TO THE

CHRISTIAN READER.

A decorative woodcut drop cap 'B' featuring intricate floral and foliage patterns, with a small human figure intertwined in the flourishes of the letter's design.

Beloved Reader, since these following books, authored by the pious Menno Simons Menno Simons (1496–1561) was a former Catholic priest whose leadership was so influential to the Anabaptist movement that his followers became known as "Mennonites.", were previously published as many separate volumes, certain lovers of the truth about forty-five years ago dedicated their labor to this cause. They gathered some of these same books or writings into a collection and published them in a single volume known as the Great Summary Book. However, because these books were in such high demand, they have become very scarce—indeed, almost impossible to obtain. Therefore, we felt it right to gather those same books, and furthermore all his other books and writings that we could find or acquire, into one place.

But since the Quarto A medium-sized book format where the printing sheet is folded twice to create four leaves. edition of the year 1646 is likewise sold out, we have resolved to reprint the same work again in Folio A large, prestigious book format where the printing sheet is folded only once, resulting in large pages.. We have, however, excluded a few small writings which he himself—according to his own declaration—released at the very beginning of his ministry. In those early works, due to a lack of experience or not yet being sufficiently instructed in the matter, he placed all sins under the "three admonitions" according to the rule of Referring to Matthew 18:15–17, which describes a three-step process of private and public confrontation for church discipline. Matthew 18. We omit those writings and do not include them among his works, as we understand they do not belong there, seeing as he himself completely removed and revoked them during his lifetime and ministry, and wrote against—