Clear, Incontrovertible Confession: Scriptural References

Indeed, dear reader, if he had received his flesh from the flesh of his children, as John A’Lasco and his followers claim he did, then the children must have begotten the father. Christ, the new Adam, would say to his new Eve, I am flesh of your flesh, and not, “You are flesh of my flesh.” If you fear God, then reflect and judge, Hebrews 2, verse 13; Genesis 2, verse 23.

As the children partake of flesh and blood, so he in the same manner partook of the same, so that through death he might take the power from him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver those who of necessity were in bondage all their lives; for he does not take on the seed of angels, but of Abraham; therefore he had to be made like his brothers in all things.

See, this is the strongest and most important saying with which John A’Lasco (on this subject) disputes the whole Scriptures, divides Christ and makes him into two persons and sons, and, as he thinks, holds together his whole work, arguments, sayings and flatteries. And this is his proper foundation and meaning: “As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, so also the Word, or Son of God, has received or partaken of this flesh and blood from the flesh and blood of the children, and has so vanquished hell, sin, death and the devil in our flesh,” Hebrews, chapter 2; Philippians 2, verse 7; Hosea 13, verse 14; First Corinthians 15, verse 54; Colossians 2, verse 15; Second Timothy 1, verse 10.

Since he insists so strenuously on the saying above, I have, by bringing forward so many Scriptures, enlarged so much upon the inborn, unclean, sinful flesh and nature of the children and their deserved death and condemnation on the one hand, and on the pure, holy flesh and nature of Christ and his undeserved death and judgment on the other, so that the reader might rightly understand and comprehend from this that the Lord Jesus Christ could not be of such unclean flesh and seed of the children, nor partake of such a man; for the flesh of the children is unclean and sinful, but the flesh of Christ is pure and holy.

His pure flesh could not be of the unclean flesh of the children, as has been said, and yet our opponents insist on it so strenuously on account of this Scripture. Therefore I will examine it diligently word for word, and by the grace of God I will attach to each word its wholesome and right meaning.

First, observe that the word children refers to none other than those who above are called Christ’s brothers, namely those who believe in him and who are born of God by the living power of his Spirit and word, as has been said.

Secondly, observe what the scriptural meaning of having communion with flesh and blood is: that it is not simply having flesh and blood, as some have interpreted it, but that it also means mixing with flesh and blood, and doing the things which God has forbidden, through the lusts of our flesh, Romans 7, verse 7; Romans 3, verse 20.

Thirdly, observe that since the children of God are partakers of sinful flesh and blood, and are subject to such human weakness, against which they constantly struggle and fail against their will, they must have such a High Priest as could have compassion on their human failings, since he was tempted in the same manner, yet without sin, as has been said.

Fourthly, observe that the adverb similiter (that is, in the same manner) here expresses a true human nature in Christ, it is true, but not a natural conception, as John A’Lasco claims and argues; for it is manifest all through the Scriptures that the conception of Mary was supernatural, and that it was brought about by the Holy Spirit, through faith, as has been shown above.

Fifthly, observe that the expression “partaking of flesh and blood” means nothing else than having flesh and blood, since his children and brothers also have flesh and blood, as Sebastian Castalion also has rendered it; but with this difference, that his flesh was holy and knew no sin, and therefore saw no decay, but the flesh of his brothers and children is sinful and therefore also subject to decay, First Corinthians 15, verse 53; First Corinthians 5, verse 4.

Sixthly, observe that Paul does not always use the words partaking of flesh and blood in the same sense. In one place, First Corinthians 9, verse 12, he writes, “If others are partakers of this power over you,” that is, if others have this power over you. Again, “He that threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope,” that is, should receive what he hopes to get. Again, in the 10th, 17th and 21st of the same epistle, it is used for enjoying.

Since the word partaking does not have one meaning everywhere in Scripture, wherever it is found it should not be explained otherwise than according to the true nature and meaning of the Scriptures; or else the whole Scriptures must be broken and garbled for the sake of such a word.

