Epistle to Martin Micron, Part 3

I am very much surprised that the other preachers, part of whom (though they do not want to be upon the narrow path with Christ and his chosen ones), are naturally intelligent, do not reprove you and stop your slanderous writing, as it is a shame to them as well as to yourself; for never was your anti-christian foundation and doctrine concerning Christ, the Son of God, made so manifest, as it was by your bold assertions and blindness, and by my necessary reply thereto. All those that have eyes may see what fearful unbelief and abominable foundation and doctrine you have. Still, you will remain good teachers in the sight of the world; for it is such they seek and desire. John truly says, “They are of the world; therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them,” 1 Jn. 4: 5.

Behold, dear Micron, I have placed the clear mirror of truth before the eyes of your conscience, and properly dissected the invisible members of your soul. Now open your eyes, and you shall see what kind of a man you are, and how greatly you are spiritually diseased; from which, spring all these obnoxious exhalations, such as upbraiding, lying, defaming, false explanations, adulteration of the Scriptures and flatterings. “For by the law, is the knowledge of sin,” Rom. 3: 20, thus this epistle will discover unto you how deadly you are stung by the serpent, and how he has corrupted you, before God, by the accursed venom of his evil nature, and poisoned your whole life.

If the merciful Lord, by his loving kindness, should make you feel and know your abominable shame which you have committed against God and man by your slanderous writing, which, I fear, you have until now, by your great blindness, hatred, ambition, and self-love, but little noticed, then be not dilatory (if you would not die in your ungodliness) in coming before the throne of grace, the ever blessed Christ Jesus, with a broken, contrite, repentant spirit, in an adulterated faith, with a changed, penitent, and new heart; for he is the spiritual, brazen serpent, raised unto all of Adam’s children (who are poisoned in Adam) as a wholesome sign. He is the man who can cure you of all the deep wounds of your diseased soul. He is the Physician in Israel. With him alone, is found the ointment and medicine of eternal life. And if you would commit yourself to him and follow his advice, that you may find help and health for your diseased soul, you must give yourself up to him; obey his word, will, commandments and prohibitions; deny your selfish, ambitious, false, partial, envious, vain, wrathful flesh which leads you to this abominably false writing; become little in your own sight; lay a better and christian foundation in your heart; quit your flattering, adulteration of the Scriptures, idolatrous sacraments and all hypocrisy; truly seek and fear the Lord and his holy word, with sincerity of heart; reconcile your neighbors whom you have wronged through pernicious falsehood, with tears, in sincere brotherly love, and by other writings publish to the world that through mere hatred against the truth, you have causelessly still more defamed their name, which was already hated too much for truth’s sake; something which, I fear, you will hardly do unless you become a more godly, penitent and pious Micron than you, alas, have been hitherto.

So long as you do not do as here pointed out, it is manifest that you without cause hate your neighbor, and are inimical to him, out of hatred of the truth; and are therefore separate from Christ, with the murderers. O, friend, reflect and repent. Take heed, lest you forever destroy your precious soul for the sake of a little temporary and vain praise! But a short time, and Micron is no more! O, the sentence, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the everlasting fire! Oh, oh, what a sentence!

Friend Micron, in faithful love I warn you. Take heed, I pray you. I have known several persons who were prompted by a like spirit of bitter zeal against the Lamb and his chosen ones, who were adjudged and punished by the Lord, who does justly, and properly rewards the unjust, before the eyes of men.

It is about eighteen or nineteen years since that highly esteemed man, who was much respected by the world (whose name and country I will not mention), wickedly advised that they should destroy me together with the pious. His words and ungodly thoughts were hardly finished until the avenging hand of the Lord was laid upon him. He dropped at the table; and thus in a moment his blood-thirsty, impenitent, ungodly life was ended in a terrible way. O, fearful judgment!

About the same time it happened to another man, who thought that he would so set his trap that I could not escape, that he at the same meal he was eating while speaking these words, was suddenly struck by an arrow from the Lord, stricken with a severe disease, and thus had to give an account before the Lord. He was buried within eight days from the time he spoke these words.

Another who was to become an officer to the emperor at a certain place, thought that he would destroy this people, if there was any virtue in the imperial army. He came to the place where he was to be situated and serve in his capacity; and four or five days thereafter the bell was tolled and the requiem sung over him. Behold, thus God, the Lord, annihilates the designs of the ungodly who storm this holy mount, and destroys those who hate his truth and are inimical thereto.

