Why Menno Simon Does Not Cease Teaching and Writing, Part 1

“Preach the word; be ready in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine,” Second Timothy 4, verse 2.

“For no one can lay any other foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ,” First Corinthians 3, verse 11.

“For Zion’s sake I will not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns; and the Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory,” Isaiah 62, verses 1 and 2.

I know well, most beloved readers, that because of our teaching and writing we are cursed, envied, hated, slandered, persecuted and condemned to death by countless persons of both high and low station in life. Like roaring lions they gnash their teeth at us. Lords, princes, learned and ignorant people, of whatever station in life, exercise their tyranny over us, as may be seen at all times; and not on us alone, but also on all those who accept this our doctrine with believing, faithful, obedient and resigned hearts and fulfill it in their works. Understand, we do not claim it as our own doctrine; it is the eternal, heavenly and unchangeable doctrine of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, which he himself brought from high heaven, from the bosom of his Father, to earth, with his own blessed mouth which cannot lie; which he taught, and proclaimed to the world by his faithful witnesses, the holy apostles, whom he had chosen for that purpose. Whoever does not believe that our doctrine is the pure, undefiled and saving doctrine of Jesus Christ may piously examine the rest of the plain Scriptures of the New Testament, and he will come to the conclusion and acknowledge that it is the pure doctrine, testimony and Spirit of Christ Jesus, however much his reluctant, lazy, rebellious, refractory, selfish and disobedient flesh may oppose it, take fright, tremble and stand in awe at it. Yet however indisputable our cause appears, so much so that it cannot be contradicted or refuted by the Scriptures, it must still be persecuted by this ignorant, blind world as an abominable crime and treated as heresy. The prophet says, “I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing,” Hosea 8, verse 12.

O worthy, beloved reader, if you would consider and realize how earnestly the righteous God has always enforced his holy word, and how terribly his wrath has always been kindled against those who did not stand firm in his divine word, then, if you are not within the word of God, you would without doubt tremble and be frightened in your inmost soul before God because of your disobedience! Did you never read that the parents of all mankind, Adam and Eve, who were created by God himself through the power of the divine Word, were punished by him because of their disobedience; that they were banished from paradise and subjected to manual labor; that the earth was cursed in them, and that all their daughters must suffer and give birth to their children in perilous labor and excruciating pain; not to mention that they would have been subject to eternal death if the new Man of grace, the blessed Christ Jesus, had not by grace prevented it? Why was this? For no other reason than that they did not abide in the true word of the living God, but lived according to their lusts, contrary to the word of God, trusting the deceit of the lying serpent rather than the warning of the true God, who by grace had created them wise, righteous and incorrupt and placed them as lords of all creatures, Genesis 2, verse 26. [Note 1]

Again, do you not know that all the creatures under heaven, both rational and irrational, except those that were in the ark with Noah, were destroyed by water through the righteous judgment of God, because they became corrupt and lived according to their lusts, and, in my opinion, because they did not acknowledge the Spirit of the Lord as their judge? Genesis, chapters 6, 7 and 8. O consider these things, and without doubt you will from now on sincerely fear your God and always abide in his holy word!

