Menno Simons’ Departure

[...that He] would grant [me] grace, create a pure heart in me, and through the merit of the red blood of Christ, graciously forgive my impure ways and vain, idle life; and that He would bestow upon me wisdom, spirit, courage, and a steadfast mind original: "mannelijck gemoedt" (literally "manly mind," implying fortitude and bravery), so that I might preach His adorable, high name and Holy Word unadulterated, and bring His Truth to light for His praise.

The beginning of my penitent teaching while still in the Papacy.

I began in the name of the Lord to teach the word of true repentance openly from the pulpit, to point the people toward the narrow way, and to rebuke all sin and ungodliness, as well as all idolatry and false worship, by the power of the Scriptures. I began to testify openly to the right worship—including Baptism and the Lord’s Supper—according to the mind and foundation of Christ, as much as I had received grace from my God at that time.

My faithful warning against the Münsterite abominations, even while still in the Papacy.

I also faithfully warned everyone against the Münsterite abominations A reference to the 1534–1535 Münster Rebellion, where radical Anabaptists took over the city of Münster by force. Menno consistently distanced his peaceful followers from this violent group., such as their [self-proclaimed] King, polygamy, earthly kingdom, the sword, etc., until the gracious Lord, after a period of about nine months, extended His fatherly Spirit, help, power, and hand to me. At that time, I suddenly and of my own free will abandoned my good reputation, honor, and name which I had among men, along with all my Antichristian abominations, Masses, infant baptism, and loose living. I willingly committed myself to all misery and poverty under the heavy Cross of my Lord Christ. In my weakness, I feared my God and sought godliness; I found some (though few) who possessed good zeal and teaching, dealt with the perverse, and through God’s help and power, rescued some from the snares of their damnation with God's Word, winning them for Christ, while committing the stubborn and hardened to the Lord.

My abandonment and departure from Babel.

See, my reader, thus the gracious Lord, through the mild favor of His great grace, drew me, a miserable sinner, first stirring my heart, giving me a new mind, humbling me in His fear, teaching me in part to know myself, turning me from the way of death, and mercifully calling me onto the narrow way of life into the fellowship of His saints. To Him be praise forever. Amen. About a year later, as I was exercising myself in the Word of the Lord through reading and writing in silence, it happened that about six, seven, or eight people came to me who were of one heart and soul with me. In their faith and life (as far as men could judge) they were blameless, separated from the world according to the testimony of Scripture, and subject to the Cross. They possessed a heartfelt horror not only for the Münsterites but for all the world’s sects, curses, and abominations. On behalf of the godly who walked in the same Spirit and mind with them and me, they requested of me with much affectionate pleading that I might take to heart the great, heavy sorrow and need of the poor, oppressed souls—

My entrance into the Lord’s House and Congregation.

Thus I, a miserable great sinner, was enlightened by the Lord, converted to a new mind, fled from Babel, moved to Jerusalem, and finally came unworthily to this high and heavy service.

My callers and my calling.

When the aforementioned persons did not cease their request, and my own conscience also troubled me in part (though in weakness) because I saw the great hunger and need as related, I allowed myself to be given over body and soul to the Lord, committing myself into His hand of grace, and began at His time, according to His holy Word, to teach—

Matt. 24, 25. Luke 19.

—for the hunger was great, and faithful householders were very few. I desired to spend my talent original: "Pondt" (Pound), referring to the Parable of the Talents/Pounds in the Gospels., which I had unworthily received from the Lord, for gain, etc.

Hearing this request, my heart was very troubled; distress and anxiety were on every side. For on one hand, I saw my limited gift, my great lack of learning, my weak nature, the timidity of my flesh, the exceeding malice, wantonness, perversity, and tyranny of this world, the powerful great sects, the sharp-wittedness original: "spitsvinnigheydt" (subtlety or cleverness used in argument) of many spirits, and the heavy, wretched Cross that would press upon me significantly if I began. But on the other hand, I saw the pitifully great hunger, lack, and need of the godly, pious children; for I saw clearly that they wandered like innocent, forsaken sheep who have no shepherd.

Matth. 9.
Mark 6.

I submitted myself to the Lord and the prayer of the godly. 1 Corinth. 9.

Finally, after much prayer, I presented myself to the Lord and His congregation on the condition that they and I would fervently pray to the Lord for a time; that if it were His pleasing, holy will that I could or should serve Him to His praise, His fatherly goodness would then grant me such a heart and mind that would testify with Paul: "Woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel" (1 Cor. 9). If not, that He would then provide a means so that the matter would be left aside. For Christ says: "If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them" (Matth. 18).

Matth. 18.

See, my reader, I was not called by the Münsterites nor by any other rebellious sects (as I am slandered), but I was unworthily called to this service by a people who stood ready for Christ and His Word, who led a penitent life in the fear of their God, served their neighbors in love, bore the Cross, sought the welfare and salvation of all men, loved righteousness and truth, and shrank from unrighteousness and malice, etc. This effectively and vividly testifies that they were not such perverse sects as they are called, but (though unknown to the world) were true Christians—unless one believes that Christ’s word is untrue and His blameless holy life and example are fallible and wrong.

The Love of God and my neighbor has laid this heavy Service upon me.

Thus I, a miserable great sinner, was enlightened by the Lord, converted to a new mind, fled from Babel A common Reformation-era metaphor for the Roman Catholic Church, referencing the "Babylonian Captivity.", moved to Jerusalem A metaphor for the true, visible Church of believers., and finally came unworthily to this high and heavy service.