Reply to Gellius Faber: The True Signs of the Church of Antichrist, Part 1

1. By a light-minded, easy and false doctrine, Matthew 7, verse 16; Matthew 15, verse 9; Matthew 16, verse 4; Romans 16, verse 26; First Timothy 4, verse 2; Second Timothy 2, verses 16 and 17.

2. By an unscriptural use of the sacramental signs, such as infant baptism and the giving of the supper to the impenitent, First Corinthians 11, verses 19 and 20.

3. By disobedience to the word, Proverbs, chapter 1; Titus 1, verses 15 and 16; Matthew 7, verse 26; Matthew 25, verse 26.

4. By hatred of the brothers, First John 3, verse 15.

5. By hypocrisy and denial of the name of God and Christ, Matthew 10, verse 33; Mark 8, verse 38; Luke 9, verse 26.

6. By tyranny and persecution against the godly, John 15, verse 20; John, chapter 16; Revelation 12, verse 13.

See, dear reader, we have shown you here the foundation of both churches: what they are, whose they are and by whom they are begotten; of what mind they are, what kind of fruits they bring forth, and by what signs they may be known.

To anyone who does not willfully err, a plain way is pointed out by this. If you, then, want to be a true member of the church of Christ, you must be born of the word of God; be of a Christian mind; bring forth Christian fruits; walk according to his word, ordinance and command; die to the flesh and the world; lead a blameless life in the fear of God; serve and love your neighbors with all your heart; confess the name and glory of Christ; and be prepared for all manner of tribulation, misery and persecution for the sake of the word of God and its testimony, John 3, verses 3 and 4; John 15, verse 4; John 8, verse 31; First Peter 1, verse 23; Philippians 2, verse 15; Romans 8, verse 14.

But if you refuse this and remain unchanged in your natural state, lead an impenitent, easy life, lay aside the word and ordinance of the Lord, play the hypocrite with the world and refuse the cross, then you cannot be a member of the church of Christ; or else the word of God must be false and fallible. For on every hand the Scriptures teach faith, love, the fear of God, repentance, obedience, dying to the flesh, self-denial, a new life and the cross. Therefore sincerely fear God, deny yourself, search the Scriptures, follow the truth, and take heed that you are not deceived and do not lose your soul forever for the sake of temporal life and its enjoyments, Mark 1, verse 15; Mark 8, verse 36; John 1, verse 3; John 13, verse 14; Luke 13, verse 24; Luke 9, verse 25; Romans 6, verse 8; Colossians 3, verse 9; Galatians 6, verse 1; Matthew 16, verse 25.

Having given a scriptural explanation of the difference between the two churches, I will now turn to Gellius’ argument, by which he would prove their church to be the Christian church and ours the heretical church of conspirators. I trust I will be enabled to show by the word of the Lord that the impartial reader must clearly see that he (Gellius) strives with all his power to suppress the wholesome and plain word of God, together with his church, and to excuse and uphold the deceiving serpent and his church as well as he can.

In the first place he writes: “The saints at Corinth and of the church of Galatia, whom Paul rebukes for their abominable sins, still continued to hear the word of God and to receive the sacraments from their bishops and pastors.”

Answer. If Gellius and the preachers would conform their doctrine and life to the Scriptures, rightly serve their sacraments, and separate their church from the world according to the Scriptures, then we might talk of listening to the preachers. But so long as the preachers remain deceivers and use their sacraments contrary to the word of God, and their disciples are of the world; so long as they practice neither ban nor punishment as the Scriptures require, it is, in my opinion, of no use to say much about this; for it is plain that they are without Christ and his word.

Reader, understand this matter rightly. Paul did not put up with the ungodly state of affairs in the churches mentioned above, as the preachers of the present day do; but he rebuked them in severe terms, especially those of Corinth, and pointed the obedient to separation if the others had not reformed themselves by the time he came again, Second Corinthians 12, verse 13.