Besides, you must often have heard, and perhaps read for yourselves, about Sodom and Gomorrah, Genesis, chapters 18 and 20; Genesis 19, verse 4; Er and Onan, Genesis 38, verses 7 to 9; the idolaters, Exodus 32, verse 5; the man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath day, Numbers 15, verses 32 to 36; Korah, Dathan and Abiram, Numbers, chapter 16; the murmurers, Numbers 21, verse 5; Zimri and the other adulterers, Numbers 25, verses 14 and 15; Nadab and Abihu, Leviticus 10, verse 2; those who hid the forbidden things, Joshua, chapter 7; King Saul, First Samuel 15, verses 17 to 22; Jeroboam, Manasseh and the other kings, priests and prophets who did not abide in the true worship and in obedience to the divine word given through Moses, but taught and practiced either more or less, or something quite different from the law of the Lord; and how terribly and in how many different ways they and their followers were punished and struck by God, who wants his will obeyed. Some died suddenly; some were pierced with the sword, Exodus 32, verse 27; Numbers 25, verse 5; some were stoned to death, Numbers 15, verse 36; Joshua 7, verse 25; some were swallowed up by the earth, Numbers 16, verse 32; some were bitten by serpents, Numbers 21, verse 6; some were hanged, Numbers 25, verse 4; some were consumed by fire, Leviticus 10, verse 2; Saul’s kingdom was taken from him, First Kings 15, verse 28, and he was put to death with the sword; the houses of Jeroboam and Achab were taken from the earth; the eyes of Zedechias were put out; Manasseh was captured; and all Israel was in exile in foreign countries, as in Assyria, Babylonia and Egypt, as is recorded in Chronicles, Kings and the prophets. I repeat, why was this? Solely because they did not abide in the law of their God, but transgressed it, either by their own choice or out of disrespect for the law, setting up images, temples and altars without the command of God in many countries and cities, Jeremiah, chapter 2; Hosea, chapter 10; on many mountains and under large trees, Hosea 4, verse 13; even though, as may be seen in the writings of many prophets, Moses had so strenuously commanded them, as their fathers also were commanded: “Whatever I command you, be careful to do it: you shall not add to it nor take away from it,” Deuteronomy 12, verse 32. And in another place, that all the plagues will come on all those who do not abide by the works of the covenant which are written in the Book, and on the other hand all the blessings will come to all those who abide by them, Deuteronomy 28, verses 58 and 59. The children of Israel did not always abide by the express, commanding word of him who had brought them out of the land of Egypt by his powerful hand; but let themselves be misled by ungodly princes and false prophets, and chose for themselves, without the divine commandment, places for divine worship, carved images for themselves and built themselves temples. All this was by their own choice and not by divine command; besides that, they committed every kind of idolatry. This the Holy Spirit, in various Scriptures, has called shameful whoredom, perjury, accursed idolatry and despising the Lord. The prophet says, “Woe to them, for they have fled from me; destruction to them, because they have transgressed against me; though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me,” Hosea 7, verse 13. [Note 2]

Israel turned aside from the law of their God and gave themselves to the service of Baal, not being content with the law, doctrine and service which God had commanded them through Moses; though, as it appears, they set up Baal with his altars to serve the living God. So God, in his grace and the fatherly love he bore Israel for the sake of their fathers, again sent his faithful servants the prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elias, Ezekiel and others, who on God’s behalf sharply reproved the degenerate princes, the false prophets and the miserable, confused people, and turned them back again to the true worship and ceremonies of the law which God had commanded and which they had forsaken.

Besides, they prophesied famine, pestilence, crop failures, drought, war, conflagration, robbery, imprisonment and destruction as plagues because of their sins and disobedience. And they prophesied also of the divine grace, salvation, deliverance, peace, mercy and the eternal glory which in the latter days would so gloriously appear to all the world through Christ Jesus our Lord, who is the only promised prophet, Deuteronomy 18, verse 15; the truly anointed of the Lord; the spiritual King David, Ezekiel 37, verse 24, who establishes his kingdom with justice and righteousness, Isaiah 9, verse 7; the true Shepherd who leads us into the pastures of eternal life, Ezekiel 34, verse 14; whose name is Emmanuel, that is, God with us, Isaiah 7, verse 14; Matthew 1, verse 23; and the Lord who makes us righteous, who will reign over the house of Jacob forever, Luke 1, verse 33. And this was the particular work of the holy prophets, who were graciously sent by God the Lord to carnal Israel. But what did it avail, dear reader? They preached both mildly and harshly, punishment and grace, judgment and mercy; yet it was all in vain, as God plainly proclaimed through these same prophets, saying, “I have spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts,” Isaiah 65, verse 2.

Again, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Obey my voice. Yet they did not obey, nor incline their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil hearts; therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did not do them,” Jeremiah 11, verses 6, 7 and 8. Again, “O Ephraim, you commit whoredom, and Israel is defiled; they will not frame their doings to turn to their God; for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord,” Hosea, chapter 5. Again, in another place, “The Lord has testified against Israel and against Judah by all the prophets and by all the seers, saying, Turn from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. Nevertheless they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like the neck of their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God,” Second Kings 17, verses 13 and 14. Again, “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassion every man to his brother; and do not oppress the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. But they refused to listen, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, so that they should not hear. Indeed, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, so that they would not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts has sent in his Spirit by the former prophets; therefore a great wrath came from the Lord of hosts,” Zechariah 7, verses 9 to 12.

