Page:Complete Works of Menno Simons.djvu/381

Rh I think, kind reader, that the difference between both churches may be fully perceived in the foregoing comparison, yet I will, for the sake of greater clearness, briefly present the following signs by which the one church may be known from the other, that truth may be the more fully testified and manifested.

The first sign by which to distinguish the church of Christ is the salutary and unadulterated doctrine of his holy and divine word. God commanded Israel to abide by the doctrine of the law and not to deviate there from, neither to the right hand nor to the left, Deut. 5: 32. Isaiah admonished them to conform themselves to the law and its testimony, or they would not receive light, Isaiah 8: 20. Christ commanded his disciples, saying, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," and "teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." The prophets testify on every hand that they spoke the word of God, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, they say; again, the mouth of the Lord says; again, thus speaketh the Lord God who has led you out of the land of Egypt, and other like testimonies. Paul also says, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed," Gal. 1: 8. In short, where the church of Christ is, there his word is preached purely and rightly; but where the church of anti-Christ is, there the word of God is adulterated; there we are pointed to an earthly and unclean Christ and to means of salvation which are strange to the Scriptures; there we are taught a broad and easy way; there the great are flattered, truth perverted into falsehood; there easy things are taught, such as the poor, ignorant people will gladly hear. In short, there they are consoled in their unhappy state, that they may underrate it, and say, "Peace, peace, when there is no peace," Jer. 8: 11. They promise life to the impenitent, while the Scriptures say, that they shall not inherit the kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 6: 10; Gal. 5: 21.

The second sign is the right and Scriptural use of the sacraments of Christ, namely, the baptism of those who, by faith, are born of God, sincerely repent, who bury their sins in Christ's death, and arise with him in newness of life; who circumcise the foreskin of their hearts with the circumcision of Christ, which is done without hands; who put on Christ, and have a clear conscience, Tit. 3: 5; Rom. 5: 4; Col. 3: 11; 1 Pet. 3: 21. Again, the dispensing of the Lord's Holy Supper to the penitent, who are flesh of Christ's flesh, who seek grace, reconciliation, and the remission of their sins in the merits of the death and blood of the Lord, who walk with their brethren in love, peace, and unity, who are led by the Spirit of the Lord, into all truth and righteousness, and who prove, by their fruits, that they are the church and people of Christ.

Where baptism is practiced without the command and word of Christ, as those do who not only baptize without faith, but also without reason and consciousness; where the power and representation of baptism, namely, dying unto sin, the new life, the circumcision of the heart, &c., are not only not upheld, but also quite hated by those of mature age; and where the bread and wine are dispensed to the avaricious, pompous, and impenitent; where salvation is sought in mere elements, words, and ceremonies, and where a life is led contrary to all love, there is the church of anti-Christ; this all intelligent persons must admit. For it is manifest that they reject Christ, the Son of God, his word and ordinance, and place in its stead their own ordinance and works, and thus establish an abomination and idolatry.

The third sign is obedience to the holy word, or the pious, Christian life which is of God. The Lord says, "Ye shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy," Lev. 19: 1. Christ says, "Ye are the light of the world." Paul says, "Be blameless and