Seventhly, observe that the word eorundem (that is, of the same) refers to the words flesh and blood, but not to the flesh and blood of the children, for that is unclean, sinful, guilty and condemned. If it referred to the flesh and blood of the children, as John A’Lasco and M. M. claim, and if the Son of God took to himself a perfect man, body and soul, of the flesh of the children, then it is beyond dispute that all the following inconsistencies, which cannot be resolved, must exist. [Note 1]

In the first place, an impure, sinful, accursed Christ, guilty of death, as is the flesh of the children from whom he would have taken his flesh; for wherever the flesh of the children is, there also is the sin and curse of the children. This cannot be disputed; or else justice must have been changed, and the curse taken away and ended by our own flesh. To this M., in the first conversation I had with him, replied thus: “Christ was pure and without sin, and that because Mary did not conceive him of the seed of man.” I answered, Then I must understand that sin comes from the mingling, which is the ordinance of God, and not from the transgression of Adam. He answered, No, it was because of the justice of God that he became of a corrupted nature. I asked, How? He answered, “Because God had said, In the day you eat of it you shall surely die.” I then replied, Then God was the cause of the sin of Adam, and the threatened death must not only be the punishment of sin, but sin itself. I said, Martin, do observe what reasoning you bring forward.

In the second place, it follows that there must be a divided Christ, one half of whom must be of heaven and the other half of earth.

In the third place, that there must be two persons in Christ, one divine and one human. To this Martin, in our second conversation, replied thus: “There were not two persons in Christ, but one person; for although the word was one person from eternity, yet what was conceived in Mary was no person.” He further said, “Although each human being is one person, and although the man Christ was one man like any other man, yet the man Christ alone was no person.” I am ashamed to touch on such inconsistent things. Paul rightly said, Ubi disputator seculi hujus? “Where is the disputer of this world?”

In the fourth place, that there are two Sons in Christ: the Son of God without a mother, and he incapable of suffering; and the son of man without a father, and he capable of suffering. M. M. openly admitted this in plain language several times before us all, both in our first and in our second conversation. O God, what strange things we hear! [Note 2]

In the fifth place, that not the first-begotten and only Son of God, but the fatherless Son of Mary, of the accursed, sinful flesh of Adam, died for us; something which is directly contrary to Christ, John, Paul and the whole Scriptures.

In the sixth place, that the eternal offering of reconciliation, offered once for the sins of the whole world, was not the spotless Lamb, but an unclean, blemished offering which was subject to sin and death, as may also be unmistakably concluded from the writings of A’Lasco, John 3, verse 16; Romans 8, verse 31.

In the seventh place, the angel Gabriel, Peter and the Lord himself acknowledge that the man Christ Jesus is the Son of God. Thomas acknowledges him as his Lord and God. Besides, the whole Scriptures teach that he is our Advocate, Reconciler, Mediator, High Priest, Deliverer and Messiah. And if he is still to be of the unclean, sinful flesh and seed of Adam, then it is manifest that a created creature and man of the sinful flesh of Adam is our Messiah, Deliverer, Reconciler, Advocate, High Priest, indeed, Lord and God; something which is not only an abomination and idolatry, but also open blasphemy against God.

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In the tenth place, if the eternal Word, by which everything was created, had partaken of such a carnal son of the flesh of the children, or of Mary, and had so united himself into one person and son, then the Creator and the creature, the Son of God without a mother and the son of Mary without a father, must have become one undivided person and son. This cannot be disputed.

In the eleventh place, if the Word has partaken of such flesh as that of Mary, and if it did not become man, then God is not the true Father of Christ, Mary is no true mother, and Christ is no true son of both his father and his mother; besides, the whole Scriptures which testify that Christ is the Son of God are denied.

I think that all these inconsistencies, which cannot be resolved, sufficiently show you that John A’Lasco has not given the scriptural meaning to the word eorundem.

