Page:Complete Works of Menno Simons.djvu/712

412 412 AN EPISTLE TO MARTIN MICRON. and prohibitions of the Lord; and, as I point my neiglibors, who would do things in the fear of God, honestly to yea, and nay, as the mouth of Truth has commanded me and all true christians to do; and as I sincerely strive to instruct, accordin<? to my small talent, the poor, blind world in the true, divine knowledge, thro agh Jesus Christ without any respect of person, ajad to point out the fcilsehood of anti-christ and the old serpent, according to the truth, thus to lead them to eternal peace, by his grace; and as the doctrine shows its fruit in many, as may be seen; theref(jre it is that they are so enraged at me, that neither Turk nor Tartar, neither tyrant nor tiend under the whole heavens, no matter how ungodly he be, is so hated as I, persecuted man, am hated of the world through this defaming, false, blood-thirsty writing and crying of the learned, who, for the sake of their bel- lies, teach the broad, easy way, with all the false prophets. He who created me knows what love I bear to you and all my ene- mies and slanderers. If I could serve 3'ou with my life, unto righteousness, I would at all times be willing and prepared to do BO, by the grace of God. This I write with a good conscience, as if before God, in Christ Jesus. Dear Micron, do consider how you, out of mere hatred of the truth, treat me, old, in- firm man, quite contrary to all truth, as also contrary to the virtuous, pious nature of the divine, christian love which would curtail nor harm none, to the dishonor of the Almighty, great God. But what will it benefit? The innocent, defenseless Lamb must be hated and murdered in his mem- bers. I will let you teach and counsel (as you will not be convinced) your church, the world, to fight and retaliate as did Moses and the patriarchs, according to your man- ner; teach them to punish, scatter, imprison and destroy their enemies; to adjudge the criminals, no matter whether they repent or not, as you write. Teach them also to swear and be sworn, after the manner that Moses commanded the Israelites. But I shall and will, by the grace of God, faith- fully teach and counsel all truly regener- atfed children of God, and followers of Christ, both rulers and subjects, according to tlie sure word of the holy gospel, to use no other sword than the one Christ Jesus and his holy apostles used, to be merciful unto the penitent sinners, as Christ is mer- ciful unto us; mercifully to punish the im- penitent, and to admonish them in love, as Christ admonished us; and scrupulously to stand by their yea and nay, as the true Teacher and Executor of the New Testa- ment, the ever blessed Christ Jesus himself, has distinctly commanded and taught us with his guileless mouth; no matter what the consequences to my person may be. Dear Micron, reflect and see if I have not rightly pointed to the Scriptures; and con- sider, also, by what Spirit you have slan- dered me. True is the wise man's word: "Who is able to stand before envy ?" Prov. 27:4. Eighthly, it is manifest that throughout your book you have labored with all your might to make the truth of Christ, taught by us to the measure of our talent, obnox- ious and hateful to the reader and hearer, by my person, and to make the falsehood of anti-christ, taught by you, pleasing and taking, by your own person. You have so presented the matter, but alas, not with God's Spirit, that if I had been a tyro in the church for three or four months, I would probably have done about as I now did, according to your untrue, partial writing. But thus the righteous Lord makes mani- fest unto the unsuspecting and innocent, the impure Spirit, heart, bitterness, ambi- tion, hatred, envy, falsehood, and infamy, as also their false doctrine of all such peo- ple who so cover up their ravenous heart with a sheepskin, as you do, that they can scarcely perceive it. The venomous, deadly arrows and lies directed against me, show to the whole world what kind of a spirit is in you. Now it is Menno's incon- stancy, anon, his ignorance, or deceitful in- tellect, or artful roguery, Menno's lies, &c., and you also say that I should have changed my doctrine. In short, I do not know what you wrote that was not written to the dis- honor of God, of the saints, of the truth, of the church and of myself. I thank my God, with joyful heart, that by his grace he has ke>pt me these twenty*