Kind Admonition

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

Menno Simon wishes all true brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ the grace and peace of God our heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ his Son, our Lord, who loved us and cleansed us from our sins by his blood. To him be glory, now and forever, Amen.

Hear, believe, and fulfill God’s word, and you shall have everlasting life. Do not judge until you have read this through and understood it well.

Sincerely beloved children in Christ Jesus, you know with what diligence, indeed, how sincerely I have lately admonished most of you according to the word of the Lord, with many Scriptures, out of a loving, willing and moved Spirit, as you yourselves have witnessed. I seek nothing (God is my witness of this) but the salvation of your souls alone. I teach nothing, desire nothing, and admonish you to nothing, except that your most holy faith and works may be powerful and fruitful before God; and that your life and walk may be found before God, before his angels, and before all the world to be holy, pure, sober, chaste, temperate, humble, gentle, kind, mild, merciful, righteous, blameless, in conformity with and obedient to the gospel of Christ, a shining light; so that in all your doings you may express Christ Jesus, whom you have put on, if you have rightly put him on, as I trust you have; and so show in your life his divine and heavenly image, after which you are created, Colossians, chapter 3; Ephesians, chapter 4.

You know that I do not desire your money, silver, and carnal gifts, although the infamous, lying world may blame me for it. I beseech all of you, and with much entreaty, anxiety, tribulation, sighing, weeping, and pains I would teach you such faith, love, spirit, conscience and walk that you may stand before the righteous judgment of God, and that in Christ Jesus.

I do not doubt, most beloved brothers, that you know well (if you are born with Christ of God the Father, of the heavenly seed of the divine word) that you must be conformed to Christ in mind, spirit, courage and will, both in doctrine and in life, as Christ Jesus is conformed to the nature and image of his blessed, heavenly Father. He was so conformed to it that he did nothing but what his Father did, John, chapter 5, and taught nothing but the word of his Father, John, chapter 7. It is the same with those who are begotten of the living, saving word of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. By virtue of their new birth they are so conformed to Christ, so like him, so truly implanted into him, so converted into his heavenly nature, that they neither teach nor believe any doctrine except what agrees with the doctrine of Christ, and they make use of no religious ceremonies except Christ’s ceremonies, which he has taught and commanded in his holy gospel. For how can the natural branches bear fruit different from that of the vine itself from which they budded forth? John, chapter 15.

As nothing is found in Christ Jesus but solely the holiness, wisdom, brightness, righteousness, power, love, peace, mercy, and truth of the Almighty Father, so you have in the same way partaken of his being and goodness, because you have been regenerated and renewed with him by the same Father.

See, brothers, those who are so regenerated and godly minded live blamelessly, according to the measure of the rule of the holy gospel of Jesus Christ and his apostles. Therefore he kisses them as his beloved, chosen ones with the mouth of his peace, Song of Songs, chapter 1, and calls them his church, his bride, flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone. Of her he begets, with inexpressible pleasure, by his powerful seed, his holy word, the children of God, the children of the promise, the children of righteousness, the children of truth, and the children of life eternal. But of the Babylonian, Sodomitic, whoring, adulterous, idolatrous, bloody, unbelieving, blind and unclean whore, with whom they have lived in adultery for centuries by the use of wood, stone, gold, silver, bread, wine, false doctrine, and the very vain, accursed works of their own hands, contrary to Jesus Christ and his holy word, he will never beget them, Revelation, chapters 17 and 18.

Therefore I admonish all our beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, as precious as Christ Jesus is to you, never to let it go out of your mind, but always to remember for what purpose you are called, taught, and baptized. Remember the covenant of the most high God, into which you voluntarily entered, which you have voluntarily desired and accepted, being taught by the word of God and moved by the Holy Spirit. And remember that, according to the doctrine of Paul, you have voluntarily buried in baptism all your avarice, uncleanness, pride, hatred, envy, abuse of the sacramental signs, idolatry, gluttony, drunkenness, sensuality, falsehood, deceit, and so on, and that you have risen with Christ Jesus into newness of life, Romans, chapter 6, if you have rightly risen with him. This new life is nothing else but righteousness, blamelessness, love, mercifulness, humility, long-suffering, peace, truth, indeed, the whole gentle life which is taught by the gospel and was found in Christ Jesus.

