Reply to Zylis and Lemmekes, Part 1

“The man who is accustomed to opprobrious words will never be reformed all the days of his life,” Ecclesiasticus 23, verse 15.

“The disposition of a liar is dishonorable, and his shame is always with him,” Ecclesiasticus 20, verse 26.

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

“If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend, who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which you have not known, you nor your fathers; namely, of the gods of the people who are round about you, near to you or far from you, from the one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth; you shall not consent to him, nor listen to him; neither shall your eye pity him, neither shall you spare him, neither shall you conceal him; but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. * * Because he has sought to thrust you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this among you.” “Then his father and his mother who begot him shall say to him, You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord; and his father and his mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies,” Deuteronomy 13, verses 6 to 11; Zechariah 13, verse 3.

A true, pure and pious mind; unfeigned love of God and neighbor; a true and well-seasoned tongue which speaks nothing but the truth; and a resigned, impartial and pious heart in which the Holy Spirit dwells, together with the sure knowledge of Jesus Christ and of his holy word: these I wish to Zylis and Lemmekes, to all righteousness, now and forever, from my inmost heart. Amen.

I hear and understand, dear friends, that you, alas, are going astray against God and against me, both in writing and in speaking, using untrue, slanderous words and abominable, bitter backbiting, which do not become a Christian. I had not in the least expected this from you; for I thought that you were so taught by the Lord that you would not so enviously strike your poor brother, who cannot now answer for himself, nor (as is the case) defame your faithful friend, who according to his small talent has always sincerely served you and all the pious in Christ, and so thank him for his faithful service and love. But my good opinion of you, alas, has been a mistake in this case. For my case with you is the same as that of the good Jeremiah, when those who envied him took counsel against him and said, “Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words,” Jeremiah 18, verse 18. Yet the innocence of my hands, the true intention of my labors, the unfeigned love of my anointing, together with the incontrovertible, sure foundation of the truth, shall be my refuge; indeed, my invincible shield and surety against all unreasonable revilers and defamers, now and at all times. By the grace of God I am sure of this.

You prove yourselves quite unreasonable and devoid of love (since I am at such a great distance from you; indeed, as if you had never heard a syllable of the word of the Lord). By this you not only make me an abomination and a stench in the sight of many who are not versed in this matter (which in you I count a very small thing), but you also make the holy word such, which in my weakness I have preached for some time, not altogether without fruit; and so you turn those of little understanding away from the right way, strengthen them in their blindness, and rob them of the true light and understanding of the true ban. Therefore I am compelled by a sense of duty to send you and your brothers (whom by your cunning you deprive of the light) my humble but true reply in writing, as briefly and clearly as possible, since I cannot come in person; hoping that you may thereby take the matter to heart and henceforth sin no more, but truly repent of your great mistake, and yet find grace in that day before the Lord and his righteous judgment. Therefore I earnestly beg you to consider what I shall point out to you.

Understand, then, first, that Zylis blames me as a trifler. The reason is that (as he says) I am supposed to have published two small books which contradict each other. To this I humbly answer as follows: it is well known to a great many that for more than twenty-three years I have been opposed on all sides by many sharp spirits, and that I have had to withstand many a hard assault. Yet (glory to him who has saved me) I did not go unsteadily from one church to another, as both of you have done (do not take it hard that I write this, for you drive me to it); but I have remained firm and peaceable in the faith and doctrine with my beloved brothers until this day. And as I have borne testimony in the name of the Lord in such dark days, I trust by the grace of God to remain firm and peaceable as long as I remain in this tabernacle. To which of us this name of trifler (if it must be called so) now applies, I will leave to the judgment of every intelligent reader. But as to the two publications which you seem to take so hard, this is my plain reply: eighteen or nineteen years ago, when I wrote the first book, I was not enlightened enough to understand all things thoroughly; and I freely and frankly admit that until that time I included all sin under three admonitions. This I acknowledge by word of mouth and in writing, and I do not deny it. But as all well-minded servants of God, who seek the crucified Christ and not their own honor or flesh, are always ready to search the sure foundation of truth still further, so I, the least of all servants (because of many abominations which were discovered in the church from time to time, and also because of the miserable disputes and discord which crept in through no fault of mine), came to serious reflection on this matter, and at last plainly saw that we men may not retain those whom God himself excludes by his Spirit and word, or else the church of Christ must be divided. This is as clear as day.

