'//A>'. 
 
 W/A 
 
 c
 
 ' I. f^. i^*i 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 Professor Harvey L. Eby
 
 Menno Sfmorrs
 
 MENNO SIMONS 
 
 His Life, Labors, and 
 Teachings 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN HORSCH 
 
 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid tvhich is 
 Jesus Christ. I Cor. 3:11. — Meono SimoHs' motto. 
 
 Published by the Author 
 
 PRINTED BY 
 
 MENNONITE PUBLISHING HOUSE 
 Scottdale, Pa. 
 
 1916
 
 COfYRrC«T. I9K, BY JOHN HORSCH
 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 Menno Simons is today perhaps the most neglected of 
 the prominent leaders in the history of the Christian church. 
 Neither in the Englisli nor the German language is a book 
 on his life and teachings available. The need of such a book 
 seems to be recognized among Mennonites of all classes. 
 
 The writer has been led by the desire that a better 
 acquaintance with the life and teachings of the earlier heroes 
 of faith may become the common property of all who would 
 follow their footsteps as they followed Christ's. The style 
 of this book will, it is hoped, not be found more difficult than 
 that of general books on history commonly used by young 
 people. 
 
 The search for original prints of Menno Simons' writ- 
 ings in America has had gratifying results. The most im- 
 portant find is a complete copy of Menno's Of the True 
 Christian Faith and its Power of y/hich only one defective 
 copy is known in Europe. Special thanks are due to Mr. 
 Thomas L. Montgomery, state librarian of Pennsylvania, 
 through whose kindness complete photographic reproduc- 
 tions of the originals of two important books of Menno have 
 been obtained. Among those who have aided me in the pro- 
 curation of material or by the loan of valuable books are the 
 management of the Royal Library of the Netherlands at the 
 Hague, Rochester Theological Seminary, Rochester, N. Y., 
 Crozer Theological Seminary, Upland, Pa., Western Theo- 
 logical Seminary, Pittsburg, Pa., Princeton Theological 
 Seminary, Princeton, N. J., Juniata College, Huntingdon, 
 Pa., Baptist Historical Collection, Hamilton, N. Y., Hon. 
 Samuel W. Pennypacker, Schwenksville, Pa., Dr. Adolf
 
 6 Preface 
 
 Fluri, Bern, Switzerland. Dr. Friedrich Roth, Munich, Ger- 
 many. Mrs. R. J. Smith, New Paris, Ind. (formerly of Balk, 
 Holland), Elder* C. H. A. van der Smissen, Berne, Ind.. 
 Elias Walter, Frankfort, S. D., John F. Funk, Elkhart, Ind., 
 Abraham L. Friesen, Meade, Kans., Peter Toews, Stern, Al- 
 berta, John N. Durr, Martinsburg, Pa., Jonathan B. Fisher. New 
 Holland, Pa. The collection of source material owned by the 
 Mennonite General Conference, at Scottdale, has been freely 
 and gratefully used. 
 
 Much important research work in the history of the 
 Anabaptists and early Mennoaites remains to be done. It 
 is hoped that tho proceeds from the sale of the present bpok 
 may help to make possible the study of the subject in the 
 great European libraries of whose pertinent source material 
 much has been permitted to remain nntouched. 
 
 May the inspiring example of the fathers of the church 
 be an incentive -to us to stand faithfully for the truth of 
 God's word in a time when it is assailed as freely as it was 
 in the period of the Reformation. To this end may He ble.ss 
 this humble efTort.
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 MENNO SIMONS' CONVERSION AND BAPTISM 17-31 
 
 Menno's name, the place of his birth, his education, and 
 office, page 17 — His birth-year, 18 — Life as a priest, 19 — 
 Has doubts concerning the efficacy of Mass ; begins to read the 
 New Testament and Luther's writings, 19 — Lutheran books 
 found in possession of the Priests at Witmarsum, 19 — Menno 
 deviates from Romish doctrine and is given the name of an 
 evangelical preacher 19 — Governments permit the teaching of 
 new doctrines, but not the introduction of new forms, 20 — The 
 state church type of the Reformation going hand in hand with 
 
 the civil authorities, 20 Ruler of the Netherlands favors the 
 
 Lutheran cause, 21 — Sikke Frerichs Snyder's martyrdom; 
 Menno hears of it, 22 — Reahzes the unscripturalness of infant 
 baptism, 22, 23 — The import of this discovery, 23 — Call to 
 Witmarsum, 24 — Following in the footsteps of the state church 
 reformers, Menno says Mass "in appearance," 24 — Leads an 
 honorable life, 25 — Rise of the Munsterites, 25 — The Old- 
 cloisterites, 26 — Practicing idolatry in appearance, 26 — Luth- 
 er's advice on the point in question, 27 — Menno is convicted of 
 taking a wrong course, 28 — His change of heart and renuncia- 
 tion of the national church, 28 — The date of his renunciation, 
 29 — Beginning of persecution, 29, 30 — Dissenters summarily 
 condemned to death, 30 — State churchism avoids persecution, 
 31 — Menno's baptism by Obbe Philips, 31 — The Obbenites, 31. 
 
 II 
 
 MENNO SIMONS' CALL TO THE MINISTRY 
 
 AND ORDINATION 32-39 
 
 Menno leaves Witmarsum, 22 — Two men accused of enter- 
 taining him, 32 — In Groningen, 32 — His call to the ministry, 
 33 — Sheep without shepherds, 33 — Menno obeys the call, 34
 
 8 Table of Contents 
 
 — Becomes a leader in the church of his choice, 35 — Their 
 general principles, 35 — They heartily desire to accept all the 
 truth of God's Word, 36 — A noteworthy prayer, Zl — Menno 
 opposes the opinion that the ordinances need not be kept, 38 — 
 A fundamental point of doctrine, 38 — Obbe Philips' later life, 
 39. 
 
 Ill 
 
 THE ANABAPTISTS 40-47 
 
 Anabaptists vs. infant baptists, 40 — Anabaptism vs. state- 
 churchism, 40 — Differences among infant baptists, 40 — Greater 
 differences among Anabaptists, 40 — Enthusiastic and revolu- 
 tionary sects compromise baptism, 41 — A wrong view of the 
 Anabaptists, 41 — Munsterites defend state churchism, 42 — 
 Menno's relation to the Munsterites, 42 — They differ radically 
 from the Swiss Brethren and Obbenites, 42 — Swiss Brethren 
 sound in doctrine before Menno's conversion, 43 — Their atti- 
 tude toward unorthodox AHabaptists, 43 — Many state church 
 writers eliminate the Munsterites from the orthodox Anabaptists, 
 44 — Remarkable testimonies of Kessler, Bullinger and Haller, 
 44 — Other Zwinglian testimony, 45 — Testimony of Roman- 
 ists, 46 — Modern authors on the Anabaptists, 46, 47. 
 
 IV 
 
 MENNO SIMONS' MOTIVES, AIMS AND 
 
 ENDEAVORS 48-52 
 
 MENNO'S LABORS IN THE NETHERLANDS 53-61 
 
 His trip to East Friesland, 53 — Martyrdom of Peter Jans 
 and Tjard Reynders, 53 — Remarkable testimony concerning 
 Menno in a letter to the Queen, 54 — llie Queen's reply, 55 — 
 Recantation did not save an Anabaptist's life, 55 — No traitor 
 found to deliver up Menno Simons, 55 — An edict of the em- 
 peror against Menno Simons, 55 — Anabaptism and "lesser 
 crimes," 57 — Crime to converse with Menno or to possess his 
 writings, 57 — Quirinus Peters, the martyr, baptized by Menno, 
 58 — At Amsterdam, 58 — Three others who were baptized by 
 Menno suffer martyrdom, 58 — One of his most important 
 books, 59 — Revision of the Foundaiion, 59 — Noteworthy ex-
 
 Table of Contents 9 
 
 cerpts from this book, 59 — The book on Christian Baptism, 60 
 
 — Of the True Christian Faith and its Pozvcr, 60 — An im- 
 portant book found in America, 61 — Refutation of the charge 
 of legahsm, 53 — Dirk Philips, 61 — Obbe Philips forsakes 
 the brotherhood, 61. 
 
 VI 
 
 THE DIFFICULTIES UNDER WHICH MENNO 
 
 SIMONS LABORED 62-76 
 
 VII 
 
 MENNO'S FLIGHT TO GERMANY AND LABORS 
 
 IN THE ELECTORATE OF COLOGNE 77-82 
 
 Attitude of the Emperor and of the provincial German 
 governments toward the Anabaptists, 77 — Menno's principal 
 fields of labor, 78 — His marriage 78 — Short time of tolera- 
 tion in East Friesland. 78 — Menno invited to a discussion with 
 a'Lasco, 78 — Was there ever a public discussion granted him? 
 78 — Result of the discussion, 79 — Menno's Brief and Clear 
 Confessian, 80 — Disappointed in the hope to win a'Lasco, 80 
 
 — His second Confession to a'Lasco, 80 — The latter favors 
 persecution of the dissenters. 80 — Menno's flight to Cologne, 
 81 — Conditions in this province, 81 — Elector Herman of 
 Wied, 81 — Testimony concerning Menno's labors, 81 — A 
 house which he entered is confiscated, 82 — Discussion with 
 theologians of the ruling church refused, 82 — Flight to Hol- 
 stein, 82. 
 
 VIII 
 
 FROM THE FLIGHT FROM COLOGNE TO THE 
 
 DISCUSSIONS AT WISMAR 83-92 
 
 Menno flees with his family to Holstein, 83 — His princi- 
 pal co-laborers, 83 — Leonard Bouwens, 83 — Menno's letter 
 to Bouwen's wife on consecration, 84 — Leonard Bouwens' 
 labors, 86 — Dirk PhiHps at Schottland. 87 — Menno Simons 
 in Livonia and Gcfthland, 87 — Discussion at Liibeck and con- 
 ferences at Embden and Goch, 87 — Menno's reply to Gellius 
 Faber, 87 — Sojourn in Wismar, 87 — Persecution in England 
 under "bloody Mary," 88 — Exiles come from Denmark to 
 Wismar, 88 — Their reception, 88 — Discussions with Hermes
 
 10 Table of Contents 
 
 Backereel and Martin Micron, 89 — Lenient attitude of the 
 government, 90 — Micron's Account of the discussions, 91 — 
 Menno's Reply, 91 — Edict against Anabaptists and Zwinglians, 
 92 — The JVismar Decisions unreliable, 92. 
 
 IX 
 
 MENNO SIMONS' RELATION TO THE STATE- 
 CHURCH REFORMATION 93-131 
 
 Early hopes of the Lutheran and Zwinglian reformers 
 not realized, 93 — The leading reformers consent to a union of 
 church and state, 94 — Relation of the new churches to the 
 state. 94 — The civil rulers are made the bishops of the church, 
 95 — Grave offences, 95 — Protestant state-churches the result 
 of a reformation of Romanism, 95 — The membership has no 
 voice in the changes made, 96 — "Every one fashions his faith 
 to please the authorities," 96 — The Interim, 96 — Melanch- 
 thon's position, 97 — Bucer accused of Anabaptist principles, 97 
 — Menno on conditions in state-churches, 98 — Testifies con- 
 cerning persecution by the Protestant state-churches, 98 — Pro- 
 tests against governments making themselves religious authori- 
 ties, 99 — The cruel imperial decree against the Anabaj^tists, 
 100 — Published by Protestant ruler, 100 — Attitude of I'hilip 
 of Hesse toward the Anabaptists, 100 — Luther's intolerant 
 Opinion, 101 — I\Ienno on the law of Theodosius, 101 — Dis- 
 obedience? 102 — Radical cHiTerence between Luther's and 
 Menno's attitude, 102 — liedge-preaching, 103 — Heinz 
 Krauth's answer, 104 — Menno describes existing conditions, 
 104 — Anabaptists and missions, 106 — A Romanist's testi- 
 mony, 107 — Lutheran teaching and Romish forms, 107 — 
 "The preachers serve the ])rinces," 108 — Manner of introduc- 
 tion of the state-church Reformation, 109 — Menno on existing 
 conditions, 110 — Anabaptists demand Cliristian activity despite 
 persecution, 112 — A difference between Menno and the state- 
 church reformers. 112 — Reliable testimony that uncommon 
 devotion brought the suspicion of Anabaptism. 113 — Menno's 
 protests against legalism. 115 — Does not undertake to reform 
 Romanism, 118 — State-church Reformation destroyed "the lit- 
 tle gods of Babylon," 120 — The real meaning of the great con- 
 troversy on baptism, 120 — Menno on the principle of separa- 
 tion. 121 — Anabaptists anti-ritualists. 122 — "Idol houses." 
 123 — Point of difference from Lutheranism, 124 — "Anabap-. 
 tists worse than heathen," 124 — Relation of the Old Testament 
 Scriptures to the New, 125 — Attitude on the so-called formal
 
 Table of Contents 11 
 
 principle of the Reformation, 125 — Exorcism, 126 — False 
 accusation of a Romish tendency in Anabaptism, 127 — Points 
 of difference between Menno and the state-church reformers, 
 128 — Menno's personal opinion of Luther. 129 — The doctrine 
 of non-resistance, 130. 
 
 X 
 
 MENNO'S ATTITUDE TOWARD RATIONALISM 132-138 
 
 Menno falsely accused of liberalistic opinions, 132 — His 
 consistent renunciation of Romanism. 133 — ]\Iennonites stand 
 for well defined standard of faith, 133 — The Mennonite con- 
 fessions, 134 — New light from the Scriptures welcomed. 135 
 
 — Aim to recognize all the truth of God's word, 136 — Church 
 to stand for the truth, 136 — Can not be neutral in doctrine. 137 
 
 — Conscience needs Scripture enlightenm.ent, 137 — Liberty of 
 conscience not anarchy. 138 — Discipline vs. persecution. 138. 
 
 XI 
 
 MENNO ON CHURCH DISCIPLINE 139-145 
 
 Absence of Scriptural discipline in the state-churches, 139 
 
 — The importance of discipline, 139 — Menno's definition of 
 the church, 139 — Always admits possibility of hypocrites in 
 the church. 140 — Church not resj^onsible for unknown trans- 
 gression, 140 — Is public confession of all transgression re- 
 quire 1 ? 141 — Ban ineffective if wrongly used, 141 — Keys of 
 binding and loosing. 142 — Christ alone has the power to ex- 
 clude from salvation, 143 — Church excludes those who have 
 already been inwardly excluded, 144 - — No hastiness in exclud- 
 ing. 145. 
 
 XII 
 
 MENNO SIMONS' DOCTRINE ON THE INCAR- 
 NATION OF CHRIST 146-152 
 
 Christ was free from inherited sin. 146 — Did not forgo 
 Mis (Hvine nature in the Incarnation, 147 — ^Musculus concurs 
 with Menno, 148 — Views rejected by T^klenno, 149 — In what 
 sense are the regenerated Christ's brethren? 149 — Menno's 
 first attitude to this doctrine. 150 — The controversy on this 
 point was forced upon him, 151 — In his sermons he simply 
 sets forth the twofold nature of Christ, 152.
 
 12 Table of Contents 
 
 XIII 
 
 MENNO SIMONS' ATTITUDE TOWARD THE 
 
 MUNSTERITES 153-176 
 
 Tenets of the Munsterites, 153 — Menno's first book direct- 
 ed against them, 153 — "Brethren, but not in Christ," 154 — 
 Menno always persistently opposed the Munsterites, 156 — His 
 early denunciations of AJunsteritism, 156 — The false prophets 
 and the corrupt sects, 156, 157 — His testimony in 1541, 158 — 
 The Oldcloisterites and their principles. 159 — To what extent 
 were they acquainted with Munsterite teaching? 159 — Took the 
 sword in self-defence 160 — Had been followers of Melchior 
 Hofmann, 161 — Erring brethren, 162 — The Oldcloisterites 
 were not minded to go to Munster, 162 — Menno's brother not 
 at Munster, 163 — The passage in which Menno refers to the 
 Oldcloisterites as brethren, 164 — Menno's attitude to a de- 
 sired re-baptism, 165 — He opposed the Munsterites before his 
 conversion, 165 — Testimony of his attitude toward them, 166 
 
 — The most fundamental differences, 168 — Political disturb- 
 ances through the state-church Reformation, 169 — Munsterite 
 teaching on the sources of the Christian truth, 170 — Base their 
 principles on the Old Testament, 171 — The relation of the Old 
 Testament to the New, 171 — The origin of polygamy in Mun- 
 ster, 172 — Munsterites kill the heretics. 173 — A perfect 
 church? 173 — BuUinger on the Anabaptists, 174 — Modem 
 writers on the Munsterites, 175 — Fundamental differences, 176 
 
 — Other immoral sects, 176. 
 
 XIV 
 
 THE BATENBURGERS AND THE DAVIDITES 177-192 
 John of Batenburg, 177 — David Joris' early life. 177 — A 
 zealous Lutheran. 177 — Witnesses the martyrdom of Jan Trijp- 
 maker. 178 — The meeting at P)Ocholt and its result, 178 — 
 David Joris becomes a prophet, 179 — His offensive doctrines, 
 179 — Menno against the Davidians. 180 — Joris' arrogant 
 letter to Menno, 183 — Menno's later denunciations of the 
 Davidites, 184, — They are advocates of the Middle Way or 
 Stillstand, 185 — Their shameless deception. 186 — Were not 
 Anabaptists, 187 — Their arguments for infant baptism, 188 — 
 Menno on tiie necessity of baptism, 188 — Controversy between 
 Mennonites and Davidians, 189 — Joris' principal book. 190 — 
 He unites with the Zwinglian state church. 190 — His double 
 life. 191 — Condemned to the stake after his death, 192 — 
 Menno Simons' important letter to David Joris, 192.
 
 Table of Contents 13 
 
 XV 
 
 ADAM PASTOR 194-203 
 
 His history, 194 — Excommunicated by the Mennonites, 
 194 — His teachings, 194 — Menno's attitude toward Unitar- 
 ianism, 196 — Dirk Philips' testimony, 197 — Menno "of one 
 mind" with Dirk Philips, 198 — Pastors small following a. • 
 insignificant influence, 199 — Did he die a Roman Catholic? 
 
 199 — Vlekwyk not a Pastorite, 200 — S. Hoekstra's testimony, 
 
 200 — Mennonites stand for the deity oi Christ, 200 — An 
 unfounded assertion, 201 — The attitude o» the Swiss Brethren 
 and Huterites, 201 — The socalled Articles of the Moravian 
 Anabaptists, 202. 
 
 XVI 
 
 RECENT ACCUSATIONS AGAINST MENNO 
 
 SIMONS 204-213 
 
 False charges that Menno was iintruthiul, 204 — Quality 
 of Micron's testimony, 205 — Menno's reply to Micron, 206 — 
 Erroneous views as to Menno's opinion of himself, 207 — Dirl 
 not claim to know that he would be among the living at the time 
 of Christ's coming, 209 — Did not ascribe undue authority to 
 himself, 210 — Did not beheve himself infallible, 210 — A false 
 charge, 211 — Was in Menno's instance, "nature stronger ftian 
 doctrine"? 211 — Various erroneous accusations, 212 — An 
 able defender of the principles for which he stood, 213. 
 
 XVII 
 
 A LETTER OF MENNO SIMONS TO A TIMID 
 
 BELIEVER 213-216 
 
 XVIII 
 
 MENNO IM WOSTENFELDE. HIS DEATH. 
 HIS PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF 
 
 THE REFORMATION 21/-222 
 
 Wiistenfelde, a place of refuge, 217 — "The cripple," 218 
 — Menno's printery. 218 — A traitor failing, 218 — Menno's 
 courage, 219 — A half-lie? 219 — Gillis' recantation. 219 — An 
 account of Menno's last days, 220 — His death. 220 — Wliat he 
 stood for, 220 — Not the founder of a church, 221 — His
 
 14 
 
 Table of Contents 
 
 writings practically ignored by church historians, 221 — The 
 leading principles of Menno Simons, 221 — The Mennonite 
 principle of liberty of conscience prevails in Holland, 222 — 
 Dirk Philips, 222. 
 
 XIX 
 
 MElNfNO SIMONS ON VARIOUS POINTS OF 
 
 DOCTRINE AND PRACTICE 223-299 
 
 1. 
 
 Preliminary 
 
 . 
 
 223 
 
 "2. 
 
 The Authority and Inerrancy of the Scriptures 224 
 
 3. 
 
 The Trinity of God 
 
 
 226 
 
 4. 
 
 Christ; His Deity and 
 
 Humanity 
 
 228 
 
 5. 
 
 His Office . . . 
 
 
 233 
 
 6. 
 
 The Incarnation 
 
 
 234 
 
 7. 
 
 The Holy Ghost . 
 
 
 235 
 
 ■8. 
 
 Sin . . 
 
 
 236 
 
 ■ 9. 
 
 The Law. 
 
 
 237 
 
 10. 
 
 The Atonement 
 
 
 237 
 
 11. 
 
 Repentance 
 
 
 239 
 
 12. 
 
 Faith 
 
 
 240 
 
 13. 
 
 Justification by Faith . 
 
 
 244 
 
 14. 
 
 Regeneration . 
 
 
 246 
 
 15. 
 
 The New Life 
 
 
 249 
 
 16. 
 
 Predestination 
 
 
 254 
 
 17. 
 
 The Church . 
 
 
 254 
 
 18. 
 
 The Ordinances 
 
 
 256 
 
 19. 
 
 Baptism 
 
 
 260 
 
 20. 
 
 Import of Baptism 
 
 
 261 
 
 21. 
 
 Infant Baptism 
 
 
 262 
 
 22. 
 
 Salvation of Infants 
 
 
 265 
 
 23. 
 
 The Name "Anabaptists' 
 
 Repudiated 
 
 267 
 
 24. 
 
 The Lord's Supper 
 
 
 268 
 
 25. 
 
 On the Doctrine of the Corporal Presence of 
 
 
 
 Christ in the Bread ; 
 
 md Wine 
 
 271 
 
 26. 
 
 Feet Washing (By Dirl^ 
 
 : Philips) 
 
 272 
 
 27. 
 
 Discipline 
 
 
 273 
 
 28. 
 
 Qualifications of Ministers .... 
 
 277
 
 Table of Contents 
 
 15 
 
 29. 
 
 30. 
 31. 
 32. 
 33. 
 34. 
 35. 
 36. 
 37. 
 38. 
 39. 
 40. 
 41. 
 42. 
 
 Support of the Ministry 
 
 The Social Message of the Church 
 
 The Dangers and the Right Use of Riches 
 
 Non-conformity to the World 
 
 The Doctrine of Non-resistance 
 
 Capital Punishment 
 
 Swearing of Oaths 
 
 Duties Toward the Magistracy 
 
 Liberty of Conscience . 
 
 Higher Education 
 
 Worldly Titles 
 
 Anti-Secrecy .... 
 
 Duties to Children 
 
 The Glorious Hope 
 
 XX 
 
 MENNO'S WRITINGS 
 
 XXI 
 
 F.IBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 DICTIONARY ^ 
 INDEX 
 
 MAP OF THE NETHERLANDS AND 
 NORTHWEST GERMANY 
 
 278 
 
 278 
 
 280 
 
 281 
 
 281 
 
 286 
 
 286 
 
 289 
 
 290 
 
 295 
 
 296 
 
 .296 
 
 •296 
 
 298 
 
 300-301 
 
 302^312 
 313-318 
 319-324 
 
 324
 
 ABBREVIATIONS 
 
 Bib. Ref. l\-eerl.=:Bi{y(iotli€ca Reformatoria Necrlandica, Ge- 
 scliriften uit den Tijd der Hervorming in de Nederlanden. 
 ed. by S. Cramer and F. Pijper. 
 
 Corp. Ref.=Corpus Rcfonnatorum, Melanchthon's works, ed. 
 by Bretsclmeider and Bindseil. 
 
 Corp. Scku'enckf.=Corpus Schwenckfeldianorwn, Letters and 
 Treatises of Caspar Schwenckfeld von Ossig, vols. I-IV, 
 Leipzig, 1910-1914. 
 
 D. F.=:Doopsgezinde Hijdragen, Year-book of the Doopsgezinden 
 (Mennonites) in Holland. 
 
 Dc lVettc=Dr. Martin Luther's Briefe, Sendschreiben und Be- 
 denken, Berlin, herausgegeben von W. M. L. de Wette. 
 
 FrI. /irf.rr:Erlangen edition of Luther's Writings in the German 
 language. 
 
 HI. i5.r:=Mennoniti.sche Blaetter, Altona, Germany. 
 
 R. /:.=:Herzog-Hauck, Real-Encyklopadie fiir protestantische 
 Theologie und Kirche, third e(Htion. 
 
 f'o;/ nraiiht=Thc J'loody Theatre or Martyrs' Mirror, by Thiele- 
 nian J. van Braght, Elkhart, Ind., 1886. 
 
 H^o/c/i=The Walch edition of Luther's Works. 
 
 Walch, St. L.r=The .St. l^uis reprint of the Walch edition of 
 Luther's Works.
 
 I 
 
 MENNO SIMONS' CONVERSION AND BAPTISM 
 
 The native land of Menno Simons is the province of 
 I^riesland in the Netherlands (sometimes spoken of as West 
 Friesland to distinguish it from East Friesland which is a 
 part of Germany). His family name was in his mother 
 tong-ue written Simonsz which stands for Simonszoon, i. e. 
 son of Simon. ^ Concerning his parents, youth, etc., nothing 
 definite is known. He informs us that he was born at Wit- 
 marsum and again he speaks of Pingjum as "my father's 
 village." Both places are villages near Bolsward in Fries- 
 land.^ His parents were mem.bers of the Roman Catholic 
 state church and had their son educated for the priesthood. 
 Probably all inhabitants of Friesland with the exception of 
 a small number of Jews, were members of this church. 
 
 Obviously Menno was thoroughly prepared for the call- 
 ing of a priest. His writings show that he had a good work- 
 ing knowledge of Latin ; he wrote a good Latin style and 
 had also some knowledge of Greek. He was consecrated a 
 priest at Utrecht, in 1524, the date being probably March 26.- 
 
 In his rei)ly to Gellius Faber Menno Simons gives us in- 
 teresting information concerning his life as a priest and how 
 lie was gradually enlightened which led to his conversion 
 and renunciation of the Roman Church. 
 
 ^ In the Netherlands children, as a rule, did not inherit the tamilv 
 name of their father but used the father's first name with the appendix 
 coon or dochter (daughter), e. g., Obbe and Dirk Philipszoon, Jan Vol- 
 kertszoon, David Joriszoon, Leonard Bouwenszoon etc. 
 
 2 Vos, Menno Simons, p. 166 seq.
 
 18 Menno Simons 
 
 "Dear reader. I tell you the truth in Christ and lie not 
 [Rom. 9:1; 1 Tim. 2:7]. It was in the year 1524, in my 
 twenty-eighth year, that I entered the service of the Hier- 
 archy [accepting the office of a vicar J in my father's village 
 called Pingjum." Thus writes Menno in 1554 in an account 
 of his life which he gives in his defense against Gellius 
 Faber. Accordingly the year of his birth was 1496 instead 
 of 1492, as has been commonly believed. This is in all 
 probability correct. 
 
 The passage quoted here from Menno's reply to Gellius 
 Faber has marked variations in the different editions of the 
 said book; the original print is lost. In the editions of 1600 
 and 1646 the age of ]\Ienno at the time when he became a 
 vicar at Pingjum, has been omitted, possibly by mistake. 
 The editions of 1621, 1627 and 1633 have, "In the year 28 
 and my twenty-fourth year" — an obvious error. The great 
 folio edition of Menno's Works has in the introduction the 
 passage as we have quoted it, leading to conclusion that he 
 was born in 1496, but on page 256 the reading varies again. 
 It is reasonably certain that the reading in the introduction 
 to the folio edition is correct.'^ 
 
 The parish of Pingjum had two other priests, "the one 
 was my pastor," says IMenno, "while the other one was be- 
 low me in rank. Both had in part read the Scriptures but I 
 had not touched them in my life, for I feared if I should read 
 them, I would be misled [on the supposition that the pope 
 
 ' Vos, Menno Simons, pp. 166-188. Gerrit Roosen, a well known 
 Mennonite author, recorded in his own copy of Menno's works various 
 fiata concerning Menno Simons, giving the years 1492 and l.'i59 respec- 
 tively as the dates of his birth and death. These notes were made in 
 1671. in the sixtieth year of the writer. The book containing these 
 records is in the library of S. W. Pennypacker, former governor of 
 Pennsylvania. Compare D. B., 1881, pp. 34-39. It may be of interest to 
 nr.ticc that of not a few prominent men of the Reformation time the 
 birth-days are unknown. Martin Luther was uncertain about the year of 
 liis birth. His mother was asked by Melanchthon concerning his birth- 
 day. The answer given was that Martin was born on the day before St 
 Martin's day, but concerning the year it was impossible to answer with 
 certainty: 1483 is generally accepted as the year of Luther's birth, but 
 according to the testimony of his motlior it may have been 1482 or 1484.
 
 Studies the New Testament 19 
 
 and the official representatives of the church alone are in a 
 position to understand the Scriptures properly]. Behold 
 such an ignorant preacher I was for about two years." 
 
 "In the first year thereafter," Menno continues, "a 
 thought occurred to me, as often as I had to do with the 
 bread and wine in the Mass, that they are not the flesh and 
 blood of the Lord. I considered this a suggestion of the 
 devil who would rob me of my faith. I mentioned it often in 
 the confessional, sighed and prayed, yet I could not be freed 
 from this thought. 
 
 "Those two young men [the other priests of the place] 
 and myself spent our time daily in playing, drinking and 
 other diversions, in all vanity. 
 
 "At length I resolved that I would give myself to read- 
 ing the New Testament attentively. I had not proceeded 
 far therein ere I discovered that we were deceived. 
 
 "Through Luther's writings I was led to see that trans- 
 gressing the commandments of men can not be the cause of 
 eternal death. By the illumination and grace of the Lord I 
 increased in the knowledge of the Scriptures and was soon 
 considered by a few, although undeservedly, an evangelical 
 preacher.* Everyone spoke well of me, for 1 loved the world 
 and the world loved me ; yet it was said that I preached the 
 Word of God and was a fine man." 
 
 Menno Simons does not inform us how he obtained 
 Luther's books. About three or four years after he "entered 
 the service of the Hierarchy" as a priest in Pingjum, the 
 -authorities of Friesland confiscated a number of Lutheran 
 books which were found in the possession of the priests at 
 Witmarsum. The account of the general treasurer of the 
 Frisian government shows that between October 1, 1527 and 
 September 30, 1528 a certain sum was paid to an officer of 
 the law who had "opened the boxes belonging to the pastor 
 and the vicar of Witmarsum and taken from them the books 
 of Martinus Luther and others of his persuasion.'"* 
 
 The testimony of Menno quoted above makes it clear 
 
 ♦ Menno does not refer to himself as an evangelical preacher at this 
 time, as is said by S. Cramer, R. E.. vol. 13, p. 588, but clearly insists 
 that this name was, in his instance, misapplied. 
 
 ■■' D. h\. 1S65. IV 112.
 
 20 Menno Simons 
 
 that it was in part through Luther's influence that he began- 
 to deviate from Roman Catholic doctrine. He was given, so 
 lie tells us, the name of an evangelical preacher. This name 
 was generally applied to the priests who favored the Luther- 
 an cause and preached to an extent the Lutheran doctrine 
 although they may have continued in Roman worship and 
 practice. As a rule the civil authorities who welcomed the 
 endeavor for a reformation of the church permitted the 
 preaching of the new doctrine for years before they consent- 
 ed to the introduction of new religious forms. The priests 
 in these countries had liberty to preach Lutheran doctrine 
 but not to introduce Lutheran worship. Those of the clergy 
 who desired a reformation of the church and preached the 
 new doctrine were willing to follow L^lther's advice : To- 
 postpone the introduction of new religious forms until the 
 civil authorities would permit such a change. This was at 
 that time Menno Simons' position. He was in this period a 
 representative of the state-church Reformation, or of the 
 type of church reformation which, under the leadership of 
 Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli, consented to go hand in 
 hand with the civil authorities and to continue in the prac- 
 tice of Roman Catholic worship until the state would permit 
 the introduction of evangelical forms and scriptural worshij^. 
 With joy Menno would have hailed the day of the al>oHtion 
 of Romanism by the state. 
 
 Both Luther and Zwingli. the leading state-church re- 
 formers, advised the priests in the states whose rulers favored 
 their cause to continue in their office and say Mas'; "in ap- 
 pearance" until the governments of these states would de- 
 cide to introduce the Reformation, establish the new creed 
 and raise the new church to the position of the state-church. 
 'Vh'\s principle has found classical expression in Luther's 
 tract A Faithfiil Admonitinn published in January, 1522. in 
 which the reformer advances the o;)inion tliat changes in 
 worship and practice must not be made without the consent 
 of the heads of the state. The secular authorities, he says, 
 should take this matter into their hands. "evcr\- prince in his
 
 Attitude of the Government 21 
 
 own land," and nothing in the way of actual reformation of 
 the church should be done without the initiative of the au- 
 thorities or the command of the government. Luther says 
 further: 
 
 "Therefore, look upon the government, as long as they 
 do not undertake anything and do not give a command, you 
 should keep quiet with hand, mouth and heart and should 
 not concern yourself about it. If you can persuade the gov- 
 ernment to proceed and give a command, you may do so. If 
 the government be not willing, neither should you be. But 
 if you proceed, you are in the wrong and are far worse than 
 the other party [the Romanists]."® 
 
 It is probably unnecessary to say here that in all coun- 
 tries of western Europe chlirch and state were united and 
 the Roman Catholic Church was the state church. Adher- 
 ents of other creeds were not tolerated. But soon after the 
 rise of the reformers Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli the 
 governments of a few states of Germany and Switzerland 
 permitted the preaching of non-Roman doctrine and some- 
 what later, namely in the year 1525, the government of these 
 states discarded Roman worship and practice and established 
 new state churches. In Menno Simons' fatherland, the 
 Netherlands, the hope for a reformation of the church was 
 largely entertained. The regent of the Netherlands, Mary 
 of Burgund, formerly Queen of Hungary, the sister of Em- 
 peror Charles V., had the reputation of being a secret ad- 
 herent of Luther;^ the Pope himself brought an accusation 
 to that effect against her.* Those who disapproved of Ro- 
 man Catholic teaching were not persecuted in Friesland, as 
 long as they were willing to retain the old religious forms. 
 Not a few priests openly favored Lutheranism. For twenty 
 years, namely from 1516 to 1536 Jelle (Gellius) Faber, the 
 
 * Erl. E.. vol. 24, p. 49. Compare American Journal of Theology, 
 April 1907, p. 310. 
 
 ^ Koestlin. Martin Luther, vol. 2, pp. 105, 224. 
 
 8 D. B., 1906, p. 21. Mary was made regent of the Netherlands in 
 Summer of 1531.
 
 22 Menno Simons 
 
 pastor of Jelsum near Lecuwarden and later Menno's oppo- 
 nent, frequently preached Lutheran doctrine from the pul- 
 pit." With many other priests in Germany and the Nether- 
 lands Alenno continued in his office hoping- for better days to 
 come, when evangelical practice should be introduced with 
 tlie consent of the civil authorities. 
 
 Menno Simons continues his narrative as fallows: 
 
 "Afterwards it came to pass, before I had ever heard of 
 the Brethren, that a God-fearing, pious man named Sikke 
 Snyder was beheaded at Leeuwarden for the reason that he 
 had been baptized. It sounded to me strange indeed to hear 
 of a second baptism. I examined the Scriptures with dili- 
 gence and earnest application but could find nothing con- 
 cerning infant baptism." 
 
 Sikke Frerichs, a tailor by trade, was a Melchiorite 
 I Covenanter). He was baptized at Embden in East Fries- 
 land, on December 10, 1530, by Jan Volkerts. His Martyr- 
 dom took place on March 20, 1531 at Leeuwarden, the capi- 
 tal of Friesland. 
 
 "Having made tiiis discovery [that there is no Scripture 
 foundation for infant baptism]." Menno says further. "1 re- 
 peatedly conversed on the subject with the priest who held 
 the office of the pastor of Pingjum and after much discussion 
 he had to admit that there is no Scriptural ground for infant 
 baptism. Notwithstanding this I Iiad not the ccnirage to 
 trust my own understanding but consulted several riucient 
 .'luthors. They taught me that children were to be washed 
 'by baptism from the original sin. I compared this with the 
 Scriptures and found that it made 'baptism take the place of 
 the blood of Christ. 
 
 "Then I consulted Luther, desiring to know his grounds 
 for infant baptism, lie taught me that infants .s;h(nild be 
 baptized because of their own faith." I perceived that this 
 also was not in accordance with the Word of God. Thirdly, 
 
 » Dc Groot, C. P. H., Hundcrt Jahre aus der Geschkhie d. Ref. 
 i. d. Niedcrlavdcn, p. 74. 
 
 J'l That infants have faith was the foremost argument advanced by 
 T.iither for infant baptism.
 
 /^^ -e^j 
 
 Meaning of Infant Baptism 23 
 
 I cons-ulted Bucer/^ He taught, infants should be baptize<i 
 in order that they may be the more diligently instructed and 
 brought up in the ways of the Lord. I saw that this also 
 was without foundation. Then I consulted Bullinger^^ who 
 directed me to the Old Covenant and circumcision. This, as 
 well, I found incapable of being substantiated by Scripture." 
 "Having thus observed that the most noteworthy au- 
 thors differed so greatly among themselves, each one follow- 
 ing his own reason [instead of the Scriptures], I saw clearly 
 that we were deceived with infant baptism." 
 
 It will be observed that Menno Simons in this account 
 of his own renunciation of the Roman Church dwells on bap- 
 tism more intently than on any other point of doctrine. The 
 reason is obvious. At the time when he wrote this account 
 Menno recognized the great importance of the Scriptural 
 practice of believers' 'baptism. To reject infant baptism was 
 to lay the ax to the root of the distinctive doctrines, as well 
 as of the ecclesiastical order of the church in which Menno 
 was born and held office. Neither Luther nor Zwingli ques- 
 tioned the validity of Roman Catholic sacraments and or- 
 dination. H infant baptism was unscriptural and invalid. 
 the Lutheran and Zwinglian reformation of the Roman 
 Church was clearly inadequate. H the sacraments and or- 
 dination of the Church of Rome were unacceptable, a mere 
 reformation of that church along lines approved 'by the civil 
 authorities was insufficient; a regeneration or renewing of 
 the church along New Testament lines was in order. The 
 restoration of Scriptural baptism was in fact the most funda- 
 mental requirement for a true New Testament church. 
 
 Through the study of the Scriptures, in consequence of 
 reading Luther's writings and of hearing of Sikke Snyder's 
 martyrdom, Menno Simons received light on various points 
 of doctrine. He knew at that time of no denomination 
 which was orthodox on these points, with which he Cf)ul(l 
 
 ^1 Martin Bucer in Strashurg. was one of the leading Zvvintrlian re- 
 formers. 
 
 '- Ileinricli BullinRer. the successor of 7.\\lr.vr\\ vt Zurich.
 
 24 Menno Simons 
 
 unite. To defy the world and step out in the light which he 
 had received required nothing less than a thorough change 
 of heart. To this Menno had not yet attained. 
 
 Menno writes further: 
 
 "Shortly after this [namely after having made the discov- 
 ery that infant baptism is without scriptural foundation] I re- 
 ceived a call to the village in which I was born, called Witmar- 
 sum, and from motives of covetousness and ambition I accepted 
 the position [in 1531]. Here I spoke much concerning the 
 Word of the Lord, but without spirit and love, as is the manner 
 of all hypocrites ; and by this means I made disciples of my 
 own stamp, namely vain boasters [who desired to be called 
 evangelical Christians although they observed the forms of 
 Romanism], light-minded talkers who, alas! cared in fact little 
 about these matters, as was also true of myself [who continued 
 in the office of a priest notwithstanding my evangelical knowl- 
 edge]. And although I could talk much of the Scriptures, I 
 did not order my life in accordance with my knowledge, but led 
 an impure, carnal, fruitless life in youthful lusts, seeking noth- 
 ing but earthly gain, ease, the favor of men and a great name, 
 as all generally do who take passage on the same ship." 
 
 In Pingjum Menno Simons had been a vicar; in Witmar- 
 .<;um he held the office of a pastor or parish priest which meant 
 a considerable enhancement of his income.'^ In later years he 
 looked back only with remorse to this time of inconsistency. 
 One of his first books, viz. the Meditation on the Twenty fifth 
 Psalm, is largely a contrite confession of his sin in a period of 
 his life when he professed to serve the Lord but was not will- 
 ing to keep His word lest he be subjected to persecution. While 
 retaining the office of a priest he probably attempted to ease his 
 conscience by similar arguments as were ad.vanced by the lead- 
 ers of the state-church Reformation. Luther aufl Zwingli were 
 of the opinion, as has been pointed out, that from motives of 
 consideration for "the weak" who must not be offended, im- 
 
 1* There is dorumentarv proof to the effect that the income of the 
 vicar of ringjum was ahout sixty gold guilders, while tlie salary of the 
 parish priest at Witmarsum amounted to about one hundred gold guil- 
 ders. (Vos, Menno Simons, p. 224).
 
 Life as a Priest 25 
 
 scriptural religious forms may be observed ior a time. When 
 Menno speaks of his "impure life" it is not to be supposed that 
 he has in mind offensive sin. He testifies to the contrary that 
 he always led a strictly honorable, moral life in the eyes of 
 men. In his Meditation on the Tiventy-fifth Psalm he says: 
 
 "Relying upon grace I did all evil. I was as a carefully 
 whitened sepulcher. Outwardly before men I was moral, 
 chaste, generous; tliere was none that reproved my conduct; 
 but inwardly I was full of dead men's bones. — On the outside 
 my platter was clean but within it was full of extortion and 
 excess." '^I sought mine own ease and my praise more zealous- 
 ly than Thy righteousness, honor, truth, and Thy Word." (172; 
 1:223. 168; 1:217). 
 
 Menno relates fwrther : 
 
 "Afterwards rose the sect of Munster by whom many 
 pious hearts in our village were deceived. My soul was in great 
 sorrow for I perceived that they were zealous and yet erred in 
 doctrine. I opposed thein, as far as I was able, by preaching 
 and exhortation. Twice I debated with their leaders, once in 
 private and again in public. But my admonitions availed noth- 
 ing because I myself did that which I well knew was not right. 
 The report spread far abroad that I could readily silence 
 them.^* The people in general looked to me. I saw with mine 
 eyes that I was the champion and refuge of the impenitent who 
 air depended upon me." 
 
 "Afterwards the poor straying sheep who erred because 
 they had no true shepherds, after many cruel edicts, after much 
 killing and slaughter, came together at a place called the Old 
 Cloister, near my place of residence and, sad to say, through 
 the ungodly doctrines of Munster, contrary to the Spirit, word 
 and example of Christ, drew the sword in self-defense, which 
 the Lord commanded Peter to put up in the sheath." 
 
 The Munsterites advocated enthusiastic and revolutionary 
 doctrines. Many were in a measure influenced by them who 
 did not follow them on all points. Among these were the above 
 mentioned "Oldcloisterites," as Menno speaks of them, who 
 
 1* The insinuation of K. Vos (Menno Simons, p. 29) that this ex- 
 pression shows Menno to be "not a little conceited of his eloquence" is 
 unacceptable. Menno's point is that even as.^a priest he had the reputa- 
 tion of beinR an opponent of the Munsterites.
 
 26 Menno Simons 
 
 differed from the Munsterites on various points, as will be 
 shown in another place. They took the sword to defend their 
 lives, entrenching themselves in the Old Cloister near Bolsward. 
 The place was besieged by a contingent of troops and taken by 
 storm on April 5, 1535.^'* Of the 300 inmates 130 fell in battle, 
 the rest were nearly all executed. Among those who lost their 
 lives was Menno's own brother. Some of these people had 
 heard Menno's testimony against certain doctrines of Roman- 
 ism. They had forsaken the national church, and somewhat 
 later, contrary to his advice, had taken tlie sword. lie attribut- 
 ed their errors to the fact that they were without true shep- 
 herds. Although they erred, they had the courage of their con- 
 viction, while he himself was yet connected with tlie state 
 church, hoping for a time when unscriptural forms of worship 
 and unevangelical ceremonies could be abandoned with the con- 
 sent of the worldly authorities and when he himself would be 
 better established in the truth und more sure of his ground. 
 
 A'lenno Simons continues his narration as follows : 
 
 "After this had transpired, the blood of these people, al- 
 tliough they were deceived, became such a burden to me that I 
 could not endure it nor find rest in my soul. I reflected upon 
 my carnal, sinful life as well as on my hyi)ocritical doctrine 
 jte.'^tifying against Romanism, but as yet observing its forms] 
 and idolatry which I daily practiced in appearance without 
 satisfaction and against my own soul. I saw with my eyes that 
 these zealous people willingly gave their lives and their posses- 
 sions for their doctrine, although they were in error, while I 
 who was one of those through whom they had in part been 
 brought to a recognization of the popish evils — I continued in 
 a life of ease and in the outward practice of known abomina- 
 tions, and this I did [not out of consideration for 'the weak,' 
 Imt] only for the reason that I might live comfortably and 
 shun the cross of the Lord." 
 
 Menno Simons says here that lie "in appearance daily prac- 
 ticed idolatry." All the reformers held the Roman Catholic 
 Mass to be idolatrous. According to the teaching of the Church 
 of Rome to celebrate Mass is to repeat the great sacrifice of 
 
 '"' Not 1534 as stated in Bib. Ref. Sccri, vol. 7. p. 61, niotc.
 
 Concurs with Lather 27 
 
 Christ. In every Roman Catholic church the sacrifice of Cal- 
 vary is supposed to be daily repeated in Mass. The bread and 
 wine of the sacrament is believed to be Christ Himself who in 
 the forna of the bread and wine is offered anew by the priest to 
 atone for the sins of the people. This together with prayer to 
 the saints, etc., is spoken of by Menno as idolatry. In his 
 Meditation to the Tzventy-fiftk Psalm he says : 
 
 "To a weak perishable creature which grew out of the 
 earth, was broken in the mill, was baked at the fire and which 
 I have bitten with my teeth and consumed by my stomach, 
 uamely to a bit of bread I have said, 'Thou hast redeemed me,' 
 as Israel said to the golden calf, 'These be thy gods, O Israel, 
 which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'" (171b; I: 
 222a). 
 
 But at the time when Menno was reputed to be "an evan- 
 gelical preacher" he, as stated above, said Mass in appearance 
 only. Apparently he was influenced by Luther on the point in 
 question. Luther advised the priests of the countries whose 
 rulers did not consent to abolishing Mass, to omit, in saying 
 Mass, the passages which have reference to the sacrifice, in 
 other words to celebrate Mass in appearance but not in fact. 
 Mass being said in Latin, the people would not know the differ- 
 ence. Luther writes in his Opinion Concerning both Kinds of 
 the Sacrament," in April 1522: 
 
 "In the second place the priests who say Mass must omit 
 the words which treat of the sacrifice. And to omit this is not 
 a thing that may be left to any one's judgment, but those words 
 must not be used, even if some people were offended by the 
 omission. But it is not a difficult matter for the priest to avoid 
 those words without the common people ever knowing it ; it 
 may be done without offense."'" 
 
 While this was Luther's advice to the priests of Saxony 
 and Hesse at that time, he held that in their teaching and ser- 
 mons they shoidd vindicate evangelical truth. This was appar- 
 ently also the position of Menno Simons. 
 
 " Eri E., vol. 28, p. 304.
 
 28 Menno Simons 
 
 "Thus reflecting upon these things," Menno says further, 
 "my soul was so grieved that I could no longer endure it. I 
 thought to myself, I. miserable man. what do I? If I continue 
 in this way and do not follow the Word of the Lord; if I, to 
 the best of my limited ability, do not rebuke the hypocrisy of 
 the theologians, the impenitent, carnal life and the perverted 
 baptism, Lord's supper and false worship of God; if I through 
 fear of the flesh do not set forth the true principles of the 
 truth, neither do what is in my power to direct the wandering 
 sheep, who so gladly would do the right if they had the knowl- 
 edge, to the true pasture of Christ — Oh how shall their shed 
 blood rise against me at the judgment of the Almighty and 
 pronounce sentence against my poor soul." 
 
 Under the marginal title, "My Change of Heart," Menno 
 continues : 
 
 "My heart trembled in my body. I prayed to God with 
 sighs and tears that He would give to me, a troubled sinner, the 
 gift of His grace and create a clean heart in me, that through 
 the merits of the crimson blood of Christ, He would graciously 
 forgive my unclean walk and oase seeking life,^^ and bestow 
 upon me wisdom. Spirit, candor, and courage, that I might 
 preach His exalted and adorable name and Holy Word unadul- 
 terated and make manifest His truth to His praise. 
 
 "In consequence, I began in the name of the Lord to 
 preach publicly from the pulpit the word of true repentance, to 
 direct the people unto the narrow path and with the power of 
 the Scriptures to reprove all sin and ungodliness, all idolatry 
 and false worship, and to testify to the true worship, also bap- 
 tism and the Lord's supper according to the teaching of Ckrist, 
 to the extent that I at that time had received grace from God. 
 I also faithfully warned every one of the Munsterite abomina- 
 tions,^' viz., king, polygamy, earthly kingdom, the sword, etc., 
 
 '^ The assertion that Menno's conversion "has nothing to do with 
 accepting God's grace in Christ in consequence of conviction of sin and 
 repentance" {R. E. vol. 13, p. 589) is quite unfounded. 
 
 18 Menno wrote his tract against the Munsterites previous to his 
 renunciation of the Roman Catholic Church and it is quite possible that 
 he thus attracted the attention of the people with whom he afterwards 
 identified himself. It is doubtful whether this treatise was printed be- 
 fore a much later date. At first it seems to have been circulated in 
 manuscript.
 
 Renunciation of Romanism 29 
 
 tintil after about nine months [i. e., in the month of January of 
 
 the year 1536] when the gracious Lord granted me His fatherly 
 Spirit, aid, power and help, that I voluntarily forsook my good 
 name, honor and reputation which I had among men and re- 
 nounced all the abominations of Antichrist, Mass, infant bap- 
 tism and my unprofitable life, and willingly submitted to home- 
 lessness and poverty under the cross of my Lord Jesus Christ ; 
 in my weakness I feared God, sought out the pious and, al- 
 though they were few in number, I found some who had a 
 <:ommendabIe zeal and maintained the truth. 
 
 "Behold thus, my reader, the God of mercy, through His 
 abounding grace which He bestowed upon me, a miserable sin- 
 ner, has first touched my heart, given me a new mind, humbled 
 me in His fear, taught me in part to know myself, turned me 
 from the way of death and graciously called me into the nar- 
 row path of life, into the communion of His saints. To Him be 
 praise for«vermoi-e. Amen." 
 
 Menno Simons renounced Romanism in the month of Jan- 
 uary, 1536, the date is probably January 30, a Sunday. ^° He 
 was "a lord and prince in Babel," and, as he himsalf says, "vol- 
 tmtarily, from my own choice"^" he forsook his position in the 
 world. To do what he perceived to be his duty and to follow 
 the word of his Lord meant nothing less than to lay all on the 
 altar. 
 
 In his Meditation ofi the Tzventy-fifth Psalm Menno de- 
 scribes the consequences of his conversion as concerns the 
 changed attitude of the world toward him. In connection with 
 verse 9 ("He will guide the distressed in right paths and will 
 teach the distressed his way," Dutch translation) he says: 
 
 "O I^rd, Thy divine grace has shone around me. Thy 
 word has taught me, Thy Holy Spirit has influenced me till I 
 forsook the counsel of the ungodly, the way of sinners and the 
 seat of the scornful. I was ungodly and carried the banner of 
 unrighteousness for many years. The first one was I in all man- 
 ner of folly, idle words and vanity; playing, drinking, eating to 
 excess were my daily pastime. The fear of God was not before 
 my eyes. Besides I had become a lord and prince in Babel; 
 
 ^^ Vos, Menno Simons, p. 166 seq. 
 
 20 Meditation to the 25th Psalm, 1539 fol. C6b ; compare A7a.
 
 30 Menno Simons 
 
 every one sought and desired me; the world loved me and I the 
 world. — My words prevailed in all things ; the desire of my 
 heart was granted. But as soon as I, with Solomon, saw that 
 all was vanity and, with Paul, esteemed all as nothing, when I 
 renounced the haughty, godless life of this world and sought 
 Thee and Thy kingdom which will abide forever, I have found 
 everywhere the counterpart anil reverse. Before I was hon- 
 ored, now I am dishonored; before all was love, mow hatred; 
 before I was a friend, now an enemy, before wise, now foolish, 
 before pious, now wicked, before a Christian, now a heretic; 
 yea, an abomination and an evil-doer I have become to all." 
 (168a; 1 :218b). 
 