O brothers, how far some of us, alas, still are from the evangelical life which is of God! Although they stay out of the other churches and are outwardly baptized with water, they are still carnal and devilish minded in all things, thinking perhaps that Christianity consists in outward baptism and in not attending the church. No, beloved, no! I tell you, as truly as the Lord lives, before God neither outward baptism avails, nor staying away from the churches, nor the Supper, nor being persecuted, if we do not obey the commandments of God, First Corinthians, chapter 7; if our faith does not show itself in love and the new creature. As Christ Jesus also says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God,” John 3, verse 3. In another place he says, “Truly I say to you, Unless you are converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven,” Matthew 18, verse 3. But the regenerated and converted, that is, the believing, are rightly baptized according to God’s word; for they bury their sins in baptism and rise with Christ into newness of life, Romans, chapter 6. They are spiritually circumcised with the circumcision of Christ, Colossians, chapter 2; they put on Christ Jesus; they show by the washing of regeneration that they are born again, for it is a washing of the new birth, Titus, chapter 3.

These regenerated ones use the true Supper, for they proclaim the death of Christ until his coming again, First Corinthians, chapter 11. Their pleasure is in the church of the righteous; their works are nothing but brotherly love, one heart, one soul, one spirit; indeed, one undivided body, fruitful, serving, and common in Christ Jesus, which is symbolized by the outward cup and the outward bread, First Corinthians, chapter 10.

These regenerated ones shun all false doctrine, all idolatry, all improper use of the sacramental signs, in the church or out of the church. They seek only the true teachers, who are blameless both in doctrine and in life, and the true religion as taught and expressed in Christ’s word, namely, dying to the flesh, Romans, chapter 12; Galatians, chapter 5; serving the afflicted, Matthew, chapter 15; visiting the widows and orphans; and, as James says, they seek to keep themselves unblemished and unspotted from the world, James, chapter 1. These regenerated ones bear the cross of Christ with gladness of heart, so established in Christ Jesus that they cannot be separated from the eternal truth and love of God either by false doctrine or by horrible torments, always remembering their Lord’s word where he says, “Whoever therefore shall confess me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven,” Matthew 10, verse 32.

All their thoughts are chaste, gentle, peaceful, heavenly and of the Holy Spirit; all their words are wisdom, truth, doctrine, admonition in grace, well seasoned, the words of God, and words spoken at the right time. They are spirit, and they are life. In short, all their works are love, mercifulness, righteousness and piety, and are done in the fear of the Lord.

See, brothers, this is the true nature and mind of the children of God, who are by grace converted in their hearts and born of God the Father with Christ. Therefore I beseech you, my sincerely beloved brothers, by the grace of God, indeed I command you with holy Paul, by the Lord Jesus Christ, who at his coming will judge the living and the dead, to watch over one another diligently for your salvation: in all fitting ways teaching, instructing, admonishing, reproving, threatening and consoling one another as occasion requires, never otherwise than according to the word of God and in unfeigned love, so that we may all grow up in God and become united in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, into one perfect man, according to the measure of the gift of Jesus Christ, Ephesians 4, verse 7.

Therefore take heed. If you see your brother sin, do not pass him by as one who does not value his soul. But if his fall can be cured, then from that moment try to raise him up by gentle admonition and brotherly instruction, before you eat, drink, sleep or do anything else, as one who ardently desires his salvation, lest your poor, erring brother harden and decay in his fall and perish in his sin.

Do not act as unfaithfully as you have done until now, so as not to make the transgressions of your dying brother or sister known to those within the church before those outside it. Rather, exhort them, and seek by prayer, by words, and by deeds to convert him from the error of his way, to save his soul and so to stop the multiplying of his transgressions, James, chapter 5. Take heed, brothers, take heed, that you allow no slanderer among you, as Moses taught, Leviticus, chapter 19, no double, lying, roguish or backbiting tongue; and do not consent to it, lest you fall into the wrath of God. Let everyone take heed how, where, when and what he speaks, lest his tongue blaspheme his God and his neighbor; but always remember the words of Ecclesiasticus, “Honor and shame is in talk, and the tongue of man is his fall,” Ecclesiasticus 5, verse 13.

