Page:Complete Works of Menno Simons.djvu/122

110 110 FAITH. Since then, I say, all those who are born of the truth, and have Christ and his truth, and his Spirit, dwelling in their hearts, in such during their lives, and in death, we find nothing but the simple, plain truth of Christ, by which they are born unto righteousness, and are converted; yet it is manifest, that however piously, and unblamably they live, our lying, adulterous, lewd, idolatrous, drunken priests and monks (who openly rob God of his glory, and maliciously murder those whom Christ purchased with his precious blood, belie them before the whole world, betray and bring them to the stocks and posts, and all this for no other reason than that they are urged through the manifest truth, through their strong faith and through the Spirit and fear of the Lord, to renounce their leaven, vain, false doctrine and idolatrous sacraments, and with all their hearts, to live according to the will of God. O Lord! thus they live with those who seek and fear Thee with all their hearts. Say, beloved lords, when shall this cruel, disgraceful murdering, bloody seed, be prevented by you from continuing in their Judas like conduct? When will you turn your backs to their deceiving lies, and turn your faces to Christ? When shall the innocent blood be wiped from your deadly and avenging sword, and again be put into the sheath? When will you hear and fear God, more than you do lords and princes? When shall the abominations of anti'christ be rooted out of your heart, and instead thereof, the doctrine of Christ be planted therein? When will you be satisfied with pious and unblamable lives, and be satiated with the blood of innocent saints? When shall Christ Jesus, with his word. Spirit and life, through faith, be conceived in you, and in deed be born in you? I fear never. For you are earthly and carnally minded, the eyes of your understanding are darkened, that you desire the world rather than heaven ; lies rather than truth ; sin rather than righteousness; the honor and praise of man rather than that of God. Yes, beloved lords, why say so much? With you it is the same as with the priests and preachers, who, through the instruction of Scripture, know the truth in part; but since they love their cross-fleeing body more than God, they preach and teach only so far as the mandates and resolutions of the princes permit and suffer, so that they do not incur the displeasure of the world, and be deprived of their worldly honor, and their easy life. It is the same case with you, my dear lords. Though many of you well know that the teaching, ceremonies, divine service and life of your priests and preachers are untrue, deceiving, idolatrous, false and carnal, and that ours are the doctrine and ceremonies of the Lord, according to Scripture. Yet, in order to retain the friendship of the emperor, and your incomes I mean you who are guilty of blood, Christ Jesus with his innocent lambs must, without any mercy, if the mandates are enforced, as the ringleaders of all rogues and thieves, who are deserving of all torture and shame, be caught, banished, robbed and doomed to death. And then you say: The emperor's mandates judge you. Beloved lords beware; the hour is fast approaching, that the Almighty, the great, and terrible God, the impartial, righteous Judge, will judge and sentence all our doings; then you will see too late, whom you have persecuted and pierced. Therefore, awaken in time, fear God, remember him, and reform, while it is yet called today. I entreat you, my reader, be not displeased that I have digressed so far; for it was not done without a cause. But now, we will continue in the name of the Lord, in the thing we have undertaken, and treat and teach as much of it, as the merciful Father will grant us grace and aid thereto, that we may modestly show to all the godfearing, who seek the truth from their hearts, the difference between faith and unbelief; the fruits of faith and of unbelief, and that they may grow in the true christian faith, until the gracious Father, out of the abundance of his glory, makes them strong in the inner man, by power, through the Spirit, and till Christ dwell in their hearts, through faith, that they may be rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend, with all saints, what is the breadth and length and depth and heigth, and to know the abundant love of Christ, Which passes knowledge, and be tilled with all the fullness of God. And besides, that they may know