In the year 1554 three of our brethren were at Wisburg, in Gotland, for the purpose of earning a livelihood. A preacher of the city, named Lawrence, who was of the spirit of his father (the devil), cried after them in the street, hooted at them, and said “That they should not there practice their religion, if it were to cost him all that was surrounded by his clothes,” meaning, his body and soul. A few days afterwards he conversed with one of these brethren in the presence of another preacher who was not unreasonably minded. He behaved outrageously. The great Lord, in the presence of both of them, smote him, so that he, at once, lost his voice; and within twenty-four hours he was a corpse. O, terrible punishment and judgment of God!

A case almost similar happened the same year at Wismer. They had accepted a crier, named Doctor Smedesteet, who said, “That he would rather have a hat full of our blood than a hat full of our gold.” He persuaded the magistracy, who glady hear such makers of pillows, “To proclaim, just before cold winter, to the poor children to clear the place before St. Martin’s day; or else they would be put where they would not like to go.” Smedesteet was very joyous that he had accomplished the fulfillment of his heart’s desire, but to his sorrow; for the same day the Almighty, great Lord laid the hands of his wrath upon him, and within seven days the Lord took him away by a severe illness; yet the blind, obdurate world does not observe these things.

In the year 1555 in the same city there was a preacher named Vincent, who lives there yet, who was never tired of upbraiding and slandering. On the day they call the Lord’s ascension-day, he read the Scripture, “He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved,” Mark 16:16. He said, “He would upbraid and slander us so long as his mouth would open.” The same hour the strong Lord closed it, and bound his tongue. He fell down in the pulpit, and was carried by some of those present as a punished one into his house, a dumb man. Behold, thus he may punish those who would touch the apple of his eye and harm it. If I were to relate all the incidents which in my time befell the enemies of the saints, it would require a separate volume. Therefore I advise you in sincerity of heart, no longer to oppose such a strong and avenging God and Lord. I tell you in Christ that it will be too hard, yes, too hard for you to kick against the pricks, Acts 9: 5. For his name is Sovereign Lord, Mighty Prince, Isa. 9: 6. “Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” Ex. 15: 11. His arrows never miss, and when he calls we must appear. None can escape from him, and avoid his wrath. O, Micron, take heed.

Good friend, if your battle was against me, as you perhaps think it is, you would already have won it. For the whole world, in this matter, is on your side, nay, the serpent himself, and against me; for this foundation is the only weapon, according to the doctrine of John, which is to conquer his kingdom, the world. But the battle is not against me, but against the truth itself, against the Father and his blessed Son, against the whole Scriptures, and against those who dwell in heaven. Therefore take heed. For, although the reckless, rough world may say amen to your cause, yet it will not be the case with the Most High, whose glory, honor, truth and testimony I, according to my small talent, uphold, by his grace and assistance.

And if you do even deprive me of my honor, reputation, body and life, which I have already long deemed of little consequence, for Christ’s sake, in the sight of the world, which are not concluded under Christ’s prayer, Jn. 17: 9, though, thank God, I have never harmed you, nor wished you any harm. Still, God the Father will remain the true Father of Christ, and Christ the true Son of God; and you will have to turn from your impure, anti-christian doctrine to the unadulterated, pure doctrine of Christ, or else you will be one of those of whom it is written: “He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God,” Jn. 3: 18. Neither partizanism nor disputing will prevail against God and his word. He is the one who will have the praise, and his word is the doctrine which will remain the truth. If you do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that his testimony and word are true, and that his ordinances are the true ordinances; if you be not born of God; do not become of divine disposition and nature; are not urged by and possessed of the Holy Ghost; do not sincerely repent; if you be not in Christ, nor Christ in you, then, according to the doctrine of John, you are one of those who have no God, 1 Jn. 2: 22.

But if you have Christ, if you actually believe that he is the true Son of God, then you have both the Father and the Son, 1 Jn. 2: 24; and you will walk as he walked, you will not willfully tell a falsehood; for you are born of the truth; you will not hate; you will not defame; you will not inform against your neighbors; and you will wrong no person. You will seek the salvation of others, and not their corruption; you will reprove their sins; you will rightly teach, and not deceive them, for the spirit of love which does justly by God and man will dwell in you and prompt you.

If you have Christ, in truth, you will walk in the light, Jn. 3: 21; 8: 12; you will follow the true shepherd, and will enter in at the right door, Jn. 10: 2; you will walk upon the true road; remain in the truth, in the right vineyard, Jn. 15: 1; build upon the true rock, Eph. 2: 20; 1 Pet. 2: 5; you will not adulterate the word of God; for your spirit is one with the Spirit of Christ; your faith will be one with his word, and your life, though in weakness, one with his life.