 "As long as I served the world, the world rewarded me 
 well. — But now I am hated of the world in such measure that 
 not only I but also those who show me love, must be subject to 
 the danger of apprehension and death. Am I not regarded more 
 evil than a thief and a murderer? Am I not in the wilderness 
 of this blind world as a lonely sheep which on all sides is threat- 
 ened by ravenous wolves? 
 
 "O Lord, my enemies are powerful and great. My flesh 
 does not have rest before them. — I know not whither to turn,, 
 but I say with Jehoshaphat, the king, We lift up our eyes unto 
 Thee, and our help is from Thee alone. I depend on Thy grace 
 alone, as Abraham in Gerar, Jacob in Mesopotamia, etc. ; yea 
 ;dl the pious fathers have hoped in Thee and were assured that 
 all who trust in Thee shall not be made ashamed. "^^ 
 
 It has been repeatedly asserted, since Menno remained in 
 the national church for some time against better knowledge, 
 that compared with the great state-church reformers, above all 
 Luther, he was lacking in resolution and courage. But did it 
 ever become necessary for any one of these reformers to lay 
 down his position of honor among men and become a fugitive, 
 one of a people who were put to death as llie catch polls found 
 it possible to apprehend them? Was not Menno following the 
 advice of one of the foremost of these reformers when he re- 
 mained in office, saying ATass "in appearance" and waiting for 
 the time when the unscriptural ceremonies might be abandoned 
 by the order or consent of the heads of the state? Luther as- 
 
 21 Meditation, rtc, fol. CS^ and A4-->.
 
 His Baptism 31 
 
 'well as Zwingli did not forsake the Roman Catholic Church, 
 but reformed it. They were willing to retain the unevangelical 
 forms until the state ordered their abolishment. In the matter 
 of the reformation of the church they took only such steps as 
 would meet the approval of the state. Thus they enjoyed the 
 protection of the state and were never subjected to persecu- 
 tion." Menno Simons on the other hand united with a people 
 who had been summarily condemned to death in the Netherlands 
 as well as in the German Empire. 
 
 Menno was baptized by Obbe Philips. Presumably his bap- 
 tism closely followed his renunciation of the national church. He 
 testifies in later years that he found it difficult to accept the 
 doctrine of the Incarnation as advocated by the church with 
 which he united. For weeks and months he was in great per- 
 plexity, finding it impossible to recognize this doctrine as ortho- 
 dox. Probably this was previous to his renunciation of the 
 -national church (it was previous in part, at any rate, to his bap- 
 tism, as he expressly states), and had a tendency to make it the 
 more difficult to decide upon forsaking that church. 
 
 Obbe Philips by whom IMenno Simons was baptized was the 
 •principal leader in the denomination named after him — the 
 Obbenites — with whom Menno Simons identified himself. 
 They were the Netherlandish wing of the great Anabaptist party 
 afterwards named Mennonites by their opponents. In SoHth 
 Germany and Switzerland the Anabaptists were known by the 
 name of the Swiss Brethren. The Obbenites and Swiss Breth- 
 ren agreed virtually in doctrine and principle although there 
 were some differences as will be pointed out. At the time of 
 Menno's conversion the Obbenites had existed only a short time 
 and were few in number while the Swiss Brethren were far 
 stronger numerically and had even then a great and interesting 
 history. 
 
 -2 Martin Luther was protected by the Saxon government. His 
 sovereigns, the rulers of Saxony, were his friends and patrons. The 
 emperor's attempts to compel the government of .Saxony to silence Luth- 
 -er proved a failure.
 
 II 
 
 MENNO SIMONS' CALL TO THE MINISTRY 
 AND ORDINATION 
 
 Menno Simons renounced the national church on January 
 30, 1536. He seems to have left Witmarsum about the same 
 time. At the place where he was so well known and where his- 
 conversion caused not a little stir, he felt doubtless the least se- 
 cure. In the autumn of the same year two men, Herman and 
 Gerrit Janz, whose dwelling place is not known, were arrested 
 in Friesland on the charge that they had "given lodging to the 
 former priest, Menno Simons, until recently of Witmarsum, 
 who has now been received into the covenant of the Anabaptists."^ 
 The regent of the province of Friesland expressed himself on 
 Oct. 24, 1536, to the effect that the sentence of death should be 
 passed on these two men, although obviously they had not been 
 baptized. They were set at liberty, however, probably for the 
 reason that Menno was not yet baptized when they permitted 
 him to enter their house. ^ 
 
 Toward the end of the same year we find Menno in the 
 province of Groningen, just east of Friesland. Here he was 
 ordained a minister of the Gospel by Obbe Philips. Menno him- 
 self gives a detailed account of his call to the ministry of the 
 Word of God. His narration was written as a reply to various- 
 accusations by Gellius Faber who asserted that he had never 
 been properly called and was seeking selfish ends in the minis- 
 try; hence Menno enlarges particularly on points showing the 
 fallacy of these charges. He says : 
 
 1 D. B., 1864, p. 135. On the supposition that Menno's wife was ik 
 slaughter of Herman Janz see Vos, Menno Siiiions, p. 5.
 
 Call to the Ministry 33 
 
 "About a year after this, [namely after his renunciation of 
 the state church] while I in quietness exercised myself in the 
 Word of God by reading and writing, it came to pass that seven 
 or eight persons came to me, who were of one heart and one 
 soul with me, in their faith and life, as far as man can judge 
 unblamable, separated from the world according to the testimony 
 of the Scriptures and willing to bear the cross f who had a 
 sincere aversion not only to the Munsterites but to all other 
 worldly sects, false teachings and abominations. In the name 
 of the God-fearing ones who were of one mind and spirit both 
 with them and with myself, they entreated me kindly and earn- 
 estly to take to heart the very sad condition of the poor, op- 
 pressed souls and use to advantage the talent which I had un- 
 meritedly received from the Lord ; for the hunger was great 
 and the faithful stewards very few. 
 
 "When I heard this, my heart was greatly troubled. Ap- 
 prehension and fear was on every side. For on the one hand I 
 saw my limited talents, my great lack of knowledge, the weak- 
 ness of my nature, the timidity of my flesh, the very great wick- 
 edness, wantonness, perversity and tyranny of the world, the 
 mighty great sects [the persecuting state churches], the subtlety 
 of many men and the indescribably heavy cross which, if I began 
 to preach, would be the more felt; and on the other hand I 
 recognized the pitifully great hunger, want and need of the 
 God-fearing, pious souls, for I saw plainly that they erred as 
 innocent sheep which have no shepherd." 
 
 The class which Menno Simons rightly describes as sheep 
 without shepherds were those who, through Lutheran, Zwingli- 
 an, Melchiorite, and Anabaptist influences had been religiously 
 awakened and brought to recognize to a greater or less degree 
 the errors of Romanism. The Lutheran and Zwinglian preach- 
 ers, as a rule, had left the lanil after the beginning of bloody 
 persecution, and those who remained followed the policy of 
 avoiding everything that would bring them into difficulty with 
 the authorities. This was also the position of the Melchiorites. 
 Many pious people were waiting for spiritual leadership. Many 
 
 - Tlie Melchiorites evaded the cross and remained in the national 
 church, hut those with whom Menno Simons identified himself were of 
 a different mind. Obbe Philips was presumably among those who came 
 to Menno.
 
 34 Menno Simons 
 
 who had become estranged from the national church were, like 
 the "Oldcloisterites," to some extent influenced by the Munster- 
 ites, but never thought of accepting IMunsterite doctrine as a 
 whole. Menno saw the field ripe unto harvest. He felt that 
 those who would be shepherds of the erring sheep must be men 
 who were sure of their message, men who were not only ready 
 to give tiieir life for the truth, but to live as fugitives and out- 
 casts uader the greatest hardships, privations and dangers. 
 
 "After much entreaty," says Menno Simons further, "1 
 fuialiy surrendered myself to the Lord and His church on this 
 condition that they and myself should for a time continue in 
 earnest j^rayer, if it were His good and holy will that I should 
 or could thus serve Him to His glory, that He in fatherly love 
 grant unto me a heart and mind which would testify to me, with 
 Paul : 'Woe is me, if I preach not the Gospel ;' .or if it were 
 not His will, tliat He might lead in a way that it should be left 
 undoae; for Christ says: 'If two of you shall agree on earth as 
 touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them 
 of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are 
 gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them' 
 (Matt. 18:19, 20). 
 
 "When the persons before mentioned did not desist from 
 their eatreaties, and ray own conscience made me uneasy in view 
 of tlie great hunger and need already spoken of, I consecrated 
 myself, soul and body to the Lord, and committed myself to 
 His gracious leading, and I began in due time [i. e., after having 
 been ordained to the ministry of the Word] according to His 
 holy Word to teach and to baptize, to labor with my limited 
 talents in the harvest field of the Lord, to assist in building up 
 His holy city and temple and to repair the dilajjidated walls."* 
 
 The main sources of information concerning the principles 
 of the Obbenites are, besides Obbe Philips' Confessions, the 
 early writings of Menno Simons. There is good evidence to 
 show that almost from the time of his ordination Menno Si- 
 
 * The |,art of Meiino's answer to Gellius l-'ahcr contaiiiinii tiie here 
 quoted account of liis own conversion and renunciation of the Roman 
 Giurdi has often been reprinted in Dutch, German, and linglisli. In the 
 FJighsh Works it is found part 1, pp. 3-7; it is omitted in the repJy to 
 Faber, part 2, page 99.
 
 The Obbenites 35 
 
 mons' influence among the Obbenites was second to that of no 
 other leader. Through his able presentation and defense of the 
 principles for which they stood, Menno became the spokesman 
 of the denomination. He testifies that at the time when he 
 united with them they were unblamable in doctrine and life. 
 Obviously this testimony meant that they were willing to accept 
 any truth which might come to them from the Word. The 
 Obbenites were fully decided to be guided by God's word alone 
 and to accept and follow its teachings. "Historical develop- 
 ment" they recognized only in so far as it is founded on Scrip- 
 ture. According to their own testimony they welcomed new 
 truth from the Scriptures. It is clear from his writings that 
 Menno Simons devoted himself to diligent study, fully recogniz- 
 ing the probability of obtaining new truth from the Word. His 
 writings, even at this early period show a surprisingly thorough 
 acquaintance with the Scriptures. 
 
 Soon after his call to the ministry Menno wrote the Medita- 
 tion on the Twenty-fifth Psalm in which he gives us a glimpse 
 of his inner life, motives and endeavors. That this book was 
 written not long after his renunciation of the national church is 
 evident from the statement found in it that he served the enemy 
 of the Lord "until this present time." Nevertheless it is clear 
 from other statements that his ordination preceded the writing 
 of this book.** Hence the date of the book is probably toward 
 the end of 1536 or early in the year following. 
 
 ■* The title of the edition of this book which wa-s printed in 1339 is 
 Voele goede und Chryslclycke leringhen op den 25. Psalrn doer Menno 
 Simons in een Maniere van bidden gcscreuen. 1539. 
 
 ° "Tot nn toe" i. e. "until now," says Menno, he h'as not served the 
 Lord (fol. A3a). In his Complete Works the Meditation on the Tzventy- 
 fifth Psahn is not found in its original form; it was revised by himself 
 at a later date and the words in question were eliminated. Tlic oldest 
 edition extant alone, namely that of 1539, has these words. This is sup- 
 posed to be the first edition but the book was written before 1539. 
 Menno had been "ordained a minister of the holy word" at the time 
 when he wrote this book, as he states fol. C5'' and in other instances.
 
 36 Menno Simons 
 
 In this book Menno declares his desire and anxiousness to 
 accept all truth which may come to him and his brethren from 
 the Scriptures. 
 
 "From our whole heart we seek for and strive after the 
 purity of the primitive church." "It is not necessary to use the 
 sword against me, for if I have not the truth of Jesus Christ, I 
 shall gladly be taught it. — I say again, with the sword of the 
 divine Word I desire to prevail or be prevailed over. Herewith 
 I offer anywheresoever to confer, to teach, to discuss, as may be 
 (iesired."'* "If I had not the Word of Jesus Christ. I desired 
 from my whole heart to be taught, for I seek it with great fear 
 and trembling. In this I cannot be deceived. I have believed 
 and accepted Thy holy word through Thy holy Spirit, as the 
 sure word of Thy truth, and it will not deceive me."^ 
 
 In the first edition of his Foundation of the Christian Doc- 
 trine Menno says : 
 
 "We desire only so much mercy that we may be permitted 
 to confer and discuss publicly with any theologians, as may be 
 your pleasure. For if they have the truth of God, and not we, 
 we shall gladly be taught it." "Let us publicly discuss and con- 
 fer seeking nothing but only that the divine word and true Gos^ 
 pel of the Lord Jesus Christ may be elucidated and that we may 
 live according to it. O how much innocent blood could be 
 spared if you would consent to this and in how short a time 
 woulf! the truth be made known to many." "Therefore lay our 
 doctrine against your doctrine, our life against your life, our 
 way against your way, our cross against your cross. If ye then 
 find that your doctrine, life, way and cross conform to the Gos- 
 pel of Jesus Christ, instruct us with the Word of the Lord, 
 which is the only authority for the faith ; we should so willingly 
 be taught. But now the bloody, evil schoolmaster alone who 
 certainly can not teach faith, namely your terriljle sword, must 
 prevail in these matters."^ 
 
 "I desire," he says further in the same book, "that men 
 whoever they may be, may through my life and service be 
 brought to a saving knowledge of the truth. For this cause have 
 
 « Mcditaiion, etc.. fol. A2. 
 
 " The same, fol. C7a. 
 
 « Dal Fundament dcs Chrisiclyckcn leers, 1539, fol. C3'', L7b, 
 
 r5i>.
 
 A Prayer of Menno 37 
 
 I forsaken all carnal ease and glory and have submitted myself 
 to the cross of my Lord Jesus Christ, seeking nothing that is of 
 this world. — For I desire from my heart and seek with all 
 diligence to live according to the Gospel and will of Him who 
 died and arose for me."^ 
 
 Menno concludes his Meditation on the Tzventy-fifth Psalm, 
 after describing the desolation wrought by Antichrist, with the 
 following prayer based on the last verse of the twenty-fifth 
 Psalm : 
 
 "Redeem Israel. O God, out of his trouble. Look with the 
 eye of Thy mercy upon our great oppression and distress ; re- 
 lease us from the iron furnace of Egypt; bring us out of the 
 land of the Chaldees. Let the holy city be builded again upon 
 its old foundation, with the walls and gates. Rebuild the fallen 
 temple whose stones are scattered and trampled upon in all the 
 streets. Gather togedier Thy wandering sheep. Receive Thy 
 returning bride who has behaved so perversely with strange lov- 
 ers. O God of Israel, create in us a pure heart which longeth 
 for Thy blessed Word and will. Send forth faithful laborers 
 into Thy harvest to reap and gather the grain in due season. 
 Send us faithful builders who lay for us a good foundation, that 
 in the last days Thy house may be established and shine in beauty 
 over all the hills; that many may come thither and say: Come 
 ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to he house of 
 the God of Jacob ; and he will teach us his ways and we will walk 
 in his paths (Isa. 2:3) ; that we in peace and freedom of con- 
 science may walk before Thee all the days of our lives under 
 God-fearing governments and blameless teachers, with the 
 Christian baptism, true supper, godly life and proper discipline, 
 that Thou mayest in us as Thy beloved children be truly hon- 
 ored and praised eternally through Thy blessed Son Jesus Christ, 
 our Lord, to whom with Thee. Father, and Thy holy Spirit be 
 honor and everlasting dominion. Amen." (176b; I: 228b). 
 
 It is interesting to notice that ]\Ienno Simons in his first 
 writings denounces the opinion held by the Melchiorites, Caspar 
 Schwenckfeld and others : That before a church should be 
 organized and the ordinances of Christ observed a great change 
 in political and ecclesiastical conditions must take place. He 
 combats the opinion of a stillstand and points out that the time 
 
 9 The same. N4'^.
 
 38 Menno Simons 
 
 of grace is no\f and a more convenient season to serve the l.oni 
 must not be waited for. He says iH the Faundation-: 
 
 "O dear brethren, do not comfort yourselves with the idle 
 consolatic«i and the groundless hope that the word of Jesus 
 Christ shall yet be taught and lived without cross-bearing. Had 
 all the children of God waited for such a time, the Gospel of 
 the kingdom would not have been proclaimed from the begin- 
 ning until now, O no, brethren, no ; the Gospel of Jesus Christ, 
 the word of God is to be sealed with blood and proved by per- 
 secution. The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the 
 world (Rev. 13:8). Not only has He suffered in His members 
 but by the cross He obtained the glory which He had laid down. 
 If now the Head has in the flesh born such pain, persecution 
 and affliction, how then shall the members expect to have ease 
 and quietness in the flesh? If they have called the Master of 
 the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his 
 hoHsehold? (Matt. 10:25). For all that will live godly in Christ 
 Jesus, says Paul, shall suffer persecution. Ye shall be hated, 
 says Christ, by all men for my name's sake. 
 
 "My dear brethren, take such evil thoughts out of your 
 carnal hearts and do not give ear to the thoughts of another 
 time that ye may not be deceived by this false hope. I have in- 
 deed known many who entertained this hope, but they have not 
 lived to see the realization of it.^" — If ye have any knowledge 
 of Christ, any love for His holy word, do not console yourselves 
 longer with such a false hope. If it should be that the merciful 
 God will give some quietness and peace and liberty, we shall re- 
 ceive it with thanksgiving from His gracious hand; if not. His 
 name shall nevertheless be praised in eternity. We know that 
 the time is at hand, as has been set forth above; we have now 
 the acceptable time of all grace, the day of salvation."^* 
 
 One of the cardinal points on which Menno differed from 
 both Catholicism and Lutheranism is also emphasized in one of 
 his first books. He says : 
 
 "There is no medium against sin besides the precious blood 
 of Jesus Christ; neither works nor merits, neither baptism or 
 supper (although I know well that the true Christians use these 
 signs in obedience to the divine word) otherwise that which we 
 
 10 III the revision of this hook Menno change<I this sentence, 
 says here^ "I have known sonic." etc. 
 
 '1 The same, fol. A6^.
 
 Obbe Philips 39 
 
 obtain throi^h the merits of Christ is ascribed and given to 
 Clements and creatures. The Christian ordinances are signs of 
 obedience through which our faith is exercised." — "We find 
 
 14 tT IT^^' brought about through God's word (Rom. 
 JU.14, I Cor. 4:15; Jas. 1:18; I Pet. 1:23)"" 
 
 Menno Simons, in the account of his conversion and call to 
 the mmistry of the Word of God does not dwell on his ordina- 
 tion nor make mention of the one who ordained him. The rea- 
 son for this silence is obvious. At the time when Menno wrote 
 his reply to Gellius Faber in which this account is contained 
 Obbe Philips had forsaken the Church, and this fact was set 
 torth in Gellius Faber's book. Hence Menno preferred not to 
 mention the name of Obbe Philips when speaking of his call to 
 the ministry. It was a bitter experience for him that Obbe 
 turned back and "became a Demas" (II Tim. 4:10) as he speaks 
 of him." 
 
 » Meditation on the Twenty- fifth Psalm, 1539, fol. C4b and E8a 
 
 r> JV^^lV "^^' '^^^^ ^^^^ P^'''P' '^^•" ""ited with the Roman 
 Lathohc Church, as has been frequently asserted, is an evident error.
 
 Ill 
 
 THE ANABAPTISTS 
 
 In the period of the Reformation a few Christian denom- 
 inations defended and practiced the baptism of believers on the 
 confession of faith. They were by their opponents called Ana- 
 baptists (rebaptizers) because they did not recognize infant 
 baptism as valid and rebaptized those who had been "christened"^ 
 in their infancy. Other denominations maintained the practice 
 of infant baptism and were sometimes called infant baptists. 
 Neither those who were generally named Anabaptists, nor the 
 infant baptists represented a distinct class or party. All infant 
 baptist denominations of the Reformation period, however, ap- 
 proved of or consented to state-churchism, the union of church 
 and state, while those who are generally classed as Anabaptists 
 with the exception of the Munsterites, Batenburgers and David- 
 ians were persistent opponents of state-churchism. 
 
 The prevailing differences among the various infant baptist 
 denominations are patent. Martin Luther held that the points 
 on which the Zwinglian system differed from his own were of 
 such fundamental importance that the Zwinglians must be con- 
 sidered to be without the fold of the general Christian church 
 and could not be accorded the Christian name. And again 
 Luther denounced as Antichrist the one whom the most prom- 
 inent infant baptist church acknowledged as its rightful head. 
 
 As for the various parties known as Anabaptists Menno 
 Simons says correctly that the differences among them were 
 even greater and more radical than those which separated the 
 infant baptist parties from each other. Menno Simons was 
 more severe and outspoken in his opposition to certain parties
 
 Fundamental Differences 41 
 
 known as Anabaptists than to the great state churches. He 
 held Martin Luther personally in high esteem, while the leaders 
 of certain Anabaptist sects were denounced by him as seducers, 
 false prophets, and blasphemers. 
 
 The enthusiastic and revolutionary Anabaptists who did 
 not reject the principle of state-churchism have a short history. 
 The Alunsterites and Batenburgers took the sword and perished 
 with the sword. The former rose in 1533 and their cause failed 
 utterly in 1535, when the city of ^Munster was conquered. The 
 Munsterite principles were for a time advocated by the Baten- 
 burgers, but their principal leader, Jan of Batenburg, was exe- 
 cuted within a few years. The Davidians, i. e. the followers of 
 David Joris, adhered to Munsterite principles but eliminated the 
 revolutionary tendencies of their predecessors. David Joris 
 formally united with the Zwinglian state church at Basel. Only 
 secretly he adhered to his enthusiastic notions. The theor}^ that 
 these "corrupt sects," as Menno Simons designates them, advo- 
 cated virtually the same doctrines as the great Anabaptist de- 
 nominations (namely, the Swiss Brethren, Huterites, and Men- 
 nonites) is quite unfounded. The Alunsterites in fact obvious- 
 ly compromised the question of baptism. They did not consider 
 ■baptism of sufficient importance to be willing to suffer persecu- 
 tion on account of it. And after the establishment of a state 
 church in Munster people were driven to baptism at the point 
 of the sword ; it is therefore not correct to say that the Mun- 
 sterites stood for believers' baptism in the true sense. John of 
 Leyden, their foremost leader, recanted at last his belief iu the 
 necessity of adult baptism. The Batenburgers and Davidians 
 did not practice the baptism of ackilts although they have 
 usually been considered Anabaptists. 
 
 Not a few historical works describe tlie history of the 
 Anabaptists in a way giving most prominence to the tale of the 
 Munsterites and leaving the reader under the impression that 
 John of Leyden was the principal representative of Anabaptism. 
 Says Abraham Kuijper in his Lectures on Cahnmsms: "The 
 Anabaptist standpoint was that the circle of baptized believers
 
 42 Menno Simons 
 
 was in duty bound to take all civil life under its guardianship 
 and remodel it ; and so John of Leyden violently established 
 his shameless power as king of the new Zion."^ Other writers 
 have expressed themselves to the same effect. It is quite true 
 that this was the position of John of Leyden and the Munster- 
 ites, but that the Anabaptists in general shared in such views is 
 an obvious error. That the church should take all civil life 
 under its guardianship and remodel it, or in other words, that 
 the church and state should be united, was considered by the 
 great Anabaptist denominations to be an unbearable mistake. 
 On this point — the union of Church and State — John of 
 Leyden differed radically from the Anabaptists. 
 
 The popular view that IVIenno Simons was the reformer of 
 those of whom he speaks as the corrupt sects, and that the 
 modern Anabaptists are the spiritual children of the remnants 
 of the Munsterites who through Menno were led to discard 
 tiieir errors, will not bear investigation. The Obbenites with 
 whom Menno Simons identified himself existed contempor- 
 aneously with the Munsterites. And it must be remembered 
 that the most distinguished period of Anabaptist history had 
 already passed at the time of the rise of the Munsterites. The 
 first congregation of the Swiss Brethren was organized in 1525 
 at Zurich in Switzerland. From here the Anabaptist movement 
 within a few years spread over a large territory. Many church- 
 es were founded notwithstanding the bloodiest persecution. 
 Thousands, including the most prominent leaders, were put to 
 death in Catholic, Zwinglian and Lutheran countries. The 
 blood of the martyrs proved to be the seed of the church. In 
 intensity and strength the Anabaptist movement in these earlier 
 years exceeded by far the Lutheran and Zwinglian movements. 
 With fire and sword through an unprecedented persecution the 
 movement was finally checked, but tiie great denominations of 
 
 ' Kuijper, Cahnnism, Six Lectures, p. 32. Similarly GcofRC Park 
 fisher (The Reformation, 1906, p. 400) says: "Another of the Anabap- 
 tists' tenets was the belief in the visible kingdom of Christ which was to 
 be erected on the ruins of Chiirch and State."
 
 The Swiss Brethren 43 
 
 the Swiss Brethren and the Huterites maintained themselves 
 through all persecution. They were not in the least influenced 
 by the fanatics who were responsible for the developments at 
 Munster. In the North the Obbenites staunchly opposed the 
 ?.Tunsterites. 
 
 At an early date the Brethren of the Netherlands and North 
 Germany were named after Menno Simons although it was well 
 known that Menno was not their founder. Later the Brethren 
 of Switzerland and South Germany (the Swiss Brethren) v/ere 
 given the same name. Menno never came to the South. He 
 wrote in a language which was hardly intelligible to tlie Swiss 
 and South Germans. The Swiss Brethren held the same teach- 
 ings prior to the conversion of Menno Simons as in later per- 
 iods. We are not left in the dark, but have reliable sources of 
 information concerning their principles. Tn 1532 — prior to 
 the rise of the Munsterites and prior also to the conversion of 
 Menno Simons — a great discussion lasting ten days was held 
 at Zofingen in the canton of Berne, Switzerland, between the 
 Swiss Brethren and the Zwinglians. The protocol of these dis- 
 cussions was published in the same year, making a book of 308 
 pages which gives us thorough information concerning the doc- 
 trinal position of the early Swiss Brethren. Tn 1538 another 
 great debate was held in Berne. The minutes of this debate are 
 preserved in the state archives at Berne. It is a comprehensive 
 document and proves conclusively that the Swiss Brethren were 
 free from I^Tunsterite tenets. Concerning Melchior Hofmann 
 (who held various unsound opinions and is in a measure re- 
 sponsible for Munsterite enthusiasm although he was a far 
 m.ore respectable character than the Munsterite leaders') the 
 Brethren said in the discussion at Berne : "Hofmann is not 
 named a brother by us, but we oppose him with all earnestness, 
 and consider his opinion, as we have heard it from himself and 
 others of his party, an error."- These facts show the fallacy 
 of the view that the people who were later called after Menno 
 represented a reformation of the Munsterite sect. 
 
 Acta Des Gespm.-chs 1538; fol. 59.
 
 44 Menno Simons 
 
 We have said above that the most radical differences pre- 
 vailed between some of the various parties commonly known as 
 Anabaptists. But since only the great Anabaptist denomina- 
 tions survived the persecutions while, as already said, the var- 
 ious fanatical Anabaptist sects have a short history and repre- 
 sented a lost cause, many historians, even outside of the ranks 
 of the Mennonites and Baptists, when they speak of the Ana- 
 baptists in general, have in mind the great Anabaptist denom- 
 inations and other evangelical Anabaptists. The fact is recog- 
 nized that these denominations, notwithstanding the prevailing 
 differences, constituted virtually one party, which must not be 
 confused with the Munsterites and their kin. Many writers in 
 various centuries speak of the Anabaptists in a way which 
 obviously excludes the Munsterites. 
 
 Johannes Kessler, the contemporaneous Zwinglian chronic- 
 ler of St. Gall, Switzerland, writes : "Their walk and conversa- 
 tion shone; it was quite pious, holy and unblamable. — They 
 die gladly and valiantly for the name of Christ, although they 
 arc tainted with some error,"^ Heinrich Bullinger, the succes- 
 sor of Zwingli in Zurich says : "They led their lives under a 
 semblance of a very spiritual conduct; they reprored earnestly 
 covetousness, pride, profanity, the lewd conversation and de- 
 bauchery of the world, drinking and gluttony, and said much 
 of mortifying the old man ; in short," Bullinger adds, "the hy- 
 pocrisy was great and manifold."* 
 
 Berchthold Haller, the Zwinglian reformer of Berne, wrote 
 on September 12, 1532, to Bullinger: "They guard themselves 
 of vices and take a strict attitude against them. They come 
 often together and abide strictly by their rules, etc. And thus 
 they make an impression upon the common people."' In other 
 instances also Haller testifies that they avoid sin and vice, while 
 the membership of the national church including even some of 
 those in authority, is quite lukewarm in these matters. "To the: 
 
 3 Kessler, Sabbata, cd. by R. Egli and R. Schoch, pp. 147^ 284. 
 * Bullinger. Der Widertauffer ursprung, pp. 15^, 10». 
 » Ottius, Annales Anobaptistici; p. S5.
 
 Capito's Testimony 45 
 
 Council I have pointed out the cause of this evil," says Haller, 
 "namely, that many a preacher is more intent on serving his 
 own belly than on doing his duty."" To Martin Bucer, Haller 
 
 wrote on August 24, 1534: We realize that the best and 
 
 most upright people are seduced by the Anabaptists."' 
 
 "I confess openly," wrote Wolfgang Capito, "that in most 
 Anabaptists piety and true zeal are in evidence. For what 
 earthly advantage could they hope to win through banishment, 
 torture, and terrible executions? Before God I testify that I 
 can not say that they give their lives because of blindness, but 
 rather from godly motives. You cannot notice in them any 
 passion or excitement. No ; with calmness and astonishing 
 patience they go to their death as confessors of the Christian 
 name."^ "Among the Anabaptists," he writes, September 13, 
 1528, to Ambrosius Blaurer, "I have found good and pious 
 souls, who through mildness might be won back to the fold of 
 Christ." 
 
 The Zwinglian preachers of the Canton of Berne, assem- 
 bled in Zofingen in 1532, wrote to the Council in Berne: Since 
 the Anabaptists have a semblance of outward piety far more 
 than we and all the churches which with us confess Jesus 
 Christ, and since they avoid offensive vices which are common 
 among us, therefore we ask," etc.^ Joachim Vadian, the re- 
 former of St. Gall, testifies: "None were at that time more 
 inclined toward Anabaptism, and entangled with it, than those 
 who were of a pious and upright disposition."" In the discus- 
 sion of Zofingen, 1532, the Zwinglian preachers asserted that 
 the pious were in particular susceptible to Anabaptist influ- 
 ences.^^ 
 
 " Strasser, Dct schtveicerischc Anabaptisiinis zur Zcil dcr Reforma- 
 tion, p. 234. 
 
 ^ Ottius, Annalcs Anahapti-stici, p. 55; De Qncrvain, Kirchliche and 
 soziale Zustacnde in Bern, etc., p. 139. 
 
 * Cornelius, Mucnst. Aufr., part 2, p. 56. 
 
 • McGIothlin Die Berncr Taeufcr vor 1532, p. 36. 
 
 ^^ Vadian. Deutsche historische Schriften, vol. 2, p. 408. 
 11 Handluiig oder Acta gehaltncr Disputation und Gespracch zn 
 Zoffingcn, 1532, p. 19^, 37b. Compare Acta Des Gespraechs. .1538, fol. 29.
 
 ^. ^- r// 
 
 46 Menno Simons 
 
 Christoph Andreas Fischer, the priest of Feklsberg in 
 Austria, wrote in 1603, in his l)Ook 0/ the Cursed Beginnings 
 of flic Anabaptists: 
 
 "Among all the heresies and sects .... which lias ever had 
 a more beautiful appearance and greater outward hohness than 
 the Anabaptists? Other sects, as for example the Calvinists, 
 Lutherans and Zwinglians are for the most part seditious, cruel 
 and {;iven to canial indulgences. Not so the Anabaptists. 
 They call each other brethren and sisters, they use no profanity 
 nor harsh speech, they do not swear, they do not use weapons 
 and in the beginning they did not even carry knives. They are 
 not intcni[)erate in eating and drinking, they do not wear ap- 
 parel which indicates worldly show. They do not go to law 
 before the magistrates ; they bear everything in patience, as 
 they pretend, and in the Holy Ghost. Who would believe that 
 uniier this sheeps clothing are hiding only ravenous wolves 1"" 
 
 Another Catholic theologian in 1582 wrote a book, Against 
 the Terrible Errors of the /inabaptists. He says : 
 
 "Among the various existing sects there is none which in 
 outward appearance leads a more modest, better, or more pious 
 life than the Anabaptists. — As concerns the outward and pub- 
 lic life they are very honest; no lying, deception, swearing, 
 strife, scolding, no intemperate eating anrl drinking, no ostenta- 
 tion is found and discernable among them ; but huiuility, 
 [)atience, faithfulness, meekness, truth, temperance, antl up- 
 rightness in such manner that one would suppose that they had 
 the Holy Spirit of God." Nevertheless this author is of the 
 opinion that there was no more abominable sect than theirs."^' 
 
 Emil Kgli, in his book on the Anabaptists of St. Gall, says: 
 'That their success had its basis in a capable nioral endeavor, 
 could nr)t l)e denied."'^ Paul Tschackert, in his work on the 
 origin of the Lutheran and Zwinglian doctrine, speaks of the 
 Anabaptists as "a voluntary union of Christians for the purpose 
 of exerci.sing the Christian spirit in the love of the brethren. "^"^ 
 
 " Fischer, I' on dcr IVidertauffer I'crfluchlcm Ursprung. fol. A2'J. 
 
 '^ Quoted by I^oserth, Communismus d. tiiachr. IViedertacufcr, p. 90; 
 Rembert, Wiedert. i. Ilerzgt. Juelich, p. 564. 
 
 " Egli, Die St. Caller Taeufer, p. 28; compare Egli, Die Zuricher 
 IVicdcrlacufcr, p. 94. 
 
 i"* Tschackert, Die Entwicklung der lutherischeti und reformierten 
 Kircheulehrr, p. 133.
 
 Testimony of Historians 47 
 
 'In the instance of many of their opinions and principles, these 
 people were in part wrong only in so far as they came three 
 hundred years in advance of their age," says Jiohann Wilhelm 
 Ilaum.^^ 
 
 Alfred Hegler speaks of the high ideals of the Anabap- 
 tists: "Their opposition to all Christianity which had been 
 created by the earthly powers that be, their opposition to all 
 persecution in the matter of faith, the demand for personal 
 holiness, and the real adoption of religious thoughts. "^^ K. W. 
 H. Hochhuth points out that they insisted on the restoration of 
 the primitive Christian life. Gustav Bossert says: "In their 
 religious life they laid weight, not on sublime mysteries, but 
 on striving after holiness."'^ Johann Loserth testifies that they 
 undertook "to restore the unadultered original Christianity."^" 
 C. A. Cornelius and others have expressed themselves to the 
 same effect. "They led for the most part a strict life." says 
 johann Conrad Fuessli, "and gave evidences of uncommon 
 piety, as Bullinger himself testifies concerning them."^** 
 
 "They aimed to organize a Church of consecrated people," 
 writes Abraham Hulshof, "an assembly of Christians who were 
 in real earnest to carry out the requirements of the Gospel. Of 
 those who believed and who were truly converted they endeav- 
 ored to constitute a living Church of Christ in the midst of the 
 world — a church which, separated from the world, would 
 follow Christ in brotherly unison."-^ 
 
 ^' Baum, Capita u. Bucer, p. 371 
 
 1'' Hegler, Geist und Schrift bci Scbastio)i Frauck. p. 3. Comi:are 
 also Mueller, Bernische Taeufer, p. 2. 
 
 '" Blaetter f. IVuertt. Kirchengeschichte, 1897, p. 113. 
 
 '" Loserth, Die JViedrrtaufe in Kiederoestcrreich, etc.. p. 418. 
 
 * Fuessli, Beitracg.% vol. 3, p. 314. 
 
 " Hulshof, Geschicdcnis van de Doopsgczindfn tc Sfraalsbnr,/, p. 245.
 
 IV 
 
 MENNO SIMONS' MOTIVES, AIMS, AND 
 ENDEAVORS 
 
 His Own Testimony. 
 
 Note. — The numbers given after quotations from 
 -ATenno Simons' writings throughout the present book 
 refer to his works, the first reference being to the Folio 
 Edition and the second to the English Works. For ex- 
 ample, in the first quotation on this page the numbers 
 449; 11:249 mean that the reference is to page 449 of the 
 Folio Edition of Menno Simons' Works, printed in 1681, 
 and to part 2, page 249 of the English Complete Works 
 of Mcuno Simons, Elkhart, Indiana, 1871 (a=column 1; 
 l;=:col. 2). In every instance the Dutch original has 
 been followed in preference to the English translation. 
 When the quotations are taken from the original edi- 
 tions in the "Eastern" and Dutcli languages in wliich 
 Menno wrote, the references are given in the notes. 
 
 'T seek and desire from my heart nothing (this He knows 
 who knows all things) but that the glorious name, the divine 
 will and the praise of our Lord Jesus Christ may be made 
 k-nown throughout the world." (449; II :249a). 
 
 "And although our persecutors say that we withdraw from 
 them out of pure wantonness and obstinacy, it is before God 
 who knows the hearts of all, false and unjust. For our separa- 
 tion [from the national churches] has no other cause or motive 
 than that in our great weakness we desire with all our heart to 
 be guided by God's word and commandment." (153; 1:203). 
 
 "We seek and desire only that we might i)oint the whole 
 world (which lieth in wickedness) to the true way. and that
 
 Motives and Aims 49 
 
 many souls may by the Word of the Lord, through His help and 
 power, be won from the dominion of Satan and brought to 
 Christ." (498; 11:302). 
 
 "I strive after nothing but that the God of heaven and 
 earth, through His blessed Son Jesus Christ may have the glory 
 through His blessed word ; that all men may be saved, and that 
 they may awaken in this acceptable time of grace from their 
 deep sleep of sin; that they may lay aside their besetting sins 
 and the damnable works of darkness and put on the armor of 
 light; that they with us by true penitence, true faith, true bap- 
 tism, the true supper, the true ban or discipline, true love, true 
 obedience and consistent life may become a holy Christian 
 church, the assembly and body of Christ." (522; H:328). 
 
 "My only purpose is this that I may be heir of heaven and 
 many others with me. It is therefore unnecessary to use the 
 sword against me. For if I have not the truth, I desire with 
 all my heart to be taught it, as already said. — Again I say: 
 With the Spirit and Word of Christ I desire to overcome or to 
 be overcome. This is my only appeal. But contrary to it, the 
 truth is rejected and false doctrine is defended with the sword " 
 (:i64; 1:214). 
 
 •'This is my only joy and the desire of my heart, that I 
 may extend the borders of the kingdom of God, make known 
 the truth, reprove sin, teach righteousness, feed the hungry 
 souls with the Word of the Lord, lead the stray sheep into the 
 right path, and win many souls for the Lord through His Spirit, 
 power and grace." (50; 1:75). 
 
 "I labor with no other aim than that I may teach repent- 
 ance to the ignorant, sinful world which neither knows nor 
 possesses Christ and His Word, and may lead them to Christ 
 and His doctrine, ordinances and example, that many might be 
 saved. And it is obviously to be seen that many a sinner has 
 amended his sinful, carnal life and accepted an upright, pen- 
 itent, pious life in the fear of his God." (119; I: 162). 
 
 "We seek from our whole heart nothing but that we may 
 effect the salvation of all mankind, and this not only by giving
 
 50 Menno Simons 
 
 our possessions and labor, but also (understand it in an evan- 
 gelical sense) our life and blood." (455; 11:255). 
 
 "They [the true Christians] seek nothing on this earth but 
 tliat they may teach the whole world righteousness, that many 
 may be saved from eternal death through the grace, Spirit, 
 power and word of the Lord, and be won for Christ, and that 
 thus, by God's gracious help, the short time of our earthly life 
 may be improved to the glory of God and the service of our 
 neighbor and at last we may become heirs of eternal bliss." 
 (328; II: 111). 
 
 "In the second place, we seek and desire with yearning 
 ardent hearts, yea at the cost of our life and blood, that the 
 holy gospel of Jesus Christ and His apostles, which alone is the 
 true doctrine and will remain until Jesus Christ will re-appear 
 in the clouds, may be taught and preached throughout all the 
 world, as the Lord Jesus Christ commanded His disciples in the 
 last words which He addressed to them on earth. Matt. 28:19; 
 Mark 16:15." (444; 11:243). 
 
 "Therefore I will not cease, all the days of my life, as far 
 as God, the merciful Father, through His boundless kindness is 
 giving me knowledge, spirit, grace and wisdom, to teach and 
 admonish both verbally and by writing all who seek the truth, 
 that they may awaken while it is yet time and seek the Lord 
 while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near." 
 (454; 11:254). 
 
 "We say with David, T believed, therefore have 1 spoken; 
 I was greatly afflicted' (Ps. 116:10). For since God, the merci- 
 ful Father has granted us poor ones the gift of faith, has be- 
 stowed upon us the Spirit of His love from on high through 
 His Son Jesus Christ, and has besprinkled our hearts with the 
 
 heavenly dew of His love, has awakenerl us from the 
 
 dead anrl brought us to life, has given us a new heart and mind, 
 and nourished us with the bread of life and we thus through 
 His grace founri the pearl of great price, the precious treas- 
 ure, and obtained the ever abiding peace, which we could not 
 obtain through the deceiving doctrine and subtle sophistry and 
 false comforts of the theologians, therefore we earnestly seek.
 
 Motives and Aims 51 
 
 to the extent of our opportunity, to make known and proclaim 
 to all mankind the grace of God which has appeared, and His 
 great love toward us, that they may experience with us the 
 same joy and renewing of spirit and know and taste with all 
 saints how sweet and good and kind the Lord is to whom we 
 have come. 
 
 "To this end we preach as much as opportunity and possi- 
 bility affords, both in day time and by night, in houses and in 
 fields, in forests and wildernesses, in this land and abroad, in 
 prison and bonds, in water, fire and the scaffold, on the gallows, 
 and upon the wheel, before lords and princes, orally and by 
 writing at the risk of possessions and life, as we have done 
 these many years without ceasing. We are not ashamed of the 
 Gospel of the glory of Christ, for we are its living fruit and 
 mightily realize its moving power in our hearts, as may be seen 
 in many places by the patience and willing death of many of 
 our faithful brethren and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. 
 
 "How gladly would we snatch away all mankind from the 
 jaws of hell, deliver them from the chains of their sins, and by 
 the gracious help of God win them for Christ through the Gos- 
 pel of peace; for this is the true nature of love which is of 
 God." (233; HilO). 
 
 "Consider, we pray you, that we can not possibly seek 
 carnal profit in this matter, neither gold, nor silver, nor honor, 
 nor ease, nor long life on earth ; for it must be apparent to 
 you that for this cause all must be sacrificed. We are con- 
 strained to this solely by the love of God and by a sincere faith 
 which diligently heeds all the words of Christ and consecrates 
 itself to God in willing obedience, knowing to a certainty that 
 if we do not yield to Him nor obey in what the mouth of the 
 Lord has commanded, we can not receive nor inherit the heav- 
 tnly blessing and divine promise" (401a; H :195a). 
 
 "If you are of an honest mind, consider well what is our 
 endeavor and aim, and think not that we are so completely de- 
 prived of reason that we walk this narrow way because of con- 
 tentiousness and partisanship. O how gladly should we spare
 
 52 Menno Simons 
 
 our weak bodies, our wives and small children, our possessions- 
 and lives, and live in peace and tranquility, if we were not con- 
 strained by the love of God and the salvation of your souls- 
 and our own." (286a; II :67a). 
 
 I doubt not that if those who now assiduously seek my life, 
 could see my inmost heart, their hatred against me and my 
 brethren would be changed into friendly love^ to us." (444a;. 
 II :243a). 
 
 1 The Folio Edition of Menno Simons' works has vreemdelijcke 
 litfde, but the original edition has (Cc6a) vricndUckc which is obviously 
 the correct reading. On the other hand, instances could be given that 
 typographical errors in original editions were corrected in the Folio Edi- 
 tion, c. g. the Book on Baptism of 1539 has (Ba) goctivilligher sondaren 
 while the Folio Edition has correctly moetwilUgen.
 
 MENNO'S LABORS IN THE NETHERLANDS 
 
 Before the end of the year 1536 we find Menno in East 
 Friesland, Germany. Peter Jans of Blanckenham, who was be- 
 headed in June 1540 at Kampen/ testified that he was baptized 
 by Menno Simons in 1536 at Oldersum in East Friesland. 
 Presumably Menno returned soon to Groningen or West Fries- 
 land. On January 8, 1539, Tjard Reynders of Kimswerd in 
 West Friesland was executed because he had received Menno 
 Simons into his house and had himself been baptized. 
 
 "About the year 1539," writes Menno, "a very pious and 
 God-fearing man named Tjard Reynders was apprehended in 
 the place where I sojourned, for the reason that he had received 
 me, a homeless man, out of compassion and love, into his house, 
 although in secret. A short time after this he was, after a free 
 confession of his faith, executed and broken on the wheel as a 
 valiant soldier of Christ, according to the example of his Lord, 
 although he had the testimony, even of his enemies, that he 
 was an unblamable and pious man."^ 
 
 Concerning Menno Simons' early labors in West Friesland 
 we have an important testimony in a letter written in May 
 1541 by the imperial counsellors in that province to the regent 
 
 1 D. B., 1875, p. 65. 
 
 ' 234. 11:11. Compare Van Braght, p. 438. K. Vos {Menno Simons, 
 p. 41) alleges that Tjard Reynders had, according to Jan van Batenburg's 
 testimony at an earlier date "burned a women's cloister in West Fries- 
 land at the Woulden." Batenburg simply says, there was a report to 
 that effect. It is clear from his confession that Batenburg was not con- 
 vinced of the correctness of this evil report. Compare De Hullu. J., 
 Bescheiden bctr. de Henorming in Overijssel, p. 247.
 
 54 Menno Simons 
 
 of the Netherlands, Mary, the former Queen of Hungary. 
 This letter' which is preserved in the royal archives at Brussels 
 and is here published for the tirst time in the English language, 
 ib as follows : 
 
 "Most serene, right honorable, most mighty Queen, most 
 gracious Lady. We offer ourselves as humbly as we can for 
 "Vour Majesty's service. Most gracious Lady, although the 
 error of the cursed sect of the Anabaptists which in the last 
 five or six years has very strongly prevailed in this land of 
 Friesland, but now — the Lord be praised — through the pub- 
 lication of divers placards and through executions which have 
 been carried into effect against transgressors of that sort, this 
 sect would doubtless be and remain extirpated, were it not that 
 a former priest Menne Symonsz who is one of the principal 
 leaders of the aforesaid sect and about three or four years ago 
 became fugitive, has roved about since that time once or twice 
 a year in these parts and has misled many simple and innocent 
 people. To seize and apprehend this man we have offered a 
 large sum of money, but until now with no success. Therefore 
 we have entertained the thought of offering and promising par- 
 don and mercy to a few who have been misled [by the Anabap- 
 tists] and who desire grace [having recanted their faith] if 
 they would bring about the imprisonment of the said Menno 
 Symons. However we would not be so bold as to do this our- 
 selves but desire first to advise Your Majesty of it, praying to 
 he informed of Your Majesty's good pleasure and command 
 which we, to the extent of our power, are willing and ready to 
 carry out, as knows God Almighty. May He long spare Your 
 Majesty in good health and happy reign. Written at Leeu- 
 warden on the nineteenth day of Alay, 1541. Your Majesty's 
 very humble and obedient servants, the counsellors ordained of 
 the Iniperial Majesty in Friesland." 
 
 The civil authorities of West Friesland believed, as is 
 -hown by this letter, that the church in those parts would have 
 l-een extirpated, had it not been for the labors of Afenno 
 Simons. This document shows also that the Anabaptists were 
 considered guilty of death, even if they recanted. I'he imperial 
 counsellors in this letter asked the queen for ])ermission to re- 
 lease a few apostate Anabaptists on the condition that they be- 
 
 » Printed in D. B., 1864, p. 138 scq.
 
 No Traitor Found 55 
 
 tray Menno Simons into the hands of the authorities. The 
 reply of the queen bears the date of May 31, 1541. The queen 
 had no objection to the plan of the counsellors provided that 
 not over two of such who had been rebaptized should be given 
 their liberty and this on the condition that "they were truly 
 penitent and pledged themselves to report to the authorities all 
 Anabaptists whom they might at any later time find in Fries- 
 land." Here as well as in certain German provinces all Ana- 
 baptists who fell into the hands of the authorities were as a 
 rule executed, even if they denied their faith. As early as 1527 
 the Duke of Bavaria gave orders to burn those w-ho refused to 
 recant and behead those who recanted. 
 
 The plan of apprehending Menno Simons by employing 
 traitors of that sort was not successful. The poor men who 
 permitted the executioners to convert them to the national 
 faith, professed that faith, as a rule, only as long as they found 
 themselves in the clutches of the persecutors. Notwithstanding 
 the extraordinary measures taken by the government to arrest 
 Menno Simons, he continued his labors in West Friesland for 
 some time. The "Criminal Sentence Book" of Leeu warden, 
 in a document dated Nov. 14, 1542, contains the confession of 
 a brother named Sjouck Hayes, to the effect that Menno 
 Simons in the same year had preached in a field not far from 
 th€ city of Leeuwarden."* 
 
 Emperor Charles V published a severe edict against Menno 
 Simons, on Dec. 7, 1542.= This important documeni which 
 here follows shows vividly the untold difficulties and dangers 
 under which Menno labored. 
 
 By the Emperor. 
 
 "To our worthy, beloved Mayors, Jurors, and Counsellors, 
 etc., of our city of Leeuwarden, Greeting: — 
 
 "Whereas, it has come to our knowledge and we have fully 
 
 * D. B., 1906, p. 4. 
 
 • Reprinted D. B., 1864, p. 144 seq., and Vo8, Menno Simons, pp. 
 335-238.
 
 56 Menno Simons 
 
 ascertained that a [former] priest, Menno Symonss, formerly 
 pastor at W'itmarsum in our land of Friesland, being polluted 
 with Anabaptism and other false teachings, had departed out 
 of the said land, but we have now obtained trustworthy infor- 
 mation that he has again secretly returned into our aforesaid 
 land where he is now sojourning, endeavoring at night and 
 other unseasonable times and in divers places to seduce by his 
 false teachings and sermons the simple people, our subjects, and 
 to lead them away from the faith and unity of the Holy 
 Church ; and that he also has undertaken to make a few books 
 treating on his aforesaid erroneous teachings, and to circulate 
 and scatter the same among our aforesaid subjects, which he 
 has no right to do and we can not tolerate the same; 
 
 "Therefore, to take appropriate steps in this matter, we 
 ordain and command herewith, that you everywhere in your 
 jurisdiction, do publish, cry out and proclaim in the places 
 where such matters are usually brought to the knowledge of the 
 public, that every one in our aforesaid land, of whatever station 
 he may be, should be on his guard, not to receive the same 
 IMinne Symonss into his house or on his property, or to give 
 him shelter, or food, or drink, or to accord him any favor or 
 help, or to speak or converse with him, in whatever manner or 
 place it may be, or to accept or keep in possession any of the 
 aforesaid books published by the same Minne, or any other 
 books that he may publish at any future time — all on penalty 
 of punishment on life and property, as heretics, as may be 
 found due according to the law and our previous placards ; 
 
 "And further that we have permitted and authorized every 
 one of our subjects, whoever he may be, and permit and further 
 authorize through this decree, that they may apprehend the 
 same Minne wh.erever they may be able to find him, no place or 
 jurisdiction excepted, and send him captive to our court in 
 Friesland ; for which they, in case they accomplish this, shall 
 receive for a recompense, besides the expenses they mav have 
 incurred in this matter, the sum of one hundred golden Karolus 
 gulden, which shall be paid them by our General Treasurer of 
 Friesland without any hesitancy. 
 
 "To him who may unrlertake and accomplish this work, we 
 decree and promise grace and pardon regarding that which he 
 may have committed against us in the matter of Anabaptism or 
 other heresy, or in lesser crimes, on condition, in case he was 
 polluted by Anabaptism or other heresies, that he rejjent of the 
 same anfj come again to the unity of the holy Church. 
 
 "In the same manner we most earnestly command, on pain
 
 An Imperial Decree 57 
 
 of the most j^rievous penalties, that ye do the utmost diligence 
 to investigate and inquire concerning the said ]\Iinne among 
 his followers and adherents who may be apprehended anywhere 
 within your jurisdiction and, together with such information as 
 ye may obtain, to send them as prisoners to our aforesaid court, 
 that they may be dealt with according to their deserts. 
 
 "We hereby also give authority and special command to 
 you and all our subjects, in whatever jurisdiction it may be 
 found possible to apprehend him, to be guided by the instruc- 
 tions above given ; we bid and command every person as re- 
 gards the above said capture [of Menno] to put forth their 
 united efforts and render all help and assistance that may be 
 asked of them toward that end. In doing this they will incur 
 our pleasure. 
 