Eighthly, observe why Christ, the Prince of our salvation, became man: namely, that he might destroy the prince of death, the devil, by his innocent death, and so deliver and free his poor, enslaved, fearful brothers and children from the accusing law, from the judgment of sin, and from the terror of death.

Ninthly, observe that the passage, “He takes* not on him the nature of angels, but he takes* on him the seed of Abraham,” should not be understood as referring to the taking on of human flesh, as the learned explain it, but to the sharing of grace by which we are accepted. For he uses the word take in the present tense, and angels in the plural number, and says, “He takes not on him the nature of angels, but he takes on him the seed of Abraham,” the children of the promise, Romans 9, verse 8; the believers, Galatians 3, verse 29; his brothers and children. He accepts them in grace, to the praise of his Father, Romans 15, verse 7, and prays for their failings and weaknesses, Romans 8, verse 7; Hebrews 5, verse 10. For in this life they can never be freed from the inborn, impure, wicked nature of their sinful flesh. [*]

Tenthly, observe that a thing which is like another is not necessarily the same thing it resembles; and therefore it cannot be maintained from this passage, “Therefore in all things it was fitting for him to be made like his brothers,” that the holy, pure flesh of Christ is of the unclean, sinful flesh of Adam.

See, dear reader, if you consider well the explanation of the Scripture, Hebrews, chapter 2, and weigh it in the balance of the Scriptures, you will very plainly find that this is the meaning of the Scripture mentioned above: that although Christ, the Prince of our salvation, has led us to his glory, and has so accepted us as brothers and children in faith, yet in our first, Adamic birth we are so poisoned by the serpent and so corrupted by nature that we can never again become free of our unclean, sinful flesh as long as we dwell in this tabernacle; but we often (although against our will) mingle with it and soil ourselves with it, and are therefore convicted by the handwriting that we are guilty of death according to the eternal justice, Romans 7, verse 7; Romans 3, verse 20; Colossians 2, verse 13.

We are ensnared by such wicked, sinful, disobedient flesh, guilty of death, as all the godly children of God have mournfully complained of from the beginning, and we could not be entirely freed from the sting of the serpent that was thrust into us. Therefore our Prince, Savior, Brother and Father, Christ, in his exceedingly great love, has given himself according to the counsel, purpose, will and determination of his everlasting Father, and accordingly partook of flesh and blood; not of the flesh of the children, for they are sinful and unclean, but as John says, “The Word was made flesh,” John 1, verse 14; Deuteronomy 32, verse 15; Isaiah 64, verse 4; Job 15, verse 14; Psalm 143, verse 2; Galatians 2, verse 17; Galatians 3, verse 11; First John 1, verse 3; Hebrews 2, verse 14; Philippians 2, verse 7. Indeed, he became a despised, afflicted, tempted and mortal man, and so has willingly come forward to battle for his companions, his sanctified brothers and children. He has placed himself heroically in their defense, put the tempter to shame in his temptation, vanquished him in his power, taken his stronghold, bruised his head, fulfilled and blotted out the handwriting, blotted it out with his precious blood, and paid for our guilty and deserved death by his innocent and unmerited death, to fulfill the prophetic word, “O death, I will be your plagues; O grave, I will be your destruction!” And so he has delivered and freed his chosen, his saints, his brothers and children from bondage and the penalty of the law, from the judgment of sin, and from the fearful terrors of the threatened death, in such a manner that their human weaknesses and unwilling mistakes will no longer be counted against them as sin for his sake, if only they walk before him with penitent, believing hearts, and steadily cling to his word with sure, confident consciences, Genesis 49, verse 10; Isaiah 2, verse 5; Luke 11, verse 21; Colossians 2, verse 14; Hosea 13, verse 14; Romans 8, verses 2 and 3.

