Foundation and Plain Instruction: Sincere and True Repentance

In the second place we exhort you in the words of Christ, “Repent and believe the Gospel,” Mark 1, verse 15. Oh, you faithful word of grace! Oh, you faithful word of divine love! You are read in books, sung in hymns, preached with the mouth, with life and death, and proclaimed in many countries; but they do not desire you in your power;* indeed, more than that, all those who rightly teach and receive you are made a prey for the whole world. Alas, beloved Sirs, it will do us no good to be called Christians and to boast of the Lord’s blood, death, merits, grace and Gospel, as long as we are not converted from this wicked, impious and shameful life. It is in vain that we are called Christians, that Christ died, that we were born in the day of grace and baptized with water, if we do not walk according to his law, counsel, admonition, will and command, and are not obedient to his word. [* p. 17]

Therefore awake, and look at the doings of the world. On every hand you see nothing but sensuality, heavy drinking, infernal pride, lying, fraud, greed, hatred, strife, adultery, fornication, war, murder, hypocrisy, open blasphemy, idolatry and false worship, Hosea 4, verse 11; Micah 6, verse 14; Galatians 5, verses 19 to 21; in short, nothing but a powerful persecution of all that God teaches, commands and enjoins. Who can describe the terrible and alarming condition of the world at the present time? Yet they (the wicked) want to call themselves the holy Christian church. Oh, no! Those who do such things, says Paul, shall not inherit the kingdom of God, First Corinthians 6, verses 9 and 10; Galatians 5, verse 19; Ephesians 5, verse 5. Oh, you men, awake and see for yourselves, for this is what the word of the Lord says: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you are born from above you shall not see the kingdom of God, John 3, verse 3. Also, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,” John 3, verse 5; and again, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,” Matthew 18, verse 3. What does it profit to speak much of Christ and his word if we do not believe him and obey his commandments? Again I say, awake, and banish the accursed unbelief with all unrighteousness from your hearts, and live a pious, penitent life according to the scriptures; for Christ says, “Unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish,” Luke 13, verse 5. Here do not understand such repentance as is taught and practiced by an erring world, which consists only in an outward appearance and human righteousness, such as hypocritical fastings, pilgrimages, praying and reading Pater Nosters and Ave Marias, hearing frequent masses, auricular confessions, and the like hypocrisies, which Christ and his apostles in no way taught and commanded. Therefore it cannot be a propitiatory sacrifice, but will rather be a provocation and tend to stir up the divine displeasure. Such doctrines are useless and fruitless commandments of men, the accursed and enchanted wine of the Babylonian whoredom, which those who have lived on the earth have drunk for so many ages through the just anger of God, Revelation 17, verse 2. But we speak of a repentance that has power and works, as John the Baptist teaches, saying, “Therefore bring forth fruits fitting for repentance, and do not think to say within yourselves, We have Abraham as our father,” Matthew 3, verse 8. “And now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore which does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire,” Luke 3, verse 9.

See, dear reader, the repentance we teach is to die to sin and all ungodly works, and to live no longer according to the lusts of the flesh, even as David did, Second Samuel 13, verse 12; Second Samuel 18, verse 1. When he was reproved by the prophet on account of his adultery, and for numbering the people, he wept bitterly, called on God, forsook the evil, and committed these sinful abominations no more. Peter sinned very grievously, but only once, and no more. Matthew, after being called by the Savior, did not go back to his former way of life. Zaccheus and the sinful woman did not go back to their impure works of darkness. Zaccheus made restitution to those whom he had defrauded, and gave half of his goods to the poor and distressed. The woman wept very bitterly, and washed the feet of the Lord with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; she anointed them with precious ointment, and sat humbly at his feet to listen to his blessed words. [Note 1]

These are the precious fruits of that repentance which is acceptable to the Lord. Therefore it was said to David that the Lord had put away his sins from him; to Peter it was proclaimed that the Lord had risen from the dead; Matthew was called to be an apostle; Zaccheus was told that he had become a son of Abraham; and Mary, that she had “chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her,” Luke 10, verse 42. To the adulterous woman Christ said, “Go, and sin no more,” John 8, verse 11.