Indeed, most beloved reader, they have so stopped their ears and so hardened their hearts that they not only would not hear, but all of them as a general rule, and particularly most of the kings, princes, prophets and priests, knowingly thirsted after the innocent blood of the true witnesses of God, who, with an unquenchable fire of love, reproved them for their sins like brothers, called them to repent and turn to God, and proclaimed and taught the way of the Lord in righteousness.

So the mad, blind world has thanked and rewarded the faithful servants of God, the true prophets and true teachers of the divine truth, who sincerely seek its salvation: by upbraiding, imprisoning, beating, banishing and slaying them. For the obstinate, ignorant, whoring, refractory people will not be reproved, as may be read in the fourth chapter of Hosea, and in what the men of Anathoth said to Jeremiah: “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord, so that you do not die by our hand,” Jeremiah 11, verse 21; and, “As for the word which you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you,” Jeremiah 44, verse 16.

The selfish and lustful teachers will not allow themselves to be reproved or admonished; they boast of their wisdom and say, “We are supported by the Holy Scriptures; although all that the scribes say and teach is falsehood.”

Above all, the proud, carnal, worldly, idolatrous and tyrannical princes who do not acknowledge God (I speak of the evil princes) want to be in the right in all their mandates, projects and undertakings, however much these may be at variance with God and his blessed word; as if the Almighty Father, the Creator of all things, who holds heaven and earth in his hands and rules all things by the word of his power, had given them the privilege to command, rule and administer according to their will not only in temporal government but also in the heavenly kingdom of Jesus Christ. O no, beloved, no. This is not the intention of God; it is an abomination in his blessed sight when mortal man puts himself in his place. And when he raised up and sent his beloved servants the prophets, who reproved and admonished all the princes, prophets, priests and common people like brothers, from the mouth of God, the princes destroyed them as seditious persons, and the learned and common people destroyed them as deceivers and heretics, as was the case with Zechariah the son of Berechiah, with Isaiah, Jeremiah, Uriah, Kiriathaim and others, as may be read in history. [Note 3]

However ravenously the princes and the learned tyrannized and opposed the law and its followers, the law and word of God still remained unchangeable until Christ Jesus; so that everyone who desired to be saved had to order and conform himself according to the law and his conscience, if he would see the dawn of day. For God is an eternal God, and his will can never be changed or turned aside by man. In this neither prince nor learned man can avail. God alone has dominion over man; he will keep them for all eternity.

Therefore everything they set up and practiced as holy worship without the command of God, or against it (even though it was in honor of the living God, who had so gloriously led their fathers and them out of the land of Egypt), was nothing less than open idolatry, spiritual whoredom, perfidy, degeneracy, blasphemy and an awful abomination, as we have briefly shown the reader above from the prophetic Scriptures. God is a God who does not need our help and offerings, because he has made all things. Mine, he says, are the cattle on a thousand hills. What then can I offer? He will accept no other sacrifices than those alone which are commanded in his holy word, as Samuel said to Saul, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.” The Lord God of Israel spoke through Jeremiah, saying, “Obey my voice and do them, according to all that I commanded you; so you shall be my people, and I will be your God,” Jeremiah 11, verse 4; Second Corinthians 6, verse 17.

All those, beloved reader, who sought a different way of salvation from the one God had commanded either did not consider God wise enough to teach the right way, or else thought that he would deceive them by his word. They despised the commanding voice of their God; they honored and exalted their own opinions and deceiving wisdom far above the wisdom of God; and they transgressed the precious covenant which God, out of mere grace and mercy, had made with them and their fathers. For the most shameful obstinacy, and the worst contempt of God, is not to abide by his divine word, as the Scriptures say, They transgress the covenant, as Adam did, and by it they despise and abhor me.