Therefore it would be advisable for you to season your words a little better. For by them you do not slander and despise me, but the Holy Spirit, who according to the word of promise has led me, his poor, weak servant and instrument, into his truth and has revealed to me the true foundation in this matter.

Indeed, dear men, if you are to call me a trifler on that account, because I was not perfectly enlightened from the beginning, and do not claim to be perfectly enlightened at this hour, O Lord! What a trifler you would call the beloved Peter and others if they were alive today, and if you loved him no more than you love me! For although he was taught by the Lord’s mouth and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, he was still so lacking in understanding that he dared not preach the gospel to the heathen until he was admonished and told to do so by a heavenly vision or revelation from God, and only then took the liberty to teach them.

Oh! oh! Terrible is the word that slanderers, defamers and liars shall have no part in the kingdom of God. See, chosen Zylis and Lemmekes, let it be told to you.

Secondly, I understand besides that Zylis said I published a book from which nothing but hatred, murder and blasphemy could come.

To this I reply with Christ’s own words, as follows: “Do not think that I have come to send peace on earth; I did not come to send peace, but a sword,” Matthew 10, verse 34. In another place: “I have come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it is already kindled?” Luke 12, verse 49. From these words, and also from experience, it is plain that the pure doctrine of Christ and of his holy apostles, truly taught and put into practice, is of such a nature that among the obstinate and unbelieving it breeds hatred, envy, falsehood, slander, reviling, persecution, rebellion, murder, misery and tribulation. But should we on this account not teach and practice the pure doctrine and truth? If you answer yes, you judge that we should not suppress the truth because of danger, if that should be the result, but that it should be taught and practiced notwithstanding. And what kind of spirit it is that teaches you this pretense of hatred, murder, blasphemy and so on, by which you frighten the poor people away from the truth, I will leave you to reflect upon in the fear of God. But if you answer no, you make yourselves mere men of blood, since you still go on teaching, baptizing and the like, while you hear daily that many a pious child is robbed on that account, and even murdered. O, I beg you, learn to know the spirit of reviling. Tell me, beloved, is not the word of Christ called the word of the cross? You must answer yes. For here, in the kingdom and reign of Christ on earth, the command to believers is nothing but to deny themselves, take up the cross and follow him, Matthew 16, verse 24. If we love father, mother, husband, wife, children, property or ourselves better than Christ, we are not worthy of him. Indeed, he says that if we do not hate all these, we cannot be his disciples, Matthew 10, verse 37. Since this is the case with the gospel of Christ, as has been heard, your trifling darts and powerless thunderbolts of hatred, murder and blasphemy cannot and should not deter me in the least, so long as you do not convince me by the binding truth and power of the divine, Holy Scriptures that in this matter of the ban or separation I have mistaken the word of the Lord, or have in any way failed to fulfill its requirements. Rather, I am the more assured by your slander, since it is made altogether without truth or Scripture, that the invincible foundation of truth and of the unchangeable word of the Lord is on our side. But as for the word slander or blasphemy, I would make this brotherly reply: learn to know, with more fear of God, what according to the Scripture blasphemy or sinning against the Holy Spirit is. For in my opinion it is this: when the truth of God is imprinted and conceived in the heart of man with such power of the divine, Holy Scripture, by the Spirit and finger of his power, that we, convinced in spirit, must confess that it is the true foundation of truth and cannot be refuted by the Scriptures; and yet, out of self-conceit or preference, we are so bold and stubborn as to persist in hating, reviling and slandering this inspired and truly known truth, or in ascribing it to the devil, out of our ambitious, partial, proud and obstinate flesh, as the obstinate Pharisees and scribes ascribed the glorious miracles and power of Christ to Beelzebub. This the mouth of the Lord calls blasphemy and sinning against the Holy Spirit (if we persevere in it, as I understand it); and it will not be forgiven them, neither in this world nor in the world to come. O, dear friends, take heed, Luke 12, verse 10.

Such slander and sin is the true blasphemy and sin against the Holy Spirit, as was heard. God, before whom we stand exposed with all our teachings and doings, knows that I have written the book which you slander with a good, sealed and assured conscience, and all theologians must acknowledge that it is the truth and word of the Lord; you cannot disprove it by the Scriptures; and yet, notwithstanding all this, you are so obstinate and lost as to call this undisproved writing of mine a book of fables and heretical doctrine. Therefore I will leave the impartial reader to judge with which of us this slander is to be found. O, that you would see!