You will seek the praise and honor of the Lord, and not your own; you will confess Christ as your Savior, at the risk of life or death by all the world; all your pleasure will be in the law of the Lord, and your whole life in his fear; your thoughts will be pure, and all your words well-seasoned; your daily combat will be against the world, the devil, and your own evil flesh; and you will, by your honest, virtuous life, set an example to all the world; the cross, taken upon yourself for the sake of the Lord’s word and testimony, you will patiently bear; and, if you should thoughtlessly think, say or do any thing wrong, you will sincerely lament it. In short, you will prove by all your actions that you are a chosen child of God, born of the heavenly seed of the holy Word, and that you are become a live member of the body of the Lord.

Behold, dear Micron, such penitence and reformation I sincerely wish you; and I would like to see it truly manifest in you, in power and truth, and that I then, for the sake of the testimony of Jesus, together with you, would have to make a sacrifice of my blood, to the praise of the Lord, and to the edification of our neighbors. I repeat it, repent, that the precious treasure, given for us, be not lost in your case.

I would herewith commend you to Almighty God. He will bestow upon you according to his great grace, as I would like to see you receive. No more hereafter, however much you may cry and write, unless you be converted into a better mind, and I constrained and urged to do so by the godfearing.

Nor shall I hereafter solicit a public discussion with any person, and that for this reason, first: Because I have these many years, desired it by numerous written and verbal requests, and have never been granted it. From which it is manifest that they care but little about the glory of God, and the souls of men.

Secondly, because your principal teachers and exemplary men, as John A’Lasco, Calvin, and Theodore Beza, whom you confess to be your most worthy and most beloved brethren, are men of blood: That this is the case is testified to by their own books, as also by old Seructus of Geneva, and Joris of Paris, who was burned in England.

Thirdly, because your brethren, the Welsh church, as they are called, at Frankfort have, in their publications, sworn against us; which two things we did not so positively know heretofore as we do now.

Inasmuch as I plainly see that there is but deceit, faithlessness, blood-thirstiness and perverseness found among the children of men wherever one may turn himself; and as nothing does, nor can avail on earth but the praise of Christ and the salvation of souls; therefore I will let Babylon, with its false preachers, impure doctrine, idolatrous baptism and supper, together with its false religion, and impenitent, vain, easy life, be Babylon, and will, with the holy prophet Habakkuk, stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and thus clearly sound the trumpet of the holy, divine word from the walls and gates of Jerusalem, according to my small talent and faithfully awaken the citizens of the eternal peace, joyfully to sing the lovely Hallelujah through the streets, with grateful, joyous hearts, to the honor of God, Heb. 2: 1; to attire themselves, before God and the world, in the shining, white raiment of the saints, in sincerity of heart and purity of doctrine. I will faithfully admonish them with careful, pious Esdras and say, My people, hear my word, and prepare yourselves for the battle, and evil things, &c., 4 Esdras 16: 41. With holy Paul, “Take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,” Eph, 6: 13. And with Christ himself: Watch and pray, Matt. 24: 42; Mark 13: 33; Luke 21: 36; 1 Pet. 4: 7. For the prince of darkness with his whole force and kingdom, besieges the city of God, storms by night and day, uses many means, with flesh and blood, as falsehood and false doctrine, lusts of the eye, imprisonment, banishment, confiscation, bloodshed, tyranny and violence. Whosoever does not constantly pray, and fear the Lord, can not stand.

I will let Babylon be Babylon. Those who are piously inclined will leave off their ungodliness and wed themselves to Christ; for truth is revealed, and the repast is prepared. Blessed is he who enters in with sincerity of heart, and saves his wedding garment. I would sincerely warn all the chosen children of God, the sincere faithful brethren and sisters of Christ, with beloved John, our most beloved brother and fellow in tribulation, in the kingdom and in the patience of Jesus Christ, and say, children, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world; and the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God, abideth forever,” 2 Jn. 2 : 15—17. Friend Micron, again be warned; repent, pray to God for grace, and earnestly reflect upon that which I have written. And be not angry because I have thus sharply reproved you. I have done so truthfully, and to the honor of God, and to the benefit of the reader, as I reprove the whole world, without respect of person, that you may rightly learn the brightness of Christ, see and feel your foul sores, be healed by the Lord’s medicine, sincerely repent, and be eternally saved. I herewith commend you to the gracious, merciful God and Father, for the enlightenment of your blind soul, and the reformation of your sinful life, by his blessed, first-born, and only true Son, Christ Jesus, by the manifestation of his eternal Holy Ghost unto more righteousness. “Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful,” Prov. 27: 5, 6.