 "Given in our city of Leeuw^arden under our secret seal, 
 published as a placard, on the seventh day of December of the 
 year 1542. 
 
 "By the Emperor to his Majesty's Stadtholder, President 
 and Counsellors in Friesland. 
 
 (Signed) Boeymer. 
 
 "Received on December thirteenth and published on the 
 fourteenth day of the same month." 
 
 In the perusal of this important decree, it will be noticed 
 that Menno Simons is not accused of crime except heresy, 
 "Anabaptism." In the eyes of the Catholic Emperor this was 
 the greatest of crimes. Grace and pardon is promised to x\na- 
 baptists who recant and come back into the national church and 
 to those who are guilty "of lesser crimes," if they deliver up 
 Menno Simons to the authorities. The expression, "lesser 
 crimes," has reference to any crime in the catalogue, since 
 "Anabaptism" was considered a greater "vice" than anything 
 else. Hence Menno says correctly that the worst criminals 
 were offered pardon if they would deliver him up to the magis- 
 trates.*' The edict also shows that all those of like faith with 
 Menno Simons were "sought unto death." And not only those 
 who rendered him any service whatever or talked with him, 
 but also those in whose possession any of his writings were 
 
 "224. 11:11. Compare Van Braght, pp. 438, 449. The expression 
 "the crime of Anabaptism" occurs in various edicts.
 
 58 Menno Simons 
 
 found/ were threatened with the severest penalties ''in life and 
 property." That he preached at night, as said in the edict, 
 Menno did not deny, but in his defence against Gellius Faber 
 he points out that, notwithstanding the persecution, he preadied 
 more in day-time than at night. 
 
 There is unmistakable evidence of Menno Simons' labors 
 in that period in West Friesland. Nevertheless, it is probable 
 that in the first years after his ordination the principal field for 
 his ministerial labors was the province of Groningen, including 
 the city of the same name, located between West and East 
 Friesland. In Groningen he baptized, in 1539, Quirinus Peters, 
 who later went to Amsterdam, and, with five others, was 
 burned at the stake, April 16, 1545.® Of those who were bap- 
 tized by Menno in this province — their number was presum- 
 ably large — this martyr is the only one whose name has come 
 down to us. 
 
 In 1541 Menno Simons went to Amsterdam. Shortly be- 
 fore he left the eastern parts of the Netherlands, he wrote a 
 tract, A Lofing Admonition in which after many noteworttiy 
 exhortations he says : 
 
 "And above all pray for your poor and willing minister 
 who is sought with great diligence to be delivered up to death, 
 that God, the gracious Father, may strengthen him with His holy 
 Spirit and save him from the hands of those who so unjustly 
 seek his life, if it be His Fatherly will; and if it be not His 
 will, that He may then grant him in all tribulation, torture, suf- 
 fering, persecution and death such heart, mind, wisdom and 
 strength," etc' 
 
 From 1541 to 1543 Menno Simons stayed mostly in Am- 
 sterdam and North Holland. The names of two brethren are 
 known whom he baptized at Amsterdam, namely the aged 
 
 ' To have a book of Menno Simons was made a crime. This ctc- 
 plains why in one of the earliest books of Menno, a copy of the Faundm- 
 tioH of 1539 now ih the Mennonite Library at Amsterdam, the name of 
 the autlior is erased and "Dirk Jans" written in its place. It is not 
 known who was the owner of this book. 
 
 » Van Braght, p. 457. 
 
 » 637; 11:448.
 
 The "Foundation" 50 
 
 Lukas Lamberts and the book-seller Jan Claeszoon (Claa«sen). 
 Both suffered martyrdom on Jan. 19, 1544.^° Claeszoon was a 
 minister of the Gospel and made it his business to circulate 
 Menno's writings. The meetings of the congregation in Ar»- 
 stcrdam were held in his house. The martyr Claes Gerbrands 
 who was burned at the stake at Wormer, Ai^. 6, 1552/^ testi- 
 fied that he heard Menno Simons preach in Amster«dam (prob- 
 ably previous to 1543). 
 
 In the period of Menno Simons' labors in the Netherlands 
 he wrote a number of books. The Foundation of the Chris- 
 tian Doctrine is among them the most important. It was print- 
 ed in 1539 or 1540, the title page beariug the first and the last 
 page the second date. Only two copies of this edition are ex- 
 tant. This book was revised and partly rewritten by Menno 
 Simons and published about 1554 under the title A Foundation 
 and Plain Instruction of the Saving Doctrine of Jesus Christ. 
 The revision has been often printed in Dutch, German and 
 English, four German editions and one English having been 
 published in Pennsylvania. The original edition of 1539 was 
 reprinted unchanged in 1616. At least three copies of this 
 reprint are in American libraries. ^- 
 
 In the preface Menno says that he has set forth the faitli 
 and principles of the brotherhood. "We ask the God-fearing 
 governments and all men to read and consider the exposition of 
 our faith, that they at last may know for what teachings we 
 stand and why we daily suffer persecution, are banished. ''plun- 
 dered, abused and killed as innocent sheep for the slaughter. 
 
 In all humility we desire most earnestly that ve may thoroughly 
 mvestigate and learn the summary of our cause amd doctrine. 
 We pray you not to esteem us worse than thieves and murder- 
 ers whose case ye diligently examine before ye execute or 
 banish them. That for which we are made to suffer is not a 
 small matter; it does not concern earthlv possessions, not name 
 ©r reputation, nothing merely temporal and earthly, but it con- 
 
 " D. B., 1864, p. W^\ Van Bnu/ht, p. 451. 
 
 " Van Braght. p. 515. 
 
 '2 In tlie library of Hon. Samuel W. Pennypacker, Schwenksville. 
 Pa., of Rochester Theological Seminary, Rochester. N. Y.. and Union 
 Theological Seminary, New York.
 
 60 Menno Simons 
 
 cerns God and His word, eternal life or eternal death. There- 
 fore in considering these matters, do not look upon long usages 
 and customs of the fathers, not upon the wise and learned of 
 this world ; the matter is deeply hidden from their eyes. — No 
 one may discern it except he who desires to live according to 
 the will of God (John 7:17). — Look, we pray you, only upon 
 God's word and doctrines, upon the example and practice of the 
 prophets, Christ and the apostles ; let them be your rule of con- 
 duct and book of counsel in these matters and you shall forth- 
 with begin to see whether we are without or within the truth."^' 
 
 In the chapter "On True Penitence" Menno says : 
 "In short, this is the principal part of our doctrine, namely 
 to 'abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul' (I 
 Pet. 2:11), to 'crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts' 
 (Gal. 5:24), to 'be not conformed to this world' (Rom. 12:2), 
 to 'cast off the works of darkness' and 'put on the armour of 
 light' (Rom. 13:12), to 'love not the world neither the things 
 that are in the world' (I John 2:15), to 'put oflf the old man' 
 and 'put on the new man which after God is created in right- 
 eousness and true holiness' (Eph. 4:22-24), namely faith, love, 
 hope, righteousness, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost, readiness to 
 bear the cross, generosity, mercy, chastity, sobriety, an earnest 
 hatred and reproving of sin and a true favor and love to God 
 and His blessed word."^^ 
 
 "O dear honorable lords" says Menno in the conclusion to 
 this book, "grant to your humble servants that we may teach 
 and live according to the will and according to the Gospel of 
 Jesus Christ, as His holy, blessed word has taught and com- 
 manded us. — There is verily no other instruction to eternal life 
 than God's word alone. "^^ 
 
 Another important book of this period is Christian Bap- 
 tism, 1539.'" The book Of the True Christian Faith and its 
 Fozi'cr a])peared probably in 1541. It was never reprinted in 
 its original form but was revised and partly rewritten and pub- 
 lished in 1556 with some changes in the title. The original 
 
 '3 Dat fiDidamott dcs Christelykcn leers, fol. A3a seq. 
 
 1* The same. B4a. 
 
 15 Ihe same. 56*. 
 
 1" Of the original i)rii)t two copies are known (in tlie libraries of 
 the university of Kiel and of Juniata College). A third copy which was 
 used by Elder John Holdeman, Jasper, Mo., has not yet been found.
 
 His Important Services 61 
 
 print was supposed to be lost, but a defective copy was found a 
 few years ago at Kiel; only one complete copy is known and 
 this IS in America.^^ All later prints follow the revision of 
 15:)6 which differs largely from the first edition. The purpose 
 of this book is, so Menno informs us in the preface, to point 
 out that the body whom he represented were "not legalists and 
 do not put undue emphasis on works, neither refuse to give that 
 which is most important, its rightful place," as they were 
 "slandered of all the world" and especially of "the learned."i« 
 The fact that the accusation of legalism against Menno and his 
 friends has only recently been re-asserted^» is evidence of the 
 importance of this book. Extensive quotations on the point in 
 question will be given elsewhere. 
 
 Menno Simons' most notable co-laborers in the earlier 
 years of his ministry were Obbe and Dirk Philips. Obbe 
 Philips' eventual withdrawal from the Brethren (probably in 
 1541) has already been mentioned. When he forsook the 
 brotherhood, Menno Simons, it has been supposed, decided to 
 become his successor as the leader of the Brethren and thus the 
 further existence of the Brotherhood was assured.^" While it 
 •can not for a moment be questioned that Menno Simons ren- 
 dered the Brotherhood in the Netherlands and North Germany 
 -services whose importance can be scarcely overvalued, the as- 
 sumption that without his labors the denomination would have 
 perished has all probability against itself. Menno Simons was 
 by no means the only leader of the Brethren in this trying 
 
 '^ In the library of Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania It 
 IS bound together with two other original prints of Menno, namely the 
 Christian Baptism and The Reasons why Menno Simons Continues to 
 M rite An identical volume, containing these three books (one incom- 
 plete) IS at Kiel. The two books here named were later reprinted in 
 ■their original form. 
 
 '^'^ Uan dat rcchtc Christen Ghelooue ende zijn cracht, fol. B7b. 
 
 1" E. g. by W. J. Kiihler, llet Socianisnie in Nederlan'd, p 43- Men- 
 no and h>s^ followers "found themselves altogether upon the standpoint 
 ■ot the law. (Compare also p. 44 of the same book). 
 
 2" Vos, McHiw Simons, p. 35.
 
 62 Menno Simons 
 
 period. Dirk Philips, the noted co-laborer with both his brother 
 Obbe and with Menno, was a man of strong convictions; as a 
 positive character he was second to neither. Clearly Obbe 
 Riilipg lost his former influence before he drew back and re- 
 nounced the Brotherhood. This is evident from the noteworthy 
 fact that the number of his followers was very small when he 
 severed his connection with the Brethren. Menno Simons in- 
 forms us in 1554 that not ten persons could be found who were 
 of one mind with him.
 
 VI 
 
 THE DIFFICULTIES UNDER WHICH MENNO 
 SIMONS LABORED 
 
 His Own Testimony 
 
 "Yes, dear reader, the true Christian faith, as the Scrip- 
 ture requires, is so Hving, active and powerful with all those 
 who through the grace of the Lord have rightly received it, 
 that they, for the word and testimony of the Lord, do not 
 hesitate to forsake father and mother, wife and children, money 
 and possessions, to suffer all scorn and disgrace, hardships and 
 dangers, and finally to have their poor weak bodies which are 
 so fearful of suffering, burned at the stake, as may be frequent- 
 ly seen and observed in the instances of so very many people 
 and faithful witnesses of Jesus, especially in these our Nether- 
 lands. 
 
 "Alas ! how many did I formerly know, and know the 
 greater part of them now, both men and women, servants and 
 maids (would to God that they be increased, to His praise and 
 to the salvation of all the world, to many hundred thousand) 
 who from the inmost of their souls seek Christ and His word 
 and lead a pious, unblamable life (yet ever in weakness) before 
 God and all men ; they are sincere and sound in doctrine, un- 
 blamable, I say, in their life, full of the fear and love of God, 
 helpful to everyone, merciful, compassionate, humble, sober, 
 chaste, not refractory or seditious, but quiet and peaceable, 
 obedient to the government in all things that are not contrary 
 to God ; and yet, they have for a number of years seldom 
 slept on their own beds and do not now. For they are hated of
 
 64 Menno Simons 
 
 the world in such a measure that they are persecuted without 
 mercy, betrayed, apprehended, exiled and robbed of their prop- 
 erty and Hfe, hke highway men, thieves and murderers. And 
 this for no other reason than only that they out of true fear of 
 God, do not dare to have a part in the abominable carnal life 
 nor the cursed shameful idolatry of this blind world." (115b; 
 1:158). 
 
 "The said doctrine of the holy divine Word we have had 
 in the German countries for many years, and have it daily more 
 and more in such power and clearness that it is palpable and 
 evident that it is the finger and the work of God. For the 
 haughty become humble, the avaricious liberal, the drunkards 
 sober, the unchaste pure, etc. For the word of God is accepted 
 of them with such assurance that they do not hesitate to for- 
 sake father and mother, husband, wife and children, their pos- 
 sessions and life on account of it, and willingly sufifer death. 
 For many are burned at the stake, many drowned, many exe- 
 cuted with the sword, many imprisoned, exiled and their prop- 
 erty confiscated. Nevertheless all avails nothing with the ob- 
 durate persecutors. If it is only said, when a poor innocent one 
 of the sheepfold of the Lord has been slaughtered, 'He is an 
 Anabaptist,' it is believed sufficient. They do not inquire 
 what proof and Scriptural grounds he had, of what nature his 
 conduct and life was, whether he injured any one or not. 
 Neither do they reflect or consider that it must be a special 
 work and power .... to cause a man to suffer unspeakable 
 infamy and shame, great persecution and misery and often 
 death, as you may see. 
 
 "If a thief is led to the gallows, a murderer is broken upon 
 the wheel, or another malefactor punished by an uncommonly 
 painful manner of death, everyone inquires what he has done. 
 The sentence is not pronounced as long as the judges do not 
 fully understand the facts and know the truth concerning his 
 evil deeds. But whenever an innocent contrite Christian whom 
 the gracious Lord has rescued from the evil, wicked ways of 
 sin and brought U])on the way of peace, is accused by the
 
 The Persecution 65 
 
 priests and preachers and brought before their court, they do 
 not consider him worthy to really investigate what reasons and 
 Scripture move him that he will no longer listen to the priests 
 and preachers .... they do not desire to know why he has 
 mended his life and received the baptism of Christ, or what 
 may be his motive that he is willing to suffer and die for his 
 faith. They only ask whether he is baptized. If the answer is 
 in the affirmative the sentence is fixed and he must die." (108b; 
 1 : 149b) 
 
 "However lamentably we may here be persecuted, op- 
 pressed, smitten, robbed, burned at the stake, drowned in the 
 water by the hellish Pharaoh and his cruel, unmerciful ser- 
 vants, yet soon shall come the day of our refreshing and all the 
 tears shall be wiped from our eyes and we shall be arrayed in 
 the white silken robes of righteousness, follow the Lamb, and 
 with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob sit down in the kingdom of 
 God and possess the precious, pleasant land of eternal, im- 
 perishable joy. Praise God and lift up your heads, ye who 
 suffer for Jesus' sake ; the time is near when ye shall hear, 
 'Come ye blessed' and ye shall rejoice with Him for evennore." 
 (87b; I; 122b) 
 
 "We poor, homeless people, deprived of all human assist- 
 ance and consolation, who like innocent shepherdless sheep have 
 become a prey to the roaring lions of the forest and the de- 
 vouring beasts of the field, a spectacle and reproach to the 
 whole world, who have to suffer daily the tyrannical sword of 
 the lords and princes, hear and endure the inhuman revilings 
 and abuses of the learned and the terrible lying and scoffing of 
 the common people, we humbly beg and entreat the Imperial 
 Majesty, kings, lords, princes, authorities, and officers, everyone 
 in his calling, dignity and honor, all our beloved gracious rulers, 
 we beg you through the deep and bloody wounds of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, that you but once lay aside all displeasure and 
 evil opinion concerning us, and with sincere pity take to heart 
 the inhuman severe oppression, homelessness, need, cross, and 
 martyrdom of your distressed and innocent servants. For the
 
 66 Menno Simons 
 
 great Lord before whom we stand, who is the searcher of all 
 hearts and before whose eyes all things are open and revealed, 
 knows that we seek nothing else upon this earth than that we 
 with a good conscience may order our lives in accordance with 
 His holy commandments, ordinances, word and will. 
 
 "We ask you to show somewhat of natural probity and 
 human charity towards your subjects, and consider in your 
 hearts that we homeless, forsaken people in our body are neith- 
 er wood nor stone, but we are with you descended from one 
 father, Adam, and born of one mother, Eve. — Examine, I say, 
 our doctrine and teaching and you will, through God's grace 
 find that they are the pure, unadulterated doctrines of Christ, 
 the holy word, the word of eternal peace. 
 
 "O ye beloved sirs, put your sword into the sheath .... 
 It is indeed a terrible abomination and a mad wickedness thus 
 miserably to murder, destroy and kill those who with so zealous 
 hearts fear the Lord and seek eternal life and who would injure 
 no one in any way whatever. The death of His saints, says 
 David, is precious in the sight of the Lord. It is Jesus of 
 Nazareth whom you persecute, and not us (Acts 9:5). There- 
 fore awake, forbear, fear God and God's word ; for you and 
 we shall all be called to appear before one Judge. 
 
 "We do not ask for favors as the evil-doers of this world 
 do ; for in this our doctrine, faith and practice we have not 
 sinned, although we are called upon to sufifer so much. But we 
 resist only the doctrine, ordinances and life of Antichrist, and 
 this with the v/cjrd of the Lord, as contained in the Scriptures. 
 We resist neither the emperor, nor king, nor any authority in 
 the things to which they are called of God, but we are ready 
 to all obedience, even to death, in all that is not against God 
 and God's word, and wc know witiiout any doubt what the 
 Scriptures enjoin upon us in regard to obedience to magistrates. 
 But we ask for mercy sufficient that under your gracious pro- 
 lection we may in liberty of our conscience live, teach, labor, 
 and serve the Lord." (10; 1:22). 
 
 "We are poor jiilgrims and strangers, miserable according 
 to the flesh, who not on account of any crime but for the testi-
 
 God's Word Forbidden 67 
 
 mony of Jesus and for conscience' sake must flee with our wives 
 and children before the tyrannical, bloody sword, to save our 
 lives, and thus in foreign countries, in anxiety and tribulation, 
 hearing many scornful and abusive words, earn our bread." 
 (510; 11:315) 
 
 "Yea, it has come to this (may God make it better) that 
 where four or five, ten or twenty, have met in the name of the 
 Lord, to speak of the word of the Lx)rd and to do His -vtork, in 
 whose midst Christ is, who fear God with all their heart and 
 lead a pious, unblamable life before all the world, that if they 
 are caught at a meeting or if accusation is brought against 
 them, they must be delivered up to be burned at the stake, or 
 drowned in the water. But those who meet in the name of 
 Belial .... in public houses of ill fame, play-houses, fencing- 
 schools and the accursed drunken taverns, who live in open dis- 
 grace and act wickedly against God's word, such live in all 
 freedom and peace. — 
 
 "T do not esteem my life to be better than the beloved men 
 of God did their lives. I can be deprived of nothing except 
 this perishable mortal flesh which at some time m,ust die and 
 return to dust (even if I should live to the age of Methuselah). 
 A hair shall not fall from my head without the will of my 
 heavenly Father. If I lose my life for the sake of Christ and 
 His testimony, and on account of my sincere love to my neigh- 
 bor (in whose salvation I am interested) I know of a certainty 
 that I shall save it to life eternal. Therefore I can not keep 
 the truth to myself, but I must testify to it and set it forth 
 without hypocrisy in the true fear of God, to my beloved lords." 
 (53a; 1 :78b). 
 
 "We seek not your destruction, but your amendment ; not 
 your condemnation but your eternal salvation ; we seek not 
 your lives, but your spirit and soul; on account of which I 
 have these seven years been made to suffer and do yet suflfer 
 great slander and scorn, anxiety, hardship, persecution and very 
 great danger of imprisonment. — Up to this hour I could in all 
 these countries round about (where, alas, they have for a long
 
 68 Menno Simons 
 
 time had vain boasting of the divine word, far more than fear 
 of God) not obtain a little hut nor a cabin of clay or straw 
 where my poor wife with our little children might safely so- 
 journ for a half a year or a year. O cruel, unmerciful Chris- 
 tians!" (521; II :327b). 
 
 "We seek upon earth nothing but that we humbly and 
 faithfully in our great weakness may obediently follow the 
 express and clear word, Spirit, example, command, prohibition, 
 usage and ordinance of the Lord according to which everything 
 must be ordered in the kingdom and church of Christ, as is 
 testified and shown on every hand by our tribulation, oppres- 
 sion, homelessness, anxiety, loss of property and life. There- 
 fore it is before God and man un-Christian, nay manifestly 
 tyrannical and unjust, to impose on us the penalty and punish- 
 ment which was laid on the Circumcelliones, alone for the sake 
 of baptism which we have so strongly defended with the word 
 of God and the teaching and usage of the apostles against all 
 human philosophy and inventions. 
 
 "In the first place we would therefore humbly beseech 
 your Excellencies to consider for Christ's sake in pity and 
 paternal solicitude how lamentably we, your suffering subjects, 
 who however were created with you by one Go cl, and purchased 
 with the same treasure, and who will at last appear with you 
 before the same Judge, are without cause belied, derided and 
 slandered by the whole world and especially by the theologians, 
 and how in some places they are without compassion and mercy 
 put to death and left for the birds of the air to devour as the 
 worst people upon the earth ; how they, as our predecessor, 
 Christ, are with the criminals put to the stake and to the wheel. 
 in consequence of which some of us, with our wives and little 
 children, have been robbed of our possessions, inheritance and 
 property acquired by hard work, and must roam in foreign 
 countries unclothed and destitute, and this for no other reason, 
 the Lord knows, than that we do not approve of the inordinate 
 life of this world and do not make common cause with the 
 preachers who by their doctrine, sacraments and life contradict 
 the word of the Lord; for no other reason than that we rightly
 
 Suffering for the Faith 69 
 
 -use the Lord's baptism and supper, shun according to the 
 Scriptures all idolatry, self-righteousness, and abuses; and that 
 we in our great weakness are minded to fear the Lord and 
 follow righteousness. 
 
 "Inasmuch as it is found in fact and in truth that our 
 faithful brethren and sisters in Christ Jesus, the beloved com- 
 panions in the tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of 
 Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:9), so sincerely fear and love the Lord, 
 their God, that rather than knowingly and wilfully speak a 
 false word [denying that they were baptized] or to act hypo- 
 critically contrary to God's word [keeping themselves against 
 their convictions outwardly in the state church in order to shun 
 persecution] ; they would give their good name, reputation, as 
 well as their money, goods, bodies, and everything of which 
 human nature may be desirous, as a prey to the blood-thirsty; 
 therefore we would leave it to the judgment of your Excellen- 
 cies and Honors, whether they are such pernicious, evil people 
 as, alas, they are called by many, and generally adjudged. 
 
 "They seek nothing on this earth but that they, as much 
 as lieth in them, serve the whole world unto righteousness and 
 that they through the grace, Spirit, power and word of the 
 Lord may save many from eternal destruction and win them 
 unto Christ ; that they may thus, with the gracious help of God, 
 improve the short time of their earthly existence in the service 
 of their neighbor, to the praise of God in Christ Jesus, and be 
 eternally saved. If this is to be called heresy and devilish 
 deceit, as the preachers cry, then the Son of God, Christ Jesus 
 together with all the prophets, apostles and high witnesses of 
 God would clearly be heretics ; and then all the Scriptures, 
 which teach nothing but amendment of life and everywhere 
 point us to Christ, must be nothing than seducement and deceit; 
 this is incontrovertible. For they conform themselves in all that 
 they do, as much as lieth in them, to the word, spirit, life, com- 
 mands, prohibitions, ordinances and usages of the Lord, as their 
 open actions indicate and testify before all the world. 
 
 "O beloved lords, we beseech you, not to despise our reas- 
 onable and Christian petition, but to consider it in love. — It
 
 70 Menno Simons 
 
 is to us no joking matter or quibble, but we mean from our 
 whole heart what we say, as our sore persecutions indicate and 
 testify." (327; 11:109) 
 
 Against the accusations, "that we are rebellious and would 
 take cities and countries by force of arms, if we had the pow- 
 er," Menno says: "I, a poor, homeless man (dear reader, think 
 not that I say this from motives of vain honor) have for about 
 seventeen years in my weakness feared the Lord and served my 
 neighbor in much misery, anxiety, tribulation and grief. I have 
 without complaint born the reproach and cross of the Lord and 
 I trust by His grace I will continue to bear it to the end, and 
 to testify by tongue and writing, life and death with a good 
 conscience to His holy, beloved word, will and ordinance, as 
 much as is in me — and should I then yet at heart be a dis- 
 turbing, rebellious, vengeful and bloody murderer? May the 
 Most High save His poor servant from that! 
 
 "Again in Brabant, Flanders, Friesland and Gelders the 
 God-fearing, pious people are daily innocently led to the slaugh- 
 ter and inhumanly martyrized with great, grievous tyranny. 
 Their hearts are full of spirit and strength ; their mouths flow 
 as the rivulets ; their fruits scent like the sacred spices ; their 
 doctrine is well founded and their life unblamable. Neither 
 emperor or king, fire nor sword, life nor death may frighten 
 them or separate them from the word of the Lord. (Marginal 
 note : A true, consecrated Christian is an unconquerable knight ; 
 yea he is stronger than emperor or king). And should their 
 hearts yet be entangled with bitterness, rebellion, vengeance, 
 robbery, hatred and blood-shed? Then indeed there would be 
 much vain suffering." (503; 11:307 seq.) 
 
 "No lie is so disgraceful and gross, that they dare not 
 bring against those who fear God. — And these unchristian, 
 terrible lies are not enough for the world, but they who know 
 Christ and would willingly live after His word must endure 
 harder things; they must bear severer persecution, as we 
 witness with our own eyes. For how many pious children of 
 God have they for the testimony of God and their conscience' 
 sake within a few years deprived of their homes and posses-
 
 Manner of Persecution 71 
 
 sions, have confiscated their needed property, and committed it 
 to the bottomless money chests of the Emperor; how many 
 have they betrayed, driven out of cities and countries and put 
 them to the stocks and torture, turning the poor orphans naked 
 into the streets. Some they have hanged, some they have tor- 
 tured v^ith inhuman tyranny and afterwards choked them with 
 cords on the stake. Some they roasted and burned alive. — 
 Some they have killed with the sword and given them to the 
 fowls of the air to devour. Some they have cast to the fishes ; 
 some had their houses destroyed ; some have been cast into 
 slimy bogs. Some had their feet cut oflf, one of whom I have 
 seen and conversed with. Others wander about here and there, 
 in want, homelessness and affliction in mountains and deserts, 
 in holes and caves of the earth, as Paul says. They must flee 
 with their wives and little children from one country to another, 
 from one city to another. They are hated, abused, slandered 
 and belied by all men. By the theologians and magistrates they 
 are denounced. They are deprived of their food, are driven 
 forth in the cold winter and pointed at with the finger of scorn ; 
 yea whoever can assist in the persecution of the poor oppressed 
 Christians, thinks he has done God service, as Christ says, 
 John 16:2." (147a; I: 196a) 
 
 Under the marginal title "Judging the Christians' cause 
 according to the flesh, it seems to be a great seduction," Menno 
 says: "Again our persecutors advance an excuse, saying it is 
 right that we should be persecuted, for we deplorably mislead 
 many persons and bring them to destruction To this we reply : 
 If this cause is considered and judged according to the flesh, 
 it seems indeed that many men are miserably deceived by us. 
 For all those who desire to follow obediently and sincerely our 
 doctrine, life and confession, must be ready to forsake all that 
 they have received of God ; their good name, reputation, land, 
 house, gold, silver, father, mother, sister, brother, man, wife, 
 son, daughter, yea life itself. — Gallows, wheel, offensive pools, 
 the stake and the sword, as also hunger, thirst, want, affliction, 
 distress, anxiety, nakedness, sorrow, buffeting, bonds and im- 
 prisonment must be their portion and lot here upon earth. No
 
 72 Menno Simons 
 
 man may without the risk of liis property and life befriend 
 them or administer unto them. The father may not receive and 
 assist his son, nor the son his father. In short, they are looked 
 upon by the world as unworthy of heaven as well as of the 
 earth. Moreover they shun all pomp and vanity, all intemper- 
 ance in food and drink, and the carnal life in which the whole 
 world delights. — Those who are taught of God, who have 
 risen with Christ from the old life of sin to a new life, who 
 have become partakers of the holy Ghost, who are spiritually 
 minded, and consider and judge all things according to the 
 Spirit, those do not consider it a deception awd seduction, but 
 love it above all gold and silver — nay above all that may be 
 named under heaven." (146; 1:195 seq.) 
 
 "He who has purchased me with the blood of His love and 
 has called me unworthily to His service, knows me and knows 
 that I seek neither earthly possessions nor a life of ease, but 
 only the praise of my Lord, my salvation and the salvation of 
 many souls. For this I, my poor, feeble wife and little children 
 have for nearly eighteen years endured extreme anxiety, op- 
 pression, affliction, homelessness and persecution and must at 
 all times be in danger of life and great peril. Yea when the 
 ministers of the national churches repose on easy beds and 
 downy pillows, we generally have to hide in secluded corners. 
 When they at weddings and baptismal dinners [held when the 
 rite of baptism was observed] are unbecomingly entertained 
 with pipe and tambour and lute, we must stand in apprehension, 
 when the dogs bark, that the catch-polls are at hand. 
 
 "Whilst they are saluted as doctors, preachers and masters 
 by everyone, we must hear that we are Anabaptists, hedge 
 preachers, seducers and heretics and must be saluted in the 
 devil's name. In short, whilst they are richly rewarded for 
 their service with large incomes and easy times, our recom- 
 pense and portion must be fire, the sword, and death. 
 
 "Behold my faithful reader, in such anxiety, poverty, op- 
 pression and danger of death have I, a homeless man, to this 
 hour constantly performed the service of my Lord, and I hope 
 through His grace to continue therein to His glory, as long as I
 
 The Imperial Decree 73 
 
 remain in this earthly tabernacle. What I and my faithful co- 
 workers have sought or could have sought in these arduous and 
 dangerous labors, is from the v^orks and the fruits apparent to 
 all the well-disposed. 
 
 "Beloved reader, observe well what I write. Gellius re- 
 proves us for preaching at night. It was in the year 1543, if 
 ray memory serves me right, that a decree was published 
 throughout West Friesland, that criminals and manslayers were 
 promised pardon, imperial grace, and freedom, and besides one 
 liundred Carolus-Guilders, if they would betray me and deliver 
 me into the hands of the executioners. [Here follows the ac- 
 .count of the capture and martyrdom of Tjard Reynders; com- 
 pare page S3]. 
 
 "Also in 1546, at a place where they boasted of the Word 
 {where the state church reformation had been accepted ; ob- 
 viously in one of the German provinces], a house of four 
 rooms was confiscated, for the reason that the owner had 
 rented them for a short time to my poor, sick wife and our 
 children, although the neighbors had not known of it." (243; 
 11:11) 
 
 "In view of the fact that it is manifest how the whole 
 -world is so greatly embittered against us, (although undeser- 
 vedly) that we may not be 'heard or seen, and many an inno- 
 •cent, God-fearing person who is not a teacher, is led as a sheep 
 lo the slaughter, and killed and murdered without mercy, by the 
 sword, water, or fire, and we homeless teachers may not any- 
 where under the broad canopy of heaven obtain as much as a 
 ■pig-sty (so to speak) to live in it in freedom, but that we 
 through public mandates are already sentenced before we are 
 apprehended, and already condemned before we had a hearing, 
 a condition of things which, to the extent of our knowledge, 
 tias nowhere prevailed in the times of the apostles, therefore I 
 pray all my readers for God's sake that they will in the fear of 
 <^od thoughtfully consider what gross injustice Gellius and his 
 followers have done us by the use of such wrong and bitter 
 words. — We are also prepared at all times to render an ac- 
 icount of our faith to any one and to defend the truth, whenever
 
 74 Menno Simons 
 
 it can be done in good Christian faith, witliout deceit and shed- 
 ding of blood, as has been already said." (258; 1:7 seq. ; 260; 
 11:35). 
 
 "The blood-thirsty murderous spirit urges some of the 
 theologians and writers, who dare to boast of the crucified 
 Christ and of Mis service, to write that the authorities should 
 not only imprison those who are guilty according to the justice 
 of the world, such as thieves, man-slayer.s, etc., and condemn 
 them to death, but also the sincere, faithful children of God 
 who seek Jesus Christ and His holy truth from all their heart 
 and walk unblamably before the whole world. Those also are 
 delivered up without mercy into the hands of the blood stained 
 henchman, to be tortured, drowned, burned, or put to the 
 sword, out of mere hated of the truth, because they shun their 
 deceptive doctrine and false worship according to the word of the 
 I.ord. That I write the truth, of this are not only the Papist 
 and Lutheran writers, but also the published writings of your 
 most prominent leaders and brethren, namely John Calvin, Theo- 
 dor Beza and John a'Lasco .... my witness before you and the 
 whole world."' (604a ; II : 408b) . . 
 
 The shedding of the innocent blood is due to the teaching 
 and instigation of the theologians. In short, dear reader, if the 
 merciful Lord had not, in Mis great love, tempered the hearts 
 of some of the rulers and magistrates, but had let them proceed 
 according to the instigations and blood-preaching of tlieir theo- 
 logians, no pious person would survive. But yet a few are 
 found who, notwithstanding the words and writings of all theo- 
 logians, tolerate the exiles and for a time show them mercy, 
 for which we will forever give praise to God, the Most High, 
 and also return our thanks in all love to such kind and discreet 
 rulers." (323b; IT: 104b) 
 
 "Therefore, our beloved and gracious rulers according to 
 the flesh, we pray you for God's sake to consider, if there is a 
 desire for the right within you, in what great anxiety and sus- 
 pense we poor people find ourselves. For if we are disloyal to 
 Tesus Christ and His holy word, we must fear God's wrath, 
 but if we stand loyally by His holy word, we fall prey to your
 
 Prayer for Perseverance 75 
 
 cruel sword. O beloved rulers and judges in the provinces, 
 observe how from the beginning all the righteous, the prophets 
 and Christ Jesus Himself with His holy apostles have been 
 treated; and today you deal in the same manner with all who 
 in purity of heart seek the truth and life eternal." (432b; 
 11:230). 
 
 "O Lord, methinks that I am assured that neither life nor 
 death, neither angels nor principalities, nor powers, neither 
 things present nor things to come, neither height nor depth nor 
 any other creature shall separate us from Thy love which is in 
 Christ Jesus. Notwithstanding I know not myself; all my trust 
 is in Thee. Though I have drunk a little of the cup of Thy 
 suffering, yet I have not tasted it to the bottom. For when 
 fhingeon and bonds are suffered, when life and death, water, 
 fire and sword are threatened, then will the gold be distinguished 
 from the wood, the silver from straw, the pearls from stubble. 
 Then do not forsake me, gracious Lord ; for I know that trees 
 of deepest root are torn up from the earth by the violence of 
 the storm and the lofty, firm mountains are rent asunder by 
 the force of the earthquake. Have not Job and Jeremiali. the 
 true examples of endurance, stumbled in Thy way through 
 weakness of the flesh? Therefore I pray Thee, blessed Lord, 
 according to Thy faithfulness and grace, suffer me not to be 
 tempted above that I am able to bear, lest my soul be made 
 ashamed in eternity. I pray not for my flesh ; I well know that 
 it is subject to suffering and death. For this alone I pray, 
 forsake me not in the time of trial but make a way of escape in 
 my hour of temptation ; deliver me of all mv need, for I put 
 my trust in Thee." (Meditation to the Twcnt\-fifth Psalm. 
 ]539, fol. DP). 
 
 "John saw the Babylonian woman 'diimken with the blood 
 of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.' " — 
 Yea, my reader, this is the real work and way of Antichrist's 
 church that she hates, persecutes and kills with the sword those 
 whom she can not enchant with the golden cup of her abomina- 
 tions. 
 
 O Lord, O dear Lord, grant to Thy poor little flock that it
 
 76 Menno Simons 
 
 may not be entirely swallowed up by the wrathful dragon, but 
 that we by Thy grace may through patience overcome through 
 the sword of Thy mouth and may leave an ever abiding seed 
 which shall keep Thy commandments, preserve Thy testimony 
 and forever praise Thy great and glorious name. Amen, dear 
 Lord, Amen." (300a; II :82b).
 
 VII 
 
 MENNO'S FLIGHT TO GERMANY AND LABORS IN 
 THE ELECTORATE OF COLOGNE 
 
 In the year 1543 Menno Simons left his fatherland — the 
 Netherlands — to go to Northwest Germany. The empire of 
 Germany was divided into many states, each of which had its 
 own ruler whose relation to the emperor was somewhat similar 
 to that of a governor of an American state to the President of 
 the United States. Besides there were many "free cities" 
 whose magistrates were not responsible to the princes of the 
 territories in which these cities lay, but to the emperor direct. 
 The reigning emperor, Charles V, was a strict Catholic and bent 
 his energies toward the suppression of all other creeds, but in 
 spite of all efforts some of the German rulers and free cities 
 favored the Reformation movement and espoused the Lutheran 
 or Zwinglian cause. 
 
 The emperor was the bitter foe of all Anabaptists. In 
 1529 the representatives of the German states, at Speier, passed 
 a decree that Anabaptists should be put to death without a 
 formal hearing or trial. But in consequence of the weakness 
 of the federal government this decree was not carried out with 
 equal severity in all the various states. While none of the 
 princes or free cities would have dared to openly tolerate the 
 Anabaptists, there was a marked difiference in the way th^ Ana- 
 baptists were dealt with in the various states. In Germany 
 there were districts in which the persecution was less severe 
 than in the Netherlandish states. Menno informs us (243; 
 11:11) that the imperial placard against him, in which a price 
 was set on his head, was published throughout West Friesland,
 
 78 Menno Simons 
 
 but in other parts of the Netherlands also he was exposed to 
 greater dangers than his brethren, since here his writings were 
 jirincipally read. 
 
 From 1543 to the end of his life Menno lived in Germany. 
 East Friesland, the Electorate of Cologne, Holstein, etc., all in 
 Northwest Germany, were principall)' his fields of labor. 
 
 It was probably about the beginning of winter, 1543, when 
 Menno Simons with iiis family reached East Friesland. He 
 had entered the state of matrimony in Groningen probably in 
 1539. His wife — her name was Gertrude — was of Witmar- 
 ."^um. Her sister Margaret was married to Reyn Edes, a co- 
 laborer with Menno, who also served the church in the capacity 
 of an elder. One of the extant letters of Menno Simons, of 
 which further mention will be made, is addressed to Margaret 
 Edes. 
 
 In East Friesland the Roman Catholic faith was discred- 
 ited but a new state church was not yet established. In this 
 transitional period the Anabaptists for a short time enjoyed 
 toleration. In the same year when Menno came to East Fries- 
 land the ruler of the province, Countess Anna, called the mild 
 Zwinglian reformer John a'Lasco, a native of Poland, to the 
 office of Superintendent of the proposed new state church. At 
 Embden, the capital, a'Lasco encountered a number of ^lenno's 
 brethren who referred him to Menno Simons. Consequently 
 Menno was given an invitation by a'Lasco to come to the cap- 
 ital for an interview. With the con.sent of the ruler of the 
 |)ro\ince and in the presence of a number of ministers and 
 others a three days discussion between Menno Simons and 
 a'Lasco was held in the chapel of the Franciscan cloister at 
 Embden, in January 1544. 
 
 A small measure of publicity was apparently given these 
 conferences, but it is evident from Menno's writings that he 
 did not consider them public discussions. 
 
 He says in 1556: "Resides there are thousands, as I sup- 
 iiose, to whom it is well known through my printed writings 
 
 that many a time 1 have asked for a public discussion, 
 
 even at tlie risk of being burne I at the stake if I could not
 
 Discussions with a'Lasco 79 
 
 maintain my faith and doctrine with the Scriptures ; but sucli 
 a discussion, alas, has never been granted me." (548; II:3?3). 
 "For many years and with very much writing and petitioning 
 I have many a time asked for a pubHc discussion, but could 
 not obtain it." (615; 11:421). His Grievous Supplication of 
 the Poor, Despised Christians and his Short, Griez'ous Defence 
 of the Despised Christia:is and Scattered Exiles are urging re- 
 quests for "a public discussion with our opponents and adver- 
 saries, in the presence of ten, twenty, or thirty pious, intelligent 
 and reasonable men who love and fear the Lord and Vi^iio can 
 judge between good and evil, or a private discussion if it be not 
 permissible in public;' and their untruths and accusations 
 should not be believed until teacher is confronted v;itli teacher 
 au'l the accuser with the accused, with equal rights and liberty, 
 as the Word of God, Christian love and natural honesty may 
 require and imply" (495; II :298a). At the conclusion of the 
 first tract he says : "Therefore we poor and afflicted Christians 
 humbly pray you, our most respected rulers, for the third time 
 
 that you may bring us and the preachers [of the state 
 
 church] together, that our defence m.ay be rightly heard and the 
 truth presented with the word of the Lord, that the innocent 
 m.ay no longer be condemned to death against God's word" 
 (330; 11:112). 
 
 The subjects discussed betv.^een Menno Simons nvA Jch.n 
 aT^asco were: the incarnation of Christ, baptism, oriidnal sin. 
 sanctification and the calling of the ministers. On the ques- 
 tions of original sin and sanctification the two parties found 
 themselves of one mind ;^ on baptism, the Incarnation, an-l the 
 manner of choosing ministers no agreement was reached. After 
 the close of the discussions the preachers permitted. Memo, as 
 he himself testifies, to depart in peace, desiring however tr.at 
 he should, send th.em a written statement of his faith which 
 they might present to the civil authorities to give them informa- 
 tion concerning the principles held by Menno and his friends. 
 
 ' That an agreement of the two men on original sin was impossible 
 (Vos, Mrnnn Sitnons. p. 72)) and that Menno was unorthodox on this 
 doctrine is an untenable insinuation. Menno taught that all men inherit 
 a sinful nature from Adam. Christ, the second Adam, has atoned for 
 the guilt of original sin ; hence all infants are saved and no man will 
 Be condemned for the sin of Adam.
 
 80 Menno Simons 
 
 In consequence Menno Simons wrote his Brief and Clear 
 Confession and Scriptural Instruction^ on the incarnation of 
 Christ and the calling of the ministers. The book was later 
 printed, but without Menno's knowledge, as he stated in his 
 debate with Martin Micron. From this book it appears that 
 Menno entertained hopes that a'Lasco would recognize his 
 teachings as orthodox. From the fact that a'Lasco addressed 
 tlie enthusiast Davi'il Joris : "To our most beloved brother 
 David Joris, minister of the divine word," we may conclude 
 that he approached Menno in a similar manner. 
 
 John a'Lasco published a Latin reply to the said book of 
 Menno Simons. The latter's answer is his Clear, Incontrover- 
 tible Confession and Demonstration, of Lt54. In this book 
 Menno complains that false accusations were preferred against 
 him by a'Lasco and others and he was misrepresented in such 
 a way "that those who hear and read it, shut their noses and 
 mouths at our approach" (353; 11:141). Later he was made 
 to realize that a'Lasco approved of the bitter persecution of the 
 Brethren. "Your principal teachers and leaders," he writes to 
 Martin Micron, "as e.g. John a'Lasco, Calvinus, and Theodor 
 l>eza, whom you recognize as your most worthy and beloved 
 brethren, are men of blood. This is clear from the testimony 
 of their own writings, as well as from the fact that Servetus 
 was burned at Geneva and George of Parris was burned with 
 four others [in 1551, under the reign of Edward \T] in Eng- 
 land" (615; 11:421). It is interesting to notice that Martin 
 Luther also refers to the Catholic persecutors as "men of 
 blood."^ 
 
 In the preface to his first book to John a'Lasco Menno 
 expresses the hope that this statement of his faith (to be pre- 
 sented within three months) was not asked of him from evil 
 motives. However, without doubt, a'Lasco advised the govern- 
 
 - Tlie oriRiiial edition of this l)Ook is lost. A copy of one of the 
 (atiiest editions now known is in the library of Crozer Theological 
 Seminary. 
 
 * Kostlin-Kawerau, Martin Luther, vol. 2, p. 229.
 
 In Cologne 81 
 
 ■ment to which Menno's confession was dehvered against toler- 
 ating the heads of the dissenters. A'Lasco was a representative 
 of state-churchism. Menno was banished within a few months. 
 Menno Simons fled from East Friesland to the province 
 known as the Electorate of Cologne. "I know," writes a'Lasco 
 on July 26, 1544, to his friend Hardenberg, "that Menno just 
 now is sojourning mostly in the bishopric of Cologne and se- 
 duces many in those parts." In this province Alenno found a 
 l^reat field of labor. The ruler and archbishop, Elector Herman 
 von Wied, "of praiseworthy memory," as Menno speaks of him 
 (235; II: 14), realized the need of a reformation of the church. 
 He decided upon the renunciation of Romish popery, but was 
 slow to organize a new church. Meanwhile there were tolerated 
 not only Lutherans and Zwinglians in the electorate, but even 
 Anabaptists were nearly exempt from persecution. Menno lived 
 in this province in comparative freedom about two years. Traces 
 of his labors in this period are found in the confessions of 
 martyrs. Metken Vrancken, a martyr, said in her examination 
 by the inquisitors that Menno Simons was at Fischerswert in 
 1545 and she with others was taught by him.* Teunis van 
 Hastenrath who was burned at the stake on July 30, 1551, in 
 Linnich^ stated that "Menno Simons was at Fischerswert five 
 years ago" and he had read his books.*' The martyr Lyske 
 Snyer had heard Menno preach in a meadow near Illekhoven, 
 about 1545, where Menno lodged in the house of Lemke, a 
 deacon. Jater Raymakers who was burned at the stake in 
 Arnhelm, August 9, 1550, had a book of Menno. Jan Neulen 
 confessed in 1550 that Menno Simons, five or six years ago 
 preached at Fischerswert in a field. He had not heard the 
 sermon, but in the morning early Menno with two men came 
 into his house and asked him to take him in a boat down tiie 
 
 < D. R.. 1864. p. 151. 
 
 5 Van Braaht. p. 477. Tenuis van Hastenrath's predecessor in the 
 ministry of this flock was Rcinken Radeniacher whose martyrdom is 
 mentioned by Van Braght, p. 478. 
 
 « D. B.. 1909. p. 125.
 
 82 Menno Simons 
 
 j\leuse river to Roermond. This he did and received his hire/ 
 His house was confiscated by the authorities for the reason that 
 Menno Simons had entered it without his protest. 
 
 Menno writes of his experiences at the time of his sojourn 
 in the electorate of Cologne : 
 
 "In the days of the bishop Hermann, Elector of Cologne, 
 of praiseworthy memory, I have asked of the theologians of 
 Bonn upon their own suggestion that an open discussion bQ 
 held before twenty or thirty witnesses or before a public meet- 
 ing under safe conduct, but my desire was not granted for they 
 were advised by John a'Lasco and A. H. [A. Hardenberg] to 
 tefuse a discussion advancing three insinuations against me. 
 They accused me of opinions which I have never entertained, 
 much less expressed or advised, and which I shall not here 
 mention. Concerning this I have the testimony of a minister 
 named Henricus in his own hand writing. 
 
 "Also the preachers of Wesel in the land of Cleve have 
 told our friends they would obtain a safe condvict for me and 
 have a discussion v»ith me. But when in writing I declared my- 
 self willing for a discussion, I received an answer that the 
 executioner should have a discussion with me, and other tyran- 
 nical expressions" (235a; n:12a; compare 515b; n:321a). 
 
 The mild reign of Elector Flerman of Cologne came to a 
 sudden end in 1546 when in the Smalcaldian war the Emperor 
 utterly defeated the Lutheran princes. The elector was deposed 
 and Romanism restored throughout the province. Menno again 
 saw himself compelled to flee. With his sick wife and small 
 children he went, under great dangers, northward. Toward the 
 end of the year we find him in the city of Liibeck. 
 
 "> Vos Menno Simons, p. 86.
 
 VIII 
 
 FROM THE FLIGHT FROM COLOGNE TO THE 
 DISCUSSIONS AT WISMAR 
 
 From the Electorate of Cologne Menno went in 1546 to 
 Holstein in Northwest Germany. In this province his family 
 seems to have lived until the end of his life. The place of their 
 sojourn in the first years after their flight from Cologne is not 
 known; later the family moved to Wiistenfelde near Oldesloe. 
 
 The most active co-laborers with Alenno were, besides Dirk- 
 Philips, the elders Gillis of Aachen and Leonard Bouwens. 
 Gillis had been a priest in the vicinity of Aachen (Aix-la- 
 Chapelle). The exact time of his renunciation of Romanism is 
 not known. Probably in 1542 he was ordained an elder. He 
 was a zealous worker. More than twenty martyrs whose con- 
 fessions are extant admitted that they were baptized by Gillis 
 of Aachen. 
 
 Leonard Bouwens of Sommelsdyk was ordained an elder 
 in 1551. Of his previous life nothing is known, except that 
 before his conversion he was a "Rederijker," a member of a 
 society which flourished in the principal cities of the Nether- 
 lands. Their aims were of a literary and general educational 
 nature. When the Reformation movement reached the Nether- 
 lands, many of the Rederijkers gave it a friendly reception. 
 
 The churches whom Leonard Bouwens served in the capa- 
 city of an elder were for the most part located in the provinces 
 of the Netherlands where the persecution was most severe. 
 Bouwens declared his willingness to comply with the desires of
 
 84 Menno Simons 
 
 the church in those parts and accept the office of an elder; his- 
 wife, liowever, was not entirely resigned to have her husband 
 expose himself to so great dangers. She sent word to Menno 
 Simons asking him to bring his influence to bear upon the 
 church, that this should not be asked of her husband. Pre- 
 sumably the ordination had not yet taken place, and was to be 
 performed by Afenno Simons. Menno replied in a letter in 
 which he enlarges on the subject of consecration. The letter 
 follows. 
 
 "Most beloved in Christ Jesus. Grace and peace be to you. 
 Dear, faithful sister in the Lord. My inmost soul is grieved in 
 your behalf, more so than I can write. For I understand from 
 our beloved brethren that it is so very difficult for you to 
 acquiesce to the desire and petition of the afflicted and shep- 
 herdless congregations in regard to your beloved husband. I 
 cannot severely reprove you for your attitude if I look upon 
 the flesh and not upon the spirit and love. I also understand 
 from the words of Leonard and Helmicht that you entertained 
 the hope that Leonard should be released from the office by me. 
 Most beloved sister in Christ Jesus, I trust that by the grace of 
 God I sincerely love you with a godly love and am willing to 
 serve you and all the pious with my blood whenever necessity 
 requires it. Then, beloved sister, who am I that I should resist 
 the Holy Spirit? And it is well known to you that the Church, 
 without my knowledge, has asked that he should be ordained 
 and has called him to this office. As the Church so earnestly 
 desires of him to serve in this capacity, and his conscience, 
 doubtless, constrains him to comply, how could I then oppose it. 
 especially since I find nothing in Leonard to give any Scriptural 
 ground for advising against his ordination? 
 
 "Dear sister, I am very sorry that I cannot comply with 
 your desire in this matter, for your sorrow and grief pierces 
 my heart, as often as I think of it. But the love of God and 
 of our destitute brethren must ever be considered first. Yea, 
 being called of the Lord and through the operating i)ower of 
 your God you have of your own free will consecrated yourself 
 to serve not yourself, not your own flesh, but Christ Jesus and 
 the brethren all the days of your life. I hope that you have 
 made this vow from your heart, even if it cost your possessions 
 and life. And you see now before your eyes how highly the 
 existing need requires that which is asked of you. Therefore 
 think of the days of your enlightenment and fulfil humbly and
 
 Letter to Bouwen's Wife 85 
 
 obediently what, not of constraint but willingly, you have 
 vowed and promised unto the Most High. 
 
 "O, beloved sister, look at the sad abandonment and need 
 of your beloved brethren. — Our inmost souls must be moved 
 at their great need when we take to heart the great hungering 
 and thirsting of many pious hearts and the regrettable seducing 
 and deceiving of false teachers, the discord engendering sects 
 and other like evils. Inasmuch as the merciful Lord has 
 granted to our beloved brother His divine knowledge, has en- 
 lightened him with His Holy Spirit and gifted him with speech 
 and wisdom, so that the brethren are pleased with him, sincere- 
 ly love him and desire that he should make use of his talent, 
 and if you out of regard to flesh and blood should oppose this 
 and not acquiesce therein, this would seem to me to be nothing 
 else but when you see your brethren in imminent danger of 
 death, in peril of fire or water or suffering great pain and 
 misery, you would for self-seeking ends not rescue them or 
 endeavor to help them. 
 