Such a repentance we teach, and no other: namely, that no one can glory in the grace of God, the forgiveness of sins and the merits of Christ, and count himself pious, unless he has truly repented. It is not enough that we say we are Abraham’s children, that is, that we are called Christians and regarded as such; we must do the works of Abraham, that is, we must walk as all true children of God are commanded by his word, as John writes: “If we say that we have fellowship with him (God) and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not do the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin,” First John 1, verses 6 and 7.

I ask all my readers whether they have ever read in the scriptures that an impenitent, obstinate man, who does not fear God or his word, who is earthly-minded, sensual, devilish, and lives according to his lusts, can be called a child of God and a joint heir of Christ?* I believe you will be forced to answer, No. But to him who ceases from evil with all his heart and learns to do well, the grace of the Lord is proclaimed throughout the whole scriptures, as the prophet says: “Wash, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool,” Isaiah 1, verses 16 to 18. Again, “If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do what is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die; all his transgressions that he has committed shall not be mentioned to him,” Ezekiel 18, verses 21 and 22. And further, read and search the whole scriptures, the true instructions and testimonies of the holy prophets, evangelists and apostles, and you will find it clearly set forth how this godly repentance is to be earnestly received and practiced, and that without it no one can receive grace, enter into the kingdom of heaven, or ever hope for it.** [* p. 18]

In short, as far as it lies in us, we teach repentance from the word of the Lord, so that we may subdue those carnal lusts which war against the soul, First Peter 2, verse 11; crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts, Galatians 5, verse 24; refrain from conformity to this world, Romans 12, verse 2; cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, Romans 13, verse 12; so that we “do not love the world, nor the things that are in the world,” First John 2, verse 15; “put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created him,” Colossians 3, verses 9 and 10; indeed, cast off the old Adam with his whole nature and deceitful lusts, such as pride, greed, unchastity, hatred, envyings, gluttony, drinking and idolatry, and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, whose fruits are faith, love, hope, righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 4, verse 22; Romans 14, verse 17; Galatians 5, verse 16; and be patient in suffering, merciful, compassionate, chaste, sincerely hating and rebuking all sin, and cherishing a sincere love and zeal for God and his word.* I repeat that this repentance which we teach must be sincere, fruitful and acceptable to the Lord, according to the instructions of his word. He who receives this repentance in sincerity and abides in it to the end may rejoice and thank God, for its end is eternal life. But he who rejects it and does not desire it, let him take warning that its end is eternal death. [* p. 19]

Beloved Sirs, Friends and Brothers, for once lay it truly and sincerely to heart what it is, and what the consequences will be, to transgress the commandments of the Lord willfully and to sin haughtily against the word of God. Adam and Eve ate only once of the fruit which the Lord had forbidden them; and for that, for Adam’s sake, the earth was cursed. In the sweat of his face he was doomed to eat his bread all the days of his life. Eve and her daughters must bring forth in pain and be in subjection to their husbands. They were driven from Paradise, and with all their race were doomed to return to the dust from which they were taken. Here also there was no forgiveness nor consolation of grace to be obtained. But the Eternal Word, God’s Eternal Son, had to come from high heaven, take on human nature, and suffer hunger, temptation, misery, the cross and death, as the scriptures teach.* Oh, beloved Sirs, if this single transgression was so great before God, what will become of those who so proudly, all their days, despise the holy word, covenant, will and commandment of the Lord, who do not confess their sins and transgressions, though they are full of iniquity from the crown of their heads to the soles of their feet? Cain was cursed and became a vagabond on the earth as long as he lived, because he so enviously killed his innocent brother Abel. Alas! What will become of those who at the present day, without compassion or justice, persecute, plunder and murder the pious Abelites, who seek Christ and eternal life with fervent hearts? [* p. 19b]

The ancient world was drowned in the waters of the flood because the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair, and took for themselves wives of all whom they chose, and also because they would not be reproved by the Spirit of God, for every imagination and thought of their hearts was evil continually. Consider the lusts with which the marriages of the world are contracted at the present time, indeed, like dumb beasts; how the Holy Spirit is reviled, slandered and grieved; and how they all walk in their perverted ways which lead to hell, indeed, to eternal damnation and death.