MENNO SIMON.

October 16th.

It is an old proverb, dear reader, that “Many men have many minds.” Every person, generally judges according to his own ideas, whereby many an unjust and wicked sentence is rendered, especially where blind partiality has its sway.

Since I find that our opponents, with their false doctrine cannot stand before the power of the holy, divine word, and since they diligently try so to defame and calumniate us, and so garble our words, that we, with truth on our side, are rejected by the world, and they, with falsehood on their side, are honored by the world; therefore I pray all impartial readers not to be offended at their saying, “Menno has not truthfully written this or that.”

In accordance with the doctrine of Christ, I rejoice in being called a liar by the liars. I trust that those who are born of the truth shall not charge me with falsehood; for I have chosen truth for a mother, more than twenty-one years, since. I also desire, in my weakness, to walk in her ways as an obedient, faithful child, without looking back and without offense, so long as I remain on earth. Of this my hand and mouth, my humble life, together with my tribulation, poverty, privation, misery, cross and death shall be witness against my enemies, at the judgment of Christ. Take heed.

I deem it impossible literally to describe those parts of the discussion which Micron has suppressed or misinterpreted, just as it happened. Nor have the holy apostles and evangelists who described the actions and doctrine of Christ, by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, done so. For the one describes the same occurrence this way, and the other that way. It sufficed them to show the foundation of truth; so it does me. I do not desire to wrangle about a word. I only care about showing to the reader that the crucified Christ Jesus is God’s first-born and only begotten, true Son; and to show that Micron has given quite an untrue account of the discussion, and that he has deceived his readers by open falsehood.

Secondly, I pray them not to take it amiss that I also referred to John A’Lasco. It was not done through hatred nor dis-favor; but zeal for the glory of God and of Christ his Son, and for the honor of eternal truth, and for the sincerely desired salvation of your souls, have urged me to do so; because Micron says, “That they are of one mind in doctrine,” and I do not see that one could believe, teach, write, speak, hold, or feel more abominably concerning the crucified Christ than he does in his defense against me. Besides, I hear that he, also, is become a man guilty of blood, notwithstanding he verbally confessed to me that none should be harmed on account of the faith.

But now, as I hear, it is claimed that it was not on account of faith, but on account of disobedience. As the foundation is quicksand so are their assertions. Let the rulers command things in keeping with the gospel of Christ and neighborly love; and if we refuse to obey them, then we are culpable. I will leave it to the judgment of all reasonable rulers, as before God in Christ, whether it is in accordance with, or contrary to the Scriptures, to expatriate the poor souls because they fear God; confess the crucified Christ to be God’s Son; receive the holy baptism according to the commandment of the Lord and the doctrine of the apostles; affirm their testimony by yea or nay, in accordance with Christ’s command, and because they lead a penitent, pious life in righteousness, &c.

I am aware that there are many unsuspecting hearts who look more to John A’Lasco and to the learned than they do to Christ and his apostles; therefore I have also referred to his errors in regard to this matter that all godfearing readers may see what kind of writers and teachers they are who are so highly esteemed and whose names are considered so worthy.

Thirdly, I pray that none will accept my saying that I will no longer solicit a public discussion, in such a sense as meaning that I have no courage to do so. This is not the meaning I wish to impart. But I do not desire, to discuss publicly nor privately with such people as those to whom I referred in my epistle; nor with such as dishonestly adulterate, change, break and misinterpret my words and testimony, and slander us as did Micron from the beginning to the end of his writing. For I generally find myself deceived by them on all hands, as it is the nature which would lead an easy life and not take up the cross of the Lord.

But if any rulers should be troubled at heart concerning the Scriptures and be suspicious of their preachers and teachers, and would ask me to a public discussion for the sake of finding out the truth, it would be as glad a tiding to me as I could hear on earth; nor would I, I trust, be dissuaded nor prevented by the godfearing, to whose hands and counsel I always willingly commend myself. For we are sure that we have the Scriptures and truth on our side.

Fourthly, I pray them not to take it as upbraiding and slandering that I sometimes handle Micron roughly, according to the truth. It was done for no other purpose than that he and his followers may acknowledge their deceiving, lying spirit, through such earnest admonitions which are in keeping with the foundation of Scripture, that they may take a dislike to their abominable doings, and thus renounce their evil ways; as, also, that all the unsuspecting, good hearts which are bound by their snares of unrighteousness, may be delivered to the praise of the Lord.