 "Dear sister, love your brethren as Jesus Christ has loved 
 us. If you should for the sake of your brethren lose what you 
 possess, remember that Christ for our sakes, for a time, left the 
 glory of His Father and the company of angels, that we might 
 obtain an inheritance in heaven which shall abide forever. So 
 long as we live we shall have sufficient of the necessaries of 
 life, if we fear God, depart from evil and do well unto others. 
 Yea, sister, be comforted and of good cheer. The eternal Truth 
 has promised us eternal bliss. If we seek the kingdom of God 
 and His righteousness, the necessaries of life shall be added unto 
 us. But if you are anxious concerning your husband's life, 
 remember and believe that our life is measured by spans, that 
 life and death are in the hands of the Lord, that not a hair 
 falls from our heads without the will of our Father; He pro- 
 tects us as the apple of His eye. 
 
 "Elijah, David, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego, 
 Peter, Paul, all escaped the hands of the tyrants and no man 
 could injure them in the least so long as the appointed day and 
 hour had not yet come. For as long as the merciful Lord has 
 more pleasure in our life than in our death, they shall not suc- 
 ceed in taking our life ; but whenever our death is more pleas- 
 ing to the Lord than our life, we shall not escape their hands. 
 
 "O beloved sister, if even our dear brother should not 
 serve his brethren in this capacity, he has nevertheless for a 
 number of years already committed himself to the imminent 
 danger of death, oppression, homelessness, reproach, persecu-
 
 86 Menno Simons 
 
 tion, anxiety, spoiling of his goods, water, fire, and the sword. 
 And even if he had not subjected himself to the cross by bap- 
 tism but could sojourn in or pass through any country in all 
 liberty, you nevertheless would not know at what moment he 
 would have to put off fhis tabernacle of clay and appear be- 
 fore his God. 
 
 "Therefore, beloved, faithful sister, be strong in the Lord, 
 take good courage, commend yourself to the most high God 
 who holds heaven and earth in His hand, who has given you 
 and your husband body and soul, has called you through the 
 Word of His grace, purchased and redeemed you with the 
 blood of His blessed Son, who has washed, sanctified, cleansed 
 and quickened you through His Holy Spirit; His mercy is over 
 all His works ; He knows your going out and your coming in. 
 Dear sister, strengthen your beloved husband and do not weak- 
 en him, for it is required of us, as we love God so also to love 
 our dear brethren. 
 
 "In short, take toward your neighbor the same attitude 
 that Christ is taking toward you ; for by this only sure and 
 immutable rule must all Christian matters be measured and 
 judged. Lo, beloved, faithful sister, as the Church calls our 
 beloved brother to this office and service, I can indeed not 
 with a good conscience oppose or else I would love flesh more 
 than Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, and my sincerely be- 
 loved brethren. 
 
 "May the almighty, merciful Lord do in this matter ac- 
 cording to I lis divine pleasure and guide the heart of my be- 
 loved sister, so as to be resigned to His holy blessed will. I 
 sincerely thank you, dear sister, for the gift of your love you 
 have sent me. My wife greets you lovingly with the peace of 
 the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ be forever with you, most 
 beloved friend and sister. Amen. 
 
 "Menno Simons, Your brother in the Lord." 
 Presumably Menno Simons' purpose in writing this letter 
 was accomplished. Leonard Bouwens became one of the most 
 active elders. He kci)t a list of baptisms administered by him, 
 which shows that from 1551 to 1568 he baptized 10,251 ])ersons. 
 To all appearance the territory of the Netherlands and 
 N'orth Germany was divided into districts, one of which was 
 assigned to each of the elders. Dirk Philips lived in Schottland, 
 a suberb of Danzig on the Baltic, and labored principally in
 
 Labors and Endeavors 87 
 
 Northeast Germany.^ The cities and provinces due east of the 
 Netherlands constituted Menno Simons' district; he alone ad- 
 ministered baptism in this territory. Nevertheless he traveled 
 extensively in other parts. Traces of his labors are noticeable 
 in modern Russia (Livonia) and as far north as the Swedish 
 island of Gothland. 
 
 In 1546 the elders held a discussion with a representative of 
 the Davidians at Liibeck and in the succeeding year a confer- 
 ence was held at Embden. Toward the close of the same year 
 the elders met at Goch. 
 
 From 1552 to 1554 Menno published a number of books, 
 among them his comprehensive reply to Jelle Smit, called 
 Gellius Faber, Reformed minister in Embden, who had written 
 a book warning the authorities of Menno and his friends and 
 decrying their doctrine as unscriptural and injurious to the 
 welfare of both church and state.^ Menno's reply to Faber is 
 the largest of his books. The account of his conversion and 
 call to the ministry which has often been printed under the 
 title Menno Simons' Renunciation of the Church of Rome was 
 originally a part of this book.^ 
 
 In 1553 we find Menno Simons at Wismar in Mecklenburg, 
 one of the cities of the Hanseatic League. In this city the 
 
 1 It is not known when Dirk Philips l)cgan his labors at Danzig. 
 About the time of Menno's death there was here a center of church 
 endeavors. 
 
 2 Faber speaks of "the sign Thau" which, he says, the Anabaptists 
 supposed they had received. The word Thau occurs in the Vulgate 
 version of the Bible in Ezech. 9:6. The early Zurich or Froschowcr 
 version renders the passage similarly as the Vulgate: "Alle die aber, so 
 das zcichen Thau an jnen habend, sollend jr nit anruren." Menno ob- 
 viously held the sign Thau to be symbolic of a holy life. (Folio edition, 
 pp. 183a; 636a). 
 
 3 This booklet has been repeatedly printed in Dutch, German and 
 English. The first English translation is probably that of Ira Chase 
 which was published in 1825 by the "Baptist General Tract Society" 
 wm^fx the title. Mcvno's Departure from Popery.
 
 88 Menno Simons 
 
 Lutheran reformation was partly introduced in 1542 but, 
 similar as in other provinces where the new state church was 
 not yet fully established, the government showed itself lenient 
 toward the Mennonites, although they were by no means open- 
 ly tolerated. They had a congregation in this city. Menno 
 writes of his experience in this place in a way which throws 
 interesting light on the attitude of the authorities of Wismar 
 toward the dissenters. 
 
 Menno had in Wismar a few discussions with Hermes 
 Backereel and Martin de Cleyne, called Micron. The former 
 came to Wismar from London. After the Smalcaldian war, 
 when Menno saw himself compelled to leave Cologne, the 
 Zwinglians also were oppressed in certain states. Many went 
 to England, among them John a'Lasco and Hermes Backereel. 
 They organized churches in London during the reign of Ed- 
 ward VI, and prospered for a time. The sudden death of this 
 ruler, who was succeeded by his sister Mary, "the bloody," 
 compelled all Protestants to leave England. On September 15, 
 1553, one hundred seventy-five persons embarked in two Danish 
 ships at London for the continent of Europe. But whither 
 could they go? The countries that could be reached by way of 
 the sea were nearly all of the Catholic religion. They decided 
 to go to Lutheran Denmark. King Christian of Denmark re- 
 ceived them friendly, but when he learned that they were 
 Zwinglians, he ordered them to leave his country. In the cold 
 season of the year they saw themselves again compelled to take 
 to sea. 
 
 One of the ships carrying the fugitives arrived at Wismar 
 on December 21. The ship froze fast in the ice some distance 
 from the shore and the exiles found themselves unable to land 
 without assistance. The citizens and authorities of Wismar 
 were obviously inclined to take the same attitude toward them, 
 as the King of Denmark. Martin Luther had repeatedly given 
 advice that Zwinglians should not be tolerated under Lutheran 
 government; but here were people in danger of life and in sore 
 need of help.
 
 Fugitives From England 89 
 
 ]\ienno Simons, in his defense against Martin Alicron, de- 
 scribes the event of their coming to Wismar as follows : 
 
 "In the year 1553, a little before midwinter, it came to pass 
 that word came to the brethren [at Wismar] to the effect that a 
 ship load of people had arrived from Denmark, who for the 
 sake of their faith were driven from England, and that they lay 
 a short distance from the shore frozen up in the ice. 
 
 "When the brethren heard this, they were moved with 
 Christian mercy toward them, as was proper and reasonable. 
 They counseled together and did what was in their power to 
 help them out of the ice and to make an acceptable way for 
 them to get into the city without any commotion; as they also 
 did, although they knew that to do so might bring to them 
 trouble with the government. 
 
 [Marginal note:] "The brethren did not for fear of the 
 cross, omit their service for them. 
 
 "They met them with wheat bread and wine, so, if 
 there should be any sick or of delicate health among them, that 
 they might refresh and strengthen them therewith. And after 
 they had escorted them into the city, they brought together 
 twenty-four Thalers out of their poverty and presented them to 
 the leading men among them, that the needy, if there were any 
 such among them, might be served and helped. The money 
 they refused and said, 'We need no money and ask only that 
 work may be secured for some of us.' In this our brethren 
 assisted them as much as they could. 
 
 "In like manner one of our number, to be of service to 
 them, offered to take the children of John a'Lasco into his 
 house and to do the best he could for them. To this suggestion 
 Hermes Backereel answered, 'No, this would not be proper; 
 for John a'Lasco is a man who often has dealings with lords, 
 princes and other- high personages; it might (Oh, reader ob- 
 serve) injure his reputation if his children should sojourn with 
 such people. Hearing this I observed that we had not met with 
 the plain, true, humble pilgrims of Christ" (551; 11:355). 
 
 On December 26, 1553 Menno had a discussion with Her- 
 mes Backereel on various points of doctrine. Thereupon the 
 Zwinglian party sent one, named Bartholomew Huysman, to 
 Martin Micron, a minister of their persuasion at Norden in 
 East Friesland, to request him to come to their assistance in 
 the debate with Menno.
 
 ^ Menno Simons 
 
 Micron came to Wismar on January 25, 1554, and had two 
 conferences with Menno. On February 6 the questions of bap- 
 tism, the incarnation of Christ, the oath, divorce, the caUing of 
 the ministers and the civil authorities were discussed. The 
 meeting lasted without interception for eleven hours and ended 
 with a common meal. On February 15 the two men met again 
 and discussed not without bitterness on both sides, on the incar- 
 nation of Christ. 
 
 The discussions between Menno Simons and the Zwing- 
 lian leaders at Wismar must not be thought of as public affairs. 
 Public debates between Zwinglians and Anabaptists were en- 
 tirely out of the question within Lutheran territory. Menno 
 writes : "The discussion was granted Hermes and his friends 
 on the condition that they should tell no man (since I was a 
 poor, dehcate man and hated of all the world) where the meet- 
 ing took place. Upon this they, on their part, gave our brethren 
 their hand, promising that they would never betray it. But 
 how they have kept their word, their deeds have shown." It is 
 clear from Menno's statements that the magistrates of the city 
 in general entertained not unfavorable opinions of the Breth- 
 ren ; they did not molest them as long as they kept themselves 
 in quietness and did not attract public attention. But public 
 meetings of the Brethren were entirely out of the question ; the 
 authorities would have exposed themselves to grave dangers, 
 had they granted them such liberties. The local authorities 
 would not have admitted, if called to account, that they were 
 aware of the presence of Anabaptists in the city. 
 
 On the question of the attitude of the Wismar authorities 
 t(5\vard the Brethren, Menno's writings contain some interesting 
 data. He says: "In similar manner they [the Zwinglian exiles] 
 have failed to return gratitude to the city which showed them 
 more kindness than all the eastern lands and Denmark, when in 
 midwinter they knew not where to find shelter [and were per- 
 mitted to remain in the city for some time]. By their unsalted, 
 partial writings they have caused the city to be suspected by 
 lords anrl princes and by other cities, that the authorities toler- 
 ated and favored us, although they knew no more of my place
 
 Reply to Micron 91 
 
 of abode than of the hour of their own death" (552; 11:356). 
 Apparently the magistrates knew not Alenno's dwelling place, 
 and did not desire to know it. In his Epistle to Martin Micron 
 Menno writes: "Besides you have given information concern- 
 ing the place where I dwelled until that time, which Hermes 
 had upon his inquiry learned from a little child, although it was 
 well known to you that everywhere my life is undeservedly 
 sought, out of mere hatred of the truth" (603; 11:407). 
 
 Again Menno writes: "Not long after the first discussion 
 at Wismar it was known in the streets of Embden where 
 Menno lived and that Micron and his friends had a discussion 
 with him." (551; 11:365). "When I had thus answered his 
 [Micron's] last question, they left me and went to the front 
 part of the house. — I was told by the brethren that he was 
 still arguing there .... also some of his companions, standing 
 about the door near the street, became too loud in their talk. 
 Then they were told by some of the brethren, it were well if 
 they would go, since [in consequence of attracting public 
 notice] we would all be in danger of being driven from the 
 city." (564; 11:370). 
 
 Martin Micron published under the title A True Account, 
 in 1556, a part of the proceedings of his discussions with 
 Menno. In this book he advanced charges of a personal nature 
 against his opponent. Menno in turn wrote A Very Plain and 
 Pointed Reply to the Antichristian Doctrine and false Account 
 by Micron Concerning the Discussion betzveen Him and Myself, 
 Held in 1553.* This is one of Menno Simons' largest books 
 and contains material which is of considerable historical inter- 
 est. On April 12, 1556, Micron wrote to Heinrich Bullinger in 
 Zurich informing him that about two weeks ago Menno's Reply 
 was published and unless a strong answer was made "there is 
 danger that many unlearned persons will be led astray by 
 
 ^ Copies of one of the earliest if not the original edition of this 
 hook arc in the library of Crozcr Theological Seminary and the Samuel 
 Colgate Baptist Collection. 
 
 •■^ Ottius. Annalcs, p. 125. — The book Microiiiiis, Ajn Icvcn, zijn 
 (jeschriftcn, zijn ycestcsiichting," by J. M. Gerretser:, gives a one-sided 
 account of the discussions at Wismar. Compare Theologisch Tijdschrift, 
 Le}(lcn, 1896. pp. 309-312.
 
 92 Menno Simons 
 
 Menno's book,"^ an evidence that his opponents recognized the 
 great influence of his writings. 
 
 A few weeks after the discussion at Wismar, namely on 
 February 23, when the arrival of the exiles from England had 
 become known in other parts, they were banished from the city. 
 They went to Liibeck. The Mennonites liad not attracted public 
 attention to the same extent. While the Zwinglians had not 
 been in danger of their lives at Wismar (apparently they did 
 not expect that they would be permitted to stay) the laws de- 
 manded the severest measures against the Anabaptists. An 
 edict was published on August 1, 1555 by six cities of the 
 Hanseatic League, namely Liibeck, Hamburg, Rostock, Stral- 
 sund, Wismar and Liineburg against the Anabaptists as well 
 as against the "Sacramentarians" (those who denied the real 
 bodily presence of the Lord in the supper, i e. the Zwinglians). 
 In all probability Menno Simons had previously returned to 
 Holstein. 
 
 In Wismar seven elders and ministers held a conference in 
 1554 and adopted a number of rules and resolutions having 
 reference to Christian practice and church discipline. These 
 Wismar Decisions have been preserved, but evidently not in 
 their original form. The articles, in the form in which they 
 have been handed down to us, are of doubtful authority ; the 
 text is in part clearly corrupt and unreliable.
 
 IX 
 
 IVIENNO SIMONS' RELATION TO THE STATE- 
 CHURCH REFORMATION 
 
 Menno Simons believed the Reformation in so far as it 
 ^was identified with the state-churchism to be superficial and 
 inadequate and its principles partly unscriptural. 
 
 Both Luther (in Germany) and Zwingli (in Switzerland), 
 the leading reformers, in the first period of their reformatory 
 ■endeavors advocated the voluntary principle and liberty of con- 
 science. Obviously they entertained in that period the optimis- 
 tic hope that the Roman Church as a whole would consent to a 
 reformation at least in those parts of the land to which the 
 influence of the reformers principally extended. But in the 
 course of a few years this hope proved groundless. And it be- 
 came apparent that neither Luther's fellow-citizens in Saxony, 
 tior Zwingli's countrymen in Zurich would as a whole accept the 
 opinions of these reformers, if they were permitted to choose 
 for themselves. Some would prefer to keep the Roman Cath- 
 olic faith, and others were inclined to follow other reformers 
 who on important questions were at variance with Luther and 
 Zwingli, such as Carlstadt and Grebel. 
 
 The leading reformers preached the new doctrines a num- 
 ber of years before any changes in worship and practice were 
 attempted. The governments protected them in the teaching of 
 new doctrine, but were not yet ready to consent to changes in 
 practice. Until the year 1525 the church of Saxony and Zurich 
 did not formally throw off the papal yoke ; the Roman Church 
 was until then the state church, notwithstanding the anti-Romish
 
 94 Menno Simons 
 
 doctrines which were advanced by the reformers antl their 
 friends. For many centuries the church in these lands had 
 been nominally a unit ; the Roman Church was the state church, 
 and the state did not permit deviations from the Roman Cath- 
 olic practice. It was finally realized that only if the state was 
 permitted to fight the battles of the church, as had been the case 
 heretofore, could the (nominal) unity of the church be main- 
 tained. 
 
 Both Luther and Zwingli in teaching and preaching the 
 new doctrines were protected by the state to the full extent of 
 its power, but this protection was subject to the condition that 
 the reformers, in the work which they had undertaken, would 
 go hand in hand with the state. This was deemed necessary 
 by the reformers for the success of the Reformation. As a 
 human undertaking it was diflficult to conceive that the attempt- 
 ed reformation of the church could be successful to any marked 
 degree without the aid of the state but, on the other hand, if 
 the new creed was introduced by the state and was made ob- 
 ligatory for the population as a whole, the great task of the 
 reformers was immeasurably reduced ; it would consist largely 
 in persuading the princes to accept the new doctrines. Even if 
 the state merely tolerated the reformers without lending them 
 its strong arm to establish a new church, Luther could hope to 
 win a large following. But what was the outlook for the 
 church if the state took an inimical attitude, making the preach- 
 ing and acceptance of the new doctrine unlawful? It is certain 
 that Luther's sovereign, the Duke and Elector John of Saxony, 
 would have refused to protect or tolerate him, had he insisted 
 on a separation of church and state and liberty of conscience. 
 Luther, in short, came to the conclusion that "there is no way 
 out, except through the arm of the government." He con- 
 sented to an amalgamation of church and state, a departure that 
 was fraught with the most demoralizing consequences for the 
 cause of the church reformation. 
 
 That Luther and Zwingli decided upon the continuation of 
 the union of church and state, became evident before any 
 changes from Roman Catholic worship and practice were intro-
 
 Bishops of the State Churches 95 
 
 duced. Luther entertained the hope that the church would be 
 granted some measure of self-government by the state ; he con- 
 secrated one of his frienrls (Amsdorf) bishop for the diocese 
 of Naumburg, but the state refused to make a proper distinc- 
 tion between the new bishop and other ministers. Against his 
 own inclination Luther finally gave his consent that the ruling 
 princes should accept the office of siinimi c pise o pi or supreme 
 bishop of the church in their respective countries. But these 
 princes were as a rule pre-eminently statesmen and politicians. 
 Some of them were guilty of grave offences in life and conduct. 
 Some of the princes who through the woeful amalgamation of 
 church and state became the heads of the church led lives that 
 were hardly surpassed in profligacy by the worst characters 
 which ever occupied the so-called chair of St. Peter. Some of 
 these princes would not have accepted the new creed, had not the 
 -new order of things greatly enhanced their power, giving them 
 the right to rule the church and the opportunity to confiscate 
 the wealth of the cloisters. While formerly the church had 
 been the mistress of the state, now in consequence of making 
 the ruling princes the heads of the church, she was compelled 
 to take the position of the state's humble handmaiden. The 
 ministers became, virtually, officers of the state, and were desig- 
 nated as such by the decrees of certain princes. 
 
 In the provinces whose rulers accepted the new creed the 
 priests were given orders to cease saying Mass and discard cer- 
 tain other Roman Catholic ceremonies and usages ; they should 
 preach the Gospel of justification by faith and all the doctrines 
 of the Lutheran creed — all on pain of dismissal from their 
 office. The priests were as a rule willing to accept the new 
 order of things. A new organization was not undertaken. The 
 people were never asked to unite with a new church. The 
 Lutheran state church was identical with tlie former Roman 
 Catholic state church as concerned the membership. The 
 changes were introduced in the church, not by the people or by 
 the priests, but by the heads of the state. The people had no 
 choice in the matter. The infamous principle Cujus rcgio ejus 
 religio (i. e. whose is the region his is the religion) ruled su-
 
 96 Menno Simons 
 
 preme ; this principle was somewhat later formally accepted by 
 the Estates of the empire. In consequence the population of a 
 given state was compelled to accept the faith of its ruler and ta 
 change their creed if the ruler accepted a new faith. The 
 people of the Upper Palatinate saw themselves obliged to accept 
 not less than four changes of this sort.^ "Everyone" says S. 
 Franck, "fashions his faith to please the authorities; no one will 
 suffer persecution for the faith's sake." The qualities which 
 make for martyrdom were crushed by the existing relation be- 
 tween church and state. To turn the cause of the churcli and 
 of the Reformation over to the state was to destroy the true 
 religious spirit where it existed. Surprisingly small is the num- 
 ber of those who died as martyrs for the Lutheran cause after 
 the establishment of the Lutheran state churches ; the few 
 instances of martyrdom occurred in the earlier years of Luth- 
 er's reformatory labors. 
 
 The failure of the state church Reformation to bring about 
 a real reformation of the church, was fully made clear in the 
 great crisis which resulted from the utter defeat of the Luther- 
 an princes by the Catholic Emperor in the Smalcaldian war. not 
 long after Luther's death. The treason of the Lutheran Duke 
 Maurice of Saxony and other Protestant princes made possible 
 this victory of the Catholic party. The Emperor now demand- 
 ed that the Lutherans accept the socalled Interim or "go-be- 
 tween-religion ;" they should again embrace Roman Catholicism 
 but were permitted to give the cup to the laity and retain their 
 married ministers until a General Council of the Roman Cath- 
 olic Church to which their delegates were to be admitted, should 
 decide whether they could further enjoy these concessions. 
 What the final decision of the proposed General Council would 
 be it was easy to conjecture. The Protestant ministers knew 
 that they eventually would be compelled to resign their charges 
 if they found it impossible to divorce their wives. The weak 
 
 1 "Not less than seven times within a few decades," says J. R. 
 Dieterich, "has the population of Oppenhcim changed its faith, being 
 compelled to these changes." Quoted by Paulus, Protcstantismus u_ 
 Toleranz, p. 66.
 
 "An Anabaptist Error" 97 
 
 Melanchthon who had held that all deviation from Lutheran 
 teaching on the part of the Anabaptists should be treated as 
 blasphemy, was now of the opinion that the Protestants should 
 accept the Interim, submit to the sovereignty of the Roman 
 Catholic bishops and of the pope and restore the old forms of 
 worship, and practically all the old ceremonies. He urged that 
 it was kind of the Emperor to concede to the Lutherans the 
 above mentioned two points and it were better to accept the 
 Interim than to submit outright to Roman Catholicism. He did 
 not believe that the state churches were minded to bear persecu- 
 tion for their faith, neither did he ask them to do so. To a 
 high dignitary of the Roman Church he wrote (quite truth- 
 fully) that he was not responsible for the separation of the 
 Lutheran Church from the Roman Catholic Church. 
 
 Martin Bucer, who besides Melanchthon was the most 
 prominent Protestant leader in Germany, was imprisoned on 
 account of his opposition to the compromise prescribed by the 
 Emperor, and in prison at Augsburg he also subscribed to the 
 •Interim in order that he might be set free."^ He was released 
 and returned to Strasburg where he continued his opposition to 
 the Interim. Remarkably enough he found it necessary to de- 
 fend himself against the charge that his refusal to accept the 
 religion prescribed by the civil authorities, was a proof of Ana- 
 baptist tendencies.^ That such a charge was advanced against 
 him is not surprising in view of the fact that in 1546 he had 
 asserted : To give liberty of religion to those who do not dis- 
 turb the external political peace, is "an Anabaptist error."* Did 
 not the Emperor act in agreement with Bucer's own view when 
 he used his power to suppress that which in his opinion was 
 heresy? Melanchthon and his friends advanced the view that 
 those who refused to be guided by the religious decrees of the 
 
 " Roth, Augsburg's ReformationsgcscJiichtc, vol. 4, p. 157. 
 
 * His reply to this accusation was published in 1548. See, Bauni, 
 Capita und Bucer, pp. 543, 607. 
 
 * Paulus, Protcsfantismus und Tolcranz, p. 174.
 
 98 Menno Simons 
 
 civil authorities were guilty of disturbance aiid uproar.^ — But 
 the Lutheran princes did not desire to have Romanism restored 
 and to resign their positions as the rulers of the church. Maur- 
 ice of Saxony turned traitor a second time. Secretly he organ- 
 ized a mighty league against the Emperor and compelled him 
 to guarantee to the Lutherans liberty of worship. Thus ended 
 the period of the infamous Interim. 
 
 Menno Simons writes with reference to these conditions: 
 
 "The fifth sign by which the true church may be known is 
 a frank, unreserved, faithful confession of Christ's name, will, 
 word and ordinance notwithstanding all cruelty, tyranny and 
 fierce persecution of tiie world. (Matt. 10:32; Alark 8:38; 
 Rom. 10:10). But where one is Papistic with the Papists 
 l^utheran with the Lutherans, Interimistic with those who ac- 
 cept the Interim ; wiiere the Papal doctrines or ceremonies are 
 now abolished and now again adopted, where there is dissimula- 
 tion according to the command and order of the government — 
 what kind of church this is may be judged of those who are 
 enlightenerl by the truth and taught of the Spirit of God. 
 [Marginal Note:] The fifth sign by which tiie true Christian 
 church is known, is upright, valiant confession. Hypocrisy is 
 the fifth sign by which the church of .\ntichrist mav be known. 
 (300a; II :82a). 
 
 The greatest religious tyranny prevailed not only in Roman 
 Catholic but also Lutheran and Zwinglian states. Anabaptists 
 were put to death for no other reason tlian error in doctrine. 
 Menno Simons says : 
 
 "Observe, dear brethren, how far the whole wide world 
 
 has departed from God and His word how bitterly do 
 
 they persecute, defame, and destroy the eternal saving truth, 
 the pure, unadulterated Gospel of our Lord Je.sus Chri.st, the 
 pious, godly life of the .saints. And this is done not only by 
 the Papists and Turks but to a great extent also by those who 
 boast of the holy Word, although in their first writings they 
 had much to .say concerning faith, that it is the gift of God and 
 can be created in the hearts of men alone tln-(nigii the Word, 
 for it is an assent of the heart and will. 
 
 •'■• Pregcr, M. /•'. Illyruus. vol. 1, p. 143. Hucor had received urging 
 invitations to come to England and assist in the reformation of the 
 church, lie now went to England, where he died in 1551. Five years 
 later, under the reign oi Queen Mary, his body was exhumed and burned.
 
 Rulers Like Nero 99 
 
 "But this principle has for some years been again discard- 
 ed by the theologians and, it appears to me, has been effaced 
 from their books. For since lords and princes, cities and 
 countries have identified themselves with their carnal doctrine, 
 they have widely published the contrary opinion, as is fully 
 evident from their own writings. And through their inciting 
 publications and sermons they deliver into the hands of the 
 henchman many God-fearing pious hearts who contradict, re- 
 prove and admonish them with the clear word of God and 
 point out to them tlie true fundamentals of the holy Word, 
 namely the powerful faith working through love, the penitent 
 new life, the obedience to God and Christ and the true evangel- 
 ical ordinances of baptism, the Lord's supper, and discipline, as 
 Jesus Christ Himself instituted and commanded and His holy 
 apostles taught and practiced. Yes, all who out of pure love 
 insist on this, must be their accursed Anabaptists, disturbers, 
 seducers and heretics ; all the pious may expect this at their 
 hands. Nevertheless, one and all of them, be they lords. 
 princes, preachers, theologians or common people, be they 
 Papists, Lutherans or Zwinglians wish to be called the Chris- 
 tian congregation, the holy church.'' (147a; I: 196a). 
 
 "If I hope to find authorities that fear God, rightly per- 
 form the office to which they have been called and rightly use 
 their sword, I find indeed mostly a Lucifer, Antiochus and 
 Nero. For they place themselves in Qirist's stead in such a 
 way that their decrees must have authority above the word of 
 God. For whosoever does not keep himself according to the 
 contents of their placards, whoever does not serve Baal, who- 
 ever observes the ordinances of Christ, whoever performs the 
 requirements of God's word in its fruits, the same must be 
 taken to account and suffer as a seditious rogue, he must be 
 robbed of his possessions, etc. But those who obviously are 
 idolaters, deceivers of souls, libertines, adulterers, deluders, 
 blasphemers, perjurers, profane, drunkards, and like transgres- 
 sors, are not persecuted, but can live at liberty and peace under 
 their protection. I do not here speak of the good governments 
 which are few in number and little in power [who notwith- 
 standing the imperial mandates are reluctant to persecute the 
 Brethren] but of the evil ones of which there are many." (441 ; 
 H :239b) 
 
 Frequently Menno Simons points out that the princes 
 would excuse their attitude toward the dissenters by the imper- 
 ial decree demanding that Anabaptists must be put lo death. 
 Emperor Charles Y published an edict on January 4. 1528, de-
 
 100 Menno Simons 
 
 daring all Anabaptists as well as those who did not in due time 
 present their infants for baptism to be guilty of death according 
 to divine and civil rights. This decree was made a law of the 
 empire by the German Diet (Reichstag) assembled at Speier, 
 in April 1529. The mandat passed by the Estates of the empire 
 demanded that "every and all Anabaptists and rebaptized per- 
 .^ons, men and women of accountable age, shall be executed and 
 brought from natural life to death by fire or the sword or sim- 
 ilar ways of execution, without preceding inquisition of the 
 theologians." All governments which tolerated Anabaptists or 
 refused to carry out this decree were threatened with the sever- 
 est vengeance. This decree was made a law of the empire with 
 the consent of the Lutheran as well as the Catholic Estates. 
 Luther's own sovereign, the Elector John Frederick, (who suc- 
 ceeded his brother John in LS32), the head of the Saxon state 
 church, not only referred to this decree as an excuse for the 
 execution of the Anabaptists in his own domain, but repeatedly 
 urged the ruler of Hesse to carry out the demands of this cruel 
 edict. He emphasized the fact that it was made a law with his 
 own consent" and published it in Saxony. It is worthy of notice 
 that this decree was made a law a few years before the rise of 
 the seditious Munsterite Anabaptists. 
 
 Landgrave Philip of Hesse refused to stain his hands with 
 the blood of the dissenters. He asserted that he did not find it 
 in his conscience "to put to death any one for the sake of his 
 faith ;" no severer sentences were pronounced against Anabap- 
 tists in Hesse, than imprisonment and banishment.'^ The scrup- 
 les of the Landgrave against the killing of heretics caused em- 
 barrassment among the Lutheran theologians of Saxony. One 
 
 " Luther himself advised Elector John of Saxony to consent to this 
 decree. He wrote in April, 1529, to the elector in Speier: "That Your 
 Electoral Grace should he ohedient to the command of His Imperial 
 Majesty apainst the Anabaptists and Sacramentarians, is right and Your 
 Electoral Grace should do it willingly ; for Your Electoral Grace has or 
 tolerates none of the forbidden doctrines in your own lands, nor do you 
 intend to have or tolerate them." (De Wcttc, vol. 3, p. 441). 
 
 '' Compare, Wappler, Die Stellung Kursachsens, etc.
 
 Luther on Toleration 101 
 
 of their number, Justus Menius, wrote, in 1530, a book against 
 the Anabaptists and dedicated it to the Landgrave in the en- 
 deavor to persuade him to use severer measures against the dis- 
 senters and for this book Luther himself wrote the preface. 
 Luther approved of the execution of persistent Anabaptists. In 
 1536 the Landgrave of Hesse asked the opinion of the Lutheran 
 reformers concerning the proper treatment of the Anabaptists. 
 In the Opinion which was consequently written by Melanchthon 
 but was signed also by Luther the question whether Christian 
 princes are under duty to suppress "the unchristian sect of the 
 Anabaptists," is answered in the affirmative. The reformers 
 refer to the laws of the ancient emperors Honorius and Theo- 
 dosius which demand that "Anabaptists shall be put to death." 
 If any one "advocated false religious doctrines, as for example 
 on infant baptism, original sin and unnecessary separation . . . . " 
 we opine that in this instance also the obstinate may be put to 
 death. "^ The fact alone that without his protest Anabaptists 
 were executed in Saxony by his own adherents and as it were 
 under his own eyes for no other reason than error in doctrine 
 and "hedge-preaching," shows clearly that Luther was on the 
 wrong side on this question.^ 
 
 "It is well known to many persons," writes Menno Simons, 
 "that some are far more zealous and diligent to urge the law of 
 Theodosius, (although this law was forced from the good em- 
 peror by the blood-thirsty bishops), and the mandate of Charles 
 V and the severe decree of the German Empire against those 
 whom they call Anabaptists, which was issued in our time, than 
 to insist on keeping the law of God." (327; 11:109). 
 
 The emperors Theodosius II and Honorius proclaimed in 
 
 * This "opinion" is printed in the Works of Melanchthon, Cor(>. 
 Rcf., vol. 3, p. 195 seq. ; also in IValch^ St. L., vol. 20, col. 1752 seq. 
 The complete text was published by Hochhuth in Zeitschr. f. hist. Theol., 
 1858, p. 560 seq. 
 
 '* Compare, Wappler, hiquisitiofi iijid Kctccrprocesse etc.; Wapplei", 
 Die Stcllung Kursachscus .... zur Tacufcrbcwcgung ; Paulus, Protcstan- 
 iisjiius unci Tolcranz; Paulus, Luther und die Geivissensfreiheit; Koehler, 
 Reformation und Ketzerprozess ; Hcrmclink, Der Toleninzgedanke, etc.
 
 102 Menno Simons 
 
 413, a law forbidding rebaptism on bane of death. In 428 
 Theodosius II and \'alentinian III pulilished a bloody decree 
 against the rebaptisers who held that the baptism of the Cath- 
 olic state church was invalid. 
 
 It has been asserted that the Anabaptists were, in Lutheran 
 and Zwinglian lands, condemned to death for disobedience to 
 the civil authorities. That all Anabaptists offended against the 
 laws which forbade all dissent from the state church creed must 
 be admitted. The persecution was the inevitable consequence of 
 the prevailing union of church and state. That Luther and all 
 other reformers who consented to state-churchism approved 
 of these laws does not admit of the possibility of a doubt. Menno 
 Simons says concerning the assertion that the severe measures 
 taken against the Anabaptists were due to their disobedience to 
 the civil authorities : 
 
 "But now, as I hear, it is claimed that it is not on account 
 of faith but on account of disobedience. As futile as their 
 principle is also that which they advance for its support. Let 
 the authorities command us that which is right, that which is 
 conformable to the Gospel of Christ and the love of our neigh- 
 bor. If then we refuse to obey, it is right that they mete out 
 punishment." (617a; II :423a). 
 
 The Swiss reformers, Zwingli, BuUinger, and Calvin, enter- 
 tained the same opinions as Luther touching the principle of 
 liberty of conscience. (Compare Menno's testimony, as quoted 
 p. 80). 
 
 Martin Luther in his first endeavors for a reformation 
 clearly appealed to the people. When he. somewhat later, de- 
 cided in favor of state-churchism, he took the cause of the 
 church reformation from the people and placed it into the hands 
 of the princes. At a time when on his part no beginning had 
 yet been made in the actual reformation of the churcli, namely 
 in the year 1522 he published his Faithful .Iduionition to All 
 Christians to Desist from Disturbance. 1 Icrc he endeavors to 
 convince his adherents that it is their boundcn duty "to stand 
 still with hand, heart and mouth" until the reformation should 
 be introduced through the civil government. He declared all 
 independent deviation from the prescribed Roman Catholic wor-
 
 Hedge-preachers 103 
 
 ship and practice to be punishable disturbance, and that the 
 necessary changes must be made only upon the initiative of the 
 state. "Those who read and understand my doctrine correctly," 
 he says, "will not make [such] disturbance; they have not 
 learned it of me." (Compare page 21). To give the people a 
 taste of religious liberty and independence would have proved 
 detrimental to the interests of the contemplated new state 
 church. And an attempted abolishment of the Roman worship 
 by the people would have been quite unwelcome to the rulers, 
 even if their attitude toward Lutheranism was friendly. Hence 
 the friends of Luther in countries whose rulers did not accept 
 the Reformation saw themselves compelled to remain within the 
 fold of the Roman Catholic Church, or emigrate. 
 
 Menno Simons speaks repeatedly of the policy of the state 
 church Reformers to desist fom introducing evangelical forms 
 of worship and confine themselves to teaching alone until the 
 governments might permit practical reforms. He says: 
 
 "Before God teaching with the tongue and letter, if the 
 works indicate the contrary, will not avail, but before Him 
 avails the reality in power and truth. If they then say that 
 this would cause disturbance, I reply again: If they to avoid 
 a disturbance in the world compromise the will and word of the 
 Lord, what kind of pastors and shepherds they in such case are 
 I will let the right minded consider according to the Scriptures." 
 (195a; II :76a). 
 
 In his epistle On the Hcdgc-preachcrs, published in 1532, 
 Luther repeated the assertion that all preachers or teachers who 
 labor in any parish or district without the permission of the 
 pertinent civil and ecclesiastical authorities were the very mes- 
 sengers of Satan and must in no instance be tolerated. In this 
 booklet he also gives interesting information about the manner 
 in which some of the "hedge-preachers" labored. He says: 
 
 "It has been reported to me that these sneaking fellows 
 associate themselves with workers in the harvest and on the 
 fields, and preach to them while they are at work, also with the 
 charcoal-burner- and others in the forests, thus sowing their 
 seed, scattering their poison and turning away the people from 
 their church. Rehold here the very step and manner of the
 
 104 Menno Simons 
 
 devil who shuns the light and pilfers in darkness. Is there any 
 one so stupid that he would not recognize them to be the true 
 messengers of the devil? For the Holy Spirit will not sneak, 
 but publicly fly down from heaven. They should be asked : 
 Who has sent you to preach to me,?" etc.^^ Luther disapproved 
 of "hedge-preaching" in Catholic as well as in Lutheran lands. 
 
 Needless to say that an argument of this kind did not ap- 
 peal to the Anabaptists. Melanchthon, in 1536, asked an im- 
 prisoned Anabaptist at Jena, Heinz Krauth, "why he and his 
 sect preach in hedges and not publicly in the pulpit, nor come 
 before the people ?" He received the striking answer : "The 
 word of God [except when preached in the church houses after 
 the prescribed creed] is cruelly persecuted and we are not per- 
 mitted to preach. Nevertheless, we must come together, and 
 this we do openly and not secretly [although not before the 
 eyes of those who seek our lives]. And not enough that we are 
 forbidden and hindered to preach the Word, but to be doers of 
 the W^ord is neither granted us."^* 
 
 IVIenno Simons and the dissenters in general belonged to 
 the class designated by the theologians of the state churches as 
 hedge-preachers. Menno writes : 
 
 "It has come to this through the misrepresentation, up- 
 braiding, and agitation of the theologians that, alas, one can not 
 publicly say anything about the word of the Lord, although it 
 alone is the bread whereby our souls must live." (510; II. 315). 
 
 "That we see ourselves compelled at times to preach the 
 word of the Lord and engage in His work at night, I fear, 
 Gellius and the theologians are perhaps the principal cause. 
 For through their inimical, undeserved upbraiding, slandering 
 and defaming they have so embittered and continue to embitter 
 all lords, princes, rulers, and magistrates against us, that we, 
 alas, find it impossible by Scriptural arguments or by our sup- 
 plications, tears, homelcssness, loss of possession and life to 
 move them, etc. 
 
 "Notwithstanding this, Gellius and others are not ashamed 
 
 " This hook is found Erl. E., vol. 31, pp. 213-227; Walch St. L., vol. 
 20, col. 1664-1677. 
 
 1^ Cor/y. Rcf., Mclanchthon's Works, vol. 2, p. 1001. Heinz Krauth 
 was executed upon Melanchthon's advice on January 27, 1536, for no 
 other crime than false doctrine and hedge-preaching.
 
 Unprecedented Persecution 105 
 
 to say that we from fear of the cross secretly enter cities and 
 villages, sit with doors closed, etc., just as if we were stones or 
 blocks of wood which do not nor can have any fear of death; 
 while he and his friends well know that the chosen men of (jod' 
 Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron together with the apostles 
 and prophets had so great fear of death that they some- 
 times took to flight. 
 
 "Secondly I say that as long as I have served the God-fear- 
 ing with my small talent, I have taught more by far in day 
 tnne than at night. — Behold my reader that which was right 
 and free to Moses, Israel, Christ, the apostles and the whole 
 prnnitive church, namely to engage in the- word and work of the 
 Lord at night, whether this at this time of all cruel tyranny 
 should not be free to us, we will let the intelligent reader judge 
 in the fear of the Lord according to Scripture. 
 
 "Since it is manifest that the whole world is so inimically 
 embittered against us, although undeservedly, that we are not 
 suffered to be heard or seen, and many an innocent sheep of the 
 Lord, many a God-fearing one who is not a teacher is led to tlie 
 slaughter here and there, is without all mercy executed and 
 murdered with the sword, water and fire, and that to us home- 
 less teachers not anywhere under the heavens is given so much 
 as a pig-sty to live in liberty with the knowledge and consent of 
 the authorities, but through public mandates we are judged be- 
 fore we are apprehended and condemned before we are convict- 
 ed, and since such conditions did to my knowledge nowhere pre- 
 vail m the times of the apostles, therefore I pray all my readers 
 for God's sake to consider in the fear of the Lord what great 
 injustice Gellius and his friends have done us, through his^'per- 
 verted, bitter words, viz., night-preaching, hedge-preachino- etc 
 
 when we can not do otherwise, as is well known We are 
 
 prepared at all times to render an account of our faith to every- 
 one and to defend the truth, whenever it can be done in good 
 faith without deceit and secret intent at our lives (^34 sen • 
 II: 11-13). ^ ^•' 
 
 "Further we desire that the reasonable reader may take 
 into consideration that a true teacher who preaches the word 
 of the Lord unblamably, can not in our day live or travel openly 
 m any kingdom, country or city under heaven, as far as our 
 k-nowledge goes, if he be known. 
 
 "Besides we see with our eves that the simple innocent 
 sheep must suffer and be led to the slaughter, though they are 
 not teachers. And the teachers then who are blamed for all and 
 who with Christ are hated above all evil-doers should labor in 
 public in these mad, fearful times of all evil and tyranny It
 
 106 Menno Simons 
 
 woukl be great folly, for to do so is not required by common 
 sense nor by the Scriptures. 
 
 "And although we do not teach in public meetings to which 
 everybody is invited, nevertheless the truth is not kept as a 
 secret but is preached here and there both by night and by day, 
 in cities and countries, verbally and in writing, by life and 
 death. Judges, henchmen, dungeons, fetters, water, fire, sword 
 and stake are witnesses of it. 
 
 "In like manner Flanders, Brabant, Holland and Gelders 
 must certainly confess at the last judgment that the word was 
 preached to them in great power; for they, for the sake of the 
 preached word, shed the innocent blood like water. Yea it is 
 preached in those places in such manner that we must well say 
 with Paul: "If our gospel is hid, it is hid to them that are lost; 
 in whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of them 
 which beheve not." II Cor. 4:3,4. (515; 11:321). 
 
 "It is his urging demand that we labor and preach publicly 
 notwithstanding he knows well that it is as impossible for us to 
 do so without losing our lives as it is to go on water without 
 sinking, or to take poison without dying; for alas, he and the 
 theologians have brought it to this, by their ungrounded accusa- 
 tions, that we are alas already condemned to death before we 
 have been apprehended. (260; 11:35). 
 
 Claus Felbinger, a Huterite evangelist of Moravia wrote in 
 1560: 
 
 "Some have asked us why we came into the coimtry of the 
 Duke of I>avaria to dissuade the people from him. I answered : 
 We go not only into this land, but into all lands, as far as our 
 language extends. For wherever God opens a door unto us, 
 shows us zealous hearts who diligently seek after Him, have a 
 dislike of the ungodly life of the world and (lesire to do right, 
 to all such places we aim to go and for this we have scriptural 
 ground."^^ 
 
 The Huterite Chronicler Caspar Braitmichl wrote in 1570: 
 "The Christian mission is carried out among us, concerning 
 which the Lord commands and says: 'As my Father hath sent 
 me, even so send I you,' and again: T have chosen you and 
 ordained you, that ye should go forth and bring fruit.' There- 
 fore ministers of the Gospel and their heli)ers are annually sent 
 forth into the countries where it is believed that their labors 
 may be crowned with fruit. They visit those who desire to 
 amend their lives, who inquire after the truth and show a zeal 
 
 ^•'' Ottius, Ai\nal. Anab., p. 135.
 
 The Missionaries 107 
 
 for it. Them they lead out [into ]\Ioravia] at night and day, 
 according to their desire, regardless of catch-polls and hench- 
 men -and although many lose their lives in this endeavor.'" 
 
 Christophus Andreas Fischer, the priest of Feldsberg, in 
 his Fifty-four Strong Reasons etc., informs us that "those who 
 have airea'ly twice or thrice taken their lives into their hands," 
 were as a rule chosen as missionaries. "They travel mostly at 
 night time. They say at first that they are sent only to the poor 
 and plain people. — They read to the people from the little 
 Zwinglian Testament, printed in Zurich, what serves for their 
 devilish deception," etc.'' 
 
 While Luther forbade his followers to labor as "hedge- 
 preachers" in Catholic countries and gave the people no voice 
 in tlie affairs of the church, he not only laid tlie right to intro- 
 duce the Reformation wholly into the hands of the princes and 
 civil authorities, but was also willing to meet "the weak" among 
 the princes half way in the matter of the reformation of wor- 
 ship and practice. The Margrave Joachim of Brantlenburg in- 
 tro kiccd the Lutlieran (^cctrine in his land in 1539. but in order 
 not to hazard the good will of th.e emperor, lie retained nearlv 
 all of Roman Catholic ceremonies and practices, including the 
 carrying of tlie Most Holy in processions ; but he accepted the 
 
 '" -M ami .script "(tCiiu-inde-GcscitichtsbucI}.'' 
 
 I'' Vicr und funfftzig Erhcbliche Ursachcn. W'antmb die IVidcr- 
 tauffer nicht sein im Lande zu leyden, 1607, p. 8. The last sentence of 
 Fischer, concerning the Zurich New Testament is a quotation from 
 Erhard, C, Gruendliche kurtz verfaszte Historia Von Muensterischen 
 'Vidcytduffcrn. etc., Munich, 15.SK. p. 45t\ This New Testament was of 
 the original Zurich version which was published prior to the division be- 
 tween the Zwinglians and Swiss Brethren. In later editions various 
 changes were made by Zwinglian theologians. The Swiss Brethren be- 
 lieving the old version the more correct rendering continued to use it. 
 This version was consequently forbidden by the Zwinglian government 
 of the canton Bern. All copies that could be found wore confiscated. 
 The Brethren had it reppinted at Basel, Frankfurt on the Main, Leipzig 
 and later at Ephrata in Pennsylvania ; hence it was known by the name 
 of Anabaptist (Taeufer) Testament while formerly the luime of l"ros- 
 chowcr. the printer of the first edition, was commonly connected with 
 its name.
 
 108 Menno Simons 
 
 doctrine of justification by faith and in the Lord's supper the 
 cup for the laity. Luther, when his opinion was asked, said, 
 the old ceremonies may be retained for the time and, said he 
 further, if it pleased the Margrave to do so, he might in the 
 processions "dance and leap" before the Most Holy, as did 
 David of old when the ark was brought to Jerusalem (II Sam. 
 6:14). The preachers of Brandenburg were under obligation to 
 maintain the old superstitious ceremonies. Instead of looking 
 to the Scriptures for guidance, the Margrave was guided by the 
 desire of the Catholic emperor and the preachers by the decision 
 of the Margrave. To disregard the orders of the civil ruler 
 would have been treated as a grave offense. Also in Silesia and 
 in other provinces the church remained under the (nominal) 
 jurisdiction of the Catholic bishops, notwithstanding the limited 
 changes which had been made. 
 
 i\Ienno Simons frequently refers to these conditions. Under 
 the marginal title "The clergy and the judges do not serve God, 
 but the princes," he says : 
 
 "Beloved rulers, why further multiply words? You do 
 similarly as the priests and preachers who through the instruc- 
 tion of Scripture have come to some knowledge of the truth ; 
 but since they love their poor, ease-loving belly more than God, 
 they preach and teach it just to the extent as is specified and per- 
 mitted in the mandates and decrees of the princes, so that in no 
 case they may incur the displeasure of the world and be not 
 deprived of their worldly honor and easy life. It is the same 
 W'ith you, my dear lords .... in order to maintain the friend- 
 ship of the emperor and retain your fat revenues (I mean you 
 who are guilty of blood) Jesus Christ with His innocent lambs 
 must without mercy be apprehended, banished, robbed and con- 
 demned to death by you, as if He were the ringleader of all 
 rogues and thieves and worthy of torture and shame." [77: 
 I: 110). 
 
 Under the marginal title, "The preachers of our time dcv 
 not serve Christ, but the Princes," Menno writes further: 
 
 "How much ever some of them boast of the holy Gospel of 
 Christ, yet, it is not preached except in a deformed and useless 
 fashion, and only to the extent that the worldly princes and gov- 
 ernments will tolerate and permit. For as the princes are, so-
 
 The State Church Reformation 109 
 
 are the preachers, and as the preachers are, so is the church ; 
 and this is carried so far that one must withdraw from Oirist 
 Jesus and His holy apostles and disregard their teaching and 
 adhere to the princes and the theologians and believe their word 
 — all on pain of being broken on the wheel, or burned at their 
 hands, or killed and murdered in some other tyrannical way ; 
 just as if the preachers should be sent by the princes and not by 
 Jesus Christ" (441; 11:239). 
 
 "The foundation of the faith and religion of the [state- 
 church] preachers are the emperor, kings, princes and magis- 
 trates ; what these order they teach ; what these forbid they 
 leave untouched" (157a; 1 :202a). 
 
 "It is our conviction that in this as well as in all other 
 matters pertaining to conscience, we can not and must not look 
 upon rulers or princes, not upon doctors or masters of the 
 schools, not upon councils of the church fathers or long 
 established customs ; for here neither emperor nor king, neither 
 doctors nor licentiates, neither ecumenical councils nor proscrip- 
 tions have any authority against the Word of God. In these 
 matters we cannot be guided by any person, human authority, 
 human wisdom or time-serving, but we must look alone upon 
 the expressed and clear command of Christ and the pure doc- 
 trine and practices of His holy apostles, as has been said above." 
 (17a; 1 :31b). 
 
 In certain states, e. g. Saxony and Hesse, the population 
 was comparatively well prepared for the introduction of the 
 Reformation through the government, in many places the ma- 
 jority welcomed the new doctrines. In other states the change 
 was made quite abrupt and neither the people nor their spiritual 
 advisers were in a position to be benefitted by the new creed. 
 The new doctrine and practice were contrary to what they 
 looked upon as orthodox. They found it impossible to change 
 their religious opinions at the command of the princes. In so 
 far as the Reformation was not welcomed by the people an.l 
 they were compelled to accept a new faith against their own 
 conviction, the consequences proved sad indeed. There can be 
 no doubt that the doctrine of justification by faith was largely 
 misunderstood and hence fruitful of evil. It is a noteworthv 
 fact that one of Luther's closest friends advanced the opinion
 
 no Menno Simons 
 
 that "good works arc injurious to salvation." In the Scriptures 
 justification by faith goes together with repentance and conver- 
 sion. This fact was largely ignored by the state church Reform- 
 ers. Vet only in so far as the spiritual condition and the life of 
 the people were improved, was the church really reformed. 
 Menno Simons believed that "with few exceptions" the people 
 were not bettered by the introduction of the state church Refor- 
 mation. He gives us a graphic picture of conditions as evident- 
 ly they were frequently found. He says of those who had ac- 
 cepted Luther's doctrine by order of the rulers: 
 
 "If any one can simply say with them: Oh, what honorless 
 knaves and villains these desperate priests and monks are ! 
 They curse them and wish them the French disease. The wick- 
 ed po]je with his shorn crew, they say, has deceived us long 
 enough with purgatory, confession and fasting; we now eat as 
 we have appetite, fish or meat as we desire^** for every creature 
 of God is good, says Paul, and is not to be rejected ; but what 
 precedes they do not understand, namely to those who believe 
 and know the truth and receive the food with thanksgiving. 
 They further say: How shainefully have they deceived us poor 
 people, that they have robbed us of the blood of the Lord and 
 have ])ointed us to their merchandise, etc., but, God !)e praised, 
 we now know that our own works avail nothing, and that the 
 death and blood of Ghrist alone must blot out and atone for 
 our sins. They begin to sing a Psalm : The snare is broken and 
 v>'e are escaped, etc. [Ps. 124:7.], and while they speak, the 
 beer an 1 wine perchance flow from their drunken mouths and 
 noses. Any one v.ho can but join them in singing this rhime, 
 not considering how carnal his life may be, is a good evangelical 
 man and an acceptable brother. .And should ever some one 
 come v.ho in sincere, true love would admonish and reprove 
 them and point to Jesus Christ, to His doctrine, ordinances and 
 unblamable exan^plc, and show that it does not become a Chris- 
 tian to carouse and drink, to revile and curse, etc., he must im- 
 mediately hear that he is a legalist, one who would take heaven 
 by storm, a factionist, a fanatic, a hypocrite, a defamer of the 
 
 '" As early as 1524 Melanclithoii wrote: "The common people adhere 
 to Luther only because they think there will further be no duty laid 
 r.pon them. — Many believe themselves to be very pious and holy when 
 they upbraid priests and monks or eat meat on Friday." Supplementa 
 Mclanchthonia. vol. 1, pp. 239, 247.
 