Gellius ought reasonably to do the same, and not comfort the poor, reckless people with the idea that other people have also sinned in the past; for this is surely what Sirach calls excusing oneself by the example of other people. Nor can it help his cause. For in the first place, these churches were rightly built, but afterwards some of them were misled by false prophets and heretics and led into byways. Some of them, it seems, gave themselves again to an easy, carnal life, as is generally the case with those who turn their backs on the truth and delight in new doctrines, discord and disputation, as experience, alas, has sufficiently taught me these last several years, Jude, verse 19; Second Peter 3, verse 3.

Paul calls the disturbers at Corinth contentious and heretics, and those of Galatia he calls deceivers; he desires and commands that they be separated from the church, lest the whole lump be leavened by this leaven, First Corinthians 5, verse 6; Galatians 5, verse 9.

The churches mentioned above were rightly established in the first place, and were afterwards made contentious by the heretics and carnal people who arose among them; and they were rebuked by Paul because they allowed such contentious persons, with their open abominations, to remain in the church. How then can Gellius make good their cause by their example, when he and his preachers never were the true preachers, and their churches never were separated from the world, and therefore were not the church of Christ, as we have heard?

In the second place he writes: “Zachariah, Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary, Simeon and Anna, together with other saints, heard the word of God in the church of the Jews, among whom were the murderers of Christ; and the disciples of the prophets did not separate the murderers of the prophets from the church.”

Answer. These words of Gellius show that the Jewish synagogue, although there were many pious persons in it, such as Zachariah, Elizabeth and so on, was not the Christian or apostolic church, and that they did not have the ordinances of Christ and his holy apostles, nor use them. For it can never be shown that the apostolic church, so long as she remained the apostolic church, persecuted and murdered the pious, or tolerated such people, as was the case at that time with the Jewish synagogue. Therefore he answers and judges himself; for he does not claim that their church is the Jewish synagogue, in which such abominations were found, but claims that they are the Christian church, which never thought of such things, much less practiced them.

Again, we should not follow the church mentioned above in such abominable abuses and sins, but should be admonished by them as to how we should treat such people, who always arise among the pious, according to the doctrine of Paul; and we should not, because of such people, mistrust the promises of the Lord, as if we were not the church of Christ. For we are taught by this that in the church of Christ, which is always beguiled by her opponents, offenses, blasphemies and heresies will arise; but that we should separate such people whenever the case requires it, after proper admonition, and by this she openly testifies before God and man that she is clear of such offenses and deceptions. The worldly church does not do this; they tolerate such people and keep them as members, against the word and command of God, against the ordinance of the Holy Spirit, and against the example or practice of the holy apostles. Although they know well that the institution and command of the Lord do not allow it, they do it willfully all the same. Therefore they cannot be Christ’s church and community so long as they continue to do so; or else the express word of God must be fallible and false. O reader, reflect on this matter.

But from his writing that the disciples of the prophets did not separate the murderers of the prophets, who were among them, from the church, I understand him to say that their church still remains the church of Christ, even though numbers of wicked and ungodly persons are found among them and are allowed to remain among them, directly contrary to the evangelical Scriptures and the practice of the apostolic church. O no, reader, beware; this cannot be. So long as the transgressors and willful despisers are unknown to the church, she is innocent; but when they are known and are not excluded after proper admonition, but are allowed to remain in the communion of the church, then in my opinion she ceases to be the church of Christ. For she transgresses willfully and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ; she despises the word and ordinance of God, because she will not bear the cross of Christ to the praise of God and the service of her neighbors; and because she does not want to lose the favor of men and makes herself guilty of the sins of others, therefore, according to John, she does not have God in power and in truth, Second John 1, verse 1; First Timothy 5, verse 22; Deuteronomy 17, verse 2; Leviticus 19, verse 17; Matthew 18, verse 15.

In the third place he writes, “That they are plainly the church of God and of Christ who assemble publicly, keep the word, accept and preach it; who give and partake of the sacraments with open confession and in the holy, divine name; and who banish the offensive criminals and hardened sinners.”

