Page:Complete Works of Menno Simons.djvu/334

34 saints, as the Holy Scriptures and the Nicene symbol clearly teach and represent, namely, of those who, through true faith, are regenerated of 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; and places them as an admonition to sincere repentance, with their doctrine, life, goods, and blood, before the whole world, yea, as a light upon a candlestick; 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 not consistent with Scripture and according to the usage of the primitive churches; and whether it cannot 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 of 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 hereby beseech all my readers, for God's sake to consider well this my narration, and that they will not think hard of it, nor consider it as vain boasting that I here tell it; 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 hitherto graciously delivered me from my enemies, knows me; he knows what I seek in this life and what my greatest desire is.

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, amongst 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 judge 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