Thirdly, I understand that you call our doctrine concerning the ban between husband and wife heretical. To this I would reply: first, Paul says, “Knowing that he who is such (a heretic) is subverted, and sins, being condemned by himself,” Titus 3, verse 11. Since such a one is subverted and condemned by himself, as was shown, I know by the grace of God that I do not deserve such a heretical name; for he who knows and tries all hearts also knows me. He knows that I never knew, much less fostered, any obstinacy, licentiousness, partiality or perverseness in my heart contrary to his word and will. I am sure that the merciful Father (who alone is the true Father of my soul) will not condemn his despised, weak servant to hell like that, nor regard him as such a heretic, although I must hear the despicable slander not from the world alone but also from you. O no, no. His name is Our faithful God, Merciful Father, Deliverer, Emmanuel, and so on. Therefore let everyone under heaven judge, revile and slander; his fatherly word, conceived in my open and willing heart, together with the Holy Spirit of his love, which leads all souls who hunger and thirst after righteousness to the bread of life and to the true fountain of his living waters, will doubtless refresh me in the heat of this and of all my tribulations, and extend to me his hand of consolation. For where is he who sought him so and did not find grace? And where is he who trusted in him and was not helped and protected? O, that you would at last see the abomination of your perverse and unseasonable judgment!

Secondly, I answer that according to the Scripture heretics are self-conceited, restless, licentious and perverse sectarians, who choose, gather and establish for themselves a peculiar foundation, doctrine and church, contrary to the true foundation of truth on which the true church, which is valid before God, should be founded; by which they disturb the unity of the pious, extinguish love, destroy peace, and cause much disturbance, trouble, sorrow and tribulation among those who would gladly walk in the truth. O, I beg you, learn to know the heretic.

Since such people are really heretics, as has been heard, necessity requires us to show and explain the division between us, so that the intelligent reader and hearer may thereby understand and grasp with which of us such perverseness and heretical foundation is to be found. Take heed. Do not judge by words and appearance, but by God’s Word.

So this is our first foundation and doctrine: that all obedient children of God, without any respect of persons, must withdraw from all brothers and sisters who walk disorderly and are disobedient to the institution, ordinance and doctrine received from the apostles, because it is so commanded by the Holy Spirit in the name of Christ. But your foundation and doctrine is that this does not apply to husband and wife if one or the other turns aside from the truth. You have respect of persons, of which the Holy Spirit of wisdom neither commands nor implies a single word in all the Holy Writ. Mark our first difference, Second Thessalonians 3, verse 14; James 2, verse 9; Deuteronomy 3, verse 6; Zechariah 13, verse 3. [Note 1]

Our second foundation and doctrine is that the true apostolic ban and shunning refers not only to spiritual communion, such as the Supper, the hand and kiss and greeting of peace (as you think), but also to carnal communion, such as eating, dealing, receiving into one’s house and so on, and that this is plainly forbidden. But your foundation and doctrine is (for your deeds show it, and in my opinion they prove more than words and confession would) that the shunning applies only to spiritual communion and does not apply to natural association. For it is a well-known fact that you allow natural association between husband and wife, and that you eat with the separated and deal with them, if you have not changed. Mark our second difference.

Our third foundation and doctrine is that the second table, namely, the commandment concerning our neighbor, must give way to the first, which is the commandment concerning God. But your foundation and doctrine is (for your actions regarding husband and wife testify to it) that the second table need not give way to the first, but the first to the second; as if the Creator must do the will of the creature, and not the creature the will of the Creator. O! O!! Mark our third difference.

Our fourth foundation and doctrine is that the Holy Spirit always cares for his own, and has therefore commanded us to shun sectarian and offensive sinners, lest by their association or conversation (as is generally the case) they leaven the pious with the leaven of their unrighteousness and draw them into their wicked works; and also so that the apostates may thereby be made ashamed before the Lord and his church, repent, and be converted. But your foundation and doctrine fights and disputes this so cruelly that you quite bitterly call us divorcers and heretics, because in this regard, through the zealous fear of God, we follow the command of the holy apostles and point everyone whose lot it becomes to the surest way according to Scripture. You make the poor people believe that it is an abomination that a husband should shun his wife, or a wife her husband, on account of the ban; just as it is also an abomination to the world that we should baptize believers and not hear the false preachers. And so you reprove the Holy Spirit of the love of Christ and accuse and abuse his holy apostles of false doctrine; as if the leaven of corruption (against which they have faithfully warned us) could not leaven husband or wife; and as if we were at liberty, according to the rule of the holy word, not to seek the reformation of our spouses, Second Thessalonians 3, verse 14; Titus 3, verse 10; First Corinthians 5, verse 5; Galatians 5, verse 9; First Corinthians 5, verse 3; Second Timothy 2, verses 18 and 21.

