Page:Complete Works of Menno Simons.djvu/382

82 harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world," Phil. 2: 15. John says, "He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked," 1 John 2: 6.

But how holy the church of anti-Christ is, how her light shines, how unblamably and purely they walk, and how their life conforms to Christ's life, may, alas, be educed from their words and works, on every hand.

The fourth sign is the sincere and unfeigned love of one's neighbor, for Christ says, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another," John 13: 35. Yea, reader, wherever sincere, brotherly love is found without hypocrisy with its fruits, there we find the church of Christ. John says, "Let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love," 1 John 4: 7, 8.

But whether the church of anti-Christ is not there where brotherly love is rejected, where they hate, defame, strike, and beat each other, where every one seeks his own interest, where they treat each other deceitfully and faithlessly, curse, swear, and slander, where they defile their neighbors' maidens, daughters, and wives, deprive each other of honor, possessions, and life, commit all manner of recklessness, abominations, and malice against each other, as may, alas, be seen on every hand, all intelligent persons may judge according to the Scriptures.

The fifth sign is, that the name, will, word, and ordinance of Christ, are unreservedly confessed, in spite of all the cruelty, tyranny, uproar, fire, sword, and violence of the world, and that they are upheld unto the end. Christ says, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven," Matt. 10: 32. "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels," Mark 8: 38. Paul, also, says, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation," Rom. 10: 10.

But what kind of a church is found, where they are papistic, when with the papists; Lutheran, when with the Lutherans, &c., now build up, and anon demolish and act the hypocrite to suit the magistracy, every one may judge who is enlightened by the truth, and taught of the Holy Spirit.

The sixth sign is the pressing cross of Christ, which is taken up for the sake of his testimony and word. Christ says unto his disciples, "Ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake," Matt. 24: 9. "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution," 2 Tim. 3: 12. Sirach says, "My son, if thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy soul for temptation. Set thy heart aright, and constantly endure, and make not haste in time of trouble. Cleave unto him, and depart not away, that thou mayest be increased at thy last end. Whatsoever is brought upon thee, take cheerfully, and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate. For gold is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity," Eccl. 1: 5. Also read, Matt. 5: 10; 10: 23; 16: 24; Mark 13: 13; Luke 6: 22; John 16: 2; Acts 14: 18; 2 Tim. 2; Heb. 11: 37; 12: 2.

That this very cross is a sure sign of its being the church of Christ, has been testified not only in olden times by the Scriptures, but also by the example of Jesus Christ, of the holy apostles and prophets, by the primitive and unadulterated church; and also, by the present pious, faithful children, especially in these our Netherlands.

On the other hand, the ungodly, heathenish, lying, hating, envying, upbraiding, blaspheming, and the unmerciful apprehending, exiling, robbing, and murdering, as may be witnessed in different localities, are plain signs of the church of anti-Christ. For John saw that the Babylonian "woman was drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus," Rev. 17: 6. He also saw that to the beast which arose from the sea, a mouth was given, speaking great things and blasphemy against God and his holy name, and his tabernacle or church, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto