CONCLUSION.
CHRIST Says, "This is eternal life, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent," John 17:3. At another place he says, "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins," John 8:24. John also says, "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God," 1 John 4:15. Again, "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is anti-christ, that denieth the the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father," 1 John 2:22, 23.
O, that our opponents would rightly take to heart these and the like Scriptures, and would learn to know who and what the Son of God is, and from whence he came, then they might yet be delivered from the chains of the deceiver and be led into the light of the true doctrine. But so long as they do not confess Christ it will always be wrangling and disputation, changing falsehood into truth and truth into falsehood. Yea 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 by them, deceivers and heretics. O, dear Lord, how long will this great abomination continue!
O, that they might yet awaken in time while it is yet to-day, and that they could give just praise unto Christ! Could they see their accursed hypocrisy, idolatry; the lamentable deceit of the poor and miserable people, and the ignorant, reckless life of the wicked world, that they could renounce and quit it, what a blessing it would be to their poor souls! But I fear that so long as the spiritual Antioch complacently stretches the idle life, and Jezebel sets the delicious tables, the accursed Moaz will retain his sway; and that 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, yea, at hand, that we must all stand before the impartial judgment seat of our God, who judges without respect of person, and will reward every one according to his works, be he emperor or king, doctor or licentiate, rich or poor, man or woman.
In short, this is my reply to the defence of John A'Lasco. With this I will not only appear on earth, before man, but also, in the day of my Lord Christ. According to the word of his promise, will I, by his grace, appear before the eyes of his majesty.
If you are of reasonable disposition and not blinded by the spirit of the envious partisans, or led away by bitter zeal, then judge between us and our opponents; who of us most glorifies Christ Jesus, the Son of the true and living God; who has most wholesomely adduced the Scriptures; and who has broken and turned them to suit his own professions. But beware of judging according to the flesh; but judge in purity of heart, even as if before your God, according to 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 pious, penitent, cheerful heart, an unblamable, 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 whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved; he that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already; because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God," Jn. 3:16, 17.
MENNO SIMON.