Page:Complete Works of Menno Simons.djvu/405

Rh blood on his soul. I say innocent blood, for neither he nor anybody else upon the face of the earth, can, by the grace God, convince us by the force of truth, that we act or do aught against Christ or his word; or that we deserve the punishment and sword of the magistracy.

He should further know that this blood-doctrine of his, is not only contrary to Jesus Christ, God's own Son, and that of his servant, Paul, but also contrary to the doctrine of Luther, see his book, "De Sublimiori mundi potestate." Besides contrary to the doctrine of Hieronimus, Augustine, Theophilactus, Anselmus, Remigius, and others, who unanimously agree that the heretics should not be killed, but admonished and convinced, and if they do not repent after admonition, that they should, according to the word of God, be separated from the communion of the church, and shunned.

Besides, this stone thrown by him might light upon his own head. For what greater and more terrible heresy, deception, and blasphemy can be imagined than to assert that the pure and holy flesh of Christ, is a ransom for sin, to adulterate so sadly his ordinance and the apostle's clear and plain doctrine of baptism; to neglect Exclusion as required by the word of God; to slander the pious, and to console and encourage the impenitent and carnal minded by garbling the Scriptures, as he has constantly done in his writings from beginning to end.

If we were thus to resolve against those who are wrong in doctrine or faith, as he says we should, then we would have to commence with him, because he is a defender of such great errors, as may be plainly seen by comparing both our writings.

May the merciful, dear Lord permit him and all our opponents to see the right foundation of truth; understanding hearts to understand it rightly, and a willing, free, and new mind to believe and follow it with sincerity. Amen.

, dear reader, you have my forced answer to the unseasoned, blasphemous writing of Gellius, which he has published and printed, A. D. 1552, against the unadulterated truth of God and his scattered church; whereby he so lamentably adulterates the salutary doctrine of Christ, and so miserably accuses the innocent, pious hearts, before the whole world, that I could not neglect to do so, by virtue of my office, to which I was unworthily ordained of God, through the pious. I had to controvert him with the word of the Lord, and publish it through the press, as he in the first place has done against us, to the praise of God and his truth, to the justification of the innocent, and to the instruction of the humble.

Whoever seeks and strives after truth may find it; for it has been shown with great clearness; but whoever despises it, does not despise us, but Christ Jesus, who has taught it unto his church through his holy apostles, and who has bequeathed it to us by the testimony of the Scriptures through his Holy Spirit.

I hereby offer myself to you and to the whole world, if these writings are not sufficient for you, to let me have safe conduct to an open and free discussion with Gellius and the learned; and if I cannot maintain my doctrine and faith by virtue of the Scriptures, and if I cannot prove their doctrine and faith as deceiving, then I will not refuse to acknowledge my fault before the whole world, to retract my doctrine and to consign myself and my writings to the fire. But if I can substantiate my doctrine, then I desire and ask nothing more than that they acknowledge their fault, discontinue to deceive the people, repent, teach the truth to the people, and flee from falsehood. Herewith I commend you to God; he will guide your feet upon the way of peace, and lead you all in the unadulterated, pure knowledge of his eternal, saving truth, Amen. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all who sincerely seek and fear him. Amen. .