved brethren, the Holy Spirit of God has done well and fully performed the duties of his office and his faithful service of divine love toward his chosen people by admonishing, warning, teaching and commanding, in Moses and the prophets, in Christ and the apostles, in regard to the Shunning of heretics and apostates; but if we, through obstinacy or perverseness, still associate with the leprous, against the faithful counsel, teaching and admonition of God and intermingle with them, then we will also be infected with the same disease.  It is the recompense of those who know the nature of the disease and yet neither fear nor avoid it.

Say, most beloved, is it not the greatest foolishness and recklessness to wilfully and knowingly run into the hands of the murderer, by opening unto him your house and office; for what else can you expect but stealing, robbing and murdering?

O, that the pious reader would receive the command, teaching, counsel and admonition, so faithfully given by the Holy Spirit.  Shun all heretics (I refer to those who have been of us) and apostates, according to the word of the Lord; whether it is father, mother, wife, child, relative or friend, or whoever will try to turn you from God and his word and to corrupt you by doctrine or by life.  Whosoever loves anything more than his God cannot be the disciple of the Lord, Mat. 10:37; Luke 14:26.  Therefore, believe Christ Jesus and sincerely fear him in his word and you will follow his counsel and teaching; but if you are offended that way, then await your punishment, for, by the grace of God, I know what it is to despise the word and will of God and what I have felt and seen in this respect.

In the fourth place, Paul says, “I wrote unto you in an epistle not to keep company with fornicators.  Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must you would need to go out of the world.  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother, is a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one do not eat,” 1 Cor. 5:9-11.

From these words of the apostle we observe that he had on a former occasion advised the Corinthians in an epistle that they should shun the fornicators, covetous, &c., but they had also understood it as meaning the fornicators of this world.  In this epistle, Paul admonishes them that this was not his meaning; for if they should shun such and not have any dealings with them, they must need to go out of the world.  But he meant those who are called brethren, as he shows in plain language, saying, “If any man that is called a brother is a fornicator, or covetous,” &c., with such a one do not eat; just as the Jews did not eat with the Gentiles and tax collectors at the time of Christ; nor did they keep their company; for Christ and Paul are one and not divided, John 4:9.

I think, brethren, that this text is so plain and clear that it admits of no controversy; notwithstanding some violate and garble it.

First, they say, “Paul had no authority to burden us with any laws when it was not first taught and commanded of him of Christ.”  To this we answer: Let everyone rightly reflect upon, divide and consider the words of Christ, “Let him be unto you as a heathen man and a tax collector” and he will find, by the grace of God, whether or not Paul first received this doctrine from Christ.

Secondly, they say, “Since Paul makes mention here of the Jewish Passover and adds that we should keep the Passover, not with the old leaven,” &c., so this passage and also his sayings, “With such do not company, with such do not eat,” must be understood as meaning a spiritual intermingling or communion.  To such, we answer: Israel had a Passover of seven days, but we have an eternal Passover.  And, as the Lamb of our Passover is eternal and his offering eternal, so we must now perpetually sanctify and celebrate it, always partake of its flesh; always be sprinkled with its blood and always be diligently guarding against the ungodly, corrupting leaven of both doctrine and life.  If our feast and Passover then, is spiritual and not literal, eternal and not temporal, how can this then be applicable to the Lord’s Supper, the eating of which does not last but for an hour or so?

In the second place, we answer: If these words were spoken of a spiritual communion then it should read in the Greek text, choinonia and in the Latin, communicatio, for these words signify spiritual communion, as Christ communes with us and the members of Christ commune with Christ; and also community of property.  But in the Greek text it is a different word and in Latin it reads: commisceri sivi commercium habere, which does not imply a spiritual communion at all, but an outward, temporal communion; and it appears clearer from these words of Paul that he here speaks of the temporal communion and company and not of the spiritual.  For he has prohibited this communion with the apostates and allows the communion with the world, which has no spiritual communion with us, nor can they have.  This is incontrovertible.  Yes, if the communion or intermingling with the world were prohibited, then we could not make use of the necessaries of life, but we would have to eke out our life in poverty, destitution, tribulation and misery, 1 Cor. 10:3; Acts 2:44; 1 Tim. 6:18; Heb. 13:16.

Thirdly, we reply: That Paul had reference to common eating and not to the Lord’s Supper; for he calls it in Latin, cibum capere (to take food) and not, panum frangere (to break bread); and it is manifest that the Lord’s Supper is, nowhere in the Scriptures, called cibum capere.  And if it were spoken in reference to the Supper, as some very mistakenly assert, then it would incontrovertibly follow that we are at liberty to invite the world to the Lord’s Supper, to greet them with the kiss of peace and to be one body with them; for this interaction, unclean and prohibited with an apostate brother, is, according to Paul, clean and allowable with the world.  O, no, but as the Jews at that time would not eat a common meal with the heathen and tax collectors and Christ having pointed his followers to that usage, so Paul follows that doctrine and command of his Lord and master, Jesus; and says that we shall not eat with such.

I think that it has been sufficiently shown to the pious, that these words of Paul should not be understood as referring to spiritual communion, nor to the Lord’s Supper, but only to daily interaction and common eating.  If, now, it is not allowed in outward or carnal communion, it will be less so in inward or spiritual communion.

Dear brethren in the Lord, I would here pray and admonish you all, in humility, to consider well what the proper meaning is of this word commercium (interaction), of which Paul speaks and how we should understand it, that you may not give too much liberty to the reckless souls, to their own destruction and that you do not too closely bind the narrow minded, since you have no binding word.  For I hear and see and have, alas, seen too much of it, these many years, that some, on every hand, use no weight nor measure in this matter; and the result is that there is much dispute and trouble about this separation.  May the Lord grant his divine grace to the peace, unity and edification of his holy church.  Amen.

Inasmuch as I am an unworthy and humble servant, called into the house of God and sincerely seek the good of my beloved brethren and co-workers; therefore I will briefly present my views concerning this communion or intermingling, according to my talent, with which I desire to appear before the throne of my Lord Jesus Christ, at the day of judgment and will leave it to the criticism of God’s word and all theologians.  Therefore, my understanding of commisceri or commercium habere, (that is, to mix with or to commune), of which Paul here speaks, is that it implies daily communion, company, walk, interaction, presence, usage, behaviour and dealing and that it does not mean accidental conversation, or necessary dealings, such as dividing a legacy, liquidating debts and such like incidental dealings, or to be serviceable in times of need; for the word commercium does not imply anything so strong.  Therefore, in my opinion, some err not a little by attaching the same strength to the phrase “have no company with them,” that they attach to “you shall not steal and you shall not commit adultery,” of which Paul testifies that those who are guilty of it shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven.  Their argument is that no is no.  Yes, brethren, if this were the case, who could stand before his God?

Again, if the word commercium, which in our language means an intermingling or communion, is to be explained as that we are not to speak a word with an apostate, not to have any necessary dealings with him; then the word commercium would be violated; many a pious child would be retarded, many an unscriptural action done and the faithful Paul would be rejected.  For he says, “Yet do not count him as an enemy, but advise him as a brother,” 2 Thes. 3:15.  Besides, it would make an evil report of the gospel of Christ.

It is also incontrovertible that the tax collectors and some heathen lived in Judea, such as Herod, Pilate, Philip, Sisanius, Testes, &c., before whom they had to appear at times.  Again, they also had to pay tribute to the Romans; and therefore were obliged to speak to them sometimes and had necessary dealings with them; although they diligently shunned their daily company, conversation, intermingling, eating, &c.

Dear brethren, take heed and do not become masters and despisers of the Holy Spirit, that you do not, through the good opinions of men, make the way narrower nor broader, than the word, Spirit and example of the Lord makes and limits it.

In the fifth place, Paul says, “What have I to do to judge them also that are without?  Do not you judge them that are within?  But them that are without God judges.  Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person,” 1 Cor. 5:12, 13.  Here Paul explains his former words, that he did not apply them in his first epistle to those that are without; for God judges them and not we.  We ought to put away from among us the wicked persons, and commend the world to God.

Behold, faithful brethren, how unanimously Christ and Paul agree in the shunning of the apostates.  And also, how earnestly Paul has taught and maintained this separation.  Yes, that he has six times enjoined the practice of this ban in such a short chapter.

“You are puffed up and have not rather mourned, that he that has done this deed might be taken away from among you.”

“To deliver such a one unto Satan.”

“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump.”

“I wrote unto you in an epistle not to keep company with fornicators.”

“With such a one, do not eat.”

“Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person,” 1 Cor. 5:2, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13.

All these are found in one short chapter; besides what he has taught, commanded and advised in this respect to the Romans, Galatians, Philippians, Thessalonians, Timothy and Titus.  John also has explained himself briefly.  I do not see how a god-fearing heart can have doubts in regard to this matter and how he can contradict it, since there are such good fruits and utility derived from this shunning.  But it seems that this vine must have its worms.

Again, the refractory make another objection and say, “When one is separated from the church it is not necessary to shun him any more, for he is no longer called a brother.”  To such we reply: That they should; in the first place, consider that if such a one, who has acknowledged the Lord’s word and truth, and, for a time, led a pious, evangelical life and has thus received baptism, becomes apostatized and afterwards sincerely repents, he is not rebaptized; for the Scriptures teach but one baptism.  But if those who are of the world repent they are baptized after repentance; for before, they neither confessed word, penitence, faith, righteousness nor baptism; and therefore it is a different matter.  At the day of judgment, it will also be more strictly required of them than of the world, Luke 9:5; 2 Pet. 2:20; Mat. 24:48.

In the second place we say that the world, notwithstanding, esteem them as brethren and many of them would gladly be greeted as brethren; therefore it is very necessary to shun them, that both the world and they may know and understand that we can not accept such as brethren who are so unclean and blamable in doctrine or in life, lest the word of the Lord and his church be despised by the world, on their account.

In the third place we say, That Israel did not shun their open transgressors, nor the Corinthians their fornicators until they were separated from the church.  It is neither a custom nor usage in the Scriptures, to shun anybody so long as he is allowed in the church; and therefore we should not shun anyone before separation; or else we practice a ban neither known nor mentioned in the Scriptures.

In the fourth place we say, That if we commune and associate with an apostate after separation, then we show in fact that we despise the word, command, counsel, teaching and admonition of God; that we do not seek the reasonable shame of the apostate, which is to lead him to repent; and also, that we do not guard against the corruption of our own souls.

I trust that this is sufficient to appease every god-fearing heart, in regard to the words of Christ, Mat. 18:18 and in regard to the fifth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians and that no more useless garbling, objections and artful excuses be made to turn it to the lusts of the flesh, for they can stand no better than stubble before the fire and ice before heat.  Yes, from these same words of Christ and of Paul it appears clearly how, when, where, with what spirit, of whom, on whom and for what purpose this ban should be practiced.  I think this foundation to be so powerful that it cannot be broken by christian reasonableness nor by divine truth.  Let everyone fear and love his God with all his heart and he will, doubtlessly, receive the true knowledge of this matter and will rightly follow the scriptural and God pleasing usage.

 

 

A CLEAR,

INCONTROVERTIBLE CONFESSION

AND

DEMONSTRATION to JOHN A’LASCO,

FOUNDED ON THE POWER OF THE

HOLY SCRIPTURES,

THAT THE ENTIRE CHRIST JESUS, GOD AND MAN, MAN AND GOD, IS GOD’S OWN, ONLY AND FIRST BEGOTTEN SON; NOT DIVIDED NOR SEPARATED, BUT AN ONLY, UNDIVIDED PERSON, SON AND CHRIST; GOD’S WORD DULY MANIFESTED IN THE FLESH, TOGETHER WITH A THOROUGH CONFUTATION, REPLY TO, AND SOLUTION OF THE PRINCIPAL POINTS OF THE DEFENSE OF JOHN A’LASCO AGAINST US.

 

BY

MENNO SIMON.

 

“I am the living bread which came down from heaven; If any man eats of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world,” John 6:51.

“For no other foundation can any man lay than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ,” 1 Cor. 3:11.

 

First Published 1544.

 

 

 

PREFACE.

TO THE IMPARTIAL READER:─I see and observe, honest reader, that many books, printed in Latin and also written German books, are circulated and read, concerning the incarnation of the Lord, which, in my opinion, so slander our reputation, that those who read or hear them read, shut their noses and mouths at our approach.  Therefore I feel myself compelled, First, to reply to some accusations of John A’Lasco wrongfully preferred against me.  Secondly, to advance my confession and faith of Christ Jesus, the Son of God; and, Thirdly, to solve and criticise according to divine truth, as far as the grace of God is given to me, his principal points with which he refutes our foundation and faith.  This I do not for my own sake, for I am well aware that my truths, with him are lies, and that I will remain, as did all the holy apostles and prophets to the learned, [as] heretics and imposters, even if Christ spoke in and through me, a poor, ignorant creature, with the same power as that with which he spoke formerly through the apostles and prophets.  But I do this from the pure love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and his holy word; from love for my beloved brethren and also from a heart inclined towards my opponents, that Christ Jesus, the Son of the Almighty and great God, may be made manifest as a true Son of his heavenly Father; that the Scriptures may remain unbroken; and that the afflicted, hungering consciences, which would gladly follow the right, may see and know it and thus thank the Almighty and eternal Father with cheerful hearts, through his first and only begotten Son, Christ Jesus; and also that the God-fearing reader may know through whom he is reconciled with his God; and that we establish our foundation not otherwise than by the clear and positive Scriptures and incontrovertible truth.

Behold, for this reason have I yet undertaken this labor before my death.  I, who in my weakness, every day look for the dissolution of this earthly tabernacle with resignation; that I may leave behind me a sure testimony and memento, how honestly or dishonestly, how highly or how triflingly, how greatly or how insignificantly I have esteemed the Lord Jesus Christ, my only and eternal Surety, Consolation, Refuge, Deliverer and Savior, during the period of my service; for I am aware how we are upbraided and slandered.

Therefore have 1 divided this book in three parts.  The first part is a reply to some articles and accusations without regard to the foundation of our actions of which John A’Lasco accuses and blames us, without any truth whatever.

The second part is my confession of the origin and descent of the flesh of Christ, demonstrated according to the power of the Scriptures.

The third part contains the principal objections, particularly of John A’Lasco to our foundation, which are overwhelmingly answered according to the word of God.  I have so divided it that the reader may not become confused, but may obtain a better and more intelligent understanding and sense of our writings.

I desire and pray all my readers, for the sake of Jesus, whether they are learned or unlearned, favorable or unfavorable, to read my writings with an unprejudiced mind and attentively and intelligently; to read them frequently; to compare them with the Scriptures and weigh them in the balance of the Scriptures; I pray them to believe the Scriptures and not the long and many writings, teachings and the colorings of the learned; that they will examine the foundation without bitterness and believe the surest truth and follow it in the fear of God and give him due praise, as becomes all reasonable people, according to the christian name.  I do not doubt but that all those who read them with due attention will soon find that the foundation, doctrine and faith of our opponents concerning Christ, the Son of God, is deceiving and erroneous and that our foundation is the foundation and testimony of the Holy Scriptures; yes, that it is the power and the truth.

I would further pray that the reader does not think hard of it if I call falsehood, lies; and rebuke evil-doing.  I trust, by the grace of God, to do so without any bitter feeling and with as temperate words as possible; and further, do not become impatient if I sometimes repeat the same words and matter, when necessary; and also that at the end, he will not judge me without consideration and intelligence; and thus become angry with me.  For I do nothing more than reasonable purging, according to the truth; nothing more than prove my faith and hope to be in accordance with the Scriptures and uphold the honor and praise of my Lord and Savior─something which I am not only called to do verbally and with my pen, but also with my life-blood, if his glory demands it.

May the beloved Lord, the faithful Son of the true and living God, to whom be all honor and praise, grant all kind and discreet readers a mind desirous to examine diligently and enlighten the intelligent hearts to understand rightly.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

A CLEAR, INCONTROVERTIBLE CONFESSION, &c.

FIRST PART.  Reply to John A’Lasco

In the second place, he writes, “That I have unjustly attacked his reputation and profaned their church service.”

Answer.  I trust that nobody can truthfully show that I have said anything but truth about John A’Lasco or his abettors and followers.  But if they feel hurt at the truth, of which he thinks so hard, for this they may blame the truth and not me.  I am willing to leave it to the judgment of all reasonable people, whether I wrote justly or unjustly, too much or too little in regard to his doctrine, sacraments, church service, church or community, or that of the preachers of his kind.  If their doctrine and church service is of God and his word, why are their unreasonable and reckless disciples not converted from their ungodly ways and doings?  For, according to the contents of the Scriptures, it is infallible that the doctrine and service which is of God, has her power and influence, Isaiah 55.  But it is too evident from their fruits that there is nothing threshed from them but chaff.  My conscience tells me nothing but that I have done them and their church justice; for I have reproved them with zeal, of the things which all the prophets, apostles and faithful witnesses of God have diligently done before me.  Namely, I have reproved their carnal, impenitent lives, as is manifest before all the world.  If I have done wrong in this regard, then they may justly accuse Moses and the prophets together with Christ and the apostles of it, for they have earnestly commanded me, an unworthy creature, and all God-fearing preachers to do so, for which we, miserable creatures, have to suffer so much in this wild, excited world.  He who has created me, knows that I have done so in sincere love to the conversion of their poor souls.

In the third place, he writes, “I have been obliged to deliver our doctrine from your slander, by authority of the divine word, which doctrine you may garble among your followers by your crying, but which you cannot refute by authority of the Scriptures, notwithstanding your boasting that you do so.”

Answer.  Can it be called slander to rebuke wrong, according to the Spirit and word of God?  Then not only have I slandered, but also Isaiah, Jeremiah, all the prophets and also Christ Jesus, together with all his apostles.  I have rebuked their cause according to the word of God; and by the grace of God, shown them that they are not the true messengers of God, nor is their church the true one.  But it will be hard for John A’Lasco to show that our doctrine, which is not ours, but Christ’s doctrine, is wrong, and also that our rebuke according to the Scriptures is slander; and to prove before his God, who judges all things aright, that his doctrine is right in regard to the incarnation, the baptism of infants, the calling of their preachers, their separation and the unrestrained, reckless life of his church.  I fear that we will find plenty of philosophy, invention and coloring, but little scriptural power, foundation and truth.  Yes, kind reader, I am sure that if the violence of the world was ever withstood, as it doubtlessly should be, we would soon find where the victory of the Scriptures would stand.

In the fourth place he says, “If we prove our doctrine by virtue of the divine word, then it will be manifest that we were innocently slandered; and our innocence will be made manifest.”

Answer.  If he has proven his doctrine and sacraments to be right, by virtue of the divine word, as he boastingly asserts, I will acknowledge that I have unreasonably and wrongfully reproved them in this regard.  But [his claims are] nothing but consoling the poor people with falsehood and keeping them on the broad way by fictitious promises.  Even if he could prove his doctrine and sacraments to be in accordance with the Scriptures, which, however, he can not do, then his cause would still not be half way right; for the doctrine and sacraments are useless if the fruitful active faith and the pious unblamable life are not there; for which purpose the doctrine was promulgated and the sacraments ordained.  And what kind of life is generally led by their followers and also by the greater part of their preachers themselves, I will leave to the judgment of those who can observe their daily actions and walk and who have an understanding of the Holy Scriptures.

In the fifth place he says, “If you would have sent your writings to us all, as you promised to do, we might have answered you alone; but you have circulated them first among your own, before sending them to us.”

Answer.  I do not recollect that I have promised them this; nor can I see why I should have made such a promise, as I had nothing to write but what was my proper faith and foundation; which I do not desire only to testify by writing in secret, but also with my life-blood, before the whole world, if only the Lord strengthen and uphold me by his grace.

But as to his writing that I have circulated it first among ourselves, I would say that he has said too much; for as soon as I had withdrawn myself from them, I went to a secret place, as I have had to do these many years, for the sake of the testimony of Christ and my conscience and simply compiled my faith and foundation in writing, and without any delay after our conversation, sent it to them.  However, out of respect, I handed it to M. H. G., he being, at the time, Baliff or Burgomaster (Mayor).  The Great Lord is my witness that this is the truth and since it is a fact as related, how could I have circulated it among ours before it was sent to them, as he accuses me of doing?  And even if I had done as he accuses me, were he and his followers wronged by this?  Since it is not only my foundation, but the foundation and faith of us all, as is known to many.

But his own reason convinced him that it would seem unreasonable to the reader to write such an infamous, bitter book without cause, and therefore he must pretend something, so that his writing against the mute Menno, who, on account of the great tyranny cannot answer before the world, might seem reasonable.  But whether it will stand before the impartial Judgment seat of Christ will be made manifest in his declaration.  May the beloved Lord not reckon it as sin; for I know that I am not guilty.

In the sixth place he writes, “Your followers were the cause that I must publicly treat with you, for they have steadily circulated the report in west Friesland, and also in a great part of Holland, that you are at liberty to teach your doctrine in our churches; and that we are certainly conquered and have nothing with which to gainsay it.”

Answer.  I never heard a word of this until I read so in his writing; if some of us have thus boasted, as he writes (which I cannot believe), then it is evident that they have not spoken the truth in that regard, but falsehood; which falsehood is a shameful thing; yes, it is of the devil and destroys the soul, John 8:45, 55.

If he has it from hearsay, it was not right for him to listen to such partizans and liars and to publish it in a book, to the everlasting remembrance of all the world and the great injury of his neighbors.  But if he did it of his own accord and not from the persuasion of others, which I do not presume he did, then he dishonors his famous name and ruins his soul.  For lying, I say, is a shameful thing and will not find a place in God’s city.

Again I say, I do not presume that he wrote this of his own accord, but I imagine that he was too desirous to listen to the liar, too quick to hear and too hasty to write.  Be this as it may, I know that, according to christian reasonableness and love, it does not apply to me; let him adorn it as much as he can.  The great Lord will make manifest in due time what each one of us seeks and pretends, yes, maintains, teaches, does and defends.

In the seventh place he accuses me and says that I made light of two Latin syllogisms which he communicated to me; that I despised learning and the skill of languages; that I upbraided them as philosophers and passed myself for simply a theologian, whereby I catch the unlearned and simple and cause myself great consideration.  That, however, my want of excellence is no meanness but rather ignorance.  Yes, he has set me forth in such colors that my remembrance, although, alas, not much to my honor, will perhaps be with man as long as the world endures.

Answer.  The reason why he applies these epithets to me is because I wrote to him and his abettors thus: Let us not refute these things with subtle syllogisms, nor with sharp, human cavilings, for we do not profess them, but we contradict them alone by the clear, convincing word which cannot be garbled by eloquence, nor broken by human invention.  These are my words, A.D. 1543, in my confession written to him and his preachers.  Let those of a pious disposition judge now whether I deserve such bitter treatment.  But I am aware that I did not earn this crown on account of these words just mentioned, but for the sake of the poor, despised truth.  Reader, do not misunderstand me.  Never in my life have I despised learning and skill in languages, but from my youth, honored and loved them.  Although, alas, I never acquired them yet (thanks be to God), I am not so bereft of my senses that I should therefore despise or ridicule the knowledge of languages through which the precious word of divine grace came to our knowledge.  I wish that all pious minded persons possessed this knowledge, if we would but humbly use it to the praise of our God and the service of our neighbors, in the pure fear of God.

Is it not a shameful thing that they regard truth so little and continually try, unreservedly, to reflect such falsehood upon me?  Yes, dear reader, if I would repay evil with evil, as the law of nature teaches me, I would collect some falsehoods, some of which were spoken and some of which were written against me, of which neither he, nor any other man, can ever convict me.  Whether this can be called just and right, I will leave to the judgment of all impartial, reasonable minds.

Would to God that he and all our opponents would not act differently with me than I do with them, for I trust they do not desire my blood, or at least the greater part of them.  I rebuke and admonish them of all the short-comings which I see, as love for them requires, although they think hard of that.  But that I should write falsehoods against them, from this may the Lord save me.  For I am well aware from which impure fountain falsehood flows and what will be the end of it.  I am also aware that it is not the seed from which we shall beget God’s children and gather unto Christ a church.  I would have them do the same (and not differently), if I should, human-like, fail in some things; that they would admonish and reprove me according to the truth; that they would uphold their truth (if they had any, which, alas, they have not), by force of the Scriptures; and that they would let the seed of the serpent use his falsehood and the seed of Cain his violence, Gen. 3:4.

But as to my ignorance, of which he so bitterly accuses me, I am not ashamed to acknowledge before all the world, that I am not only ignorant, but altogether unlearned and very little versed in the languages.  Yes, dear reader, I freely admit, as did Socrates, that I only know one thing, as regards human skill and wisdom and that is that I know nothing.  But as regards heavenly wisdom, I am so far taught by God, through the grace of the Lord, that I sincerely confess that my Redeemer and Savior, Christ Jesus, is the only and first begotten Son of God; that whosoever believes in him has everlasting life; that he that does not believe is condemned; that a liar is of the devil; that “whosoever hates his brother is a murderer;” that unless you repent, you shall all perish; that “the wages of sin is death,” John 3:8; 1 John 3:15; Luke 13:5; Rom. 6:23.  And from this disregarded wisdom (eternal praise be to the Lord), I have obtained so much fear in my poor soul, that my earthly, carnal mind is converted into a better; and that I am so sorry that I cannot walk in Christ Jesus, with all my strength, according to the will of God and be a sincere, unblamable christian; that I cannot bring the whole world from its obdurate, ungodly state into a new, repentant, christian life, with the Spirit, power and word of the Lord.  For this is my only joy and ardent desire, that we may rightly preach Christ Jesus, according to his holy word; that we may seek, fear, love and serve his holy name.  Yes, that we may become the city of the living God, the glorious kingdom, to his honor and the temple of his Holy Spirit, 2 Cor. 6:16.

And this same wisdom which produces such power and fruit, I esteem as being the most worthy of all wisdom imaginable; even if taught and restored by an unlearned cart-driver or coal-carrier─yes, it is the only joy and desire of my afflicted heart; the only amelioration of my misery; and will be to the end, by the grace of God, the glorious ornament and crown of my honor.  Of this noble, highly learned wisdom and philosophy read in Solomon’s proverbs, also Sirach and the Book of Wisdom and you will find which is its proper virtue, work and power.

Behold, reader, for the sake of this philosophic sweetness, honor, virtue, fruit, love and beauty, which I have not learned from famous doctors nor in high schools and for the sake of filling my soul with its living power, I have rather chosen to be the ignorant and unlearned fool of the world, that I may be found wise before my God, than to be one of the most famous of the world and at last be found a fool before the wise God.  And this is my short answer and excuse to his charges and bitter upbraidings.

I say again, that in the simplicity of my heart I wrote the words “subtle syllogism,” and “sharp cavilings,” without, at all, despising science, and that I did not mean by this to despise or curtail anyone.  I praise science when justly used to the glory of God.  But above all I praise the humble, virtuous science and wisdom which is from above, for it will never perish, but in glorious honor remains with all the pious, into eternal life.

This, now, is the first part of this book and I would have preferred to remain silent upon these things, if they had not been published to embitter some, to hinder the word and to the affliction of the God-fearing.  But as it is, circumstances have rendered it necessary for me to do so.  May the beloved Lord grant us his grace.  Amen.

═══════════════

SECOND PART.  OUR CONFESSION.

And behold, with such understanding we believe and confess that he is the seed of the woman, of the seed of Abraham and David, who was given of God the Father unto the whole world, through particular favor and grace, for salvation and deliverance, as the highest surety and certain testimony of his divine love, through faith, according to the sure word of his promise; and that the above mentioned virgin, ordained by God, conceived, as above stated, the Savior of the whole world, in Nazareth, according to the word of the angel and was delivered of him at Bethlehem, according to the word of the prophets, Luke 1:31; Micah 5:2.

Finally, John, at the prayer of the bishops of Asia, has written a clear account of the origin of Christ.  The Son of God and that not only of his eternal divinity, as the learned say, but also of his holy humanity, as may be clearly noticed on all sides, in his writings.  And he has, in clear and pointed words, written and incontrovertibly shown, who and what he has been from eternity, saying, “The word was made flesh.”  He does not say; The word was made a man of our, or Mary’s, flesh and has installed itself in this, as our opponents say.  Besides he shows us from where he came, what he has taught and what example he left us; what we have received through him and where he again went to, &c.  Whosoever rightly believes the testimony of John about Christ, the Son of God, has everlasting life through his name, John 1:14.

But he who does not believe it and rejects it is not of God and has neither the Father nor the Son, but is an anti-christ and deceiver; and this is our humble and plain confession of Christ, God’s Son, as has been heard, 2 John 7, 8, 9.

Thus speaks John, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God,”  “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth,” John 1:1, 14.  This testimony we believe to be true; we therefore leave it unbroken, that the whole Christ remains the Son of God; for we see with open eyes that it accords and agrees, as far as regards this subject, with all the Scriptures.

We truly believe and do not doubt in the least, that the Holy Spirit, which seeks to lead us into all truth, did not mean otherwise than he spoke here through this faithful, plain fisherman, John.  For if the beloved messenger of the holy peace had not meant i as he here writes, his writing would not have pacified the churches, which, at that time, were very much troubled about this matter; but it would have still more estranged them than before and would have pointed us, poor descendants to an obscure and uncertain foundation.  Oh no!  His testimony is true and plain; and will remain so in eternity.  The word has become flesh.

This is our confession, and is also authorized by the Lord himself, saying, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world,” John 6:51.

Faithful reader, mark the word of your Lord.  Christ says that his flesh came from heaven and the learned say that it descended from Adam’s flesh.  Here they are directly opposite.  What now will the God-fearing mind do?  If he holds to the testimony and word of Christ, then he must be [seen as] the deceiver and heretic of the learned.  But if he holds to the testimony and word [of the learned], then he makes Christ a liar.  Since we surely know that Christ and the learned are so antagonistic and since we know to a certainty that Christ is the undeceiving truth and that all men are liars, therefore we must not turn from truth to falsehood, but from falsehood to truth.  Whatsoever the judgment of man may be, God’s word will remain forever, Psa. 116:11; Rom. 3:4; Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25.

Perhaps our opponents will here seek an excuse and say Christ speaks of his more honorable part, for his divinity is from heaven and has taken Adam’s flesh.  I answer: Let them read and believe the word and testimony of Christ and they will find that they explain it according to their own inclination and not according to the sense and truth of Christ; for thus he speaks, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven.”  Mark, he says, “Came down from heaven,”  “and the bread that I will give, is my flesh.”  Mark again, He does not say, It is my divinity, but “my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

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[CHCoG: As shown above, half of the DNA used to form Christ’s body did indeed come from His Father, and thus from above, just as Menno is saying.  But as we quoted above, there are other scriptures that reveal that half of the DNA which formed Christ’s body has, in fact, come from Mary, and she inherited it from Abraham, David, etc as listed in Matthew 1.  Also see Acts 2:29-30 and Romans 1:3.  For all of these scriptures to be true, and they must all be true, Jesus’s body has to have resulted from two sources: One directly from heaven, from His Father, and the other indirectly from heaven via his mother, Mary, who ultimately derived her DNA from Adam and Eve, both of whom God also created.  Further to this, and much greater, Christ’s soul and spirit also came down from heaven.]

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I think that Christ himself has here sufficiently explained his words and therefore we do not need the explanation and garbling of the learned.  For Christ and John could not have expressed themselves more plainly, in regard to the descending of his holy flesh, than they did in the two mentioned Scriptures.  Therefore let everyone beware how he garbles.  For whosoever falsifies these clear, fundamental evidences does not falsify the word of a human being but the word of God.  Neither does he reject us, but the Son of God, together with his Holy Spirit and the exalted apostle John, who have left them behind and taught them in such clear and plain words.

Christ still further declares this our confession, saying, “And now, O Father, glorify you me with your own self, with the glory which I had with you before the world was,” John 17:5.

I think this also is clear evidence that Christ humbled himself, and, that he, for our sake, abdicated for a time his divine dominion, right and glory.  For, although he was Justice and eternal Blessedness, he did not refuse to become a sacrifice for sin and a curse for us, Phil. 2:7; 1 Cor. 1:29; Gal. 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:19.

Yes, kind reader, if he had remained in his first estate, impassive and unchanged, as John A’Lasco and his followers assert; and if he had just surrounded himself with a strange tabernacle of Mary’s flesh, then he would not have lost that which he again desired from his Father, while he would have remained, not humbled, but unchanged in his first estate.

But now it is manifest that the eternal, indescribable and inexpressibly glorious word, which from eternity has been with and in the Father in eternal glory and clearness, but in an illegible manner, has in due time left his glory for a season, for our service and become a poor, despised, mortal man and has died a bitter death for us.  And thus he again desired his first glory, which he had with his Father before the world began and which he had, for a time left, for our sakes.  This Scripture is too clear to be obscured by acuteness.  Therefore believe the word of your Lord, trust in truth and you will not be deceived.

Our confession also accords with holy Paul, for he says, “Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things,” Eph. 4:9, 10.

By the side of this plain saying of Paul, place also the word and testimony of Christ, which he himself testifies in regard to his descension.  For he says, “No one has ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven,” John 3:13.

Ponder diligently upon these words of Paul.  For if he spoke these words alone in regard to his divinity and not of his humanity, how would it then accord with the testimony of Christ, just mentioned, who says, “No one has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven.”

My reader, remember, Christ here calls himself the son of man and says, “That he came down from heaven.”  The son of Mary, whom the learned say is of her flesh, did not come down from heaven, but must be of the flesh of Adam, if the foundation of the learned were right.  Oh no.  But the word came down from heaven, has become flesh or man, in the lower parts of the earth and afterward ascended up far above all heavens where he first was.

Inasmuch then, as Christ not only speaks in this Scripture passage of his divinity, but also of, his humanity (since he says the son of man), therefore it is manifest that the man Christ is not originally from earth, but from heaven, for according to his eternal divinity, if that should have been left thus unchanged, as the learned say, he cannot be called the son of man.  Again, according to his humanity, he could not be in heaven at the time he spoke these words, if he was of Mary’s flesh and not of heaven.  Therefore we must accept these Scriptures as regarding the whole Christ, that is, both of his divinity and humanity.  From which it forcibly follows that the whole Christ Jesus, God and man, man and God, is from heaven and not of earth, as also John testifies at another place and says, “He that comes from above is above all; he that is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth; he that comes from heaven is above all,” John 3:31.  Again, Christ says, “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; again, I leave the world and go to the Father,” John 18:28.

From these it follows (if we will accept the testimony of Christ, John the baptist and Paul as true) that the Word came down from heaven, became flesh in Mary, dwelt among man, fulfilled the Scriptures, again ascended and sat down at the right hand of his Father and is adored by all the angels of God.  Mark, reader, how the one Scripture exactly fits the other and how exactly Christ, John and Paul agree.  Sure and immutable stands the testimony, that the Word has become flesh.

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[CHCoG: Menno’s inconsistency, and the complexity of this issue, is displayed above.  First he says that Christ’s flesh has come down from heaven, then he admits that it was the Word of God who came down from heaven, and acquired his flesh here on earth.  As we have shown above, both things are true.]

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Paul still further explains our confession and says, “The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly,” 1 Cor. 15:47.  Reader observe.  Although Paul properly speaks of the resurrection of the dead and of its future clearness, yet he testifies by this same Scripture, the coming again and the difference between the first and the second Adam, when he says, “The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.”  For, as the first man, Adam, is called earthy on account of his being of the earth; so, also, the second man, Christ, is called heavenly because he is from heaven.

If anyone should contradict this and say, That Christ here is called heavenly on account of his divinity, you should know that Paul rebukes them with these significant words: “The second man is the Lord from heaven.”  I cannot see how the great witness could express himself more plainly.  And since he is, then, such a heavenly Being, and, besides, since he is again glorified by God his heavenly Father, with his eternal glory which he had with God before the beginning of the world, therefore the holy apostle also calls all his true members, after their resurrection, heavenly.  Not that they are from heaven, as Christ is from heaven, but because, by grace, through the power of God, in the resurrection they will partake of the heavenly glory and of the nature of the angels, as Christ says, “The glory which you gave me, I have given to them” (his disciples), John 17:22.

For this reason Paul calls them heavenly and says, “As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly,” “For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality;”  “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father” and as the stars of heaven in brightness forever; yes, when we shall be like unto the Lord and shall see him face to face, as he is, 1 Cor. 15:49; Mat. 13:43; 1 Cor. 13:12.

That Mary’s flesh was not the first and the last all intelligent persons must admit.  If then the man Christ had been of Mary’s flesh, as the learned say it is, which neither is nor can be the first and last and if it had thus died, then the Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of truth, would not have spoken rightly.  Yes, neither Christ himself, who says, “I am the First and Last: I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.” Rev. 1:17-18.

I would further say, That if the man Christ Jesus was a natural offspring of Mary and if the {eternal} Word only lived in this [body], as our opponents say it did and if this same man died and the Word remained unchanged, then Mary’s flesh must be the First and Last; this is too plain to be denied.

Since it is evident that Mary’s flesh neither is nor can be the First and Last, as has been heard and since it is true, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, that the First and Last has died, therefore I conclude from this that the explanation of our opponents, by which they point us to Mary’s flesh, is deceitful and false and that the learned are badly mistaken when they say that the Son of God remained unchanged, and that the son of Mary died.  I say again, the word stands immutable, “The Word has become flesh.”

Again, with this our confession, foundation and belief, all the prophets who have spoken of Christ, the Son of God, through the Holy Spirit, agree.  Micah says, “But you Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet from you shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting,” Micah 5:2.  Observe, Isaiah says, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel,” which signifies God with us, Isa. 7:14; Mat. 1:23.

He further says, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,” Isa. 9:6.

At another place he says, “Say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God.”  Again, Jeremiah says, “Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.  In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called, JEHOVAH IS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS,” Jer. 23:5, 6.

All Scriptures force us [to conclude] that we dare not divide Christ, the Son of God, after the pretensions of the learned; but to confess him as being entirely the true Son of the true and living God.  The angel testified of Christ, the Son of Mary, saying, “That holy thing which shall be born from you shall be called the Son of God,” Luke 1:35.

Again, the Father testified, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,” Mat. 17:5; Luke 9:35.

Again, John the Baptist says, “He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Spirit; and I saw it and bear record that this is the Son of God,” John 1:33.

Again, “Nathaniel said unto him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God.  You are the King of Israel,’” John 1:49.

Again, when Jesus asked his disciples, “Whom do you say that I am?  Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Mat. 16:15, 16.

Again, Martha said, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who should come into the world,” John 11:27.

Again, the disciples, together with these others said, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” Mat. 14:33.

Again, Christ said to the blind man, “Do you believe on the Son of God?”  He answered and said, “Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him;” and Jesus said unto him, “You have both seen him and it is he that talks with you,” John 9:37.

Again, when the centurion saw that he so cried out and gave up the Spirit, he said, “Truly, this man was the Son of God,” Mark 15:39.

Again, Saul was with the disciples at Damascus and preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God, Acts 9:20.

Again, John says, “We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.  Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him and he in God,” 1 John 4:9.  Besides [these are] many other clear passages.

Inasmuch as the Scriptures so abundantly testify that also the man Christ is the Son of God, therefore it is manifest that Martin Micron and those of his mind do fearfully err when they say, “The man Christ was not the Son of God; he had no Father; but there are two sons in Christ─the one the Son of God without mother and impassive─and the other the son of mankind, or the son of Mary without father and he passive,” &c.  I think this may be called rejecting the Son of God, in the face of all these plain Scriptures and pointing us to a divided Christ, yes, to an unclean, sinful flesh and creature, guilty of death, whom the Scriptures never knew and still less taught.  O detestibilem blasphemiam (O detestable blasphemy).

All who can be convinced rightly to believe that the word did not take unto itself a man of Mary’s flesh, but that, according to the testimony of John, he has become flesh, have a true understanding of Christ.  They will not argue per Syneedochen, de parte ad totum, neque de toto ad partem.  [by Syneedochen, from part to whole, nor from whole to part.]  They will not point to the worthiest part in Christ, nor to the communication or communion of the names; neither will they unite two persons and sons in one person and son, as our opponents do, but they will leave the Scriptures ungarbled in their place and acknowledge with John the Baptist, John 1:15; with Matthew 16:16; with Martha, John 11:27; and with the whole Scriptures, that Christ Jesus is God’s first-begotten and only Son; an only and undivided Christ, God and man, man and God, an only person and Son, who, in his flesh, has fulfilled the handwriting of the law for us, as we could not, in our flesh, on account of our weakness; and was at last, judged and condemned as an innocent, spotless Lamb, to die on the cross for our sins and guilt.

Behold, this is our foundation, faith and confession of the most holy incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Mary; on account of which, alas, we are so much upbraided by our opponents and have to pass for deceivers and heretics; and that for the reason, I say because we teach and testify with the Scriptures that the Lord, Christ Jesus, is God’s own and true Son, as has been heard.

Well, since it is so with them, they must run their course; we cannot prevent it until they are met by the angel of Jehovah and rebuked by the ass, Num. 22; 2 Peter 2.  They had, however, better beware, lest they stumble too hard on the Rock of offense, Isaiah 8:14; Rom. 9:33.  The time to give an account will soon arrive.  As for me, I do not care how these men judge me.

I trust to find my consolation in the Lord who has taken me by the right hand and who knows all my desires, intentions and doings.  He will execute our cause to his honor; for he knows that we do not desire to seek our praise, but his own.  Therefore he will protect his own honor.  It might doubtlessly happen that through their writing and slandering against us and through their manifestly erring doctrine, in regard to Christ the Son of God, it might be made manifest to some that they are doubly what they would like to make us.  May the great God grant them grace, Amen.

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THIRD PART.  THE CONFUTATION.

O, no, the flesh of Christ is holy, pure, spotless, knows no sin, makes pious and saves, is a true bread of souls, as is the word, which, in the latter days, according to the intention and purpose of the Father, became a true, passive man, for the salvation and eternal deliverance of all; and who died an innocent death for us.

It avails in no manner that they say that Mary was blessed and that her fruit was saved from sin by the power of God.  We confess that Mary was blessed and that the fruit was without sin; but we deny that Mary was without sin in consequence of the blessing; for Paul says, “The Scripture has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe,” Gal. 3:22.

Again, if the man Christ were a flesh of Mary’s flesh, then Mary would have been blessed through her own flesh; and Adam would have been reconciled through his own flesh; the justice of God would have been broken and our condemnation, curse and death be dissolved and requited through flesh, condemned, cursed and guilty of death.

O, no, the Scripture teaches plainly that we have all become sinners in Adam and that we have all, through sin, fallen under the judgment, wrath and condemnation of God and become subject unto death, Rom. 5:6; 1 Cor. 15:22.  And of Christ it testifies that he is the Lamb without spot; that he has not known sin and in his mouth no guile is found.  Inasmuch then as it is manifest that the Scripture entirely concludes Adam and his descendants in sin and entirely absolves Christ, therefore the discreet and right minded reader may conclude from this, that the holy man, Christ Jesus, is not of the unclean flesh of Adam, but that he is the holy and pure word of God, John 1; and that this saying of the learned, that the justice of God requires, &c., is not the sure testimony and word of God, but merely human flattery and fiction.

Oh, I wish that our opponents would once ponder what the justice of God, in this respect, requires according to the Scripture.  I trust they would henceforth not hold so strongly to their foundation as they have until now done; neither would they say that if anyone does not accept their doctrine he sins against the Holy Spirit; or at least think that they might be mistaken.

In the second place he intimates that we should understand the conception of Mary, of which Matthew and Luke speak, as far as regards the mother, as is naturally due to her, according to the ordinance of God, Gen. 1.

Answer.  It is surprising to me that a man as learned as he is reasons so indiscreetly and dares ascribe the conception of Mary to nature, while it is clearly shown all through the Scriptures that the conception of Mary was brought about by supernatural causes, a particular miracle of the Most High and a glorious sign of Jehovah our God; as Isaiah says, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel,” Isaiah 7:14; Mat. 1:23; Luke 1:31.

Again, Matthew writes this concerning the conception of Mary: “When his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child by the Holy Spirit.  Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately; but while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, you son of David, fear not to take unto you Mary your wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  And she shall bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins,” Mat. 1:18-21.

Again the angel said to Mary, “You shall conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus; he shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and Jehovah God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”  Then Mary said unto the angel, “How shall this be, seeing I have not known a man?”  And the angel answered and said unto her, “The Holy Spirit shall come upon you and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born from you shall be called the Son of God,” Luke 1:31-35.

From all these it is very evident that the conception of Mary was supernatural and a sign and miracle of the Lord; therefore it is all to no purpose that the learned philosophize it as being caused by nature, for it is irrelevant to the matter.  [CHCoG: and also physically impossible.]

And if the conception of Mary were ascribed, in part, to nature, in the face of these clear Scriptures, then, still it is apparent from the ordinance of God and of nature, that the material, or origin of the child is of the Father and not of the mother, as has been sufficiently explained above in the confession and also in my writing against Gellius Faber.  Therefore these innovations are nothing but philosophy and human genius, without Scripture and not worthy of an answer; but I have briefly criticised them and pray you to not despise my references; but let a trial be given before the accusation, lest you mistake yourselves, as Sirach says.

They further advance that the Scripture speaks of the Savior being promised of the seed of woman, of Abraham and the fruits of the loins of David.

Answer.  In the first place I say that he who deduces from these Scriptures that the man Christ was [CHCoG: solely from the] flesh of a woman, no, the natural seed of Abraham and David, who all descended from the unclean flesh of Adam, must also add the unrighteousness, curse and sin of Adam.

If they should assert that he was free from the unrighteousness, curse and sin of Adam, I again answer: That he was not of the natural seed of Adam; for the seed of Adam was unclean, sinful and accursed, therefore nothing but unclean, sinful and accursed flesh could be begotten from this; or else the unclean must beget the clean, the sinful the holy and the accursed the blessed; and therefore the hereditary uncleanness, curse and condemnation be changed.  This is too plain to be controverted.

Yes, reader, if the incarnation of the Lord was, as our opponents say it was, then it would be manifest that Christ Jesus was not so pure in his incarnation as was Adam in the first creation.  For if it is asserted, as is true, that Christ was conceived in the virgin Mary, then Adam had no other father on earth but God─wherefore he is also called a Son of God, by Luke.  Yet, Adam would nevertheless have been created of purer nature and by God; but Christ, if he was of the unclean seed of Adam, must be of less clean nature, that is, of an unclean, human and earthly seed.  This is too clear to be controverted.

In the second place I say, If the man Christ were a natural fruit and seed of the impure, sinful flesh of Adam, then he would also be guilty, through the eternal justice of God, of the judgment and death.  And if he was guilty, how could he redeem and liquidate our [guilt]? Or else we must admit that God’s justice was ended; and that the sinful had taken away and atoned for the sinful; the condemned for condemnation and he that was guilty of death had taken away death.

O, no: No unclean animal was permitted to be offered as an offering of reconciliation in Israel; but it must be without blemish.  And if the symbolic had to be entirely clean and without blemish, how much more so should be the true one, whereby the eternal reconciliation is brought about─and whereby all symbolic offerings are fulfilled and finished, Heb. 9:10; Exodus 12:5; Deut. 16:21; Mal. 1:8.

In the third place I would say, He who asserts that the man Christ is a natural fruit and seed of Adam, Abraham, David and of woman, also asserts by this that there are two persons in Christ, two sons; the father is no true father, the mother no true mother and the son no true son, as has been said before.

In the fourth place I say, If the man Christ was of the flesh and blood of Mary, then it is manifest that he was not God’s Son, but a created creature, since he would not be begotten by the Father, but of the flesh and blood of Mary, according to nature, as has been sufficiently shown.

In the fifth place I say, If the man Christ, was [only] of the flesh and blood of Mary, as they pretend, then it is very evident that the birth of man, according to the ordinance of God, can not be without father and mother; and also that a child does not proceed from the mother, but from the father; and if the man Christ came without a father, from the body of the mother, against the ordinance of God, then a new creation must have taken place in Mary, which creation could not have occurred without the Word.  If such a creation did occur, then it is manifest that the one half or part of Christ must be created by the other; Mary’s son by God’s Son; and that the two, namely, the Creator and the creation, thus became one person and Son.  Dear reader, observe what abominations they advance.

If you cannot understand this, then mark this parable: Charles the Fifth is a son of Austria; he is also a son of Spain; not that he is, therefore, one of two sons─but he is an only and undivided son.  On the side of the father he is a son of Austria and on the side of the mother he is a son of Spain.  Thus also, is Christ Jesus a Son of God and a son of man; the Son of God on the side of his Father and the son of man on the side of his mother.  Not one of two sons ─but an only and undivided Son.  The Son of God and of Mary, as has been shown.

Again, if you are yet in doubt about the fruit of the loins of David, I would first refer you to my “Confession,” which I wrote to John A’Lasco and his preachers, A.D. 1543, by which admonishing you to observe how the throne and the Kingdom of David were promised to Christ by Isaiah and the angel Gabriel; which was, however, not literally fulfilled in Christ, but in Solomon, who was a figure and symbol of Christ, as were also Isaac, Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Joseph.  [CHCoG: Though true so far, the Bible makes it clear that when Christ returns, he will indeed sit on David’s throne, and retain it throughout eternity. Luke 1:31-33, Mat. 19:28, Rev. 12:5 & 19:11-16.]

Since the whole Scriptures teach us that his kingdom and throne are not literal but spiritual, therefore we must, in the same manner, judge the fruit and the king who shall sit upon the throne and reign; or else the one word must be understood literally and the other spiritually.  This is too plain to be controverted.  [CHCoG: As briefly indicated above, Christ’s kingdom will be both literal and spiritual.  Read God’s Holy Days for Christians to learn more about this.]

Secondly, observe what Christ asked of the Pharisees in regard to Christ the Son of David and how he answered them, Mat. 22:42-5.  [CHCoG: And yet in other places, the Bible clearly states that Christ IS the son of David.  But he is ALSO the Son of God, which is the perspective Jesus uses here to confound the Pharisees, and being the son of God is also how he can live a sinless life.]

Thirdly, observe that if the man Christ were a natural fruit of the loins of David, all the insolvable, gross inconsistencies would be included in him, which we have partly pointed out above and upon which we will enlarge if God permits.

Fourthly, observe that all the properties of God are alike perfect in him.  And therefore his perfect, eternal love and justice require it, as Christ says, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Yes, says John, in this God’s love appeared that he sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we, through him might live; for as he adjudged Adam and all his seed unto death, by his eternal justice, on account of his disobedience, so, also, has he, on account of the obedience of Christ, by his eternal love, promised life to all who believe in him; for as his righteous punishment of the sins of Adam’s descendants who reject Christ lasts forever, thus also his paternal love to forgive sin through Christ, lasts forever to all those who believe in Christ and accept and obey the word of his grace, John 3:16.

In the third place, I find that it is said that my foundation is that Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit.

Answer.  It is very unreasonable that I am always blamed of things of which I am not guilty.  In my first “Confession” I have plainly and clearly shown in Latin letters that I do not believe that Christ was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit, but through the Holy Spirit.  Yet I must hear that I teach that Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit.

O, dear Lord, how lamentably I am slandered!  What else do they do against me than the Scribes did unto Jeremiah, when they counselled about him and said: Come and let us devise devices against him and not regard his reasoning, Jer. 18:18.  Yes, I think that I am born to turn my ear to the slanderer and my back to the scourger.  Nevertheless, I hope, by the grace of the Lord, that the time will come when some of them will yet awaken and acknowledge, in all humility, with penitent hearts that they have not despised me, but the word of God and that they have scorned his Spirit.

In the fourth place he intimates that I teach that the Word changes itself into human flesh and blood in the womb of the virgin.

Answer.  I presume that it will never be proven by virtue of the truth that I have ever, at any place, said or written so; nevertheless they dare say and write so of us.  I have spoken of it as the high apostle has taught me, that the “Word became flesh.”  That testimony I leave unbroken; and leave it to the Unsearchable, to him, who, through his omnipotent power so arranged it for the salvation of us all, how much and what was changed.  Yet, I would, in my simplicity, add (if they explain the testimony of John to which I alluded in unchanged letters and conclude from this: Menno teaches, with John, that the “Word became flesh,” therefore his foundation must be that it was changed into flesh, &c.), that they should know that change does not always take away the first nature of the substances of which something is fashioned.

Adam was a man created of the earth; he was a man of the earth and [his body] remained of earth, as Jehovah said, “Dust you are and unto dust you shall return,” Gen. 3:19.

Again, in the resurrection of the dead, all those who have again returned to earth, shall, through the power of God, be resurrected from the earth.  It is manifest that at first we were earth, afterward we became flesh of the earth, again we became earth from the flesh and lastly we became flesh of the earth, out of the first flesh, but in glory and brightness, as the Scriptures testify; and thus the first substance, although changed, of which the thing changed was fashioned, remains, as has been heard.

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[CHCoG: Menno’s final “flesh of the earth” contradicts these scriptures referring to our resurrection:

So also is the resurrection of the dead.  The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.  It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory.  It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.  It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.  There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living soul.”  The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.  However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.

The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.  As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.

And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.  1 Cor. 15:42-50.

To be resurrected into the ‘flesh of the earth’ is to be once again in a natural, physical body, even though Menno allows it to have ‘glory and brightness’.  That is NOT the hope that Christ has given us.  NO!  We are to be completely transformed and given a heavenly, spiritual body.  This is our hope:

Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”  1 Cor. 15:51-54.

Understand this: We must be changed!  If we remain the same, we must die.  We find it bizarre that Menno, usually scripturally spot-on, does not understand this fundamental teaching.  It is also bizarre that Menno continually insists that Jesus can only inherit an “impure, sinful and accursed” body from Mary, yet he also thinks that such a physical body can also be given ‘glory and brightness.’]

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Reader, understand me rightly.  I do not present this parable for the purpose of asserting that the Word was changed into flesh and blood, the same as the earth of which Adam was made was changed into human flesh, but I have presented it for the purpose of showing to the reader that, although if the Word was changed in being incarnated, it yet remained the word, John 1:14; 8:23; 1 John 1:2; Rev. 19:13.

In the fifth place he writes, “The Lord Christ was a Spirit from the beginning, unchangeable, holy and eternal.  If he, then, was spirit and unchangeable, how, then, has he changed his substance or his being and become flesh?”

Answer.  If I understand him aright, in Letter E, page five, he says, That he has not yet rightly comprehended my meaning of the phrase “factum est,” i.e. become.  If, now, he has not rightly comprehended me, then I cannot see why he should blame me for such doctrine, unless he cannot understand the testimony of John in any other way, notwithstanding his flattery and corruption; as I have merely testified to the same thing literally and unchanged.

I also believe and confess in the same manner, that this Almighty, eternal Father, through his Mighty, {eternal} Word, which is the Son, has, in the power of his Mighty, eternal Spirit, created heaven and earth with their fullness and that he, by this, forever preserves and maintains all things created in this and by this, but I do not comprehend it.

Faithful reader, observe, that although I do not comprehend the Almighty, only and eternal God in his eternal, divine being, in the dominion of his glory, in the creation and preservation of his creatures, in the reward of both the good and the evil and in many of his works, yet I do truly believe it and for this reason: Because the Scripture teaches so; in like manner I can not comprehend how, or in what manner the unsearchable, {eternal} Word became flesh or man in Mary; nevertheless I do truly believe that he became man, because the Scripture teaches so.  I know that it is a work that was done by the Lord and is a miracle before our eyes.  No, it is such a work that intellect cannot fathom, nor acuteness comprehend.  Truly it is said, Who shall tell of his birth?

Inasmuch as I clearly find that it is an exalted and unsearchable miracle of the Almighty and great God which the Almighty, eternal Father, through the omnipotence of the power of the Holy Spirit, has fashioned in Mary; and inasmuch as I know how very perilous and solicitous it is for one to search into the unsearchable profundity and divine mystery with one’s foolish earthly understanding; and to garble the plain testimonies of the Holy Spirit by deceitfulness and human smartness, therefore it is that I dare not believe, nor teach more nor less about the holy incarnation than the holy prophets of the Lord, Christ Jesus and also John, Peter and Paul, teach me on every hand in the Scriptures, with such incontrovertibly clear testimonies.  All of these are surer and wiser witnesses to me than all the learned who have been, are, or shall ever be on earth; although, I repeat it, I cannot comprehend the ineffable mystery with my dull, earthly understanding.  Sirach says, Do not inquire into the things which you cannot bear; and that which is too great or too exalted for you do not search.

Again, as to the saying of Malachi, “For I am Jehovah, I do not change,” Mal. 3:6 and to the question of John A’Lasco, “If He is eternal, how could He die?”

Answer.  Malachi does not speak here of God’s substance or being, but of his intention, counsel, resolution and will.  From which I confess that God’s intention, counsel, will, purpose, promise and love are eternal and unchangeable and must come to pass as he wills and has resolved upon in his wisdom.

Inasmuch as it is manifest that the Almighty, eternal and unchangeable Father rules and does all things according to his eternal, unchangeable intention, counsel, will and purpose and as he had, through his eternal, unchangeable love, provided his eternal holy Word, or Son, that he, according to his firm and unchangeable intention, should become the Paschal lamb, as Peter says, Therefore this must happen that the Word, in due time, became flesh, although we cannot comprehend it; for it was the gracious intention, counsel, resolution, providence and will of his Mighty and everlasting Word which will forever stand firm and which, according to the prophetic word, can never be changed, as has been heard.

Behold, honorable reader, this is my reply to the three questions: If he is a Spirit how could he become flesh?  If he is God, how could he change? and if he is Eternal how could he die?  as I, before my God, believe and confess.  I trust, by the grace of God, to remain firm in this unto death.

I have not counseled with nature and my intellect in this respect, but with the word of the Lord, which is the true light to my feet, which shows me in plain words that the conqueror, the promised seed of woman from the loins of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and of David, born according to the flesh, who is the Blessing, Messiah, Christ, King and Savior of all the world, is not of unclean, sinful flesh, but of the pure seed of his heavenly Father; the word of God conceived by the Holy Spirit, in the virgin Mary and in her became flesh, as John says.  Christ himself also says that he is from above, that he is the bread from heaven and that he went forth from the Father, John 16.  And Paul says that he is the Lord of heaven; descended from above; that he is the Alpha and Omega; our Immanuel, 1 Cor. 16; Eph. 4:10; Rev. 1:8; Isa. 7:14.  And, besides, as I plainly see that our opponents dare not advance these and such plain Scriptures, but garble them by their intellect with many exceptions and flatterings; therefore I repeat it, that I turn away from intellect and nature, bind my faith and conscience to the word of the Lord and truly and firmly believe and trust that this great miracle of God was thus produced in Mary; although I cannot comprehend it.

Behold, kind reader, whosoever testifies or writes anything else of me, in regard to the change of the {eternal} Word, but that which I by this confess, is a liar and does not testify to the truth.  The testimony to which I refer is firm and binding: “The word has become flesh.”  But how far it was changed he knows who in his eternal love has so arranged it for the salvation and everlasting deliverance of us all, through his Omnipotence.  Praise be to God forever, Amen.

Here I will perhaps be asked, if then, the Father is not of divine nature? and where has Christ derived his humanity from?  To this I answer: From where came the abundance of water which flowed from the hard rock?  The rock was not water nor watery substance.  Was it not produced by the omnipotence of God, to whom nothing is impossible, above all human understanding and comprehension?

Again, how did a virgin conceive otherwise than through the power of God and the operation of the Holy Spirit, above the comprehension of all philosophers?  No, above the comprehension of Mary herself, for she said, “How shall this be, seeing I do not know a man? and the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon you and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born from you shall be called the Son of God.”  He does not say that holy thing which shall come from your flesh and blood, as our opponents say.

If they should further say that if the Word became flesh and did not take unto itself our flesh, then it did not remain God’s Word; as when Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt, she did no longer remain man or woman; and when the water became wine it did no longer remain water.  I would reply: The Scripture says that Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt and that the water became wine.  This the Scripture says [the Word became flesh] and therefore it is also true.  But the Scripture does not say that Lot’s housewife took unto herself a pillar of salt and that water took unto itself wine.  In the same manner the Scriptures also testify that the Word became flesh; but does not testify that the Word took unto himself our flesh.

I would further say that if some Scriptures could be produced to prove that “becoming” is taking unto one’s self; or that two persons and sons of different natures and minds can be one person and son; or that there was a true Son from the beginning who had not both father and mother; or that a son can be his father’s son, who is not of the father’s seed, then we might ponder upon their foundation a little further.  But since they never produce such Scriptures, neither are they able to produce them; and since the Scriptures testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, therefore the testimony of John remains firm and immutable: “The Word has become flesh,” however much philosophers may dispute this.

Lastly I would say, That if the Word did not become flesh, but only took unto himself a man of Mary’s flesh, as our opponents assert and if the same was used as an instrument to suffer for us, then it is manifest that Jesus Christ, a Son of his Father in truth (as John calls him), did not come in the flesh (corporatus as Castalion says), for were he to suffer himself and not another in his stead, then he must come in the flesh, otherwise he could not have suffered.  This is too clear to be contradicted.  All those who deny this are deceivers and anti-christs, 2 John 1:7.

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[CHCoG: Menno has failed to answer two of his questions: The first one comes off Menno’s belief that God is unchangeable and that Christ is that God, and so, “If he is God, how could he change?”  The answer to this is that in Malachi 3:6 it is Jesus Christ’s Father, the one true God who is speaking of himself.  God’s Son, however, is able to change, and indeed, his Father begot him with the intention that he would change.  One change was surrendering his spiritual body and taking on a physical body.  However, the KJV of Heb. 13:8 says “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”  This is a mistranslation from the Peshitta original, which translates as “Jeshua is the Messiah: yesterday, today, and forever.”  And this is true: Jeshua has always been our Anointed savior, and always will be.  But it also allows Christ to be able to change when that is necessary for his role as the Anointed.  Our Holy Bible translation is available for all who want to read an accurate English Bible.

The second question was “If God is eternal, how could he die?”  The answer is largely given above:  Jehovah God is eternal, his son was not, and was therefore able to die, which was another huge change.  And part of Jesus’s reward for becoming human and dying on the stake was that he was resurrected into a new spiritual body and was given life in himself, so that he can never die again. John 5:17 to 34.  Read Jesus Christ, Is He the Son of God or Part of a Trinity? for the scriptural details.]

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He further writes, “If he is holy why was he condemned for the sake of sin in the judgment of the Father?”  At another place he also writes: “Christ partook of no other flesh than that which was subject to sin and death, that he might be tempted.”

Answer.  If we are to understand his words as they read, then Christ, together with his holy flesh was subject to sin and death; this is incontrovertible.  For he says, If he is holy why was he then condemned for sin under the judgment of the Father.  Just as if he was unholy and guilty of death under the judgment and deserving of the wrath and punishment of God.  But this must be so too if we are to assert that the flesh of Christ was of Mary’s flesh.  Therefore it is manifest from his words that the sin by which he was tempted dwelt in his flesh; and that thus he did not die out of grace for us, but as one guilty for himself.  For the wages of sin is death.

O, dear Lord, If the poor Menno was to speak of the Son of God thus blasphemously and were to include him in sin, O, what an unpleasant, bitter song would be sung about him!  But whatever the learned dream and philosophize must be accepted as right and good.

This, then, is my short reply to his words just cited, namely: Isaiah and Peter testify of him that he did not know sin and that guile was not found in his mouth.  Yes, dear reader, he was holy before his incarnation, holy in his incarnation and will remain holy forever.  For it was needful that we should have such a high priest, who is holy, innocent and spotless and who became higher than the heavens; for if he were not innocent and holy, he could not have requited for our sins and guilt, but must have suffered for his own imperfections and guilt.  But now the Scriptures testify that he was bruised for our iniquities and was stricken for our transgressions, Isa. 53:5, 8.

In the sixth place he writes and says, “The comparison of the words of Paul, The form of God and the form of a servant, teaches us that by which God is known to be God and nothing else, than the immeasurable power and the brightness of his light and glory to which none can aspire; that we must also understand it as that by which a servant is known to be a servant and that it is nothing else but our human flesh and that through the disobedience of our first parents it was forfeited under the servitude of sin; nevertheless he writes that we must so understand it that he took upon himself our flesh, but not the servitude of it,” Hac ille. [Here he is.]

I deny that I misinterpreted the Latin phrase Exinanivit semetipsum, [literally He emptied himself] as John A’Lasco accuses me of doing; although at one place I wrote, He has humbled himself, I trust I have not written it wrongly.  At another place I wrote, The Son, the Word, was humbled, went beneath himself; was made lower than the angels.  But nowhere have I written that he went out from himself, as John A’Lasco wrongfully accuses me.  I will leave it to the judgment of all grammarians whether or not I have written correctly.

