CONCLUSION.

IT is manifest, honored reader, that the world is so degenerated that it esteems eve­ry thing wrong which God teaches, com­mands and desires, and hates it with en­vious hearts persecutes and destroys it. On the contrary, all that which God hates, accurses and esteems as an abomina­tion, it looks upon as good, and diligently asserts and maintains; and yet they want to be the holy, Christian church and the peo­ple of God, as if we could be such by the mere name; by baptizing children &c.; with­out faith, the new birth, and the Spirit and obedience of God. O, no, reader, no. Take heed. Your consolers deceive you and cor­rupt the way you should go, Isa. 3:11.

Inasmuch as the world is so entirely de­generated, as was said, and as our oppo­nents so shamefully lie and war against us, that we cannot answer for ourselves, as is manifest, therefore we have written this our confession, that every one who may read, hear or see it, may know why and whereby we seek to be saved‑why we do not hear the preachers, and why we so strictly administer baptism to the believing and oppose infant baptism; what is repre­sented by the Lord's Holy Supper and what abominations are implied in the baptism of the learned; and that it is not allowed to a true Christian to swear in temporal matters, but only affirm by yea and nay. And by so doing we have compared truth with falsehood, light with darkness and white with black, as you will perceive. If you do not want to be willfully blind, you have here a good eye‑salve. Yea, we have presented it so plainly and clearly that you must acknowledge it to be the truth; or else reject it in perverseness, and say, No, I do not want to believe it thus. What kind of a Christian you are you may consider for yourself.

Kind reader, do not associate with those who say unto God, "Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways," Job 21:14. Nor with those who are intent upon blood, for their reward will be death, Rom. 1:32; Rev. 21:27. Behold, this is our foundation, as you here have read. If, now, you are of a pious mind and not led by the blind spirit of the spiritual whore­dom, then judge our cause according to the word and truth of the Lord. If you do not understand it then fear God and pray. All those who are born of God and inclined to the word of the Lord, must acknowledge that our doctrine is of God and that truth is on our side; whosoever accepts them and abides in them unto the end, has eternal life; but whosoever rejects them does not reject us, but Christ Jesus himself who has thus taught from the mouth of his Father and sealed it with his blood, Rev. 1:5; 1 Pet. 1:19; Acts 20:28. The gracious Fa­ther, through his beloved Son, Jesus Christ 275our Lord, enlighten you and all hungry hearts by the gift of his Holy Spirit, and lead you by his strength into his eternal, saving truth, Amen. To the praise of God and the service of all mankind.

A. D. 1552.

MENNO SIMON.