Page:Complete Works of Menno Simons.djvu/319

Rh his ungodly lusts; strives after truth with all his heart; leads an unblamable, pious life, and who is prepared for the sake, of the will and word of the Lord, to sacrifice and abandon, money, goods, blood, and life, nay, father, mother, life, husband, wife, children, and every thing else, if the honor of God requires it? If they answer no, which is the true answer, then it is already proven that they are not the church and people of the Lord; for the church of Christ must be in unity of spirit with Christ, as has already been heard. If, then, they are not of Christ's church, how can they call preachers unto the church of Christ, as Paul, Barnabas, Timothy, and Titus, and the primitive church have done? If on the contrary they answer, Yes, then I say again, their open unrighteousness, slander, godlessness, avarice, pomp, drunkenness, superfluity, unchastity, hatred, envy, unmercifulness, violence, &c., testify before the whole world that the answer is not the true one.

Inasmuch as it is manifest that both the magistracy and the subjects are directly contrary to the Spirit and word of Jesus Christ, to his walk and actions; and have not a syllable which in this respect agrees with the spirit and actions of Paul, Barnabas, Timothy, Titus, or of the primitive church; therefore I am very much surprised that he can be so imprudent and inconsiderate, or so very bold as to boast, in these times of grace in which the truth has become so manifest, that he and the preachers of his character were called and ordained of God by the means of man, as were the elders of the primitive church, by Paul, Barnabas, Timothy, and Titus.

O, that God would grant that he would once consider and not compare the faithful men and dear servants of God, together with the zealous, regenerated communities and pious children of the primitive churches to this impenitent, reckless, and bad world who wish to be considered the true church; and would no more blind the poor unwary hearts who little regard the holy word, with such a semblance and quotation of the Scriptures; for it would be of infinite value to his poor, miserable soul, at the time of his dissolution.

I would now leave it to the reflection of all intelligent readers, how the calling, of which the preachers boast, can stand the test of the Scriptures, while those of whom they boast that called them, are found to be not only no regenerated, pious Christians, but besides, open despisers and impenitent contenders against God and his word, as may, alas, be seen, on every hand, by their actions.

In the second place we should observe of what disposition, doctrine, and conduct the called servants of the word should be, according to the testimony of the Scriptures; namely, "Blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach; not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;" not a novice; he must be holy, just, temperate, &c. "Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught; that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers." "Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil," &c. "Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things," 1 Tim. 3; Tit. 1.

My reader, observe, this is not my word but the word of the Holy Ghost, which gives a true pattern of a true preacher, bishop, pastor, teacher, and servant who will, in the church of Christ, bring forth fruit which will remain, John 15.

The Holy Spirit points us to such teachers, to obey and follow them. Paul says, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account; that they may do it with joy and not with grief," Heb. 13: 17. In another place he says, "We beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake, and be at peace among yourselves," 1 Thess. 5: 12, 13.

Such teachers are compared in the Scriptures, to the oxen that tread out the corn, which shall not be muzzled. They are the elders worthy of double honor, and the