But, brothers, suppose that those of the age of understanding who were with us, baptized by the urging of the Spirit into the most holy body of Jesus Christ, which is the church, again withdraw themselves from the body or church of Christ, moved either by false doctrine or by a vain, carnal life. It does not matter whether it is father or mother, sister or brother, husband or wife, son or daughter, or anyone else, for God’s word applies to all flesh without respect of persons, Acts 10, verse 34; Romans 2, verse 11; Galatians, chapter 2; Ephesians, chapter 6; Colossians, chapter 3. If he or she does not heed the admonitions of the brothers, which are given with sorrow, tears and a compassionate spirit of love, but continues in their Jewish doctrine, namely, of the sword, the kingdom, polygamy or similar deceit; again, in the doctrine of the infamous confession, of shamelessness in exposing their persons, and similar unnatural, inhuman actions; again, in the doctrine which is opposed to the cross of Christ, such as that uncleanness is pure to the pure, and so having communion in unfruitful works, such as hearing the preachers of the world, infant baptism, the worldly supper, and similar abominations; again, if he continues in drunkenness, avarice, adultery, fornication, unbecoming words, and so on: with such people have nothing to do, and do not eat with them, as Paul has taught and commanded us in plain words, First Corinthians, chapter 5.

But if he receives the admonitions of his faithful brothers with affection, if he confesses his fall, if he is sorry, promises to reform, shows signs of penitence, and acknowledges his transgression, then, no matter how he has transgressed, receive him as a returning, beloved brother or sister. But beware lest he mock his God; for being accepted by the brothers does not avail if we are not accepted by God. Beware, I say, lest his hearing of the admonitions, his sorrow, his promise to reform, and his penitence are not sincere before God; for he searches the hearts and reins, and he knows all the inward pretense and thoughts of men, Jeremiah, chapter 17; John, chapter 2; Romans, chapter 8.

If his hearing of the admonitions, his sorrow, promise and penitence are not sincere and from his heart, but merely indifferent, feigned, spiritless and hypocritical, just because he does not want to be outwardly thrown out of the communion of the brothers, he is still cut off by Christ and is a hypocrite in the sight of God. Nor will God regard or judge him as anything else. For God, the righteous Judge, does not judge according to the outward appearance, but solely according to the inward intentions of the heart.

Tell me, beloved, since this is so, what does it avail a man to go by the mere name of a Christian brother if he does not have the inward, evangelical faith, love, and blameless life of a true brother of Jesus Christ?

Or what does it avail to partake of the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ with the brothers if we do not have the true fruits that this Supper symbolizes, namely, the love of the brothers and the peaceable unity of faith in Christ Jesus? Or does it avail anything to associate outwardly in the communion of the brothers if we are not inwardly in the communion of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ?

Therefore, brothers, no one is cut off by us or put out of the communion of the brothers (judge rightly) except those who have already put themselves out from Christ and his communion, either by false doctrine or by a blameworthy life. For we do not wish to put anyone out, but to accept them; not to cut them off, but to restore them; not to reject them, but to win them back; not to afflict them, but to console them; not to condemn them, but to save them. For this is the true nature of a Christian brother. Whoever renounces evil, whether false doctrine or a vain life, and conforms himself to the gospel of Jesus Christ, into which he is baptized, neither shall nor can be put out or cut off by any of the brothers.

But those whom we cannot raise up and admonish to repentance by tears, threatening, reproving, or by any other Christian services and divine means, we should reluctantly separate from us, sincerely deploring the fall and damnation of such erring brothers. We do this lest we also be deceived and led astray by such false doctrine, which eats its way about like a cancer, Second Timothy, chapter 2; lest we corrupt our flesh, which is inclined to evil, by the contagion; and so that we may obey the word of God, which commands us to do so; and so that the separated brother or sister, whom we cannot convert by gentle services, may by means of the separation be shamed into repentance, Second Thessalonians, chapter 2, and acknowledge what he has come to and from what he has fallen. Thus the ban is a great work of love, even though the unintelligent look upon it as an act of hatred. [Note 1]