O, if only Israel had acknowledged the most glorious promise of grace which was given to them and their fathers concerning the promise of the seed, land, kingdom and glory! And if only they had considered the benefits of God, so abundantly shown to them and their fathers: that he miraculously led them out of the land of Egypt and let them pass through the Red Sea, Exodus 14, verse 22; that “He went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire,” Exodus 13, verse 21; that he gave them bread from heaven, Exodus 16, verse 4; that he gave them water to drink from the rock, Exodus 17, verse 6; that neither their clothes nor their shoes grew old, Deuteronomy 29, verse 5; that he scattered the giants before them; that he led them into the promised land flowing with milk and honey; that he gave them the strongly fortified cities and well-built houses full of gold and silver, which they had not built; that he gave them the vineyards they had not planted, Deuteronomy 6, verse 11; that he gave them these things not for their righteousness’ sake but by grace, and because he would fulfill the promise which he had sworn to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Indeed, he gave it as a permanent possession, if they would abide by his holy word and walk in his divine commands, statutes and righteousness, as Moses the faithful servant had taught and commanded on many occasions. Besides this, he gave them grain, oil, wine, peace, freedom, religion and fame above all the peoples round about; for there was no people under all the heavens like them, Deuteronomy, chapter 4. He led them by the hand like a young child; carried them in his blessed arms; and girded himself round about them like a lancer, as Jeremiah says; raising up among them his righteous men and prophets, who spoke to them the words of the Lord, reproving all disobedient transgressors like brothers and gently consoling the pious hearts with the gracious promise of both temporal and eternal life.

O, if the children of Israel had sincerely realized all these favors and many others, they would never have turned so shamefully from the word, law, will and commandments of God their Savior and Deliverer, who in every respect treated them in so fatherly a spirit. But because they did not acknowledge the gracious benefits which the Lord showed them, and did not fear his righteous judgments against them, the wicked, blind flesh and the adulterous spirit of idolatry so misled them, so estranged them from God, and made them so drunk and mad, that they acted worse than the Gentiles who were before them, whom God, because of their sinfulness, had rejected and scattered, as the holy prophets show and proclaim in various Scriptures.

O fearful wrath of God! We can never escape it. If we do not desire grace, light, truth, righteousness, salvation, true religion, life, the kingdom, blessing and God himself, then by his righteous judgment we must without doubt inherit disgrace, darkness, falsehood, unrighteousness and idolatry, and hereafter eternal damnation, death, hell, the curse, and the devil himself.

Sincerely beloved readers, God knows that I love you with a pure love in Christ Jesus. I find, in proof of many Scriptures, how severely God has always punished all transgression of his divine word and disobedience to it from the beginning of creation, as every intelligent reader may clearly understand from the history of Israel. And I clearly see that the whole world, from east to west, from south to north, has in the course of time been misled by ignorant teachers and preachers, who seek nothing but carnality, aided by unfaithful lords and princes; and that they have lost their faith in and knowledge of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, the ever-blessed Savior, his holy gospel and sacraments, true religion, and the pious, unblamable life which is of God. They are falsely led, under the name of Christ, to put their faith in a man of proud, unclean, idolatrous and ungodly flesh; in useless fables, doctrines and human commandments; in an idolatrous baptism and supper; in images, wood, stone, gold, silver, water, bread and wine; in a shameful idolatry; in mere vain, false and useless promises; so that it has gone so far among those who boast of the name of Christ that nothing is left them, whether in faith, love, sacraments or in their life, of which it can truthfully be said that it agrees with the life and doctrine of Christ. Judge for yourselves whether or not I speak the truth. And although some of them today boast of the holy gospel of Christ, yet nothing is preached but what is useless and vain, and that no more strongly than the temporal lords and princes allow them; and as the princes are, so are the preachers; and as the preachers are, so are the people. And by this we are asked to abandon Christ and his holy apostles and humble them in their doctrine, and to believe and adhere to the princes and the learned, if we do not want to be tortured or burned at their hands, or murdered by some other tyrannical means; as if the preachers were sent by the princes and not by Christ. Therefore, for the sake of the chosen of Zion and of Jerusalem, I can no longer hold my tongue but must tell the truth, so that their righteousness may go forth as a light and their salvation burn as a torch; and so that all mankind may acknowledge the righteousness of the Lord, and all tongues, generations and peoples confess his glory; although I have sometimes thought, with Jeremiah, not to teach any more in the name of the Lord, because so many thirst after my blood. Yet I can no longer hold my tongue; for with the prophet I am very much troubled at heart; my heart trembles in my bosom; all my joints shake and quake at the thought that the whole world, lords, princes, learned and ignorant people, men and women, slave and free, are so widely estranged from Christ Jesus, from evangelical truth and from life eternal.