I think Christ has greatly humbled himself, since he is the Mighty, {eternal} Word, Wisdom and Power of God and became such a poor, weak, despised man.  He also went much beneath himself, since he was in divine form and became such a despised servant.  Yes, reader, that Paul here speaks (Phil. 2:7, 8), of the servile and not of the sinful condition, we may well deduce from the following Scriptures:  “Behold,” says Jehovah God, “my servant, whom I uphold; my Elect, in whom my soul delights,” Isa. 42:1.  Matthew is my witness that the prophet speaks this of Christ; and therefore is he called the servant of his Father, because he has performed the work and service of his Father here on earth, for us poor sinners, as he says, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom for many,” Mat. 20:28.

Therefore, I repeat it.  Paul here speaks of the servile and not of the sinful condition which Christ took upon himself for our salvation.  For if he here spoke of the sinful and not of the servile condition, then Christ must also have assumed the form of a servant, that is sin; else the phrase the form of a servant and the form of God could not exist together.  For as the phrase form of God testifies to his true divinity, so also, the form of a servant must testify to his true servile form; or it must follow from the argument of John A’Lasco, that, although Christ was in divine form, yet he lacked the divinity, the same as he had the form of a servant but the servility, i.e. sin, he had not.

O, no, it is not so.  He was in God-form and was in this truly God; thus he also took upon himself the form of a true servant and was in this a true servant; as may be deduced from Isaiah, Matthew and the words of Christ.  And in this sense the antithesis, the form of God and the form of a servant, exists and does not require the exception which John A’Lasco here made.  And this is the proper cause and reason why Paul wrote to the Philippians about this, that they should not be contentious one with another, nor seek their own vain, carnal honor, or anything selfish, but that they should, after the example of Christ, humble themselves one towards another and walk in love; for although Christ was in the form of God, yes “equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant,” and not the exalted form of a mighty emperor or king.  He came to minister unto us and not to be ministered unto, Mat. 20:28.  Yes, “He was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin,” Heb. 4:15.  He sought not his own but that which was ours; and for our sakes “became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,” Phil. 2:8.  Thus the assertion of John A’Lasco, that the Word took unto himself our flesh or a man of our flesh, remains unproven.

In the seventh place he asserts it as his foundation that the Word did not become flesh, but that he took unto himself our flesh of Mary and confirms this with the Scripture Heb. 2:14; which reads thus, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same,” and says, “The word was made flesh;” not that he has in any manner changed his first estate, or form, but he has taken unto himself our flesh and has with it covered his divinity while here upon earth.

And, that this Almighty, eternal Father, through his Mighty, {eternal} Word, in the power of his Mighty, eternal Spirit, has, according to his divine purpose, counsel, will and conclusion, created Adam and Eve, the parents of us all, as righteous, good and pure creatures, unto eternal life, no, after his own image and likeness, as the Scriptures testify; that he gave unto them the command of life and death, that they might fear, love, praise, thank and serve him and live according to his will, Gen. 1.

In this piety, holiness and righteousness, Adam and Eve remained so long as they did not deviate from the counsel, word, will and command of God, in which all things have and must have their being.  But man was left in the hands of his counsel, Sirach 15:14.  But through the old serpent, the cunning reptile and envier of the honor of God and all good, caused these glorious, noble creatures of life to be led from the favor and grace of their Creator into condemnation and death and obscured the glory of God.  He began with Eve, the weaker vessel, to tempt her with the desires of her appetite; for the woman saw, says Moses, that the tree was good for food and pleasant to the eyes.  He falsified the word of Jehovah and said, “You shall not surely die,” and made glorious promises, saying, “In the day you eat of it then your eyes shall be opened; and you shall be like God, knowing good and evil.” Gen. 3:4, 5.

Adam and Eve disobeyed the command of their God and Creator, by which alone they must live; believed the promise of the serpent; ate and through the justice of God, fell into the threatened curse, condemnation and death and thus the deceiving serpent established the kingdom of hell and of death.  There, now lay the miserable, accursed Adam and his wife, Eve, in the power of the devil, poisoned “from the sole of the foot even unto the head,” both within and without, with his impure, deadly venom and became subject unto sin and death.  According to the justice of God, there was now no way of escape for Adam and all his descendants; for the word of life was rejected; the holy command of God was transgressed, the venom of the serpent was taken.  Alas, all was lost to them!  Their eyes were opened, the shame was acknowledged, the gnawing worm was in their disobedient, self-accusing conscience; there was nothing but shaking and trembling, sighing and remorse.  They fled before the face of Jehovah God and did not know where to hide from his wrath; for the justice of God pointed to the word, “For in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Here the counsel, purpose, will and conclusion of the Almighty, eternal God were unchanged.  He would make manifest his glory and have a man after his own image and likeness.

Therefore the ineffable, {eternal} Word, by which Adam and Eve were created, by which all things are and must forever remain; the mighty power and wisdom of God, must become man, that he might bruise the head of the deceiving serpent, for the salvation of the condemned Adam and all his descendants.  That temptation must be overcome, that the holy and unchangeable will of the Father would be fulfilled; that the dominion and power of the devil must be destroyed; and that he would, by his willing obedience and spotless offering, discharge and put away the guilt and deserved death of Adam, by his innocent death.

Behold, this joyous gospel and these glad tidings of the divine grace God declared to the poor, afflicted and fugitive Adam.  He accepted them through faith; consoled himself with it and sincerely rejoiced in his grace, Gen. 3:15; 22:18; Jer. 23:6; Luke 1:28.

And this is the Messiah who, I say, was promised to Adam, of a woman, for the salvation of all the world; promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the glorious Branch, Rod, Plant and Fruit of David, symbolized in Solomon, the natural fruit of his loins; who shall sit on his throne and reign in Israel forever.  All who believe on him shall receive the mercy, grace and peace of God; but whosoever does not believe on him, on him remains the wrath of God, John 3:36.

From all this it follows that as Adam was created in the beginning, and we in him, through the Word, he and also we are again made alive by God through this same Word and accepted in grace.  John says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God; and the Word was God; the same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him, and without him nothing was made that was made,” &c. “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”  Behold, in such plain words testifies the Spirit of God, that both the creation and the restoration of Adam and his seed, was brought about by no other means than through the Word, as has been heard, Mat. 3:11; John 1:1-5, 14; Col. 1:19.

And to the better explanation of this and also to learn to understand rightly how entirely sinful, impure, poisoned, powerless and as nothing we all have become in Adam, I would point you, with Paul, to the Law and the Scriptures; they will depict to you the impure, powerless nature and sinfulness of our flesh so plainly that you are forced to acknowledge that the holy, glorious and spotless Messiah, through whom we all are pacified and reconciled with God, could not be of such impure, sinful and accursed seed and flesh as the learned teach us and pretend with their philosophic reasoning, without the Scriptures.

Thus speaks Moses, You shall not covet, or you shall not desire.  Reader, observe: In these few words is properly represented the first righteousness in which Adam was created in the beginning; and which is yet claimed by God according to his righteousness, by his descendants.  Ponder diligently on these words of Moses and examine yourself closely, before Jehovah your God, who tries the hearts and minds, whether or not you sometimes do, against the law, find such forbidden lusts in your flesh. Jer. 17:10.

If you imagine yourself free from these, you convert God into a liar, 1 John 1:10; and by this you also shame all the righteous of God who were from the beginning; for they have all unanimously complained of their evil-disposed, wicked flesh and have, alas, too unanimously shown it in their fruits.  The Scriptures testify that I speak the truth,

But if you find that you do not do as the law requires, you are not alone in always fighting the lusts which dwelt in your flesh.  If you are also often involuntarily conquered by this, then you must acknowledge that you are already condemned to death by the law of righteousness.  For the law says, “Cursed be he that does not confirm all the words of this law to do them; and all the people shall say, Amen,” Deut. 27:26.

Behold, kind reader, if you would rightly know and acknowledge how miserable, naked, powerless, impotent, unclean, sinful and poisoned all of Adam’s seed became in him, through his transgression; and how his seed has fallen, through the just righteousness of God, into his wrath, judgment, curse, condemnation and death, then I say, search the law diligently; for it points out to you, First, the obedience to God and righteousness required of you; and also the weakness of your sinful flesh, your impure and evil-disposed nature; and that you are already condemned to death, according to the rigour of the above mentioned righteousness, since you, through your inherent, weak nature and evil-disposed flesh, do not walk in the required righteousness as God has commanded and required of you in his law, as you will clearly notice by your own unction if you but rightly observe.

It could not, I repeat it, be a man of Adam’s flesh; for the corrupted flesh of Adam could not beget fruit which could fulfill this, while it was so thoroughly corrupted and condemned before God; but it must be a man who was free from the deserved curse, condemnation and death of Adam and also from all his venom, sin and unrighteousness, as has been sufficiently heard.

Observe, my faithful reader and here learn to know your God in his grace and love.  For although the whole Scriptures place Adam and Eve, together with all their descendants, entirely under the sin, curse, condemnation and death, according to justice, yet it does not leave in hell the solicitous, afflicted conscience, which has been so far taught and directed by the law, that it feels its wounds and stripes and acknowledges that it is deserving of eternal death and condemnation; but the Scriptures show in consoling words and symbols, where and of whom to get the healing medicine, namely: from Christ Jesus.  For it is he, who with all his righteousness, merit, cross, blood and death, was graciously given by God our heavenly Father to the fallen and condemned Adam and his posterity, for their eternal salvation and reconciliation.

I think this may well be called a joyous gospel and glad tidings to all afflicted and lamenting souls, who having become subject to sin and death under the law, so fearfully tremble at the righteous judgment and wrath of God, that the Almighty, eternal God and Father has so loved us miserable, trifling and condemned sinners who are so far estranged from him and, according to his righteous judgment, are deserving of eternal death, that he sent into this miserable world, his Mighty, eternal and ineffable Word, his only, eternal and beloved Son, the brightness of his glory; and who was like unto Adam before the fall, as a proof and means of his divine grace; and that this One has, through his perfect righteousness, willing obedience and innocent death, led us from the kingdom and dominion of the devil into the kingdom of his divine grace and eternal peace.

Inasmuch as the Scriptures pronounce the first Adam and all his seed to be such an impure, sinful, accursed and condemned race and pronounce Christ, the second Adam, free from all impurity, sin, curse and condemnation, therefore the impartial reader may well deduce from this that such a precious, glorious fruit could not be plucked from an elder or thorn bush; but should be begotten from some other source, namely: from him who is the only cause and eternal source of all good things, as has been said.

That the holy and saving flesh of Christ was not of the sinful and condemned flesh of Adam may be plainly observed from the following passages and figures of the Holy Scripture.

Isaiah says, “All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and Jehovah has laid on him the iniquity of us all.  He has done violence to no one; neither was any deceit in his mouth.  Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him,” Isa. 53:6, 9, 10.

I must pay, says the Psalmist, in the person of Christ that which I had not taken.  He “bore our sins in his own body on the tree,” and by his stripes we were healed, 1 Pet. 2:24.

“For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him,” 2 Cor. 5:21.  Again, we are all sinners and come short of the glory of God; but we are made righteous, without merit, by his grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ.

Again, “The Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to those that believe,” Gal. 3:22.

You know, says John, that the Son of God “was manifested to take away our sins;” and in him is no sin, 1 John 3:5.  Read also all these Scriptures, Isa. 7:9 & 40; Jer. 23; Mic. 5; John 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17; 1 Cor. 15; Acts 20; Eph. 4; 1 Tim. 3; 1 John 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Heb. 1, 2, 3, 7; Rev. 1:19.

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SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES UPON THE FOREGOING SUBJECT.

Tenthly, observe that a thing which is like unto another is not necessarily the same thing which it resembles; and, therefore it cannot be maintained by this passage, “Therefore in all things he had to be made like his brethren,” [Heb. 2:17] that the holy, pure flesh of Christ is of the unclean, sinful flesh of Adam.

Behold, dear reader, if you consider well the explanation of the Scripture in Heb. 2 and weigh it in the balance of the Scriptures, you will very plainly find that this has the meaning of the above mentioned Scripture; that although Christ, the Prince of our salvation, has led us to his glory and has thus accepted us as brethren and children in faith, yet we are, in our first Adamic birth, so poisoned by the serpent and so corrupted by nature, that we can nevermore become free of our unclean sinful flesh, so long as we dwell in this tabernacle; but oftentimes (although involuntarily) mix and soil ourselves with it; and become, therefore, convinced by the hand writing [of sins against us], that we are guilty of death, according to the eternal justice, Rom. 7:7 & 3:20; Col. 2:13.

Since we are ensnared by such wicked, sinful, disobedient and death guilty flesh, as all the pious children of God have, from the beginning, dolefully complained of and could not be entirely freed from the inserted sting of the serpent; therefore it is that our Prince, Savior, Brother and Father, Christ, in his extremely great love, has given himself according to the counsel, purpose, will and determination of his everlasting Father and in accordance partook of flesh and blood; not of the flesh of the children, for they are sinful and unclean, but as John says, “The Word was made flesh,” John 1:14; Deut. 32:15; Isa. 64:4; Job 15:14; Psa. 143:2; Gal. 2:17 & 3:11; 1 John 1:3; Heb. 2:14; Phil. 2:7.  Yes, a despised, afflicted, tempted and mortal man has thus voluntarily come forward to battle for his associates, sanctified brethren and children; has placed himself heroically in their defense and has abashed the tempter in his temptation; vanquished him in his power; taken his stronghold; bruised his head; fulfilled and blotted out the hand writing; blotted it out with his precious blood; requited our guilty and deserved death by his innocent and unmerited death, to the fulfilling of the prophetic word, “O death, I will be your plagues; O grave, I will be your destruction!” and he has thus delivered and freed his chosen, his saints, his brethren and children from servitude and the penalty of the law; from the judgment of sin and from the fearful terrors of the threatened death in such a manner that their human weaknesses and involuntary mistakes, for his sake, will no longer be counted against them as sin, if they will but walk before him with penitent believing hearts and will steadily cling to his word with positive, assured consciences, Gen. 49:10; Isa. 2:5; Luke 11:21; Col. 2:14; Hosea 13:14; Rom. 8:2, 3.

Behold, thus Christ, the Son of God, has accepted the seed of Abraham and liberated it, to the praise of his Father; and has therefore appeared in person and become, in all things, like unto his poor, weak, afflicted brethren in all manner of poverty, misery, affliction, need, fear of death and mortality; that he might thus be a compassionate, merciful and faithful High Priest to reconcile the sins, defects and errors of his saints before God his Father.  As he has walked with them in the same temptation, battle, misery, anxiety and fear of death, therefore he can also come to the rescue of all those who are tempted by the world, sin, devil, hell and death.  This is my reply to the construction which John A’Lasco and his class put upon the Scripture of Heb. 2.  If you fear God then read and judge.

In the eighth place he explains the testimony of John and says, “The Word, the Son of God, commenced being of the seed of David, Rom. 1, of the virgin Mary, Mat. 1, flesh, man, Christ, Immanuel,” &c.  Again, “The Word has accepted our flesh.”  Again, “The Word, which from the beginning alone was God, has become (that is, it commenced being together) flesh (that is, man) and has dwelt (that is, it has taken its abode) in us (that is, in our flesh) through its participation,” as Paul says.  These are his words in regard to the Scripture in John 1.

O dear reader, what is so clear that it cannot be obscured by human intellect and what is so straight that it can not be bent?  If he does it through a misconception he may yet be corrected; but if he does it for other reasons, then it will not be well with his poor soul.

I am surprised that he dares publish such inconsistent explanations in print, when he well knows that there are to be found so many learned theological men.  O, dear Lord!  How frightful it is to mix God’s clear wine and the high testimony of the Holy Spirit with such impure water and thus to corrupt it by earthly wisdom.  He has so treated this plain Scripture that it would have removed all doubt and given me new courage, if I had had any doubt of my faith and foundation, which, thank God, I have none.

Inasmuch as he so fearfully belittles the wonderful, glorious work of divine grace and love, which the Almighty, eternal Father has so graciously shown us poor, miserable sinners, through his {eternal} Word and Son; and as he would rather break the holy word and testimony of the Lord than doubt his own intelligence, therefore I pray everybody, for God’s sake, not to think hard of me, that I, an unlearned man, oppose this and confute his unscriptural explanations with the clear, plain Scriptures and reasoning and thus lay the foundation of truth.

I trust that no reasonable and impartial person can, in any way, think hard of me for publicly replying to him and defending the praise of the Lord, since he has publicly written against me and fearfully violated the word of God, as I understand it.

I would undoubtedly have excused him and not have mentioned his name, if only he and his followers would leave the Scriptures unbroken and would not so indiscreetly war against the clear, pure truth, both verbally and in writing.  But my conscience and the word of God constrain me to protect the praise of my Lord and my faith.

I say First, that he, by his explanation, has broken the testimony of the Holy Spirit and adulterated the Scriptures; for he writes, “The Word, the Son of God has, by the seed of David, Rom. 1:3, by a woman, Gal. 4:4, by the virgin Mary, commenced being flesh, man.  In Rom. 1:3, it reads, “Made of the seed of David according to the flesh;” Gal. 4, born of a woman; and “That which is conceived in her, is by the Holy Spirit,” Mat. 1:20.  Inasmuch as he has not left the Scriptures in their natural sense, but has garbled and turned them to his own advantage; and, instead of born of and conceived of he writes commenced being, therefore he shows by this clearly that he cannot prove his explanation by the Scriptures, but merely decorates it, in semblance, by adducing mutilated Scriptures and palms them off as true.

Secondly, I say that there is not a letter to be found in all the Scriptures that the Word accepted our flesh, which he so oftentimes writes; or that the divine nature miraculously united itself with our human nature; or that the Son of God should have remained unchanged and took on him the son of Mary; or that the Son of God should have bestowed all his Attributes on the son of man and that one person was made of two, as John Brent says; or that the son of man should be the chosen Son of God, as Pomeranus says; or that the Word, the Son, should have taken on him a perfect man of the flesh of Mary; or that the blood of Mary was concreted in her womb, as the servants of the barbarous churches of London say; or that he put on our flesh; or that he should have dwelt in this; or that he was flesh of our flesh; or that our flesh should sit at the right hand of the Father.  Therefore I say that they are wrong in all particulars, yes more, that they are anathematized.  For they are [teaching] a strange gospel and new doctrine which is not derived from the Spirit and word of God, but is invented by flesh and blood, Gal. 1:8.  [CHCoG: Galatians 1:8 does NOT limit the invention of heresy to ‘flesh and blood’ as Menno claims, but expressly says ‘we’ or ‘angels.’  Angels do not have ‘cursed’ bodies of flesh and blood, and yet a third of them fell in sin with Satan.  Our sinfulness and sins are NOT limited to our bodies.  Our souls and spirits are also involved, and often our sins actually begin in them.  Three obvious examples are covetousness, envy and hate.]

Thirdly, I say that his explanation is inconsistent in every particular.  For he says, The word commenced being man and also, that it dwelt in our flesh.  If it became man, as it truly did, as the testimony of John, when not adulterated, clearly shows─how could it then yet dwell in the flesh of man?  For to commence being a house and to dwell in a house are widely different.  This all reasonable people must admit.

Fourthly, I say that this explanation of his is inconsistent in itself.  For if the Word commenced being man, then it did not remain unchanged in its first state.  But if it remained unchanged, then it did not commence being man, but it commenced taking on a man of our flesh and thus it commenced to dwell in one of our flesh, let him turn the matter as he pleases.  Therefore I will not let John A’Lasco be the expounder, but will let the faithful and plain John himself explain his own words.  He writes, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you,” 1 John 1:1, 2.

Inasmuch as A’Lasco’s explanation is inconsistent in itself and is both contrary to nature and the Scriptures; and inasmuch as John shows me such a plain foundation, therefore I will not establish my foundation and faith on such uncertain, dark and colored flatterings, but I will establish them on the certain, clear and undeceivable testimony of John; for I know that his testimony is true, yes, that it is the unbroken truth and pure word of God.

Fifthly, I say that his explanation of the verb habitavit, that is, has dwelt, is false, for he says and claims that the Word and our flesh, or the son of Mary, taken on by the Word, are one person and one Christ; and here he claims that the Word, which is the Son of God, has taken its abode in our flesh and refers to Xenophon.  From which one or the other must follow, either that Xenophon and his domicil are one being and thing, the same as the Son of God and the son of Mary (understand, according to his explanation) are one person and Christ─or, if Xenophon and his domicil are two separate things, as they really are, that then, also, the Son of God and the son of Mary, in whom God’s Son should have dwelt, according to his explanation, are two separate persons and Christs; for, the one who dwells in a house and the house are two different things, is too self-evident to be denied.

Further I say that his explanation of the verb habitavit is not at all founded in fact.  For the evangelist uses the verb to dwell in the perfect tense and says, Has dwelt; from which it is evident that John does not here speak of dwelling in our flesh, but of his dwelling among men, as all intelligent translators have rendered it.  For if he should have spoken it with such a meaning as John A’Lasco explains it, then he would have said dwell, in the present tense, or we must acknowledge that the Word did not dwell in the man Christ longer than while he walked here on earth, which to my understanding would be a gross abomination and a great error.

Sixthly, I say that the explanation can not be maintained in any manner; for all the Scriptures in regard to Christ would contradict themselves.  There would be two persons and sons in Christ─a sinful and death-guilty Messiah─the father no true father, the mother no true mother and the son no true son.  The prophets, Gabriel, the angel of the Lord, Christ Jesus, John and Paul would all be false witnesses, as has been previously heard.

Lastly, I say as before, that John wrote his gospel and testimony of Christ, the Son of God, in a very contentious time.  If he had not meant it just as he wrote, but if he had written it in such a confused and strange sense as John A’Lasco explains it─then he would not have abated the dispute thereby, but would rather have given new energy to it.

O no.  John has simply, clearly and plainly given his testimony, foundation and faith concerning Christ Jesus, the Son of God and our only and eternal Messiah and has testified, without duplicity, that the Word of God, which was from the beginning, became flesh and that this same incarnated Word has dwelt among us.  But he did not write a syllable [saying] that he accepted our flesh, or that he dwelt in a man of the flesh of Mary, as alas, John A’Lasco, by his human wisdom obscures his simple, plain word and clear testimony, mutilates and controverts it.

Inasmuch as he, in his defense and explanation, has so frightfully broken the Scriptures and has so indiscreetly varied from the truth, as you may plainly see from the cited extracts─therefore I felt constrained by pure love to God and your souls, to discover unto you his great misunderstanding and gross errors; that the glory of the Lord may be maintained and that you may be led to the right, true confession of your God and of his beloved Son Jesus Christ.

But I am grieved to mention his name in such a connection and that I must publish his errors, although he has given me an ill reputation and hateful name with many by his writing.  I commend him to the Lord.  Perhaps he thinks that he has by this done rightly.  Whatever I do, I do for conscience’ sake, to the glory of my Lord and Savior, Christ; for I love his glory far more than the honor of all creatures─and him I must seek with all my strength, even at the cost of my life.

I am sure that if John A’Lasco seeks the praise of God more than his own; if he loves his neighbor as the Scriptures require and sincerely seeks after truth, he will not be angry with me, but will love and thank me for not excusing him in this regard, but faithfully showing him his errors, for maintaining my faith and doctrine according to the truth, for warning my fellow-men against corruption and most of all for protecting and defending by the word of my Lord, my Lord’s glory and great name, as much as is in my power, according to the testimony of the Scripture and my conscience.  But if it be considered offensive in me, as I fear it will be, then I must commend it to the Lord who, in his great love, has, to this hour, stood by me in all my needs, with his paternal faithfulness and who has so graciously succored me in all my temptations.  Behold, dear reader, here you may see how far we differ with our opponents in the confession, doctrine and faith of Christ, the Son of God.  Now judge, if you fear God, which of the two parties has the strongest Scriptures and foundation.

If you would have the Scriptures, which they call contradicting in this respect, rightly explained, then you must let go of the foundation of our opponents and cling to ours.  For it can never, never be explained by divine truth in the meaning which they attach to them.  For every intelligent person who will not wilfully combat the plain truth and reject the Holy Spirit, must acknowledge that from their doctrine it follows that the Lord, Christ, must be an unclean, sinful, accursed, condemned and death guilty Christ: that there are two persons in Christ, the one divine, the other human; two sons─the one the Son of God without mother, the other the son of Mary, or the son of man without father; not God’s first begotten and only, own Son, but the son of the unclean flesh of Adam died for us.  Besides, all the prophets, Christ and the apostles must be false witnesses; this is too plain to injure by any writing, or dissipate by flattery.

But whosoever rightly understands our foundation and confines his reasoning within the limits of the word of God─who believes the testimony of John, to which he testifies in his first chapter, concerning the incarnation, as just and true and does not injure it; who attributes nothing more to Mary, the mother of our Lord, than what is attributed to a true mother in Gen. 1 and who leaves God, the Father, as a true father of his Son, Christ; Mary as a true mother and Christ as a true Son, both of his Father and mother; to him all the Scriptures in this respect are plain.  He does not require the flattery of anyone; for there is not a sentence in all the Scriptures which contradict him.  He has an undivided, clean and innocent Christ; the Son of God and the son of Mary; an only person, of all of which I trust, you have been fully convinced in the foregoing synopsis founded on the power of the Scriptures; and which, by the grace of God, you will see by the following brief collection of references.

The {eternal} Word of God, by which all things were created, John 1; which is the First and the Last, Rev. 1:11; which, in due time, in the city of Nazareth, according to the providence of God, 1 Pet. 1:20, according to the will of God, Eph. 1:4, according to the promise of God, Gen. 3:15, through the Holy Spirit, was conceived in the virgin Mary, who knew no man, Luke 1:27, 28; Mat. 1; John 1:14.  According to which flesh conceived in Mary, through the Holy Spirit, of the {eternal} Word of the eternal Father, he, in due time, was born of the seed or generation of David, Acts 2:13; Rom. 1:4, of a woman, Gen. 3:15; Gal. 4:4, of the virgin Mary, Mat. 1:21; Luke 2:21, in Bethlehem, the only begotten Son of God, John 3:16; 4:9; 5:13; Rom. 8:32; according to the promise and the generation of the mother, also, of Abraham, of David and of the seed of the woman, fruit and son, Gen. 3:15; Mat. 1:21; Luke 1:31; the Savior of the world, Luke 2:11; the Lord himself from heaven, 1 Cor. 15:47; the bread which came down from heaven, John 6:58; Immanuel, Isa. 7:14; Mat. 1:23; the mighty Prince, Isa. 9:6; our God, Isa. 40:9.  Jehovah is Our Righteousness, Jer. 23:6 & 33:15.

Behold, faithful reader, here you have our proper foundation, doctrine and confession of Christ, the Son of God; how he has become flesh in Mary and how he came into the world, as we, before our God, believe and teach our brethren.  And we would by this pray and faithfully advise everyone, gratefully to accept this noble and precious Son of God, with a sincere desire to hear, love and serve him in gladness of heart and faithfully follow in his footsteps; walk unblamably in his word and ways; freely promulgate his honor and praise, glorify his holy name and humbly and obediently bend their hearts before his majesty, since the merciful Father has shown us such great love as to give us poor, miserable sinners his only, eternal and beloved Son; for it is he who has victoriously led us poor children, through the merits of his precious blood and bitter death, according to the gracious resolution, counsel, will and purpose of God, his heavenly Father, from the kingdom of hell and from eternal death into the glorious kingdom of his divine honor and eternal peace.  Eternal praise be to his illustrious, wonderful, high and glorious name, Amen.

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CONCLUSION.

CHRIST Says, “This is eternal life, that they might know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent,” John 17:3.  At another place he says, “If you do not believe that I am he, you shall die in your sins,” John 8:24.  John also says, “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him and he in God,” 1 John 4:15.  Again, “Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ?  He is anti-christ, that denies the Father and the Son.  Whosoever denies the Son, the same does not have the Father,” 1 John 2:22, 23.

O, that our opponents would rightly take to heart these and similar Scriptures and would learn to know who and what the Son of God is and from where he came, then they might yet be delivered from the chains of the deceiver and be led into the light of the true doctrine.  But so long as they do not confess Christ it will always be wrangling and disputation, changing falsehood into truth and truth into falsehood.  Yes, they will be so estranged and blinded that all those who, with the angel Gabriel, with the eternal Father, with John the baptist, with Peter, Paul, Martha, Christ and with the whole Scriptures, confess Christ Jesus as the true Son of the true and living God, must, alas, be called deceivers and heretics by them.  O, dear Lord, how long will this great abomination continue!

O, that they might yet awaken in time while it is yet to-day, and that they could give just praise unto Christ!  Could they see their accursed hypocrisy, idolatry; the lamentable deceit of these poor and miserable people and the ignorant, reckless life of the wicked world, that they could renounce and quit it, what a blessing it would be to their poor souls!  But I fear that so long as the spiritual Antioch complacently stretches the idle life and Jezebel sets the delicious tables, the accursed Moaz will retain his sway; and that the world will not be in want of false teachers and deceivers.

Kind reader, ponder well what I write.  I warn you in faithful love, watch, look and observe well what you believe and what you uphold; for your preachers deceive you.  Watch and pray; the day is at hand, yes, at hand, that we must all stand before the impartial judgment seat of our God, who judges without respect of person and will reward everyone according to his works, be he emperor or king, doctor or licentiate, rich or poor, man or woman.

In short, this is my reply to the defence of John A’Lasco.  With this I will not only appear on earth before man, but also in the day of my Lord Christ.  According to the word of his promise, I will, by his grace, appear before the eyes of his majesty.

If you are of reasonable disposition and not blinded by the spirit of the envious partisans, or led away by bitter zeal, then judge between us and our opponents; which of us most glorifies Christ Jesus, the Son of the true and living God; who has most wholesomely adduced the Scriptures; and who has broken and turned them to suit his own professions.  But beware of judging according to the flesh; judge in purity of heart, even as if before your God, according to truth.

From my innermost soul I wish you a true and unfeigned faith, a true confession of God and Christ, the unction and love of God, a pious, penitent, cheerful heart, an unblamable christian life and a true understanding and a good judgment, Amen.

 

OBSERVE: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  He that believes on him is not condemned; but he that does not believe is condemned already; because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God,” John 3:16, 17.

MENNO SIMON.

 

 

 

 

 

A CONFESSION OF THE Triune, Eternal and True GOD,

FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT.

 

BY

MENNO SIMON

 

Originally published in the Dutch Language, A.D. 1597.  Republished in 1600 and 1681.

 

 

 

 

“For no other foundation can any man lay than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ,”

1 Cor. 3:11.

 

 

 

 

PREFACE.

Menno Simon wishes all his beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, grace and peace, an unbroken, pure and firm faith, unfeigned brotherly love, a sure and living hope, and a God pleasing, unblamable walk, confession and life, from God our heavenly Father, through his beloved Son, Christ Jesus, in the power of his Holy Spirit, Amen.

 

WE know, dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, that we are condemned by the whole world to water, fire and sword, for the testimony of Christ and our consciences; and that we are the spectacle of and regarded as the off-scouring of all mankind.  Besides, we also know that the true Prince of Peace, the blessed Christ Jesus, has summoned and taken us into the mansion of peace through the word of peace; and that he has given and left his followers such a glorious sign by which we shall know them to be his disciples, namely, Love.  Therefore it is reasonable and christian-like that we, the poor outcast bearers of the cross, should be united in the perfect bonds of true love, and that we should cling together as the members of one body, “For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body and made to drink into one Spirit,” 1 Cor. 12:13.

But now we see plainly how the prince of darkness, who from the beginning was a murderer, seeks, with all diligence, to disturb this same peace in the house of God, to rend this bond in twain and thus to make odious to many the dear gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, our cross and confession and all the christian societies; and thus to thoroughly destroy it, John 8:44.  Since his acute attacks are so well known to us, therefore it is necessary to be always aware, to repent, to seek each other in true christian love, to resuscitate that which has been corrupted, to cure and make healthy that which is diseased, with the oil of the divine word; for during the last four years, alas, christian love and peace have materially decreased with some, on account of much pernicious upbraiding and disputing about the ineffable depths of the divinity of Christ and of the Holy Spirit.  Also about angels and devils and about the ban; and this has always been the case where such disputes were in sway.  May the Lord not count it as sin against those who have used the ban.  I see this plainly and as I have been troubled not a little by some about this matter─and since I naturally hate such upbraiding and disputing, for I have these fifteen years never found any use in it, because I love peace and unity, which are in conformity with the word of God, more than my own life.  I trust that I speak no lie, for, because of that, my heart is very much troubled, mournful and afflicted, yes, more so than I can write.