Brothers and sisters, this separation or ban, so earnestly taught and commanded in the Scriptures by Christ Jesus and his holy apostles, was instituted to be practiced for these causes and reasons. First, for false doctrine, Matthew, chapters 7 and 16; Romans, chapter 16; Second Timothy, chapter 2; First Timothy, chapter 6; Titus, chapter 3; Philippians, chapter 3; Second John, chapter 1. Again, for a sinful, carnal life, Matthew, chapter 18; First Corinthians, chapter 5; Second Thessalonians, chapter 3; Second Timothy, chapter 3. Again, that we should admonish them (understand: those who will be admonished), Matthew, chapter 18; Titus, chapter 3. Therefore take heed, and watch over your own soul, lest you despise the word of God in this necessary matter of separation and transgress his ordinances. Rather, practice and uphold it in every respect with divine wisdom, discretion, gentleness and prudence in the case of those who have turned aside from the evangelical doctrine or life; not with austerity or cruelty, but rather with gentleness, reluctance, and with sorrow and pity for the diseased members who are not cured, in whose case pains and labor avail nothing, and who should be cut off with the knife of the divine word, lest the others be corrupted and the abominable scab be passed on to the other sheep. Indeed, it should be done in such a manner that the erring sister or brother may be made ashamed at heart and so be won, as was said above. And if there is any moving of the Spirit, any spark of life, or any fear of God in such a sister or brother, their heart will surely quake and tremble. For by the admonition of the word of God and by the testimony of his own conscience he will acknowledge that by his vain, carnal life he has cut himself off from the communion of Jesus Christ and has entered again into the communion of the devil; and that therefore his lot and part shall not be with the blessed souls in heaven, but with the damned in hell for eternity, unless he converts.

May God, the merciful Father, save all his chosen children who have entered into his holy covenant and communion from such a fearful fall, hardness of heart, and separation, Amen.

All the apostate sisters and brothers who are offended and angry with us because of this open doctrine and practice of the Christian ban or separation will be offended more and more; for whoever is impure will be made still more impure, as the Holy Spirit of the prophecies teaches, Revelation, chapter 22. For the word of God serves for the reformation, righteousness, and life of the pious and godly; but to the lost it serves for offense, unrighteousness and death. What! Be angry with us because we obey Scripture in this respect? Let them rather be angry with themselves, for they dare to teach and live contrary to the commandment of God. If they want to renounce their heresy and reform their ungodly life, the heavenly doctrine of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ will not offend them or make them worse, but will rather urge, frighten and convert them.

If, by their apostate, stubborn and carnal hatred, they are so deprived of grace and of the knowledge of God, and become worse and worse, so that they see death in the eternal life and darkness in the heavenly light of divine truth, then we can claim to be clear before God and his holy angels of their sins, hardness of heart, and eternal death, if we do toward them what the Lord’s word has commanded us in this matter. Therefore we desire to have no communion with them, nor lot nor part, for eternity, as long as they do not sincerely renounce their false doctrine and reform their miserable, accursed, earthly, carnal, and devilish life, to the praise of the Lord. But if true penitence is found in them, in good faith, as before God who sees all things, then we say, Welcome, beloved brothers; welcome, beloved sisters; and we sincerely rejoice at the sincere conversion of such brothers and sisters. Indeed, we rejoice as one rejoices at the recovery of an only son who was dangerously ill, as at the recovery of a lost sheep or penny, and as at the return of a son who was given up as lost, Matthew, chapter 18; Luke, chapter 15.

See, brothers, I will therefore leave it to every apostate brother to consider why and for what cause, with what kind of spirit and with what intention, this separation or ban was so diligently practiced, first by Christ Jesus and his apostles, and afterward by us, who are placed again in their doctrine and practice in all Christian doings, as may easily be gathered from the Scriptures cited.

