learned or unlearned, rich or poor, male or
female, bond or free. All, who live after the
flesh, nmst forever remain under the just
sentence and eternal wi-atli of God, other-
vrise the whole Scriptures are untrue.
Therefore, are the poor, ignorant people comforted in vain with masses, matins, ves- pers, confessions, pilgrimages and holy wa- ter, and what is more, with Christ's grace, death and blood. The word stands firm, "For ifye live after the flesh yesliall die; for to be carnally minded is death." Therefore, I ad- vise and entreat you all in general, to hear Chi'ist Jesus, who is sent to us as a witness of the truth from heaven; for thus says he, "Verily I sa3' unto you. Except ye be con- verted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."' At another place, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he can- not see the kingdom of God." Again, " Veri- ly, verily, I say unto thee. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."'
Faithful reader, take heed; these words are not invented or instituted of man, nor are they the resolution of any council ; but ' they are the infallible, precious words, which the Son of God, Christ Jesus, brought to us from the mouth of his Father, and declared : unto pious Nicodemus, the scribe, with a double affirmation. That word is powerful I and clear, and has not only reference to Nic- odemus, but to all the children of Adam, who have come to the years of maturity, j But alas, it is so obscured by the offensive, ', leavenous mire of human commands, stat- utes and glossaries, that scarcely one or i two is found in a thousand, who have the ; true sense and imderstanding of the heaven- ly birth, much less have they the active nat- j ure, power, properties and fruits of it. Yea, ] they have brought it so far, through their philosophy, wisdom and self-chosen holiness, that the eternal Wisdom of God, Christ Jesus, eternally blessed, is banished as a t poor, senseless fool, out of the house of his honor, which is his church, with his Holy , Ghost, word, bajotism, Supper, divine wor- ship, separation and unblamable example; and the man of sin, the son of perdition, is placed in his stead, with his abominable ! doctrine, idolatrous infant baptism and sup- ] per, with his imclean purifications andprom- I ises, with his churches, convents, priests,
- monks, masses, matins, vespers, holy wa-
- ter, images, pilgrimages, purgatory, vigils,
! confessions, absoh^tions, &c. ; all of which in j short, are nothing but the doctrines and commands of men, raised up contrary to the Scriptures, an accursed idolatry and abomination, an open denial of the Lord's death and offering, a despising of the New Testament, or of the covenant which was sealed by the innocent blood of the Lamb, a destroying and desolation of the saving ! ordinances of Christ, of doctrine, baptism, I Supper, life and separation, abundantly testified in the Scriptures, which ordinance
- he taught in this world with incontrovertible
clearness and power according to the com- mand of his Father, and left it to his children in his word, and none other can be
established eternally that will stand before
him.
I In short, writers and the learned have cor-
- rupted every thing so much through their
councils, decrees and statutes, with all the
j tyranny and violence of the great, that there I is scarcely an article entire, of all that Christ and his holy apostles taught. All the afore- mentioned abominations, together with the
- ungodly, carnal life of the whole world, I
, call on as witnesses, nevertheless they would be called the holy christian church; and he that admonishes them in sincere, pure love, with the Spirit and word of the Lord, must be an accursed anabaptist and heretic. I tell you again, They want to be the chris- tian church, and it is evident from all their actions, that they are not christians; but carnal, proud, avaricious, lascivious, lewd, drunken, idolatrous, blind heathens; and what is worse, some of them are unmercifnl , murderous, ferocious, revengeful and blood- thirsty fiends ; many of their works are done according to the will of the devil. We may with propriety complain of this matter; for the righteous judgment is come upon them, that they are unconvertible and that little of a salutary kind remains with them.
O ! how miserably is the fair vineyard desolated, and how lamentably are its branches withered, its walls are broken down, the destroying foxes have destroyed the grapes, the clouds are dry and give no rain; there