Sodom and Gomorrah, with the surrounding cities, were burned up with the fire of the furious wrath of God on account of their pride, wantonness, cruelty and abominable crimes, and cast into the abyss of hell. Alas, alas, what will befall those miserable men in the great and terrible day when the Lord appears in his glory—men whose pride, excess, debauchery, pomp, tyranny, bloodthirstiness, adultery, fornication and papal abominations no heart can conceive, no tongue express, no pen describe! Romans 1, verse 24.

Korah, Dathan and Abiram, though they were of the seed of Abraham, and some of them were born of Levi, were swallowed up alive by the earth, they and all their company, because they revolted against Moses and Aaron and sought to enter into the priestly office without being called, Numbers 16, verse 32. Consider what will finally happen to our Korites, whom God never acknowledged, much less sent, and whose office, calling and service are not from God and his word but, as the scriptures teach, from the bottomless pit, the dragon and the beast, Revelation 9, verse 1; Revelation 13, verse 4; Revelation 20, verses 1 to 3; who mislead so many poor, miserable souls with their seducing doctrines, Babylonian sorceries and hypocritical lives, and who not only despise but also rail at, persecute, crucify and kill Christ, the righteous Moses and Aaron. If Moses, the faithful servant of God, could not enter the promised land because he once doubted the word of the Lord, how much less shall this unbelieving, perverted and obstinate generation enter the eternal land of promise and glory—a generation that not only disbelieves and despises the word of the Lord, the acceptable gospel of Jesus Christ, but also bitterly hates and persecutes it, tramples the blood of Christ underfoot, stops its ears against the truth, and refuses to be taught by any means, whether by the truth, by the blameless lives of the saints, or by the innocent blood of the witnesses of Jesus, which has been shed and in many countries has flowed like water.

O you miserable men, who are so entirely depraved and miserable before God, take heed to the word of the Lord; cleanse your bloody hands and your impure and unbelieving hearts, and no longer despise the grace of God with your vain boasting; and do not say that Abraham is your father, John 8, verse 39; that you are the children of God; that Christ died for you, or that you will also trust in his mercy. “Do not trust in lying words,” says Jeremiah the prophet; do not say, Here is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord; for it avails nothing that Christ died, and that we are called by his name, if we do not have a sincere, regenerating, vigorous faith in Jesus Christ, pure, unfeigned love, willing obedience, and a pious and blameless life. God’s mercy, we read, is with his saints, and he has care for his elect, but the hope of the wicked is vain, Wisdom of Solomon 3, verse 9; Wisdom of Solomon 5, verse 15. “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry,” Psalm 34, verse 15. “You are my friends,” says Christ, “if you do whatever I command you,” John 15, verse 14. Therefore we pray and exhort you again to reform; he is still the same unchangeable God, Malachi 3, verse 6. He is a strict, jealous and rigorous punisher of all wickedness; indeed, a righteous judge of all ungodliness and of every evil work. He visits the iniquities of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate him, Exodus 20, verse 5. On the other hand, he is compassionate, kind and merciful to all who do righteously and fear his name, to many thousands who love him and keep his commandments.

O reader, reader, beloved reader, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! The time is fulfilled; now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. If you would inherit it and enter into it, you must repent, not only in appearance, as the hypocrites do, but as sincere penitents, with all your hearts and all your powers, and bring forth good fruit. If not, you must be cut off and cast into the fire of his fierce wrath, John 15, verse 6; Luke 3, verse 9. Imo nisi resipueritis, omnes similiter peribitis; that is, “Unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish,” Luke 13, verse 3.