See, this is how Christ, the Son of God, has taken on the seed of Abraham and set it free, to the praise of his Father. And therefore he has appeared in person, and become in all things like his poor, weak, afflicted brothers, in all manner of poverty, misery, affliction, need, fear of death and mortality, so that he might be a compassionate, merciful and faithful High Priest to reconcile the sins, defects and errors of his saints before God his Father. For since he has walked with them in the same temptation, battle, misery, anxiety and fear of death, he can also come to the rescue of all those who are tempted by the world, hell, sin, the devil and death. This is my reply to the construction which John A’Lasco and those of his kind put upon the Scripture, Hebrews, chapter 2. If you fear God, then read and judge.

In the eighth place he explains the testimony of John and says, “The Word, the Son of God, began to be, of the seed of David, Romans, chapter 1, of the virgin Mary, Matthew, chapter 1, flesh, man, Christ, Immanuel,” and so on. Again, “The Word has accepted our flesh.” Again, “The Word, which from the beginning alone was God, has become (that is, it began to be together) flesh (that is, man), and has dwelt (that is, it has taken its abode) in us (that is, in our flesh) through its participation,” as Paul says. These are his words concerning the Scripture John, chapter 1.

O dear reader, what is so clear that it cannot be obscured by human intellect, and what is so straight that it cannot be bent? If he does it through a misunderstanding, he may yet be corrected; but if he does it for other reasons, then it will not go well with his poor soul.

I am surprised that he dares to publish such inconsistent explanations in print, when he knows well that so many learned theological men are to be found. O dear Lord! How frightful it is to mix God’s clear wine and the high testimony of the Holy Spirit with such impure water, and so to corrupt it by earthly wisdom. He has handled this plain Scripture in such a way that it would have removed all doubt and given me new courage, if I had had any doubt about my faith and foundation, of which, thank God, I have none.

He so fearfully belittles the wonderful, glorious work of divine grace and love which the Almighty, eternal Father has so graciously shown us poor, miserable sinners through his eternal Word and Son; and he would rather break the holy word and testimony of the Lord than doubt his own intelligence. Therefore I pray everybody, for God’s sake, not to think hard of me because I, an unlearned man, oppose this and refute his unscriptural explanations with the clear, plain Scriptures and with reasoning, and so lay the foundation of truth.

I trust that no reasonable and impartial person can in any way think hard of me for replying to him publicly and defending the praise of the Lord, since he has written publicly against me and, as I understand it, has fearfully violated the word of God.

I would undoubtedly have excused him and not have mentioned his name, if only he and his followers would leave the Scriptures unbroken and would not war so indiscreetly against the clear, pure truth, both by word of mouth and in writing. But my conscience and the word of God compel me to protect the praise of my Lord and my faith.

I say, first, that by his explanation he has broken the testimony of the Holy Spirit and adulterated the Scriptures. For he writes, “The Word, the Son of God, began to be flesh, man, of the seed of David, Romans 1, verse 3, of a woman, Galatians 4, verse 4, of the virgin Mary.” In Romans 1, verse 3, it reads, “Made of the seed of David according to the flesh”; in Galatians, chapter 4, born of a woman; and “That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 1, verse 20. He has not left the Scriptures in their natural sense, but has garbled them and turned them to his own advantage; and instead of born of and conceived of he writes began to be. By this he clearly shows that he cannot prove his explanation by the Scriptures, but merely decorates it with an appearance of truth by bringing forward mutilated Scriptures, and passes them off as true.

Secondly, I say that there is not a letter to be found in all the Scriptures saying that the Word accepted our flesh, which he writes so often; or that the divine nature miraculously united itself with our human nature; or that the Son of God remained unchanged and took on himself the son of Mary; or that the Son of God bestowed all his attributes on the son of man, and that one person was made of two, as John Brent says; or that the son of man is the chosen Son of God, as Pomeranus says; or that the Word, the Son, took on himself a perfect man of the flesh of Mary; or that the blood of Mary was congealed in her womb, as the servants of the barbarous churches of London say; or that he put on our flesh; or that he dwelt in it; or that he was flesh of our flesh; or that our flesh sits at the right hand of the Father. Therefore I say that they are wrong in every particular; indeed, more than that, that they are accursed. For these are a strange gospel and a new doctrine, which is not derived from the Spirit and word of God but invented by flesh and blood, Galatians 1, verse 8. [Note 3]

Thirdly, I say that his explanation is inconsistent in every particular. For he says that the word began to be man, and also that it dwelt in our flesh. If it became man, as it truly did, as the testimony of John clearly shows when it is not adulterated, how could it then still dwell in the flesh of man? For to begin to be a house and to dwell in a house are widely different things. All reasonable people must admit this.