Answer. If meeting publicly, though in all manner of vanity, pomp and splendor, preaching as the world likes it, baptizing infants, breaking the bread with the impenitent, praying with pretense and exterminating thieves and murderers with the sword make up the church of Christ, then all the papists, together with the Arians, monks and so on, were also Christ’s church; for they have all done these things publicly. This cannot be disputed. Oh no, no! But where they meet in the name of Christ; where the unadulterated word of God is preached, whether in secret or in public; where baptism and the Holy Supper are served in accordance with the ordinance of the Lord; where not only the criminals who are judged by the law of the emperor, but also drunkards, whores and adulterers, the greedy and extortioners, are excluded from the communion of the pious, according to the doctrine and example of the apostles: see, such is the visible church which the Scriptures attest.

In the fourth place he writes, “That they are the true church of Christ and of God who, invisible to the eyes of man, which cannot search the heart, but only before the eyes and judgment of God, are found in the visible church, that is, among the number of the elect; since God works powerfully in them through the preaching of his holy gospel and through the use of his holy sacraments, and by them many are born again to life everlasting, who are known only to Him who knows his people and who searches the hearts of men. These are the true bride of Christ.”

Answer. In part I admit this to be right, but with this understanding: that the visible church, in which the invisible (as he calls them) are to be included, must be wholesome in doctrine, sacraments and ordinances, and blameless in life before the world, so far as man, who can judge only what is visible, can see.

It is as clear as day that Gellius and preachers like him are blameworthy in everything, because they adulterate the word of God, abuse the sacraments, flatter the world, revile the pious, and do not separate their church from the world; and none of their disciples reprove such open transgressions and abuses, but everyone is satisfied with their doctrines and sacraments, follows and maintains them. Therefore they all play the hypocrite, walk on the broad way, hate the cross of Christ and lay it on others. That the invisible church should still be among them in spite of all this, I cannot admit, and for this reason: I know for certain that it never fails, that where the true church of Christ is, there she will be made manifest among this wicked and perverse generation by word and work; for she can no more be hidden than a city on a hill or a candle on a candlestick, Matthew 5, verse 14; Philippians 2, verse 15.

In the fifth place he writes, “That the churches at Rome, Corinth, Ephesus and so on, and also the strangers scattered here and there in Ponto, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, are called saints and chosen by Paul and Peter. For the church,” he writes, “is named after the better part of its members, and is called the church of God or of Christ, holy, pure and blameless.”

Answer. Do not think, kind reader, that Paul and Peter call all those who lived at Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Ponto, Galatia, Cappadocia and Bithynia the church of Christ, in the way the preachers call all those who live in Meissen, Duringen and the German countries the church of Christ. By no means. But they meant the small number who, begotten by the word of the divine power, separated themselves from the world and with open confession willingly placed themselves under Christ and his covenant. If I were to write, the chosen children and saints of God at Antwerp, Ghent, Leeuwarden, and the strangers here and there in the German countries, I would not mean all those who live in the places mentioned. By no means. For those who persecute and trouble the chosen children of God also live there; but I would be referring to those who confess Christ Jesus through true faith and are obedient to his holy word.

See, reader, if the preachers would in the same way separate their church from the world, preach the word of God in purity, use the sacraments in accordance with the Scriptures, and strive with their churches after a pious and Christian life, then he might truthfully boast that the chosen, whom he calls the invisible church, are included in their church, as he claims they are.

In the sixth place he writes, “If they should say, your church is not believing, holy and blameless, then I would refer them first to the Jewish church, from which we may learn that in the time of Elias, Jeremiah, Daniel and all the prophets, of John the Baptist, of Christ and the apostles, they were not all holy; the Scriptures of the prophets and of the apostles teach us this sufficiently. But although both people and magistrates were for the most part wicked, they were called the church of God and of Christ, and were so called because of some pious persons, to whom God sent his prophets.”

Answer. If the preachers would rightly carry out the duties of their office, as Elias, Jeremiah and the prophets did, and if some were found in their church who follow the word of the Lord, as in the time of the prophets, then this might help Gellius’ case. But they are not such as Elias, Jeremiah and Daniel were, nor teachers who are led by the Spirit of Christ; but they are such preachers and teachers as were rebuked by Jeremiah, as may be seen in many of his Scriptures; such as were destroyed by Elias; and such as Christ and his apostles faithfully warn us not to hear, Jeremiah 8, verse 14; Jeremiah 23, verse 27; Matthew 7, verse 15; John 10, verse 3.