When I think to find a magistrate who fears God, rightly performs his office and uses his sword, I truly find, as a general thing, nothing but a winebibbing Lucifer, Antioch or Nero; for they put themselves in Christ’s place, so that their decrees must be respected above the word of God. Whoever does not order himself by their contents, does not serve Baal, but maintains the ceremonies of Christ and fulfills the word of God in fruits, must be taken and suffer as a rogue; his property must be confiscated, and the poor, innocent orphans, who have now lost their faithful parents because of the testimony of the Lord, must be cast out and find their way begging through the land. But the idolaters, deceivers of souls, whoremongers, knaves, adulterers, fornicators, blasphemers, perjurers, drunkards and such transgressors are not persecuted, but can live in liberty and peace under their protection. I do not speak here of the good magistrates, who are few, but of the evil ones, who are many. Besides, we have their unseemly pomp, pride, greed, uncleanness, lying, robbing, stealing, burning, hatred, envy, avarice and idolatry. Yet they want to be called Christian princes and gracious lords. O Lord! Of how little benefit these hypocritical, lying titles and false boasting will be to them before Christ when he appears!

Again, when I think to find true teachers, such as are sent by God and quickened by the Holy Spirit, who sincerely seek the salvation of their brothers, who are not earthly minded but preach the saving, wholesome word of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ in purity of heart, and who are wholly unblamable in their doctrine and life, I find myself altogether mistaken. Instead, I find all over the world and among most of the sects nothing but robbers of the glory of God and murderers of souls; deceivers, blind watchmen, mute dogs, masters of sects who are carnally, earthly and devilishly minded; enemies of the cross, serving their bellies instead of serving God; false prophets, idolaters, vain talkers, liars and wizards. If anyone does not believe my words, let him test their walk by the word of the Lord; let him compare their doctrine, sacraments, spirit, aim, walk and life with the doctrine, sacraments, spirit, aim, walk and life of Christ; and common sense will teach you, even without the word of God, by whom they are sent, how, what and why they teach, and what fruits their teachings bear.

In the third place, when I think to find an unblamable church without spot or blemish, which serves the Lord with all its power and conforms itself to his word, I truly find such an ungodly, abominable, corrupted and confused people, so carnal, idolatrous, whoring, cruel, ungodly, unbelieving, ignorant, bloodthirsty, unmerciful, drunken, pompous, luxurious, proud, avaricious, greedy, envious, adulterous, false, deceiving, sodomitic, refractory, disobedient, rebellious, vain and so devilish, that a God-fearing soul must stand dumbfounded and be ashamed at it. Yet they claim to be the true bride, the believing church of Christ. O no, dear reader, no. Christ Jesus does not own such a bride or church. But his bride is flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone, Ephesians 5, verse 30; she is conformed to him, Romans 8, verse 29; is created after his image, Colossians 3, verse 10; partakes of his nature, Second Peter 1, verse 4; is minded as he is, Philippians 2, verse 5; seeks nothing but heavenly things, where Christ Jesus is, sitting at the right hand of his Father, Colossians 3, verse 1. Indeed, in God’s church nothing is heard, seen or found but the true doctrine of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ and his holy apostles, according to the Holy Scripture. But in the churches mentioned above it is mostly doctrines, flatteries, commentaries, councils and commandments of men. Here is faith, truth, obedience, the baptism of the believing according to the word of God, true brotherly love and the service of our neighbors; there is unbelief, falsehood, disobedience, infant baptism without God’s word, hatred, envy, tyranny, cruelty, bloodshed, quarreling, lawsuits, backbiting, cheating, stealing, robbing and murdering. Here is teaching, admonition, consolation, reproof in righteousness; there, mere corruption, heresy, upbraiding and slandering. Here, blessing, praise and thanksgiving; there, cursing and swearing by the suffering of the Lord, by his wounds, sacraments, flesh, blood and judgment. Here, longsuffering; there, an inflammable temper. Here, humility; there, pride. Here, mercy; there, mercilessness. Here, true religion; there, idolatry. Here, spirit and spiritual wisdom; there, flesh and foolishness. Here is prayer in spirit and in truth; there, mockery with many powerless words. Here is prayer for the Lord’s truth; there the righteousness of the Lord is persecuted. Here is faith in Christ; there, idolatrous ceremonies. In short, here is Christ and God; there, antichrist and the devil. Indeed, most beloved brothers, the pure, chaste and spotless bride of our Lord Jesus Christ (judge for yourselves) is quite different from this carnal, unclean, adulterous and shameful cause.

