CONCLUSION.

HERE, dear reader, you have my forced answer to the unseasoned, blasphemous writ­ing of Gellius, which he has published and printed, A. D. 1552, against the unadulter­ated truth of God and his scattered church; whereby he so lamentably adulterates the salutary doctrine of Christ, and so misera­bly accuses the innocent, pious hearts, be­fore the whole world, that I could not neg­lect to do so, by virtue of my office, to which I was unworthily ordained of God, through the pious. I had to controvert him with the word of the Lord, and publish it through the press, as he in the first place has done against us, to the praise of God and his truth, to the justification of the innocent, and to the instruction of the humble.

Whoever seeks and strives after truth may find it; for it has been shown with great clearness; but whoever despises it, does not despise us, but Christ Jesus, who has taught it unto his church through his holy apostles, and who has bequeathed it to us by the testimony of the Scriptures through his Holy Spirit. I hereby offer myself to you and to the whole world, if these writings are not sufficient for you, to let me have safe conduct to an open and free discussion with Gellius and the learned; and if I cannot maintain my doctrine and faith by virtue of the Scriptures, and if I cannot prove their doc­trine and faith as deceiving, then I will not refuse to acknowledge my fault before the whole world, to retract my doctrine and to consign myself and my writings to the fire. But if I can substantiate my doctrine, then I desire and ask nothing more than that they acknowledge their fault, discontinue to deceive the people, repent, teach the truth to the people and flee from falsehood. Herewith I commend you to God; he will guide your feet upon the way of peace, and lead you all in the unadulterated, pure knowledge of his eternal, saving truth, Amen. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all who sincerely seek and fear him, Amen.

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