I would further say: Israel was the literal people, and had the promise of the fathers because of their birth according to the flesh. The law was given to them so that they would serve God and walk according to his commandments. When they transgressed the law and did not observe what God had commanded them, they still remained the literal people; and God, always mindful of the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, raised up his faithful servants, the prophets, and often sent them to rebuke them earnestly out of the word of the Lord, to point them back to the law, and boldly to threaten them with punishment for their sins, Genesis 15, verses 17 and 18; Deuteronomy 5, verse 32. This is not the case with us at present; for we are not the literal race, brought forth from the loins of Abraham and Isaac, but are begotten of the word of God through the Spirit. If we forsake this birth which is of God, do not abide in the word of Christ and go back to the broad way, then we do not remain his church and community, Second John 1, verse 9. See, reader, it is plain that Gellius and the preachers of his kind, together with their churches, never were the spiritual people. For it seems they are not born of God in truth, but are earthly and carnally minded, live according to the lusts of the flesh, did not enter in at the right gate, teach an impure doctrine and use strange sacraments, by which no abiding church can be gathered for Christ, as we have heard; and besides, they act altogether contrary to the Spirit, word and will of Christ, indeed, hate and despise them. How then can they, in their fall, be compared to Israel, who were the people and church because of the patriarchs, when this people and church never were the church of Christ in Spirit, as we have heard? Lastly I would say: all the Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testaments, point us on every hand to Christ Jesus, that we should hear him, Matthew 17, verse 5; Mark 9, verse 7; Deuteronomy 18, verse 15. Whoever does not hear him, it will be required of him. Therefore take heed. As I have said before, although all the pious from the beginning were the community, church or body, yet at different periods they have had different doctrines, ordinances and worship.

Moses gave the law, and Israel had to obey it until Christ, who was promised, appeared. We are now directed to his Spirit, word and ordinances. If it can be proven to us by his word that his Spirit tolerated drunkards, greedy people, the pompous, adulterers, blasphemers, tyrants and murderers (understand, such as do not repent) in the communion of the apostolic churches, and also that his Spirit ordained open deceivers and worldly-minded persons to be bishops and pastors, then I will admit that they are the church of Christ. But if they cannot do so, as it is impossible for them to do, then they must confess that their church, which is full of such people, yes, full of them, is not the church of Christ as they boast it to be; but that it is a disorderly, rebellious and disobedient people, indeed, that it is the church of antichrist and of the world; and that their claims in this respect are nothing but open seduction, falsehood and deceit. Reader, take note: I testify this to you in Christ; believe it if you will; I write you the truth.

In the seventh place he writes, “In the second place I refer them to the church of the Corinthians, whom Paul first of all rebukes for their dissensions,” saying, “And I, brothers, could not speak to you as to spiritual but as to carnal,” First Corinthians 3, verse 1.

Answer. I have said before that this church was first rightly taught by Paul and won for Christ; but being deceived by philosophers who despised the doctrine of the cross, and by false apostles, they became divided. For this they were rebuked and instructed as brothers by Paul, and admonished to separate the unfaithful and carnally minded; for the Scriptures command and instruct us to do this, namely, that such people should first be admonished, and if they do not repent, they should be separated by common consent from the communion of the church. Judge now what Gellius can prove by this, since he and his people, never having been separated from the world, are not the church of Christ. Indeed, the good fellow does nothing more nor less by this than show his flight from the cross and his open disobedience, and cover up and defend the abominable transgressions of his disciples, however gross they may be, with the precedents of others.

In the eighth place he writes, “In the third place I refer them to the parables of Christ, of John the Baptist and of Paul. Christ likens the church to a field in which the tares grow with the wheat until the harvest. Again, she is likened to a net in which both good and bad fish are caught. Again, to the virgins, of whom five were wise and five were foolish. Moreover, to a royal wedding, where the good and the evil are gathered together, one of whom the king finds without a wedding garment.”

Answer. The first parable is explained by Christ himself, who says, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world” (understand it rightly: Christ says it is the world, and not the church, as Gellius claims); “the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels,” Matthew 13, verses 37 to 39.

