Page:Complete Works of Menno Simons.djvu/372

72 those of high standing, although they, generally, are upon the broad way; and thus they shamefully upbraid the innocent who never harmed them, and who would gladly lead a pious life. Yet they boast that they are preachers of the gospel and teach the word of God.

Answer. That the disrespect to the preachers has become so prevalent, is caused by nothing else but their own exceeding wickedness, deceit, avarice, blasphemy, and shamelessness, as the prophet says, "Behold. I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, &c." "Ye are departed out of the way, ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts; Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law," Mal. 2: 3, 8, 9.

Yea, dear reader, they have become so sinful, and have so trafficked with the souls of men, that the just and great God could no longer endure it; he therefore graciously inspired some pious hearts with the Spirit of his divine knowledge, in his great love, and has discovered unto them the decked, Babylonian woman, the preachers and their churches, with all their fornication, abominations, and blood-guiltiness, and thus made manifest their inhuman disgrace. And these, on account of their warning, all, in unfeigned love, against the deadly, enchanting poison of her cup, by doctrine, life, example, blood, and possessions, by which they seek nothing but the praise of God and the salvation of their neighbors, are called devilish conspirators and heretics. O, Lord! O! never heard of blasphemy! O disgrace of all disgrace!

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 not whereon to lay his head. Besides, he had to hear, that he was possessed of the devil, and wrought 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 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 educed from their words and works, in city and country.

Answer. The world acknowledges no ban, but 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. Or, 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, that they, along with the papists, often deprive such an 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 admonish 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.