In the third place, we teach with Christ and say, “Believe the gospel,” Mark 1, verse 15. That gospel is the glad tidings and proclamation of the favor and grace of God toward us, and of the forgiveness of our sins through Christ Jesus. The believer receives this gospel by faith through the Holy Spirit, and does not look at his former righteousness or unrighteousness, but hopes against hope, Romans 4, verse 18, and depends with his whole heart on the grace, word and promises of the Lord, since he well knows that God is true and that his promises are sure, Psalm 33, verse 4; Romans 3, verse 4; First Corinthians 1, verse 9. By this the heart is renewed, converted, justified, made pious, peaceable and joyful, Romans 14, verse 17; Galatians 5, verse 22; he is born a child of God, John 1, verse 13; he approaches the throne of grace with full confidence, Hebrews 4, verse 11; and so he becomes a joint heir of Christ and a possessor of everlasting life, Romans 8, verse 14; First Timothy 1, verse 16. Such people, then, awake in time; they hear and believe the word of the Lord; they weep over their past unworthy lives and conduct; they desire help and counsel for their sick souls. To such, Christ, who is a comforter for all troubled hearts, says, “Believe the gospel”; that is: Do not fear; rejoice and be comforted; I will not punish nor chastise you, but will heal you, comfort you and give you life, Isaiah 41, verse 10. A bruised reed I will not break, and smoking flax I will not quench, Matthew 12, verse 20; “I will seek that which was lost, and bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick,” Ezekiel 34, verse 16; for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, Matthew 9, verse 13; Mark 2, verse 17; Luke 5, verse 32. According to the good pleasure of my heavenly Father I came into the world, and by the power of the Holy Spirit I became a visible, tangible and dying man, in all points like you, yet without sin, Hebrews 4, verse 15. I was born of Mary, the spotless virgin; I came down from heaven, proceeded from the mouth of the Most High; I am the firstborn of every creature, the first and the last, the beginning and the end, Revelation 22, verse 13; the Son of the Almighty God, Luke 1, verse 32, anointed with the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to give sight to the blind, to open the prison to those who are bound, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, Isaiah 61, verses 1 and 2; Luke 4, verse 18. Believe the gospel. I am the Lamb that was offered for you all. I take away the sins of the whole world. My Father has made me to you “wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption,” First Corinthians 1, verse 30; Romans 6, verse 10. Whoever believes in me shall not be ashamed; indeed, all who believe that I am he shall have eternal life, Romans 10, verse 11; John 3, verse 16. [Note 2]

See, beloved Sirs, Friends and Brothers: all who believe this are those of whom the scriptures say, “To them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God,” John 1, verses 12 and 13. These are the ones who are justified by faith and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God, Romans 5, verses 1 and 2. And this, as Paul says, is all of grace and love: all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, and so on, Romans 3, verses 23 to 25. There is no one who of himself can rejoice in or boast of this faith;* it is the gift of God, Ephesians 2, verse 8. All who receive faith from God receive a tree full of all kinds of good and delicious fruit. Happy are those who receive this gift of God, for it is more precious than gold, silver or precious stones; it is beyond compare. He who obtains it obtains Christ Jesus, forgiveness of sins, a new mind and eternal life. For the true faith which is acceptable to God cannot be dead; it must bring forth fruit and so show its nature. It works continually in love; walks willingly in righteousness; mortifies flesh and blood; crucifies the lusts and desires; rejoices in the cross of Christ; renews and regenerates, quickens, makes free, and gives peace in Christ Jesus. See, such a faith, I say, is the gift of God, Ephesians 2, verse 8, by which the righteous, according to the scriptures, are to live, as did Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rahab and all the saints. Every good tree brings forth good fruit after its kind, Matthew 7, verse 17; every tree which does not bring forth good fruit, although it is in full foliage, must be accursed and consumed with fire, Matthew 3, verse 10. So also a fruitless, powerless faith, such as the world has, which does not work by love, however learned, wise, eloquent, plausible and miraculous it may be, is still unclean, dead and accursed in the sight of God, First Corinthians 13, verse 2. [* p. 21]

Therefore we exhort you with Christ Jesus, “Believe the gospel”; that is, believe the joyful news, the message of divine grace through Jesus Christ; stop sinning, show repentance for your past lives, submit to the word and will of the Lord. Then you will become heirs and joint heirs, citizens and children of the new and heavenly Jerusalem, made free from your enemies, hell, sin, death and the devil, and you will walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, Romans 8, verse 6. Qui credit filio dei habet vitam aeternam; that is, He who believes in the Son of God has everlasting life, John 3, verse 36.