Reader, understand it rightly. Christ, the Son of man, sows his seed (God’s word) in the world through his Spirit; all who hear, believe and obey it are called the children of the kingdom. In the same way the adversary sows his tares (false doctrine) in the world, and all who hear and follow him are called the children of evil. Now both wheat and tares grow together in the same field, namely, in the world. The farmer does not want the tares pulled up before their time; that is, he will not have them destroyed by rooting them out, but wants them left until the harvest, lest the wheat be destroyed with the tares, Matthew 13, verses 29 and 30.

O reader, if the preachers rightly understood this parable and feared God, they would not cry out so loudly against us, who, alas, are everywhere called tares, heretics and conspirators: “Down with the heretics!”—even if we were heretics, from which may God save us. Oh, what noble wheat they destroy! But what good does it do? Satan must rebel and murder; for it is his nature and work, as the Scriptures teach, Genesis 3, verse 4; John, chapter 8.

Then there are some of the other parables: of the net in which good and bad fish are caught; of the wise and foolish virgins and their lamps; of the wedding of the king’s son and the guests; and of the threshing floor with wheat and chaff. Although the Lord spoke them with reference to the church, yet they were not spoken so that the church should knowingly and willfully accept and tolerate open transgressors, drunkards, carousers, defilers of women, the greedy, robbers, gamblers and usurers in her communion; for then Christ and Paul would differ in doctrine, since Paul says that we should avoid and shun such people. But they were spoken because many mix in with the Christians in appearance only, and place themselves under the word and sacraments, who in fact are no Christians but are hypocrites and enemies before their God. These are likened to the worthless fish, to the foolish virgins who had no oil in their lamps, to the guest without a wedding garment, and to the chaff, which will be cast out by the angels on the day of Christ. For they pretend that they fear God and seek Christ; they receive baptism and the Lord’s Supper and act outwardly in appearance; but in fact no faith, repentance, true fear and love of God, no Spirit, power, fruit or work is found in them.

But as to the two kinds of laborers in the vineyard, Matthew 2, verses 28 and 29, and as to those called to the great supper, Luke 14, verse 16, the reader should know that they have a different meaning and cannot be made to fit his views. Whoever loves truth may examine them and judge by the Holy Scriptures what their proper meaning is. Again, as to his citing the vessels for dishonor, I will let Paul’s words explain them. He says, “If a man therefore purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel for honor, sanctified and fit for the Master’s use, and prepared for every good work,” Second Timothy 2, verse 21. [Note 1]

See, dear reader, here you may see how miserably he twists the word of the Lord, so that they may appear to be the church of Christ, although they knowingly and willfully admit open transgressors to the communion of their church, against the Scriptures. But the flaming eyes of the Lord, which search everything, cannot be blinded by such sophistry.

In the ninth place he writes, “The church is now troubled by such evils as these, which she must suffer until the day of judgment, as some of these parables imply; indeed, it never was her lot to be entirely rid of evil people and hypocrites, however strictly she used the ban. Therefore they are wrong and sin grossly by condemning us and saying that we are false teachers and not the church of God, as the church of the patriarchs, the prophets and Moses was; and by maliciously and wrongfully calling our church an unbelieving, unholy and blameworthy church, against all the Scriptures, although it is founded by our faithful service on the true foundation, according to the example of all the messengers of God, and is daily increased and built up on the chosen cornerstone. By this they bring into disrepute not only our church, but also all the churches of the German countries, indeed, of all the Christian world, which have and must have a different doctrine from their church, which they call holy, pure, blameless and spotless because of their dreadful ban.”

Answer. If he had said that the church is troubled with such evils and must suffer them, in the sense that the true church must suffer the enmity, rebellion, violence and tyranny of the wicked and the ungodly actions of the perverse, then he would have written the truth. But his meaning is that since the church always has hypocrites among her number, the evil ones, that is, open despisers and transgressors, should therefore be tolerated; and so he writes contrary to the word of God. For Paul says, “Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person,” that is, separate from the communion of your church him who is wicked, First Corinthians 5, verse 13.