Would to God that I could, at the cost of my life-blood, help all afflicted consciences and could lead them to God; for I love nothing more on earth, nor do I seek anything before God, than the glory of my Lord Jesus Christ and the everlasting salvation of my beloved brethren.  And therefore I have, at the risk of my poor, diseased body, placed at your disposal and service my firm faith and confession of the eternal, Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as taken from the sure word of God; with which I will, unwaveringly, live and die before my God and will appear with it in his grace, at the day of judgment, trusting by this to make pleasant and worthy to many, the noble and desirable peace and unity in Christ and to restore love.

Brethren, there has been enough of disputing, upbraiding and complaint of one another.  I think it is time to discountenance the disturbers of the peace and to cordially seek scriptural peace and unity.  But I desire no peace outside of Christ.  I ardently desire and pray all my beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord to read, hear and understand this, my admonishing confession, without any partisan bitterness or spitefulness towards God-fearing, pure hearts, as I have written it in purity of heart, as before God, in Christ Jesus, without hatred or malice.  I do not doubt but that, if you do this, brethren, I mean the unpeaceable and troubled ones, disquiet, dispute and disunion will far recede from the peace-mountain of the Lord; and peace, love and unity will again install themselves.

I sincerely desire that it may be so read and taken to heart, that the Almighty, eternal Father, with his blessed Son, Christ Jesus and with the Holy Spirit may remain unchanged in their true, divine being; and that the afflicted, mournful, wavering consciences may find succor, consolation and strength.  The beloved Father grant his grace, Amen.

 

 

 

 

A CONFESSION OF THE TRIUNE, ETERNAL, AND TRUE GOD,

There were no depths when I was brought forth, there were no fountains abounding with water.  Before the mountains were set down, before the hills, I was brought forth; while He had not made the earth or the fields, or begun making the dust of the world.

“Now therefore, listen to Me, My children, for blessed are those who keep My ways.  Hear Instruction and be wise, and do not let go of it.  Blessed is the man who listens to Me, watching day by day at My gates, waiting at the posts of My doors.

For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains pleasure from Jehovah; but he who sins against Me does violence to his own soul; all those who hate Me love death.”

Proverbs 8:22 to 36

The Hebrew word chuwl חוֹלָ, translated as brought forth in Proverbs 8:24 and used in Isaiah 66:8 show that this word often refers to birth.  This passage of Proverbs does indeed reveal that Jeshua was born from God the Father before the beginning of our earth and stood beside Him helping in the Creation.

This leads to three conclusions: The Word, who would one day become Christ, is utterly unique, as he has come from God, and therefore is God, just as the offspring of a human is human. John 1:1-3, Rev, 3:14.  In all of this the Word, now Jesus Christ, is utterly unique, and is in these ways also the First and the Last. John 3:18 Therefore we, created from dust, can never be equal to Christ.  Secondly, the Word’s existence is entirely dependent on his Father’s decision to beget him, while his Father is utterly self-existent.  Thirdly, only Jehovah God has always existed, and lived alone until he decided to beget the Word.  Therefore the Word is not, and can never be, equal to his Father, nor has he ever─as he is a loving and faithful son─claimed to be. John 14:28, Mark 13:32, John 17:1-6, 1 Cor. 11:3 & 15:20-28, Acts 5:29-32 & 7:55-56, Rev. 1:1 & 5:1-10.

And one other thing: Menno claims that the Word is the Wisdom and Power of his Father, and therefore the Word has always existed.  This is wrong.  Jehovah God himself is the true source of all wisdom and power. Isa. 44:6 & 46:3-11, Dan. 7:9-14, Psa. 2:1-12.  His Son has inherited infinite wisdom and power from His Father, but in doing so he did not deplete his Father’s endless supply in the slightest, just as we do not deplete our parents’ intelligence or strength if we are born intelligent or strong too.  So any claim that Jesus must have existed forever so he could provide the wisdom and power that his Father lacked is false, backwards, and greatly underestimates the wisdom and power of Jehovah God.

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Beloved brethren in the Lord, we believe and confess that this same eternal, wise, Mighty, holy, true, living and unsearchable Word, Christ Jesus, which was in the beginning with God and which was God, unsearchable─born of the unsearchable Father, before every creature, has in the fullness of time become, according to the unchangeable purpose and true promise of the Father, a true, visible, passive, hungry, thirsty and mortal man in Mary, the pure virgin, through the operation and overshadowing of the Holy Spirit and was thus born of her.  Yes, that he was like unto us in all things except sin; that he grew up as other men; and at the appointed time was baptized and entered upon his ministerial office, the office of grace and love, which was enjoined upon him from the Father and which he obediently fulfilled; that he effaced the hand writing, that is, the law, against us [CHCoG: No, use this accurate translation of Col. 2:13-14: “of our sins against the Law”]; and has at last, through the eternal Spirit of his heavenly Father, offered himself in this his human flesh, nature and weakness, in which, also, he has sighed, wept and prayed unto the Father, has sweated water and blood and thus purified our hearts of the deadly works, that we should serve the true and living God.  And all who believe on him have received through him grace, mercy, remission of sins and eternal life; and that, by means of his precious blood which he has, in his great love, offered and shed for us poor sinners on the cross, according to the good pleasure of the Father.  He has thus become our only and eternal High Priest, Reconciler, Mercy-seat, Mediator and Advocate, with God his Father.  For, as God, the Almighty Father, through his Mighty Word, Christ Jesus, had created Adam and Eve, so he, also, would again by this restore them and make them pious, when seduced by the serpent, together with all their descendants.  We should give no one the praise of our salvation, neither in heaven nor on earth, but to the only eternal Father, through Christ Jesus and that through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.  This is sufficient [praise] of the incarnation, Mat. 1:16, 25; 5:4; Mark 15:37; Luke 2:7, 40; 22:67; 23:46; John 15:9, 10; 12:13; 11:26; Phil. 2: 5, 7; Col. 2:14, 12; 1:13, 16; Heb. 3:2; Eph. 2:12; 1:7; Rom. 8:32; 3:24, 25; 5:11, 12; Isa. 53:12; 1 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:14.

Further, beloved brethren, we believe and confess Christ Jesus to be the true God with the Father; and this because of the divine glory, operation and attributes, which are found in such abundance with him, as may be clearly deduced and understood from the following Scriptures.  Say, beloved!  Is it not the only and true God who has made heaven and earth and whose kingdom shall endure forever?  Doubtlessly, yes.  Paul says, “Unto the Son he says, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom.  You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, even your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.  And, you, Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of your hands,” Heb. 1:8, 9, 10.

Is it not the only God, who alone is “King of kings and Lord of lords?”

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[CHCoG: 1 Tim. 6:14-16 indicates that this “King of kings” is Christ’s Father.  I also point out here that Menno uses the phrase “the only God” repeatedly through the next few pages to reinforce his concept of God.  However, this phrase NEVER appears in the Bible.  The closest to it is “the only true god” which appears once only in John 17:3, and says “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”  Beyond any doubt, this “only true God” is Jehovah, Christ’s Father.  As Menno’s phrase is NOT Biblical, it is hereafter being struck through to read simply God, which IS Biblical, and can include both Christ’s Father and Christ.  And though Menno also attempts to apply the “True God” phrase to both Christ and his Father, there is no Biblical support for that either.  Yes, Christ is God’s Son, and thus is also God, and also deserves our worship, but only His Father is the One True God.]

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And [is it] He who reigns in heaven and on earth?  Most assuredly.  And the Spirit speaks in Rev. [17:14 & 19:16], that Christ is “King of kings and Lord of lords.”  Christ himself says, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” [CHCoG: Yes, Christ is to be given the position of King of kings.  And WHO gives it to him?  His Father, Jehovah. John 10:18 & 17:3.]  Paul says, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,” Phil. 2:10.

Is not this the only God who “tries the hearts and minds?” [Psa. 7:9]  Without doubt it is.  Christ says, “All the churches shall know that I am he which searches the minds and hearts; and I will give unto everyone of you according to your works,” Rev. 2:23.

Is it not the only God, whom alone we should serve and worship?  Yes.  Christ says, “That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. [He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.]” [John 5:23.  CHCoG: The second half of this verse, not quoted by Menno, makes it clear that we are to worship BOTH Christ’s Father and Christ, and also that Christ operates under instructions from his Father.]  Of divine service Paul says, “He that serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God,” and “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” Rom. 14:18; 1 Cor.4:1.

Paul was a servant of Christ, as may be generally seen at the commencement of all his epistles.  Of his worship Luke says that when Christ had ascended to heaven they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem. [Luke 24:51, 52.]  Also Stephen, in his last prayer, says, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Acts 7:59.  Paul also says, “Let all the angels of God worship him,” also the murderer on the cross said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” Heb. 1:6; Luke 23:42.  Is it not the only God which is true; and every man a liar? Rom. 3:4, Ps.116:11.  Oh, yes.  The prophet says “There was not any deceit in his mouth.”  Isa. 53:9.  Christ himself says, “I am the truth,”  “To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth,” John 14:6; 18:37.

Can anyone forgive sins and bestow everlasting life except [Jehovah,] the only and eternal God?  Psa. 103:3.  O, no!  Christ says, “Know that the son of man has power on earth to forgive sins;” and, to the sinful woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”  “And I give them eternal life;” [CHCoG: “and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  My Father, which gave them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.  I and my Father are one.” Mat. 9:6; Luke 7:48; John 10:28-30.  The correct answer to the author’s question is “O, Yes!! Jehovah God so loves His Son that He has even given him authority to forgive sins and bestow everlasting life.  And why?  Because Christ and His Father work together as one, for their goals are the same.─Christ’s Father has complete trust in His Son.]

Should we believe in anyone but on the only God alone?  Not at all.  For Christ says, “He that believes on me has everlasting life.”  “You believe in God, believe also in me,” John 6:47; 14:1.  [CHCoG: Here Menno’s own quotes show that his “Not at all.” should instead be what Christ says: we are to believe in BOTH God the Father and Jesus Christ. John 5:19-26, 1 John 2:23.]

Is it not the only God who is the judge of all the world?  Who will raise the dead and at the last day sit in judgment?  Assuredly, yes.  And Christ says, “For as the Father raises up the dead and quickens them, even so the Son quickens whom he will.”  “He was ordained by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead;” and at his coming he will judge and sentence, John 5:21; Acts 10:42; Mat. 26:31-46.  [CHCoG: Again Menno rejects the plain words of Christ: Jehovah God has also given his Son Jesus Christ the authority and power raise the dead and to judge them, just as He does himself.  Christ is indeed worthy of our worship!!]

Behold, beloved brethren, as the throne of Christ is an eternal throne and as the Scriptures are not ashamed to confess him to be God and also testify that he founded heaven and earth, that he has all power in heaven and on earth; that he is the first and last; that he searches the hearts and minds; whom we should serve and worship; who is truth; who forgives sin and bestows eternal life; in whom we must believe and who at the last day will raise us from the dead and judge us, as has been said; so it is incontrovertible that Christ Jesus also with his Father, must be the true God; for God gives his glory to none other; and these are all glories, powers and attributes which belong to no one in heaven nor upon, earth, except alone, the only, eternal and true God; this all taught by God, must fully admit and confess.

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[CHCoG:  This paragraph is both true and false.   It is true that Christ has incredible authority and power and glory.  Menno says that “God gives his glory to none other.”  Christ makes it utterly clear that that is NOT true.  For example, Menno says that Christ “has all power in heaven and on earth.”  He ‘proves’ this by leaving out four critical words: “And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.’” Mat. 28:18.  By saying this, Christ acknowledges that this immense power is NOT inherently his, but has been given to him by a superior to whom this power truly belongs, and that superior can ONLY be the One True God, Jehovah, Christ’s Father.  As another example, Christ asks his Father to give him Glory: “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” John 17:5.  And in Revelation 5:12, we clearly see that Christ’s Father has indeed delighted to once again honour His worthy and incomparable Son with “power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”  Please understand this.  Jesus is not some second-rate, tin-pot god: he is the faithful, fully blessed, one and only truly begotten Son of the one True God.  Yes, Jesus Christ is fully God.  But he is, and always will be, the True God’s Son, not the True God himself.  John 1:14-18, 3:16-18, 1 John 4:9, John 17:3.]

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Besides, beloved brethren, we believe and confess Christ Jesus, with his heavenly Father, to be truly God; and that because of the plain testimony of the holy prophets; evangelists and apostles, as we may learn from the following Scriptures and also from some other texts.  Isaiah says, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace,” Isa. 9:6.  Again, “Say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!  Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come with strength and his arm will rule for him!  Behold, his reward is with him and his work before him; he will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and will gently lead those that are with young,” Isa. 40:9-11.  Read also Ezek. 34:11.  [CHCoG: And who is it that sits at the right hand of God?  It is Jesus Christ.  And so, who is it that will rule for Jehovah as His arm?  Yes, it is God’s Son, Jesus Christ!!]

Jeremiah says, “Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a king shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.  In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name by which he shall be called, JEHOVAH [IS] OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS,” Jer. 23:5, 6; 33:15-18.

Micah says, “But you Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting,” Micah 5:2.  Read also Heb. 7:3, 4; Isa. 44:6; Rev. 1:8; 22:13.  John says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God,” John 1:1.  Jesus said unto Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side.  Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”  And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”  Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed,” John 20:27 -29.

Paul says, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood;”  “of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came; who is over all, God be blessed for ever.”  Again, “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself,” Acts 20:28; Rom. 9:5; 2 Cor. 5:19.  Read also John 14; Col. 22; 1 Tim. 3.  Again, “Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.  But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant,” Phil. 2:6.

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[CHCoG: As shown before, this passage accurately translates as: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Messiah Jeshua, who, while He was in God’s form, did not consider the extortion that He was the equal of God, but He stripped Himself and He took the form of a servant, and was in the form of a child of man and was in nature as a man.  And He humbled Himself and He was obedient unto death, even the death of the stake.” Phil. 2:5-8, CHCoG trans.  Like Jesus, we are to NOT consider ourselves equal to His Father.  Nor are we to think we are equal to Jesus: He alone is God’s true son, and he alone died for our sins.  Jesus Christ owes his life to his Father, and we owe our lives to Christ.

And do not think me overly critical of Menno.  Menno was indoctrinated by the Catholic church, even becoming one of their priests, and then came out of it, and mainly had biased Catholic Latin translations of the Bible to work from.  Though he is wrong on some topics, I do not question his sincerity.  He had many, many lies to overcome, and that he achieved the purity of doctrine he did in so many areas is astounding.  And that, of course, made him their implacable enemy.  But on this topic he errs seriously.]

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John says, “We know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, through his Son Jesus Christ.  This is the true God and eternal life,” 1 John 5:20.  Besides [this], read the whole gospel of John and 1 Cor. 10:15; Eph. 4; Heb. 1:3: 7; 11; 12; 13; and you will, by the grace of God, find a sure and firm foundation.

Behold, faithful brethren, here you have the unsearchable birth of Christ, his divine glory, operation and power; and a number of precious and plain testimonies of the holy prophets, evangelists and apostles, all of whom with an invincible power, testify and point out, with such clearness, the true, ineffable divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  I am convinced and do not doubt the least, that a pious, humble, God-fearing conscience will with this be satisfied and not search into this unsearchable depth any further; and if anyone desires to search and dispute further, to him I prophesy that he will surely search and dispute all his lifetime and yet never have a settled mind nor a firm foundation.  Therefore, beloved brethren, be warned.  Watch and beware.

[CHCoG: Menno needed to dig a little deeper, and to believe the scriptures he quoted exactly as they are written.  As it is, his mind remained confused by aspects of the Roman Catholic Trinity, including its anti-scriptural co-eternal and co-equal tenets.  Search the Bible, which God has given to us to teach us who He and his Son are, and you will NEVER find ‘Trinity’, ‘co-equal’ or ‘co-eternal’ written in it, not even once.  Learn more about this in Jeshua Messiah (Jesus Christ) Is He the Son of God or Part of a Trinity?]

The Holy Spirit

[CHCoG: This last sentence is intriguing.  The statement in parentheses is likely from the original English translator, and states his belief that the early Church believed in three separate persons, and thus contradicts Menno’s following attempt to merge them into a single being as the Trinity concept requires.  The ‘real’ basis for Menno’s acrobatics is revealed in his quote from 1 John 5:7.  This verse, as he gives it, is a notorious Roman Catholic forgery.  Even in Menno’s time many knew that it was false, though the Catholics and Protestants still kept it in their Bible translations.  This is the ONLY time in all of Menno’s writings that this corrupted verse is fully quoted.  The forgery was first inserted in the Papacy’s Old Latin Bibles in the fifth century, then into their Vulgate in the seventh century, and finally made its way into some copies of the Greek manuscripts written in the fifteenth century.  The original and genuine text translates as: “1 Jo 5:7 And the Spirit bears witness because the Spirit is Truth.  1 Jo 5:8 And the three of them bear witness: the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and the three of them are as one.”  As seen above, this was altered to read: “For there are three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.”  This alteration was clearly a desperate attempt to force Athanasius’s renamed Babylonian trinity into the Bible, and those responsible for mutilating God’s Word will be destroyed in the Lake of Fire. Rev. 22:18-19.  Nowhere does the Bible tell us that our God is a bizarre three-persons-who-are-one-person trinity.  Instead, we are taught about a much more comprehensible God.  We are made in God’s image, and like Him, we are triune: we are each one being composed of three parts: our body, soul and spirit (Compare 1 Thes 5:23 & Heb 4:12 with Gen 6:3, Lev 26:11 & Dan 7:9).  The Bible teaching of the triune One True God, and His only begotten son, the triune Jeshua (Jesus), was turned inside-out and replaced with their confusing and non-biblical trinity of three separate beings supposedly merged into one being.  Contrary to the papacy’s co-equal, co-eternal trinity, the Bible teaches that Jesus’s Father is greater than His Son, because only the Father has always existed, and Jeshua (Jesus) only exists because his Father begot him (John 14:28, 1 Cor 11:3 & 1 Cor 15:20-28, Hab 1:12, Col 1:13 to 19, Rev 3:14, &c.).  These topics are explored in Jesus Christ: Is He the Son of God or Part of a Trinity?, Spirit, Soul and Body and The Two Babylons, at chcpublications.net.]

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[CHCoG: This is blasphemy!  Jehovah God, the One True God and Christ’s Father, is imperfect???  He is “a God who is without wisdom, power, light, life, truth, word and without the Holy Spirit.”??  This is utter rubbish, and shows that Menno has no understanding of who and what the True God (John 17:3) really is.  As we have shown above, Jehovah God is the SOURCE of all wisdom (Pro. 2:6, 1 Sam. 2:3, Jer. 51:15, Rev. 16:16), power (1 Sam. 15:29, Gen. 28:3, Psa. 94:1), light (1 John 1:5-7, Rev. 22:5, Psa. 104:1-2, 2 Cor. 4:6, 1 Tim. 6:16), life (Isa. 40:28 & 43:3, John 5:21, Rom. 8:11, 1 Tim. 6:13), truth (Exo. 34:6, Deu. 32:3-4, Psa. 31:5, Isa. 65:16, John 17:17-18), word (Gen. 15:1, 1 Sam. 3:21, 1 Kin. 8:20, 2 Chr. 18:18) and the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2, 2 Chr. 24:20, Dan. 5:11, Mat. 3:16, 1 Cor. 2:11, 1 Thes. 4:8).  He is Complete and Perfect entirely on His own.  Jehovah God did not beget His Son, create our universe and populate the earth because he is incomplete.  He did it because He loves being alive, and He wanted to share his joy with others.  As Revelation 5:12 shows us, Jesus Christ was judged worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing: ALL of these were given to him by his Father.  Jesus refers to his role as God’s Son in the Creation in Proverbs 8:22-31.  Without Jehovah God, there would be absolutely NOTHING.  And this is also why Jehovah God could not die himself to save us, for He sustains all things, and if He died, everything would cease to exist. Acts 17:24-28, Isa. 46:3-11.]

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Brethren, understand all this in a divine and spiritual sense and not in a human or carnal manner!  Then you will be satisfied with the plain, clear and simple testimony of the prophets, evangelists and apostles, concerning this deep mystery.  Let everyone see to it with fear and trembling, lest he put his hand in the consuming fire.

Cordially beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus!  Mark well the following: Since the eternal God is such a great and terrible God, as you have read; since Christ was thus born of the Father as said and as the attributes of God so richly abound in Christ; and, also, as the prophets, evangelists and apostles so strongly declare, preach and teach him as God; and as the Scriptures so abundantly teach and testify of the Holy Spirit and confess that the eternal Father, with his [almost] eternal Son and Holy Spirit, in their divine state, power, glory and sovereignty are ineffable, inexpressible and unsearchable, as may be plainly understood from the cited Scriptures (for it is all Spirit and God and therefore beyond human understanding); therefore it is that I pray, admonish and desire all my beloved brethren and fellows in Christ Jesus, with all that men can pray, not to allow and consent to flatterings, innovations nor human explanations, be it by whom it may, concerning this unsearchable majesty; ever fearing, you who seek God, with all your powers, that you do not, by such high soaring thoughts and human conjecture, mistake the ineffable God who makes all human wisdom which is contrary to him, foolishness; lest you, through your vain searching and musing of such unfathomable matters, fall into his hands and be consumed by the fire of his wrath.

Brethren, I, for myself confess that I would rather die than to believe and teach unto my brethren, a single word or letter concerning the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (behold, before God I do not lie), differing from the express, testifying word of God which so clearly points out and teaches through the prophets, evangelists and apostles.

[CHCoG: I have no reason to doubt his sincerity, but sadly, he had so much wrong in this article.  Even the Protestants have more respect for Christ’s Father.]

O, my pious, God-fearing, faithful brethren!  Let us all, one with another, be thus minded; then the desolated cities may be again rebuilt; the strong may remain firm; the wavering be again strengthened; and thus peace, love and unity be again restored.  I know certainly and truly that if anyone wants to go further than we here testify and admonish from the word of God, he will fall into error; or mount too high, or deviate from side to side; he will miss the right course and will act no more intelligently than he who would try to pour or confine the river Rhine or Meuse in a quart bottle.  But those who abide simply and humbly by the word of God, the testified, prophetical, evangelical and apostolical word and firmly believe it, although they, neither do nor can fully comprehend it and take heed to all human investigation, disputations, flatterings, explanations, turning and conjecture in these incomprehensible abysses, will, in all temptations, stand firmly, by the grace of God and walk all their lives before their God with penitent and cheerful minds.  I sincerely wish that all the brethren were of like mind with me in this respect; for I have been at enmity with human sophistry and flattery for fifteen years and I am still.  I expect to remain so, and, by the help of God, to take heed not to offer the blood of the Lord with leaven; but I desire, solely, to enter into the sanctuary of God, that is, into his holy church, with the unleavened bread of the unalloyed word of God, overspread with the oil of the Holy Spirit.

O, brethren!  Were they all, who are called brethren, thus minded with me, how soon then would the sad, afflicted hearts find consolation and cheerfulness and the divided, restless minds unity and peace.  O, Lord Jesus!  Have mercy upon your poor, afflicted sheep and let every hungry and thirsty soul find your verdant pastures and limpid [still] waters, Amen.

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus!  Receive this with the same mind with which I have written it to you; read it plainly to all the brethren and understand it in a christian manner; and beware, beware, yes, BEWARE of all disputation, discord and division.  This I desire from my inmost soul, for the Lord’s sake.  The sincere, evangelical peace be with all my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, Amen.

MENNO SIMON.

Sept. 9th, A.D. 1550.

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AN

EXPLANATION

OF

CHRISTIAN BAPTISM

IN THE WATER,

FROM THE WORD OF GOD.

 

IN WHAT MANNER IT WAS COMMANDED BY CHRIST JESUS, AND HOW IT WAS TAUGHT AND PRACTICED BY HIS HOLY APOSTLES.

 

BY

MENNO SIMON.

 

 

“For no other foundation can any man lay than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ” 1 Cor. 3:11.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MENNO SIMON’S SALUTATION.

PREFACE.

Truly, I do not know how a worse heresy could be invented.  Notwithstanding, these miserable men cruelly cry against us, Heretics, heretics, drown them, slay and burn them.  And this for no other reason than that we teach, according to the holy gospel of Jesus Christ, the new life, Baptism on the confession of faith, the Supper as representing both a holy and unblamable church; because we rebuke all false doctrine, idolatry and the accursed carnal life; and point only to the blessed Christ Jesus and to no other means of salvation, neither in heaven nor on earth.

If this is heresy, beloved reader, then, in deed, the true Being is not in Christ; then he is not the true way, the truth and the life, John 14:6.  Do not be frightened by their upbraiding and slandering; for from the beginning it has been the case that the unbelieving hate, slander and persecute the believing; the wicked, the good; the unrighteous, the righteous; the carnal, the spiritual; the heretics, the christians.  It was the case with Cain and Abel, Ishmael and Isaac, Esau and Jacob and with the false prophets and the true prophets; as Christ Jesus has told us before, namely: “You will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake,” Mat. 24:9.  If they were the true disciples of Christ Jesus as they boast themselves to be, they would not persecute, betray or murder anybody for the sake of their faith.  Instead, with Christ Jesus, they would diligently seek to reclaim that which was lost, Mat. 18:11, if we were lost, as they claim.  If they were the bride of Christ, they would not be spiteful, cruel and blood-thirsty, but meek, mild and merciful, yes be thus minded as is the good and faithful bridegroom, Christ Jesus.  But they plainly manifest themselves by their works, not to be the bride of Jesus Christ, but rather to be the bride of him, who, from the beginning was a murderer, that is, the devil, John 8:44.

If they were the body of Christ, they would not crucify and persecute anyone for the sake of the truth of the Lord, but would themselves, with Christ Jesus and his church, be crucified and persecuted for the sake of it, Mat. 5:11; John 16:1, 2; 2 Tim. 3:12.  For the innocent lamb does not kill, but from the beginning it was killed.  Behold, kind readers, what miserable, bloody, tyrannical and murderous heretics our gainsayers, opponents and persecutors are found to be before God, in all their teachings, admonitions, instructions, life and tyranny.  But this they do not acknowledge, for it would not do to acknowledge this.  If they did, how could they then crucify and persecute the chosen children of God, the children of the kingdom and promise, the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, the angels of peace and the children of the eternal, imperishable life?

But now their minds are so obscured, their eyes are so bedimmed, their ears are so closed up that they cannot understand; for their evil-doing and wickedness have obscured and blinded them.  The table of the divine word is to them “a snare and a trap and a stumbling block and a recompense,” Rom. 11:9.  The righteous judgment and awful wrath has come upon them, because they so industriously seek falsehood and so obstinately combat and reject the lovely truth of Jesus Christ.

Christ Jesus says, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled,” Mat. 5:6.  But these hunger and thirst after unrighteousness, with which they, according to Paul, are abundantly filled, 2 Thes. 2:12.

Christ Jesus says, “Everyone that asks receives; and he that seeks, finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened,” Luke 11:9.  But these seek diligently, night and day, not after the right way, but after the wrong; hoping yet to find something, either in the word or in our lives, which may be so twisted, bent or applied as to trample upon and nullify the right, evangelical truth, even as if the eternal Truth, the blessed Jesus, had spoken and taught with two tongues.  And if they can find any errors in our walk, as there often are (for we are all of the sinful, failing flesh of Adam); then the evangelical truth is all deceit, as if we had no help from God but only human aid.  Inasmuch as they so assiduously seek after unrighteousness and delight in falsehood, therefore God smites them with such great blindness that they can neither comprehend nor judge the teachings of God.  Yet they desire to clothe their cause, however shameful it is, in the garment of the Scriptures, that they may, under this scriptural, holy appearance, the better deceive the foolish, ignorant populace that desire to be deceived and seduced.  And thus they remain, both teacher and disciple, in the service of their perishable flesh which they have chosen as their God, Phil. 3:18; Rom. 16:17.

Again, kind reader, they cry and foam with rage against us, saying that we write against all the doctors and also against the teachings of the holy christian church.  I affectionately and freely admit and acknowledge that we write against the greater part of the doctors or the learned men, for whenever or wherever they write, advise and teach contrary to the word, ordinances, statutes and institutions of Jesus Christ, we do not consider their famous names and have nothing to do with their human philosophy.  But if they teach rightly we do not contradict nor write against them.

I trust, by the most merciful grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the oldest, most pious, most upright, truest and most able doctors of the church of Jesus Christ, who were long before all other doctors, are received and believed by me and my beloved brethren, in every word and doctrine.  These are Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, David, Christ Jesus, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James and Jude.  If anybody can show me a word in all my writing that I have taught or written contrary to the doctrine of these doctors, then I am willing to be abashed, instructed and taught better; but I trust that it can never be truthfully done.  If I should write and teach against these pious, unblamable doctors, then my writing and teaching would be against the teachings and admonitions of the christian body, community or holy church.

I acknowledge and know well that I advise, teach, instruct and write contrary to the instructions and teachings of some communities and churches, in regard to some articles, such as the Papists, Lutherans and the corrupted sects; but not contrary to the teachings of the holy christian church.  May the merciful Father, whose divine will I industriously seek to obey, save me from teaching, instructing and writing contrary to the doctrine of the holy church; for else woe would be unto my soul forever.

Lest you be ensnared by the words holy church, you shall learn and know from the word of God that the holy christian church is not a collection of unbelievers, carnal or wilful sinners; notwithstanding they falsely claim to be of Christ Jesus and think themselves to be the true christian church.  No, kind readers, no.  They are not all Abraham’s seed who are born of Abraham, “But the children of the promise are counted as the seed,” Rom. 9:8.  Thus, also, the holy christian church must be a spiritual seed, an assembly of the righteous and a community of the saints; which church is begotten by God, of the living seed of the divine word and not of the teachings, institutions and fictions of man.  Yes, they are those who are regenerated, renewed and converted; who hear, believe and fulfill all the commandments and will of God; who “have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts;” who “are all one in Christ Jesus.”  “Joint heirs with Christ,” and heavenly and spiritually minded with him, Gal. 5:24; 3:28; Rom. 8:17.

These are the holy christian church, the community of God, the body and the bride of Christ, whom he has trusted, cleansed and sanctified; but “they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”  This holy christian church has a spiritual Prince over her who rules her with the unbroken rod of his divine word; a Master, or Teacher who teaches the commandments of eternal life; and a Bridegroom whose voice she is always ready to hear, that is, Christ Jesus, 1 Cor. 6:11; Rom. 8:8; Psa. 2:9; John 6:68; 3:29.

If, now, I contend against his scepter, trample upon his commandments and teach or write anything against his heavenly doctrine, then I teach and write against the doctrine of the holy christian church.  For this holy christian church has but one doctrine which is fruitful and godly, which is the still, pure and unmixed word of God, the lovely gospel of the grace of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, Mat. 28:19; Mark 16:15; 1 Pet. 1:25.  All teachings and decrees which do not accord with the doctrine of Christ are only teachings and commandments of men, be they teachings and opinions of doctors, decrees of popes, councils or anything else; they are doctrines of the devil and are accursed, Mat. 15:9; 1 Tim. 4:1; Gal. 1:8, 9.  Since we write and teach nothing but the pure, heavenly word and the perfect ordinances of the holy gospel of Jesus Christ and of his apostles; therefore we do not teach and write against the teachings of the holy church, but we sustain them.

Beloved readers, let the light minded run their course to the end, which is certain death.  They will nevermore concede the truth, however powerfully they are vanquished, but they will always delight in hatred, upbraiding, discord and disputation and never be satisfied, because they will not go into the strict way of the Spirit; be taught by Jesus Christ and his holy apostles.  Notwithstanding they want to be considered the children and the church of God, [though they are] without obedience.  Not so, kind readers.  Always remember that there is no holy church of Christ other than the assembly of the righteous and the church of the saints, which always acts in harmony with the word and ordinances of the Lord and to no other doctrine.  She neither will nor can accept any other doctrine or ordinances in divine matters, forever.