 A Compromising Gospel 1 1 1 
 
 sacrament, an Anabaptist. — Both teachers and disciples bear, 
 as concerns various carnal works, the same cap, as the saying i'^. 
 I write what I know and testify what I have heard and seen, 
 and I know that I testify the truth" (78; I: 112). 
 
 "The people they console with the teaching that Christ has 
 paid for our sins, faith alone should have our thought, we are 
 poor sinners and can not keep God's commandments, an-l sim- 
 ilar ease-loving consolations, so that every one selfishly seeks 
 the liberty of the flesh through the new doctrine. — They re- 
 main in the old corrupt way of sin, in an unchanged life, with- 
 out any fear of God, just as if they never in their lives lieaid 
 one syllable of the word of the Lord and as if God woukl not 
 punish wickedness and unrighteousness" (293; II :8b). 
 
 "Notwithstanding, through the preaching of their compro- 
 mising gospel, such a wild and reckless liberty is in evidence 
 in all Germany that you can not rebuke them for their open i\n- 
 chastity, intemperance, cursing and swearing, lasciviousncss and 
 foul words without being compelled to hear that you are a 
 separatist, vagabond, fanatic, heaven-stormer, Anabapti-^t an.l 
 other terms of reproach and insult" (251b; II :29a}. 
 
 "They [the Zwinglian and Lutheran preacher^ | have 
 brought the poor, indifferent people to a disorderly, unrestrained, 
 fruitless, impenitent life, just as if never the prophetic or the 
 apostolic doctrine, or the Word of God had been preached, and. 
 as if never Christ nor the Holy Spirit had appeared upon earth! 
 Had they with true wisdom and humility known, accepted and 
 followed the Word and ordinance of the Lord and tlie usa'^e 
 and example of the apostles, and earnestly feared their God; 
 had they not flattered the lords and princes and the world in 
 general, but proclaimed the doctrine in true zeal with.out any 
 respect ,of persons, or favor ; had they unto death, witli faith- 
 fulness in doctrine and life, rebuked the sins of all mankin I 
 whether of high or low station; had they in such manner 
 obe.liently preached and testified of the work and (70S])el of 
 God and thus assembled and organized unto the Lord a pious 
 penitent people, that is. a true church, after the apostolic ex- 
 ample, and not sought their own gain and ease through ii ; and 
 had they refrained from abu.'^ing those who are pious and fear 
 God, then the precious Word, the glorious Gospel of the grace 
 of Christ would never have been treated so lightmindcdlv. nor 
 would the poor, unwary people have come into such a wild, 
 dreadful condition as. alas, may now be witnessed evervwher-^ " 
 (236b; II: 13b). 
 
 What was considered the bounden duty of the state church
 
 112 Menno Simons 
 
 preachers, viz., that they must confine their labors to the place 
 assigned to them by the goveniment, was a grave offense in the 
 opinion of the dissenters. Menno Simons often testifies that he 
 was constrained in conscience, through love to God and to the 
 unsaved, to risk his life in the endeavor to spread the evangel- 
 ical truth. The Anabaptist leader Pilgram Marbeck says of the 
 reformers of Strasburg, in 1532, that they preach only in places 
 to which the protection of the government extends "and not 
 freely under the cross of Christ; therefore their gospel did not 
 bring fruit. "'^ Jacob Gross of Waldshut complained that the 
 reformers of Zurich "do not go anywhere. If they were true 
 evangelists, they would go out as the messengers of God to 
 proclaim His word and to point tb.e erring to the true way. 
 But now no one can prevail over them to go forth, neither by 
 petition nor demand, for they have a spirit of fear,"-" "The 
 Gospel will have martyrs," says Sebastian Franck, "but these 
 preachers bark only in their own house where they are se- 
 cure."-^ Cornelius says correctly that in Catholic countries 
 wdiere state church Protestantism was persecuted, the field was 
 left to the Anabaptists who did not shrink back from dangers of 
 torture and death.-- On the point of the missionary calling of 
 the church Menno Simons differerl from Luther, Zwingli and 
 Calvin who held that t]ie commission to preach the Gospel to all 
 nations concerned only the apostles while Menno believed it to 
 be binding for the Cliristian church as such.^^ 
 
 Although Lutiicr, in his booklet Of the Hcdgc-Prcach- 
 crs. says that these men "preach" to the people who are working 
 in the harvest, in the fields and in the woods, it was evidently 
 their custom to speak to one or a few on the subject of salva- 
 tion. To refer to personal work of this kind as preaching when 
 
 " Scliiess. Briefzverhsel Blaurcrs, vol. 1, p. 316. 
 
 20 Egli, Zuericher IViedcrtacufcr, p. 45. 
 
 -1 Ilegler, Prancks Lat. Paraf'hrasc, etc., p. 103. 
 
 -2 rornelius, Muenst. Aufruhr. vol. 2, p. 44. 
 
 ^ Compare Moeller-Kawerau, Kirchcngeschichte , vol. 3, p. 408, 
 Grisar. Luther, vol. 3, p. 1022. Menno Simons will be quoted on the 
 subject of missions.
 
 The Pious Called Anabaptists 113 
 
 preaching by laymen was considered a grave offence was not to 
 ■encourage religious discussions among those who were not or- 
 dained ministers. Not a few were of the opinion that uncom- 
 mon interest in religious questions on the part of the people 
 savored of Anabaptism. In 1548 Matthaus Lother, a member 
 ■of the Lutheran state church at Zwickau in Saxony wrote: 
 
 "If now faith is coupled with love and consequently one 
 v^'ho experiences it can not refrain from speaking of it and from 
 praising God: if then the wise and great authorities are in- 
 formed of it (I speak not only of the Papists but also the 
 Evangelical), such a man must hear that it is said: You are a 
 hedge-preacher, an enthusiast and Anabaptist, you should be 
 forbidden the town ; the proper place for that of which you 
 speak is the church. And if consequently the preachers hear of 
 it, they also reprove him, and say : Look, look ! How does this 
 -enthusiast dare to hold up his head. He has perchance read 
 some German Kadoechcn and has swallowed the Holy Ghost, 
 feathers and all ! And they exhort the authorities to bid him 
 to turn from it and impertinently they say that to talk of such 
 things was not committed to common people and was not be- 
 coming for them, and they should let the theologians have a care 
 for these things. — It is true, it should be heard and learned in 
 the churches, but out of the churches it should be practiced and 
 increased. And you say : It is not committed to us ; the proper 
 place to speak of it is the church and it is for the preachers. 
 Are these not terrible conditions among pious Christians in 
 these latter times?"-* 
 
 The assertion found in the writings of Menno Simons and 
 other Anabaptists that to lead a pious life meant to incur the 
 suspicion of entertaining Anabaptist views is not based, as has 
 "been supposed, on an unwarranted generalization. Heinrich 
 Bullinger, without doubt a reliable witness on the point in ques- 
 tion, says : "There are those who are not Anabaptists but have 
 a pronounced averseness against the pomp and frivolity of the 
 world ; therefore they earnestly denounce glaring sin and vice 
 and hence are by petulant persons named or revilefully called 
 
 °* Wappler, Inquisition u. Ketscrprozesse in Zwickau, p. 161. The 
 meaning of the word Kadoechcn is unknown.
 
 114 Menno Simons 
 
 Anabaptists."-"* By tliis testimony of Biillinger the assertion of 
 the Swiss Brethren that zealous Christians of the state church 
 were suspected to be Anabaptists is corroborated. The Breth- 
 ren, according to Rullinger's further statement said : 
 
 "If we, by God's grace, carry into practice and do, beHeve, 
 teach and Hve the doctrine which they [the ZwingHans] them- 
 selves have at first advocated, we are an abomination to them; 
 tliey will not tolerate us ; they denounce and upbraid us in tiiis 
 our Christian faith as if it were heretical and an error; they 
 call upon the worldly authorities against us and instigate and 
 incite them to persecute and kill us ; yea whoever among their 
 own denomination will do and live rightly is given by them the 
 same name as we, namely Anabaptists."-" 
 
 George Wizel wrote in 1531 : "Whoever speaks against the 
 wicked customs of the times and urges the nee.d of a Christian 
 life, must be called an evil Anabaptist ; many a one knows not 
 how to clear himself of this suspicion except by frequent drink- 
 ing bouts. For your evangelical liberty has resulted in this, 
 that .... he who earnestly seeks to mend his life^ is considered 
 an Anabaptist."^^ Caspar Schwenckfeld testifies repeatedly that 
 a pious life brought the accusation of Anabaptism. "Those 
 who begin an earnest Christian life and live piously," says he, 
 "are generally considered and asserted to be Anabaptists." "I 
 am maligned both by preachers and others to be an Anabaptist, 
 just as all who lead a true, exemplary pious life are now almost 
 everywhere given this name.""^ Johann Valentin Andreae, a 
 tiieologian of the I-utheran state church, wrote: "Whoever 
 seeks now to lead an irrej)roachable life, is called an enthusiast, 
 a Schwenckfelder. an Anabaptist."^'' 
 
 -•'■• "So .si;i(l aucli aiiderc, uclclic ini Gruiul nit Wicdcrtiiiifer sind, 
 doch heftigen Miszfal! hahen an der Welt Ueppigkeit und Leichtfertig- 
 keit und danim heftig anklagcn .Schand nnd I.astcr. und danncnhcr von 
 mutwilligen Lcuten Wiedertriufer gcniimt odor gescholten worden."" 
 Wicdcrt. l'rs{)nina. P- 170. 
 
 -** Bullinger, Wicdcri. Crsf^ning, fol. 224'"'. 
 
 -" Cornelius, Mucvsl. Aufr., vol. 2, p. 44. Compare Loserth, B. 
 llnhmaicr, p. 7 
 
 2** Schwer.ckf eld's Hpistolni-. vol. 2. p. 307; the same. vol. 1, p. 203. 
 
 ^ Moeller-Kawerau, Kirchengcschichlc. vol. .3, p. 386.
 
 Against Legalism 115 
 
 The theologians of the state churches, including Luther and 
 other leading reformers, frequently referred to the Anabaptists 
 as "work saints," i. e. legalists who disown the principle of 
 justification by faith and seek salvation through good works. 
 Menno Simons brands this charge as "a wretched untruth" 
 (495; II: 300a). He points out the fallacy of this accusation 
 and asserts that this reproachful name was as a rule given those 
 who manifested earnestness and zeal in the Christian life. In 
 his defence against this accusation he does not deny that he and 
 his brethren urge the need of "striving after holiness," but he 
 protests that this is not an evidence of rejecting the doctrine of 
 salvation by grace, and of justification by faith. He says: 
 
 "Behold, kind reader, we do not seek our salvation in 
 works, words, or sacraments, as do the theologians, although 
 they make assertions to that effect concerning us, but alone in 
 Jesus Christ and in no other means in heaven or on earth. In 
 this means alone we rejoice, and in no other. We trust, by the 
 grace of God, to abide therein unto death. 
 
 "But that we shun carnal works and in our weakness desire 
 to conform ourselves to His word and commandment, this we 
 do [not for the reason that we believe in salvation by works 
 but] because He has so taught and commanded us. For he who 
 does not walk according to His doctrine, bears testimony by 
 his own deeds that he does not believe in Him nor know Him 
 and is not in the communion of the saints.-''*^ 
 
 "The believers are ready in their weakness to obey His holy 
 word, will, commandment, advice, doctrine and ordinances, and 
 thus they show in deed that they believe, that they are born of 
 God and of a spiritual nature. They lead a pious, unblamable 
 life before all men. They are baptized according to the com- 
 mandment of the Lord, as an indication and testimony that they 
 have buried their sins in Christ's death and desire to walk with 
 Him in newness of life. They break the bread of ]^eace with 
 their beloved brethren as a proof and testimony that they are 
 one with Christ and in His holy ciuirch and that they have. 
 
 ^^ The fact is significant that Menno in some of his earliest hooks 
 found it necessary to point out that he and his hretliren were orthodox 
 ■on the doctrine of justification hy faith although they strove to lead a 
 I'lous life. This doctrine was largely misunderstood and misapplied in 
 tlie time of the Reformation.
 
 116 Menno Simons 
 
 either in heaven or on earth, no other means of grace and re- 
 mission of their sins, than the innocent hody and hlood of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ alone which He once for all, hy His eternal 
 Spirit in obedience to the Father, has sacrificed and shed upon 
 the cross for us poor sinners. They walk in all love and mercy ; 
 they serve their neighbors, etc. In short, they conform them- 
 selves in their weakness to all the words, commandments, or- 
 dinances. Spirit, rule, example and measure of Christ, as the 
 Scriptures teach; for they are in Christ and Christ is in them; 
 and therefore they live no longer in the old life of sin after the 
 first earthly Adam, but (weakness excepted) in the new life of 
 righteousness which is of faith after the second and heavenly 
 Adam, Christ; as Paul says: T do not now live, but Christ 
 liveth in me; and the life which I now live, I Hve by the faith 
 of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me,' 
 (Gal. 2:20); and Christ says: Tf ye love me, keep my com- 
 mandments,' (John 14:15). 
 
 "Think not, beloved reader, that we say this to boast that 
 we be perfect and sinless. By no means. I confess for myself 
 that my prayer is sometimes mixed with sin and my righteous- 
 ness with unrighteousness. For I feel through God's grace, if 
 only I follow the unction of the Spirit and measure my poor 
 weak nature with Christ and His commandments, what is the 
 nature of the flesh which I inherited from Adam. Yea, if God 
 should judge us according to our worthiness, righteousness, 
 works and merits, and not according to His great goodness and 
 mercy, I confess w^ith holy David that no man could stand be- 
 fore His judgment (Ps. 143:2; 130:3). Therefore let it be far 
 from us that we should trust or glory in anything but alone the 
 grace of our God through Jesus Chri.st ; for it is He alone and 
 none other in eternity who has perfectly satisfied the true right- 
 eousness required by God. It is also well known unto us by 
 God's grace, that all the saints of God, from the beginning, have 
 ever deplored their corrupt flesh, as may be seen and observed in 
 the instance of Moses, David, Job, Isaiah, Paul, James and John. 
 
 "But for Christ's sake we are in grace; for Christ's sake 
 we are heard, for Christ's sake our failings and shortcomings 
 which are committed through weakness, are forgiven ; for with 
 His perfect righteousness and with His innocent death aufj blood 
 He stands between His Father and His imperfect children and 
 intercedes for all wdio believe in Him and who strive through 
 faith in the divine Word to turn from evil and follow that which 
 is good, etc. 
 
 "Mark, beloved reader, that we do not believe nor teach 
 that we are saved by our merits and works, as our accusers
 
 Insistence on Holy Life 117 
 
 falsely assert, but alone through grace by Christ Jesus, as has 
 been said before" (462 seq. 11:262 seq.). 
 
 "Because we teach from the mouth of the Lord: He who 
 would enter into life, must keep the commandments (Matt. 
 19:17; Mark 10:19; John 15:10); in Christ neither circumci- 
 sion nor uncircumcision avail but the keeping of the command- 
 ments of God (I Cor. 7:19) ; this is the love of God that we 
 keep His commandments and His commandments are not griev- 
 ous, I John 5 :3 ; therefore we are called by the preachers 
 heaven stormers and work saints, and must hear that we would 
 be saved by our merits, although we have always confessed and 
 shall through God's grace confess in eternity that we can not be 
 saved by any other means in heaven or upon earth, than alone 
 through the merits, intercession, death, and blood of Christ, as 
 has been fully set forth above. 
 
 "Behold, thus have these perverse people changed the very 
 best to the very worst. They do not observe that all Scripture 
 clearly condemns all wanton, haughty despisers and transgres- 
 sors of God's commandments who plainly prove by their deeds 
 that they are strangers to the saving grace of God, do not be- 
 lieve in Jesus Christ and according to Scripture abide in con- 
 demnation, wrath and death (John 3:36)" (512; n:317). 
 
 "But that they say we are hypocrites, and lie concerning us 
 that we assert to be without sin, is, because we teach with all 
 Scripture a life that shows the fruits of penitence ; we testify 
 with holy Paul that perjurers, adulterers, idolaters, drunkards, 
 avaricious, liars, unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of 
 God (I Cor. 6:10; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5), that those who are 
 carnally minded shall die, Rom. 8:13; and with John, that those 
 who sin (understand purposely or wantonly) are of the devil 
 (I John 3:8) ; and therefore we have in our weakness a heart- 
 felt dismay of such works ; so often we have with Moses con- 
 fessed by mouth and writing and ever will confess, that none is 
 innocent before God, on account of the inborn nature (Gen. 6:5; 
 8:21), and with Isaiah that we are all as the unclean (Isa. 
 64:6)" etc. (511; n:316). 
 
 "Behold worthy reader, here you have our doctrine and 
 confession of justification as has been here set forth. Judge for 
 yourself and know that the preachers obviously lie concerning 
 us when they say that we would be saved by our merits and 
 works and that we pretend to be without sin. May the Lord 
 forgive them that they spread such shameless, gross falsehoods. 
 O that these miserable men would once take to heart that the 
 backbiters, slanderers and liars are of the devil (John 8:44) etc. 
 "This, I say, is our doctrine and by the grace of God will
 
 1 18 Menno Simons 
 
 ever remain our doctrine, for we truly know and realize that it 
 is the invincible word and truth of the Lord. We testify there- 
 fore before you and before all the world that, firstly, we do not 
 agree with those who teach and introduce a mere historic, dead 
 faith which is without a change of heart, without Spirit, power 
 and fruit; and secondly we do not agree with those who would 
 be saved through their merits and. works." (464; 11:264). 
 
 To Menno Simons' mind it was an inconsistency that 
 L.uther held the pope to be antichrist, but accepted his ordina- 
 tion and baptism as valid."- Menno did not admit a fundamen- 
 tal difference between Papism and Roman Catholicism. Was 
 not the ]:)ope acknowledged by the Roman Church throughout as 
 its rightful head and representative, possessing divine authority? 
 In Menno's opinion it was a mistake to undertake a reform of 
 Romanism. He says : 
 
 "In the second place I say that the same church of which 
 Gellius speaks was not only adulterated and weakened, as he 
 says, but it has become so estranged from God that its members 
 worship, honor and serve gods of wood, stone, gold and silver, 
 also bread and wine, as, alas, has been publicly known these 
 many years in all the temples and houses of worshij) throughout 
 Europe, and may yet daily be witnessed in many great king- 
 doms, cities and countries. 
 
 "My reader, understand me rightly. Idiat God should not 
 have had His elect among the above named churches, concerning 
 this we do not dispute, but shall in humility leave this both now 
 and forever to the gracious judgment of God, hoping that He 
 has many thousands who are unknown to us as they were to 
 holy IClijah ; but the question under dis])ute is with what spirit, 
 doctrine, sacraments, ordinances and life Christ has commanded 
 to gather unto Him an abiding church and maintain it in His 
 ways" (310; 11:94). 
 
 "I shall leave it to the judgment of tiie attentive reader 
 whether that church which is so wholly and entirely possessed 
 and laid waste by Antichrist may be called God's temple. If he 
 gives a negative answer, his judgment is according to Scripture, 
 otherwise many passages of Scri])ture would be fallible and 
 
 " Says Caspar Schwenckfcld : "They err who, although they hold 
 .... the pope to be .\ntichrist and the greatest heretic, would neverthe- 
 less accept his sacraments as valid and consider them equal with the 
 sacraments of Christ." Corp. Schwcnckf., vol. 4, p. 1%.
 
 Fruits of False Doctrine 119 
 
 false, and it would undeniably follow that God and the devil, 
 Christ and Antichrist were in one temple and ruled one church. 
 — If GelHus' assertions were well founded, it would clearly fol- 
 low that the church of Antichrist is even now the true Christian 
 church" (309a; II :92b). 
 
 "Yes, my reader, Gellius knows as well as I what Christ has 
 commanded us concerning baptism, how the holy apostles have 
 taught and practiced it; again that Paul renewed the baptism 
 in the instance of certain persons who had been baptized v.-ith 
 John's baptism (although this was of heaven), because they 
 were not informed concerning the Holy Ghost, also that the 
 worthy martyr Cyprian with all African bishops and the council 
 of Nice did not consider the baptism of heretics valid, etc. 
 Notwithstanding all this, he calls us Anabaptists, never con- 
 sidering that in our infancy we were baptized not only without 
 Spirit, faith. Word, or divine command, but also without all 
 accountability and understanding, with an obviously antichristian 
 baptism, administered by those whom he and other theologians, 
 of his persuasion hold to be antichrists, apostate, heretics and 
 deceivers, who have never truly known God nor His Word and 
 live in open idolatry, bending their knees before wood and stone, 
 trust in the vain and useless doctrines and commandments of 
 men, who wantonly walk according to the lusts of the flesh and 
 worship and honor the creature of God, namely a piece of 
 bread, as the only begotten and eternal Son of God" (232; 
 11:8). 
 
 "What is it that deceives and blinds the German countries 
 even today, and what causes them to continue in their ungodli- 
 ness, if not the inconsiderate doctrine of the preachers, the ill- 
 advised infant baptism, idolatrous supper, and that the com- 
 mandment of Christ and His apostles concerning separation is 
 not practiced according to the Scriptures. — The people drink 
 and carouse, curse and swear, grasp and tear, lie and cheat. In 
 short the life which is generally in evidence is such as if God 
 were a fabler and His word a fairy tale. Behold, such are the 
 fruits of those who boldly boast that they are the church of 
 Christ. Oh, would to God that they could see what Jesus Christ, 
 after whom they call themselves, and His holy apostles, have 
 taught them in plain words and what example they have left 
 them, that they might be helped. But now there is nothing but 
 playing with the letter, there is the name and boasting, but, alas, 
 the spirit, work, power, and fruits are not apparent" (297 seq. ; 
 11:79 seq.). 
 
 Many are the complaints of Menno Simons that the state 
 church Reformation failed to abandon some of the leading un-
 
 120 Menno Simons 
 
 scriptural principles of Romanism; the changes introduced did 
 not extend to all that is essential to a true evangelical church. 
 He says further: 
 
 "We know well that you have destroyed the little gods of 
 Babylon such as the Romish indulgences, the invocation of the 
 departed saints, celibacy, abstaining from meats and similar self- 
 righteousness, idolatry and superstitution. But, alas, the terrible 
 wrongs and abominations have remained, such as the accursed 
 unbelief, the obstinate opposition to the truth, earthly minded- 
 ness, the unscriptural infant baptism, the idolatrous supper and 
 the impenitent old life which is of the flesh. — The branches 
 have been cut off in part, but the stem and the roots have re- 
 mained" (38; 1:59). 
 
 "But what grieves me most is. that those also who in part 
 have recognized the debauchery of the Babylonian woman and 
 have put away some of her abominations, yet cling to the sophis- 
 try of men to such extent that they can be taught or moved 
 neither by God's powerful word nor by the unblamable life, 
 candid testimony and innocent blood of so many pious saints. — 
 For their clamor is for the most part against the pope and his 
 cardinals, bishops, priests and monks. And all who, reproving 
 their deceptive doctrine, idolatrous sacraments and vain life, 
 seek the best for their poor souls, must be upbraided by them as 
 profaners of the sacrament. Anabaptists, fanatics, and heretics" 
 (38; 1:58). 
 
 The most prominent point of controversy between the Ana- 
 baptists and the leading reformers was the question whether 
 baptism is to be administered to believers or infants. At the 
 base of this question lay principles of the most fundamental im- 
 port. 
 
 Infant baptism was a necessary requirement for the main- 
 tenance of a state church such as then existed in everv state. In 
 every land church and state were united and the membership of 
 the church was supposed to be identical with the population. 
 The people were through infant baptism made members of the 
 .'-tate church in their earliest infancy. Not only in Roman 
 Catholic but also in Lutheran and Zwinglian countries every in- 
 habitant (excepting the Jews) was compelled by law to hold 
 membership in the .state church; hence infant baptism was the 
 foremost requirement in the Protestant state churches as well as
 
 The Baptismal Controversy 121 
 
 in the Church of Rome. Excluding or excommunication was 
 virtually unknown except in the instance of heretics who had 
 been condemned to die. Even the criminals who filled the pris- 
 ons were church members. The creed of the nilers was the 
 creed of the state. The subjects were compelled to profess the 
 faith of the rulers. The masses of the people fashioned their 
 faith to please the authorities, in order to escape the dungeon 
 and the henchman. Those who dared to have a faith differing 
 from the creed prescribed by the magistrates, were subjected to 
 the most cruel persecution which was supposed to be perfectly 
 right. Whosoever killed them thought he was doing God service. 
 The issue of believers' baptism or infant baptism was one 
 which primarily concerned the conditions of membership in the 
 Christian church. Should the birth of Christian parents convey 
 the right of membership in the church? Should the infants be 
 made church members, or should those only be made members 
 who accepted Christ and surrendered themselves to Him? 
 Should there be exclusive state churches comprising, by virtue 
 of the strong arm of the state, the whole population, or should 
 the precepts of Christ and the example of the apostles be fol- 
 lowed ? Shall the boundary lines of the church be identical with 
 those of the state? Shall "the sword of the Spirit" rule the 
 church, or the sword of brutal force? Shall the Bible or the 
 henchman be the final authority? Is it the mission of the church 
 to lead those who are within its fold to accept Christ, or is the 
 church a body of believers whose mission field is the world? 
 Shall the church and the world be united or separated? Is the 
 church essentially a hierarchy, or is it a body of believers? 
 These are the questions which lay at tlie bottom of the great 
 controversy on infant baptism. 
 
 Menno points out that the existing union of the church with 
 the state and the world is unscriptural. 
 
 "The whole evangelical Scriptures teaoli diat Christ's church 
 was and must be a people separated from the world in doctrine, 
 life and worship. It was likewise in the Old Testament (II Cor. 
 6:17; Tit. 2:14; I Pet. 2:9,10; I Cor. 5:17; Ex. 19:12). 
 
 "Since the church always was and must be a separated
 
 122 Menno Simons 
 
 people, as has been heard, and it is clear as the meridian sun 
 that for many centuries no difference has been observable be- 
 tween the church and the world, but all people have been blend- 
 ed together in baptism, supper, life and worship without any 
 separation, a condition which is so clearly contrary to all Scrip- 
 ture, therefore we are constrained by the Spirit and word of 
 God to the praise of Christ and to the service and betterment 
 of our neighbor from true motives, as set forth above, to gather 
 not to us but to the Lord, a pious, penitent assembly or cliurch 
 .... not by force of arms or uproar (as is the custom of the 
 poi)ular sects), a church which is separated from the world, as 
 the Scriptures teach." (262; II :38a). 
 
 "The German church was from the beginning Papistic and 
 not apostolic. The church of which Gellius speaks was first 
 established upon the foundation and abominations of the Pap- 
 ists, and has remained so these many years. It was originally 
 built, not by the apostles upon the foundation of Christ but by 
 the pope on his own foundation and was throughout a Papistic 
 and not a Christian church ; and [although changes have been 
 made] it is quite obvious that it has to this hour neither teachers 
 nor congregations nor life nor sacraments, etc., conformable to 
 the commandment, doctrine and ordinance of Christ. 
 
 "The preachers should learn first to know themselves 
 rightly, and then preach rightly the word of sincere repentance 
 in the power of the Spirit. All those who accept it with a be- 
 lieving heart and truly repent, should then be served with 
 Christ's sacraments according to divine institution. .And those 
 who would wickedly, deliberately despise it, should in the j)ower 
 of the holy word be separated from the communion of their 
 church, without respect of persons, be they rich or poor. In 
 this way they could begin to gather a church unto Christ and in 
 it rightly practice the ordinances of the Lord according to the 
 Scriptures. 
 
 "But as long as they baptize the unconscious infants, esteem 
 all whom they have baptized as Christians, dispense the bread 
 to the impenitent, and admit all the avaricious, extortioners, 
 pompous, intemperate, etc., to the fellowshi]) of their church, 
 the world shall continue to l)e their church and their church the 
 world" (289 seq.; 11:70). 
 
 The ritualistic features of worshij) were largely retained by 
 Luther, but utterly rejected by the Anabaptists. Menno held 
 that as concerns faith, practice and wor.ship, the church must 
 conform itself not to the Old Testament but to the New Testa-
 
 Principle of Scripture Authority 123 
 
 ment standard. Under the New dispensation the worship of 
 God is of a purely spiritual nature. The believer in Christ ap- 
 proaches God not through types and shadows, but in Spirit and 
 in truth ; hence there is no room for temples of stone, nor altar, 
 nor literal sacrifice, nor incense, nor putting on priestly robes. 
 The Catholic churches in which prayer to saints and the venera- 
 tion of images were practiced, were spoken of by the Anabap- 
 tists as "idol houses." Their worship was exceedingly simple, 
 devoid of all show and ostentation.^^ Luther, to the contrary, 
 in the reformation of worship, was guided by the principle : 
 "What is not contrary to the Scripture, is for it and Scripture 
 is for it," although it may not be established on Scripture 
 authority. "If anything which is in use from times of yore, is 
 to be changed or abandoned," he says, "it is to be and must be 
 proven to be contrary to God's word."®* In his opinion priestly 
 robes, the elevation of the host, exorcism, etc., were not con- 
 trary to GckI's word. "Erroneously we are accused that we have 
 discarded Mass," says Melanchthon in the Augsburg Confession, 
 for it is evident that, to speak without boasting. Mass is held in 
 our churches with greater reverence and fervor, than among 
 our adversaries. — Also in the public ceremonies of Mass, there 
 have been no marked changes except that in some places some of 
 the songs are sung in German. "^^ Nevertheless, the sacrificial 
 features of the Mass were abandoned. 
 
 B-i On tlie question of instrumental music in clmrches the Anabap- 
 tjsts differed from Luther and agreed with Zwingli and Calvin and the 
 early church fathers who did not tolerate instrumental music in church- 
 es. l"o praise God with strir.ged instriuucits was in their opinion a 
 part of Old Testament worship but is foreign to New Testament 
 thought. The passages in the book of Revelation in which musical in- 
 struments are mentioned were taken in a similar sense as the verses of 
 the same book mentioning censers and incense ; it is expressly stated 
 that these designations are to be taken in a fitiurative sense. (Rev. 5:8). 
 
 «•» Erl. E., vol. 26, p. 269. 
 
 "5 "The Lutherans," says a writer of the Reformation era, "take an 
 inimical attitude toward the Papistic Mass and condemn it vehemcntiy : 
 they have on their own authority established their own German Mass — 
 as if it were worse to hold Mass in Latin than in German."
 
 124 Menno Simons 
 
 During tlie Reformation era it was not possible for Menno- 
 nites and Anabaptists in general to build houses of worship, 
 except probably in Moravia. And the Huterites of Moravia did 
 not build houses for this purpose, but they had large buildings 
 of various description and found it convenient to use these for 
 their meetings. Christophus Andreas Fischer, the priest of 
 Feldsberg in Austria wrote in 1607 a book: Fifty-four Strong 
 Reasons ivhy the Anabaptists should not he tolerated in the 
 Land. His twenty-eighth reason is as follows : 
 
 "There never was a heathen so wicked, never Turk so 
 profligate, never Jew so hardened, never heretic so evil, who 
 did not build his god a temple, his Mohamet a mosque, the Jew 
 a synagogue for his worship, the heretic a chapel for the con- 
 firmation of his error. But the hypocritical Anabaptists are 
 blinder than the heathen, more profligate than the Turks, more 
 hardened than the Jews, more cursed than all other heretics; 
 for they have no churches or chapels or similar places in which 
 to perform their worship, etc. Yea, before they would build 
 any little church, they would erect a thousand times more dwell- 
 ing houses, pig-sty s and eating rooms {Fr ess-stub en) which in- 
 deed is very amazing, for they desire to be considered quite 
 holy, pious and devoted people. Their sermons they have twice 
 a week in their eating rooms. — No feast of Mary or Apostle 
 day is kept by them. Every Friday in the year they eat meat. 
 Of pictures they have a decidedly unfavorable opinion, except 
 those that are found on the Ducats and Dollars. — They sing 
 the hymns composed by their false messengers who on account 
 of their obstinacy have been either hanged and drowned or 
 singed and burned. Is it not true that they are the most wicked 
 people, having no church, no worship and no sacrifice?" Fischer 
 concludes this book by assuring the princes that their names will 
 be written in heaven if they suppress this heresy.*"^ 
 
 A point of fundamental difference between Menno Simons 
 and the state-church reformers is the relation of the New Testa- 
 ment Scriptures to the Old. Menno, as well as the Swiss 
 Brethren and Huterites held that the Old Testament precepts 
 were largely intended for pre-Messianic times and have been 
 restated by Christ and the apostles as far as they are to be fol- 
 lowed by the Christian Church. They held the Old Testament 
 
 Fischer, I'icr und funfftig Erhcblichc Ursachcn, etc., p. 78 u. 124.
 
 Luther on the Scriptures 125 
 
 "Scriptures to be the foundation and groundwork for the New, 
 -and the latter to be the fulfilment of the Old. In matters of 
 Christian worship and practice the New Testament Scriptures 
 were believed to be the only authority. The union of church 
 .and state and other points which were rejected by the Anabap- 
 tists on New Testament authority, were defended by Luther, 
 Zwingli and Calvin on Old Testament authority. (Compare 
 citation from Menno Simons on this point, p. 224). 
 
 The principle of the Anabaptists that as concerns ordinanc- 
 es, rites, worship and doctrine nothing must be maintained in 
 the church which can not be established on Scripture authority, 
 was originally taught by Luther and Zwingli, but abandoned 
 when they decided upon a union of church and state. On the 
 Wartburg Luther again advanced the Roman Catholic view : 
 "What is not contrary to Scripture, is for Scripture, and Scrip- 
 ture is for it." (Compare p. 123). He held that the old Roman 
 Catholic cultus may be retained without Scripture authority, on 
 the ground that it is not contrary to Scripture. The question 
 what is to be considered contrary to Scripture he answered to 
 the effect that only those things must be abandoned which are 
 ■expressly forbidden in Scripture. And in his controversy with 
 Carlstadt who cited the second commandment in support of his 
 •opinion that the pictures or "idols" (as Luther himself speaks 
 of them) should be removed from the churches, he defended the 
 opinion that everything that is not prohibited in the New Testa- 
 ment Scriptures, although it be forbidden in the Old Testament, 
 may be retained. He says : 
 
 "We have taught from St. Paul the Christian liberty, that 
 ^11 things should be free which God does not forbid with clear 
 words in the New Testament .... Now tell me, where has He 
 forbidden to elevate the host, or commanded it? Show me one 
 little word concerning it and I shall viekl."'*' "H thev can 
 
 "0 Erl. E., vol. 29, p. 188; Walch Si. L., vol. 20, col. 183. The 
 -elevation of the host or bread for the kneeling adoration and worship of 
 the church, was a prominent part in Roman Catholic worship. Carlstadt 
 •condemned this custom as idolatry, but Luther defended it because it is 
 not forbidden in the New Testament Scriptures. Only after Carlstadt's 
 ■death was this practice abandoned in Wittenberg.
 
 126 Menno Simons 
 
 prove from the New Testament that the pictures should be re- 
 moved [from the churches], we shall willingly follow them."'^ 
 "They introduce their own external order concerning which God 
 has given neither a command nor a prohibition, as for instance 
 that one should have no pictures, no churches [i. e. temples],, 
 altars, should not use the word Mass or sacrament, not elevate 
 the host, not have priestly garments," etc.''^ 
 
 On this principle the old forms of worship and practice 
 were largely retained. The leading reformers asserted that in- 
 fant baptism and other practices are justifiable because they are 
 not forbidden. Even exorcism, or the conjuration of Satan to 
 depart from the infants previous to baptism, was retained as a 
 custom that is not forbidden in Scripture — to the great offence 
 of the Anabaptists. The form of exorcism used somewhat later 
 zntong the Lutherans was : "I conjure thee, thou unclean spirit^ 
 to come out and depart from this servant of Jesus Christ." 
 Afenno Simons denounces repeatedly "the wretched exorcism" 
 and other unscriptural ceremonies connected with baptism, such 
 as breathing upon the infant, giving him salt, anointing him 
 with oil and saliva, etc. 
 
 The principle that the Scriptures are the only inerrant 
 source of religious truth, the only authority in matters of faith 
 and pactice — known as the formal principle of the Reforma- 
 tion — was the leading principle of the Anabaptists, while both 
 Luther and Zwingli accepted it only in a modified form. The 
 doctrine of the inner word as held by Hans Denck and a few 
 other Anabaptists, was not shared by the great Anabaptist de- 
 nominations, viz. the Swiss Brethren, Huterites and Mennonites. 
 As for the Zwinglian reformers, they have frequently asserted 
 that the Anabaptists insisted too much on following the letter of 
 
 "1 Ell. II., vol. 29, p. 150; IValch St. I... vol. 20. col. 147. "It is 
 clear" says Luther further, "that even in the Old Testament the unob- 
 jectionable idols [Abgotter] did not bring harm, even if men prayed 
 before them, if only with the heart the true God was worshipped; and 
 our fanatics would bind and entangle us free Christians to such extent 
 that we may not tolerate idols [Gotzcnl without sin." Erl. E., vol. 29, 
 !■. 154. 
 
 ■2 fir I. /•:., vol. 29. p. 210.
 
 Anti-Romanism 127 
 
 the Scriptures, "the dead letter." In reply to this argument one 
 of the spokesmen of the Anabaptists in the discussion held in 
 Bern, 1538, asked, "Is that which Christ has said the dead 
 letter?"" 
 
 The assertion that Anabaptism has an essentially Roman 
 ■Catholic tendency or that Lutheranism represents a more radical 
 elimination of the unscriptural doctrines of Romanism, is quite 
 untenable. The Zwinglian chronicler Johannes Kessler of St. 
 Gall says rightly concerning the origin of the Anabaptists, that 
 Grebel, Manz, Blaurock, and others insisted on separation from 
 the Roman Catholic Church. They "were of the opinion that 
 those who had been taught the Gospel and were now called 
 ■evangelical, should first of all forsake and be separated from the 
 Papal church .... But the ministers of the word of God in 
 ^'urich, above all Ulrich Zwingli would not consent to such 
 separation."'* Melanchthon, in the Augsburg Confession, under- 
 took to point out that the Lutheran creed is orthodox according 
 to Roman Catholic standards and authorities. It may be proper 
 -to observe that in the opinion of the famous Catholic historian 
 Doellinger Lutheranism is virtually only a branch of the Roman 
 Catholic Church, while Zwinglianism and Calvinism are more 
 radical in their opposition to certain doctrines held to be essen- 
 tial by the Church of Rome and must be considered new church- 
 ■ci.. Nevertheless both Zwingli and Calvin, as well as Luther, 
 undertook a reformation of the church whose head was the 
 pope. After Luther, in 1522, restored Roman Catholic worship 
 in Wittenberg, Carlstadt spoke of him and his friends as "new 
 Papists," and we know from Zwingli's Elcnchiis that a similar 
 name was given Zwingli by the Swiss Anabaptists. The im- 
 jiartial student will recognize the fact that the reformers who 
 represented the state-church Reformation followed in the foot- 
 steps of the Roman Catholic church on certain important points 
 which were discarded by the Anabaptists. They consented to 
 the establishment and maintenance of national churches through 
 
 ^- Acta Dcs fjcspnicc!:s. etc., fol. 276. 
 '* Kessler, Sabbata, p. 141.
 
 128 Menno Simons 
 
 "the secular arm," they followed "Antichrist," as Menno points 
 out, in their attitude toward those who recognized state-church- 
 ism to be incombatible with Gospel principles ; they glaringly 
 compromised the principle that the Word of God is the only 
 authority in matters of faith. In the doctrine of the sacraments 
 they differed from the Church of Rome to less extent than the 
 Anabaptists. Through their consent to a union of church and 
 state the leading reformers found themselves compelled to an 
 attitude of compromise in various points of doctrine and prac- 
 tice. The great Anabaptist movement was born of the convic- 
 tion that the state-church Reformation countenanced unscrip- 
 tural principles which had been upheld by tlie former state 
 church and, in short, sustained an unwarranted relation to the* 
 position of that body — the Roman Church. 
 
 On free will and predestination Menno disapproved of the 
 views advanced by Luther, Zwingli and Calvin. He says cor- 
 rectly that Zwingli in chapter six of his book On Predestination 
 asserted, a thief and a murderer were "driven" by God to com- 
 mit crime and the authorities were "driven" by God to punish 
 criminals for their evil deeds." Of this doctrine Menno speaks 
 as "an abomination above all abominations" (311a; II :94b). 
 
 A few writers have asserted that Menno Simons differed 
 from the state churches on original sin. Menno agreed with 
 Martin Luther on the fact of original sin, as will be fully set 
 forth elsewhere by quotations from his writings. He taught 
 that all men inherit a sinful nature from Adam which would 
 exclude them from salvation if Christ, the second Adam, had' 
 not atoned for the guilt of original sin. All Anabaptists taught 
 emphatically that no one is condemned for the sin of Adam- 
 Infants are saved, not through baptism but through the atone- 
 ment of Christ. S. Hoekstra and K. Vos have quoted a sen- 
 
 " Compare Steahelin, Huldifich Zwingli, vol. 2, p. 460. In the- 
 discussions of I'^mbdcn, in 1578, the (Flemish) Mennonite spokesman 
 Peter of Ceiilcn cjiiotcd extensively from this book of Zwinpli, Protocol! 
 Dot is Alle handelinge, etc., 1579, fol. 47.
 
 Luther Criticised 129 
 
 tence from Dirk Philips which is supposed to deny original sin.''* 
 The context shows this opinion to be erroneous. 
 
 INIenno Simons had a strikingly good opinion of Martin 
 Luther personally. He says openly that on point of scholarship 
 Luther and others surpass him by far, but protests that he could 
 not take the opinions of these men in preference to the clear 
 teaching of God's Word (404b; II :199a). He criticizes Luther 
 particularly for the arguments which he advanced for infant 
 baptism and because he consented to state-churchism, although 
 in an earlier period he had earnestly defended the voluntary 
 principle. Menno says in his Foundation of 1539: 
 
 "Luther writes in his sermon for the Third Sunday after 
 Epiphany that infants should be baptized upon their own faith, 
 and if they have no faith, he says, the baptism of infants is 
 nothing but blasphemy of God's sacrament. Is not this a proof 
 of terrible blindness on the part of such a highly learned man 
 through whom God in the beginning has worked so powerfully, 
 that he now attempts to prove that the little infants who can 
 neither hear nor understand may have faith — clearly contrary 
 to his own experience and also contrary to the Word of God."''^ 
 
 The doctrine of non-resistance, as held by the Anabaptists, 
 has been largely misunderstood. The supposition that this doc- 
 trine is ignored in Roman Catholic and Protestant theology is 
 erroneous. Both the Roman Church and the Protestant churches 
 of the older type recognize the principle of non-resistance to the 
 extent of admitting that Christ has taught it. Nevertheless they 
 do not disapprove of war. The Roman Catholic Church holds 
 that Christ advised non-resistance, but did not comafnnd it ; 
 hence a Christian may use the sword. Luther advanced a new 
 view which he believed to be far superior to the Roman doctrine. 
 He taught tiiat a Christian must be non-resistant and can have 
 no part in violence or blood-shed, be it in war or in self-defence. 
 
 ■^8 Hoekstra, S., Bcginsclen en Leer, etc., p. 266; Vos, K., Menno 
 Simons, p. 214. The passage is found Bib. Ref. NeerL, vol. 10, p. 92; 
 Dirk Philips' Hand Book, p. 45. 
 
 ^^ Dat Fundament, fol. D6a.
 
 130 Menno Simons 
 
 But a Christian is also a citizen and to a citizen it is lawful to 
 light, hence he is under duty to use tlie sword in self-defence or 
 when the state calls him to arms. This means that when there 
 is no occasion to fight a Christian should be guided by the pre- 
 cepts of Christ on the point of non-resistance ; but when such 
 occasion arises he must for the time being ignore the fact that 
 he professes faith in Christ and is under obligation to follow 
 His law ; as a citizen he must be guided by civil rights and civil 
 law. 
 
 This was the view of Martin Luther, as already said, and it 
 has been accepted by Protestant Christendom as a whole. It is 
 r,. noteworthy fact that the despised and persecuted Anabaptists 
 and Quakers were for centuries the only Christian denomina- 
 tions which had a distinct testimony against war. Notwith- 
 .■^tanding the explicit teaching of the Sermon on the Mount and 
 other portions of Scripture on the point in question, Protestant 
 as well as Roman Catholic theology has justified war as agree- 
 able to Christian principles and has made it the Christian's 
 business to take part in it when occasion presents. The most 
 prominent Christian churches do not materially differ from 
 pagan religions as concerns their attitude toward war. The late 
 Pope Pius X is said to have been much grieved over the out- 
 break of the great war. Obviously he was moved by human 
 ratlier than religious considerations. The Roman Catholic 
 Churcii teaches that war is not essentially unchristian but is in 
 harmony with Cliristian principles if it is carried on for a good 
 purpose and with a righteous end in view. 
 
 Tlie Anabaptists would have disdained the modern view 
 that Christianity is identical with culture and that education, 
 civilization, reform is the real remedy for sin and evil and will 
 eventually make war impossible. Not a few writers have, 
 previous to the outbreak of the greatest of all wars, asserted 
 that civilization has practically outgrown war and is destined to 
 eliminate all other evils. This view left out of consideration 
 some striking pertinent facts, e. g. that in one of the most 
 highly civilized countries men are murdered in times of peace 
 at a rate of nearly ten thousand a year. And the horrible lynch-
 
 Non-Resistance 131 
 
 ings ! Is war a greater evil than the lynchings. Has civilization 
 really outgrown sin and crime? 
 
 The Anabaptists recognized that worldly government must 
 l)e based on physical force, and hence the foundation of the 
 state is radically different from that of the church. They did 
 not accept the opinion of certain modern liberals that the state 
 as such sliould be established upon moral suasion instead of 
 force, or, in other words, that the state should deal with crim- 
 inals only through instruction and admonition, the prison doors 
 should be opened and no one further punished for committing 
 crime. The Bible teaches that the state is given the sword to 
 punish evil-doers and it "beareth the sword not in vain." The 
 state would be a farce if it ceased to bear the sword and to use 
 force against those who transgress the laws or who attack the 
 state with arms. Now for the state to defend itself with the 
 sword is war. War is utterly irreconcilable with Christian prin- 
 ciples ; the fundamental principles of the Christian religion are 
 outraged through war. The fact of war is the most striking 
 evidence of the truth of the Biblical teaching concerning the 
 nature of fallen man and of the world. This means that 
 Christianity, so far as it bears the sword, is a farce, just as is a 
 state that would be based on moral suasion and non-resistance. 
 
 The argument that it is inconsistent to refuse to wield the 
 sword when, under existing conditions, the state or society could 
 not exist without it was met by the Anabaptists by pointing out 
 that the fall of the human race is responsible for conditions that 
 make prisons and state authority necessary. No philosophical 
 or theological argumentation can explain away the fact that the 
 Lord Jesus Christ has clearly taught by precept and example tlie 
 principle of non-resistance. To kill men with shrapnell or bay- 
 onet is essentially contrary to Christian duty. The arguments 
 advanced to show that war, that "wicked abominable business," 
 as Menno Simons speaks of it, is consistent with Christian prin- 
 ciples, can bear no weight to the unsophisticated mind.
 
 MENNO'S ATTITUDE TOWARD RATIONALISM 
 
 On this subject the most extravagantly incorrect views have 
 been entertained. Various writers, givinjj evidence to the fact 
 that they have never read Menno Simons' writings, have asserted 
 that lie rejected the deity and vicarious sacrifice of Christ, the 
 universality of sin and the doctrine of justification by faith. 
 Menno has been represented as a champion of the modern gos- 
 pel of the fatherhood of God and the religious brotherhood of 
 men whose burden is that all men are saved although they may 
 not know it. "Modern liberalism," says a certain writer, "has 
 its roots in the Anabaptist movement." The modern view of 
 toleration has also been ascribed to Menno Simons : that mat- 
 ters of doctrine and creed are unessential and the church should 
 not require a defined doctrinal position on the part of individ- 
 uals or of congregations, that it should not stand for defined 
 truth but that any religious teachings should be acceptable. The 
 assertion has been repeatedly made by modern writers that the 
 early Mennonites disowned doctrinal tests and occupied neutral 
 ground on questions of doctrine. Menno Simons has been rep- 
 resented as an advocate of the autonomy of the church in the 
 .sense that every congregation instead of recognizing the Scrip- 
 tures as the final authority should be "a law unto itself" in 
 matters of faith and principle, and that the church as a whole 
 has not the right to demand of the congregations a certain doc- 
 trinal position, and in the congregations the majority should be 
 ])ermitted to rule in questions of faith while the minority should 
 be in duty bound to be satisfied with the decision. A writer in 
 a well known German magazine has asserted that the Anabap-
 
 Doctrinal Neutrality? 133 
 
 tists rejected all dogma or authoritative doctrine, and freedom 
 from all religious authority higher than themselves was their 
 leading tenet; they stood for a free general union and brother- 
 hood of men (freie Vergesellschaftung). 
 
 Now if Menno Simons held such opinions, it would appar- 
 ently have been inconsistent for him to forsake the national 
 church. He and his friends were a small minority. If the 
 question of doctrine is not of vital importance he might well 
 have contented himself with the doctrine of the church in which 
 he was born and held office. In that case we should be obliged 
 to consider him a leader in an uncalled-for schism. Was it not 
 possible for him in the national church to lead a devoted life 
 and to deviate even from the creed of the church, provided that 
 he did not publicly profess his particular views? 
 
 Menno and the early Mennonite churches upheld a well de- 
 fined standard of faith. No one who has read their own litera- 
 ture, in particular the writings of Menno Simons, can doubt this. 
 The elders Adam Pastor, David Joris (both with a greater or 
 less following) and Francis Reines Kuyper were excluded on 
 account of unscriptural doctrine. Menno Simons was the lead- 
 ing interpreter of the principles and doctrines of the church. 
 His writings were looked upon as a statement of orthodox 
 doctrine and may be said to have served in a measure the pur- 
 pose of a confession. That the Mennonites had until a later 
 period, no confessions, besides the Scriptures and Menno's writ- 
 ings, is not an evidence of a "liberal" tendency. In our day, it 
 is interesting to obser\'e, a number of the most conservative 
 Christian denominations could be mentioned who say they have 
 no confessions beside the Bible, but it is nevertheless a fact that 
 they hold to a well defined standard of doctrine ; they have con- 
 fessions in very truth, although perhaps unwritten. Of the 
 church in which Menno labored it must be said tliat the least 
 consers'ative wing, namely the Waterlandians, were the first to 
 set up a written confession. They diflfered from Menno in 
 doctrine (although not on fundamental points) and hence his 
 writings were not a statement of doctrine as upheld by them. 
 The more conservative Mennonites who for a long period did
 
 134 Menno Simons 
 
 not deviate from !Menno's teachings, adopted confessions at a 
 later time. 
 
 The Mennonite confessions have been generally ignored in 
 works on symbolics ; only Mennonite and Baptist historians 
 liave taken them properly into account. The more important 
 -Mennonite confessions are : 
 
 W'atcrlandian confessions: 1. The Confession of 1577.^ 2. 
 The confession of Hans de Ries and Lu'bbert Gerrits of 1581.^ 
 
 Tlie Frisian Confession, prepared by Peter Janz Twisck 
 (about 1600, according to Van Braght). Thirty-three articles.' 
 
 The Confession of the Upper German Churches in Holland, 
 prepared by Jan Centsen in 1630.* 
 
 Confessions of the Flemish churches: 1. The confession of 
 1626 (Jacques Outerman).^ The "Olive-Branch," of 1627.^ 
 3. The confession prepared by Adrian Cornelis and adopted in 
 1632 at Dort in Holland, printed frequently in Dutch, German, 
 French and English; various English editions have been pub- 
 lished in America. 
 
