ADDRESS

And Friendly Re-invitation, from a

Member of the Flemish Mennonites, the Church of God, to the

APOSTOOLIAN MENNONITES

G E U S E N, A historical term for Dutch insurgents/rebels, here used as a label for the dissident group.

In order to lead them back from their Errors to the orthodox, unadulterated Old Lambs, as they are sincerely grazed on their old grounds by GALENUS ABRAHAMS and DAVID SPRUYT. And because APOSTOOL imagines that these were not proper Co-Shepherds (because they try to indicate to them, by a lovely voice, the proper clover upon their grounds), he jumped over the ditch from the proper Flock, and lured some Sheep with him with his little flute, and would soon have led the whole Flock astray, had the Proper Shepherd not been there immediately before him with his flute, keeping the most of the Lambs on their own ground, to whom he daily provides delightful feeding waters. Now the Apostoolian Sheep stand astray at a crossroads, and are lured by a Strange Shepherd (to whose voice their ears have begun to itch).

Worthy, very beloved Apostoolian Wandering Sheep, my dear and Great Shepherd of the Sheep has loved your honors so much, that he previously deigned to graze you in his hidden Clover, from which you have now wandered. Therefore, I kindly invite you to return to him; rejoice over this, and convert yourselves. If you, O Sulamith A biblical reference to the bride in the Song of Songs, often used to symbolize the Church., return to us, we shall mention your excellent conversion with the Wine of Pomegranates. The sincere love my King, his goodness, his payment, and his rationing, when they learn perfection, just as our King commands: be perfect, just as my Heavenly Father is perfect. This is not Socinian Referring to the theology of Laelius and Faustus Socinus, which questioned the divinity of Christ and emphasized human reason.; for when my King said that, Socinus did not yet exist, therefore do not be frightened by it, or otherwise one paints you black, if you do not perform good works, especially as it is written in the table-shelf Likely a reference to a specific document or public notice board of the congregation. for his house, from which he has now moved out.

If one cannot earn Heaven through Good Works,
What does Christ then mean by Good Works?

Return then, O Apostoolian Sulamith, to the Faith of Good Works, and do not call it Works-Holiness, but good Works-Workers; thus you are more lovely than others, like the Tent of Kedar; your Apostoolian Vineyard you have not guarded. I pray you, my dear Friends, confess this; do you not know where your proper Shepherd grazes, where he encamps his Flock? On Sunday, the 16th of March, in the afternoon, he grazed them from 2 to 4 o'clock in 't Lammetje The Little Lamb; a meeting house or location associated with the Flemish Mennonites., on the Cingel; return there again in the footsteps of the Lambs. O Apostoolian Sulamith, return, return, and do not graze Goats by the dwellings of the Reformed Shepherds; thus you shall be like a Lily among the Thorns, among the Daughters of Babel and Edom. Go sit on the Wagon of Jesus Christ’s voluntary people, that free people, who are redeemed, and cannot carry a yoke of human-imposed Articles around their necks; yes, they would sooner throw them away (as their Ancestors did). Return to the Lambs, O strayed Sheep, return, O Apostoolian Apostates, return, so that we Lambs may once again look upon you as orthodox Apostoolian Sheep. Sulamith seems divided in two herds (for 60 have agreed, and 150 have signed). Oh that you were my Brother, sucking the Breasts of our pure Lamb! If you did that, I would kiss you if I found you on the streets, I would lead you, I would bring you into our Lamb-house, and there drink together the Spice-Wine of the grace of Jesus Christ. Do you not know that your body is a Temple of the H. Spirit, which is in you, which you have from God, and you are not of yourselves, for you are dearly bought; honor then God in your bodies and spirits (though with reason, and not without reason), which are God's? 1 Cor. 6. verse 19, 20. 1 Pet. 1: 18, 19. Who is she, that Apostolical Church, who climbs up out of the dry Wilderness of ignorance, and leans lovingly on her Beloved, the truth, through which we go to the Father? Trust with your Good Works in his all-sufficient payment. Return hastily my dear Lambs, before your Shepherds turn from you, and notice your wandering, that it springs more from malice than innocence, that is, O! you

Apostoolian Friends, join yourselves gradually again with your best Friends; join GALENUS, even if you told the Mayors that you could not support him for reasons of conscience; change your conscience again, if you fear and love the Lord; join yourselves again with the Orthodox, just as the High Germans once joined themselves with the Orthodox Flemish, against those who did not want to unite with them, and thereafter the Frisians joined themselves with the Peace-loving Orthodox, against the worldly people who cannot hear of Good Works; fight a good fight, return, keep the Old Faith, and a good Conscience, Amen.

Catch then that Fox that seeks to catch you, for our Vineyards have gained eyes with which they can see that their [the wolves'] force has been used too much when they sought to lure you, Cant. 2. verse 15. Therefore go out from the midst of them, and show your purity, 2 Corinth. 6. verse 17. Since we then have these promises, dear ones, let us cleanse ourselves from all pollution of the Body and the Spirit, and perfect Holiness in the fear of God, 2 Corinth. 7: 1. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of Darkness (such as Whoredom, Unchastity, Drunkenness, &c.) but rather reprove them, Ephes. 5. verse 11. And verse 18 follows: and do not get drunk with Wine, in which there is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. Some Preachers explain this as being filled with the Spirit when they are full of Wine. But just think, my Friends, what kind of Spirit those Ministers have when they study. I could add something here, that he who is pure should become even purer; but I consider it enough for this time as a lesson, thus far.

Worthy, and very beloved Friend, MICHIEL APOSTOOL, and your worthy Fellow-Brothers, unknown to me. Oh! I rejoice, we have a little Sister, who has no breasts yet; and since Your Honor is experienced in that harbor, Your Honor can judge whether she is marriageable or not, in order to marry yourself to her; resist JANNES and JAMBRES The names traditionally given to the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses., as those who do not wish to admit it; stick with the Wide-Gate Preachers, they will well absolve you of that visit, and if you are then found too light in the scale, because you are full of fundamental Errors, then beware above all of those People who go dressed very somberly in black, do not associate with them (qui vultus habent in manibus) Latin: "who have their faces in their hands," implying a performative or hypocritical solemnity., lest they lead you completely astray, and leave you thereafter to live on mercy alone, for they are:

1. Angli in pennis A play on "Angels in feathers" (hypocrites disguised as angels)., Matth. 7. verse 16.
2. Voribus gehennis A play on "wolves of hell" (referencing wolves in sheep's clothing)., 2 Timoth. 2. verse 17.

By their Fruits you shall know them, not by their hypocrisy; but by their Antichristian, very Bacchus-like life, being a notable hindrance for Jews, Turks, and Heathens, to bring them to Christianity.

Judge impartially, do not be dazzled by any appearance of Holiness; but see who gives God his full honor, in observing God's Laws, according to his Word; therefore improve yourselves, and believe (and live) the Gospel.