Because, beloved brethren, the divine ordinance of baptism in the water has thus been [almost] destroyed for many centuries and a strange baptism has been practiced, contrary to the true doctrine of the holy christian church, namely, contrary to the word of God, and from this evil custom so much false doctrine, disbelief and fruitless, carnal life have resulted.  Therefore I have again clearly pointed out from the holy gospel, how we should practice the true, scriptural, christian baptism; that the hearts and faith of the wise may be affirmed and assured and the mouths of the fools may be stopped and that God may have the glory in his holy word.  Read and see if we have not rightly taught and written according to the meaning of Jesus Christ.  And because the whole wide world so shamefully blasphemes and opposes the word of God and despises his commandments and ceremonies as useless, saying, What good can water do us?  never considering that the kingdom of God and the will of God do not consist in external ceremonies, but in the willing obedience to the word of God.  Therefore we have, in the following writings, extensively shown from the holy Scriptures who should be baptized, according to the word of God, namely, the believing, or the regenerated, Mark 16:16; John 3:5; Tit. 3:5.

Besides, we have also shown how very weak, useless and groundless all the arguments of the world are, by which they defend infant baptism, that the before-mentioned despisers of God may know and understand that they are not baptized according to the evangelical commandment of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ.  From which it follows that they are not in obedience to the divine word, and if they are not in the obedience which has the promise (I speak to those of understanding minds), then they cannot inherit nor obtain the promise, so long as they do not believe the word of God and obediently fulfill it in all respects.  Let everyone beware and save his own soul; for our God is a consuming fire.

May the merciful Father, through his blessed Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, grant you all a true knowledge and his affectionate grace for your edification, Amen.

 

 

CHRISTIAN BAPTISM.

TEACHINGS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES CONCERNING BAPTISM IN THE WATER.

Kind reader, since the infant baptizers seek to prove their cause by the circumcision of Abraham and by his promise, therefore observe and ponder how unreasonably they make this assertion; and observe and ponder also on that which will be briefly taught and presented by us, from Scriptural truth.

In the first place, as we said before, we are all accepted into the covenant with God, not by any signs but by grace and have obtained the promise by it, if we accept them by faith and walk according to the will of the giver; as Abraham was accepted by God by grace, from among the nations and was made glad with the promise of grace; for he accepted it by faith and walked according to the will of him who had accepted him as the Scriptures say he believed in Jehovah and it was counted to him for righteousness, Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6; Jas. 2:23.

To all those who are thus, by faith, graciously accepted by God into the covenant of peace with Abraham, God has given his ceremonies and figurative signs.  Not that they should by this be justified (for if it were by the signs it would not be grace, Rom. 11:6), but that they should be justified by faith; be children of God, children of the promise, &c., that they should show their obedience to the commandments of God who has graciously called, accepted and consoled them by his promise.  For those that are obedient unto God are his friends, John 15.

Behold, brethren, this is one reason why God commanded his ceremonies, as is plainly shown in the case of Abraham; for Abraham was already in the covenant with God before he was circumcised; as Paul shows, that his faith was already counted for righteousness when he was yet uncircumcised; and because he was in the covenant with God and justified by faith, therefore God commanded him [to perform] the circumcision, in itself a useless and dishonorable ceremony.  First, it was in itself quite useless, because it did not benefit any neighbor.  Secondly, dishonorable, for it is performed upon the most dishonorable member of the body.  And it was commanded to him that the believing father, Abraham, should deny himself and not live according to his own desires, but according to the will of him, alone, who, by grace, had accepted him and chosen him from among the nations; and thus he sealed, by this performance, which was dishonorable in itself, that his faith was true and fruitful before God.  Why these ceremonies were again commanded will be shown hereafter, if God pleases.

Behold, kind reader, in this manner Abraham was circumcised and we are baptized; because it is thus commanded by God.  Whosoever disobeys and opposes the voice of the Lord commanding these ceremonies and despises the performance of them because of their uselessness and triflingness, not observing that it was commanded by God, excludes himself from the precious covenant of grace by his disobedience; nor does he prove his faith to be fruitful and living, but on the contrary he proves that it is unfruitful and dead before God.  For he does not hear the voice of his Lord nor does he live in accordance with it, but despises it as powerless, vain and useless.  Therefore observe and know that we are not accepted into the covenant by an outward sign, but only by grace through Christ Jesus.  And because we are in the covenant by grace, therefore he has given and commanded us his signs, that we shall perform them upon those on whom he has commanded them to be performed, namely, upon the faithful; for if it was possible that we could come into the covenant with God by any signs or ceremonies, then the merits of Christ are vain and grace has ended.  No, brethren, no.  Abraham was already chosen, accepted and justified by God, through faith, before he was circumcised; and because he was faithful and justified through faith, therefore the circumcision was commanded to him by God that he should by this seal his faith.  Again, as Abraham and all his seed born of Isaac, together with others, were already included in the covenant with God, women as well as men, as the promise was given to both sexes, yet it was not commanded that the females should be circumcised, but only the males.

O brethren, brethren, how long will you oppose the Holy Spirit!  Give the word of God its due praise and observe that little infants are not buried with Christ in baptism; nor are they raised into newness of life: for if they did die and were buried in baptism, then sin would be so destroyed in them that it would never after vanquish their spirit.  Inasmuch as sin, after their baptism, so powerfully and so abundantly flourishes in them as they begin to come to understanding, as may be plainly seen, therefore the infant baptizers must acknowledge and confess that they bury the children alive, which should not be; or else that they baptize them all without faith and contrary to the ordinance of Christ, therefore [it is] useless and vain.

For this reason, learn once, beloved reader, that infant baptism is not of God nor through him.  But whosoever rightly acknowledges the love of God for himself through Christ Jesus and is baptized upon his own faith through true love of God, according to the doctrine of Christ, Peter, Paul and Philip, is rightly circumcised in his heart with the circumcision of Christ, as Paul teaches; he is buried with Christ Jesus; he has died unto sin and is again raised up by a fruitful faith with Jesus Christ in a new life, Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12.

In opposition to this, the infant baptizers have still another point, saying, Because Paul, in this passage, has not forbidden infant baptism, therefore it is right.  To this we reply by asking whether infant baptism is commanded in this or any other Scripture?  They must own the truth and answer, no.  If it is not commanded by God, then it is not his ordinance and therefore it has no promise.  Again, if it is not commanded by God, then it is not his ordinance; if it is not his ordinance, then it has no promise; and if it has no promise, it is doubtlessly useless and vain.

Again, we ask them, Where in the word of God it is expressly forbidden to baptize bells?  They must own the truth and answer, nowhere.  If it is, then, not expressly forbidden to baptize bells, is bell baptism therefore just and right?  Not at all.

Thirdly, Israel was not forbidden to circumcise the females.  Now, would it have been right if they had circumcised their females?  Far from it.  For the Scriptures commanded that the males should be circumcised; therefore they considered that it was forbidden to circumcise their females.

In the same manner Christ Jesus commands us to baptize the believing and that which is represented by baptism is only found in the believing, as may be plainly seen from Peter and Paul.  Therefore we infer that infant baptism is sufficiently forbidden, for they have no faith and do not understand the representation of baptism which comes by faith.

I repeat it: If the infant baptists assert that by this scripture of Paul, infant baptism is not forbidden and that therefore it is right, as it is not expressly forbidden in the holy Scriptures to bless (as they call it), holy water, candles, palms, goblets and robes; to hold mass and other ceremonies; yet we pointedly say that it is wrong.  First, because trust is put in it.  Secondly, because it is done without the ordinance of God, for he has not commanded us [to do] a word of it; and there is no ordinance in which his holy blessed word is not expressed and implied either in spirit or letter.

Since Christ Jesus has commanded baptism upon the confession of faith in Mark 16:16; since the apostles have thus taught and practiced it and as the meaning of baptism in Rom. 6:3; Col. 2:12; Tit. 3:5; Gal. 3:27; 1 Cor. 12:13; 1 Pet. 3:21, cannot be applicable but to the believing, therefore it is sufficiently forbidden to baptize infants by this divine ordinance; for there is no faith in them nor do they understand the meaning of it; notwithstanding that infant baptism commenced soon after the time of the apostles, or perhaps yet in their time and thus it has been practiced for many centuries; for length of time can not prevail against the word of God, as we have sufficiently shown the pious, god-fearing reader above.

Fourthly, thus says the holy apostle Paul, “The kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,” Tit. 3:4, 5.

Most beloved brethren, if we rightly and thoroughly examine this passage of Paul with spiritual eyes and weigh it with the Scriptures, then the infant baptizers, by force of the Scriptures, must acknowledge that the christian baptism which is commanded by God pertains only to the believing, according to the commandment of Christ in Mark 16:16 and not to those who are naturally unable to hear, speak and understand, namely, infants; for it is a washing of regeneration as holy Paul has taught and testified to by the above words.

My worthy, kind brethren, because the holy, christian baptism is a washing of regeneration, according to the doctrine of Paul, therefore none can be washed with it, to the pleasure and will of God, but those alone who are regenerated through the word of God; for we are not regenerated because of baptism, as may be perceived in the infants who have been baptized; but we are baptized because we are regenerated by faith in God’s word, as regeneration is not the result of baptism, but baptism the result of regeneration.  This cannot well be controverted by any man by the force of the Scriptures.  Therefore all should be shamed by [abusing] this passage of Paul, let them be ever so learned; [especially] the learned, who so shamefully teach and make the unsuspecting populace believe that infants are regenerated by baptism.  Beloved reader, such teaching and belief is, truly, nothing but fraud and deceit.  For if the infants were regenerated, as the learned say, then their whole course would be humility, long-suffering, mercy, pure and chaste love, true faith; certain knowledge, sure hope, obedience to God, spiritual joy, inward peace and an unblamable life; for these are the true and natural fruits of the new, heavenly birth; but what fruits are found in children every intelligent reader may judge from every day experience.

Do you think, most beloved, that the new birth consists in nothing but in that which the miserable world until now has thought that it consists in, namely, baptism?  Or in the expression, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit?  No, worthy brother, no.  The new birth consists, truly, not in water nor in words; but it is the heavenly, living and quickening power of God in our hearts, which comes from God and which, by the preaching of the divine word, if we accept it by faith, quickens, renews, pierces and converts our hearts, so that we are changed and converted from unbelief into faith, from unrighteousness into righteousness, from evil into good, from carnality into spirituality, from the earthly into the heavenly, from the wicked nature of Adam into the good nature of Jesus Christ; and of such Paul spoke in these Scriptures.

Behold, those who are of such a nature are the truly regenerated children of God; those are the beloved brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, who are born with him from above of the one Father, namely, of God, John 1:13; Heb. 2:13.  And these regenerated [ones] are those to whom, alone, he has taught and commanded the holy christian baptism, as a seal of faith, Mat. 28:19; Mark 16:15, by which they receive remission of sins; Acts 2:38 and not the unaware infants, as has been frequently shown above from the word of God.  Therefore the holy apostle Paul teaches us by this Scripture that God sanctifies the regenerated by the baptism of regeneration; because they are regenerated by the word of God, they deny themselves by the power of their regeneration and have obediently taken upon themselves all that which God, the Almighty Father, in his holy word, has taught and commanded his chosen children through his beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, and through all his true servants and messengers.  Therefore I repeat that the baptism by which God sanctifies us belongs to the believing or regenerated, as Paul teaches.  And in this manner: First, there must be the preaching of the gospel of Christ, Mat. 28:19; Secondly, The hearing of the divine word, Rom. 10:17; thirdly, faith, by hearing the word, Rom. 10:17; fourthly, there must be the new birth by faith; fifthly, baptism by the new birth, Tit. 3:5, in obedience to God’s word, and lastly, the promise follows.

If we do not desire to wilfully oppose the Holy Spirit and reject the grace of God, it is impossible to believe that a true faith can be without regeneration and obedience and that this obedience can be without the promise.  For the eternal truth, the blessed Jesus Christ, will never fail nor deceive us in his holy word; and it is he who taught this: First, to preach the holy gospel, saying, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature; from this follows faith, saying, And whoever shall believe; from faith follows baptism, saying, And be baptized; and from these follows the promise, saying, Shall be saved, Mark 16:15-16.

Inasmuch as the ordinance of Jesus Christ thus reads and as the one follows from the other, therefore Paul here teaches us that God sanctifies us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing by the Holy Spirit; for if true faith and obedience be separated from each other, as is sometimes the case, such as grieving the Holy Spirit and sinning against him, then such faith does not profit us; for it has no promise on account of disobedience and is, besides, useless and dead before God, Jas. 2.

To all those who, of their own choice and contrary to the Scriptures, assert the regeneration of infants because they were baptized, notwithstanding there are no fruits in them, as may be plainly seen, I reply: First, that he does not know what the new birth is.  Secondly, with the same propriety and reasonability, bells are baptized.  God in his word has no more commanded the one than the other, for according to their nature, there is as little faith and fruits in the one as there are in the other.  O, Lord!  When will this awful abomination finally cease to be practiced?  When will those who now call themselves christians become christians?  Yes, when will the blessed Lord Jesus Christ be acknowledged as wise, true and perfect in his holy word?  I fear, never.  [CHCoG: Not until Christ returns and establishes the Kingdom of God, Jer 31:31-34, Zec. 12:9 to 14:19.]  The false teaching, unbelief and opinion is esteemed and loved by these miserable, carnal men far above the true doctrine of Jesus Christ and his holy apostles.  Notwithstanding we say in Christ Jesus, let them baptize their infants as much as they will, let them teach it as long and as strong as they will and let them assert it on the strength of the garbled Scriptures of learned men and of long usage─yet it is all vain and useless before God; for the regeneration of infants cannot be maintained by virtue of the word of God.

Chosen brethren, let them freely cry out against us, let them adduce all the doctors, learned and famous men who have lived centuries ago, let them console themselves with long usage, [perhaps] even from the apostles’ time; yet where there is no new birth there can be no baptism administered in accordance with the commandment of Jesus, for baptism is the washing of regeneration, Tit. 3; which regeneration none have but the believing alone, as we have shown our readers before.

Therefore I would advise all my beloved readers in the Lord to not heed the philosophy of the learned, nor to look at the long usage, but to the plain and unmixed word of God, and you will surely find by this Scripture of Paul and others, that, according to the commandment of Christ, the christian baptism should be administered to none but those who, by grace, have become believing and regenerated through the word of God.  As long as baptism is administered to infants, it is not a washing of regeneration.  For the new birth is through the word of God, as has been often said, which word infants cannot hear and understand; therefore they cannot be born again as long as they have a child’s mind.  All that the Father has not planted should be plucked from the heart by the word of God, Mat. 15.  God’s word shall stand forever and according to His divine word, every pious christian shall and must build the structure of his faith, if his work shall be pleasing before God; and he should not build it according to his own opinions.  For Jehovah God, the Almighty Father, who rules all things by his word, will not be honored by human doctrine and commandments, Mat. 15:9; Mark 7:7; Col. 2:22; Jer. 29:8.

In the fifth place holy Paul teaches us, saying, For you are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ,” Rom. 8:14-17; Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3.

My beloved children in Christ Jesus, you are aware that all the world, by their blind and foolish unbelief, have until now whored with outward works and ceremonies.  Yet you should not do likewise.  But you should know that the righteousness which avails before God, consists not in any ceremonies and outward works, but solely in a true, pious and fruitful faith and in nothing else, in this manner.  For the faith which comes by the word of God cannot be without fruit.  It is only so in those who sin against the Holy Spirit, as said above.  Faith leads into all manner of righteousness, it willingly submits itself in all obedience and it cheerfully complies not only with baptism, but with all the words and ceremonies which God, the gracious Father, through his blessed Son, has so clearly taught and commanded in his holy gospel.

Therefore true faith is the fullness of righteousness, as shown in Romans 3 and 6.  Yes, it is the true begetter of all christian virtues; and by reason of this, the word of God ascribes to it righteousness, Rom. 3:23, the blessing, salvation and life everlasting, John 3:36 & 17:4 and does not ascribe these to ceremonies.  When ceremonies are commanded by him, [the blessings are] not because of these ceremonies, but are because of the faith which compels us to observe these ceremonies, for they are commanded by God.  Therefore you should know, kind reader, that when the ceremonies in God’s word are coupled with the promise, as the Israelitic offerings in the law and baptism under the gospel, then it is not because of ceremonies, but it is by virtue of faith, which obediently and in love fulfills not only the commanded ceremonies, but also all that which God has commanded, as has been said above.

Most beloved brethren, truly it is the nature of all heretics to tear a fragment from the holy Scriptures and by this to prove their chosen worship; never observing what is written before or after by which we may ascertain the right meaning, as in this instance they have so plainly shown.  For this sentence: “as many of you as are baptized have put on Christ,” they pick out to give their infant baptism an appearance; but the foregoing sentence: “You are all the children of God because you believed on Christ Jesus,” from which, as we have shown above, all the rest must follow, that they seem not to have noticed; and thus they seek merit in ceremonies and not through faith in Jesus Christ.

Besides, inasmuch as they are not clothed with Christ nor have put him on, either actively or passively and have not tested his heavenly, spiritual nature and Spirit, because they are carnally minded─therefore they do not understand, however much they write and teach, what it means to put on Christ Jesus, I repeat, either actively or passively.

That we may convince all gainsayers of the word of the Lord and that we may neither stumble nor err in these words, therefore I would refer all my readers to holy Paul.  He shows who they are that put on Christ and what fruits they manifest, by which we may know that they have put on Christ, thus saying; “If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness,” Rom. 8:10; 6:5.

Kind reader, however dexterously the scribes and infant baptizers may refute under a false semblance of the divine word, yet none can deny that Christ dwells in those who have put on Christ.  Since the truly baptized put on Christ Jesus, he is in them; and if he is in them then the body is dead unto sin and the spirit is life because of righteousness.  This being the case, I again call on all reasonable persons to judge impartially for themselves, whether it is found in truly believing persons, or in infants?  If they say, in the believing, their judgment is right; for Christ Jesus dwells in the hearts of the believing, Eph. 3:17.  But if they say in infants, then I would again ask by what means we may find this out, inasmuch as in these infants the death unto sin and the spiritual life are not shown nor found?  For all of them, from infancy, so long as they do not believe the word of God, notwithstanding their baptism, are not only prone to evil, but also to disobedience, as daily experience openly shows in all those baptized [as infants] by this world.

Therefore I conclude this from the Scripture of Paul and say, If the infant baptists remain constant in their opinion and belief that by their baptism infants put on Christ, then they must come to the conclusion by virtue of the word of God, that Christ Jesus is unbelieving, proud, ambitious, envious, vain, drunk, adulterous, refractory and disobedient to the word of God [as they are]; for whosoever has put on Christ Jesus does not live [for] himself, but Christ lives in him.  If they, then, have put on Christ by their baptism, as they claim and as, according to Paul, Christ lives in them and rules their actions, so it must follow that Christ is vain and useless in them, or that their accursed works are begotten by Christ, for they yet live in all manner of carnality and ungodliness.

No, truly, no.  It is therefore follows [obvious] that they have not put on Christ.  For Christ Jesus cannot be without fruits; but whosoever has put on the humble, long-suffering, merciful, amiable, peaceable, sober, chaste and obedient Christ, in such a one the before-mentioned accursed works are not found; for whosoever has put on Christ is dead unto sin and lives in righteousness, Rom. 8; is led by the Holy Spirit, born with Jesus, from above, of the Father; and therefore he lives according to the will of the Father and cannot sin because he is born of God, 1 John 3:9; 5:18.

Inasmuch as all those who are baptized without faith prove the contrary by their life and do not manifest the nature and virtues of Christ whom they falsely claim to have put on; but they manifest in their whole walk the nature and vices of the flesh and of Satan.  Therefore it proves clearly that they have not put on Christ who is from heaven; but that they have put on the devil who is from hell; for it is he who actuates and leads them at will, as may be plainly seen as all their thoughts and works of the flesh and of Satan are natural, inherent fruits which are found all over the world, in all men; no matter of what state, trade, condition, class or sect they are.

Beloved reader, you will acknowledge that every tree brings forth fruits after its own kind and that by the fruit we may know the tree, Mat. 7:20; 12:33.  Therefore it can not fail but that where Christ Jesus is, there are the good fruits of life everlasting; but where the devil is, there are the wicked fruits of eternal death.  Yes, whosoever has put on Christ, in him the works of the devil are not found.  On the contrary, where the devil is, there Christ is not; the one must give place to the other; for they are two princes so very different that it is impossible for them to dwell in one heart, or for the two to be conceived and included in one human heart, Mat. 6:24; Eph. 2:2.

For this reason I would advise all God-fearing christians in the Lord to ponder well upon these words of Paul and to understand them according to the divine truth and you will plainly see that Paul taught by this Scripture just what Christ had commanded in Mark 16:16.  Only the believing put on Christ Jesus in their baptism and they alone bring forth true fruits and not the infants, as we have here and also in our first writings sufficiently proven to all the pious and true believers.

Most beloved brethren, let the infant baptizers, to their own condemnation, thus scornfully ridicule such plain Scriptures and let them subtly garble and twist them as much as they please, yet this Scripture will always remain unbroken by them.  It will remain so firm and binding that they will stumble upon it, be shamed by this and will have to stand back, notwithstanding all their flattering.  If they would but rightly look into the matter and then judge according to the word of God, what it means to Paul, what it implies, to put on Christ, whether spoken in the active or in the passive (for all those who are not content with the active may apply the passive to Rom. 13, although it is in the active by Paul, according to the translation of Erasmus), they would soon perceive that it makes no difference in this matter whether it is used in the active or in the passive.  But what will it benefit?  If the learned have nothing with which to obscure the truth, they garble things before the ignorant, simple populace, by strange tongues, false explanations, lies and high-sounding philosophical reasons.  O, how justly Christ Jesus said unto the Pharisees, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor allow you those that are entering to go in,” Mat. 23:13.

In the sixth place, Paul teaches, saying, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we are Jews or Gentiles, whether we are bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit,” 1 Cor. 12:13.

By these words of Paul the baptism of the believing is again plainly taught and confirmed, and, on the other hand, the anti-christian, infant baptism is rejected and made of no effect, because God, the merciful Father, in his holy gospel, points us to faith through Jesus Christ and to the new birth alone.  Because the believing or regenerated act rightly before God and diligently seek and fulfill his holy will according to the grace they have received─therefore we must forcibly acknowledge that we cannot be led to this godly gift of faith and of regeneration other than by the word of God, through his Holy Spirit.  All writing, reading and teaching is in vain, when the Holy Spirit of God, the true Teacher of all righteousness, does not quicken, pierce and turn the hearts of the disciples or hearers, by the only means for this purpose given by God, which is his word.

Since we are baptized by one Spirit into one body, according to the teaching of Paul and since this same Spirit must quicken and turn the hearts by the word of God─therefore it incontrovertibly follows that none should be baptized but those alone whose hearts are quickened and turned by this Spirit through the word of God.

All those who hear the holy gospel of Jesus Christ and sincerely believe it and are thus inwardly quickened and pierced by the Holy Spirit (let them be of whatever nation or sex), are baptized by this quickening Spirit into one holy spiritual body, of which Christ is the head, that is into the [true] church.  And thus Paul has taught by this Scripture in conformity to the command of Christ, Mark 16:16.

Beloved reader, as those should be baptized who are urged by faith and forced [encouraged] by the Spirit, as Paul teaches, so I will again leave it to your judgment who they are that are led and impelled by this Spirit.  Whether they are the believing or whether they are the infants?  If you say the believing, your answer is right.  For the believing die unto their flesh, lusts and desires, Gal. 5:24; they put off the old man and all his works, Eph. 4:23; seek Christ Jesus in purity of heart; bring forth the precious fruits of the Spirit which is in them and show outwardly and inwardly in all their actions that they are taught, led and impelled by this Holy Spirit, Gal. 5:18; Rom. 8:14.  But if you answer the infants, then I would ask you, Where are their spiritual fruits?  For nothing appears in a child but their childish actions, as we said above.  Yet they are baptized and called christians, without doctrine, faith and commandment, from which follows that in all the baptized of the world nothing is found but abominable blindness, idolatry, hypocrisy, evil thoughts, vain words, madness against the truth, disobedience, blasphemy, trickery and a very wicked life contrary to God and his blessed word.

Because they have, of their own choice, contrary to all scriptural truth and by their own [self-]righteousness, taught infant baptism─therefore they subtly seek to clothe and adorn it with a garbled form of the divine word, that the adulterous, enchanting wine which is in the goblet of the Babylonian whore may be swallowed as a good and pure wine, saying that “infants should be baptized so they may be the better trained in the word and commandments of God; cleansed of their inherent sins; buried in the death of Christ; regenerated and put on Christ Jesus.  Yes, [they are] baptized into the body of Jesus Christ and thus become partakers of the Holy Spirit.”  Which teaching is, truly, nothing but open deceit, lies, garbling of the Scriptures and a deception of satan.  For in all the [infant-] baptized of the world we find the very contrary in their fruits, all through their lives, as every intelligent christian may plainly observe.

Most beloved brethren in the Lord, never let such shameful and abominable lies find place in your hearts, but examine all things rightly and according to the word of God, that you may rightly understand all evangelical truth.  For to thus ornament infant baptism with the virtues which only belong to the baptism of the believing is just as reasonable as it is to clothe an ape in purple and silk, as the common saying of the learned implies, which reads, Simia semper manet simia, etiamsi induatur purpura; which means: an ape remains an ape, even if he is clothed in purple.  In the same manner infant baptism will remain a stench and abomination before God, however finely it is ornamented with garbled Scriptures by the learned; for an infant, so long as it is in its infancy, will remain ignorant, simple and of childish mind, notwithstanding it is baptized a hundred times and its baptism is still more subtly asserted by six hundred garbled Scriptures.  It is plain to all intelligent persons that with infants are found neither doctrine, faith, spirit, fruits nor idea of God’s commandments; and that therefore they should not be baptized; that is, if we believe that the word of God is true and will always remain true, as we have abundantly proven in our first writings concerning baptism, and also in this.

O, kind reader!  Truly, if it were not that this bitter, cancerous, lime spittle of false doctrine and long usage had so deeply eaten into the eyes of your hearts, you would acknowledge at once that this large church, in its young days, was not embodied into the pure, chaste, god-serving and unblamable body of Jesus Christ, by the office of a clean and christian spirit, but rather into the adulterous, idolatrous and blamable body of anti-christ, by an unclean and anti-christian spirit.

For if it were the case that they were incorporated into the most holy body of Jesus Christ, as they persistently boast, they should prove by their works that they are serviceable and fruitful members of that body into which they are incorporated.  For we plainly see that there is no member of the human body created but for some use and purpose, be it ever so small and trifling; but it is in its way profitable and useful to the body to which it belongs.  But how useful the before-mentioned infants are to the body of Christ Jesus will be perceived by all those taught by the spirit.

From this it incontrovertibly follows that if they are of the body of Christ as they claim and that Christ is the head of his church, that Christ is the head of the unbelieving, the avaricious, perjurious, gamblers, drunkards, adulterers, fornicators, sodomites, thieves, murderers, liars, idolaters, disobedient, blood-thirsty, traitors, tyrants, proud and of all rogues and knaves.  For where is there one in the whole church of those who were baptized in infancy that walks unblamably in all the commandments of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ and who, either inwardly or openly, is not guilty before God, in some or many of the before-mentioned crimes?  O no, kind reader, no.  The most holy and glorious body of Jesus Christ is wonderfully far different from such a cruel, ungodly, refractory, disobedient, carnal, bloody and idolatrous body.

Most beloved brethren, since they plainly are such transgressors, blasphemers and wilful sinners, judge for yourselves from these and other scriptural reasons, what kind of a body they are; by whose doctrine, commandment and practice; by what Spirit they were and are yet daily incorporated into this very horrible body.  Yes, it is such a body that has neither gospel, faith, christian baptism, supper, nor christian life; and therefore neither God, prayer, promise nor eternal life; but only false doctrine, false faith, false sacraments, false promise, ungodly life and eternal death.  O, Lord, save all your beloved children from such an abominable, bloody body.

But those who hear and believe the word of God, are, by the Holy Spirit which has taught, begotten and enlightened them, baptized into the body of Christ, on their own faith, according to the commandment of Christ; for these are regenerated by the word of God; their sins are buried and [they] are raised up with Christ into new life; have a good conscience; receive remission of sins; put on Christ Jesus; become true members of the most holy body of Jesus Christ, which are fruitful, useful and serviceable according to their strength, 1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 6:5; 1 Pet. 3:21; Acts 2:38; Gal. 3:27.  On all such are the affectionate eyes of the Lord, the heavenly blessing and the merciful mind, protection and solicitude of the eternal Father; because they have sincerely and fully denied themselves and have obediently followed the will of God to live according to the will of him who has graciously called them to Christ Jesus.  Beloved reader, since infants do not have this mind and as the Holy Spirit does not operate nor show itself to be in them and since they cannot serve in the body of Christ as is required by the word of God, since it is plain to all intelligent persons [that] they should not be baptized; for without the quickening Spirit of God, none should be baptized, as we have abundantly proven to all the pious children of God, from his word.

Therefore I conclude this matter of baptism with these plain words:  Inasmuch as Christ Jesus, the true Teacher, sent by the Father, has commanded us to baptize the believing in Mark 16:16 and as the holy apostles have, in the above adduced Scriptures, so explained that which is represented by baptism as pertaining to none but the believing, and as infant baptism is no such baptism─because it is evident that they have no faith nor its fruits, which faith and fruits are the true representation of baptism─therefore we are again necessarily forced by the word of the Lord, by faith and by the love of God, to diligently teach and receive the baptism of the believing and to assert it to the praise of the Lord before lords, princes and the whole world, at the risk of life and goods as true witnesses of Jesus Christ.

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HOW THE HOLY APOSTLES PRACTICED BAPTISM IN THE WATER.

Therefore I beseech you all, beloved brethren in the Lord, by the grace of God, to open your understanding, that you may be no longer deceived and that you may perceive, you who are made uneasy by the writings of the learned, that all the writers, both ancient and modern, have always sought righteousness in man-made ceremonies, which we should only seek in Christ Jesus.  And again, [they do] that because they do not have the word of God on their side: they do not follow the same path in regard to this matter, do not speak of one accord nor write unanimously.  For as their writings show, some seek the washing away of inherent sin.  Others teach that they should be baptized on account of their faith.  Others again, to train them in the word and commandments of God.  Still others, to have them included into the covenant with God; and yet again, to baptize them into the church of Christ.  Behold, kind readers, thus each of the before-mentioned writers follows his own course and do not follow the same way.  If they were supported by the word of God in regard to this matter, they would all be unanimous.  But because they do not have the word of God, each one follows his own inclination, thinking that he can, under a scriptural appearance, palm off pernicious falsehood as being the truth.  Yes, he tickles his vision so long with garbled Scriptures that his mind becomes so obscured that he can no long perceive that he teaches, follows and administers accursed falsehood instead of the blessed truth of God.

Thus, most beloved children, because the learned have always sought and yet seek righteousness in infant baptism, you can easily surmise that these infant baptists have, by that means, made this innovation.  For with the ancients it was not the common practice, I say common, as may be deduced from Tertullian, Ruffinus and others; but as it appears, just after the demise of the apostles or perhaps yet in their times, they commenced to abuse the true, christian baptism, which solely belongs to the believing.  As some of the Corinthians already in the time of Paul allowed themselves to be baptized for the dead, 1 Cor. 15:29, so, also, through the false doctrine and opinions of foolish bishops, the abominable serpent of infant baptism crept in and was [slowly] confirmed by long usage so that it was at last thought [to be] and accepted by all the world as an apostolic institution for the sake of righteousness, which they all seek in [doing] this.  Therefore you must acknowledge, beloved brethren, not withstanding infant baptism is of an old date, that it is still not by the command of Jesus Christ nor by the teaching and practice of the holy apostles; and is therefore idolatrous, useless and vain.

And because the true, christian baptism has such great promises, namely, the remission of sins and other promises, Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; 1 Cor. 12:13; 1 Pet. 3:21; Eph. 4:5, the pedo-baptists apply the same baptism to infants; never once observing that the before-mentioned promises are solely to those who show obedience to the word of God; for Christ Jesus has so commanded it.  Inasmuch as pedo-baptism is not commanded, therefore it is not required of children as obedience.  For where there are no commandments there are no transgressions.  Again, baptism is not commanded to infants by God; and therefore they have no promise in their baptism, from which it follows that infant baptism is idolatrous, vain, useless and void before God, as was said above; for God, the Lord [Jehovah], has no pleasure in the ceremonies unless they are administered according to his divine and blessed word.