Again, to his writing “that we sin grossly by saying that they are not the church of God,” and to his boasting “that they build their church on the cornerstone,” I would say that his boasting is false. For their light-minded doctrine, false sacraments and reckless life, and his indiscreet writing, alas, prove all too plainly that they do not build their church on the true cornerstone; since it is plain that they are at fault on every hand, adulterate the word of God, abuse the sacraments, practice no separation, and for the most part, both teachers and hearers, walk on perverse ways. Whether we sin, then, because in faithful love we admonish them for their own good, and in humility show them that in such a state of affairs they are not and cannot be the church of God, the reader may judge. We know for certain that where there is no pure doctrine, no pure sacraments, no pious, Christian life, no true brotherly love and no right-minded confession, there is no Christian church, however much they may boast.

Again, as to his complaint “that we not only call them, but all the churches of the German countries, indeed, of the whole Christian world, unbelieving and unholy, and condemn them,” the reader should know that we condemn no one; for he, Jesus Christ, to whom the Father has given it, will do that. Yet we say, and teach by word of mouth and in writing, that all those who are not born of God and his word are not moved by the Spirit of Christ and are not changed into his nature and disposition, however high and fine an appearance and name they may assume. In this case neither emperor, king, doctor, licentiate, pope nor Luther will avail. All who would be in the church of Christ must be in Christ, must be of his mind, and must walk as he walked; or else Christ Jesus, John, Paul and all the Scriptures must be false. This is too clear to be denied, John 5, verse 22; First John 2, verse 6; Romans 8, verse 14; Philippians 2, verse 5.

Since he accuses us of condemning all the churches of the German countries and of the whole Christian world, as he boasts, I would answer with a few plain words: if the German churches and the world mentioned above were born of God, were of Christ’s mind and walked as he walked, then Gellius’ accusation would be right, since we do not acknowledge them to be true churches. But since they prove by their deeds that they are without Christ, and walk and act against his word and will, and are quite earthly and carnally minded, therefore they are judged not by men but by the word of the Lord; for Christ says, “The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day,” John 12, verse 48.

Further, by writing that the said churches have and must have a different doctrine, he judges for himself that they are not the church of Christ. For Christ wills that his church should keep and follow his word, ordinances and commands, whether it brings joy or pain to the flesh.

See, dear reader, it is doubly plain that the Scriptures teach, both by words and by examples, that open transgressors should be excluded from the communion of the church; and the preachers, who fear men more than God and serve their bellies more than the praise of the Lord, neglect this because of the cross which might result from such action. Therefore their public actions testify that they are not the bride and sheep of Christ; for they do not hear his voice, nor do they follow his doctrines and commands, Second Thessalonians 3, verse 6; John 10, verse 26.

Again, to his writing that we consider our church holy, pure and blameless because of the cruel ban, this is my simple reply: we boast of nothing at all but the grace of our God through Christ Jesus. Our frailty is great, our stumblings are many, and we feel with Paul that nothing good dwells in our flesh. Nevertheless, all true members of the church of Christ strive after the blameless, holy being which is in him; they conform their walk to the word of the Lord; they follow his commands and ordinances; and they separate those who are separated by the Scriptures, which he, alas, calls a fearful ban. O Lord!

O God! This is how little this thoughtless man values the precious word. For by this abominable, unseasoned blasphemy, not only we, but also the Son of the Almighty and living God, together with the Spirit of eternal wisdom, by whom this ban was commanded, and also all the apostles and the early church, who so diligently taught it and earnestly practiced it, are judged to be fools. If the ordinance is foolishness, then the One who instituted it, and all who teach and practice it, must be fools; this can hardly be denied.

Take note, reader, and reflect on whether this may not be called hating the word and will of God, despising his commands and speaking blasphemies against the Most High, and judge it by the Scriptures. O reader, awaken. Beware, and learn to know your preachers, and of what spirit they are the children.

In the tenth place he writes, “So they are given to a wrong understanding, judge beforehand without knowledge, and leave the church from motives of spiritual pride and imagined righteousness rather than from motives of sincere righteousness. They have no other reason to leave the church than that, in the manner of the Pharisees, they want to justify themselves by despising others.”