 The date of the confession of the Old Flemish churches is 
 uncertain, it is probably after 16.S0. A German translation was 
 printed in 1768. 
 
 A confession prepared by Cornelis Ris was adopted in 1773 
 by the conference which held its sessions annually in the church 
 called "To the Sun" at Amsterdam. This confession has also 
 l)een published in the English language. 
 
 The Swiss Brethren, in 1527, adopted the seven articles of 
 
 ' Published by E. M. ton Cato. from a manuscript in the Mennonite 
 Library in Amsterdam, in D. B., 1904, pp. 145-156. 
 
 - Or probably somewhat later ; compare ten Cate, Gcsclucd. d. 
 Doopsgezinden in Holland, vol. 1, p. 385. Published in I'jiglish by 
 McGlothlin^ Baptist Confessions of Faith, Philadelphia. For the Dutch 
 (jriginal see Schijn-Maatschoen, Gcschicdenis, vol. 1, 1743, pp. 238-279. 
 
 3 Printed in Van Braght, pp. 360-395. The Baptist Historical Col- 
 lection in Hamilton, N. Y., has a copy of this confession printed in 1620. 
 
 ■• Printed in Van Braqht. pp. 32-36. 
 
 ^ Van Braght^ pp. 1048-1049. The name T'lemish was due to the fact 
 that the first churches consisted principally of fugitives from Flanders. 
 
 " The same, pp. 26-32.
 
 Willingness to Accept Light 135 
 
 Michael Sattler at Schlatten am Randen, near Schaffhausen. 
 Of this confession two recent editions have been published (by 
 W. Kohler and H. Bohmer), as well as an English translation/ 
 These articles treat only on the points on which the Brethren 
 differed from the teaching of the state churches. The Swiss had 
 no other confesison until some of them (in Alsace) accepted the 
 Dort confession of 1632. It is certain that they agreed with the 
 churches of the lower countries in their attitude toward rational- 
 ism and liberalism. 
 
 The modern argument that confessions are uncalled for and 
 the church should occupy neutral ground on questions of doc- 
 trine, for the reason that neither the Christian believer nor the 
 church as a whole can lay claim to the predicate of infallibility, 
 would not have born any weight to the mind of Menno and his 
 friends. That they were not perfect in understanding was in 
 their opinion no reason for ceasing to defend the great truths 
 of God's word. They were fully decided to repudiate that 
 which is clearly unscriptural and to cUng to the Bible teaching 
 on the points in question. They did not profess to have attained 
 to all truth contained in the Scriptures, but admitted cheerfully 
 the possibility of new Scriptural truth to come to them. If we 
 may accept their own confession on this point, they welcomed 
 new light from the Scriptures. 
 
 Menno says : "Gellius writes that we should be stopped and 
 silenced, lest the unwary be deceived. I answer: A better and 
 surer way than we have through the grace of the Lord obtained, 
 no one can point out ; of this we are fully assured from the 
 inmost of our consciences ; for we realize and are fully con- 
 vinced that we have God's Word. Nevertheless we shall at any 
 time freely offer: if any one who is God-fearing, through the 
 Spirit, word, example, command, prohibition, ordinances and 
 usage of the Lord (in accordance with which in Christ's church 
 everything must be ordered if it be valid and acceptable before 
 the throne of His majesty), and not through tyranny and the 
 power of the autiiorities, could point out to us in the fear of the 
 J-ord that which is in any way more appropriate and better and 
 more conducive to the honor of God and the welfare of His 
 church, than that which we have for a number of vears of en- 
 
 ^ McGlothlin, Baptist Confessions of Faith, pp. 3-9.
 
 136 Menno Simons 
 
 lightenment confessed and steadfastly maintained in so exceed- 
 ingly much oppression, homelessness, need and persecution, we 
 shall at any time from our hearts accept and willingly follow it. 
 I am fully confident that all who seek the Lord and fear Him 
 from their heart are of the same mind with me on this point" 
 (235h; II :12b). "By the grace of God I seek nothing whatever 
 upon this earth and shall seek nothing but the unadulterated 
 word of our Lord Jesus Christ, and this according to the record 
 of the Scriptures. Now if I in any way err, which indeed I 
 hope by the grace of God is not the case, I pray every one for 
 the Lord's sake, if any one has more convincing Scripture and 
 more powerful truth, that he through brotherly exhortation and 
 instruction come to my aid, that I may not be put to shame [in 
 the end]. I desire from my heart to accept it, if it is right" 
 (163; 1 :214a). "If any one under the broad canopy of heaven, 
 be he learned or unlearned, man or woman, can instruct me with 
 clearer Scripture and more powerful truth, gladly will I accept 
 and obey it. But, by the gace of God, we know that we have 
 the sure and true way, which Christ has prepared for us. It is 
 well with us if we walk in it and enter in at the strait gate" 
 (239b; II :17b). 
 
 Menno and his friends were guided by the aim to accept 
 and make a part of their creed (written or unwritten) all the 
 truth that through the Scriptures would come to them and to 
 discard everything that is not founded on God's Word. It was 
 their foremost principle that all that may concerning doctrine 
 and Christian practice be found in the Bible should be willingly 
 accepted and followed. They believed the doctrinal position of 
 the national church to be unscriptural and had therefore re- 
 nounced it. Neither by pope, church fathers, emperor or state 
 authorities they would be guided, but by God's Word alone. 
 On the point of the authority of the Scriptures extensive quota- 
 tions from Menno will be given in another place. 
 
 The church, in so far as it stands for the truth of God's 
 word in doctrine and practice, Menno, according to his own 
 testimony, "loved above everything on earth." A church that 
 does not stand for the truth of God, as revealed in His word, 
 but takes an attitude of neutrality and general toleration on the 
 question of doctrine, has in his opinion no excuse for existence. 
 The supposition that he conceded to every congregation the right
 
 Liberty vs. License 137 
 
 to set up its own creed, or no creed ; to stand for any doctrine 
 or no doctrine is quite unfounded. Such a position would be 
 clearly irreconcilable with the emphasis which he laid on the 
 great central truth of the Gospel : that salvation is only through 
 faith in the atonement made by the Son of God through His 
 blood on Calvary and further than the Christian church must 
 be founded upon and guided by God's Word alone. The thought 
 that all religious teaching whether founded on the Scriptures or 
 contrary to them, should be acceptable in the church, was to 
 him a very abomination. To hold that liberty of conscience 
 should mean that the church be given license to disown the 
 authority of God's Word was in his opinion to substitute re- 
 ligious anarchy for liberty. He realized that conscience is not 
 an infallible guide, but is dependent upon the Scriptures for 
 enlightenment and guidance. Hence to substitute conscience for 
 God's Word was to his mind to reject the rightful religious 
 authority.^ 
 
 While in Menno's opinion, conscience if it is not guided by 
 the Scriptures is unsafe to follow, an erring conscience should 
 not and could not be compelled to receive the truth. To set the 
 erring conscience right is not the business of the state through 
 imprisonment and persecution, but it is the business of the 
 church through the Word of God. Menno realized that the 
 great work of maintaining the truth and spreading the Gospel is 
 the task of the church and not of the state. His great concern 
 was that his own conscience and life be perfectly in tune with 
 the Word of his God and that all men whom he found it possible 
 to influence should reach the same goal. While he believed that 
 it is not the province of the state to set up a standard of faith 
 and it is contrary to all Christian principles to establish and 
 maintain the truth through the arm of the flesh and persecute 
 those who would not accept it, he, as already said, differed 
 radically from the idea that the church, like the state, should 
 
 8 At the Fifth International Congress for Free Christianity and 
 Religious Progress, held in Berlin, 1910, J. G. Appeldoorn asserted that 
 the complete independence of conscience was an Anabaptist principle. 
 Appledoorn, Die Mennoniten, etc.
 
 138 Menno Simons 
 
 occupy neutral ground on questions of doctrine. He must have 
 realized that a church which takes the neutral position on ques- 
 tions of religious doctrine and practice is as much out of place 
 as a state which would be neutral and indifferent on matters of 
 civil law and order, taking, in other words, the anarchistic posi- 
 tion. The modern contention that exclusion from the church 
 for any rightful cause is persecution, he would not for a mo- 
 ment have countenanced. He insisted to the contrary that scrip- 
 tural church discipline and exclusion is "a great work of love," 
 for its purpose is not only to maintain the church in accordance 
 with scriptural principles, but to make the excluded one realize 
 the error of his way and to win him. And an important purpose 
 of discipline was in his opinion to keep the church pure in the 
 wholesome doctrine of the Word, "My brethren," he says, "this 
 is the real reason why and to what end this separation or ban 
 is so earnestly taught and commanded in the holy Scriptures by 
 Jesus Christ and His holy apostles, namely first on account of 
 false doctrine, further sinful, carnal life, and again that the 
 offenders should be admonished."* 
 
 • 634; 11:446. HaJ Menno lived in our day, he could point to the 
 fact that even the secret orders exclude those who forsake their prin- 
 ciples, and no one raises the cry of narrowness or pertecution against 
 them.
 
 XI 
 MENNO ON CHURCH DISCIPLINE 
 
 Besides the practice of infant baptism the absence of scrip- 
 tural church discipHne in the state churches marked a principal 
 point of difference between Menno Simons and the representa- 
 tives of the state-church Reformation. That every person born 
 within a given state or province should without his knowledge 
 or consent be made a member of the Christian church by infant 
 b.aptism was to Menno and his friends the first and great evil ; 
 and the second was like unto it. namely that all who had thus 
 been "christened" should be compelled by law to hold member- 
 ship in the church, be they saints or sinners, and that in Luther- 
 an and Zwinglian as well as in Roman Catholic lands offensive 
 sin and vice was not punished by excommunication. 
 
 Menno Simons speaks of the exclusion of unworthy mem- 
 bers as the ornament of the church. In his opinion a society 
 which did not practice discipline and exclusion was not worthy 
 of tlie name of a church of Christ. One of the prominent state 
 church reformers. Martin lUicer, it is worthy of notice, althougli 
 the practice of excommunication was unknown in the church 
 witli whicli he was prominently connected, admitted: "It is true, 
 where there is no discipline and no ban, there is no true church."' 
 Both Luther and Zwingli advocated the use of the ban for a 
 time, but after all found it impracticable in the state churches. 
 
 Menno defines the church as the assembly of those "who 
 hear, believe, accept and rightly fulfil" the teachings of God's 
 Word. He recognizes a difference between the invisible church 
 
 ' Hansen, Gcscliichtc dcr Konfinnation. etc., p. 68.
 
 140 Menno Simons 
 
 which is the body of Christ and the visible or organized church 
 which can not claim purity in the sense that those who are not 
 right with God may not be found in it (303a; II :86a). The 
 assertion of many church historians that Menno hoped to gather 
 a church which was in the real sense "not having spot or 
 wrinkle" (Eph. 5:27) must be designated a grave error. To 
 his thinking even those who constitute the mystical body of 
 Christ are not free of imperfection and weakness, in other 
 words, even the invisible church is perfect only in the sense that 
 Christ's perfect righteousness is accounted to the believer. He 
 held that the church as an organization should be "unblamable" 
 in the sense that its teachings are founded on God's word alone, 
 that it stands for all its truth and is conducted and maintained 
 throughout in accordance with it. 
 
 Unhesitatingly Menno admitted the possibility that a mem- 
 ber of the church be not right with God although he may not 
 give offence that could be followed by discipline. Often he 
 refers to the fact that among the apostles there was a hypocrite 
 He repudiates the charge that through discipline the church was 
 supposed to be kept pure in the absolute sense, but the fact that 
 the church, consisting of fallible men, can not claim absolute 
 purity was to him no reason why scriptural discipline should be 
 disregarded (305b; II :89a). He believed the church to be "the 
 communion of the saints" in very deed but did not ascribe to it 
 perfection in purity in the absolute sense. Many writers have 
 advanced charges of extreme views concerning the purity of the 
 church against Menno Simons which are quite unwarranted. 
 He says : 
 
 "In the fifth place we teach, seek and demand that the 
 Lord's supper be observed as the Lord Jesus Himself has insti- 
 tuted and observed it, namely with a church that is outwardly 
 without spot or blemish, that is without noticeable transgression 
 and wickedness; for the church judges that which is visible. 
 But what is inwardly evil, but does not appear outwardly to the 
 church, as for example the betrayal of Judas, such God alone 
 will judge and pass sentence on them; for He alone, and not 
 the church, discerns hearts and reins" (444b; II :243a). 
 
 It is worthy of notice in this connection that in Menno's
 
 Public Confession 141 
 
 opinion not all grievous sin need be publicly confessed. If a 
 transgression is unknown both to the world and to the church, 
 and the guilty one repents and confesses his sin to a brother, 
 Menno did not believe it proper to make the matter public He 
 writes in 1558. 
 
 "Should it at any time come to pass that any one sin against 
 his God in secret in any carnal abomination, from which may 
 He through His power preserve us all, and should the Spirit of 
 the grace of Christ who alone must awaken true repentance in 
 us all, again touch his heart and grant him genuine repentance, 
 of this we have not to judge, for it is a matter between him and 
 God. For since it is evident that we do not seek our righteous- 
 ness and salvation, the remission of our sins, satisfaction, recon- 
 ciliation and eternal life in the ban or through the ban, but alone 
 in the righteousness, intercession, merit, death and blood of 
 Christ, and since now the two real objects why the ban is com- 
 manded in the Scriptures can not be sought in the instance of 
 such an one, because, firstly, his sin is private, hence no offense 
 can follow from it, and secondly, he is contrite at heart and 
 penitent in life and therefore there is no need of putting him to 
 shame in order that he may be brought to repentance, hence 
 there is no commission of Christ, no divine command that he 
 should be more severely taken to account, nor excluded or 
 brought to shame before the church." ^201a; 1:350). 
 
 The position of the Swiss Brethren and the Huterites on 
 the point in question is set forth in a book of the Huterites, 
 in 1567: Refutation and Reply to the S7viss, Written Upon their 
 Request. The last of the "Fourteen Articles Against the Swiss 
 Brethren," contained in this treatise, is as follows : 
 
 "Some of them have a false and unchristian opinion and 
 false conception in this, that they say: If perchance some one 
 should have become guilty of sin and vice and if no one knew 
 of it, he might repent of the same sin, and himself ask God's 
 forgiveness, without telling or disclosing it to any one else. 
 Some of them, however do not take this position." 
 
 Menno Simons taught emphatically that the ban, being the 
 exclusion of backsliders and transgressors from the church, is 
 ineffective if it is not used on the authority of God's Word 
 
 - IVidcrloeguitg iiud ^rrautivorliinri dcii sclnvcitccm Gcthcin a:if ir 
 bcgcrcii. (^laniiscript).
 
 142 Menno Simons 
 
 against those who through transgression or false doctrine are 
 already inwardly separated from the church; but if, on the other 
 hand, tlie ban is rightly used, the one who is excluded from the 
 church, is excluded from salvation. (Compare page 276).* He 
 writes in 1558: 
 
 "It is to be observed in the first place that th.ese heavenly 
 keys are two in number, namely tlic key of binding and the key 
 of loosing; even as the Lord said to Peter: I will give unto 
 thee the keys of tiie kingdom of heaven, etc. Matt. 16:19. 
 
 "In the second place, we must observe, that the key of bind- 
 ing is nothing else than the word of God's righteousness, the 
 instructing, demanding, constraining, terrifying and condemning 
 lav/ of the Lord, through which all those who do not by faith 
 accept Christ, the only and eternal means of grace, and do not 
 hear His voice, nor follow and obey His holy will, are bound 
 under tiie curse, sin, death and the wrath of God. 
 
 "Again, on the other hand, the key of loosing is the joyous, 
 sweet word of grace, the pardoning, consoling, unbinding Gospel 
 of peace by which all who truly accept Christ as He is revealed 
 in His word, with a firm trust in His innocent blood and death 
 with a regenerated, new, converted, willing, confiding and be- 
 lieving heart, fear Him, love Him, follow and obey Him, are 
 delivered from the said curse, sin, death and the wrath of God. 
 
 "In tlie third place it is to be observed that this binding key 
 is given to Christ's ministers and His people for the purpose 
 tliat through it they shall in the power of the Spirit set forth 
 imto all earthly, carnal, self-willed and impenitent hearts their 
 great sin, unrighteousness, blindness and wickedness, together 
 witii God's righteous wrath, judgment, punishment, hell and 
 
 '''■ K. Vo.s (Mcinto Sijiiotis, p. 200) asserts that those who exercised 
 the ban were supposed to "sit in the apostles' seat;" which shows, so 
 this author tliinks. that Menno had not yet outgrown Roman Catholic 
 ideas. In the passage to which Vos refers Menno points out that the 
 ban is ineffective and brings only judgment upon those who exercise it "if 
 they themselves have not the spirit of Christ, do not sit in the apostles' 
 .'•eat, do not act from pure motives of obedience to God's Word and of 
 upright brotherly love" (208b; II :262b). The same author says that 
 those who passed judgment concerning the ban, must not be church 
 members but elders (p. 200). This assertion can not be substantiated 
 from Mcnno's writings; to the contrary it is obvious that as a rule the 
 elders and ministers counseled with the congregation in deciding such 
 matters.
 
 Christ has the Keys 143 
 
 everlasting death, and thus render them contrite, dismayed, 
 humble, broken, penitent, dejected and sorrowful of heart before 
 God and little in their own eyes. 
 
 "Again, on the contrary, the key of loosing is given to the 
 end that with it the ministers and people of Christ may direct 
 such contrite, troubled, dejected, sorrowing and broken hearts, 
 which through the power of the first key have been brought to 
 feel and recognize their deep mortal wounds, their defects and 
 sores, to the spiritual brazen serpent, to the throne of grace, to 
 the open fountain of David, to the merciful, compassionate high 
 priest of our only and eternal offering of reconciliation, Christ 
 Jesus, and thus heal their perilous, malignant and deadly 
 wounds, stripes and the bite of the infernal serpent. Therefore 
 this key is likened in its virtue to the consoling olive branch of 
 Noah's dove, to the salve of Gilead, etc. 
 
 "Forasmuch then, that it is clearly manifest, that Jesus 
 Christ alone has the key of David and, to the truly, sincerely 
 penitent unlocks heaven, looses the knot of their unrighteousness 
 and grants forgiveness of sins ; and again, as it is He who, 
 against the impenitent carnal sinners, closes heaven, binds them 
 under His judgment and retains their sins, and we, in His name, 
 are nothing more than heralds, ministers and messengers who 
 can make the divine precepts neither shorter nor longer, neither 
 narrower nor wider than is taught us by the Spirit and com- 
 manded us by His word, as heard, therefore it is fully evident 
 that they greatly err who in the pride of their ignorance suffer 
 themselves to think that they have power to remit or retain the 
 sins of any man that may have been committed against God, or 
 who with perverse, inconsiderate minds out of carnal motives, 
 hatred or bitterness and not purely and solely through the Spirit 
 and Word of Christ, dare to ban or exclude any one," etc. (207; 
 1:261). 
 
 "Therefore, my brethren, no one is cut off by us, or separ- 
 ated from the communion of the brethren, but those who have 
 already either by false doctrine or by a blamable life cut them- 
 selves off and separated themselves from Christ and His church. 
 For we desire not to exclude any one but to receive ; not to cut 
 off but to restore ; not to reject but to seek ; not to trouble but 
 to console, not to condemn but to save ; for such is the true 
 nature and desire of a Christian brother. Whoever turns from 
 evil, be it from his false doctrine or from his vain life, and 
 conforms to the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto which he is bap- 
 tized, neither shall nor can ever be excluded or cut off by any 
 brethren. 
 
 "But those who by admonition, tears, threatening, reproof
 
 144 Menno Simons 
 
 or by any other Christian service and godly means can not be 
 raised up and restored, we should, not without great regret and 
 grief, separate from our assembly and thus, in obedience to the 
 doctrine and command of God's Word, exclude the evil of which 
 the erring brethren are guilty, lest we also be led astray by the 
 false (ioctrine which ever eats as a canker, (II Tim. 2:17) or 
 be influenced i)y the same vain, carnal life, since the flesh is 
 ever inclined to evil. And thus the separated brother or sister 
 v»hom we can not help or convert by pleasing services, may by 
 this means of excluding be made ashamed unto repentance (II 
 Thess. 3) and acknowledge to what he has come and from what 
 he is fallen. Thus the ban is a very great work of love, al- 
 though by those who do not understand it, it is looked upon and 
 considered an act of hatred" (634; 11:446). 
 
 "After the offending one has been duly admonished in all 
 love, diligence and faithfulness, the exclusion shall take place 
 in the congregation of God with the power of Christ, that is 
 with the binding and losing key of the divine word and of the 
 Holy Ghost. For whenever it be practiced without the word 
 and Spirit, without love and brotherly concern, whether it be 
 through bitterness or anger or on the basis of a false report, 
 not conformable to the Word, or for reasons not deserving the 
 ban, then it is not a work of God, not a medicine to the soul, nor 
 a fruit of pure love, but a contention of Satan, a ruin and pesti- 
 lence to the conscience and an obvious fruit of the flesh ; in 
 short, "before God a curse, abomination and stench. Let every 
 person "well weigh these words of Paul and he will through 
 God's _grace learn how strictly the exclusion is commanded in 
 Scripture and how considerately it should with the power of the 
 word and Spirit of Christ be practiced in the church (345b; 
 II :131b). Alenno proceeds to point out that the words of Paul, 
 I Cor. 5 :5, "To deliver such an one unto Satan" do not mean 
 that this is done by excommunication, but in the ban announce- 
 ment is made to the sinner of what has already taken place. 
 (345b; II :131b). 
 
 Upon the accusation of Gellius Faber that the Anabaptists 
 were quick and inconsiderate in the matter of discipline Menno 
 replies : 
 
 "I repeat: We have extended to them the faithful service 
 of our brotherly love from our inmost hearts by entreating and 
 admonishing them and have patiently borne with some for one 
 or two years expecting the best (292b; 11:73). 
 
 The Swiss Brethren and the Huterites, agreed with Menno
 
 Discipline for False Doctrine 145 
 
 on the point that "the true reason why and to what end this 
 separation or excommunication is so earnestly taught and com- 
 manded in the holy Scriptures, by Jesus Christ and His holy 
 apostles, is first, for false doctrine; further for sinful carnal 
 life ; further that the transgressors may be admonished to re- 
 pentance, that is to say, those who would be so admonished" 
 (634; 11:446). With equal emphasis they insisted on the need 
 of church discipline and excommunication, but differed on the 
 <luestion of the avoidance of the excommunicated.^ 
 
 * A comprehensive historical work giving in full the history of 
 -church discipHne and the ban among Anabaptists is in preparation.
 
 XII 
 
 MENNO SIMONS' DOCTRINE ON THE 
 INCARNATION OF CHRIST 
 
 M enno Simons held a peculiar doctrine on the Incarnation :■ 
 Christ did not obtain His human nature from a sinful child of 
 Adam. God through the Holy Spirit prepared for Him a body 
 (Heb. 10:5). Mary was truly His mother; He is called "the- 
 fruit of Mary's womb" in a similar sense as we speak of gram 
 as the fruit of the field (531a; 11:337; also folio edition 316a). 
 This doctrine of the Incarnation has been substantially accepte<i 
 by a numl>er of well known Bible scholars of our time.^ 
 
 Menno says : 
 
 If Christ had been, as regards His humanity "of the impure^ 
 sinful flesh of Adam, He would through the eternal righteous- 
 ness of God, be also guilty of judgment and death. And if He 
 Himself owed a debt, how could He pay ours?" (367b; II: 
 157b). "This selfsame Word .... in due time descended from 
 heaven and through the power of the Most High and of His 
 Holy Spirit, above all human comprehension, became a true. 
 
 * K. Vos (Menno Simons, p. 78) says Menno had no clear concep- 
 tion of this doctrine. The doctrine of the Incarnation as held hy Menno 
 Simons is as reasonable as that which is generally accepted as the ortho- 
 dox view and Menno defines it satisfactorily, but in his answers to the 
 attacks of his opponents he sometimes apparently lost sight of the prin- 
 ciple stated by himself: That the incarnation of Christ is not to be 
 comprehended but to be believed. Vos (p. 78) quotes Alenson who- 
 pives two passages from Menno which seem to imply a partly contradic- 
 tion on a phase of the point in question. In Mcnno's work the said 
 passages are found 368b, II:159h and 370b^ II :162a. Reading them im 
 their connection is required for an intelligent understanding.
 
 Christ's Humanity 147 
 
 suffering, mortal man,- not of Alary, but in Mary, as John says. 
 Ihe Word was made flesh" (565a; II :371b). To assert that 
 Christ was, in that case, not truly human, says Menno. is to 
 deny God's omnipotence. He replies to the question, Whence, 
 then, has Christ obtained His humanity? with a counter ques- 
 tion: "Whence came the abundance of water which flowed from 
 the hard rock? Was it not accomplished above all human un- 
 derstanding and comprehension through God's almighty power, 
 to which nothing is impossible?" (370a; II :161b). 
 
 Menno taught that Christ, while in the Incarnation "He 
 took upon Him the form of a servant" (Phil. 2:7) did not fore- 
 go His divine nature. The old charge which has been reasserted 
 by a few modem writers, that he believed the Word to have 
 l>ecome flesh by a change in His divine nature, he repudiated as 
 a slander.' 
 
 "That I have ever said this [that the Word was changed 
 into flesh and that Jesus was only man] no one will, I believe, 
 ■ever be able to prove ; nevertheless they have the courage to 
 say and write such of us. I have spoken of this as the eminent 
 apostle has taught me, namely that the Word was made flesh. 
 This testimony I let stand unbroken and commit the mystery, 
 how much there was changed or not changed, to Him who 
 through His omnipotent power has so ordered it for the salva- 
 tion of us all. Yet I would add, in my simplicity, if they in- 
 terpret the said testimony of John, which I have quoted without 
 changing a letter, in such a way as to make it appear that 
 Menno teaches, with John, that the Word has been made flesh, 
 therefore his opinion must be that it was changed into flesh, etc., 
 they should know that change does not in every instance take 
 away the nature of the first substance of which something con- 
 sists or is wrought. Adam was a man created of earth ; and 
 although he was a man thus created, he nevertheless continued 
 to be earth, as the Lord said, 'Dust thou art and to dust thou 
 
 2 It has been alleged (Vos, Menno Sinions, p. 210) that in Menno's 
 view Christ was not made partaker of our flesh and blood and hence 
 liis doctrine of the Atonement was not really orthodox. Menno often 
 points out that Christ was not only divine but also truly human. 
 
 « The assertion that Menno held this view is made by S. Cramer in 
 K. E., article Menno Simons, where it is also said that Menno did not 
 accept the doctrine that Christ was both God and man. On these points 
 •compare the quotations from Menno given in this chapter.
 
 148 Menno Simons 
 
 shalt return.' — My reader, understand me rightly, I do not pre- 
 sent this illustration to assert that the Word was changed into 
 flesh, but I have presented it for he purpose of showing to the 
 reader that even if the Word, in the Incarnation should have 
 undergone a change, even then it nevertheless remained the 
 Word. John 1:14; 8:23; I John 1:2; Rev. 19:13." (368b;. 
 II :159b). 
 
 "I say that concerning tliis incomprehensible, sublime sub- 
 ject I do in no wise make reason my counsellor, but set forth the- 
 word of my Lord wdiich teaches me in all clearness," etc. (595a; 
 II :398a). "Since He is God's own and true Son and has nO' 
 other origin but of God, He must also have the nature of the 
 One of whom He is ; this is too plain to be controverted" 
 (589b; II :392b). "Although He humbled Himself and for our 
 sakes for a time laid down His divine privilege, right and majes- 
 ty, notwithstanding this He was God and God's Word" (372a;. 
 II :164a). "Christ is truly God and man, man and God" (525b;. 
 II :330b; also 363b; II :153b). "I confess both natures in Christy 
 the divine and the human" (569a; II :375b). 
 
 Menno repeatedly asks forbearance of his readers for en- 
 larging on the subject of the origin of life in his defence of the 
 doctrine of the Incarnation. "God knows how unwillingly I da 
 it, but necessity forces mc to it" (548; II :353b). He asserts 
 that a new life does not originate from woman, hence Christ's 
 origin, even as concerns His humanity, could not be of Mary. 
 Martin Micron, after his discussions with Menno, wrote to 
 Heinrich Bullinger on March 5, 1556, informing him of Menno's 
 opinion and arguments, and stating that the Zwinglian theo- 
 logian Musculus was of the same opinion as Menno Simons 
 regarding the origin of human life and indeed had presented 
 this view in one of his books. It is necessary, says Micron, that 
 Musculus be callerl down and prevailed upon to modify or 
 change his attitude on this question. 
 
 "If our adversaries once observed this in the writings of 
 Musculus," he continues, "they would utter the greatest boast- 
 ings [having found this teaching in our own j)ublications] and 
 would already among all men ascribe to themselves the victory. 
 Great is the authority of Mu.sculus everywhere and if he fur-
 
 Musculus' Teaching 149 
 
 nishes our antagonists with such weapons against us, it will 
 scarcely be possible to stop their mouths. — I beseech you .... 
 that you admonish Musculus concerning these things, so that he 
 at the earliest possible opportunity come to the aid of the church 
 that is thus struggling. — If our adversaries dare to oppose us 
 on the authority of Aristotle, what would they do, if they knew 
 that Musculus is on their side, as doubtless they will soon know 
 from his aforementioned work, for Menno is hunting for such 
 things among our own writings, unless Musculus soon con- 
 curs."* 
 
 From another letter of Micron it is apparent that Musculus 
 fully complied with the wishes of his friends and repudiated his 
 former opinion on the point in question. 
 
 Menno rejected the view that Christ as to his body was 
 human while as to his mind and soul He was divine. "The 
 Scriptures know of no divided Christ." If He had His human 
 nature from Mary, "He could in such case be not more than 
 half man, namely as concerns His mother's part according to 
 the assertion of the theologians" (Folio edition 316b). "Above 
 all human understanding" the divine and the human nature were 
 united in Him. That this doctrine of the Incarnation has a 
 tendency toward the denial of the deity of Christ was indignant- 
 ly denied by Menno. On the contrary, his opinion was that 
 what is generally considered the orthodox view dishonors 
 Christ. (367a; II :158a). 
 
 Although Menno held that only the regenerated are spoken 
 of in Scripture as brethren of Christ, and for the reason that 
 they are partakers of the divine nature (II Pet. 1 :4), he re- 
 pudiated the idea that the regenerated are divine in the same 
 sense as Christ. He 5ays : 
 
 "Dear brethren, we do not say, Christ is bom of the Spirit, 
 but we say with the Scriptures that He is incarnate and con- 
 ceived through the Spirit. Now it is a different matter, as you 
 know, to be born of the Spirit and to be incarnate and conceived 
 through the Spirit. Can any one doubt that to be born of the 
 vSpirit is regeneration?" (533a; II :339a). "Christ not only 
 calls the regenerated His brethren, but also His children, and 
 
 The letter is quoted in full by Ottius, Anncil. Anab., p. 123 seq.
 
 150 Menno Simons 
 
 says, Behold I and the chiklren which God has given me, Isa. 
 8:18. They are called His children for the reason that He 
 through the word of His grace, hy the power of His Holy Spirit 
 in the sprinkling of His precious hlood, has begotten them unto 
 God His Father" (376b; H :170a) "Christ, the Prince of our 
 salvation, has led us to His glory and thus accepted us as breth- 
 ren and children in the faith" (378b; II :172b). "On account of 
 being born of God, and not for the sake of the birth of Adam, 
 we are His brethren, for the regenerated have one Father with 
 Him" (553b; II :358b). "They are the true brethren of Jesus 
 Christ who with Him are born of God" (425a; II :221b). "For 
 the reason that the regenerated are, with Christ, born of one 
 God and have one Father, therefore He calls the sanctified who 
 with Him are born of God, His brethren, not because of the 
 flesh but because of the new birth. If it were otherwise, you 
 would have to say and admit that all wicked, unbelieving and 
 perverse men and women were brethren and sisters of Christ, as 
 well as the believing, sincere and pious. By no means, for 
 Christ says ; Whoso.soever shall do the will of my Father which 
 is in heaven, the same is my brother and sister and mother" 
 ^51%; II :335a). 
 
 The said doctrine of the incarnation of Christ was not 
 original with Menno, but was in substance held by the Obben- 
 ites from the beginning. The opinion that Menno at the time 
 of his conversion was not acquainted with this teaching ■"' is un- 
 founded. In all probability this doctrine was for a time a 
 liindrance standing in the way of his identification with the 
 Obbenites. He writes in 1544: 
 
 "When this matter of the incarnation of our blessed Lord 
 Jesus Christ was first mentioned and set before me by the 
 brethren I was, on hearing of it, greatly amazed and startled 
 fearing lest I should err in the matter and be found before God 
 in hurtful unbchef. Yea, on account of this article I was also 
 after receiving baj^tism many a time so troul)led and oppressed 
 at heart, that for many a day through tlie anxiety of my soul I 
 abstained from food and drink beseeching and praying G(xl in 
 tears and great uneasiness, that the kind Father by His mercy 
 and grace would rightly disclose and open unto me, a poor 
 
 ' Tliis was the opinion of S. Cramer, R. E., vol. XII, p. 591.
 
 Menno's Defense 151 
 
 sinner who diligently although in great imperfection and weak- 
 'n"?e™ry"o he ;or^SHon'o?'His holy nan,e\nd to the con 
 
 =ii roir I tvr=™ng"S;: :rsf.t^r^wha 
 
 We so hivUy upon my conscience, discusse.l and treated w,,h 
 
 ; fL who are of your opinion or belief, yet no one conld u,- 
 
 trucT oft^ea'h me Lfficielltly concerning '^s matter or g^ 
 
 misunderstanding of certatn Pf f S" °*. ^"'y™'" ^ Iccord ng 
 ,,=,,1 to suooort their assert on I found with them, not accorumg 
 to my mere'op nion but according to the testimony of the Scnp^ 
 .nr^s ■ SO that at last, after much fastmg, praymg, heav.ness and 
 
 tt^ChrS'Tsu^; forever blessel is the Lord from heaven. 
 I Cor 15:47," etc. (525a; II:330a). 
 
 Menno Simons points out repeatedly that the controversy 
 concerning the incarnation of Christ was forced upon him by his 
 opponents In his Brief Defense to all Theologians he asks for 
 'aTree public debate" with any one of his opponents and gives 
 a 1 rof subjects-ten in number-which should be made the 
 base of the discussions, but does not mention the Incamat on. 
 In his first book on the subject (addressed to John - I'<^^o) ^^ 
 urges that it was most earnestly asked and demanded of him to 
 write (Folio edition 527a). In the same book he states tha in 
 
 his discussions with a'Lasco he was ^^'^^ ^^^J^^^^^f ^.^T To 
 to make this subject a question of dispute (519; I.326a). To 
 treat in this connection on the origin of human life, etc., was 
 distasteful to him. "I am ashamed from my heart, the Lord 
 knows, that I must speak in such a --y/;"""^"^^ .^^^\f,7"' 
 and holy matter ; but they compel me to it" (Folio edition 315b). 
 
 "Tllsa; 11:11%. Martin Micron in h,s first ^;':-'^: ^'^'^J^Z 
 con^plained concerning the omission of this point and insisted t^at i b 
 made a subject of discussion. Gerretsen. Khcronms, 1895. p^ 44. mat 
 
 he incarnation of Christ is virtually the only point ,n whK^ M-no w 
 really dogmatically mterested as '^^ been re,.ated iy asse.ed ^^. g^^D,e 
 Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart, vol. 4, IVl-. P- -z^.' 
 
 foundation.
 
 152 Menno Simons 
 
 He also testifies, in the year 1544, that he avoided to treat 
 on the subject of the Incarnation in his sermons. He writes : 
 
 "I say again, this is my confession toward those who most 
 earnestly ask and demand of me a statement of my faith and 
 leaching concerning this article, "^'et in my common admoni- 
 tions to the brethren and friends 1 never teach it so completely 
 or extensively, nor have I heretofore ever taught it so fully as I 
 have also told you [John a'Lasco] verbally. But I teach in a 
 simple way that the blessed Christ Jesus is truly God and man, 
 a Son of God and a Son of man, conceived of the Holy Ghost, 
 born of the pure virgin Alary, became a poor, needy man, like 
 unto us in all things, except sin, etc. Therefore, I say, that I 
 and all teachers can do no better than to teach and set forth 
 this matter of the incarnation and the body of Christ to the 
 common church in a true, simple, apostolic way to the edifica- 
 tion, to love, to consolation, to sanctification, to a life in ac- 
 cordance with His precepts and example." "Among us there 
 are doubtless many who fear the Lord from the inmost of their 
 souls and have never in their life heard a syllable in regard to 
 the mystery of this matter, as set forth above with great clear- 
 ness, and have never inquired concerning it, much less do they 
 know or understand it" (527 seq. ; 11:332 seq.). "Herewith I 
 conclude this my confession of the Incarnation of our blessed 
 Lord Jesus Christ. I write you on this subject in accordance 
 with your desire and place it before you in all clearness, as one 
 who is not ashamed of his faith. Nevertheless I do not teach 
 and treat this matter to such depth in my admonitions to the 
 brethren, or, as said above, have ever done so, but in all sim- 
 plicity according to apostolic example to edification and love." 
 (533a; 11:339).
 
 XIII 
 
 MENNO SIMONS' ATTITUDE TOWARD THE 
 MUNSTERITES 
 
 The Munsterite sect rejected infant baptism but differed 
 from the Mennonites on other fundamental points. Under the 
 leadership of John of Leyden, the "second King David" who 
 was to rule until Solomon (Christ) should take possession of 
 the kingdom, they established themselves in the city of Munster 
 in northwest Germany. Not only did they reject the principle 
 of non-resistance but they would destroy the wicked with the 
 sword. They advocated polygamy and ascribed divine authority 
 to their false prophets. After a siege of over a year Munster 
 was conquered on June 25, 1535. John of Leyden and others of 
 their leaders were executed. (Compare p. 41). 
 
 One of the first books of Menno Simons is his Plain and 
 Clear Proof .... Against the Abominable and Terrible Blas- 
 phemy of John of Leyden} The date of this book is not alto- 
 gether certain. Evidently it was written before his renunciation 
 of the Roman Church, in the period when he, as he later testi- 
 fied, undeservedly had the reputation of an evangelical preacher. 
 To all appearance Menno, when he wrote this book, was only 
 partially acquainted with the teachings of the Alunsterites. 
 Probably the date is somewhere in the first half of the year 
 1535. Menno writes: 
 
 "We should not have ventured to write, were there not a 
 
 1 This book was apparently not printed in Menno Simons' time, but 
 was doubtless circulated in manuscript. The first known print, which is 
 very rare, is of 1627. A copy of this edition is in the collection made by 
 the late Elder J. R. Smit, of New Paris, Ind., formerly of Balk, Holland.
 
 154 Menno Simons 
 
 pressing need. On the one han(i we can not bear the shameful 
 deceit and great blasphemy against God, that a man be placed in 
 Christ's stead; on the other hand those who teach such deceit, 
 yea, abominable heresy concerning the promised David, and 
 similar doctrines refuse to deal with us personally. 
 
 ''A greater Antichrist than the one who pretends to be the 
 promised David [John of Leyden], can not come. — He who is 
 not blind, understands well what are the weapons with which 
 Christians should fight, namely the word of God. — To fight 
 with carnal weapons is forbidden us. — It is true. God will 
 jiunish Babylon, but not through His Christians. — The Scrip- 
 tures clearly testify that the Lonl Christ must first come again, 
 before all His enemies shall be punished. 
 
 "May all those who would fight with the sword give heed 
 to these words, yea all who would be the angels to root up the 
 tares. Christ indeed expounded this parable differently and 
 says: The good seed are the children of the kingdom .... the 
 reapers are the angels. Inasmuch as the Christians are the 
 good seed, how can they be the angels or reapers ; or if they 
 be the reapers, how can they be the seed? These are quite dif- 
 ferent things, the seed and the reapers ; this is plain beyond 
 dispute. 
 
 "Christ has not taken His kingdom with the sword, but 
 through suffering; and they mean to take it with the sword! O 
 blindness of man ! 
 
 Since it is a fact that Christ combats His enemies with the 
 sword of His mouth, He smites the earth with the rod of His 
 mouth; He slays the wicked with the breath of His lips (Isa. 
 11:4; Rev. 2:16) ; and since we are to be conformed into His 
 image, (Rom. 8:29), how can we then fight our enemies with 
 any other sword? Does not the apostle Peter say: "For even 
 hereunto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, 
 leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps .... who 
 when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he 
 threatened not, but committed liimself to him wlio judgcth 
 righteously" (I Pet. 2:21). 
 
 Some of the opponents of Menno Simons iiave asserted 
 that in the earlier years of his reformatory labors he held the 
 Anabaptists of Munster to be his "dear brethren" and of one 
 j)arty with himself. Although in his Plain and Clear Proof he 
 speaks of John of Leyden as a blasphemer and an anti-Christ 
 and of Munsterite principles as heresy and an abomination, it
 
 Radical Differences 155 
 
 was, curiously enough, supposed that this book shows his atti- 
 tude toward John of Leyden alone, and not toward his follow- 
 ers. In the first edition of his Foundation Alenno refers to 
 certain Anabaptists of an earlier period who for lack of knowl- 
 edge were on certain points unorthodox (they were not Mun- 
 sterites, though Menno's opponents asserted it) as brethren. 
 This has been taken as evidence that he made no real distinction 
 between his own party and the Munsterites. The fact that in 
 the first edition of the Foundation he repeatedly addresses also 
 Roman Catholics as brethren- has been ignored. The sense in 
 which he in many instances used this expression is clearly in- 
 dicated when in the same book he speaks of a certain class as 
 his "brethren, but not in Christ Jesus, for those are brethren in 
 Christ who abide in His holy word."^ Hence if he would have 
 spoken of the Munsterites as brethren (which is not the case, 
 as will be pointed out) this would not prove the point in ques- 
 tion. 
 
 The opinion that Menno, at the time when he published the 
 first edition of the Foundation, considered himself of the same 
 party as the Munsterites is altogether unfounded. There is 
 abundant proof that he was at that time and indeed from the 
 very rise of the Munsterites a consistent opponent of their 
 teaching and believed their sect to advocate even greater errors 
 than the Roman Church. This proof is contained in the above 
 mentioned book against John of I^eyden as well as in the 
 Meditation to the Twenty-fifth Psalm* and in the first edition of 
 the Foundation. 
 
 ' Dat Fundauicnt dcs Clirisfdxkcu lars. 1539, fol. 03a. R]a. 
 R3a. 
 
 •■' The same, fol. R7h. 
 
 •• On the date of this book compare p. 35. K. Vos has overlooked 
 the numerous denunciations of tlie Munsterites in the Meditation and in 
 the first edition of the Foundation^ which accounts for his opinion con- 
 cerning Menno's relation to the sect of Munster. He further alleges that 
 between 1539 and 1552 tliere is no expression of ^'cnno on the point in 
 question. The fact has escaped him that an important pertinent passage 
 is found in the Loving Admonition^ of 1541. It will be quoted elsewhere.
 
 156 Menno Simons 
 
 In the first edition of the Meditation Menno Simons says: 
 
 "Satan has through the false, unenlightened teachers per- 
 verted the spiritual sense of the Scriptures into a carnal sense ; 
 he has instituted the sword and weapons and therewith has 
 engendered a revengeful heart against all the world ; he has 
 moreover, without any Scripture, cloaked and palliated shame- 
 ful adultery with the example of the Jewish patriarchs, also a 
 visible kingdom and king and other ungodly errors at which a 
 true Christian is stricken with terror."'' 
 
 A more outspoken rejection of Munsterite principles can- 
 not be found in Menno's later writings. — A passage in this 
 book is directed principally against David Joris the enthusiast, 
 or more correctly, against some of his followers, but applies to 
 the Munsterites as well. Menno says: 
 
 "There are those who continuously cry out, grace. Spirit, 
 Christ; but every day they trample grace under their feet, grieve 
 the Holy Spirit and by their carnal life lamentably crucify the 
 Son of God anew. Some of those who had once fled out of 
 Sodom, Egypt, and Babylon and taken upon them the yoke and 
 cross of Christ, have nevertheless fallen prey to the devil ; they 
 have been miserably deceived by the false prophets, just as if 
 they had never confessed Thy holy Word; yea, seven evil 
 spirits have taken possession of them (Luke 11 :24) and the 
 last deception has become a thousand times worse than the 
 first."" 
 
 Obviously this means that those who were "miserably de- 
 ceived by the false prophets" had fallen into greater errors than 
 Romanism. In the later revision the words "a thousand times" 
 in the last sentence have been eliminated. 
 
 The first edition of the Foundation has a few clear expres- 
 sions on the point in question, denouncing Munsterite teaching 
 and showing clearly Menno's attitude toward this sect. The 
 very aim, in fact, which Menno had in writing this book was, if 
 we may accept his own testimony as given in the preface, to 
 give proof of the radical differences which separated him and 
 his brethren from the Munsterites. He says: 
 
 "Since we find that Satan can convert himself into an angel 
 
 6 Meditation on the Twenty- fifth Psalm, fol. D2'i. 
 ^ The same, fol. A6a.
 
 Five Denominations 157 
 
 -of light and sow the evil tares among the good wheat of the 
 Lord, namely the [Munsterite] doctrines of the sword, matri- 
 mony, outward kingdom of Christ, idolatry, deception [preten- 
 sion to be of the state church when such was not the case] and 
 other errors of similar nature, for whose sake [being accused of 
 such errors] the children of God must in our day hear and 
 suffer terrible things, therefore we have been led to give here- 
 with an account of our faith."^ 
 
 Menno states in this book that there are five religious 
 parties, viz., "Papists, Lutherans, Zwinglians, corrupt sects and 
 Baptizers."« The last are the party which he represented while 
 the "corrupt sects" are Munsterites, Batenburgers and David- 
 ians.» "Those who have been baptized," he says, "and have 
 again departed from the salutary doctrine of Jesus Christ, have 
 yielded to the deception and error of the false prophets and 
 refuse to accept instruction" are not acceptable partakers of the 
 Lord's table.^° The false prophets are the leaders of the corrupt 
 sects. These statements show conclusively that Menno by no 
 means accepted the Munsterites as his brethren in Christ. 
 
 Concerning the principles of the Munsterites Menno says 
 here : 
 
 "We teach, know or acknowledge no King David according 
 to the spirit, but alone the invisible King Jesus Christ to whom 
 all power is given in heaven and on earth who alone is the Lord 
 of lords and the King of kings. But in all temporal things we 
 teach obedience to the Imperial Majesty, to kings, lords and all 
 governments whenever they do not give us command contrary 
 to God's word. — We teach, know and acknowledge no sword 
 than alone the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. 
 — We teach, know and acknowledge no matrimony than that 
 which Christ Jesus Himself and His holy apostles have taught 
 and sanctioned, namely between one man and one woman. — 
 No kingdom of God do we know, teach and acknowledge which 
 is of this world. — We know, teach and consent to no murder 
 and robbery," etc. May the almighty eternal Father through 
 
 7 Dat Fundament, 1539, fol. A4b. 
 
 8 The same, fol. N5l\ 
 
 9 That these three parties are meant when Menno speaks of the 
 ^corrupt sects does not admit of doubt. Cf . 64b ; 1 :94a. 
 
 10 Dat Fundament, 1539, fol. G7b.
 
 158 Menno Simons 
 
 His beloved Son Jesus Christ keep and guard all faithful hearts 
 from these cursed heresies and abominable errors which are 
 contrary not only to God's word but also to the law of na- 
 'iire."'^ 
 
 Further: "I know that they accuse us of [MunsteriteJ 
 errors concerning king, matrimony, sword, outward kingdom, 
 murder, theft and similar deceptions, which accursed ungodly 
 teaching and Satanic errors, they all say, follow from baptism, 
 and consequently the true doctrine of Jesus Christ, the conse- 
 crated life and apostolic baptism is diligently opposed by them. 
 No, dear rulers, no," etc.^* 
 
 The first part of the chapter "To the Corrupt Sects" in the 
 same book also treats of the Munsterites as well as of the 
 Davidites, and shows clearly Menno's position toward tlicm. 
 It will be quoted in another place. And in his Book on Bap- 
 tism, in 1539, (431; II :229a), as well as in another book pub- 
 lished in the same year (442b; II :241b) Menno expresses him- 
 self to the same effect concerning the corrupt sects, clearly in- 
 cluding the Munsterites. 
 
 Again in his Loving Advionition, in 1541, Menno condemns 
 "the Jewish doctrines of tlie sword, kingdom, polygamy and 
 other seductions of similar nature" (633b; II :445b). And in 
 his first book addressed to John a'Lasco, in 1544, he speaks of 
 the Munsterites and denounces their teachings in no uncertain 
 tones. He says : 
 
 "I have written this in order that our faith, doctrine and 
 life, may be clearly set forth and made known, to destroy the 
 evil suspicion which is held against us in consequence of the 
 ]>eiTiicious uproar and the shameful doctrine and practice of the 
 
 false prophets who go forth under a pious semblance as 
 
 before God who knows our hearts, we are clear of all their 
 abominable doctrine, uproar, mutiny, bloodshed, plurality of 
 wives, and the like abominations. Yea we hate and from all 
 our heart oppose them as acknowledged heresies, as snares to 
 the conscience and deceit, as deception of souls and pestilential 
 doctrine." etc. (510; IT :326a). 
 
 'J The same, fol. P3b. 
 '2 The same. fol. P.la.
 
 The Oldcloisterites 159 
 
 The above mentioned Anabai)tists which erred in a certain 
 ^natter and were spoken of as erring brethren by Menno, were 
 the so-called Oldcloisterites. In his reply to Gellius Faber 
 Menno gives interesting information on the question of the 
 principles of these people. His own brother had cast his lot 
 with them. When Gellius Faber reproachfully mentioned this 
 ■fact in his attempted refutation of Menno's doctrinal position, 
 Menno made the following answer: 
 
 "My poor brother with whom he so inimically upbraids me 
 has not erred further than that he (alas!) through lack of 
 understanding undertook to defend his faith with the fist and to 
 oppose violence with violence, as is the manner of all theologi- 
 ans, preachers, priests, monks, and the whole wide world." 
 (320b; 11:101). 
 
 In another part of the same book Menno Simons tells us 
 that the Oldcloisterites "through the ungodly doctrine of Mun- 
 ster" took the sword. It is clear, as will be pointed out, that 
 these people, although they followed the Mimsterites to the 
 extent of taking the sword, can not be classed with the follow- 
 ers of the false prophets in Munster. There is not a shadow of 
 an evidence that they approved of the essentially Munsterite 
 ■doctrine of the destruction of the wicked, of polygamy and of 
 the earthly kingdom of God. The Oldcloisterites did not accept 
 these oflFensive teachings. As concerns polygamy, it is improb- 
 able that they knew that this practice was defended by the 
 Mimsterites. Menno Simons, about the time of the affair at the 
 Oldcloister or shortly after it wTote a book against the Mun- 
 sterites, namely the Plain and Clear Proof which was mentioned 
 above. In this book the subject of polygamy is never named or 
 alluded to; in all probability Menno, when he wrote this book 
 was not acquainted with the Munsterite position on this point, 
 and there is every reason to suppose that the Oldcloisterites had 
 no better knowledge of Munsterite doctrine than Menno 
 Simons. Indeed polygamy is to all appearance mentioned and 
 defended in only one of the ^Munsterite books namely Thf 
 Restitution. Polygamy, it will be remembered, was introduced 
 in Munster by John of Leyden and was with terrible blood- 
 shed maintained by him against the party headed by Mollen-
 
 160 Menno Simons 
 
 hecke. After John's purpose had been accompHshed, the teach- 
 ing of polygamy was no longer set forth in the Munsterite 
 writings. It may have been realized by them that their cause 
 was not enhanced in the outside world by the advocacy of this 
 shameful institution. There is no evidence that the Oldcloister- 
 ites had become acquainted with The Restitution. Whether or 
 not this was the case, they were neither polygamists, nor did 
 they defend the thought of the destruction of the wicked. 
 Clearly they took possession of the cloister, not in order to 
 destroy their enemies, much less to slay eventually all the 
 wicked, but to defend themselves against their persecutors. 
 They did the monks in the cloister no harm whatever, but de- 
 stroyed the images and altars. 
 
 It must be remembered that the death sentence was passed 
 upon all Anabaptists. The poor people were chased down like 
 wild beasts. Only in exceptional cases would recantation save 
 their lives. Many had been killed for their faith. Those Ana- 
 baptists who did not hold the principle of non-resistance were 
 under temptation to take the sword in self-defence. Conceiv- 
 ably the example of the Munsterites made an impression on- 
 those who were persecuted to death. The Munsterites boasted 
 of their success in defying all the world with the sword. They 
 held that the Lord fought the battles of those who took the 
 sword when they were innocently persecuted. If Munster could 
 defend itself against the powers that be, could not the experi- 
 ment be repeated in other places? Did not all the world, as 
 Menno correctly observes, assert the right of self-defense? 
 Menno testifies that "after many cruel edicts, after much per- 
 secution and slaughter" these people went to the Old Cloister tO' 
 defend themselfes. (257; 1:4). 
 