Our fifth foundation and doctrine is that the ban without the shunning is quite useless and dead; indeed, like a mill without a millstone, and a knife without a blade. For it is very clear that the apostolic ban properly has its power and effect in the outward shunning. Otherwise the danger of corrupting others would not be avoided in the least, which is properly the first and main reason for the ban, as has been heard. Your actions openly show that you have and teach a ban without the shunning, and that it is therefore without effect; since, first, you except husband and wife from the shunning, and second, you eat and deal and so on with those who are banned, while the Holy Scriptures plainly and pointedly forbid it, saying, With such you shall not eat; with such do not keep company; but shun them. Have no dealings with them; do not greet them, nor take them into your houses. Mark our fifth division, First Corinthians 5, verse 10; Romans 16, verse 16; Second Timothy 3, verse 5; Titus 3, verse 10.

But if you should say that if the pious can abide in his faith while living with the impious, there is in such a case no need for shunning, I would then answer: first, that by taking the matter so you in fact annul all the plain commandments of the Scriptures concerning outward, bodily shunning, such as not eating with them, dealing with them or taking them into your houses. Indeed, if some liberty were to be taken, it would be more reasonable to give the whole church liberty to eat and deal with apostates than to allow it between husband and wife. For there would be less danger in it for the church than for husband and wife, who are of necessity in continual association; something which the church could easily avoid. This is too clear to be denied. O men, take heed.

My second reply is that no one under heaven can abide in his faith while living with his degenerate spouse. For, first, he would transgress all the explicit commandments of the Holy Spirit concerning the ban and shunning. Secondly, he would not seek the repentance of his spouse in the way the Scripture teaches. And thirdly, he keeps company with one who, according to the command of the word, should be shunned by all pious persons. I will leave it to all of you to consider whether this can be called abiding in the faith. Therefore I beg you again, take heed.

See, beloved, if you compare this division with the doctrine of the Scripture, and in the fear of God impartially weigh it in the balance of the holy word, you will clearly see that I and my beloved brothers have the unchangeable, incontrovertible word to sustain us, and that you have only a vain presumption and a self-conceived opinion; that we have a restoring ban, while you have one that is fruitless, vain and dead; that we have obedience, you disobedience; that we heartily seek to save all afflicted souls from the inherent disease of corruption, according to the doctrine and command of the holy apostles, while you, contrary to all the admonition, doctrine and explicit commandment of the holy apostles, leave them to corruption, without any aid, help, consolation, assistance and earnest effort, looking not at what pleases the spirit but only at what pleases the flesh. Therefore it is plain that you, alas, are the ones who are covered with the abominable shame of heresy with which you undeservedly blame me. If you are intelligent, mark what this means.

Fourthly, I understand that you call us divorcers, telling your followers that not a single example of such shunning between husband and wife can be found in all the Scriptures. To this I answer, first, that Moses taught the Israelites that they should not excuse their own wives, sons, daughters and friends, who were as precious to them as their own hearts, if these should want to lead them to strange gods, but that they should slay or stone them without mercy, Deuteronomy 13, verses 6 to 10. Tell me, beloved, who was the cause of this? Moses or God? Not Moses, but God, who had so commanded him. So it is with us also. We teach that apostates and sectarians should be shunned without respect of persons. Yet it is not we, but God, who has commanded us to do so in his word, as has been sufficiently shown. O, mark this.

Again I reply by asking this question: if one of your number had a dishonest, wicked, thievish, sodomitic, murderous, incendiary wife, or one who tried to take his life, and he knew it, would he still go on living with her? If you answer yes, you must acknowledge and admit that he is an abominable, fearful, murderous rogue to be one flesh with her; something which would hardly become a servant of Christ. But if you answer no, you judge for yourselves that in this matter, without any previous adultery or fornication, you are no less divorcers than we are. I repeat, mark this also.