Truly, those who merely boast of his name are not the true church of Christ. But those are the true church of Christ who are converted, who are born from above of God, who are of a regenerated mind, and who by the working of the Holy Spirit, through the hearing of the divine word, have become children of God; who obey him and live unblamably in his holy commandments and according to his holy will all their days, or from their calling on.

The worldly church is no such lovely, obedient bride, but has left her lawful husband, Christ, and goes after strange adulteries, as may be plainly seen, and all this through blindness, ignorance and the deceit of their teachings. Therefore I seek to accomplish nothing by my writing and teaching, according to the talent God was pleased to give me, but to reclaim this adulterous bride, the erring church, from her adulterous ways and return her again to her first husband, Christ Jesus, to whom she was so unfaithful, even though he did her such great service; showing and declaring to all sects, nations and individuals who are willing to read or hear our doctrine, writings and admonitions, not by flatteries and my own opinion but by the express word of God, which alone avails, that there is no salvation on earth or in heaven except in Christ Jesus, that is, in his doctrine, faith, sacraments, obedience and walk. All doctrine which is contrary to his word or without his command is vain: such as, in the papal church, purgatory, false promises, distinctions of places, foods and days, pilgrimages, false sacrifices, and so on. Again, in the German churches, the power of infant baptism to avail. Again, among the corrupted sects, the third David; the carnal kingdom; that everything is clean to the clean, such as showing outward honor and reverence to idols, baptizing infants, polygamy, shameful confession, making an indecent show of the person, not believing in angels or the devil; that a more perfect doctrine will be proclaimed than was taught by Christ Jesus, Paul and the other apostles; and more such abominations.

Again, all the sacraments not contained in the word of God, such as the idolatrous baptism of infants; the false supper in a church which neither seeks, knows, fears nor loves its God, and which believes that the bread is actual flesh and the wine actual blood; also confirmation, and the holy oil, as they call it. Again, all the services which are neither taught nor commanded by Christ or his apostles, such as holy water, altars, images, masses, vigils, absolution, the invocation of the departed, monkhood, pilgrimages and similar abominations. Again, the private and public life which does not agree with the Spirit and life of Jesus Christ, such as unclean, vulgar thoughts, evil desires, unbecoming and shameful words, uncleanness, adultery, fornication, drunkenness, hatred, envy, the shedding of blood contrary to the ordinance of God, avarice, pride, lying, cheating, backbiting, jesting, theft, usury, murder, swearing and fighting. All these matters and articles, doctrines, sacraments, worship and life, which are noted here, and others which are not, every reader can easily understand by the inward anointing of God: they are not contained, expressed or commanded in his word and in the wholesome doctrine of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, and most of them are diametrically contrary to the Word. Therefore, according to the sentence of the Holy Scriptures, we consider them nothing else than false doctrine, deceit and fantasy; false, garbled and idolatrous sacraments; abominable idolatry, spiritual whoredom and degeneracy; and a carnal, earthly and deadly life, of which the Holy Spirit of God has so abundantly testified through Paul and John that those who do these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God, Romans 1, verse 22; First Corinthians 6, verse 8; Galatians 5, verse 21; Ephesians 3, verse 5; Revelation 22, verse 5. [Note 4]