Well, dear brothers in the Lord, you who are baptized by one Spirit into one body and have voluntarily entered into the communion of Jesus Christ, and you also who are of a good mind: since you must shun the apostate according to the word of God, take heed that, while you shun them as diseased, foul and useless members, unfit for the body of Christ, you yourselves may be found to be sound, fit, and fruitful members in Christ Jesus; and that, while you shun them as children of darkness and of death, you yourselves may be children of the light and of eternal life, so that the righteous sentence of God may not be pronounced against you. Take heed lest you who shun others on account of their evil doing secretly commit worse things in the sight of God. Take heed lest you condemn others for what you yourselves are guilty of, Romans, chapter 2. See, brothers, this is how the ban or separation should be practiced in the house of the Lord, that is, in God’s church; nor do they have any other weapon for eternity. I would have written more of this, but I put it off to some other time, if it pleases God.

Now, beloved brothers, take heed, take heed, brothers; this I advise you, that there may never be any thoughts in your hearts other than those which are pure, holy, chaste, heavenly, and of the Holy Spirit. “Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God,” Matthew 5, verse 8. “The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of judgment,” Psalm 37, verse 30. Let all your words be as a sworn oath before God and before the world, Matthew, chapter 5; James, chapter 5. Let all your actions be wrought of God, by God, and in God, John, chapter 3. Measure all your thoughts, words and actions by the rule of the divine word, so that the ungodly slanderer, who so diligently watches all your words and actions, may find nothing that he can truly cast up to you, by which he can accuse or blame you, as Paul taught and requested of the church in several places, Ephesians, chapter 4; First Timothy, chapter 3; Titus, chapter 2.

It is also the nature of those who are in God not to sin, as John says, “Whoever abides in him (God) does not sin: whoever sins has not seen him, nor known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is of God,” First John 3, verses 6 to 9. Therefore I implore and pray you to consider well the nature of the new birth, and to examine what it is in reality, namely, the divine nature and the divine image; whose it is, that it is of God; where it is from, from heaven; and what is obtained by it, life eternal. For without the new birth, whatever we do, it is merely the nature of earthly Adam: sin, evil, blindness, transgression, the devil and eternal death (I speak of those of mature years). But in whomever the new birth is, there is also everything godly: wisdom, goodness, light, righteousness, truth, peace, Spirit, Christ, God and life eternal. Therefore the eternal Truth, Christ Jesus, says in plain words that we must repent and be born again if we would enter the kingdom of heaven, Matthew, chapter 18; John, chapter 3. For the first birth is of the earth, earthly, and inclined to the earth; but the second birth is of heaven, heavenly, and inclined to heaven, John, chapter 3. That is to say, the birth of the earth makes us earthly minded, and the birth of heaven makes us heavenly minded.

If this good and perfect gift of the new birth is given us by grace from the Father of light, then we become the chosen children of God, John, chapter 1; Ephesians, chapter 1. Then we are the true sisters and brothers of Christ, Luke, chapter 8; then we are conformed to Christ, Romans, chapter 8; then we are created after the image of God, Colossians, chapter 3; Ephesians, chapter 4; then we have the sign Tau on our foreheads; then the kingdom of God is ours, Luke, chapter 18; then we are the bride of Christ, John, chapter 3, the church of Christ, Ephesians, chapter 5, the body of Christ, First Corinthians, chapter 12; Ephesians, chapter 1; Colossians, chapter 1. Then Christ dwells in our hearts, Ephesians, chapter 3; then we are led by the Holy Spirit, Romans, chapter 8; we are the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy, begotten people, which is God’s own, First Peter, chapter 2; then we are the temple of the Lord, First Corinthians, chapters 3 and 6; Second Corinthians, chapter 6; the spiritual Mount Zion and the new heavenly Jerusalem, Hebrews, chapter 12; the spiritual Israel of God, Galatians, chapter 6. We are of divine mind and nature; we are delivered from the sentence of the law, Isaiah, chapter 9; Galatians, chapter 5; First Timothy, chapter 3; indeed, from hell, sin, the devil, and eternal death, Ephesians, chapter 2. Then we have received Christ Jesus, forever blessed, as a gift from God the Father: his word, life, flesh, blood, cross, suffering, bitter death, burial, resurrection, ascension, kingdom and eternal joy with him, Romans, chapter 8. But if we are not born again (understand: those of the age of understanding), then we do not have such promises. [Note 2]

Therefore, sincerely beloved brothers, partakers of the heavenly calling through Christ Jesus, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,” First Peter 5, verse 6, and sincerely deny yourselves. Fear God in all your thoughts, words and works; love and serve God and your neighbor; love God above all created things, and your neighbor as yourselves, Matthew, chapter 22. Let all your meditations be in the law of the Lord, Psalm 1. Keep God’s word; I repeat it, brothers, keep the word of God, which has so often been taught you in love, both by word of mouth and in writing.