Fourthly, I say that this explanation of his contradicts itself. For if the word began to be man, then it did not remain unchanged in its first state. But if it remained unchanged, then it did not begin to be man; rather it began to take on a man of our flesh, and so began to dwell in one of our flesh, let him turn the matter as he pleases. Therefore I will not let John A’Lasco be the interpreter, but will let the faithful and plain John explain his own words himself. He writes, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of Life; for the life was manifested, and we have seen it,” First John 1, verses 1 and 2.

His explanation contradicts itself and is contrary both to nature and to the Scriptures, and John shows me such a plain foundation. Therefore I will not establish my foundation and faith on such uncertain, dark and colored flatteries, but on the certain, clear testimony of John, which does not deceive; for I know that his testimony is true, indeed, that it is the unbroken truth and pure word of God.

Fifthly, I say that his explanation of the verb habitavit, that is, has dwelt, is false. For he says and claims that the Word and our flesh, or the son of Mary taken on by the Word, are one person and one Christ; and here he claims that the Word, which is the Son of God, has taken its abode in our flesh, and he refers to Xenophon. From this one thing or the other must follow: either that Xenophon and his dwelling are one being and thing, just as the Son of God and the son of Mary (understand, according to his explanation) are one person and Christ; or, if Xenophon and his dwelling are two separate things, as they really are, then the Son of God and the son of Mary, in whom God’s Son is supposed to have dwelt according to his explanation, are also two separate persons and Christs. For that the one who dwells in a house and the house are two different things is too self-evident to be denied.

Further, I say that his explanation of the verb habitavit has no foundation at all. For the evangelist uses the verb to dwell in the perfect tense, and says, Has dwelt; from which it is evident that John is not speaking here of dwelling in our flesh, but of his dwelling among men, as all intelligent translators have rendered it. For if he had said it with the meaning John A’Lasco gives it, then he would have said dwells, in the present tense; or else we must acknowledge that the word did not dwell in the man Christ longer than while he walked here on earth, which to my understanding would be a gross abomination and a great error.

Sixthly, I say that the explanation cannot be maintained in any way; for the whole Scriptures concerning Christ would contradict themselves. There would be two persons and sons in Christ, a sinful Messiah guilty of death; the father no true father, the mother no true mother, and the son no true son. The prophets, Gabriel the angel of the Lord, Christ Jesus, John and Paul would all be false witnesses, as has been heard before.

Lastly, I say as before that John wrote his gospel and testimony of Christ, the Son of God, in a very contentious time. If he had not meant just what he wrote, but had written it in such a confused and strange sense as John A’Lasco explains it, then he would not have calmed the dispute by it, but would rather have given it new energy.

Oh no. John has given his testimony, foundation and faith concerning Christ Jesus, the Son of God and our only and eternal Messiah, simply, clearly and plainly, and has testified without double-dealing that the Word of God, which was from the beginning, became flesh, and that this same incarnate Word has dwelt among us. But he did not write a syllable saying that he accepted our flesh, or that he dwelt in a man of the flesh of Mary; and so, alas, John A’Lasco by his human wisdom obscures, mutilates and disputes John’s simple, plain word and clear testimony.

He has so frightfully broken the Scripture in his defense and explanation, and has departed so indiscreetly from the truth, as you may plainly see from the extracts cited. Therefore I felt compelled by pure love toward God and your souls to uncover to you his great misunderstanding and gross errors, so that the glory of the Lord may be maintained and you may be led to the right, true confession of your God and of his beloved Son Jesus Christ.