 The said passage on the Oldcloisterites in the first edition^ 
 of The Foundation is contained in the chapter "To the Corrupt 
 Sects." This designation is, as said above, given by Menno to- 
 certain enthusiastic and revolutionary sects which by his oppo- 
 nents were classed as Anabaptists, namely the Munsterites,. 
 Ratenhurgers and Davidians. When he published the first 
 edition of his Foundation, there were besides these sects only
 
 Melchior Hofmann 161 
 
 two Christian denominations found in the Netherlands, namely 
 the Roman Catholic state church and the Brethren represented 
 by himself. There existed also secret bands of Melchiorites, 
 but they had not actually renounced the state church. Hence all 
 unorthodox Anabaptists were found in the ranks of the "cor- 
 rupt sects." The Oldcloisterites were not classed by Menno 
 under this category, but they had ceased to exist previous to his 
 conversion. He speaks of them in this chapter to show the 
 fallacy of the accusation of the Davidians, that he denounced as 
 corrupt sects all that were according to his understanding not 
 entirely orthodox. 
 
 Evidently the Oldcloisterites had formerly been followers of 
 Melchior Hofmann, But while Hofmann did not practice bap- 
 tism, waiting for the expected time of liberty and the cessation 
 of the persecution, the Oldcloisterites had been baptized ; they 
 had become Anabaptists and were therefore in immediate dan- 
 ger of death. Menno held at that time the office of a priest in 
 Witmarsum, but had come to some extent under Melchiorite 
 influence. He admired these people for their willingness to 
 follow the light which had come to them and to step out of the 
 state church under such adverse conditions. 
 
 "I saw with mine eyes," he says, "that these zealous people 
 willingly gave their hfe and possessions for their principles and 
 faith, though they were in error;" they were "a well-meaning, 
 straying flock that would so gladly do the right, if they but 
 knew the right." (257; 1:5). 
 
 Melchior Hofmann did not teach the principle of non- 
 resistance and Menno Simons points out repeatedly that the 
 Oldcloisterites had never been taught the truth on the point in 
 question; they sinned not against better light but erred un- 
 knowingly. For the reason that they followed the truth to the 
 extent as they had received light — that they "would so gladly 
 do the right if they only know what the right is" — that they 
 in the face of untold persecution confessed the truth as far as 
 they had received it, giving unmistakable evidence of the cour- 
 age of their conviction ; for these reasons Menno Simons speaks 
 of them as brethren, but in order to be not misunderstood he
 
 162 Menno Simons 
 
 adds, it he could not believe that they were free from Alunster- 
 ite errors concerning the worldly kingdom of God, their atti- 
 tude toward "the wicked," polygamy, etc., he would take a dif- 
 ferent position toward them. He condemned the use of the 
 sword as contrary to Christ's spirit, word and example, and 
 believed the drawing of the sword to be a weighty error in 
 itself, but since these people in self-defence had erred ignorantly, 
 he made the somewhat inconsiderate statement that they "trans- 
 gressed a little." In the revision of the Foundation the whole 
 passage was eliminated. 
 
 Menno held that their error should under these circum- 
 stances not be too severely charged against them. It is worthy 
 of notice that he took a similar position in regard to certain 
 Zwinglians who gave their lives for the sake of their faith and 
 followed the truth to the extent as they had received it. He 
 says of them: "But that some of them in the beginning for the 
 sake of the testimony which they had obtained, have shed their 
 blood, for this we praise God and believe with James that they 
 are happy [blessed] and that they are our companions in the 
 tribulation of Christ (Jas. 5:11; Rev. 1:9); for their deeds 
 have testified that they sought God and were faithful as far as 
 they had obtained light. (245b; 11:24). 
 
 It has been supposed that the Oldcloisterites were minded 
 to go to Munster which would indicate that tiiey were Munster- 
 ites in principle. But had this been their intention it would be 
 difficult to conceive of a motive why they should go to the Old 
 Cloister and there await attack and siege by the state troops. 
 To the contrary they were of the opinion that the Old Cloister 
 had been given them as a place of refuge against their per- 
 secutors, a place where they hoped to worship God according to 
 the dictates of their conscience, lliey believed, since right was 
 on their side, the Lord would give their undertaking success, but 
 overlooked the fact that they transgressed by taking the sword. 
 They referred to the Old Cloister as their Zion, for here they 
 established a congregation of their scattered flock. They wrote 
 letters urging others, "if they loved God and the holy Gospel 
 they should without delay come to them to the Cloister for this
 
 An Unfounded Assertion 163 
 
 was the sure place of protection which God had given His 
 people for a certain refuge. "^^ That the Munsterite Jan van 
 Geelen who organized the uprising in Amsterdam on May 11, 
 1535, was the leader of the Oldcloisterites is clearly a later 
 invention of their enemies.^* 
 
 K. Vos asserts that Menno's brother who lost his life at 
 the Old Cloister had been in Munster and was a prominent 
 adherent of John of Leyden, being identical with Peter Symon- 
 son, one of the twelve elders in Munster and later the steward 
 of the kitchen of king John who was with five others sent forth, 
 in December 1534, to spread the book On Vengeance and to 
 promote the Munsterite cause in general. This author has 
 apparently overlooked the fact that Peter Symonson returned to 
 Munster within a few weeks, namely toward the end of Decem- 
 ber 1534." It is a pure assumption, without any evidence what- 
 ever that he was Menno Simons' brother. Were it fact, 
 Menno's opponents would doubtlessly have been informed of it 
 and would have made some mention of it in their books against 
 Menno. And Menno could not have said of his brother than he 
 erred only on one point. 
 
 The passage in question which has been supposed to show 
 that Menno considered the Munsterites as brethren of like faith 
 
 13 Bib. Ref. Neerl, vol. 7, pp. 46 and 368. 
 
 1* The Munsterite traitor Graiss testified that the rulers of Munster 
 had planned "to let four banners fly, one in tlie country of Julich. one in 
 [the Netherlandish province of] Holland and the Waterland. one be- 
 tween Maestricht, Aachen and in the Land of Limburg, and the fourth 
 in Friesland near Groningen" (Nederl. Archief voor Kerkgcschiedenis, 
 1908, p. 43). Those whom they might bring together in these places 
 should go to Munster to relieve the besieged city. The disturbance at 
 the Old Cloister is not mentioned in connection with tlie attempts to 
 come to the rescue of the city of Munser. The uproar near Groningen 
 has been described by P. G. Bos, in Nederl. Arch. v. Kcrkgcsch., 1908, 
 pp. 1-47. John of Leyden testified that Jan van Geelen was sent to the 
 Netherlandish province of Holland by way of Wesel. (Cornelius, Ge- 
 schichtsqnellen, vol. 2, pp. 374, 400). 
 
 '* Detmer, II. Kcrssenbrochs Wicdertacufergcschichie, pp. 735 and 
 738.
 
 164 Menno Simons 
 
 with himself, and which has reference not to the Munsterites 
 but to the Oklcloisterites, follows : 
 
 "I do not doubt that our dear brethren who have formerly 
 transgressed a little against the Lord in so far as they jLuider- 
 took to protect their faith with the sword, have a gracious God. 
 For they were, I hope, not tainted with the aforesaid [Munster- 
 ites] heresies. They sought nothing but Christ Jesus and 
 eternal life, and for this cause they forsook all their posses- 
 sions, their own kindred, yea their own lives, although after- 
 wards they erred a little, as said above, in which respect it 
 behooves us not to follow them, namely, they used weapons 
 other than patient endurance and God's Word. And it is not to 
 be wondered at that they erred at that time, for in those times 
 they had not the proving of the spirits (I John 4:1). The 
 upright and pious I call my sisters and brethren for the reason 
 that they have erred unknowingly. But the double-hearted who 
 did not seek God with a pure heart, although they bore the 
 name of sisters and brethren, and the leaders of the seduction, 
 as for instance those at Munster and Amsterdam, these [who 
 are not now among the living] I leave in the hands of the Lord ; 
 He knows what judgment they have deserved and He will judge 
 them according to His holy will."^® 
 
 The passages from the same book as well as from the 
 Meditation in which Menno denounces Munsterite doctrine as 
 "accursed heresies and abominable errors" have been quoted 
 above. 
 
 Another evidence of Menno's supposed friendly attitude 
 toward the Anabaptists of Munster is stated by K. Vos*^ as 
 follows: "His wife's sister Margaret Edes, was troubled in 
 mind because she had been baptized by the Munsterite minister 
 Douwe Schoemacker, and desired to be rebaptized, but Menno 
 as well as Leonard Bouwens refused her desire." 
 
 The only source for this interesting item is Hans Alenson's 
 Tegen-Bericht, written in 1630. While K. Vos and others 
 assert that Margaret Edes entertained doubts concerning the 
 validity of her baptism because it was performed by a Mun- 
 sterite minister, Alenson does not mention this as the cause of 
 
 i« Dot Fundament. 1539, fol. R7. 
 ^^ Vos, K., Menno Simons, p. 190.
 
 Early Opposition to Munsterites 165 
 
 her desire to be rebaptized, but says she beheved to have 
 received baptism without faith and repentance.^* From a letter 
 written by Menno Simons to this person (434; 11:401) it is 
 evident that hers was an over-sensitive conscience and she 
 found it difficult to come to an assurance of saving faith. 
 
 Alenson refers to Douwe Schoemacker, the minister who 
 baptized Margaret Edes, as a Munsterite. There is absolutely 
 nothing known about this man, except what is contamed in 
 Alenson, who wrote about seventy years after Menno Simons' 
 death and probably more than ninety years after the baptism in 
 question. We do not know whence Alenson had his informa- 
 tion concerning Douwe Schoemacker, but we do know that he 
 is not always reliable in his statements concerning Menno 
 Simons. There is no proof for the correctness of his assertion 
 that Douwe Schoemacker was not at one with Menno Simons 
 m principle. Margaret Edes was one of the circle in Witmar- 
 sum which was influenced by the Oldcloisterites. She may have 
 been baptized by one of their ministers. Even if Menno had 
 accepted Munsterite baptism as valid, an assumption for which 
 there is no evidence, this would not prove the point in question. 
 Luther, Zwingli and Calvin accepted Roman Catholic baptism 
 but were not Romanists. 
 
 It has been pointed out above that even before his renuncia- 
 tion of the state-church Menno Simons was a radical opponent 
 of the Munsterites and their teachings. The testimony to that 
 effect contained in the account of his conversion (p. 2d) and in 
 his Plain and Clear Proof has been cited. In his later wntmgs 
 also we have the repeated and clear testimony that previous to 
 his conversion and from the very rise of the Munsterites he was 
 their opponent. He says : 
 
 "Since we against all truth are so severely attacked and 
 accused by our opponents, we will say in defense o us all tha 
 we consider the Munsterite doctrine, cause and life, namely 
 concerning king, sword, uproar, striki^ng back vengeance, plu- 
 rality of wives, and the outward kingdom of Christ upon earth 
 a new Judaism, a deceptive error, an abomination, radically at 
 
 18 Bib. Ref. Neerl, vol. VII, p. 236.
 
 166 Menno Simons 
 
 variance with the spirit, word and example of Christ. Behold, 
 in Christ we lie not. — No one under the broad canopy of 
 heaven can show or prove that I at any time of my life agreed 
 with the Munsterites in the before-mentioned articles; for I 
 have from the beginning until the present time opposed and 
 refuted them with all diligence and earnestness, both privately 
 and publicly, verbally and in writing, yea for over seventeen 
 years and ever since I have in my weakness and according to 
 my ability confessed the Word of the Lord and His holy name, 
 have I taken this attitude toward them" (497a; 11:301 ). 
 
 Again Menno says that the places in which he had held 
 office in the service of the state church, namely, ''W'itmarsum 
 and Pingjum, must acknowledge this and be my witnesses that 
 before my resignation I have earnestly opposed and denounced 
 the Munsterite teaching" ( Folio Edition, p. 497a, marginal 
 note). 
 
 Concerning his relation and attitude to the Munsterites he 
 says further: 
 
 "We are clear and free of the abominable doctrine, uproar, 
 mutiny, bloodthirstiness, polygamy and like abomination of the 
 false prophets. Yea we hate and oppose such teachings with 
 all earnestness as evident heresy, as snares to the conscience, as 
 deception, seduction and fraud and as pestilential doctrines 
 accursed and rejected by all Scripture" (519; II :326b). 
 
 "Behold, kind reader, this is my position and confession 
 concerning the Munsterites, and the position of all who are 
 acknowledged and accepted as brethren and sisters among us. 
 
 "In short, we confess and testify herewith before God, 
 before you, and before the whole wide world that we from our 
 inmost hearts detest the aforesaid errors and abominations of 
 the Munsterites, of all the world and of evil sects, which are 
 contrary to the Spirit, word, ordinance and commandment of 
 the Lord (497; 11:301). 
 
 "Our persecutors accuse us and say that we are seditious 
 like the Munsterites and that we are not obedient to the magis- 
 tracy. To this we reply in the first place: That the Munster- 
 ites were seditious and in many things acted without Ciod's 
 word, we confess; but that we should be one with them, wc 
 ileny. For the seditious abominations such as their teaching 
 concerning king, kingdom, sword, etc., also plurality of wives 
 and dissembling with the world [observing the unscriptural
 
 Evil Record of Munsterites 167 
 
 religious forms prescribed by the powers that be and other 
 similar infamy and abomination we detest and oppose with all 
 our heart" (148a; 1 :197b). . . . 
 
 "It is before God and men unchristian, yea it is manitestly 
 tyrannical and unjust to put us in the same category and impose 
 the same penalty upon us as on the Munsterites, who contrary 
 to God's word and to all evangelical Scripture, also contrary to 
 the existing authorities, established a new kingdom, taught 
 uproar, polygamy, etc., which we so heartily detest and with the 
 word of the Lord denounce, reprove and oppose, as is clearly 
 evident from our whole life and teachings. It is unjust I say, 
 to put us in the same category with these people alone for the 
 «;ake of adult baptism which we have so strongly defended with 
 the word of God and the teaching and ^^age ^f the apostles 
 against all human philosophy and inventions {3Z7 ; il:i(JJh 
 
 "And if perchance you should point me to the terrible, 
 abominable record of the false corrupted sects, and say that 
 you must oppose baptism with the sword that thus their wicked 
 undertakings may be prevented and hindered, my answer is, 
 hrst that Christian baptism is not of the corrupt sects, but it is 
 God's word ; secondly that holy Christian baptism does not 
 cause mutiny or shameful deeds, but the false teachers and the 
 false prophets who boast themselves to be baptized Christians 
 and yet, before God, are not such, are responsible for these 
 
 things. , • 1 T ui 
 
 "Thirdly there is nothing under heaven which 1 abhor more 
 than the wicked cause of the false, corrupt sects [Munsterites 
 and Davidians]. I do not regard death with such terror, for 1 
 know that it is appointed to all men once to die ; nor the tyran- 
 nical sword, for if they take my body, it is all they can do; nor 
 Satan for he has been overcome for me by Christ. But if 1 
 were 'tainted by the abominable doctrine of the corrupt sects, 
 my cause would verily be lost, for eternal woe would be to my 
 poor soul — Therefore I say: If you find in me or my teaching 
 which is the word of God, or among those who are taught by 
 me and my brethren, any thieving, murdering, perjury, mutiny 
 uproar or any other criminal acts, such as were formerly and 
 are yet found among the corrupted sects, then we desire that 
 vou punish us ; for we fully deserved the severest punishment 
 in such case" (431b; II :228b). 
 
 "Inasmuch as I daily see before my eyes the terrible perils 
 which existed even from the beginning, that so many an inno- 
 cent soul has been misled and is now misled through the false 
 prophecies, smooth words, seeming sanctity, lymg signs, threat-
 
 168 Menno Simons 
 
 enings and false promises of the antichrists and false prophets 
 who ever sought their own honor, fame and gain under a 
 semblance of God's word, as was the case with the pope of 
 Rome and John of Leyden at Munster and others, as may yet 
 abundantly be witnessed, therefore I deem it very necessary and 
 profitable to earnestly warn and admonish with a sincere heart 
 all my beloved readers in the Lord, that they should not accept 
 my doctrine as the Gospel of Jesus Christ so long as they have 
 not thoroughly proved it with the spirit and word of the Lord, 
 that they may not set their hearts upon me nor upon any teach- 
 er or writer but upon Jesus Christ" (449a; II :248b). 
 
 While his opponents asserted that he was of the same 
 party as the Munsterites, Menno Simons points out that among 
 the churches and parties that were known by the name of 
 Anabaptists, greater differences and contrasts were in evidence 
 than among the infant baptist churches. Says Menno: 
 
 "As the Papists and Lutherans are not at one but differ 
 from one another, much more do we radically differ from the 
 Munsterites and from some other sects which sprang from them. 
 That this is the truth we have well established for these many 
 years by our writings, life, and oral testimony before lords and 
 princes and before the whole world, also by the blood of many 
 pious Christians which in many lands was shed like water" 
 (148b; 1 :197b). 
 
 Menno Simons shows the unreasonableness of the opinion 
 that all who practiced adult baptism were for that reason of one 
 party. He says : 
 
 "We acknowledge, beloved sirs, that some of the false 
 prophets were to outward appearance l^aptized with tiie same 
 manner of baptism as we, just as also thieves, murderers, high- 
 way robbers, sorcerers and the like were baptized with you. — 
 Shall the good angels be unjustly judged for the sake of Luci- 
 fer's pride, and be meted out his punishment? Or are all the 
 apostles traitors for Judas' sake? — Were the apostles respons- 
 ible for it that the Nicolaitanes had their wives in common, as 
 Eusebius relates? Or that the Ebionites denied the divinity of 
 Christ and taught that Christ did not exist before His incarna- 
 tion?" (55; 11:82). 
 
 "If they upbraid us and say that we must be accounted one 
 church and body with the Munsterites, for the reason that we 
 are baptized outwardly in the same manner, we reply: If out-
 
 Various Disturbances 169 
 
 ward baptism is so powerful as to make those who are out- 
 wardly baptized in the same manner all of one Church and 
 body and to cause one to be included in the unrighteousness, 
 wickedness and perversity of another, simply because both have 
 been baptized in the same way, then our adversaries and op- 
 ponents may well consider what kind of a church or body their's 
 is. For it is clear and well known to every man that even 
 perjurers, murderers, highwaymen, thieves, sorcerers and such 
 like have received the same baptism as they [and moreover under ■ 
 the state church system, were not excluded from the church]. 
 If we, then, are Munsterites for no other reason than because 
 of baptism, then they must be perjurers, murderers, highway- 
 men, thieves and rogues, for these have received one baptism 
 with them. This can not be gainsaid nor denied. Oh no; the 
 Scriptures do not teach that we are baptized into one body by 
 any outward sign, such as water, but that we are baptized into 
 one body by one Spirit," etc. (497b; II :301b). 
 
 In a few of his books Menno Simons states in the preface 
 that his purpose is to show that the accusation against him of 
 entertaining tumultuous and rebellious aims, on the ground that 
 the Munsterites were revolutionsists, was unjust. He points 
 out that not only were the Mennonites not responsible for the 
 deeds of "the corrupt sects," but that certain princes in the 
 churches whose theologians urged such accusations had mad.e 
 more great political, warlike disturbance than all those who 
 were known by the name of Anabaptists. Menno's opponents 
 were well informed concerning uproars made by Anabaptists 
 but memory apparently failed them touching similar sins that 
 were committed by those who were of their own party. At 
 Basel the Zwinglians forced the Reformation on the city and 
 the state through a revolution (1529). Zwingli himself lost his 
 life in an unholy war with the Catholic cantons which were to 
 be compelled to tolerate Zwinglianism, although Catholicism 
 was not tolerated in Zwinglian territority. The leading Lutheran 
 princes, John Frederick of Saxony and Philip of Hesse, in 
 1542, invaded the Catholic prvoince of Brunswick, conquered 
 the land, drove out Duke Henry, the rightful ruler, and forced 
 the Lutheran reformation upon the people. One of the most 
 ■worthies characters that was ever called upon to bear the scepter
 
 170 Menno Simons 
 
 of a ruler, was the Margrave Albert Alchibiades of Branden- 
 burg-Kulmbach, a Lutheran. As a lawless adventurer he has 
 left a record that was hardly surpassed even by that of John of 
 I.eyden. He believed that he was doing God service by killing 
 the priests. Some of the adjoining provinces he covered with 
 conflagration and murder. Finally he was compelled to flee to 
 France. Facts like these will serve to make clear the following 
 quotations from Menno Simons : 
 
 "Secondly I would say: Since again and again he [Faber] 
 lays to our charge the errors and uproar of the Munsterites, of 
 which we are and ever have been before God anci men innocent 
 and free, I would beseech him that he take a careful look at his 
 own infant baptist church of which he is a head and teacher. 
 How abominably have they for years risen up against each 
 other, with their accursed, wicked wars they have afflicted whole 
 countries," etc. (320a; H :101a). 
 
 "Why do they so indiscreetly accuse us of uproar while we 
 are wholly innocent and clear of all uproar and they never pay 
 attention to their own destructive, bloody, murdering uproars, 
 which, alas, have no measure or end, as one may see. — All 
 this they do not notice, yea it must all be accounted right and 
 well done. — Again what bloody uproars the Lutherans have 
 for some years made to introduce and establish their doctrine, 
 I will leave to them to reflect upon. Nevertheless we, although 
 innocent, must be accounted the tumultuous heretics and they 
 the God-fearing, pious, peaceable Christians. Behold so lament- 
 ably is the understanding of this blind world darkened" (148b; 
 1 :197b). 
 
 A comparison of Mennonite with Munsterite principles 
 reveals the most fundamental differences and contrasts. A 
 radical difference existed on the point of the sources of the 
 Christian truth. The Munsterites held the new revelations 
 which, they believed, came to them through tiieir prophets, to 
 be of equal if not greater authority than the Scriptures. They 
 taught that the Old Testament Scriptures surpass the New 
 Testament in authority and im])r>rtance. Rothmann wrote on 
 the point in question : 
 
 "We presume that everyone now knows what is the prin- 
 cipal indubitable Scripture, according to which all Scripture 
 must be exjiounded ; namely Moses and the prophets. These
 
 The New Israel 171 
 
 are the autlioritative Scriptures. There are also other praise- 
 worthy books which may be called the Holy Scriptures 
 
 especially the Scriptures or books of the New Testament vrhosc 
 truth is founded on the principal Scriptures." ^^ 
 
 The New Israel of Munster held the Old Testament to be 
 the most authoritative part of the Bible. Menno Simons, to the 
 contrary, taught that the Old Testament, although a part of 
 God's Word, v/as, as concerns its rulers of worship and practice, 
 intended for pre-AIessianic times alone. All the Old Testament. 
 says Menno, pointed forward to Christ, the author of the New 
 Covenant, who brought the world the full light of the truth and 
 opened the way of salvation for fallen man. Certain points of 
 Old Testament law were expressly abrogated in the Sermon on 
 the Mount. Divorce, for example, was permitted in the Old 
 Testament law, but forbidden by Christ. "Christ is our only 
 lawgiver," says Menno. "All Scripture must be interpreted 
 according to the spirit, teaching, walk and example of Christ 
 and the apostles."-*^ 
 
 It is worthy of notice that the Munsterite conception of the 
 relation of the Old Testament to the New dififers more radically 
 from Menno's conception than from that of the leading re- 
 formers, Luther, Zwingli and Calvin did not make the distinc- 
 tion between the Old and New Testament Scriptures on which 
 the great Anabaptist denominations insisted, but held both to be 
 authoritative as the rule of life and practice for the Christian 
 Church. The well known Lutheran theologian. Paul Tschack- 
 ert, in his work. The Origin of Lutheran ami Reformed Doc- 
 trine, says that Luther "had no historical understanding of the 
 Scriptures of the Old and New Testament," and the time of the 
 Reformation was not ripe for this understanding.-' This opin- 
 
 io Rothmann, Von I'erborgenheit dcr Schrift. etc.. 1535; quoted hy 
 zur Linden, Melchior Hofmann, p. 352. 
 
 -" 95a; 1 :65a. Other sentences of similar thougb.t could be quoted 
 from Menno Simons. On this most important principle the state-church 
 reformers differed widely from him. 
 
 21 Tschackert, Die Entstch.ing dcr Intherischcn uud dcr rcforniicrtcii 
 Kirchenlehre, p. 61.
 
 172 . Menno Simons 
 
 ion leaves the Anabaptists out of consideration. The great 
 Anabaptist denominations held, on the ground of such passages 
 as Heb. chap. 7-10 and Matt. 5:31-48, that the Old Covenant 
 was imperfect in its law, priesthood, and worship. 
 
 Paul Tschackert says correctly that Luther's approval of 
 the bigamy of Philip of Hesse had its basis in his wrong con- 
 ception of the relation of the Old Testament to the New. 
 Plurality of wives, the darkest and one of the most character- 
 istic points of Munsteritism was more radically and consequent- 
 ially opposed by the Mennonites than by the new state churches. 
 Among the Swiss Brethren, Huterites and Mennonites trans- 
 gressors against the seventh commandment were more severely 
 dealt with than in the state churches. Divorce was permitted 
 only in the instance of adultery and the stricter Mennonites 
 prohibited remarriage while the other companion was living. 
 Menno Simons could not have subscribed to Luther's opinion 
 concerning the invalidity of secret betrothal, at least, he held 
 that transgresison must be followed by marriage. He says: 
 
 "He that has transgressed and not taken another should 
 bring the disgraced one again to honor, and according to Chris- 
 tian love and the Word of God extricate her from her degraded 
 state." "If you are a Christian or would be one and have 
 seduced a poor child with your subtle temptations and promises, 
 and if you would not lose your soul, you must marry the dis- 
 graced one. — Behold this is the Lord's own word and law" 
 (105; 1:145). 
 
 Heinrich Detmer, the historian whose specialty was. the 
 study of the Anabaptists of Munster says : 
 
 "Not with the least semblance of right can it be said that 
 the toleration of, or the demand for polygamy was ever included 
 in the tendencies of Anabaptism as such, or that it corresponded 
 to the religious or other views of the Anabaptists in general. 
 The idea of polygamy, the first attempt to introduce it in Mun- 
 ster, the manner of proclaiming and realizing it, all this was 
 solely a fruit of the brain of John of Leyden.^' 
 
 The state-churchism of the Munsterites led to similar in- 
 tolerance and persecution as was in vogue in the Lutheran and 
 
 22 Detmer, Johann von Leiden^ p. 6.
 
 Enthusiastic Teachings 173 
 
 Zwinglian state churches. Liberty of conscience was openly 
 repudiated in Munster. The Swiss Brethren and Mennonites 
 excluded false teachers from the church; the Munsterites per- 
 secuted them, threatening them with banishment or the death 
 sentence.^' Capital punishment even for criminals was believed 
 by Menno to be inconsistent with Christian principles.^* The 
 Munsterites to the contrary undertook to kill all "the wicked." 
 The Mennonites held that "the powers that be are ordained of 
 God ;" the Munsterites believed the governments which opposed 
 them to be not of God but of the evil one. 
 
 Menno Simons repudiated the thought that either the mem- 
 bers of the church or the church as such is perfect. He did not 
 believe that membership in the church assures salvation. Often 
 he pointed out that there was a Judas among the apostles of the 
 Lord. The Munsterites on the other hand taught that "all 
 Israel will be saved." They held that their Zion was in the 
 absolute sense "without spot or wrinkle" and at the same time 
 they countenanced the most glaring transgression and worldli- 
 ness. Theoretically there existed communionism in Munster. 
 but the idea on the church as a brotherhood was trampled under 
 feet by John of Leyden. Famine reigned in the city, but John 
 of Leyden, like the Rich Man "clothed himself in purple and 
 fine linen and fared sumptuously every day." The Munsterites 
 were Sabbatarians, keeping Saturday as the day of the Lord, 
 
 '^^ The Articles of the Munsterites contain the following on the point 
 in question : 'Tn this new temple there must be only one kirg who shall 
 rule over the people of God and wield the sword of righteousness, in 
 order that the temple may not be stained by any false doctrine, for it is 
 holy." And again: "If a prophet should arise among the people of God 
 who would prophesy falsely and not according to God's Word, such an 
 one shall by the whole congregation be separated and put to death, in 
 order that every ane may realize that the abomination is punished and 
 hated." Dcr sogenanntc Artikelbricf dcs Muenstcrschen Koenigs J. v. 
 Leyden; von Dr. F. Philippi, in Zeitschr. f. Kirchetigcschkhtc. vol. 10, 
 pp. 146-155, article 6. Detmer, p. 765 seq. 
 
 2* Contrary to the opinion of A. M. Cramer {Menno Simons, p. 
 160) : that Menno had no objection to capital punishment. Menno ex- 
 presses himself clearly to the eflfect that to take human life under any 
 conditions is wrong. A citation is given p. 286.
 
 174 Menno Simons 
 
 And why not, if the Old Testament is the rule for Christian 
 doctrine and practice? 
 
 It has been commonly supposed that all who were baptized 
 in Munster and those who fled to the city from other places 
 were one in doctrine with John of Leyden. The fact has been 
 practically ignored that more than fifty persons were executed 
 m Munster for the reason that they refused to consent to poly- 
 gamy aiv.i it is well known that those who were put to death 
 were only a minority of the number who were of one mind with 
 them and never became guilty of bigamy or polygamy. And we 
 do not know to what extent the troops of men and women who 
 attempted to go to Munster and aid the Munsterite cause were 
 acquainted with the principles advocated in the city. Neverthe- 
 less they are generally spoken of as Munsterites and a Munster- 
 ite is supposed to be one who approves of polygamy. To what 
 extremes this thought has been carried is well illustrated by the 
 following example. Gillis of Aachen was (erroneously) be- 
 ll :*\ed to have been among a band which on February 28, 1534, 
 was arrested near Duesseldorf for the reason that they intended 
 to go to Munster. On this ground Gillis of Aachen has been 
 represented-'"' as a believer in polygamy. lUit the Munsterites 
 did not defend this offensive institution at that time. In June 
 of the same year John of Leyden for the first time advanced the 
 thought of polygamy. — Polygamy was the result of criminal 
 tendencies in Munster. 
 
 It is a curious fact that leading theologians of the state 
 churches asserted that all who insisted on believers' baptism were 
 of the same party with and represented the same cause as the 
 Munsterites. Says Heinrich BuUinger in his great work against 
 the Swiss P.rethren in 1560: 
 
 "Here I suppose the Anabaptists of our time will say: 
 Not all Anabai)tists are minded as these Munsterites whom 
 they tliemselves do not regard with pleasure, etc. To this I say : 
 P>ut who may trust the Anabaptists of our time [the Swiss 
 lirethren] who would appear so very innocent? — Without 
 doubt rii>d in faitii fulness and kindness meant through this 
 Munsterite affair to uncover, for the benefit of the whole world 
 
 26 De Tijdspiegel, 1905, p. 359.
 
 Munsterites on their own Origin 175 
 
 and especially His own elect, the great deceptive falseness of 
 Anabaptism and whatever is secretly hidden behind it. Yea 
 God would open the eyes of all ministers of the word as well as 
 of all princes and magistrates, that they may watch the more 
 diligently against these murderous, disguised, crafty wolves and 
 in time, before it be too late, with proper forethought may 
 prevent this evil, lest afterwards, when the Anabaptists con- 
 sider themselves to have made sufficient preparation, the magis- 
 trates may discover the falsity and spurious spirituality of 
 these people which in truth, as is evident from this affair at 
 Munster, is great warlikeness, and may suffer irreparable loss 
 as concerns their soul, honor, body and property."^^ 
 
 The view that in the last analysis all Anabaptists represent- 
 ed the same cause and mvist be virtually considered one party 
 is in our day by no means as general as it once was, but strange 
 to say, is held by some of the latest writers on the subject. 
 The author of the article Ayiabaptistcn in the great Herzog- 
 Hauck Theological Encyclopedia says, the Munsterite tragedy 
 represented the summit of the Anabaptist movement and was 
 the fruit of Anabaptist principles.''' The well known German 
 theologian A. W. Hunzinger^* thinks the Munsterite develop- 
 ment was by no means an extreme growth but a symptomatic 
 manifestation of Anabaptism. In the article on the Anabaptists 
 of Munster in the above mentioned encyclopedia it is said that 
 "considering the final principles, a Munsterite kingdom could 
 impossibly develop from Lutheranism or Zwinglianism," it rep- 
 resented "a legitimate growth on the tree of Anabaptism." *" 
 The Munsterites themselves were of different view. They did 
 not consider themselves the spiritual children of the early Ana- 
 baptists. In their opinion tlie latter were fundamentally wrong. 
 In their writings the Munsterites name the state cluircV. reform- 
 ers as the beginners of the true reformation of the church, but 
 never mention the early Anabaptists. Luther and Zwingli, they 
 .say, have begun the work which Melchior Hofmann. Jan 
 Matthys and John of Leyden completed. If a Munsterite king- 
 dom could not develop from Lutheranism or Zwinglianism, it 
 
 -" Dcr W'iedertouffcicn Urspruiig, etc. pp. 49a and 46b. 
 
 " R. E., vol. 1, p. 485. 
 
 28 Theologie dcr Gegenwari, vol. 3, No. 3, p. 49. 
 
 2» R. E., vol. 13, p. 553.
 
 176 Menno Simons 
 
 could neither grow out of Swiss Anabaptism. Unless Bulling- 
 er's view be accepted that the principle of non-resistance to 
 which the early Anabaptists gave a prominent place, was mere 
 hypocrisy invented to hide revolutionary aims (a view which 
 can not for a moment be entertained by an impartial student) 
 a Munsterite kingdom could not possibly develop from Anabap- 
 tism. The principle that the Scriptures are the only authority 
 in matters of faith was accepted by the first Anabaptists more 
 unreservedly and radically than by the Lutherans and Zwing- 
 lians, and this principle also made IMunsteritism impossible. On 
 the points of the union of the church and state, absence of 
 church discipline, persecution of false teachers, the Munsterites 
 followed not the early Anabaptists but the new state churches. 
 
 Hofmann was at first a discipline of Luther; the thought 
 that he was ever connected with the Swiss or South German 
 Anabaptists is a mere assumption. Rothmann, the theologian 
 of the Munsterites, also was originally a Lutheran. And both 
 Luther and Zwingli were originally Roman Catholics. To lay 
 the oft'enses of the Munsterites to the charge of the Mennonites 
 on the ground that both were Anabaptists is as inreasonable as 
 to accuse the Lutherans of the crimes of which some of the 
 popes became guilty, on the ground that both were infant bap- 
 tists. 
 
 In later periods a number of enthusiastic and immoral 
 sects, much like the Munsterites, issued from the Lutheran and 
 Zwinglian state churches, e. g., the sect of Eva Buttlar, the 
 Zionites in Ronsdorf. and others. It would be unjust to hold 
 the Lutherans and Zwinglians responsible for the errors ad- 
 vanced by those who had once been within their ranks. Menno 
 Simons forcibly points out that the sect of the Nicolaitanes con- 
 sisted of those who had been members of the apostolic church.
 
 XIV 
 
 THE BATENBURGERS AND THE DAVIDITES 
 
 After the capture of Munster the Batenburgers perpetuated 
 Munsterite principles and practices. They derived their name 
 from a former burgomaster of Steenwijk, John Theodor of 
 Batenburg, the illegitimate son of a Netherlandish nobleman. 
 The two leading principles of John of Leyden, namely that of 
 establishing the kingdom of God through the sword, and of 
 polygamy were enthusiastically defended by Batenburg. He 
 became the head of a band of revolutionists and murderous 
 incendiaries. After a very short career he was captured and 
 executed in 1537. He is generally considered an Anabaptist, 
 although the baptism of adults was not practiced by himself or 
 by his followers. 
 
 A man of far greater influence was David Joris, the head 
 of the Davidians or David-Jorists. He was born in 1501 or 
 1502, probably at Bruges in the Netherlands. His father was 
 a member of the society of the Rederijkers, and young David 
 is believed to have come under their influence. He learned the 
 trade of a glass painter, married and settled down at Delft. In 
 1524 he became interested in the problem of church reforma- 
 tion through Martin Luther's writings. Withm a few years we 
 find him a zealous Lutheran. On Ascension Day of 1528, when 
 a great procession was held, David Joris accosted the multitude 
 taking part in it, declaring that they erred. He would probably 
 have been killed in consequence, by the mob, had not the burgo- 
 master hastened to his protection. He was arrested and con- 
 demned to scourging in the market place and that his tongue 
 should be pierced through with a sharp iron tool, but after an
 
 178 Menno Simons 
 
 imprisonment of eleven weeks, he was secretly liberated. It is 
 unknown where he sojourned during the following years. On 
 December 5, 1531 we find him at the Hague, witnessing the 
 martyr's death of Jan Trijpmaker and eight other Anabaptists. 
 They evidently knew him and called to him: "Brother, are you 
 here? Behold here we go out to confess our faith for the name 
 of the Lord Jesus Christ." One of them who two years 
 previous had disputed with him on the point of the divinity of 
 Christ asked him whether he remembered the discussion and 
 receiving an affirmative answer, continued: "Now I am quite 
 free and released of it [viz. my doubt] and believe in Christ, my 
 Saviour." 
 
 Needless to say that this experience made a deep impression 
 on David Joris. Within a few months he became a Melchiorite. 
 Later we find him in the ranks of the Obbenites, although we do^ 
 not know when and by whom he was baptized. His talents 
 were recognized and he was ordained to the ministry by Obbe 
 l*hilips. But only a short time David Joris continued a co- 
 laborer of Obbe. After the rise of Batenburg, the fanciful 
 notion of effecting a union between the Obbenites, Melchiorites 
 and Batenburgers was somehow conceived. It is not known 
 who was responsible for this thought, but it is quite clear that 
 David Joris was the leading person in the convention which 
 v/as consequently held at Bocholt in Westphalia in Augtrst of 
 the year 1536. Neither Obbe Philips nor Menno Simons and 
 ])robably none of the Obbenites, came to this meeting.^ Baten- 
 l)urg was not present in person but was represented by a num- 
 ber of his followers. The Munsterite doctrines of polygamy 
 and the kingdom of God were condemned by the Melchiorites 
 who were present. Davirj Joris proposed a compromise. The 
 Batenburger idea of the kingdom of God was not wrong, he 
 held, but the time to establish this kingdom had not yet come; 
 and those of the P)atenburgers who were worthy should be bap- 
 tized. It is supposed that at least some of the Batenburgers 
 who were present accepted these decisions of the enthusiastic 
 
 ' '1 lie thought of such a meeting was worthy of the enthusiast David 
 foris.
 
 Joris' Libertinism 179 
 
 Bavij Joris. Wlien their leader, Batenburg, was informed of 
 this compromise, his wrath against Joris who had dared to 
 dictate to him, knew no bounds. He threatened to take his 
 life, because "by his pretended union he made the minds of the 
 [)eople uncertain and consequently undecided to take up weapons 
 to establish the kingdom of God ; he was an Absalom who 
 sought to win the people for himself by flattery," etc. The 
 Melchiorites, on the other hand, asserted that David in the last 
 instance advocated the same principles as Batenburg, but was 
 more shrewd in hiding his real intentions; and his undue 
 7.eal for union had a tendency "rather to support Batenburg's 
 madness than to weaken it." 
 
 About a half year after the meeting at Bocholt, namely in 
 December 1536, or in January of the following year, David Joris 
 had some strange experiences which he believed to be visions 
 from God calling him to be a prophet and the head of the king- 
 dom of God on earth which was to be established. These "vis- 
 ions" were of an offensive nature morally. The Melchiorites, it 
 will be remembered, held that certain practices of the state 
 churches which were contrary to Scripture, may be observed for 
 the sake of the persecution. David Joris went a big step further. 
 From the supposed revelations through the said visions, and 
 from the words of Paul, Rom. 14:20: "All things are indeed 
 pure" (having reference to eating and drinking) and from cer- 
 tain other Scripture verses, he concluded that "the inner man" 
 is not affected by the sin which "the flesh" may commit, and is 
 not responsible for it. Hence to a Christian all things are pure, 
 to sin is impossible and the gross works of the flesh are not 
 imlawful. Although David Joris held that sin is not sin to the 
 Christian, he nevertheless insisted that all sin must be publicly 
 confessed, not only once, but the confession of offensive sin 
 must be repeated until the transgressor does no longer feel a 
 sense of shame, for sin of which he is yet ashamed, said David, 
 is not yet taken away by repentance. He taught that his own 
 writings which were literally inspired, and not the Holy Scrip- 
 tures, are the highest revelation of God. The first and second 
 Covenant were imperfect, he asserted, Christ Himself had not
 
 180 Menno Simons 
 
 brought the world the full truth. The true kingdom of God 
 did not exist previous to David Joris who was called of the 
 Lord to establish it and be its spiritual king. The wicked would 
 perish and those who accepted the message of the prophet were 
 to constitute the kingdom. 
 
 The exact date when David Joris became an advocate of 
 these new, strange doctrines is not known. Clearly he was not 
 in harmony with Obbenite teaching when he had the visions 
 spoken of above ; even before this, in the meeting at Bocholt 
 his attitude was irreconcilable with the position taken by the 
 Obbenites. He was excommunicated by them, as is clear from 
 his own testimony as well as from Menno Simons' writings.' 
 The excommunication must have taken place before Menno's 
 Meditation on the Twenty-fifth Psalm was written. The date 
 of this book is toward the end of 1536 or early in the following 
 year. The denunciations of the "false prophets" and their 
 teachings, as found in this book are obviously directed primarily 
 against David Joris. (Compare the pertinent quotations on 
 p. 156). Referring to the new doctrines of Joris' spiritual king- 
 ship Menno says: "Save use from the deceit of the devil who 
 sets forth the opinion that there should be another king accord- 
 ing to the spirit, beside Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, who 
 alone is the King of righteousness and peace. "^ Obviously this 
 sentence does not refer to John of Leyden who had lost his life 
 in the attempt to set up a kingdom, but Menno realized that 
 David Joris followed in the footsteps of tVie former king of 
 Munstcr. The context shows that the doctrines denounced by 
 Menno were not dead issues when he wrote this book. 
 
 The chapter "To the Corrupt Sects" in Menno's Founda- 
 tion, of 1539, is directed principally against the Davidians. 
 Menno addresses the sect of David Joris as follows: 
 
 "I desire now to come to you who through the false proph- 
 
 2 In a tract reprinted by A. M. Cramer, Nedcrlandsch Archicf voor 
 Kerkelijke Geschiedcnis, 1846, pp. 308-313, David Joris says, "What, if 
 they have the name and another [Joris] whom they have excluded^ has 
 the reality in truth." 
 
 • Meditation on the Twenty-fifth Psalm, 1539, fol. D2b.
 
 Rebuke to Davidians 181 
 
 ets have been so sadly seduced from the true way of Jesus 
 Christ so that the last error has become worse than the hrst 
 (Matt' 27-64) For with you it has come to this that, as i 
 understand from your own writings, through your pious ap- 
 pearance, a literal application of [certain] Scriptures and your 
 spirit of error, you would justify the abominable works of the 
 flesh which are clearly contrary to the law of nature, contrary 
 to all prophets, contrary to Jesus Christ and His holy apostles 
 O my beloved, how far have ye strayed from the house of Israel 
 and from the vineyard of the Lord. „ t. , , t .u 
 
 "Say my beloved, where is there in all the books ot the 
 New Testament, in all the teaching of Jesus Christ, one letter 
 by which ye may prove or support one of your articles, be it 
 vour doctrine concerning king or sword, polygamy or kingdom 
 fof Godl, be it stealing, murder, or uproar,* be it deception, 
 devilish confession,' or to abandon natural shame, etc , which 
 blasphemous, unnatural heresy and diabolic deception, I know 
 well, was formerly accepted by some as good. Whether they 
 yet hold such opinions I do not know, for I know not more 
 than two who are the fathers of your corrupt sect, with whom 
 I have at some previous time had one or two discussions, hoping 
 to win their souls, which however was not realized, although 
 they were with God's Word quite overcome in their points. 
 But to what avail? Your own deceptive appearance must count 
 for more with you, than the express, plain Gospel of Jesus 
 Christ which He has scaled with His own blood. Further I 
 know by reputation, but not face to face, two of your number 
 who are the princes and heads of such errors and sadly seduce 
 .some of the ignorant people to a faith and life at which a true 
 Christian must be astounded and terrified. 
 
 "I tell you in Christ Jesus' name that no sanctity will avail 
 if we do not abide by the word of the Lord. — Faith must be 
 conformable unto the Gospel. Whoever loves Christ, will keep 
 His word. — He came to testify of the truth and all the children 
 of the truth will hear His voice (John 18:37). If now ye are 
 children of the truth, hear Christ's voice who with His clear 
 
 * Principles of the adherents of Batenburg. 
 
 ' The Davidians deceived the world by their attendance of the wor- 
 ship of the ruling churches, having their infants baptized, etc., to show 
 that they were at peace with the state church. 
 
 David Joris held, as said abvoe, that all sin must be publicly con- 
 fessed and the confession must be repeated until the guilty one is no 
 longer ashamed of his sin.
 
 182 Menno Simons 
 
 unmistakable word has cursed and condemned your whole en- 
 deavor. O how well can the very arch-enemy cover himself 
 with the semblance of a holy life. I tell you of a truth that 
 there avails no holy life except that which is in conformity to 
 tlie doctrine and the life of Christ. The holiness which does 
 not conform to llis doctrine and holy life is no holiness, but 
 mdeed an abomination before God. 
 
 '•My beloved, ye know well that not a tittle could bo 
 changed in all the law of Moses until the new Lawgrvcr came 
 who was promised by Moses and the prophets, Jesus Christ. If 
 now the literal law which was given through the servant and 
 .^^ealed with the blood of calves and goats had such authority 
 and strength, how much more authoritative and unchangeable is 
 the law of Jesus Christ which is free, spiritual, eternal, given 
 through the Son and sealed by His blood ! 
 
 "They were all false prophets who taught anything con- 
 trary to the law of Moses, for they were commanded not to 
 take away from or add to his word, but that which he com- 
 manded them they should keep and be guided by it (Deut. 12). 
 So also today those who would teach us something contrary to 
 the teaching which we have been taught and received of Jesu* 
 Christ and His holy apostles, are false prophets, may they have 
 ever so holy a semblance. 
 
 "Since then your ears are itching for the lies and ye do not 
 regard the plain teachings of Jesus Christ, but stop His blessed 
 lips and will not hear those who would lead you to the true 
 pastures of Israel, therefore God has smitten you with a mad, 
 blind spirit, that ye stray from one evil doctrine to another, 
 from one false prophet to another, and so miserably leave the 
 true foundation which can never move nor give way, which is 
 Jesus Christ. — For any and all those who have taught and 
 prophesied new things contrary to the teachings of Christ, have 
 been found false and liars in their teachings and prophecies. 
 
 "I entreat you that you regard not any one's supposed 
 sanctity ; there avails no sanctity outside of God's word. — I tell 
 you again of a truth that neither life nor power will avail, if ye 
 have not the word and spirit of Jesus Chrst. If ye have Christ's 
 spirit, ye must be conformed to His teaching, for His teaching 
 is not changed to another intent, and if your spirit differs from 
 the word of Christ, know of a surety that it is the spirit of 
 Antichrist, and that ye are those from which Christ Jesus and 
 His holy apostles have so earnestly warned us, as said above. 
 
 "With this I pray you from a pitying, burning heart, 
 through the mercy of God. whoever yc may be, that ye may at
 
 Joris' Letter to Menno 183 
 
 last have the deceptive blindness removed from your eyes, con- 
 fess your sad error, seek those who may break to you the bread 
 of life, hold Jesus Christ to be the only elect, precious corner 
 stone laid in the foundation of Zion upon whom alone we must 
 build. Seek alone His pure, true, plain truth, submit yourselves 
 to His holy gospel, that the eternal truth and the clear teaching 
 of the Scripture may no more for your sakes be blasphemed by 
 this blind world, and that ye may not sufifer as thieves and mur- 
 derers or as evil doers, but that ye may suffer as Christians and 
 thus bear the cross of Christ to His praise and glory and obtain 
 the crown of glory which is given all who live and suffer ac- 
 cording to His divine blessed will. With this I would before 
 God and all the world be innocent of your blood and condemna- 
 tion. Be earnestly warned and awake and realize your danger.'"' 
 
 That this chapter was addressed to David Joris and his 
 followers does not admit of any doubt. Joris fully understood 
 and realized it. The arrogant enthusiast, after reading it, wrote 
 to Menno Simons a letter as follows : 
 
 "Gird on your sword, o Menno Simons, tie it to your side 
 and strengthen your hand, arm yourself with an armor, breast- 
 plate, helmet, shield, and with the strongest scriptural weapons ; 
 stand up as a man and defend yourself, for I shall attack you, 
 yet not as an enemy but as your best friend on earth It is as 
 1 say, give attention ! 
 
 "Can you fight? Have you seen a battle? This is merely a 
 beginning, a sort of prelude, that I may not surprise you, but 
 make you attentive, pliable, and meek for your own good, that 
 you may listen to my words and understand the truth with 
 ITOpcr discernment. 
 
 "Who has advised you, ATenno, to step forth so proudly 
 against the Lord, that you extol yourself above all? Say, dear 
 man, what spirit or witness advices you to teach? Who has 
 sent you? Answer mc, if you are one of the angels, one sent of 
 God. 
 
 "Since you are uncertain in this matter and are learned in 
 the Scriptures only, you shall be put to shame. — If you do not 
 
 ' Dot Fundament dcs Christelyckcn leers, 1539, fol. R2>^ — Sl^. In 
 the first edition of the book Of the True Christian Faith and its Pozvcr 
 (probably, 1541) Menno speaks of the Davidiani as one of the "corrupt 
 churches or sects which are found in all evil, ungodly and carnal fruits 
 or works" {Van dat rcchte Christen Gheloouc ende zijn cracht. fol. 07a).
 
 184 Menno Simons 
 
 believe me and do not consent to be taught the truth as a httle 
 child, you shall regret it. 
 
 "Defend yourself now as a man. If you can, make me a 
 liar and put my word at naught. I have experienced so much 
 praise and ignominy that I am beyond shame, just as Zerubbabel 
 [who was called to build the second temple] should be. 
 
 "I shall show you that you do not know God's word, al- 
 though you fully believe that you have it; nor do you know 
 what is truth and wisdom, except according to the letter. — 
 Therefore forsake your own understanding and believe the 
 eternal truth in the Spirit which judges all things rightly. 
 
 "If you seek the praise and glory of God alone and not 
 your own, forsake your own shame. To save your soul be not 
 ashamed to confess to your erring understanding, your childish- 
 ness and your stupid opinions. Be not offended by my letter 
 but if you love understanding, rejoice in the Spirit who reveals 
 to me according to the word of his promise. 
 
 'T know your spirit but you know not my spirit; how then 
 can you judge? But I know your thoughts that they are vain 
 and unfounded and it can not be otherwise, because you have 
 not died to self. If this is not true, count me a liar but God 
 would not have it, for I am His servant." 
 
 In the revision of the Foundation, written probably in 
 1554, Menno is even more outspoken, if possible, in his denun- 
 ciations of the "corrupt sects." Here he says : 
 
 "Is it not a grievous delusion that ye suffer yourselves to 
 be so wretchedly bewitched by such worthless men and so 
 lamentably misled from one unclean sect into another ; first 
 Munsterite, then of Batenburg, now Davidian, and thus from 
 I>eelzebub to Lucifer and from Belial to Behemoth, ever learn- 
 ing and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (II 
 Tim. 3:7), suffering yourselves to be led about by every wind 
 of false doctrine. You choose out a way for yourselves, as do 
 all the priests and monks, and do not follow Christ. 
 
 "Did not Paul say: 'But though we or an angel from 
 heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we 
 have preached unto you, let him be accursed' (Gal. 1 :8)? And 
 that your prophets with their king, kingdom, plurality of wives, 
 sword, etc., do not agree with Paul's and the apostles' d(x;trine 
 and Gospel, ye must confess and admit; whence it forcibly 
 follows that they with their doctrine and cause are cursed and 
 anathematized.
 
 Further Reproof 185 
 
 "Say, my beloved, what do you do with the clear word and 
 testimony of the Almighty Father, which He himself has testi- 
 fied of His Son, and said: This is my beloved Son; hear ye 
 Him. Notice well, Him shall ye hear, but ye violate His Spirit, 
 word and example, ye follow and hear those who with their 
 spirit, doctrine and conduct are from the bottomless pit, yea 
 manifestly antichrists and false prophets. 
 