But the little children, and particularly those of christian seed, have a peculiar promise which was given to them by God without any ceremony, but out of pure grace, through Christ Jesus our Lord, who says, “Allow the little children to come unto me and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven,” Mat. 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16.  This promise makes glad and assures all the chosen saints of God in regard to their children or infants as they are certain that the true word of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ can never fail.  Inasmuch as he has shown such great mercy towards the children that were brought to him, that he took them up in his arms, blessed them, laid his hands upon them, promised them the kingdom of heaven and has neither done nor commanded them anything more; therefore they have in their hearts a sure and firm faith in the grace of God concerning their beloved children, that they are children of the kingdom, of grace, of the promise and of eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom alone be the glory; and not by any ceremony.  Yes, by this same promise they are assured that their beloved children, so long as they are not of understanding years, are clean, holy, saved and pleasing unto God, be they alive or dead.  Therefore they give thanks to the eternal Father through Jesus Christ our Lord, for his inexpressibly great love to their children and [they] train them in the love of God and in wisdom, by correcting, chastising, teaching and admonishing them and by walking before them with an unblamable life until they may hear the word of God, believe it and fulfill it in their works.  Then is the time, of whatever age they may be, that they should receive the christian baptism which Christ Jesus has commanded to all christians, in obedience to his word, and which his apostles have thus practiced and taught.

Behold, brethren, if it should be said that we thus rob the children of the promise and of the grace of God, you will observe that they contradict us out of hatred and envy and do not tell the truth.  Say, who has the strongest ground and hope of the salvation of their children?  Is it he who places his hopes upon an outward sign?  Or is it he who bases his hopes upon the promise of grace, given and promised by Christ Jesus?  Still the evangelical truth must, in all respects, be blasphemed and belied by the ignorant and light-minded.  But notwithstanding this, the just and impartial Judge, Christ Jesus, will at some time pass the true sentence between them and us, although they do not fear it now.  I am forced to think that then it will be acknowledged too late by many, that they did not believe and follow the truth of Christ Jesus but the falsehood of anti-christ.  Take heed and watch.

Again, it is sometimes, and very foolishly too, asserted by the pedo-baptists that, “The apostles baptized whole households, [such] as the household of Cornelius, Acts 10:48; the household of Stephanus, 1 Cor. 1:13; the household of Lydia and of the jailer, Acts 16:15, 33; from which, they say, it may be presumed that there were also small children among them.”  From this allegation, beloved brethren, they show, although not intentionally, that they can not produce [any] Scriptures to prove infant baptism.  For whenever we must follow (build on) presumption, there is evidently no proof of the assertion.

To such opponents I would reply, in plain language, thus: These three households, namely, of Cornelius, Stephanus and of the jailer, were all believing.  Of the first household it is written, “There was a certain man in Cesarea, called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band; a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always,” Acts 10:1, 2.  If they all served and feared God, as Luke writes, then they were not baptized without faith, as is plainly shown in the same chapter; for Peter commanded that those should be baptized who had received the Holy Spirit, as they had spoke with tongues and glorified God; which are all fruits of faith, as every intelligent person will admit.

Again, of the household of Stephanus it is written, “I beseech you, brethren (you know the house of Stephanus, that it is the first fruits of Achaia and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints); that you submit yourselves unto such and to everyone that helps with us and labors,” 1 Cor. 16:15, 16.  I repeat it: to serve the saints is a work of faith.  Since the house of Stephanus served the saints, as Paul writes, therefore they showed by their fruits that they had faith.

Again, of the house of the jailer it is written that Paul and Silas spoke unto him and said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved and your house; and they spoke unto him and to all that were in his house the word of the Lord.  And he (the jailer) took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.  And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house,” Acts 16:31-34; or as Erasmus says, “He has rejoiced because he believed in God with all his house.”  Beloved reader, observe first, that they spoke the word of the Lord unto him and to all that were in his house.  Secondly, he rejoiced with all his house.  To hear the word is something which pertains to those of understanding minds and spiritual rejoicing is a fruit of the believing of the spiritual, Gal. 5:18.  Inasmuch as they all heard the word and rejoiced in God, therefore it incontrovertibly follows that the holy apostles did not baptize them without faith.

Again, we would further say in reference to this Scripture, that if it were that Lydia had infants, they would not be counted among the baptized of the house.  For Christ commanded that the believing should be baptized and the holy apostles taught and practiced [only] such baptism; from which it may be safely deduced that when the holy Scriptures speak of houses being baptized, or houses being subverted that it has reference to those of understanding years, who may be taught or subverted, as Paul shows in another Scripture, that some “subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake,” Tit. 1:11.

If you take the term whole houses as applying also to infants; and as whole houses were subverted, as Paul says, then it would follow that infants were subverted by false doctrine.  No, beloved reader, no.  An infant without understanding can be neither taught nor subverted; therefore they are not counted in the number of baptized, or those who were subverted, of which the Scriptures speak.  But the Holy Scripture teaches and admonishes, both by words and sacraments, as they are called, those alone who have ears to hear and minds to understand, as we have frequently shown above.

If anyone would like to have more information about the ceremony of baptism and about the objections made to it, let them read our first treatise on baptism which we published; and by the grace of the Lord, they will be enlightened upon the subject from the word of God.

Brethren, I conclude this treatise on baptism in the water in these words: Inasmuch as God, the merciful Father, has graciously sent into this miserable, blind and erring world his chosen, beloved Son, Christ Jesus, who has taught us the holy will of his Father in great clearness; and as he has, in his great love, offered up his precious and most holy flesh and blood for us.  The eternal Father has not only pointed us to him through his holy prophets, but also from high heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; hear him,” Mat. 17:5.  Therefore we say and testify that we should hear this Christ Jesus; that we should believe in him and follow him in all things which he has taught and commanded us; and that we should also hear and follow his holy apostles who by his own divine command were sent out with the most precious word of grace, namely, with the holy gospel.  Otherwise we have neither God, nor promise, nor eternal life, as is plain and intelligible to all mankind, from the New Testament.

This Christ Jesus has given us this express and incontrovertible command: First to teach the gospel and then to baptize those who believe and those that are thus baptized shall be saved, Mark 16:16; Mat. 28:19; Acts 19:5; 2:38; 10:48; 16:33.  And as the holy apostles have taught and used no other baptism than baptism on faith, according to the command of Christ, as shown and proven by many reasons from Acts 2; 8; 10; 16; 19; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2; 1 Cor. 12:13; Tit. 3:5 & 1 Pet. 3:21.  Therefore we again declare before you, before all the world and before God, that we are prompted by nothing but by the fear of God, being so taught by his word to teach this christian baptism and thus to receive it upon the confession of faith for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38, as said before, and are thus baptized with the washing of water, by the word, Eph. 5:26; and by the Holy Spirit which quickens our hearts, into one body, 1 Cor. 12:13; of which body Christ Jesus is the head, Col. 1:18; Eph 1:22.  Nor do we know of any other baptism of which God is a witness, than this alone; of which, by the grace of God, we have so much taught and written.

I beseech you, kind reader, not to do like the angry, blind and bloody world, who condemn everything from an envious, rebellious, refractory and raving heart before they have thoroughly perused and understood it; who reject all good, christian doctrine and usage; sometimes because of fashion, again, because of the cross and sometimes because of the plainness of the person.  Do not do thus; but judge this and all our writings according to the Spirit and holy word of the Lord and you will plainly see whether we have written and taught you truth or falsehood; whether we teach two baptisms or one; whether we seek to save your souls or destroy them; whether we seek the praise and honor of our Lord, or his dishonor.  For I trust, by the grace of God, if you are desirous of your own salvation and if you peruse what we have written and judge it with a spiritual judgment, that you will find nothing in it but the teaching which is from God; the eternal, heavenly, true and saving will of God and the very strict way of truth which the ever blessed Jesus Christ and his apostles have, in the most holy gospel, taught and shown to all mankind.

Take heed, you illustrious, noble and pious lords!  Take heed you judges and keepers of the law, against whom your cruel, bloody sword is sometimes sharpened and drawn.  I tell you in Christ Jesus that we seek nothing but what we have told you here, as you may clearly see by many [examples], namely, that there is not a false syllable nor deceitful word heard from their mouths or found in them.  And [yet] these are forced and led by you to the sword, fire and water, as poor, innocent sheep to the slaughter.  And if you should point me to the abominable actions of the corrupted sects and say that you must therefore oppose baptism by the sword, that such ungodly doings may be averted and hindered; then I would again reply: First, Christian baptism belongs not to corrupted sects, but it is the word of God.  Secondly, the holy christian baptism does not cause mutiny nor shameful actions; but [these are] caused by the false teachers and false prophets who boast themselves to be baptized christians and yet, before God, are not such.  Thirdly, there is nothing under heaven at which I am more alarmed than I am at the ungodly actions of the false, corrupted sects.  They frighten me more than death, for I know that all men must die once, Heb. 9:27.  More than the tyrannical sword, for if they take my body, it is all they can do, Mat. 10:28.  More than Satan, for I have vanquished him through Christ.  But if the terrible doctrine of the corrupted sects adhered to me, then I would truly be lost; eternal woe would be to my poor soul.  Therefore I would rather die the temporal death (that he knows who knows all things) than to eat, drink, commune, greet or converse with such, if I knew that they would not be helped by my conversation or admonition; for it is forbidden in the word of Christ to keep the company of such, Mat. 7:15; 1 Cor. 5:11; 2 Thes. 3:14; Phil. 3.  And, by the grace of God, I know to a certainty that they are not in the house of the Lord, not in the church of the living God and not in the body of Jesus Christ.  Therefore I say, if you find in me or in my teachings, which is the word of God, or among those who are taught by me or by my brethren, any thieving, murdering, perjury, mutiny, rebellion or any other criminal acts, as were formerly and are yet found among the corrupted sects─then punish all of us, as we would be culpable if this were the case.  I repeat, if we are disobedient to God in religious matters, we are willing to be instructed and corrected by the word of God; for we mean to diligently do and fulfill his most holy will.  Or if we are not obedient unto the emperor in matters belonging to him as he is called and ordained by God, I say in matters belonging to him, then we will willingly submit to such punishment as you may inflict upon us.  But if we sincerely fear and seek our Lord and God, as I trust we do and if we are obedient unto the emperor in temporal matters, as we should be according to the word of God, Mat. 22:21; Rom. 13:7; 1 Pet. 2:13; Tit. 3:1, and are yet to suffer and be persecuted and crucified for the sake of the truth of the Lord─then we should consider that “the disciple is not above his master nor the servant above his lord. * * * If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” Mat. 10:24, 25.

Yet you should know and acknowledge, O you beloved, noble, illustrious, pious lords, you judges and keepers of the law, that as often as you take, condemn and put to the sword such people, that you put your tyrannical sword into the blessed flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ and that you break the bones of his holy body; for they are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone, Eph. 5:30.  They are his chosen, beloved brothers and sisters, who are with him, born from above, of one Father, John 1:13; they are his sincerely beloved children who are born of the seed of his holy word; they are his holy, spotless and pure bride whom he, in his great love has wedded as his spouse.  Why?  Because they have, by the operation of their faith and led by the Holy Spirit, cordially committed themselves to the service of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ and do not live any more according to their lusts, but agreeably to the will of God alone, according to the direction of his holy, blessed word.  Yes, they would rather surrender everything which they possess and suffer envy, slander, scourging, persecution, anxiety, famine, thirst, nakedness, cold, heat, poverty, imprisonment, banishment, water, fire, sword or any other punishment than to forsake the gospel of grace and the confession of God and be separated from the love of Christ Jesus, Rom. 8:35.  But they will never accept the vain doctrine and commandments of men.

Therefore we pray you, as our beloved and gracious rulers according to the flesh, by the grace of God, to consider and realize, if there is any reasonableness about you, in what great anxiety and suspense we poor, miserable people are placed.  For if we abandon Christ Jesus and his holy word, we fall into the wrath of God; and if we remain firm in his holy word, we are put to your cruel sword.  O, Lord!  If it were true that this large church were your holy church, bride and body, as they boast it to be, then we might truthfully assert that you are the prince, bridegroom and head of an abominable, detestable band of murderers, who thirst after the innocent blood of those who sincerely seek, fear, love and serve God.  For the ignorant, blind people go about like a backsliding heifer, as the prophet says, seeking nothing but the persecution, imprisonment and destruction of God’s saints and children.

All the priests and monks who seek and fear nothing but their gluttonous, greedy belly and their avaricious, pompous flesh, do nothing but upbraid, slander, lie and persecute.  The judges and magistrates who seek to live off the bloody labor of the miserable take them and deliver them into the hands of the tyrants, that they may become favorites of the rulers, as the prophet says, Mic. 7; “The prince asks and the judge asks for a reward.”  The lords and keepers of the law, as a body, are after nothing but the favor and friendship of their prince to whom they are sworn, [they are] after authority, good wages and aggrandizement.  They are those who torture, banish, confiscate and murder, as the prophet says, “Her princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw at the bones till the morrow,” Zeph. 3:3.  At another place, “Her princes in the midst of it are like wolves, ravening the prey to shed blood and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain,” Ezek. 22:27.  O, how just was the revelation of holy John, when he saw that the Babylonian woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, Rev. 17:6.

O, beloved lords and judges of the land, observe how all the righteous; the prophets, Christ Jesus himself, together with his holy apostles and servants, have been treated from the beginning; and to-day you still treat those thus, who in purity of heart seek the truth and eternal life.  Therefore we must run the risk; for if you do not fear God and do not sheathe your murderous sword against Christ Jesus and against his holy church, then we esteem it of less consequence to fall in the hands of worldly princes and judges than to fall into the hands of God.  I repeat it: take heed, awake and be converted, that the innocent blood of the pious children of God, which calls for vengeance in heaven, may never again be found on your hands.

Take heed, also, you wise and learned and you common people!  For such a people are they and such is their doctrine and faith whom you daily ridicule and mock as fools; whom you slander as heretics and deceivers; and whom you take and deliver and murder in your hearts as thieves, murderers and criminals.  Yet, God’s word shall never be broken, 1 Pet. 1:24; Jas. 1:10; Psa. 90:6.  O you miserable people, what will become of you?  You are not ashamed to daily mock and ridicule the blessed Christ Jesus; to trample upon him and ravenously tear to pieces his most holy and glorious body, notwithstanding you boast of his divinity, word, death, grace, mercy and blood.

Say, beloved, if you are the church of Christ, why are you not obedient unto him?  If you are the body of Christ why destroy its holy members?  If you are the children of God why trample upon your brethren?  If you are the servants of Christ, why [do you] not do the things he has commanded?  If you are the bride of Christ why [do you] not hear his holy voice?  If you are the truly regenerated where, then, [are your] fruits?  If you are the true disciples of Christ, where is your love?  If you are the true christians where are your christian ordinances of baptism, Supper, deacons, ban and life as commanded in his word?  If you are the truly baptized ones of Christ where is your faith, your new birth, your death unto sin, your unblamable life, your good conscience, your christian body into which you were baptized and your Christ whom you have put on?

O beloved brethren, error has been rampant long enough!  Christ Jesus will be no longer be mocked as a fool.  I tell you as truly as the Lord lives, that so long as you are thus earthly, carnally and devilishly minded; so long as you oppose God and his holy word; so long as you live without the fear of God, but according to the lusts of your flesh, so long you are not the true church of Christ, even if it were that you were using the true sacraments, which, however is far from being so.  Beloved brethren, first our hearts must be cleansed and afterwards our outward actions will show that; or else it is hypocrisy before the eyes of God.  I repeat it: So long as you live ungodly, as you have done until now, Christ Jesus was, truly, born in vain, died in vain, arose and ascended in vain.  He is not the Lord, Deliverer or Savior of the wilful, obdurate, unrepenting and disobedient sinners, but he is the Lord, Deliverer and Savior of those who willingly hear his divine word; who sincerely renounce evil and walk diligently according to his holy commandments all the [rest of the] days of their lives.

May God, the gracious Father, who lives in mercy forever, grant you all true knowledge to comprehend all divine truth; and a heart, mind and will to fulfil that which you now confess, by faith from the word of God, through Christ Jesus our beloved Lord.  To him be the honor, praise, kingdom, power and glory forever and ever, Amen.

Let the bride of Christ rejoice.

HEREIN, reader, you have most devoutly [seen] what the mode of God’s baptism, which [almost] perished through the long degeneracy of the ages, in the church ought to be, being restored whole by the unspeakable gift of God.  Therefore let the writers oppose as they please; let the learned oppose by their shrewdness as they know how; let all the world under the heavens oppose in every way in which they are able, this is the only mode of baptism which Christ Jesus himself instituted and the apostles taught and practiced.

The invincible truth will always abide, although powerfully opposed by many.  He who reads the teachings of christianity and considers it well, will welcome this divine truth of Christ, though for many ages [nearly] lost and now made to appear, because it is not without merit by its favor toward us.

May the reader give thanks to the infinitely great and good God.

May you be well, be humble, read, obtain, believe and live and may our Lord be with you.

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[CHCoG:  Surprisingly, this section, titled “How the Holy Apostles Practiced Baptism in the Water” says nothing about their use of water in Baptism or their actual practices, apart from their baptising only those who have confessed their belief in Christ and their desire to obey Christ and therefore they rejected infant baptism.  But does the Bible give us more detail about HOW they actually performed their baptisms in addition to baptising them in the names of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit? Mat. 28:19.  Specifically, did they baptise by sprinkling or pouring or did they use full immersion under the water?  What were their practices, and why would this matter?

As a starting point, Jesus Christ himself was baptised by full immersion in the Jordan river: “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”  But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”  Then he allowed Him.  When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.” Mat 3:13-16.  So we see that John was baptising in the Jordan River, Jesus was baptised in the river by John and then came up out of the water.  Later, John was baptising at Aenon because ‘there was much water’ there. John 3:23.  Philip took the eunuch down into the water to baptise him. Acts 8:36-38.

The Greek word βάπτισμα baptisma literally means immersion or submersion.  Our water baptism is, in part, symbolic of us being buried and then rising up into new life with Christ, as shown in Col 2:11-12:  “In Him you were circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of sins through the circumcision of the Messiah, and you were buried with Him in immersion, in which you also arose with Him because you believed in the power of God, who raised Him from the house of the dead.”  A hand-full of water can’t bury us, nor can we rise up out of it.  Surely we should follow Christ’s own example and use full immersion whenever it is possible.

Though some scholars insist that baptisma can also mean sprinkling or pouring, it seems that they are merely trying to justify their own sprinkling modes of baptism, for the Greek does indeed have a word that does mean sprinkling, and it is ῥαντίζω rhantizo, which is used in Heb 9:13, 9:19, 9:21 & 10:22.  In this last verse, we are told that our hearts are sprinkled, but our bodies are washed, and washing is again consistent with immersion.  Rhantizo is never used to describe baptism in the Bible.

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A LETTER OF CAUTION ON DISCORD.

ANOTHER LETTER.

DOES NOT CEASE TEACHING AND WRITING.

 

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.

 

 

 

 

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine,” 2 Tim. 4:2.

 

“For no other foundation can any man lay than what is laid, which is Jesus Christ,” 1 Cor. 3:11.

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE REASON WHY MENNO SIMON DOES NOT CEASE TEACHING AND WRITING.

Sincerely beloved readers, God knows that I love you with pure love in Christ Jesus.  Inasmuch as I find proof in many Scriptures of how severely God has, from the beginning of the creation, always punished all transgression of his divine word and disobedience to it, as every intelligent reader may clearly understand from the history of Israel; and as I clearly see that the whole world, from east to west, from south to north, in the course of time, has been misled by ignorant teachers and preachers, who seek nothing but carnality, aided by unfaithful lords and princes.  They have lost their faith in and knowledge of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, the ever blessed Savior, his holy gospel and sacraments, true religion and the pious, unblamable life which is from God; and as they are falsely led, under the name of Christ, to put faith in a man of proud, unclean, idolatrous and ungodly flesh, in useless fables, doctrines and human commandments; in an idolatrous baptism and supper; in images of wood, stone, gold and silver, in water, bread and wine; in a shameful idolatry; in mere vain, false and useless promises.  It has gone so far among those who boast of the name of Christ that there is nothing left to them, neither in regard to faith, love, sacraments, nor [anything] in their life of which it can be truthfully said that it comports to the life and doctrine of Christ.  Judge for yourselves whether or not I speak the truth; and although some of them, to-day, boast of the holy gospel of Christ, yet there is nothing preached except what is useless and vain and even this no stronger than the temporal lords and princes allow them to do.  And as the princes are, so are the preachers; and as the preachers are, so are the people.  And by this we are asked to abandon Christ and his holy apostles and humble them in their doctrine and believe and adhere to the princes and the learned, if we do not want to be tortured or burned at their hands, or be murdered by some other tyrannical means; [it is] as if the preachers were sent by the princes and not by Christ.  Therefore, for the sake of the chosen of Zion and of Jerusalem, I can no longer hold my tongue, but must tell the truth; that their [the Word’s] righteousness may go forth as a light and his salvation burn as a torch; and that thus all mankind may acknowledge the righteousness of the Lord and all tongues, generations and people confess his glory.  Although I have sometimes, with Jeremiah, thought not to teach any more in the name of the Lord, because so many thirst after my blood, yet I can no longer hold my tongue; for I am, with the prophet, very much troubled at heart.  My heart trembles in my bosom; all my joints shake and quake with the idea that the whole world: lords, princes, learned and ignorant people, males and females, bond and free, are so widely estranged from Christ Jesus, from his evangelical truth and from life eternal.

When I think I will find a magistrate who fears God, rightly performs his office and [rightly] uses his sword, I truly find, as a general thing, nothing but a wine-bibbing Lucifer, Antioch, or Nero; for they place themselves in Christ’s stead so that their decrees must be respected above the word of God.  Whosoever does not regulate himself according to their decrees, does not serve Baal, maintains the ceremonies of Christ and fulfills the word of God in fruits; must be taken and suffer as a rogue, his property be confiscated and the poor, innocent orphans who have now lost their faithful parents because of the testimony of the Lord, must be cast out and find their way begging through the land.  But the idolaters, deceivers of souls, whore-mongers, knaves, adulterers, fornicators, blasphemers, perjurers, drunkards and like transgressors are not persecuted, but can live at liberty and peace under their protection.  I do not speak here of the good magistrates, who are few; but of the evil ones, which are numerous.  Besides, we have their unseasonable pomp, pride, greed, uncleanness, lying, robbing, stealing, burning, hatred, envy, avarice and idolatry.  Yet they want to be called christian princes and gracious lords.  O, Lord!  Of what little benefit will these hypocritical, lying titles and false boasting be to them before Christ, when he shall appear!

In the third place, when I think of finding an unblamable church without spot and blemish, which serves the Lord with all its power and which conforms itself to his word─I truly find such an ungodly, abominable, corrupted and confused people; so carnal, idolatrous, whoring, cruel, ungodly, unbelieving, ignorant, blood-thirsty, unmerciful, drunk, pompous, luxurious, proud, avaricious, greedy, envious, adulterous, false, deceiving, sodomitic, refractory, disobedient, rebellious, vain and so devilish that a god-fearing soul must stand dumbfounded and be ashamed of it.  Yet they claim to be the true bride, the believing church of Christ.  O no, dear reader, no.  Christ Jesus does not own such a bride or church.  But his bride is flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone, Eph. 5:30; she conforms to him, Rom. 8:29; is created after his image, Col. 3:10; partakes of his nature, 2 Pet. 1:4; is minded as he is, Phil. 2:5; seeks nothing but the heavenly things where Christ Jesus is, sitting at the right hand of his Father, Col. 3:1.  Yes, in God’s church nothing is heard, seen or found but the true doctrine of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ and his holy apostles, according to the Holy Scripture.  But in the before-mentioned churches it is mostly [not true] doctrines, [but] flatterings, comments, councils and commandments of men.  Here is faith, truth, obedience, baptism of the believing according to the word of God, true fraternal love, and the service of our neighbors; yonder is unbelief, falsehood, disobedience, infant baptism without God’s word, hatred, envy, tyranny, cruelty, shedding blood, quarreling, lawsuits, backbiting, cheating, stealing, robbing and murdering.  Here is teaching, admonition, consolation, reproof in righteousness─there, merely corruption, heresy, upbraiding and slandering; here, blessing, praise and thanksgiving─there, cursing and swearing by the suffering of the Lord, by his wounds, sacraments, flesh, blood and judgment; here, long-suffering─there, inflammable temper; here, humility─there, pride; here, mercy─there, mercilessness; here, true religion─there, idolatry; here, spirit and spiritual wisdom─there, flesh and foolishness; here is prayer in spirit and in truth─there, mockery with many powerless words; here is prayer for the Lord’s truth─there the righteousness of the Lord is persecuted; here is faith in Christ─there, idolatrous ceremonies.  In short, here is Christ and God─there, anti-Christ and the devil.  Yes, most beloved brethren, the pure, chaste and spotless bride of our Lord Jesus Christ (judge for yourselves) is quite different from this carnal, unclean, adulterous and shameful ‘church’.

Truly, they are not the true church of Christ who merely boast of his name.  But those are the true church of Christ who were converted, who are born from above by God, who are of a regenerated mind and by the operation of the Holy Spirit through the hearing of the divine word have become the children of God; who obey him and live unblamably in his holy commandments and according to his holy will, all their days after their calling.

Inasmuch as the worldly church is not such an amiable, obedient bride, but has left her lawful husband, Christ, and follows after strange adulteries, as may be plainly seen, and all this through blindness, ignorance and the deceit of their teachings─therefore I seek to accomplish nothing by my writing and teaching, according to the talent God was pleased to give me, but to reclaim this adulterous bride, the erring church, from her adulterous actions and again to return her to her first husband, Christ Jesus, to whom she was so unfaithful, notwithstanding he did her such great service.  By this, showing and declaring to all sects, nations and individuals who desire to read or hear our doctrine, writings and admonitions, not by flatterings nor my own opinion, but by the express word of God, which alone avails, that there is no salvation on earth or in heaven other than in Christ Jesus, that is, in his doctrine, faith, sacraments, obedience and walk.  All doctrine which is contrary to his word or is without his command, is vain, such as, in the papal church; purgatory, false promises, differences in places, in victuals and in days, pilgrimages, false sacrifices, &c.  Again, in the German [protestant] churches, the availability of infant baptism.  Again, with the corrupted sects, the third David; the carnal kingdom; that ‘everything is clean to the clean,’ such as to show idols outward honor and reverence, to baptize infants, polygamy, shameful confession, to make indecent show of a person, not to believe in angels or the devil; that a more perfect doctrine can be proclaimed than was taught by Christ Jesus, Paul and the other apostles and other similar abominations.

Again, all the sacraments not contained in the word of God, such as the idolatrous baptism of infants, the false supper in a church which neither seeks, knows, fears nor loves its God; which believes that the bread is actual flesh and the wine actual blood; also, the confirmation, the holy oil, as they call it; again, all the services which are neither taught nor commanded by Christ nor his apostles, such as holy water, altars, images, masses, vigils, absolution, the invocation of the departed [such as Mary and the apostles], monkhood, pilgrimages, [Sunday ‘Sabbath’, Christmas, Easter, All Saints Day] and similar abominations.  Again, the private and public life which does not comport with the Spirit and life of Jesus Christ; such as unclean, vulgar thoughts, evil desires, unbecoming, shameful words; uncleanness, adultery, fornication, drinking to excess, hatred, envy, the shedding of blood contrary to the ordinance of God, avarice, pride, lying, cheating, backbiting, jesting, theft, usury, murder, swearing and fighting.  All these matters and articles, such as doctrines, sacraments, worship and life, which are here noted and others which are not, every reader can easily understand by the inward unction of God that they, not being contained, expressed, nor commanded in his word and in the wholesome doctrine of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, but most of them being diametrically contrary to the Word, therefore we deem them, according to the sentence of the Holy Scriptures, as nothing else than false doctrine, deceit and fantasy; as false and garbled, idolatrous sacraments, as abominable idolatry, spiritual whoredom, degeneracy and as carnal, earthly and deadly [to] life, of which the Holy Spirit of God has so abundantly testified through Paul and John that those who commit these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God, Rom. 1:22; 1 Cor. 6:8; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 3:5; Rev. 22:5.

For if the literal Israel was so severely punished and crushed by Jehovah because they did not abide by the law, commandments, statutes and righteousnesses of their God and because they did not hear and receive the reproving, admonition and teachings of their faithful prophets who spoke to them through the inspiration of God, but stoned them, put them to the sword, killed, upbraided and blasphemed them; [instead] following a worship to suit their own taste, as has been shown above─O, what must we, then, expect from God, if we do not abide by the wholesome doctrine of grace by the right holy sacraments, by the works of love which are pleasing to God and by the pious, unblamable life which not Moses, not a prophet, not an angel, nor a creature has taught us, but which the eternal Son of God himself, the eternal wisdom and truth, the eternal love and mercy, the blessed Christ Jesus has taught us by his own blessed mouth.  [He did this] by the command of his Almighty Father, which command is eternal and immutable, whose love for us is ineffable, who has confirmed it by virtue of miracles and at last sealed it with Jesus’s precious blood; and has proclaimed the same to all the world by his faithful testimony and by his holy apostles, in the unsearchable power of the Spirit.  This doctrine is nothing else, nor will it ever be anything else, than the precious gospel of peace, the glad tidings of grace, the remission of sin, the victory over death, the grave and the devil; besides [this, it is] grace, peace, freedom and admission to the Father; and all this is out of love and grace─not by works or merit of our own; but by means of Christ Jesus alone.

Again, these are the sacraments which Christ Jesus has instituted and taught: First, the holy baptism of the believing, in which we bury our sinful flesh and take unto ourselves a new life, seal and confess our faith, testify to the new birth and good conscience; and thus we enter into the obedience of Jesus Christ, who has taught and commanded us to do this himself and also in his Holy Spirit through his disciples.  Secondly, the Holy Supper, in which is represented the death of the Lord, who died for us in his great love; and in which is represented true, brotherly love; and also the righteous, unblamable, christian life which must be lived inwardly and outwardly in full measure of death unto sin and unfeigned love, conformable to the word of God.

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And apart from these annual Holy Days, every week we have the seventh-day Sabbath, which reminds us that Jehovah God and his son Jesus Christ are our Creators, and they command us to set aside this day to fellowship with them and our fellow believers. (Gen. 2:1-3, Exo. 16:23-29, 20:8-11 & 31:13-16, Lev. 19:3, Isa. 56:1-7, 58:13-14 & 66:22-24, Mark 2:27-3:5, Luke 4:16 & 23:56, Acts 13:42-44, 16:13 & 17:2).  There is more detail in The Sabbath in Scripture.]

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Behold, worthy reader, since the whole world, yes, all tongues, tribes and people have become degenerated, according to the righteous sentence of God, in the doctrines, sacraments and life which is pleasing to God, for they prefer falsehood to truth, unrighteousness to righteousness.  They have committed themselves to all manner of false teachings, false ceremonies and carnal life, so that we may consider them [almost] as brutes rather than human beings, rather like devils than [as] christians, as every reasonable being can easily, even without the word of God, comprehend and understand.  Their learned and preachers, who we should reasonably expect to reprove such things, are themselves committed to such false doctrine, unbelief and abominable idolatry and lead an even more beastly and infernal life.  Yes, as these learned people diligently lead and force all mankind to such idolatry, unbelief, transgression and accursed life, both by their teaching and example, as most of the learned have done from the beginning.  They are always earthly, carnally and devilishly minded and they always reject the spiritual and heavenly wisdom and will of Jesus Christ, which tempers the carnal lusts, as a displeasure and inconvenience, Col. 3:5; 1 Pet. 2:11; Rom. 13:14.  Therefore, since I clearly see this awful disesteem of the holy word of God and the condemnation of innumerable thousands of souls whom Christ Jesus has so dearly bought and ransomed by his precious blood, for outside of obedience to the divine word there is no salvation, therefore I cannot be silent, for the honor and praise of my Lord and God are at stake and it avails the salvation of a poor, erring brother─although, perchance, it may be at the risk of my life.