But I am grieved to mention his name in such a connection, and that I must publish his errors, although by his writing he has given me an ill reputation and a hateful name with many. I commend him to the Lord. Perhaps he thinks that he has done right by it. Whatever I do, I do for conscience’ sake, to the glory of my Lord and Savior Christ; for I love his glory far more than the honor of all creatures, and I must seek him with all my strength, even at the cost of my life.

I am sure that if John A’Lasco seeks the praise of God more than his own, if he loves his neighbor as the Scriptures require, and sincerely seeks after truth, he will not be angry with me, but will love and thank me: for not excusing him in this matter but faithfully showing him his errors; for maintaining my faith and doctrine according to the truth; for warning my fellow men against corruption; and most of all for protecting and defending my Lord’s glory and great name by the word of my Lord, as much as is in my power, according to the testimony of the Scripture and my conscience. But if it is taken as an offense in me, as I fear it will be, then I must commend it to the Lord, who in his great love has stood by me to this hour in all my needs with his fatherly faithfulness, and who has so graciously helped me in all my temptations. See, dear reader, here you may see how far we differ from our opponents in the confession, doctrine and faith of Christ, the Son of God. Now judge, if you fear God, which of the two parties has the strongest Scriptures and foundation.

If you would have the Scriptures which they call contradictory in this respect rightly explained, then you must let go of the foundation of our opponents and cling to ours. For they can never, never be explained by divine truth in the meaning which they attach to them. For every intelligent person who will not willfully fight the plain truth and reject the Holy Spirit must acknowledge that from their doctrine it follows that the Lord Christ must be an unclean, sinful, accursed, condemned Christ, guilty of death; that there are two persons in Christ, the one divine, the other human; two sons, the one the Son of God without a mother, the other the son of Mary, or the son of man, without a father; that not God’s first-begotten, only and own Son, but the son of the unclean flesh of Adam died for us. Besides, all the prophets, Christ, and the apostles must be false witnesses. This is too plain to be harmed by any writing or dispelled by flattery.

But whoever rightly understands our foundation and keeps his reasoning within the limits of the word of God; who believes as just and true the testimony which John gives in his first chapter concerning the incarnation, and does not harm it; who attributes nothing more to Mary, the mother of our Lord, than what is attributed to a true mother in Genesis, chapter 1; and who leaves God the Father a true father of his Son Christ, Mary a true mother, and Christ a true Son of both his Father and his mother: to him all the Scriptures in this respect are plain. He does not need anyone’s flattery; for there is not a sentence in all the Scriptures that contradicts him. He has an undivided, clean and innocent Christ, the Son of God and the son of Mary, one only person. Of all this, I trust, you have been fully convinced in the foregoing summary founded on the power of the Scriptures, and by the grace of God you will see it in the following brief collection of references.

The eternal Word of God, by which all things were created, John, chapter 1; which is the First and the Last, Revelation 1, verse 8; which in due time, in the city of Nazareth, according to the providence of God, First Peter 1, verse 20, according to the will of God, Ephesians 1, verse 4, according to the promise of God, Genesis 3, verse 15, through the Holy Spirit, was conceived in the virgin Mary, who knew no man, Luke 1, verses 27 and 28; Matthew, chapter 1; John 1, verse 14. According to this flesh, conceived in Mary through the Holy Spirit, of the eternal Word of the eternal Father, he was born in due time of the seed or line of David, Acts 2, verse 13; Romans 1, verse 4; of a woman, Genesis 3, verse 15; Galatians 4, verse 4; of the virgin Mary, Matthew 1, verse 21; Luke 2, verse 21; in Bethlehem; an only begotten Son of God, John 3, verse 16; John 4, verse 9; John 5, verse 13; Romans 8, verse 32; according to the promise and the descent of the mother, also of Abraham, of David, and of the seed of the woman, fruit and son, Genesis 3, verse 15; Matthew 1, verse 21; Luke 1, verse 31; a Savior of the world, Luke 2, verse 11; the Lord himself from heaven, First Corinthians 15, verse 47; the bread which came down from heaven, John 6, verse 58; Immanuel, Isaiah 7, verse 14; Matthew 1, verse 23; the mighty Prince, Isaiah 9, verse 6; our God, Isaiah 40, verse 9; The Lord Our Righteousness, Jeremiah 23, verse 6; Jeremiah 33, verse 15.

