Page:Complete Works of Menno Simons.djvu/117

 ''We wish all the cliosen children of God, our heloved hrethren and sisters in Christ Jesus, an increase of faith, grace, peace and spiritual joy, perfect righteovsness and eternal life, all which is of God, our heavenly FatJier, through, Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood. To him be praise, honor, glory. Mngde.m, poiccr and majesty, from eternity to eternity. Amen.''

Chosen, beloved children, brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, although, O God ! we are so unwisely prevented by this irra- tional, blind world, from preaching the true gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to every one, verbally, and, although the cruel, bloody tyranny, encouraged by our useless, wicked priests and preachers, is used so unrestrainedly against Christ and his word (for these poor children seek and love dross more than gold, chaff more than wheat, lies more than truth, and darkness more than light), yet shall God's only invincible truth, which always triumphs, through the Holy Ghost, in the true chil- dren of God, bear its crown; notwithstand- ing that it is stung so miserably in the heel by the conquered serpent and his seed, the proud despisers, liars and blood-shedders, that it can scarcely stand in obedience to its Lord Jesus Christ. Notwithstanding their raving, this envious, bloody seed and ser- pent must, with bruised head, and quite powerless, remain under its sway, for through the jjower of the Spirit, and the gospel truth in Christ Jesus he is wholly overcome.

Since then, this old, crooked serpent, which was from the beginning, proudly and falsely opposed to God, and was a cruel murderer, is put under the feet of Christ and his church, and has endured and seen his lying seed destroyed and trampled under foot, thi-ough the revealed truth, therefore, does he gnash his teeth in furious rage, and breathe out his accursed, infernal breath of heresy through his prqphets and preachers. He casts out of his mouth the terrible streams of tyranny through the rulers and the mighty of the earth, after the glorious church (wo- man), pregnant with the word of the Lord, with a view to exterminate and destroy her seed. But God be eternally praised, who has protected her against the red di-agon, and has prepared her a place in the wilder- ness.

Since, then, for reasons assigned, I cannot teach publicly, nevertheless, I will serve you by writing, as long as the Lord will permit me, and I live. I will serve you with my small talents, which the gracious Father has granted me through his Son, Christ Jesus, out of the abundant treasury of his heavenly riches. I say with Paul, Not with the wisdom of man, not with words of wisdom to serve you, for I possess and know them not. I let those seek them who are eager after them. My boasting is, with Paul, only to know Christ, and him crucified ; for to know him is eternal life. Therefore God cannot endow us with better wisdom than with this, although it is foolishness to the world; for truth is more precious than gold and silver ; than all pearls and precious stones; there is nothing under heaven to be compared to her. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace; she is a tree of life to them that lay hold