It was done in the same spirit which actuated the holy apostles and prophets, which actuated Christ himself, in their several reproaches. If any one now should reprove me of pithiness, they must first reprove Christ and his messengers. For it is they who have, in the Holy Scriptures, thus taught me and all teachers who follow and uphold the right.

All those who have a scriptural understanding, know that where we find mention made in the Scriptures of the despising of, and blasphemy against God we also find added the sentence and sharp rebuke of the Holy Ghost.

Inasmuch as it is manifest that Micron is not ashamed to fasten one falsehood upon another, to make a translation to suit himself; to deny the testimony of God, the Father of Christ Jesus, his blessed Son, of the angel Gabriel, together with that of all the other witnesses of the New Testament; to flatter the rulers; to seek the favor of men, and to deceive the poor souls for which the Lord’s blood was shed; therefore it surely is not wrong to call him by such names as are applied to him in the Scriptures by the Holy Ghost. The truth must have its course, and does not respect emperor nor king; much less a false prophet or teacher, who advocates the cause of the serpent; perverts the testimony of God into falsehood; and, for the sake of vain honor, and of his lusts, strengthens the ungodly, and troubles the saints. Whosoever has sound judgment and knows the way of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures, must say that I am right.

Fifthly, I pray that no person will think that I thus write to retaliate Micron’s writing. O, no. I leave wrath to him who is judge of all the world. I have done so to the service of Micron and all the erring, that they may be converted, and give becoming praise and honor to Christ, the Son of God, Deut. 32: 35; Heb. 10: 39; 1 Pet. 2: 3, 23; 3: 9. The truth is presented to them, by the grace of God, in such power and clearness that no man can disannul it by virtue of the Scriptures, nor contradict it by virtue of intellect. Therefore it would be well if our opponents would behold it more clearly, that they may, with all the saints, flee from the future judgment, and that they may, in the day of his appearance, stand before the throne of his Majesty in eternal joy.

If they do not, but refuse, remain obdurate and partial; if they repay good with evil, and love with hatred; if they seek assistance from the worldly powers, since they are too weak in the Scriptures, and thus watch for the corruption and misfortune of the pious, by falsehood and ornamented inventions, as has, alas, been the case hitherto, with many, then we must leave them to the Lord, possess our souls in patience, and remember the saying of Christ: “For so persecuted they the prophets which were before you,” Matt. 5: 12.

Lastly, I would faithfully warn all my readers and hearers, both great and small, rich and poor, favorable and unfavorable, as before God, and sincerely pray them in Christ Jesus, to read impartially this our incontrovertible, thorough answer and explanation; and rightly to weigh it in the balance of the holy, divine word, and to compare it with the fictitious foundation and doctrine of our opponents, that they, enlightened by the truth, may find the true way to life.

Let none believe me; but believe the truth which I have, according to my small talent, placed before you in invincible power and clearness, according to the pure doctrine of the holy apostles, evangelists, prophets, and of Christ himself. In Christ, be warned. Your poor souls are lamentably deceived by the doctrine of our opponents; for it is the smoke from the bottomless pit, Rev. 9: 2, which obscures the bright Sun, Christ Jesus, and the air of his holy word; it is the falsehood of the old serpent; its egg and brood; he that eateth it dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper, Isa. 59: 5; it is the spiritual dung with which Ezekiel had to bake his bread, Ezek. 4: 12. In short, it is the horrible, abominable draught of the golden cup of the Babylonian whore, drunken with the blood of the saints, with which she has made drunk all who dwell in the earth, Rev. 17:4.

Their doctrine and confession stand clear and manifest, that the crucified Christ Jesus, was not the true Son of God; for they say he had no Father, and is only called so on account of their fictitious union; they reject the baptism of Christ; they rage and blaspheme against it, and institute a different baptism which is neither taught nor commanded them by the Scriptures. The difference between the oath of Christ and Moses they deny, and say, we are allowed to swear to the truth, that it is a holy thing, &c., Matt. 5: 34. Let him who is intelligent, understand what we have explained in both our book and epistle.

John says, “The Word was made flesh,” Jn. 1: 14. Paul says, “Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory,” 1 Tim. 3: 16. Because we sincerely confess this testimony, as also all others which confess the visible, palpable, crucified Christ to be the Son of God, to be true and just; therefore we must, alas, be called by the world, sectarians and heretics. It is time to beware. Kind reader take heed. God grant you his grace, Amen. Read attentively and judge impartially, Amen.