See, faithful reader, here you have our proper foundation, doctrine and confession of Christ, the Son of God: how he became flesh in Mary and how he came into the world, as we believe before our God and teach our brothers. And by this we would pray and faithfully admonish everyone to accept this noble and precious Son of God gratefully, with a sincere desire to hear, love and serve him in gladness of heart; to follow faithfully in his footsteps; to walk blamelessly in his word and ways; to proclaim his honor and praise freely; to glorify his holy name; and to bend their hearts humbly and obediently before his majesty, since the merciful Father has shown us such great love as to give us poor, miserable sinners his only, eternal and beloved Son. For it is he who has victoriously led us poor children, through the merits of his precious blood and bitter death, according to the gracious resolution, counsel, will and purpose of God his heavenly Father, from the kingdom of hell and from eternal death into the glorious kingdom of his divine honor and eternal peace. Eternal praise be to his illustrious, wonderful, high and glorious name. Amen.

Christ says, “This is eternal life, that they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent,” John 17, verse 3. In another place he says, “If you do not believe that I am he, you shall die in your sins,” John 8, verse 24. John also says, “Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God,” First John 4, verse 15. Again, “Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son, the same does not have the Father,” First John 2, verses 22 and 23.

Oh, that our opponents would rightly take to heart these and similar Scriptures, and would learn to know who and what the Son of God is and where he came from! Then they might yet be delivered from the chains of the deceiver and be led into the light of the true doctrine. But as long as they do not confess Christ, it will always be wrangling and disputing, changing falsehood into truth and truth into falsehood. Indeed, they will be so estranged and blinded that all those who, with the angel Gabriel, with the eternal Father, with John the Baptist, with Peter, Paul, Martha, Christ, and with the whole Scriptures, confess Christ Jesus as the true Son of the true and living God, must, alas, be called deceivers and heretics by them. O dear Lord, how long will this great abomination continue!

Oh, that they might yet awaken in time, while it is still today, and that they could give Christ his just praise! If they could see their accursed hypocrisy and idolatry, the lamentable deception of the poor and miserable people, and the ignorant, reckless life of the wicked world, so that they could renounce it and leave it, what a blessing it would be to their poor souls! But I fear that as long as the spiritual Antioch complacently stretches out in its idle life, and Jezebel sets the delicious tables, the accursed Moaz will keep his sway, and the world will not be in want of false teachers and deceivers.

Kind reader, ponder well what I write. I warn you in faithful love: watch, look, and observe well what you believe and what you uphold; for your preachers deceive you. Watch and pray; the day is at hand, indeed at hand, when we must all stand before the impartial judgment seat of our God, who judges without respect of persons and will reward everyone according to his works, whether he is emperor or king, doctor or licentiate, rich or poor, man or woman.

In short, this is my reply to the defense of John A’Lasco. With this I will not only appear on earth before men, but also in the day of my Lord Christ. According to the word of his promise, I will by his grace appear with it before the eyes of his majesty.

If you are of a reasonable disposition, and not blinded by the spirit of envious partisans or led away by bitter zeal, then judge between us and our opponents: which of us most glorifies Christ Jesus, the Son of the true and living God; who has brought forward the Scriptures most wholesomely; and who has broken and twisted them to suit his own professions. But beware of judging according to the flesh; judge in purity of heart, as before your God, according to the truth.

From my innermost soul I wish you a true and unfeigned faith, a true confession of God and Christ, the unction and love of God, a godly, penitent, cheerful heart, a blameless Christian life, and a true understanding and a good judgment. Amen.

Observe: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believes on him is not condemned; but he that does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God,” John 3, verses 16 and 17.

MENNO SIMON.