Who knows but that God, through me and through my beloved brethren who are and who shall be, has chosen and provided in his grace that some of those who now unwittingly err may yet acknowledge and confess the right way, doctrine, truth and life and walk unblamably in Christ, before God and before all the world all the [rest of the] days of their lives.  O, Lord, that it might be so, Amen.

Behold, most beloved reader, inasmuch as the Babylonian king, namely, the [pope or] anti-christ, has, through his servants, that is, through the false prophets and teachers, demolished the disobedient Jerusalem, the temple of the Lord and has thus imprisoned Israel these many years─therefore I and my brethren in the Lord desire nothing but that we may, to the honor of God, so labor at his fallen city, temple and imprisoned people, according to the talent received from him, that we may rebuild that which is demolished, repair that which is damaged and free those who are imprisoned, with the word of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit; the same as it was before the fall, that is, in freedom of the Spirit, on the doctrines, sacraments, ceremonies, love and life of Jesus Christ and of his holy apostles.

For this reason I am not ashamed to write down, publish and loudly proclaim my faith, doctrine, seeking and desire, before all mankind who will hear, no matter who they are.  Yes, I do not doubt but if those could see my inmost heart who now assiduously seek my life, they would change their hatred against me and my brethren into love for us.

In the first place we desire, according to the word of God, that no bishop, pastor or teacher shall be admitted into the church of the Lord, to teach and administer the sacraments of the Lord, other than those who are competent in the doctrine, ordinance and life of our Lord Jesus Christ and unblamable in all things, 1 Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:6; Lev. 21:7; Ezek. 44:21; for the word of the Lord is truth, John17:17; it is Spirit and life, John 6:63.  Therefore the sacraments can not be administered by the carnal minded; by none of the children of death, nor by liars; but by the truthful, by the spiritual minded and by those who rightly confess Christ Jesus; who surely feel the eternal life in their hearts and who live unblamably before God and walk in Christ Jesus, so that they may truthfully say with Paul, “Be followers of me, even as I also am of Christ,” 1 Cor.11:1.

In the second place we desire with ardent hearts, even at the cost of life and blood, that the holy gospel of Jesus Christ and his apostles, which alone is the true doctrine and will remain so until Jesus Christ will reappear in the clouds, may be taught and preached through all the world, as the Lord Jesus Christ commanded his disciples at the last moments while he was on earth, Mat. 28:19; Mark 16:15.

In the third place we seek, teach and desire a true faith and christian life conformable to the doctrine of Jesus Christ and his apostles; for the doctrine of the preachers is all vain and useless if the word which is preached is not accepted by faith, Heb. 4:2; and faith is vain and dead before God when it does not work by love, Jas. 2:20.

In the fourth place, we teach, seek and desire a right christian baptism; first with Spirit and fire, Luke 3:16; afterward in the water, in obedience to faith; for thus has Christ Jesus commanded all the believing; and thus the holy apostles have taught and administered it, Mat. 28:19; Mark 16:15; Acts 2:38; 9:5; 16:31; 10:47.

In the fifth place, we teach, seek and desire such a Supper as Christ Jesus himself has instituted and administered, Mat. 26:19; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; first, to a church which is outwardly without spot and blemish, that is, without any considerable transgression and wickedness; for the church can only judge as to the visible; but what is inwardly wicked and not outwardly apparent to the church, as the betraying of Judas, of that God is to judge, for he alone tries the hearts and minds and not the church.  Secondly, in both forms, namely, bread and wine; thirdly, to the remembrance of the Lord’s death.  Fourthly, as a renewal and proof of brotherly love, as this supper was also called a brotherly supper among the ancients, as Tertullian writes.

In the sixth place we seek and desire that all strange ceremonies and manners of worship which are without the word of God, or instituted contrary to it and tend to abominable idolatry, such as holy water, oral confession, infant baptism, masses, matins, vespers, images, altars, false promises and similar ceremonies, may be abolished, not by force of arms, but peaceably by the word of God, that the poor, ignorant populace may no longer be deceived by such vain works which are nothing short of idolatry; but that they may put their faith in the living God and in the merits of our always blessed Lord Jesus Christ and that they may cordially walk in his divine commandments, not varying to the right or the left; for in him is life everlasting, John 12:50 and in none other.

In the seventh place we seek, desire, teach and preach that all magistrates, emperors, kings, dukes, counts, barons, mayors, knights and other officers may be so taught and trained by the Spirit and word of God that they may sincerely seek, honor, fear and serve Christ Jesus, the true head of all lords and potentates; that they may rightly administer their office and use the sword given to them by God, in fear of him and in brotherly love, to the praise of God, to the protection of the good and to the punishment of the evil, according to the intent of the word of God, Rom. 13:3; 1 Pet. 2:13; as did the men of God, such as Moses, Joshua, David, Ezekiel, Josiah and others.  Read also Deut. 17:2 & 3 and you will clearly understand what God has commanded all magistrates to do.

Besides, we teach the true love and fear of God, the true love of our neighbor, to aid and assist all mankind and to injure none; to crucify the flesh and its lusts; to circumcise the heart, mouth and the whole body with the knife of the divine word, of all unclean thoughts, unbecoming words and actions.  Now consider whether these things are not the will of God, the true doctrine of Jesus Christ, the true ministering of the sacraments and the true life which is of God; even though all the gates of hell may wilfully oppose them.

Behold, dear brethren, against these doctrines, sacraments and life no imperial decrees, no papal bulls, no councils of the learned, no long usage, no human philosophy, no Origen, Augustine, Luther, Bucer, prison, banishment or murder can prevail; for it is the eternal, imperishable word of God.  It is, I repeat, the eternal word of God and will remain immutable forever.  Etiamsi rumpantur illa codro.  [Even if those cords are broken.]  Whosoever yet opposes and wars against these things, either at heart, verbally or by the sword, does not war against flesh and blood, that is, against man, but he wars against the Lamb, and against him who has all power and who by his word created heaven and earth and the fullness of it.  Yes, against Jehovah who lifts up his hand and says, “I live forever,” Deut. 32:36-40.

As this is the true doctrine of Jesus Christ, which alone leads to life eternal and as there is no other true doctrine besides it; therefore I might be asked by the reader why it is that so very few men sincerely believe and fulfill it in works?  In my opinion there are four reasons for this.  First, because all lords, preachers and common people are carnal and earthly minded; therefore they cannot admit the lovely doctrine of the Holy Spirit, [which is] the doctrine of eternal peace.  Secondly, because they are drunk and full of the enchanting wine of the Babylonian whore, [who is] exceedingly rich and not in want of anything, Rev. 17:2; 3:17.  Thirdly, because they do not fear the awful judgment and fearful wrath of God against all disobedience and transgression.  Yes, they so utterly disregard the word of God, [it is] as if the Holy Spirit was merely jesting when threatening temporal or eternal punishment.  Fourthly, because they do not acknowledge the great beneficence of God toward them in Christ Jesus; for if they did acknowledge the works of divine love toward them, namely, that God has created heaven and earth and the fullness of it for their benefit; that he formed them after his own image from the dust of earth; placed them at the head of all creation; gave them gold, silver, land, house and home and all the necessaries of life and gave them his divine word.  First [there was] the law of nature, then Moses and the prophets and afterwards his only begotten Son, Christ Jesus, [with] his wisdom and his power, who has taught them the will of his Father in great clearness; opened heaven and closed hell; vanquished death, sin and the devil for them; fulfilled the cumbersome, threatening law on the cross [throughout his life] and acquired for them grace, favor, mercy, peace, freedom, deliverance, remission of sins and eternal life with the Father [on the cross], if they in truth believe, seek and desire it.  Besides [this, the Father is] calling them daily to repentance, regeneration and the glory of the chosen children of God; desiring to draw them forth from the darkness of the world and deliver them into the kingdom of his beloved Son; not letting his righteous judgment come on them as it did on Sodom and Gomorrah; giving them day and night, sun and moon, rain and drought; again, blessing them with wisdom and understanding, wife, children, cattle and fruits.  If they did cordially acknowledge these rich gifts of his abundant grace, then all the tyrants under heaven would not separate them from the doctrine, love, sacraments, life and confession of Jesus Christ even if it were possible that they could testify to and assert it by a thousand deaths.  Yes, they would say with the apostle Paul, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”  Rom. 8:35.

But because they do not acknowledge the God of all grace in his divine word, judgments and beneficences; and do not acknowledge the Spirit, power, will and life which is in Christ Jesus whom we should follow, according to the word of God; therefore they so wrongfully oppose and persecute the heavenly doctrine of Jesus Christ and diligently follow, teach and protect all manner of falsehood, deceit, fraud and idolatry.  Again I repeat, If they rightly acknowledged and believed the paternal heart, mind and love, protection, favor, will, solicitude and affection of the Almighty God in Christ Jesus, they would doubtlessly accept and cordially fulfill his blessed word and admonition; but as they do not rightly acknowledge Christ Jesus nor his Father─the Savior said, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  He that believes on him is not condemned; but he that does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil,” John 3:16-19.

Take heed, O you miserable, erring men!  For here the eternal wisdom of the blessed Christ Jesus has expressed why you do not believe his precious word and do not fulfill his divine will: because you prefer the damnable darkness to the saving light.  Yes, I repeat, that if you sincerely accepted and believed the divine goodness, mercy and the ineffable love of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ toward you, namely, that through his ardent love he became a humble mortal man for you; came down from high heaven into these lower parts of the earth, taught and preached unto you the eternal kingdom of God, performed miracles, prayed, suffered tribulation, anxiety, apprehension and prison; that he was beaten, mocked, derided, spit upon, scourged, crowned with thorns, drenched with gall and vinegar, blasphemed and crucified.  He died and was buried for you; was again raised up, ascended to heaven [and is] seated at the right hand of the Father.  By his precious blood he became your faithful Servant, Reconciler, Deliverer, Mediator and Advocate; by love he sent to you and the whole world, his faithful servants, the holy apostles, with the word of grace.  If you believe all this, you would doubtlessly love him who has shown you such great love and grace without any merit on your part; and if you would return the love with which he has loved you and yet loves you, you would, truly, not tire of seeking him and following him, so that you might live unblamably according to his blessed will and walk all your life in his divine commandments, for as he himself says, “He that has my commandments and keeps them is he that loves me,” John14:21.

Behold, most beloved reader, thus true faith or true knowledge begets love and love begets obedience to the commandments of God.  Therefore Christ Jesus says, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16.  Again at another place, “Truly, truly, I say unto you, he that hears my word and believes on him that sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation; but has passed from death into life,” John 5:24.  For true evangelical faith is of such a nature that it cannot lay dormant, but manifests itself in all righteousness and works of love; it dies unto flesh and blood; destroys all forbidden lusts and desires; cordially seeks, serves and fears God; clothes the naked; feeds the hungry; consoles the afflicted; shelters the miserable; aids and consoles all the oppressed; returns good for evil; serves those that injure it; prays for those that persecute it; teaches, admonishes and reproves with the Word of the Lord; seeks that which is lost; binds up that which is wounded; heals that which is diseased and saves that which is sound.  The persecution, suffering and anxiety which befalls it for the sake of the truth of the Lord is to it a glorious joy and consolation.

All those who have a faith as is here mentioned, namely, a faith that makes [one] desirous to walk in the commandments of the Lord, to do the will of the Lord and which shows itself in all righteousness, love and obedience, also acknowledges that the word and will of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ is true wisdom, truth and life, yes, unchangeable and immutable until Christ Jesus shall reappear in the clouds of heaven at the judgment day.  They do not scoff at God’s word as if it were a vapor, as do the ignorant world, saying, “What can water avail me?” but they will diligently try to obey the word of Jesus Christ in every particular, even at the risk of death according to the flesh.

Behold, beloved brethren, I speak frankly with a certain and sure conviction, not by any revelation or heavenly inspiration, but by the express, definite word of the Lord.  From my inmost heart I am convinced that this doctrine is not our doctrine, but the doctrine of him who sent us, that is Christ Jesus.  All those who are desirous of doing his will, will acknowledge that this doctrine is from God, and that we do not preach our own opinion, dreamings and visions.  But those who do not fear God; do not believe on Christ Jesus; who trample upon his word and do not do his will; who love darkness rather than light; by them all evangelical truth must be called damnable heresy and considered and treated as deadly treason.  Notwithstanding all this, the word of God shall remain unbroken until the judgment day.

Woe unto such!  For in them are lost the abundant gifts of grace, the heavenly word of peace, the mild admonitions, the hard and bitter labor, and the precious treasure, which is the precious blood and bitter death of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Again, woe, woe unto them!  For it can never be that we can be saved without faith, love and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ.  I speak of those of understanding age.  Paul says, “Without faith it is impossible to please him (God),” Heb. 11:6, [and Christ says] “He that does not believe is condemned,” John 3:18.

As the literal law of Moses can not, at any time, be changed by the tyranny of princes, the acuteness of the learned, or by the madness of the common people; and as there could be nothing added to nor taken from it, it had to remain unchanged until the coming of Christ.  Yes, as all who did not abide by this law were the children of the wrath and of death; so, also, it is today.  If all the deceased apostles should be raised up and should teach us differently from what they did at the time of their ministration; and besides these, Moses and the prophets, all the angels of heaven and as many eloquent and miraculous prophets as we have hairs on our heads; and if besides these, all the princes should roar like devouring lions and ravening wolves and if every learned tongue should cut as a razor, it would yet be impossible that those could be saved who do not abide by the wholesome doctrine, sacraments, obedience and life of Jesus Christ.  Yes, they are the children of wrath, the curse and eternal death, as Christ himself says, “Not everyone that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven,” Mat. 7:21.  At another place he says, “If you continue in my word then are you my disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free,” John 8:31, 32.  From this follows the opposite, beloved brethren; namely, that if we do not abide in Christ’s word we cannot be his disciples and we do not acknowledge the truth; and if we do not acknowledge the truth how can we then be made free by this?  And if we are not freed by truth, woe unto us that we were ever born; for then we are yet in sin, under the curse of wrath, children of hell, of the devil and of eternal death.  O, misery, misery!  Fear with all your heart, faithful reader!  For this will never be found otherwise.

If the bloodthirsty, tyrannical lords and princes had, from the beginning, acknowledged this and would now acknowledge it, namely, that the word is eternal and will remain unchangeable and that it cannot be changed by the most exalted of men, never would they thus have opposed and murdered the professors of the divine word.

If the Roman bishop and his learned fellows had taken this matter to heart, he would never have taken from Italy her emperor and from Christ Jesus the spiritual reign.  But he would, doubtlessly, have bidden adieu to his worldly glory, pomp, luxury, idolatry, false doctrine, easy life, garbled sacraments, sodomitic uncleanness, councils, statutes and decrees and would have contented himself with the immutable, heavenly doctrine of the only true Shepherd, Teacher and Bishop of our souls, Christ Jesus.

As the whole burden of our salvation is included and comprised in Christ Jesus and his holy word and in no one else, nor in any other doctrine─therefore I warn every god-fearing soul, by the word of God; through nothing but brotherly love, not to be shaken and misled, either by the exalted position of a man, or by old age, learning, eloquence, finely gotten up ceremonies, dreams, prophesies, visions, signs and jugglery.  For there can never be a wiser, truer, more diligent, more righteous, god-pleasing, unblamable, powerful, perfect, higher or holier Prophet than the always blessed Christ Jesus.  Every thing, too, has testified this of him, both in heaven and upon earth.  In the first place God testified this to Adam; afterward to Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Zechariah and to most of the prophets; to the angel Gabriel; to the angels at his birth; by the star of heaven; by the wise [men] from the east; the learned at Jerusalem and John the Baptist.  Again at his baptism by the Father and the Holy Spirit; afterward by the multitudes, the devils; by the healing, the raising up of the dead; by changing water into wine; commanding the storm to cease; by the loaves, fishes, fig-tree and the children on palms-day.  Again, at his death; by the murderer; the firmament of heaven; the whole earth; the curtains of the temple; the stones; the deceased dead and the centurion under the cross, Psa. 22:7; Isa. 53:5; Dan. 9:25.  Say, what is there that has not testified to Christ Jesus?  Yes, he is the one, as he himself says, who after his resurrection again ascended to heaven, to whom all power is given by the Father both in heaven and in earth, Mat. 28.  Therefore it is just and right, yes it is absolutely required, if they do not want to be lost, that all magistrates bow themselves under his scepter; all reason and sagaciousness place themselves under his heavenly wisdom; all flesh lay at his blessed feet; and that every tongue confess that he is the Lord, to the honor and praise of his Father.  Therefore I pray all god-fearing readers in the Lord, by the merits of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the kingdom, the praise and honor; not to consider me any higher than a mere humble servant of Jesus Christ and as a dispenser of his mysteries, according to the faith given to me by him.  I, miserable sinner that I am, on account of my unclean, greedy, proud, vain, idolatrous and carnal life which I formerly led and on account of my yet often sinning and transgressing before my God, of who I am not worthy to be the least servant in the house of my Lord!  Yet, by his grace I am what I am.

Brethren, I tell you the truth and do not lie.  I am no Enoch, no Elijah, I have no visions, am no prophet, who can teach and prophesy differently from what it is written in the word of God.  Whosoever tries to teach something else will soon miss the right way and be deceived in his learning.  I trust that the merciful Father will keep me in his word so that I shall write or speak nothing but that which I can prove by Moses, the prophets, the evangelists or by other apostolic Scriptures and doctrines, explained in their true sense, Spirit and intent of Christ.  You that are spiritually minded judge.  Again, I have no visions nor angelic inspirations, neither do I desire such, lest I be by this deceived.  The word of Christ alone is sufficient for me.  If I do not follow his testimony, then, truly, all that I do is useless.  And even if I had such visions and inspirations, which is not the case, even then it would have to be conformable to the word and Spirit of Christ, or else it would be mere fantasy, deceit and satanic temptation.  For Paul says, “Let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith,” Rom. 12:6.  Nor am I a third David, as some have falsely passed themselves and yet pass themselves for.  There are but two Davids described in the word of God.  The first, a literal and figurative, namely, the son of Jesse; and the second, the spiritual, the only begotten Son of God, Christ Jesus.  Whosoever passes himself for the third is a falsifier and blasphemer.  Let every soul take heed, lest he err in his faith.

According to my first birth I am nothing but unclean slime and dust of earth, conceived and born in sin from my mother’s womb and educated all my life in all manner of ignorance, sin and blindness, until the clear light of grace and knowledge appeared unto me from high heaven and which has given me such a heart, will and desire that I willingly seek after that which is good and strive, with holy Paul, to “press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me,” Phil. 3:12.

O, most beloved reader, I repeat that I have formerly acted shamefully against God and my neighbors; and I yet sometimes think, speak and act recklessly, of which however I sincerely repent.  What am I that I should boast of, seek and teach anything other than the always blessed Christ Jesus alone, his word, sacraments, obedience and his god-pleasing, virtuous and unblamable life.  He is the only one of whom it is written: That he was begotten of the Holy Spirit; that he knew no sin; that guile was not found in his mouth, that his doctrine, word, will and commandments are life eternal, Mat. 1:25; Luke 1:31; 1 Pet. 2:22; Isa. 53:12.

Therefore take heed and save your soul.  For thus every christian must be minded in regard to Christ Jesus, his Savior, and in regard to his holy word; nor must he think himself more exalted, no matter what gifts he has received, if he would not rob Christ Jesus of his glory; and remain in a humble walk before God, in the right measure of his faith as becomes him in Christ.  I advise all not to deceive themselves.  Let spiritual pride and vain boasting be far from you, “For God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble,” 1 Pet. 5:5.

Inasmuch as I daily see the perils which have surrounded us from the beginning; and as so many souls are deceived by the false prophesies, smooth words, seeming holiness, lying, jugglery, boasting and false promises of the anti-christians and the false prophets who are always intent upon their own honor, fame and gain, under a semblance of God’s word, as is the case with the popes of Rome, with John of Leyden, the Munsterites and others.  Therefore I deem it essential to sincerely warn and advise all beloved readers in the Lord to not accept my doctrine as the gospel of Jesus Christ until they have weighed it in the balance with the Spirit and word of God, that they may not place their faith in me, nor in any teacher or writer, but solely in Christ Jesus.  For if they should accept it for my sake and should not first compare it with the word of the Lord and should thus depend upon me or any other man and not upon Christ Jesus, they would be like unto the culpable Corinthians, whom Paul severely reproved because there were dissensions among them; some were of Paul, some of Apollos and not all of Christ Jesus, 1 Cor. 1.  They would be like those of whom it is written, “Cursed be the man that trusts in man and makes flesh his arm and whose heart departs from Jehovah,” Jer. 17:5.

If I should, by my teaching, gain disciples for myself and not for Christ Jesus, seeking my own gain, praise and honor, then indeed, woe unto my soul!  No brethren, no.  The Lord be blessed!  I do not seek that which Judas, Gallio and Theudas sought.  By the grace of God I am not minded like those who, in their imagination soar above the clouds and want to be like unto the Most High, Acts 5:37.  I repeat it.  I am a poor, miserable sinner, who must daily fight with my flesh, the world and the devil and daily seek the mercy of the Lord; and who, with holy Paul boasts of nothing but Christ Jesus alone; and that he was crucified for us.

My writing and preaching is for nothing but for the sake of Christ Jesus; for I seek and desire nothing (this the Lord knows) but that the most glorious name, the divine will and the glory of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ may be acknowledged throughout the world.  I desire and seek sincere teachers, true doctrines, true faith, true sacraments, true worship and an unblamable life; for which I must pay with much tribulation, trouble, uneasiness, labor, watching, fear, anxiety, sorrow, envy, shame, heat and cold and perhaps, at last by torture, yes by my blood and death.  For my reward, according to the flesh, must be that of him who, from the beginning, in his great love, has sought the salvation of the world.  I say with holy John the Baptist; Christ Jesus must increase, but I must decrease, John 3:30; he lives forever and ever, but I shall again return to the dust from where I came, as all the children of men do.

Therefore I beseech you again, by the grace of God and for the salvation of your souls, that you weigh my doctrine and the doctrine of all mankind, who have been from the times of the apostles, are now and shall yet be, in the balance with the gospel of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of his holy apostles, lest you be deceived by me or by any other man, no matter whether he is a prince, learned or unlearned, holy in appearance, or miraculous.  If it is the word of God which I teach, accept it in the name of the Lord, if you would not be lost.  But if it is human doctrine, then let it be accursed by God. “For no other foundation can any man lay than what is laid (by the apostles) which is Jesus Christ,” 1 Cor. 3:11.

No doctrine is profitable or serviceable to our salvation but the doctrine of Christ Jesus and his holy apostles, as he himself says, “Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you,” Mat. 28:19.

All Scripture, both of the Old and New Testaments, rightly explained according to the intent of Christ Jesus and his holy apostles, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 2 Tim. 3:16; but whatever is taught contrary to the Spirit and doctrine of Jesus is accursed by God, Gal. 1.

Inasmuch as there is but one corner-stone laid by the Lord Jehovah, the Almighty Father, in the foundation of Zion, which is Christ Jesus, Isa. 28:16; Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:6; upon whom alone we should build conformable to his word and upon none other.  As the whole world, to the contrary, have built upon strange corner-stones, such as popes, councils, doctors, doctrines and commandments of men; upon wrong practices of long standing and still continue to build upon pretending prophets; and as they thus so shamefully reject the only, noble and finished corner-stone, the always blessed Christ Jesus─therefore I can not be restrained, but must warn all god-fearing souls in the Lord, by my writings, wherever they shall be taken, read and heard, that from this moment they may awaken, if they desire to be saved (whether I live or die by so doing) and that they must without delay, enter upon the wholesome doctrine, sacraments, obedience and life of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ; for in him alone is eternal life, as has been frequently said above.

Beloved reader, truly, I can not but wonder at the obduracy, deafness and blindness of the world, inasmuch as they are not ashamed to bear the name of Christ and to boast of his merits, blood and death, while nothing is found among them at all by which they prove the good will and nature of Christ Jesus.  O, you vain boasters, if you are the true christians in whom God is pleased, as you pretend, where then, is your christian baptism in which you have buried your sins and put on the new life?  Where is your true Supper in which you proclaim the death of the Lord and show your brotherly love?  Where is your love and fear of God?  Or your love of your neighbors?  Or your humility of heart?  Your mercifulness towards the needful?  Your obedience to the commandments of God?  Your new birth from above, which results a new life that should be unblamable before God and before all the world?  Jas. 1:27.  Where is the living, holy and pleasing sacrifice of your own body, which you should always be ready to present for the sake of the Lord’s truth?  We find nothing among you but unbelief and its evil fruits; an anti-Christian baptism, an idolatrous supper; an unclean love of flesh, unmercifulness, pride, avarice, disobedience in all divine matters, carnal birth, earthly mindedness and the old blamable life, led according to the will of him who, from the beginning, was a proud, false, deceitful, cruel and bloody murderer.

We find among you no [true] worship, but only a self-begotten set of rites which are pleasing to the flesh, such as, bells, organs, singing, celebration, ornamented churches, beautiful images, differences in victuals and in days, false purification and promises, reading many psalms and pater nosters with the mouth and not spiritually, adulteration of the sacraments and a destruction and garbling of all that Christ Jesus has taught and commanded in his holy gospel.  All of these are, truly, not works of regenerated christians, but rather the works of Satan and of the foolish, blind and ignorant flesh.  For by these works neither the word nor righteousness of God is taught: no flesh is crucified; no neighbors are served; and above all they are not pleasing to God.  Therefore they can not be considered, according to Scripture, services of God, but rather an abominable, fearful and terrible service of idols.  For by such means the ignorant, trusting populace is led away from the true faith and trust in Christ Jesus and is led into a false trust in ceremonies, yes, in such ceremonies as the eternal wisdom of the blessed Christ Jesus has never commanded.  By their ceremonies they plainly show that they believe at heart that Christ Jesus is imperfect, foolish and unclean.  For if they believed him to be wise and perfect, how could they thus shamefully adulterate, break, despise and garble his perfect, evangelical word and ordinances?  And if they acknowledged him to be spotless why do they seek their salvation in such impure and strange means and not in the only pure sacrifice, which is Christ Jesus?

Because true religion opposes your carnal mindedness, pride, avarice, uncleanness, vanity, ease and the lusts of your flesh, therefore you have chosen for yourselves a vain and strange religion by which you think to be saved, although you do not live according to the word and will of God.  O, no, dear reader, no.  I repeat it: If all creatures under the heavens were devouring swords, fire and water; if all men were cruel, horrible and bloody tyrants; and if the acuteness of the learned ruled all the people, yet all would be vanity.  If you would enter into life, you must be born again, John 3:5, you must be regenerated and in malice you should be children, 1 Cor. 14:20.  Yes, you must keep the commandments which were taught and commanded by Jesus Christ, Mat. 18.  Nothing can be devised as a substitute, for there will never be a way to salvation other than Christ Jesus.

It is just plain and indiscreet blindness to think that we could be saved and at the same time be avaricious, spiteful, envious, proud, adulterous and idolatrous, as all the Scriptures plainly show and teach that such shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  Did you ever find falsehood with God?  I think not.  Holy Paul says that God is one “that can not lie,” Tit. 1:2.  Christ Jesus says, “Your word is truth,” John 17:17.  If he is, then, a God that can not lie; and if his holy word is truth; O, you miserable ones, then all is lost with you.  For his doctrine and truth is that the unbelieving, refractory, disobedient, avaricious, vain, lying, whoring, greedy, obdurate, idolatrous, adulterous, ambitious, bloodthirsty and carnal person shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven; but his portion shall be “everlasting destruction,” 1 Thes. 1:9, [resulting in] eternal darkness and eternal death.

As you are such ungodly, obdurate and wilful sinners, therefore you are, according to the word of Christ─which can not lie─and according to the doctrine of the apostles who spoke in like Spirit, deprived of the glorious revelation of the children of God and of the future life; and must remain forever, [die the second death], by the wrath of God, in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, Rev. 21:8.

And if you, notwithstanding this, trust to be saved while you do not sincerely repent of your old life, then, truly, your trust is vain.  For by such trust you make God a liar, because you hope to acquire life contrary to his holy word.

What!  Do you think, O you perverse [people], that we shall surprise, blind and bribe the Almighty, wise and just God?  Do you think that the eternal truth shall become falsehood for your sake?  No, beloved reader, no.  Beware.  The irrepressible sentence of [Jehovah] God was passed, irrepealably more than fifteen hundred years ago, namely: “If you live after the flesh, you shall die,” Rom. 8:13.  This word is sure and firm.

O world, world, you thus despise as vain and useless, the calling and inviting voice of your God, who is as faithful to you as a faithful Father is to his beloved children!  And that you speak in your hearts, with beautiful Tyre, “I am of perfect beauty,” Ezek. 27:3; and with the proud [daughter of] Babel, “I am and there is none else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children,” Isa. 47:8.  Yes, although you now say, as do the ignorant, ‘It is peace and freedom;’ yet I tell you, as Ezekiel said unto Tyre, You are nothing; you will be nothing forever; and as Isaiah said unto Babel, You shall fall and not rise again; and with Paul, “That the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night,” and, “as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape,” 1 Thes. 5:2, 3; and although you may now, with Capernaum, be exalted unto heaven yet you will be brought down to hell, and unlooked for, Mat. 11:23.  You eat, drink, dress, grab, hoard and you act in all your transactions as if you would always remain in this tabernacle of clay; and you never reflect that soon the word will be heard by all of us, “Give an account of your stewardship; for you may be no longer steward.”

The precious word of grace and of eternal peace, which is the most holy gospel of Jesus Christ, you account for nothing more than a fable; no, as accursed heresy, for you drown, burn, persecute and murder those who teach, admonish and reprove you by this word and who by the strong power of the Spirit are sent to you by God, by his grace; just as the mad synagogue of the Jews did.  They did not only persecute and destroy the chosen children of God, the holy prophets, but also the only begotten Son of God himself; who by the ineffable love of the merciful Father was sent to them for their own eternal salvation.  What did they say?  “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and let us seize on his inheritance,” Mat. 21:38.

How long will you continue in your damnable blindness, your refractory obduracy and your pernicious madness?  Reflect upon the abundant, ineffable works of grace which Christ Jesus has shown you and if his great love cannot move you to withdraw from your idolatry, disobedience and accursed life, then remember his rigid judgments which, from the beginning of the creation, came upon all those who did not abide in his blessed word and obey, that you may by such fear, since you are not moved by his love, be drawn away from all evil.

Behold the weeping eyes, O, miserable world, and hear the tender voice of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, how he wept for obdurate Jerusalem and said unto them, “If you had known, even you, at least in this your day, the things which belong unto your peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes,” Luke 19:42.  At another place he says, “Behold, I send unto you prophets and wise men and scribes; and some of them you shall kill and crucify; and some of them you shall scourge in your synagogues and persecute them from city to city; that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth; from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom you slew between the temple and the altar.  Truly, I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.  O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone them who are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings and you would not!  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate,” Mat. 23:34-38.

O, sincerely beloved readers, if you would rightly take to heart these words of Christ, your bones would become dry by fear; they would shake and tremble; for it is with you even as it was with Jerusalem and Judah.  You wilfully deny that Christ Jesus is your Lord.  You do not desire the true knowledge of his ways.  But you desire to do as all gentiles have done from the beginning, namely, worship wood, stone, gold, silver, bread, wine and the works of your own hands.  Besides this, your earthly, carnal and corrupt life does not conform in the least to the word and will of him who, by grace, created you, to his honor.

Indeed, you have so entirely rejected Christ Jesus and cast him from you in mockery that there is no doctrine, sacraments or anything left with you which conforms to his word; but you have instituted self-begotten doctrines, sacraments, ceremonies and commandments, as if Christ Jesus, the only begotten Son, and the Wisdom of the Almighty Father, were not the true Messenger.  And all those who, about these damnable, deadly errors, fraternally advise and mildly reprove you and seek to return you to Christ Jesus and to his blessed word, must be taken and suffer as rebellious heretics, in all cities and countries.

Behold, kind reader, as you have always been and yet are so unthankful for his paternal grace, God has shut you out from his mercy and has brought his just judgment upon you so that there is neither right, god-fearing truth, nor true teachers, nor deacons, nor gospel, nor faith, nor christian baptism, nor christian Supper, nor christian life, nor knowledge, nor truth, nor spiritual wisdom, nor judgment, nor ban, nor love, nor piety left upon earth in your church.  Thus the house of which Christ Jesus has spoken is entirely destroyed and the well prepared vineyard of the Lord is without fruit and is become useless, as the prophet says,

“Now let me sing to my Well-beloved a song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill.  He dug it up and cleared out its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, and also made a winepress in it; so He expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes.