Let your ardent prayer go up to God at all times for all men: for emperors, kings, lords, princes, judges, and for all who are placed in authority, that God may so direct their hearts that we, if it is his blessed will, may lead a peaceable and godly life, First Timothy 2, verse 2.

Do not be envious in your hearts, nor thoughtless in your talk about others, whether he is a slanderer, traitor, persecutor, priest or monk, no matter who he is; for they shall receive their reward from God. But always remember the long-suffering of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, and also that we were all foolish and unbelieving, erring, serving various lusts and desires; we too were by nature children of wrath, the same as they are. Willingly obey all human ordinances if they are not against the ordinances of God, First Peter, chapter 2. Be generous in giving help to all the children of God. Receive one another without murmuring, First Peter, chapter 4. Let each one work with his own hands and eat his own bread, if possible, Second Thessalonians, chapter 3. Shun all kinds of idleness and worldly pomp. Take faithful care of one another by admonitions, Hebrews, chapter 10, as I have admonished you to do by word of mouth before, and now again in this epistle.

Wash the feet of your beloved brothers and sisters who have come to you tired from a distance. Do not be ashamed to do the work of the Lord, but humble yourselves with Christ before your brothers’ feet, so that all humility, according to the divine nature, may be found in you, John, chapter 13; First Timothy, chapter 5.

Above all, pray for your poor, humble servant, whose life is sought with all diligence, that God, the gracious Father, may strengthen him with his Holy Spirit and save him from the hands of those who so unjustly seek his life, if it is his fatherly will; and if it is not his will, that he may then give him, in all tribulation, torture, oppression and death, such heart, mind, wisdom and strength that he may steadfastly fulfill the glorious work of God which is begun in us by the Holy Spirit, to the praise of the Lord.

O beloved brothers, fulfill my desire, and, as obedient children of God, carry out what I have faithfully taught, admonished and written to you from the word of God for your eternal salvation, so that you may also be partakers of the glorious crown, hope and joy in the day of the coming of Christ, First Thessalonians, chapter 2. “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit,” Romans 12, verse 11. Bless God in all his works toward us, and pray him to guide your way, and let all your counsel be in him, Tobit, chapter 4. Walk fearlessly in the commandments of the Lord. Do not go beyond the gospel of Christ in any way, Galatians, chapter 1. Be firm in the way of the Lord. Overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil by the most holy faith which is in you, First John, chapter 5. Serve one another joyfully. “In patience possess your souls,” Luke 21, verse 19. “Be patient in tribulation,” Romans 12, verse 12. Prepare your hearts for the cross of Christ, so that when it comes you may not be terrified along with the cowardly.

No more at present; but all the days of your lives watch closely for the unexpected coming of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, who has made us such dear creatures, bought us with his precious blood, graciously called, enlightened and regenerated us, and who will crown us with the crown of glory, clothe us in the garment of blamelessness, and give us the gift of eternal life. To him be eternal praise and glory, now and forever, Amen.

Ponder, holy brothers, every word which I have written to you; read it attentively, reflect on it diligently, understand it rightly, judge spiritually, and live up to it in a godly way. O brothers, then my admonition and writing, and your reading and hearing, shall be fruitful.

I pray you with holy Paul, by the grace of God, not to suppress this admonition or lay it away, but to read it to all faithful brothers and sisters in the Lord, and also to all the apostates who are not entirely given up, that they may be won back. Indeed, not to these alone, but to all men in or out of the church who may desire to hear it. The grace of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ be with all true brothers and sisters, Amen.

Again, pray for me and for all your servants in the Lord.

Beware of all doctrine and works which do not conform to the gospel of Christ. Beware.

May grace and peace remain with all the true children of God, and fellow laborers of the promise, in the kingdom of Christ.

MENNO SIMON.