We poor, wretched men, deprived of all human help and consolation, who like innocent sheep without a shepherd have become a prey to the roaring lions of the forest and the devouring beasts of the field, a spectacle and reproach to the whole world; who have to suffer daily under the oppressive sword of lords and princes, and have to hear and endure the inhuman reviling and abuse of the learned and the abominable lying and scoffing of the common people—we humbly plead with the imperial majesty, kings, lords, princes, authorities and officers, everyone in his calling, dignity and honor, and all our beloved and gracious rulers, through the deep and bloody wounds of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, that you would for once lay aside all displeasure and evil opinions concerning us, and with sincere pity consider the inhuman and severe trials, misery, needs, crosses and martyrdoms of your distressed and innocent servants. For the great God before whom we stand, who is the Searcher of all hearts, and before whose eyes all things are open and revealed, knows that we seek nothing else on this earth than that we may live with a good conscience according to his holy commandments, ordinances, word and will. But if there are some pernicious sects, as, alas, there have been in our day, they will no doubt become manifest in due time.

Therefore be so gracious as to read our writings diligently and meditate on them with a God-fearing and impartial heart, so that you may know with certainty why we are not frightened away from our doctrine, faith and practice by coercion, poverty, misery, persecution and death; that you may in this way examine the truth more thoroughly and no longer be guilty of innocent blood. Be pleased to show some natural fairness and human charity toward your poor servants. Do not think in your hearts that we poor, forsaken men are wood or stone according to the flesh. We are descended with you from one father, Adam, and from one mother, Eve, and are created by the same God; we came into this world in the same way, are clothed with the same nature, desire rest and peace, are concerned for wives and children just as you are, and are naturally fearful of death, like all other creatures on earth.

Therefore humble yourselves in the name of Jesus, so that your poor souls may be saved. Examine, I say, our doctrine and instructions, and you will find through the grace of God that they are the pure and unadulterated doctrines of Christ: the holy word, the word of eternal peace, the word of eternal truth, the word of divine grace, the word of our salvation, the unconquerable word, against which the gates of hell shall never prevail, Matthew 16, verse 18. They are the two-edged sword that proceeded out of the mouth of the Lord, Revelation 1, verse 16, the sword of the Spirit by which all who live on the earth must be judged, Ephesians 6, verse 17.

O you beloved sirs, put the sword into the sheath! For as truly as the Lord lives, you are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against Him whose eyes are a flame of fire, who judges and makes war in righteousness; who is crowned with many crowns, whose name no one knows but himself; who is clothed with a garment dipped in blood; whose name is called the Word of God; who rules the nations with a rod of iron; who treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God; who has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS, Revelation 19, verses 11 to 16.

O you highly renowned lords and princes, it is against this Being that you are contending in this way with your counsel and sword. Remember what the great prophet of the Lord, Zechariah, said concerning the children of God, who in this world are always subject to suffering: “He who touches you touches the apple of my eye,” Zechariah 2, verse 8. It is a fearful abomination and bitter enmity so miserably to murder, destroy and exterminate those who seek the Lord and eternal life with such warm hearts, and who would not harm anyone on the earth. “Precious in the sight of the Lord,” David says, “is the death of his saints,” Psalm 116, verse 15. It is Jesus of Nazareth whom you persecute, Acts 9, verse 5, and not us. Therefore awake, stop, fear God and his word; for we shall all be called to appear before one Judge, before whom neither power, high rank, good looks, fine speech nor talents will avail. There judgment will be passed in righteousness on all flesh, impartially and without respect of persons; the oppressed will then receive justice, and the crucified Jesus with his elect, released from the power of death and the hands of tyrants, will enter into his promised inheritance, kingdom and glory.

Seeing, then, that you deal so unjustly and tyrannically with the helpless and God-fearing, according to the evil intentions of your hearts, without the sanction of scripture and without mercy, how can you expect any grace and mercy in the day of the Lord, when we shall all have to stand before the impartial judgment seat, where everyone will be rewarded according to his deeds? Second Corinthians 5, verse 10.