“And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.  What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes?  And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.  I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned or dug, but there shall come up briars and thorns.  I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.

“For the vineyard of Jehovah of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant plant.  He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry for help,” Isa. 5:1-7.

Behold, dear brethren, as this judgment came first upon Israel, so it also has come upon us.  For all flesh has corrupted his way, from the lowest to the highest.  The heavens are iron and earth is metal.  There are found in the vineyard of the Lord no dew, no moisture nor ripe fruits; there is no digger, no pruner nor tender.  Every where it is accursed; the walls and hedges are trampled down; it is laid waste to be trampled upon by all men; strangers have dominion over it.  The Gentiles have entered into the sanctuary and have soiled the temple of the Lord.  Our princes are to us devouring lions; our fathers are our betrayers; our pastors are our deceivers; our shepherds are our wolves; our watchmen are the thieves and murderers of our souls.  We find nothing but thistles and thorns; it is all plundered and robbed; it is all torn up and broken down wherever we turn.

And all this on account of our sinfulness; this we must confess before our God.

Yes, dearest reader, compare our transgressions with those of Sodom and Gomorrah and the other cities which God has destroyed on account of their sinfulness and see how far they stand above us yet.  For if we will rightly look into the matter we can conceive of no sinfulness greater than that of our time; no matter how great a sin it is, as pride, avarice, fornication, adultery, idolatry, backbiting, hatred, envy, greediness, treason, murder, disobedience to God, refractoriness, lying, stealing, hypocrisy or any other ungodliness, as may be plainly seen.

Besides this, flesh is accounted Spirit; falsehood, truth; sinfulness, righteousness; and Satan is accounted as Christ by this miserable, blind, erring world.  Anti-christ is seated in the temple of God.  Pharaoh arms himself against Israel.  The powerful miracles and the beseeching voice of the Lord are neither seen nor heeded.  Thus has this abominable darkness covered the whole land of Egypt.  I repeat, thus the fearful judgment of God has come upon us because of our sinfulness, as the prophet says:

“Behold, Jehovah’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated you from your God and your sins have hidden his face from you, that he will not hear.  For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perverseness.  None calls for justice, nor any plead for truth; they trust in vanity and speak lies; they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.  They hatch cockatrice’s eggs and weave the spider’s web: he that eats of their eggs dies and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper.  Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works; their works are works of iniquity and acts of violence are in their hands.  Their feet run to evil and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.  The way of peace they do not know; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made crooked paths for themselves: whosoever goes in this way shall not know peace.  Therefore judgment is far from us, neither does justice overtake us.  We wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.  We grope for the wall like the blind and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon-day as in the night; we are in desolate places like dead men.  We all roar like bears and mourn sorely like doves; we look for judgment but there is none; for Salvation, but it is far away from us.  For our transgressions are multiplied before you and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them: In transgressing and lying against Jehovah and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.  And judgment is turned away backward and justice stands far off: for truth has fallen in the street and equity can not enter.  Yes, truth fails; and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey: and Jehovah saw it and it displeased him that there was no judgment.  And he saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor,” Isa. 59:1-16.

Most beloved, thus has God, the just judge, sent his fearful judgment into this wicked world, although you do not feel it.  For inasmuch as you trample upon the Son of God, deem the blood of the New Testament as unclean and grieve the Holy Spirit of grace─therefore you are under the terrible judgment and have fallen into the hands of the living God, so that you prefer falsehood to truth, obscurity to light, death to life; and therefore God has sent you error and deprived you of his holy word, faith, knowledge and truth, so that you have, in this world, neither light nor way, nor spiritual wisdom, nor prayer, nor God, nor Christ, nor promise, nor righteousness, nor peace, nor conscientious freedom, nor inward joy nor hope; notwithstanding you so highly boast of the name, mercy, merits, death and blood of the Lord.  For since you say that you acknowledge God and yet do not honor and thank him as God, therefore he has allowed you to be deceived by your sensual thoughts and your foolish heart has become obscured, 1 John 1:6; John 1;10; Rev. 22:15; John 9:31; Eph. 4:18; Rom. 1:18, 22.  Besides, you deem it but mockery to acknowledge God; therefore God has delivered you to a perverse mind, to do the things you should not do; “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers; backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful,” Rom. 1:29 -31.

Behold, beloved reader, thus God mysteriously punishes by his righteous judgment.  For [Jehovah] God, the Almighty Lord visits this world in many different ways, on account of the sinfulness of it, such as with bondage, war, blood-shed, drought, famine, pestilence and many other diseases; at which plagues and chastisements the world is horror-stricken.  But above all, the most terrible wrath of God is his depriving us of his divine word.  For the first mentioned plagues, such as pestilence, famine, sword, &c., only punish us according to the flesh and are chastisements for our correction, as the prophet says, which he inflicts that his children may learn wisdom; but when he deprives us of his word, then all is lost.  For if we do not have the word, we truly have nothing but unbelief, blindness, error, disobedience, conceit, acrimony, an unclean, foolish and adulterous spirit and eternal death.  But how few, yes, how very few, are horror-stricken at these plagues, however abundantly they have come upon them.

If we should desire to put out a man’s eyes, cut off his ears, take his life or take from him the inheritance of his natural father, would not such a one use all his reason, wit and wisdom to prevent such pain, shame, danger and damage?  And to-day the whole world have eyes and see not, ears and hear not, life and yet are dead; and, above all, are bereft of the eternal inheritance of the merciful Father, but do not mind it.  O, if they acknowledged their own misfortune, how diligently they would seek him who gives sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf and true wisdom to the unlearned, which is Christ Jesus, Psa. 94:9.

But the finely attired woman has so enchanted you and her whoring spirit of spiritual whoredom has so kept you under its wings that I fear, indeed, that your abominable unbelief, obscurity, blindness, falsehood and madness will never be taken from your hearts, but the wrath of God will remain upon you to the end; so that in this earthly life you will err, without any piety, [lurching] from one unclean thing to another until the time that we shall be placed before the just judge, where everyone shall receive his reward according to his works.  Then, when its too late, your blind eyes will be opened amidst sighs and unavailing remorse, acknowledging that you have not walked in the ways of righteousness to eternal life, but in the dark ways to eternal death.  O misery, where will you then hide yourselves from the wrath of God?  Then you will cry in terror: You mountains fall upon us and you hills cover us, Rev. 6:16.  For then there can not be found a place of prayer, of mercy, nor of repentance for the sinner.  But the awful sentence of the just God against all the wicked, unbelieving, wilful and disobedient sinners will then be pronounced, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels,” Mat. 25:41.  O, how well it would be for such if they had never been born.

Therefore I will not cease, while I live, to teach and admonish both verbally and by writing, so far as God, the merciful Father, by his ineffable kindness, is giving me knowledge, spirit, grace and wisdom, to all those that seek the truth; that they may awaken while it is yet time and seek the Lord while he may yet be found and call upon him while he is near, that their righteousness may go forth as a light and their salvation burn like a torch; which consists in nothing but casting off the works of darkness and putting on the armor of light, which is to renounce all false doctrine, sacraments, false religion and the unbecoming, dishonest, carnal life and entering into the divine doctrine, the evangelical sacraments, the services and works of love and the sincere, christian life, as it was taught, instituted and practiced by Christ Jesus himself, our only Deliverer and Shepherd, according to the will of his Father, Isa. 55:6; 62:2; Rom. 13:12.

Thus I labor and strive, according to the small talent given to me by God, of which God is my witness, after nothing else than that the Day-star, the blessed Christ Jesus, the ever shining Light may arise in your heart and enlighten you in all divine truth; knowledge, spiritual understanding and wisdom, unto eternal life.  Amen, 2 Pet, 1:19.

Most beloved reader, with this I beseech you, whether you be lord, prince, learned or unlearned, [rich or poor,] to peruse these and all my writings with the fear of God in your hearts.  I have no doubt but you will clearly find that our doctrine is the doctrine of Jesus Christ and his holy apostles, does not tend to mutiny, discord, treason and rebellion; but rather, yes surely, to true christian love, unity and peace.  For Christ Jesus, whom we preach, is the true Prince of eternal peace and not of discord, Isa. 9.  Say, whom have we curtailed?  Whom have we injured?  We sincerely seek nothing but that we may save all mankind.  Not only at the cost of our chattels, shelter, gold, silver and labor, but also (understand it in a spiritual sense) at the cost of our life-blood.

Truly, truly, I say, If all lords and princes and their subjects who boast of the name of Christ would acknowledge the before-mentioned doctrines of Jesus Christ as right and true and were minded as the doctrine, life and Spirit of Christ require, then it would not be necessary to fortify cities and towns; to keep cavalry and infantry, nor to manufacture deadly weapons such as guns, swords and spears.  I do not here speak of the sword of justice which is given as a punishment to the wicked and for protection of the good.  But it would be as the prophet says, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”  “But every man shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree,” Isa. 2:4; Micah 4:3, 4.  For it is impossible that those who have committed themselves to the doctrine, life, body and church of Jesus Christ and remain in this should seek or desire anything but divine love, peace and unity; to suppress all evil and protect all good, as becomes us in Christ Jesus.  But we do not support the false prophets of the corrupted sects which in many actions transgress the doctrine, rule and measure of Christ.

With this we commend you to the Lord.  O, faithful readers, now judge for yourselves according to the word of the Lord, whether or not I have, by his grace, pointed out to you the truth of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. Grace, peace, mercy, true knowledge and eternal life be to all who, in truth, love Christ Jesus, Amen.

Do not hide the praise of God.  But let it be read and heard by all who diligently seek and desire it.  Beloved brethren, do not deviate from the doctrine and life of Christ.

 

 

A FUNDAMENTAL

AND

CLEAR CONFESSION OF THE POOR AND DISTRESSED CHRISTIANS

PREFACE.

Honored reader, the reason why we write this is because we and our ancestors, for many centuries, have sought the light in obscurity, the truth in falsehood, life in death and the way among the deceivers; and have wandered about like a flock of sheep without a shepherd; and, alas, there was none who pointed us to the way of life and led us into the pasture of the Lord.  The accursed doctrine of anti-christ had so drawn the shameful smoke of deceit from the bottomless pit; had so obscured the glorious dazzling of the divine word that the just judgment of God was coming upon this reckless world, on account of its sinfulness.  Alas, there was neither true doctrine nor true knowledge of God and Christ, nor faith, baptism, Supper, ban in accordance with God’s word, nor love, nor righteousness found among men and very little of which is found as yet; for all over the world we find false teachers, hypocritical deceivers and enemies of the cross, who diligently serve their own bellies, who by their tickling, erring doctrine proclaim peace to those who know of no peace and thus strengthen the hands of the wicked so that none converts himself from his wickedness, as the prophet says.

Yes, they have carried on their wrangling, writing and preaching so far that they adjudge the Lord’s express ordinances of baptism, Supper and ban, as commanded by him and as taught, practiced and testified to by his holy apostles, not only as heretical, but also fiend-like.  They upbraid and persecute those who keep them, as may be plainly seen; and have instituted a new baptism, one which the Scripture does not know, which is more pleasing to the flesh than the baptism of Christ; a new Supper which is a false consolation to the ungodly; also a ban which serves for nothing but the destruction of the pious and which is not founded on anything reasonable; for if they are not banished from city and country, they are sentenced to the stake or water; nor is it practiced sparingly upon the pious in many places.

In short, they have so led the common world from God and so estranged them by their carnal doctrine and false sacraments and led them into such unbelief and heathenish life that all heaven must be afflicted and ashamed of their way.  Say, reasonable reader, who can enumerate the accursed, ungodly pride, pomp, adultery, fornication, idolatry, Roman and Spanish abominations, unfaithfulness, fraud, avarice, usury, unrighteousness, debauchery, luxury, hatred, envy, murder, thefts, robbery, incendiarism, treason, blood-shed, unmannerly, obscene words, the terrible lying, shameful diseases, lameness, suffering and wounds which are found with this wicked, reckless world?  Yet they claim to be the church of Christ.  Yes, everything is in such a condition that we may well say with the prophet Hosea, “There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land; but swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing adultery; they break out and blood touches blood,” Hosea 4:1, 2; with Jeremiah, that “An appalling and horrible thing is committed in the land,” Jer. 5:30; with John, that “The whole world lies in wickedness,” John 5:19; and with John the divine that their “sins have reached unto heaven,” Rev. 18:5.  O, faithful reader, it is worse than I can express.  Whosoever is reasonably disposed may realize the truth.

Inasmuch as the brightness of the sun has not shone for so many years; as heaven and earth have been as copper and iron; as the brooks and springs have not run, nor the dew dropped from heaven; as the beautiful trees and verdant fields have been dry and barren (I mean spiritually); but, inasmuch as, in these latter days, the gracious, great Lord, by the rich treasures of his love, has again opened the windows of heaven and let drop the dew of his divine word.  The earth once more produces its green branches and plants of righteousness, as before, which bear fruit unto the Lord and glorify his adorable name; and inasmuch as the holy word and sacraments of the Lord again lift up their heads from the ashes, by means of which the blasphemous deceit and abominations of the learned are made manifest─therefore all the infernal gates are opened in opposition; they foam and rave and that with such subtle deceit, blasphemous falsehood and tyranny that if the strong God did not interpose with his gracious power, no man could be saved.  But they will never wrest from him his chosen ones.

Inasmuch as they so fearfully teach and strive against the truth, weigh out dross for silver, and, besides, accuse us of all manner of shame, blasphemy, roguery and profanity, as they did from the beginning to all those who fear the Lord─therefore we are forced and constrained by the true love of the divine word and the salvation of your souls, to explain briefly to you according to the word of the Lord, the sure, divine foundation and the pure, immutable truth of Justification, of the Preachers, of Baptism, of the Supper and of the swearing of oaths.  On account of these we are so much hated and slanderously belied by every person and especially by the learned.  You may by our explanation acknowledge what the Holy Scriptures clearly teach in regard to these articles; and show whether we are such useless, ungodly people as the learned incessantly cry against us and tell the people.  If you have ears to hear, then hear the word of the Lord; and if you have understanding hearts, take heed and follow the truth.

 

 

 

 

 

A FUNDAMENTAL AND CLEAR CONFESSION

But had they despised this means and not accepted it by faith, they would have suffered eternal death; this is incontrovertible, as Christ himself says, “He that does not believe is condemned already.”  Again, John the Baptist says, “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life; and he that does not believe the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him,” John 3:18, 36.

As Adam and Eve were bitten and poisoned by the infernal serpent and became of sinful nature and would have been subject to eternal death if God had not again accepted them in grace through Christ Jesus, so we, their descendants, are also born of a sinful nature through them, poisoned by the serpent, inclined to evil and by our inherent sin, as children of hell by the devil and [subject to] everlasting death.  We cannot be delivered from this [condemnation](we speak of those who have come to years of understanding and hence to sinful works) unless we accept Christ Jesus as the only and eternal means of grace, by true and unfeigned faith and thus conscientiously look upon the brazen serpent which is erected by God, our heavenly Father, as a sign of salvation.  Without him there is no help for our souls, no reconciliation nor peace; but only disgrace, wrath and eternal death can be expected, as was said before.  But those who accept this Christ by a true faith which, according to the doctrine of Paul, was given to us from the Father for the purpose of wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and deliverance, are in grace for Christ’s sake and God is their Father; for by faith they are born from him; he forgives them all their sins; has compassion on all their human failings and weaknesses; turns them from the curse, wrath and eternal death; accepts them as his beloved children and gives them Christ Jesus, together with all his merits, fastings, prayers, tears, sufferings, tribulation, cross, blood and death; besides this, also his Spirit, inheritance, kingdom, glory, joy and life; not, we say, by our own merits and works, but by grace through Christ Jesus, as Paul says, “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loves us, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ (by grace you are saved); and has raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.  For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in them,” Eph. 2:4-10.

Behold, kind reader, thus we do not seek our salvation in works, words or sacraments, as do the learned, although they blame us for this, but we seek them alone in Christ Jesus and in no other means in heaven or earth.  In Christ, our only means, we rejoice and in no other.  We trust, by the grace of God, to abide in this unto death.

But we abhor the carnal works and desire to suit ourselves to his word and commandment, according to our weakness, and we do so because he has so taught and commanded us.  For whosoever does not walk according to his doctrine, proves in fact that he does not believe on him nor knows him and that he is not in the communion of the saints, 1 John 3:10; 5:10; 2 John 1:6.

All those who accept this means of divine grace, Jesus Christ, with believing hearts and enclose him in their consciences, believe and confess that their sins are forgiven through his sacrifice, death and blood; that his wrath and damnation will not be upon them forever; that he accepts them as his beloved sons and daughters and gives them eternal life.  All such become of peaceable and joyous spirit and give thanks to God with renewed hearts; for the power of faith quickens and changes them into newness of life and they walk thus, by the gift and grace of the Holy Spirit in the power of their new birth, according to the measure of their faith, in obedience to their God who has shown them such great love; and they diligently watch lest they fall from the grace and favor of God by licentiousness and ungodliness.  They acknowledge by the Scriptures that Adam and Eve, the antediluvian world, Sodom and Gomorrah and the patriarchs in the wilderness were severely punished by God on account of their sins; that the wages of sin is death; and also that Christ Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God who knew no sin, was so deeply humiliated and tortured on account of our sinfulness, Gen. 3:7; 19:9, 10; Lev. 10:1-4; Rom. 6:23; 1 Pet. 1:19.

Inasmuch as they believe the word of the Lord which says that to be carnally minded is death─if you live according to the flesh you shall die.  Therefore adulterers, fornicators, drunkards, the avaricious, proud, liars, &c., shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  Besides this, believe that God is truth; that none can be saved contrary to his word; that he will judge in accordance with his word, because he is true and cannot lie, as the Scriptures testify, Rom. 8:6, 13; 1 Cor. 5:10; 6:10; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5; Rev. 22:15.  Therefore they sincerely fear the Lord and by fear die unto their flesh, crucify their lusts and desires and shun and abhor the unclean, ungodly works which are contrary to the word of the Lord.

Besides this, they acknowledge the abundant grace, favor and love of God towards us, as shown in Christ Jesus and therefore, in return they love their God, for he first loved us.  They stand prepared by this love to obey, in their weakness, his holy word, will, commandments, advice, doctrine and ordinances, according to the talent [they] received; and thus they show, in fact, that they believe, they are born of God and are spiritually minded.  They lead a pious, unblamable life before all men; allow themselves to be baptized according to the commandment of the Lord, as proof that they bury their sins in the death of Christ and are prepared to walk with him in newness of life; they break the bread of peace with their beloved brethren as proof and testimony that they are one in Christ and his holy church.  They have and know no other means of grace and remission of their sins, neither in heaven nor in earth, than the innocent flesh and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ alone, which he once, by his eternal Spirit in obedience to the Father, sacrificed and shed upon the cross for us poor sinners.  Therefore they walk in all love and mercy and serve their neighbors.  In short, they suit themselves, in their weakness, to all the words, commandments, ordinances, Spirit, rule, example and measure of Christ, as the Scripture teaches; for they are in Christ and Christ is in them; and therefore they live no longer in the old life of sin after the first earthly Adam (weakness excepted), but in the new life of righteousness which comes by faith, after the second and heavenly Adam, Christ.  Paul says, I do not now live, “But Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me,” Gal. 2:20.  Christ says, “If you love me, keep my commandments,” John 14: l5.

Do not think, beloved reader, that we boast of being perfect and without sins.  Not at all.  I confess for myself that often my prayer is mixed with sin and my righteousness with unrighteousness; for by the grace of God I feel, by the unction which is in me, when I compare my weak nature to Christ and his commandments; what kind of a flesh I inherited from Adam.  Yes, if Jehovah God should judge us according to our own worthiness, righteousness, works and merits and not according to his great goodness and mercy, then I confess with holy David that no man could stand before his judgment, Psa. 143:2; 130:3.  Therefore it should be far from us that we should console ourselves with anything but the grace of God through Christ Jesus; for it is he alone, and no other, who has perfectly fulfilled the righteousness required by God.  We are also aware, by the grace of God, that all saints, from the beginning, have lamented the corruption of their flesh, as may be seen by the writings of Moses, David, Job, Isaiah, Paul, James and John.

But for Christ’s sake we are in grace; for his sake we are heard; and for his sake our failings and transgressions, which are committed involuntarily, are remitted: For it is he who stands between his Father and his imperfect children, with his perfect righteousness and with his innocent blood and death; and he intercedes for all those who believe on him and who strive by faith in the divine word, to turn from evil, follow that which is good and who sincerely desire, with Paul, that they may attain the perfection which is in Christ, Phil. 3:12.

Mark, beloved reader, that we do not believe nor teach that we are to be saved by our merits and works, as the envious accuse us of without truth.  We are to be saved solely by grace, through Christ Jesus, as has been said before.  By grace man was created, through Christ Jesus, Gen. 1:27.

By grace he was again accepted through Christ when he was lost.  By grace Christ was sent to us by the Father, John 3:34.  By grace he has sought the lost sheep, Luke 15:4, taught them repentance and remission of sins.  Christ died for us when we were yet ungodly and enemies, Rom. 5:6; by grace we receive faith.  By grace the Holy Spirit was given to us, in the name of Jesus, John14:16.  In short, by grace we receive eternal life through Christ Jesus, Rom. 6:8.

Behold, kind reader, this is the article of our faith and confession, namely: That we can not obtain salvation, grace, reconciliation nor peace with the Father, other than through Christ Jesus, as he himself says, “No man comes unto the Father but by me,” John 14:6.  Peter also says, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved” than the name of Jesus; and all those who accept this grace in Christ, preached by the gospel and accepted by a firm faith and cordially adhered to by the power of the Holy Spirit through faith become new men, born of God.  They are changed in their hearts, renewed and of a different mind; yes, transferred from Adam unto Christ; and thus walk in newness of life, as obedient children, in the grace which is manifested unto them; for they are renewed.  They have become humble-minded, meek, merciful, compassionate, peaceable, patient, hungry and thirsty after righteousness; they strive firmly by good works after eternal life, for they are believing, born of God, are in Christ and Christ is in them; they are partakers of his Spirit and nature and thus live according to the word of the Lord by the power of Christ which is in them.  And this is, according to Scripture, [what it is] to be believing; to be a christian; and to be in Christ and Christ in us.

Again, all those who disregard this preached grace and do not accept Christ Jesus by faith; who reject his holy word, will, commandments and ordinances and hate and persecute them; who live according to their lusts and licentiously are lost.  It will avail them nothing before the Lord to boast of their faith, new creature, Christ’s grace, death and blood; for they do not believe; they remain in their first birth, namely, unchanged in their earthly, corrupted nature, impenitent, carnally minded, no, utterly without the Spirit, Word and Christ.  Therefore they are children of death, as Scripture teaches; for they do not know Christ in whom is life, as John says, “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life,” 1 John 5:11, 12.

Behold, worthy reader, this is our foundation and confession of justification, as you have read.  Judge for yourself whether the preachers act rightly in slanderously belying us, saying that we expect to be saved by our merits and works; and that we boast to be without sin.

May the Lord forgive them for so fiendishly belying us with such shameful lies.  O, that these miserable men would at last take to heart that the backbiters, slanderers and liars are of the devil and worthy of death; that God abhors all liars; that they shall have no part in his kingdom; and that a lying mouth kills the soul, John 8:44; Rom. 1:32; Psa. 5:7; Rev. 21:27; 22:15.

This, I say, is our foundation, and, by the grace of God, it will always remain our foundation, for we truly know and confess that it is the invincible word and truth of the Lord.  Therefore we testify before you and before all the world that we do not agree with those who teach and institute a dead faith which they gather from profane history: First, that without change, there can be Spirit, power and fruits.  Secondly, that we can be saved by our own merits and works, for the reasons stated above.

May the merciful, gracious Father, through his beloved Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, grant us all the gift of his Holy Spirit, that we may sincerely believe and confess this before-mentioned grace in and through Christ; and that we may walk and abide in this [Spirit] firmly and faithfully unto the end, to the eternal praise and glory of God, Amen.

 

 

HEARING THE PREACHERS.

Besides, also consider their avarice and concern for their appetites; for they do not preach nor render services without pay, as if the office of a preacher and shepherd were a profession or trade.  Jude says, They honor the persons for the sake of profits.  Where there are no liens and rents there we find none of their preachers; but where liens and rents are abundant there is no want of preachers.

Again, they are in part usurers, in part fornicators or adulterers, greedy, liars, irascible, proud, hateful, lustful, vain and lazy, envious, cruel, treacherous and rebellious toward all those who sincerely seek and fear God.  In short, if you rightly confess the Lord and his word, then you must acknowledge that the best and most pious of them are yet far outside of Christ and his word in regard to doctrine, sacraments and also in their walk.

Inasmuch as all of them, in doctrine, sacraments and walk are so diametrically opposed to the Spirit, word and walk of the Lord, as it appears and inasmuch as Christ says, “Every tree is known by his own fruit,” Luke 6:44; therefore it is plainly proven that they do not see the kingdom and glory of God; are not of the Lord and do not have God, as was said before.

If they do not see the kingdom of God as Christ speaks of it, how, then, can they rightly preach it and teach it to others?

If they do not have the Spirit of the Lord and are not from him (as it appears), how then, can they be true ministers and servants of the spiritual office?

And if they do not have God, how can they rightly teach and point out his precious word unto righteousness?  Inasmuch as it is well known to all [these] theologians that they do not understand the kingdom of God and his glory; [they] are not of the Lord and do not have [the true] God, as was said.  Therefore we conclude that their sending, calling, office and service is not truly of God and his word; but they are of the bottomless pit and of the dragon and beast, Rev. 9:2.  By this we do not mean just this one, or that one; but all preachers in general who do not act according to the word of God; no matter of which denomination or sect [they are].  We do not judge according to their boasting and appearance, but truthfully, according to doctrine, sacraments, fruits and life; for we are sure that the high and holy office, which should be filled by the power of the Spirit, can never be filled by the avaricious; nor by the proud and unrighteous, the carnal and earthly minded, nor by drunkards and the lustful who serve their appetites before their God.  As Paul says; not by slanderers nor by vain prattlers, nor liars, nor soothsayers, nor hirelings, nor by those who adulterate, hate and oppose the Spirit, will, word, ordinances and commandments of the Lord and who are ignorant and blind in all spiritual and evangelical matters; for the Spirit and word of God do not know such shepherds and teachers.  Instead, the Scripture portrays them with many terrible names and calls them profane, blind watchmen and greedy dogs, blind leaders, consumers of souls, false daubers, fools who do not seek Jehovah, preachers of [false] peace, of whom it is written, “The prophets prophesy lies in my name.  I did not send them, neither have I commanded them, nor spoke unto them; they prophesy unto you false vision and divination and a thing of nought and the deceit of their heart,” Jer. 23:11; Mat. 15:14; Ezek. 13:10; Jer. 10:8; 14:14.  In short, they are the teachers against whom the word of the Lord has faithfully warned us.  Read it here and there in the prophets, particularly Jer. 23:13; Mat. 7:15; 15:14; 16:12; 24:11; Mark 12:38; Luke 12:1; 20:45.

Say, kind reader, did you ever read in the Scriptures of any proud, avaricious, unclean, lying, inebriated and idolatrous prophets, apostles and shepherds who were pleasing unto the Lord?  Or of such who, to please the world, have adulterated, changed and abused the word, ordinances and commandments of the Lord?  Or of such who said to cities, districts or towns, If you will care for our necessaries of life; or, if you will give us so much money or income, we will teach you the word of the Lord?  O no, reader, no.  It never was and never will be the way of the holy prophets, apostles or servants of Christ.  Of this we are sure.

The teachers and preachers who are sent by God are born from God, are of a godly nature and are prompted by the Spirit of the Lord.  They acknowledge the kingdom of heaven and are forced [led] into the vineyard of the Lord by pure, unfeigned love of God and of their neighbors.  [They] do not seek the gifts of Balak, nor the tables of Jezebel; but they seek the praise of God and the salvation of your souls and commend their worldly cares to him, who, according to the word of his promise, furnishes the necessaries of life to all creatures upon earth, Mat. 13:25; Num. 22:28; 2 Pet. 2:16.

They teach the words of the law in the power of the Spirit, [even] to the remission of sins and the denial of the flesh by the gospel of grace for the consolation, peace and joy of all the god-fearing, pious hearts, who before disobeyed the law and so greatly feared the wrath and judgment of the Lord.

They reprove and shun all false doctrine, deceit, abuse, idolatry and licentious, reckless life, which is of the flesh and contrary to the word of the Lord.  They use baptism, Supper, ban and all the ordinances of God as is commanded to them by the word of the Lord, be it unto life or death; they advise lords and princes, learned, unlearned, male and female, so far as they possibly can, if they are favored with a hearing; for the word of God excuses neither emperor nor king, doctor nor master, rich nor poor; all must follow the word of the Lord who wish to be saved, Mat. 28:19; Acts 2:38; 9:6.

They lead their lives in the fear of the Lord; they die daily, with holy Paul, for the sake of their brethren; they are pointed at by all the world; are slandered, persecuted and deemed the sap and substance of all knaves and rogues.  Notwithstanding they are always ready to show their love and faithfulness to all, as was formerly the case with Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah the son of Berechiah, John the Baptist, the apostles and Christ himself; and how the pious are thanked and rewarded at the present time for their love and services, the burning, the sword, the stake and the wheel show, 1 Cor. 15:32.  Carefully observe and understand me, kind reader.

The sending, calling, doctrine, sacraments and life of the [worldly] preachers do not conform to the before-mentioned rules and [they] are therefore not from God, as was said.  They generally do not enter but to destroy, steal and murder, as the Lord says; to adulterate and garble the precious word and the holy sacraments, to gratify their appetites; to exclude the word of God and institute their own; to kill the souls which would have eternal life; and promise life to those who will die the eternal death.  And [all this] for the sake of a handful of barley and a mouthful of bread, as the prophet says; [they] rule but do not serve; deceive but do not lead; corrupt but do not teach; weaken but do not cure and scatter but do not gather.  They shut the kingdom of heaven against man and freely lead all poor souls to hell.  Behold, therefore we do not hear them, nor can we conscientiously hear them; for the word of the Lord everywhere admonishes and commands us that we should beware of them, flee and shun them and not hear them, as was said before, Ezek. 13:14; 34:1; Jer. 5:26; Phil. 3:17; 1 Tim. 6:4; Tit. 3:8; 2 John 1:8.

Judge now, kind reader, whether these reasons are not sufficient to shun the preachers.  We have not presented to you philosophical words, garbled flatterings, nor falsehood; but we have pointed you to such facts as you may daily observe and hear of among your preachers.  This is what our much beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus and fellow-partakers of the tribulation, kingdom and obedience of Christ, the faithful children of God, have for many long years so frankly confessed and so heroically asserted before this idolatrous, bloody world, in excessive measure of poverty, by preaching and writing, at the peril of their life, property, blood, prison, banishment, water, fire, chains, gallows, wheels and the stake; but [their] preachers remain preachers and the world remains the world.  They, as it appears, will [almost] never be converted, for they so firmly adhere to their idolatry that they do not allow themselves to be converted, Jer. 8.

Honored reader, we pray for you for Christ’s sake that you will rightly understand our confession; do not think that we have written this out of bitter feelings or hatred, inasmuch as it so openly reproves, discovers and points out the shame of these preachers.  O, no.  We testify before you and before the Lord who has created us that there is no hatred or bitterness in our hearts; for we know and confess that they are works of the flesh and will be rewarded by death.  But we have written in purity of heart, as before him who tries the hearts and minds, to the service of you and all mankind, no matter whether they be our opponents or not, learned or unlearned; to the service of all those who seek the truth; that we may so uncover the judgment of the Babylonian whore and the covert wiles of the learned, by such expositions, that you and all god-fearing hearts may tire of the inhuman abominations and so understand the word and truth of the Lord and with all your hearts seek and obey the same, that you may be saved, Rom. 1:32; Gal. 5:21; 1 Cor. 6:10; Eph. 5:5; Rev. 17:1.

 

 

OF BAPTISM.