We do not desire such favors as the evildoers of this world; for we have not sinned in this doctrine, faith and practice of ours, although we have to suffer so much. We resist the antichristian doctrines, ordinances and life only with the word of the Lord, as the scriptures direct us. We resist neither the emperor, the king, nor any authority to which they are called by God; but we are ready to obey until death in all things which are not contrary to God and his word, and we well know what the scriptures teach and enjoin on this matter, Romans 13, verses 1 to 8. But we desire this much mercy: that under your gracious protection we may live, teach, labor and serve the Lord according to the dictates of our consciences, so that the gospel of Christ may be rightly preached to you and to many with you, and the gate of life opened. Alas! If the learned had the word of God and we did not, how gladly we would be taught by them. But since we have it and they do not, we pray you, for Jesus’ sake, do not press us to leave Christ and join antichrist; to go from truth to error; from life to certain death.

Oh, you renowned lords and princes, who are appointed by God to be heads and rulers, consider well and believe the word of the Lord; for if you will not stop your unrighteousness, fear God and do right, it would be better for you if you had never been born. The innocent blood of Abel cries to heaven, and will be strictly required at your hands on the last day. Again we say: awake, fear God’s word; for God, the Lord himself, will rule in heaven, in his kingdom, that is, in the hearts of men. He will allow no one to take away from his glory or to be exalted above him. Lucifer, the fair angel of God, desired to exalt himself to the Most High, and was cast out of heaven into the abyss of hell, and is kept in chains of darkness until the judgment of the last day, Isaiah 14, verses 12 to 15; Revelation 12, verses 7 to 9; Second Peter 2, verse 4. [Note 3]

Beloved Sirs, receive it in love and do not be offended, for the truth must be made known. Your pride has risen to heaven. Look to Christ and his word, his example and his life; judge impartially, and you will find this to be true. The almighty, eternal Father, through his eternal Wisdom, Christ Jesus, has instituted and commanded all things in his kingdom, that is, in his church, concerning doctrines, sacraments and life, according to his divine counsel, will and wisdom. But you, through the counsel and urging of the learned, by your inhuman and cruel mandates, have changed, destroyed and corrupted these, as if the almighty and eternal word should yield to your command and authority, and as though the divine ordinances of the Son of God might be changed into a more suitable form and to a better purpose through the wisdom of men. O presumption of all presumptions! O folly of all follies! Why do you exalt yourself, O earth and dust? Acknowledge Christ Jesus, your chief Lord, who has been made by God a Prince and Judge to you. “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s,” says David, “but the earth he has given to the children of men,” Psalm 115, verse 16. I have no doubt that if anyone rose up against the emperor or king and intruded into his kingdom and government, he would not be borne with patiently, nor go unpunished. How much less, then, will a poor, fleshly mortal go unpunished who rises up against the Almighty Emperor and King, Christ Jesus, to dethrone him from the seat of his divine majesty and rob him of his scepter and the crown of his glory, as though Christ Jesus, the eternal wisdom of God, were unreasonable and unfit for the heavenly government. Consider what became, from the beginning, of those haughty and proud hearts who desired to set their seats up to the throne of God.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, as Peter teaches. Take as an example the great and prosperous king Nebuchadnezzar, and see how grievously God punished him on account of his pride; and how, after being punished, he turned to wisdom, feared the Almighty, and highly praised his wonderful and glorious works and his great and adorable name.

Beloved Sirs, awake and mend your ways, for it is not fitting for the creature to rise up against the Creator. Christ alone will be the head of his church, the Teacher in his school; and he alone the King who will judge his kingdom—not with the doctrines and commandments of men, nor with slaying and murdering, but with his Holy Spirit, power, grace and word.

Therefore we pray you, O you great ones of the earth, whom we, through the mercy of God, acknowledge as our gracious lords in all temporal things, that you would receive the eternal, almighty King, Christ Jesus, as the only Savior, Lord and sovereign of our poor souls, even as he was ordained by his Father; and that you would attend to the duties of your office and temporal government, to which you have been called. For we desire with all our hearts to render “to Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s, and to God the things which are God’s,” Matthew 22, verse 21. Be pleased also to consider this doctrine and instruction of ours concerning baptism, the Lord’s supper and the shunning of Babylonian deeds, and compare them well with the word of the Lord. We hope, through the grace of God, that you will find in truth that we believe and teach nothing but what the true oracle of the Lord has commanded us, and the holy apostles have taught and confirmed. To this end may the great Lord grant you his grace. Amen.