 "Say, ye deceived children, where is there a syllable in the 
 doctrine of Christ and the apostles (according to whose spirit 
 doctrine, conduct and example all Scripture must be under- 
 stood) by which ye can prove and establish one of your erring 
 articles ? 
 
 "If you would appeal to the literal understanding and con- 
 duct of Moses and the prophets, then must ye also become Jews, 
 accept circumcision, literally possess the land of Canaan, again 
 set up the Jewish kingdom, build the city and the temple, offer 
 sacrifices and institute worship according to the law and confess 
 that Christ the promised Saviour has not yet come nor changed 
 that which was literal and figurative into the new spiritual, 
 abiding substance. 
 
 "Ye miserable erring ones, observe. I have said above that 
 the kingdom of Christ is not of this visible, tangible, perishing 
 world, but that it is an eternal, spiritual abiding kingdom. — 
 Here shamefacedness, propriety and chastity are taught and fol- 
 lowed, and not unchastity, infamy and uncleanness. I think you 
 understand well what I mean. In short, here are taught the 
 Spirit, word, will, command, prohibition, ordinance, usage and 
 example of Christ, to which all Scripture points us ; and not 
 the opinion of the false prophets, high sounding words, enchant- 
 ing appearances, boastings, dreams, visions, lying wonders, a- 
 gainst which the Spirit of God and the Scriptures everywhere 
 warn and counsel us. 
 
 "O ye apostate children, hear the word of God and accept 
 it; for your way is in darkness and your path leads to death. — 
 Munster and Amsterdam may well be unto you an eternal warn- 
 ing and example. 
 
 "How many innocent hearts have they deceived! How 
 many poor souls have they seduced ! What great shame have 
 they brought upon the profession of God's word! What coarse 
 abominations have some of them committed under a pious ap- 
 pearance! How great cause of innocent blood have they given 
 the poor, blind magistrates who, alas, have no great understand- 
 ing of the Holy Word.
 
 186 Menno Simons 
 
 "I think it is time you should see and learn to know your 
 lying, faithless and seducive prophets ; they are the foxes which 
 spoil the vineyard of the Lord. They are the thieves and mur- 
 derers of your souls, false prophets who forsake the Lord that 
 bought them and have directed you poor erring sheep to their 
 own lying visions, dreams and the opinions of their heart, and 
 contrary to all Scripture have led you to a false and loose foun- 
 dation. 
 
 "How like unto those you have become of whom Eusebius 
 writes that they expounded the prophets according to the de- 
 sires of their heart, denied Paul and the New Testament and 
 carried about with them a book of which they boasted that it 
 fell as a present for them from heaven. 
 
 "So it is in your instance, O ye mad ones (forgive me, for 
 it is the truth that 1 write). The prophets you read according 
 to Jewish understanding, the doctrine of Ciirist and the apostles, 
 you say, is all fulfilled, and pretend that there is now another 
 dispensation, etc., and you are not aware that you thereby for- 
 sake the Son of God, deny all Scripture, comfort yourselves 
 with niere lies, just as did disobedient Israel in their time. 
 
 "But that they deceive you to the belief that the doctrine 
 of the apostles was imperfect and that they now teach you that 
 which is perfect, this is a deception above all deceptions," etc. 
 (64 seq. ; 1 :94 seq.). 
 
 Joris won many adherents in the Netherlands; over fifty 
 were executed in LS38 and 1539 at Delft. Not a few of them 
 confessed to adultery and polygamy. They had been taught 
 that God would not permit them to be put to death ; or if He 
 permitted it, they would at once be raised again to life for a 
 testimony that David was the man sent of God. Hence the 
 deluded people were zealous to confess their faith. In con- 
 sequence of such experiences David was led to modify his teach- 
 ings in certain particulars. Until the great change came for 
 which they waited it was now held unwise and unnecessary to 
 confess the faith before the world ; it was right to conform in 
 outward appearance to the religious forms and practices of the 
 ruling churches. Just as it is impossible, said one of the leaders 
 among the Daviditcs, to serve the Lord with the body only, if 
 the heart is not in it, so also it is impossible to blaspheme or 
 deny the truth, if the heart is not in it. Hence for a Davidian
 
 Was Joris an Anabaptist? 187 
 
 it was not sin to take part in idolatry and anti-scriptural re- 
 ligious forms." In consequence of this policy the Davidians had 
 no martyrs in later years. Not only were they willing to carry 
 out all the religious forms prescribed by the state in which they 
 sojourned, but it became the fashion among them to deny their 
 religious views when suspicion was raised aginst them. And 
 why not, if a denial that does not come from the heart, will not 
 count ? 
 
 It is probable, although not altogether certain, that David 
 Joris in the first years after he received his supposed call to be 
 a prophet, defended the baptism of adults. Later he declared 
 that he was not sent to baptize, for "where the perfect power of 
 faith and love has come, the ceremonies of the New Testament, 
 called sacraments, may certainly be omitted without sin." The 
 Davidians defended the practice of infant baptism against the 
 Mennonites (as will be pointed out). They are generally 
 classed with the Anabaptists, but, while in the first years of 
 their existence they, as already said, may have practiced the 
 baptism of adults, they were not Anabaptists in their later 
 period. It has been held that the most vital characteristic of 
 the Anabaptists was not the practice of believers' baptism, but 
 the thought of establishing the kingdom of God on earth. But 
 to the great Anabaptist sects, viz., the Swiss Brethren, Huterites 
 and Mennonites, as well as to the Denckians the idea of a literal 
 kingdom which was to be identical with the church was entirely 
 foreign ; they believed that Christ's kingdom is not of this 
 world, and that the state churches' insistance that all citizens 
 must be identified with the church was quite unscriptural. It 
 has also been said that the belief in special divine revelations, as 
 found among the Davidians, marks them as Anabaptists. But 
 the great Anabaptist denominations of the Reformation times 
 were the most radical advocates of the i)rinciple that the Holy 
 Scripture alone is the authority in matters of faith ; they con- 
 demned the new prophecy of "the corrupt sects." 
 
 * "To dissimulate with the world" is Menno's expression for this 
 attitude of the Davidians. He placed participation in the worship of the 
 state church for the sake of avoiding persecution in the same category.
 
 188 Menno Simons 
 
 One of the principal representatives of Davidianism was 
 Nicolaus Blesdijk, David's son-in-law. In 1546 this man had a 
 debate with Menno Simons, Dirk Philips and other Mennonite 
 leaders in a country place near Liibeck. In this discussion the 
 principal point of dispute was that of infant baptism. Blesdijk 
 asserted that the acceptance of infant baptism could not be con- 
 demned, for Christ does not forbid it and there is no proof that 
 the apostles did not baptize infants ; and even if infant baptism 
 is a misuse, it does not follow that it must be abolished. Menno 
 Simons, on the other hand, showed that a Christian must be 
 guided by God's Word and that there is no Scriptural ground 
 for infant baptism. It should be said that the Davidians were 
 difficult to deal with in debate, since they put forth the plea that 
 they were misunderstood, however that they observed infant 
 baptism does not permit of dispute. The records of this debate 
 are lost, but Blesdijk gives an account of it in two or tliree of 
 his tracts. 
 
 In his Foundation, of 1539, Menno Simons enlarges upon 
 his position on the Davidians' view of the permissibility of 
 infant baptism. He says : 
 
 "I well know that there are many idle talkers who, although 
 they realize that not infants but believers should be baptized, 
 nevertheless talk in this manner: Now, what shall water 
 avail us? We have once been baptized [in infancy] in the name 
 of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ; had we only the 
 new life, it would suffice us. — O how lightly is the word of the 
 Lord set at naught, just as if the eternal Wisdom and Truth 
 had bidden or done anything without purpose. No, my beloved, 
 no! He has commanded it and He would also have it observed! 
 For His council, says the prophet, shall stand and all His will 
 be done. Do not ask the Lord, why He has commanded it, for 
 it is His blessed will. Who are you that you should contradict 
 God? Hear Him and be obedient to Him. 
 
 "This is the very least of all the commandments which He 
 has given. It is a much greater commandment to love your 
 enemies, to do good to those who do evil to you, to pray in spirit 
 and in truth for those who persecute you, to subjugate the flesh 
 under God's word, to tread under your feet all pride, covetous- 
 ness, impurity, hate, envy and intemperance, to serve your 
 neighbor with gold, silver, with house and possessions, with
 
 Baptism a Divine Commandment 189 
 
 your hard labor, with council and deed, with life and death, nay 
 to be free from all evil desire, unbecoming words and evil 
 works, to love God and His righteousness, will and command- 
 ments with all your heart, and to bear the cross of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ with a joyous heart. Can the commandment of 
 baptism be compared with any of these? I say again, it is the 
 least of all the commandments that were given us, for it is not 
 more than a little outward work, namely a handful of water. 
 Now he who has obtained the most important matter, namely 
 the inward, will nevermore say, "What can water avail me," but 
 will readily with a thankful and obedient heart hear and fulfil 
 the words of God. But as long as he has not the inward work, he 
 tnay well say, what can water avail me 1 
 
 "We do not enquire after or seek for water, but with great 
 diligence we seek only the obedience to Jesus Christ who has 
 given us the commandment. If we believe in Him, that His 
 word is the truth (John 17:17), that His commandment is life 
 eternal (John 12:50) that He is the true teacher who came 
 from heaven (John 3:2), to bring to us all the truth, then we 
 must certainly obey His voice or we shall never enter into the 
 kingdom of heaven. For, I repeat, where there is no obedience, 
 there is no faith. — If ye have any knowledge of Jesus Christ, 
 any love for His holy word, do not further treat Him and His 
 word with contempt, saying, if we had the life it should be suf- 
 ficient. I tell you of a truth, there is no life that will help you, 
 as long as you resist the Lord in the very least. He would have 
 obedience and not sacrifice (I Sam. 15:22), He would have the 
 heart and the whole man. What does He care for your works 
 and life as long as He does not see your obedient, subjected 
 will?"» 
 
 In the year 1546 Blesdijk also wrote A Christian Vindica- 
 tion and due Refutation of the False, Unfounded Judgment, 
 Slander and Abuse found in a letter zvritten by Mcnno Sytnonse 
 against a few Lovers and Followers of the true Righteousness 
 of Christ, Because they are not so Superstitious as he is in Re- 
 gard to Obserinng Certain Ceremonies. Very Useful and Ser- 
 I'iceable . . . to all zvho Love the Middle Way." Menno Simons 
 had written a letter to the Melchiorites in Amsterdam in which 
 
 » Dat Fundament des Christelycken leers, 1539, fol. F4b seq. In the 
 revision Menno has given this section the title^ "To the Despisers of 
 Baptism."
 
 190 Menno Simons 
 
 he insisted on keeping the commandments of Christ instead of 
 partaking in the rehgious forms of the Catholic state church. 
 While it is clear that this letter is not addressed to Davidians, 
 P)lesdijk may have decided to reply to it for the good reason 
 that it refuted the opinions which the Davidians shared with 
 the Melchiorites. Blesdijk asserts in this book that participation 
 in Roman Catholic worship (including, it may be observed, the 
 a;!oration of the host and prayer to the saints) was not idolatry, 
 since these things may be observed in appearance only ; he 
 ignored the fact that the Davidians took part in the worship of 
 the state church from hypocritical motives, desiring to give out 
 the impression that they actually worshiped the host. The 
 believers, says Blesdijk, have the liberty to observe any religious 
 ceremonies and to have their infants baptized ; a true Christian^ 
 need not observe any ceremonies. Menno errs, he says further,, 
 in the opinion that a Christian should not put on gold and costly 
 array and that one should bear persecution for the sake of bap- 
 tism or other religious forms. Besides this little work Blesdijk 
 wrote two other important tracts to defend certain Davidians^ 
 teachings against the Mennonites. 
 
 David Joris wrote a surprisingly large number of tracts and 
 books; his principal works is 't Wondcrboek. (The complete 
 title is : "The Book of Wonder in Which that Which was 
 Hidden from the Beginning of the World is Revealed. — Highly 
 to be Praised Must be the One who was Sent as an Ambassador 
 in the Name of the Lord"). His style is obscure and confused. 
 The attempts to exhonorate him and his followers from the 
 accusation of immoral teachings and vile practices have signally 
 failed. Nevertheless he was a religious character. Obviously 
 some honest men were deceived by his pretense of piety, his 
 winning personality and his smooth words. 
 
 The story of Joris' later life reads like a novel. On April 
 1, 1.S44, an exceedingly well dressed man of very dignified a|)- 
 pearance, named John of Bruges came with a few companions 
 to Basel in Switzerland. lie represented himself as a Zwinglian 
 fugitive, told a pitiful story of the persecution he had endured 
 in the Netherlands and asked permission to settle with his-
 
 Joris' Double Life 1^1 
 
 family in the city. He made the best impression on all who met 
 him, and the Council was quite willing to grant his request. On 
 August 25, 1544, he came with his numerous family and ser- 
 vants to the city. They took the oath of citizenship, thereby 
 uniting formally with the Zwinglian state church. John of 
 Bruges bought a house in the city and a farm in the neighbor- 
 hood. He had an abundance of means and lived with his family 
 in the style of a nobleman. His dress was that of a man of the 
 world; his body was at times decked with jewels. Withal he 
 gave alms, was diligent in church attendance and honored the 
 ministers of the city. His children married into prominent 
 families. He lived at Basel eleven years, an acceptable member 
 • of the state church. On August 25, 1556 he died and in 
 acknowledgement of his uncommon piety was buried in St. 
 Leonard's Church. 
 
 This man was none other than David Joris. He went to 
 Basel because in the North where his writings were circulated 
 and where he had many followers there was not the opportunity 
 to practice deception and lead a double life to the same extent 
 as in Switzerland. Every precaution was taken to hide his 
 identity; the members of his family and household were en- 
 joined to observe strict silence regarding their former history, 
 Ijut nevertheless it seems almost incredible that he succeeded so 
 -well in deceiving the city. He made no attempt whatever to 
 spread his doctrine in that vicinity. While he wrote a great 
 many tracts and books at Basel, they were written in the 
 .language of the lower countries. His dupes in those countries 
 kept sending their money and treasures to the prophet. Only 
 three years after his death his identity was made known to the 
 authorities at Basel, in consequence of the apostacy of his own 
 son-in-law Blesdijk. This zealous advocate of Davidianism 
 came to his senses during the life time of Joris. His eyes were 
 .opened, so he confessed, through the terrible increase of vice 
 among the Davidians. But only indirectly was his renunciation 
 ,of his former belief the cause of the discovery that John of 
 Bruges was David Joris. 
 
 On March 13, 1559 all the male relatives and friends of
 
 192 Menno Simons 
 
 John of Bruges were arraigned before the magistrates of Basel. 
 They staunchly asserted that John of Bruges never went by 
 another name nor taught anything but orthodox Zwinglianism. 
 But when a search of the houses was made and a great number 
 of Davidian books and letters were found, they saw that further 
 denial would be useless, and made a confession in the affirma- 
 tive. Every one of them (about 30) abjured the Davidian faith. 
 David Joris was condemned to the fire as a heretic by the 
 Zwinglian authorities of Basel. His body was exhumed and, 
 together with his books, burned at the stake on May 13, 1559. 
 Menno Simons' attitude tow-ard David Joris is clearly set 
 forth in his reply^° to Joris' letter which has been extensively 
 quoted above. Menno writes : 
 
 "I am ready for a spiritual, not for a carnal combat. Hith- 
 erto I have stood without fear in the conflict with my adver- 
 saries, and have had the victory because I have fought not with 
 my own, but with divine weapons, namely with the doctrine of 
 the Gospel which shall never be overcome, may there be ever so 
 many opponents to attack it. Through continued use I have 
 become accustomed to this armor and this battle, as to the daily 
 food ; the doctrine of the Gospel I use for an armor, breast- 
 plate, apparel and cloak. 
 
 "But you, David, have laid aside and rejected this armor 
 long ago, and in its place you set your new imaginations, phil- 
 osophy, rhetorical tricks and other deceptions of the devil; 
 rightly therefore are you considered an antichrist, a man of sin 
 and son of perdition, a false prophet, murderer of souls, de- 
 ceiver and falsifier of the divine doctrines and commandments 
 of Christ. I am surprised and amazed over the presumptuous- 
 ness and impudence of this your letter seeing that you, after 
 you have for many years advocated and sj)rea(l so many blas- 
 phemous doctrines in your former books, are yet without any 
 compunction o7 conscience but continue to set forth the same 
 folly. That you dare to place your own dreams, visions, imagin- 
 ations and tricks above the wisdom of the holy Spirit, through 
 whom the prophetical and apostolical doctrine was given, is an 
 evidence of devilish pride and antichristian presumption. 
 
 And further you, a wretclied man, a shadow and ashes, 
 
 10 Printed in Ncderlandsch Archief voor K. Gcschicdenis, vol. 5, 
 1845, pp. 73-77; Zeitschr. f. hist. Theol., 1863, pp. 1431-46.
 
 Menno's Letter to Joris 193 
 
 dare to put your own work above the work of Jesus Christ, and 
 your own doctrine above the doctrine of the apostles. And you 
 and your followers in shameful hypocrisy, observe the practices 
 and ceremonies of Papists, Lutherans or Zwinglians. You fol- 
 low the usages of any of these. And you advise, yea, practice 
 the polygamy of the Jews. Your own life and that of your fol- 
 lowers is not less corrupt and stained than your doctrine. By 
 your attire and usages you indicate worldly pride and wanton- 
 ness. 
 
 'You, presumptuously, usurp for yourself the honor which 
 belongs to the Son of God alone; you declare Christ's doctrine 
 as invalid and your own as perfect and abiding; you place your 
 own antichristian calling and office over the office of Christ and 
 the apostles ; under the pretext of humility you aim at and pro- 
 mote diabolical obstinacy; under the cloak of perfection, chas- 
 tity and other virtues, you seek vices and abominations, adultery 
 and lasciviousness, and in the manner of the Lutherans and 
 Papists you pervert the Christian life unto a quite worldly life — 
 therefore I fear that God (who gives His honor to none other) 
 will give you a reward and end, such as John of Leyden, the 
 Munsterite king and others before him who have taken for 
 themselves the honor w^hich is due to the Son of God, have had. 
 
 "Now, do not write to me further; save your paper and 
 ink. I shall henceforth not read any writing that may come 
 from you, except it be evident that you reject and condemn your 
 ungodly doctrine and give to the doctrine of Christ the honor 
 that is due it."
 
 XV 
 ADAM PASTOR 
 
 Roelof Martens, who is better known by the name of Adam 
 Pastor, of Dorpen in Westphaha, was about 1530 priest at 
 Aschendorf. The date when he cast his lot with the Obbenites 
 is unknowTi. He served the Church as a minister and was 
 ordained an elder or bishop by Menno Simons and Dirk Philips, 
 l)robably in 1542. At an early date he wrote a tract against the 
 Davidians. He took part in the debate between Mennonite 
 leaders and Davidians at (or near) Liibeck in 1546. About the 
 same time or somewhat later certain doctrinal deviations of 
 Pastor became apparent. In 1547 the elders came together in 
 Embden to confer concerning his unorthodox opinions. He 
 deviated from the teachings of the Brethren principally on the 
 incarnation and the deity of Christ. Hopes were entertained 
 for his restoration to his former doctrinal position. When these 
 hopes proved ungrounded, the elders in the same year held a 
 convention in Goch which resulted in his excommunication. 
 
 The principal source of our information concerning Pastor's 
 teachings is his Contrast Between True and False Doctrine to 
 which is added an account of the debate held between Menno- 
 nite elders and Pastor at Liibeck in 1552.^ This account was 
 probably written later than the first named treatise ; no date is 
 p^iven in cither instance. Pastor asserts that he does not deny 
 the divine nature in Christ," but nevertheless he holds that He 
 
 * Undcrschcit tusscltcn rcchtc leer unde valsche leer. Reprinted in 
 Bib. Ref. Neerl, vol. 5, pi). 361-581. Original print in the Mennonite 
 library in Amsterdam. 
 
 -' Bib. Ref. Necri, vol. V, p. 382 seq., 519.
 
 Adam Pastor's Teachings 195 
 
 did not exist as the vSon of God previous to His coining into the 
 world, and was d.ivine only in the sense that God dwelled in 
 Him. It is difificult to see that Christ would in that case be 
 divine in another sense than the Christian believer. On point 
 of the Incarnation, or the origin of Jesus' body, Pastor defended 
 the view of the state churches. This is worthy of notice in 
 view of the unfounded supposition that the doctrine of the 
 Incarnation, as held by Menno, has a Unitarian tendency and 
 that Pastor's Unitarianism was developed from the said doc- 
 trine, as was opined by S. Cramer.^ 
 
 That Pastor does not speak of the Scriptures as God's 
 Word, as has been said,* can not be maintained.' The Bible 
 was for him the only authority in matters of faith." He 
 says in the course of a debate, "Where is this written? I do 
 not believe reason; give me Scripture to prove this."' He 
 defends the doctrine of the atonement. Not through the "fruit 
 of the vine," in communion, he says, but "through the blood 
 which flowed from Christ's wounds" we have forgiveness of sin. 
 Christ paid the debt of the first Adam. He only is the Re- 
 deemer, "the only Mediator between his Father and fallen man ;" 
 through His merit and blood alone are we saved.® In view of 
 the assertion that Pastor held "liberal views touching the 
 church," it should be noted that he is quite outspoken in 
 denouncing the teachers of false doctrine, principally the priests 
 of the national church, whose sermons he forbid his followers 
 to hear." The idea of the j)urity of the church and the perfec- 
 tion of the believers he carried to a point considered unsound by 
 Menno Simons.'" Concerning "avoidance" he taught that eating 
 and drinking with the excommunicated is forbidden, but in the 
 
 3 R. E., vol. 12, p. 592. 
 
 * Bib. Ref. Need., vol. 5, p. 338. 
 
 5 Compare Bib. Ref. Neerl.^ vol. 5, pp. 371, 366, 516. 
 
 ' The same, pp. 371, 2>73. 
 
 ^ The same, p. 549. 
 
 8 The same, vol. 5, pp. 488, 382, 386 seq., 517, 417. 
 
 " The same, vol. 5, pp. 501, 403-410. Compare especially p. 407. 
 
 'f* The same, p. 419 seq.
 
 196 Menno Simons 
 
 Disputation he says, the excommunicated should be held as the 
 world.^' He believed that ministers should not be chosen by 
 the church, but direct of God. The doctrine of non-resistance 
 is not found in his extant writings. On the oath also he seems 
 to have differed from Menno and his friends. ^^ That he did not 
 teach the resurrection of the body is a groundless assumption.^' 
 Pastor's denial of the true divinity of Christ was considered 
 a grave offense by the Mennonites. This is evident from the 
 strong opposition of Menno Simons, the spokesman of the 
 Brethren, against Pastor, and further from the fact that he 
 succeeded to win to his views only a small company of those 
 among whom he had formerly labored. Menno wrote his 
 Confession of the Triune God in vindication of the diety of 
 Christ. In no uncertain tones and with the full conviction that 
 the scriptural truth was on his side and that a most fundamental 
 doctrine of the Gospel was at stake, he warned the church of 
 this new teaching. S. Cramer has asserted that Menno's de- 
 fence is "neither convincing nor strong"^^ but J. G. de Hoop 
 Scheffer finds that Menno in this book made "a strong confes- 
 sion, a pressing demand without any reservation, he showed 
 zeal over a matter for which he was willing to die, if need be,"^^ 
 a view with which the unbiased reader will doubtless concur. 
 Menno says : 
 
 "Dearly beloved brethren, understand me rightly. Christ is 
 the eternal wisdom, the eternal power of God. For just as we 
 believe and confess that the Father was from eternity and will 
 be to eternity, yea He is the First and the Last, so we may 
 certainly also fully believe and confess, that Plis wisdom, His 
 power, His light, His truth. His life, His word, Christ Jesus, 
 has been eternally with llim, in Him and by Him, yea that He 
 is the Alpha and Omega. Or else, we should be compelled to 
 admit that this only begotten incomjjrehensible, truly divine 
 Being, Christ Jesus (whom the church fathers have called a 
 
 11 The same, pp. 367^ 522. 
 
 1* Nicolai in Bib. Ref. Necrl., vol. 7, p. 464. 
 
 » Bib. Ref. NeerL, vol. vol. 5, p. 382. 
 
 1* R. E., vol. 12, p. 592. 
 
 " D. B., 1894, p. 27.
 
 The Holy Spirit a Divine Person 197 
 
 person), through whom the eternal Father has made all things, 
 has had a creature-like beginning, an opinion which certainly all 
 true Christians confess and consider a terrible blasphemy, a 
 curse and abomination. May the gracious beloved Father ever 
 protect and uphold all His beloved childen in the right and true 
 confession of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ." (387; H:184). 
 
 Menno Simons' teaching on the deity of Christ has been 
 fully set forth elsewhere (pp. 200 and 228). The old accusation 
 that he entertained unorthodox views on this point must be 
 discarded as absolutely unfounded, although it has been repeated 
 in recent publications.^'' K. Vos has averred that neither Menno 
 nor other Anabaptists ever referred to the Holy Spirit as a 
 person, and hence those who accused Menno and his friends of 
 denying the Trinity had a basis for their charge. ^^ This allega- 
 tion also is without ground. Both Menno Simons and Dirk 
 Philips speak of the Holy Spirit as a personal Being. Menno 
 says : "The Holy Spirit we believe and confess to be a true, real 
 or, as the church fathers speak of Him, a personal Holy Spirit," 
 etc. (390a; H :186b). And Dirk Philips writes in his book The 
 Church of God: "The Holy Ghost is the third name, person, 
 power and operation of the Godhead, of one divine substance 
 with the Father and the Son."^^ 
 
 The author of one of the older books on Mennonite history 
 alleges that Adam Pastor was excommunicated by Dirk Philips.^" 
 If this be correct, it is nevertheless certain that Menno Simons 
 fully approved of this measure. Not only does Menno testify 
 that Pastor had received his dismissal "from us," but it is clear 
 
 1" This view has been set forth by Samuel Cramer in the articles 
 Menno Siviotis and Mennoniten, R. E., vol. 13, pp. 591, 607^ also Bib. Ref. 
 Neerl, vol. 2, p. 36. Compare the said articles in The New Schaff- 
 Herzog Religious Encyclopedia. A similar opinion is expressed in Die 
 Religion in Gcschichte und Gcgcnwart, vol. 4, 1912, p. 270. 
 
 ^^ Vos, Menno Simons, pp. 211 and 72. Similar opinions are found 
 in Kijhler, W. J. Hct Snrinianismc in Nederland, p. 42; Hoekstra, S., 
 Beginselen, p. 256. 
 
 18 Bib. Ref. Neerl.. vol. 10. p. 392; Philips, D.. Hand Book, p. 382. 
 
 1^ Succe.<:.^io Anab. in Bib. Ref. Neerl., vol. 7, p. 51.
 
 198 Menno Simons 
 
 that he was held responsible by Pastor for his exclusion.-** 
 Professor Scheffer was of the opinion that Alenno in the preface 
 to his Confession of the Triune God disapproved of Pastor's 
 excommunication by Dirk Philips. An impartial examination 
 shows that this preface does not contain an allusion to Pastor's 
 exclusion or to Dirk Philips.'^ Menno, in the same passage in 
 which he testifies that Pastor was excluded "from us" says 
 further that he (Menno) is "of one mind with Dirk I'hilips." 
 It is inconceivable that he should not have recognized an excom- 
 munication announced by his co-laborer Philips. 
 
 It is true that Menno at a later date had a discussion with 
 Adam Pastor (at Liibeck). This, it should be observed, was 
 not contrary to his position on the avoidance of the excommuni- 
 
 -" "Ynwe vnde yuwe medcbanners" (you and those who witli you 
 pronounced the ban) Pastor says in his Disputation, Bib. Ref. Neerl., 
 vol. 5, p. 522, and agan he speaks of "yuwe ban." That these words are 
 addressed to Menno is clear, for in the same paragraph he speaks of 
 "yuw Fundament boeck" (p. 521). Menno says in reference to Adam 
 Pastor and his friends, "die van ons zijn afgedaen" (who have been ex- 
 cluded from us). 311a; II :95a. That the exclusion of Adam Pastor 
 resulted in a friction between Dirk Philips and Menno, as has been 
 repeatedly asserted (e. g., by TIenry E. Dosker in The Princeton Theo- 
 logical Review, April, 1915, p. 301) is without foundation. 
 
 21 Menno complains tliat Christian love has materially decreased in 
 consequence of hurtful disputations concerning the divinity of Christ, 
 the ban, etc., and then says, "de Heere en reken hot haer voor geen 
 sonde die't op de Banne gevoert hebben" (Folio Edition, p. 385). De 
 Hoop Scheffer (D. B., 1894, p. 23) took these words to mean that Menno 
 criticized those who had pronounced the ban on account of these mat- 
 ters. But it is not clear why Menno should here say "op de Banne 
 gevoert" while in other instances he uses the form "op den ban," "over 
 den Ban" (Folio Edition, pp. 385 and 476a). If the word in question 
 means ban or excommunication, the meaning of tlie sentence would 
 probably be : May the Lord not account it a sin to those who would 
 make the well known doctrine and practice of the ban responsible for 
 these difficulties. But to all appearance "Banne" in the sentence in ques- 
 tion is a typographical error; an old manuscript of the book in Hamburg 
 has "bane" (way) which doubtless is the correct reading The supposi- 
 tion that Menno here reproves those who have pronounced the ban over 
 Pastor is untenable.
 
 Pastor's Small Following 199 
 
 cated, as has been supposed." Menno repeatedly emphasized 
 the duty of making efforts to win back the excommunicated. 
 
 Adam Pastor had according to the testimony of one of the 
 old chroniclers at the time of his exclusion a small number of 
 followers." Gerardus Nicolai, the noted opponent of the Ana- 
 baptists who with evident satisfaction notes the fact that one 
 who denied the divinity of Christ was found among them, 
 asserts that Pastor "gained many adherents."" Nicolai wrote 
 in 1569; he says that there existed at that time a sect of Adam 
 Pastorites. His statement must be received with caution. We 
 do not learn where the adherents of Pastor were found nor to 
 what extent they were organized as a church or sect. Neither 
 in Nicolai nor anywhere do we hear of co-workers with Pastor. 
 To all appearance his followers were never strong numerically. 
 In 1552 Gellius Faber in an attempted refutation of Menno 
 Simons mentions Adam Pastor as the head of a faction, but 
 while he asserts in the same place that Obbe Philips had "not a 
 few" adherents, he makes no statement to that effect concerning 
 Adam Pastor. If Gellius had any ground whatever to speak of 
 numerous adherents of Adam Pastor, he would undoubtedly 
 have done so. Even then his statement would require further 
 proof to be acceptable. Menno Simons in his reply to Gellius 
 denies that Obbe Philips' followers were numerous ; not ten, he 
 asserts, could be found who shared his opinion. 
 
 Certain is that the Adam Pastorites had a short history. 
 There may have been those who held to Pastor's teachings after 
 his death,25 but no evidence to that effect has yet been found. 
 
 Adam Pastor died in Munster. The time of his decease is 
 unknown. He was buried in the public Ucherzvasscr cemetery, 
 if we may accept the testimony of Hamelmann. If he, at the 
 
 22 Bib. Ref. Neerl, vol. 5, p. 323; D. B.. 1909, p. 105. 
 
 28 "Ecn klcyn hoopken." Het Beginsel, etc. Bib. Ref \ccrl vol 7 
 V. 520. 
 
 2^ Bib. Ref. Neerl., vol. 7, p. 464. 
 
 25 It should be said that the Adamites or Naked-goers must not be 
 confounded with the followers of Adam Pastor who also were sometimes 
 spoken of as Adamites.
 
 200 Menno Simons 
 
 time of his death, held tlie views which he defended in his writ- 
 ings, his fellow citizens were evidently not aware of it. 
 
 It has been supposed that the martyr Herman Vlekwyk was 
 an adherent of Pastor, and since Vlekwyk is known to have 
 been baptized in 1565 at Bruges, the opinion has been advanced 
 that a congregation of followers of Pastor existed in that city.^' 
 But Vlekwyk, in his confession before the inquisitor, defended 
 the doctrine of the Incarnation as held by Menno against Adam 
 Pastor. The inquisitor brought accusation against him to the 
 effect that he followed on all points "the damned arch-heretic 
 Menno Simons." Even if this charge should not prove alto- 
 gether correct, it is clear that Vlewyk was not a follower of 
 Adam Pastor. Professor S. Cramer has examined the original 
 of the document containing the accusations against him and has 
 not found a trace of a charge touching a denial of the Trinity.*^ 
 A part of the protocol of the discussions between Vlekwyk and 
 the .Inquisitor is reprinted in the Martyrs Mirror.'^ 
 
 The supposition that Pastor's influence was noticeable 
 among the Mennonites is without any evidence. S. Hoekstra, in 
 his book on Principles and Doctrine of the Early Anabaptists, 
 says rightly that he had "a small following" and his labors were 
 "without noticeable influence on the Mennonites {Doopsgc- 
 zinden) .'"^^ Not a trace of his opinions on the divinity of Christ 
 is discernable among the early Mennonites. The Waterlandians 
 who are sometimes said to have entertained somewhat more 
 liberal views than Menno Simons, were quite orthodox on the 
 fundamentals and especially on the deity of Christ. This is 
 clear from their first confession as well as from the fact that 
 the most notable defender of Christ's deity among the Menno- 
 nites against the Socinians was Hans de Ries (1553-1638) an 
 elder of the Waterlandians. Jacques Outerman, an elder of the 
 Flemish Mennonites in Haarlem, Holland, early in the seven- 
 teenth century was accused of unorthodox teaching on the 
 
 2« Nederl. Archief v. Kerkgeschicd, 1910, p. 329, and in otlier places. 
 
 27 Bih. Ref. Neerl., vol. 7, p. 195. 
 » Van Braght, pp. 741, 763. 
 
 28 Beginselen en Leer der Oude Doopsgezinden, p. 190.
 
 Pastor's weak Influence 201 
 
 Jivinity of Christ. Only recently these charges have been re- 
 peated by W. J. van Douwen^o and W. J. Kiihler^i in whose 
 opinion Outerman believed that Christ during his life on earth 
 was a man only. This view of the said writers is evidently due 
 to a misunderstanding. Outerman not only taught the pre- 
 existence of Christ, but that He retained His divine nature in 
 the Incarnation.^'^ That he was biblically orthodox on the point 
 in question is fully evident from the confession which he, with 
 nineteen other elders drew up, setting forth their faith in the 
 deity of Christ. This confession bears the date of October 8, 
 1626. It is found in the Martyrs' Mirror.^^ Pieter Grispeer[ 
 one of the original signers of the well known confession of Dort 
 ulrawn up by Adrian Cornells of the same city, 1632) was a 
 co-laborer with Outerman in the Flemish Mennonite Church at 
 Haarlem.3* Presumably Outerman had passed to his reward at 
 the time when the confession of Dort was adopted. 
 
 The Swiss Brethren agreed with Ivlenno Simons and his 
 friends in their position on the divinity of Christ. The opinion 
 advanced by a few writers that the Swiss, in the conference 
 held at Strasburg in 1557 declared the question of the deity of 
 Christ to be of secondary importance, is without any foundation 
 whatever. Not the divinity of Christ but the well knoxvoi 
 peculiar doctrine on the incarnation of Christ as held by the 
 Brethren of the lower countries, was discussed and declared 
 non-essential by this conference. In 1592 representatives of the 
 Swiss Brethren met again in Strasburg and confessed their 
 steadfast faith in the deity of Christ. 
 
 The definition of their attitude on the point in question is 
 set forth in An Aus^vcr of the Szviss Brethren, also named 
 Upper Germans, to the Polish, Concerning the Point of the 
 
 ^° Van Douwen, Socinianen en Doopsgesinden, p. 99. 
 
 3' Kuhler, Het Sociniattisme in Ncderland, p. 96. 
 
 ^- Compare Kiihlcr, p. 95. 
 
 33 Van Braght, p. 1048. 
 
 3* Schijn-Maatschoen, Geschiedenis d. Memioniten, 1745, vol. 3, p. 236.
 
 202 Menno Simons 
 
 Incarnation and the Deity of Jesus Christ."^^ The "Polish" are 
 the Socinians of Poland (Unitarians). They are in this letter 
 addressed as "dear men," and their opinion is declared to be 
 altogether unscriptural and unacceptable. The concluding sen- 
 tences of this important document follow: "Passed at the gen- 
 eral gathering of the elders and ministers from many countries, 
 in the year 1592 at Strasburg .... From Rauf-bits own hand- 
 writing translated from the High German into the Low German." 
 Rauf-bits, it may be interesting to notice, is none other than 
 Rauf Bisch, one of the spokesmen of the Brethren in the great 
 debate held at Frankenthal in the Palatinate in 1571.^' 
 
 The Huterites also considered the divinity of Christ one of 
 the most fundamental articles of faith. It is worthy of notice 
 that the socalled Articles of the Moravian Anabaptists (1526) in 
 which this doctrine is questioned, are of altogether doubtful 
 origin. Apparently they were drawn up by Hubmaier to serve 
 as sentences to be discussed in a debate with Hans Hut in 1526. 
 Hubmaier seems to have alleged that these articles represented 
 Hut's views, but this was denied by Hut himself,^^ who com- 
 plained bitterly that the denial of the divinity of Christ and of 
 other scriptural doctrines had been unjustly laid to his charge 
 in these articles. Originally there were 52 theses or articles, but 
 in the versions that have been handed down to us, their number 
 is far less.^^ Hubmaier also has erroneously been charged with 
 defending the views in question. Certain it is that no Anabap- 
 
 ^'^ Printed in Handclinge Der V'ereenigdc Vlacmse en Duytsr Doops- 
 (jesiudc Gcmcyntcn, Gehoudcn tot Ilacrlcvi, Anno 1649, in Junto, Vlis- 
 singhe, 1666. 
 
 36 This letter to the Socinians has apparently escaped the notice of 
 the author of "Sociniancn en Doopsgczinden," W. J. van Douwen (Lei- 
 den, 1898). 
 
 •'" K. Vos' statement (p. 100) that Iliit denied the divine nature in 
 Christ is without foundation. 
 
 38 The articles are found in an luif^lish translation in .McGlothlin, 
 Baptist Confessions of faith. Philadelphia.
 
 Kuyper's Exclusion 203 
 
 tist body would have subscribed to these articles. As a source 
 for Anabaptistic principles and doctrine thev are of very small 
 value.'"' 
 
 Once more it was found necessary to excommunicate an 
 elder for unorthodox teaching. Francis Reines Kuyper, one of 
 Alenno's fellow laborers, had advocated some deviating opinions 
 at the time of the conference at Embden. He seems to have 
 denied the doctrine of justification by faith. In 1549 he was 
 excommunicated by Menno Simons, and in 1554 he reunited 
 with the Roman Catholic Church. 
 
 3» The most noteworthy and thorough treatise on the socalled Xicols- 
 burg Articles is found in Sachsse, D. Balthasar Hubmaicr ah Thcoloae 
 pp. 109-115.
 
 XVI 
 
 RECENT ACCUSATIONS AGAINST MENNO SIMONS 
 
 Various charges against Menno Simons, some of them of a 
 most serious nature, have been advanced by his most recent 
 biographer, K. Vos.^ 
 
 Menno, according to this author stated an untruth in the 
 account of his conversion : He says, when he had hved about 
 one year as a priest in Witmarsum, namely in 1532, the unscrip- 
 turalness of infant baptism was first asserted in those parts of 
 Friesland and he knew not who the men were who first advanced 
 this teaching or whence they came, neither had he ever seen 
 them. This is false, says Vos; Menno must have heard of 
 Peter Woodsawer through the Philips brothers, even if he did 
 not meet him personally. However Menno Simons docs not 
 here speak of the time when Peter Woodsawer went forth to 
 teach and baptize. It was more than a year after the teaching 
 of the unscripturalness of infant baptism was first advanced in 
 or near Witmarsum that Peter Woodsawer appeared on the 
 scene. We do not know who were the men (Melchiorites) that 
 first spread this doctrine in those places, but on the other hand 
 we do know that in many instances men who advanced new and 
 forbidden doctrine purposely veiled their identity. There is no 
 indication that Menno ever saw these men. To say that he here 
 speaks an untruth is to make an assertion which is utterly 
 incapable of proof. 
 
 1 It is a matter of sincere regret that this author who is the pastor 
 of a doctrinally neutral Mennonitc church, not only repeats some of the 
 old slanders of Menno Simons' opponents, hut adds serious new accusa- 
 tions which are altogether groundless.
 
 Revision of the "Foundation" 205 
 
 In the preface to the second edition of the Foundation, Vos 
 alleges further, Menno asserted that "the contents o^ the new 
 book were the same as of the old, only a few typographical 
 errors were corrected and a few passages made clearer in style, 
 language or form, but nothing was changed from the first prin- 
 ciples and contents.''^ Here again, says Vos, Menno did not tell 
 the truth. But a careful reading of Menno's statement leads to 
 the result that he says expressly, he made many changes. "I 
 have in some instances made additions, have cleared up what 
 was obscure, corrected the mistakes, eliminated what was un- 
 necessary," etc., in other words, he had rewritten the book. 
 And in order that no one might mistake the revision of the book 
 for the first edition he also changed the title and in the preface 
 makes mention of the title under which the first edition was 
 published. It is correct that Menno says, he made "no changes 
 from the first principles and contents," but this statement is 
 made in the same paragraph in which he alludes to the additions 
 and eliminations in the revision.^ 
 
 Vos says that in Menno's account of the debate with Martin 
 Micron an untruth is found (560a; 11:365) but fails to say 
 wh.erein the alleged untruth consists. Further this author on the 
 authority of Martin Micron accuses Menno of saying an untruth 
 twice in the course of this debate. Two times, so Micron con- 
 tends, Menno denied a statement whicli he had previously ma<]e 
 and hence he is guilty of untruthfulness. But the audience 
 before which Menno made a denial of the alleged statements 
 was practically the same before which he had made the first 
 statements. It must be remembered that there were no impartial 
 judges to preside at this debate and there was danger that one 
 participant would quote the other in a way that he was con- 
 
 - Vos. Menno Sinicns, p. 39. 
 
 '' A comparison of the preface of the earliest known edition- of the 
 revision (in the socalled Eastern language in which Menno rewrote this 
 liook) with later Dutch edition reveals no material difference. The first 
 translation from the Eastern into the Dutch language was printed in 1558. 
 It has often been reprinted and has served as the basis for the English 
 translation.
 
 206 Menno Simons 
 
 vinced to have been misquoted and consequently he would deny 
 the statement. Tliis accusation against Menno is based wholly 
 on the assertion of one of his bitterest opponents, who held that 
 a Christian government was under duty to persecute Menno and 
 his friends. That such accusations can not be uncritically ac- 
 cepte ! need not be said. Martin Bucer, the leading reformer of 
 Strasburg. asserted that Hans Denck would not condemn the 
 horrible fratricide committed by Thomas Schugger in St. Gall 
 — a charge which is a blot not on Hans Denck's but on IMartin 
 I Ulcer's name.* 
 
 It i^ unnecessary to say that Menno Simons denied this 
 c'.iarge. He complains bitterly that Micron "has dishonestly 
 adulterated, changed, mutilated and glaringly misinterpreted my 
 words and testimony" (617a; H :423a). "I hope that I should 
 rather suffer to be put to death," he says, "before a wilful 
 untruth, be it small or great, should pass over my lips" (608b; 
 n :413b). "That they have thus shamefully trampled upon me, 
 is but little to me, for I am aware that honor is not due me, 
 lieing born of Adam, etc. l>ut that I should be a fickle liar, a 
 falsifier and artful rogue as through the slanderous, untrue, rude 
 and bitter spirit of envy I am depicted l)y our opponents, from 
 this may tlie merciful Lord ever preserve me" (5^7a; H :399b). 
 
 V'os refers to Samuel Cramer to substantiate his accusation 
 concerning Menno's untruthfulness in his debate with Micron. 
 We must remind liim of the fact that Cramer held Menno to 
 have been virtually a Unitarian, besides other unfounded opin- 
 ions concerning Menno Simons. This question can not be 
 settled by appeal to authority, it must stand on its own merits. 
 
 In his first books, this author says further, "Menno mani- 
 fested himself as one who is clothed with authority, one who 
 .... shall fulfill a principal part in the looked-for coming of the 
 Lord. As one sent of God he provides his books with wishes of 
 blessing which in the name of God and Christ shall fall to the 
 believers' part through Menno."^ In vain do we look for 
 
 ♦ Thomas Schugger was reputed to be an .'\nabaptist, but this was 
 denied by the Anabaptists. 
 
 '' Vos, Menno Simons, p. 58.
 
 Accusation of Arrogance 207 
 
 evidence to substantiate tl,ese charges; our author brings a 
 number of quotafons which show that Menno believed the 
 adven of Chnst to be near, but contain no indication wh" e 
 
 passages showing ciea:;^^,:';^^^::!;,;— e^ 
 would no. be among the hving in the day of the Lord He say 
 ■n the first edition of the Foundation- ^ 
 
 fallac?ofT'^' '"' "'"^ "*'" "' ^™''^^ 'houglu show the 
 lallacy of the opmion m question. What this author savs con 
 cernrng Menno's wishes of blessing indicates that he his fai ed "o 
 gain the proper point of contact with Menno Simon, 
 
 "Although Menno," so we read again, "has not appropriated 
 for himself some Old Testament name, as did so manv „ h. 
 Anabapt St leaders [Hofmann, Matthy; and oh , o L e 
 
 he;"h:d -^"Htr "' '"^" ^" °''™°" -^ '-^ --" -npor-ance i; 
 tney had. Here agam an assertion is advanced which is 
 clearly erroneous. There is abundant evi.lence ,o show h 
 
 ■such as the Scriptures give a minister of the GosDel w/n 
 
 says in the hrst edition of his Foundation: 
 
 and plt't'rjiri'iriiT^rsS^iirf: ""'^" r ''"'■ *^'-" -" 
 
 long u.sages, not by impe Ll Svs Lt\f ""! T""''' f°' "^ 
 your decisions be influenced bv Dlacnrrk ."^T! decrees; let not 
 but judge these things alone fi' he G^sn^ threatens cruelty, 
 ^-Lordjesus Christ and fdis'U^a^o°Xl b^'h^iJl^X^r,:: 
 
 also'fo?;.;?'"'"'""" "" "■-'■■'->■••'■•■" '-■". 1539, ,o,. 02-. Cc.p.re 
 ' Vos, Menno Simons, p. 59.
 
 208 Menno Simons 
 
 doctrine anil life of a Christian must be judged and measured; 
 and if you do this, you will without doubt find our doctrine and 
 life to conform to tlie same. And if in these our writings we 
 shouUl have humanly erred in anything, in such instance we shall 
 be willingly corrected from the word of the Lord."^ 
 
 To support his supposition that Menno believed himself 
 clothetl with special divine authority this author quotes a passage 
 from Menno which in part is based on I Cor. 6 :3. "Know ye 
 not that we shall judge angels?" The passage is taken from 
 Menno's Meditation on the Twenty- fifth Psalm, where it is 
 found in connection with the verse : "Consider mine enemies for 
 they are many and they hate me with cruel hatred." The 
 passage is here given at length, and the part quoted by Vos 
 printed in Italics. 
 
 "When I was of the world, I spake and did as the world 
 and the world hated me not. — While I served the world, the 
 world rewarded me. All men spake well of me even as their 
 fathers did of the false prophets. But now that I love the 
 Viorld with a goc!ly love, seek from my heart its salvation and 
 blessing, admonish, instruct, and rebuke it with Thy holy word 
 and, point it to the crucified Christ Jesus, the world has become 
 to me a grievous cross and a gall of bitterness. So great is its 
 iiatred that not only T myself but also all who show me love, 
 mercy and favor must in some places look for imprisonment 
 and death.'-* O blessed Lord, I am considered, by them more 
 unfavorable than a notorious thief and murderer. 
 
 Am I not as a lost sheep in the wilderness of this world, 
 chased, pursued and sought unto death by ravenous wolves? — 
 My flesh had alm^ost said, I am deceived, because I find the 
 unrighteous and unconcerned living in great quietness and peace, 
 in riches and prosperity, while the godly must endure so much 
 hunger, thirst, persecution and affliction. Their habitation is 
 insecure; with difficulty they earn their bread; they are 
 accursed, defamed, ])crsecutefl and despised of all men; they are 
 liated of all men as the lilth of the world and as an abomination. 
 
 lare 
 
 8 Dat Fundament dcs Chnstc'.ykcn leers, 1539, fol. 02a. Comp _ 
 also fol. L7a. A strikiiiR refutation of tlic view in question is the prayer 
 quoted on p. 75. 
 
 ■• The words "in some places" arc not containcfl in tlie first edition 
 of tlie book.
 
 The Word the only Foundation 209 
 
 blessed Lord, mine enemies are many and great. — I am 
 considered their mortal enemy because I point out to them the 
 way of righteousness. O Lord, I am not ashamed of my doc- 
 trine before Thee and Thy angels, much less before this re- 
 bellious world, for I know of a surety that I teach Thy word. 
 
 1 have not taught anything but true repentance, dying unto our 
 sinful flesh and the new life which is of God. I have taught 
 the true faith in Thee and in Thy blessed Son, that it is to be 
 working and powerful through love. I have taught Christ Jesus 
 and Him crucified, very God and very man, etc., etc. 
 
 'Tf all the prophets, apostles and evangelists have not 
 taught this with great clearness from the beginning, I shall 
 willingly say that my shame and oppression is just. — Had I 
 not the word of Christ, how gladly would I be taught it, for I 
 seek it with fear and trembling; in this [namely in following 
 the Word] / can not be deceived. I have by Thy grace throuc/h 
 Thy holy Spirit believed and accepted Thy holy truth as the sure 
 tuord of Thy good pleasure. It shall not deceive me in eternity. 
 Let them ivrite and call, tzvist and threaten, let them dispute and 
 boast, destroy, persecute and kill, if they choose, still Thy word 
 shall triumph and the Lamb shall gain the victory. Yea, I am 
 assured and certain that zmth this my doctrine which is Thy 
 word, in the day of the revelation of Christ, I shall judge not 
 only the zvorld' but also the angels. And though I and my 
 beloved brethren were totally extirpated and one and all taken 
 from the earth, nevertheless Thy word shall remain the eternal 
 truth" (174b; 1 :225b). 
 
 It should be observed that the quotation given by Vos 
 begins in the middle of a sentence, leaving out the antecedent 
 of the pronoun "this" in the first clause and obscuring the fact 
 that Menno speaks here of the word of Christ. Had the last 
 sentence been added in which Menno refers to the possible 
 success of his enemies who sought to take his life, it would have 
 been made clear that he did not pretend to know that he would 
 live to see the advent of Christ, excluding the insinuation that 
 he believed himself to be called to fulfil a principal part in that 
 event. Vos refers to a quotation of the passage in question by 
 Cardinal Hosius, as given by Brandt in his History of the Ref- 
 ormation. It must be said that Hosius' quotation is more im- 
 partial and more to the point than the one given by this author. 
 
 On the authority of the cited passage from the first epistle
 
 210 Menno Simons 
 
 to the Corinthians Menno Simons gives repeatedly expression to 
 the thought that the true Christians will judge the world (e. g. 
 Folio Edition P. 605a, marginal note) : the doctrine which they 
 advocate will he the judge in so far as this doctrine is the word 
 of Christ (John 12:48). In all prohability he would have 
 readily admitted that he could not explain whether the saints 
 will have a personal part in the judgment of the world. It 
 should be noticed that he speaks in the context of the terrible 
 persecution and infamy to which he and his friends were sub- 
 jected for the sake of God's word, and his point is that those 
 who here suffer with Christ shall with Him reign and be glori- 
 he(\. This, to his mind, was the import of the cited verse from 
 first Corinthians. The charge of K. Vos^° that Menno "an- 
 nounced himself as the jurlge in the judgment to come" is alto- 
 gether baseless. 
 
 The second and last passage quoted by V'os to support his 
 proposition that Menno had a high opinion of his own impor- 
 tance, as much so as the leaders of the Munsterites, follows. 
 
 I rejoice from my heart that such faithful men are found 
 Vv'ho are ready to seal tlie holy commandments and testimonies 
 of the Lord by giving their possessions and their blood, although 
 you [Micron] upbraid me with this matter. Nor flo I doubt 
 that at the day of (Jhrist they shall be a part of my crown." 
 (605a; 11:40%). 
 
 Vos does not seem to be aware that here again Menno 
 expresses himself in the language of Scripture. The apostle 
 Taul repeatedly speaks of those who had been led to Christ by 
 him as his crown. (Phil 4:11 ; 1 Thes. 2:19). It seems almost 
 unbelievable that on the ground of tliesc passages Menno is put 
 in the same category as Jan Matthys and John of I.eyden as 
 concerns his own estimate of himself. 
 
 Menno Simons advocated the view that ministers of the 
 Word should not be engaged for a stated income cither from 
 the state or from the congregation, nevertheless a few writers 
 have supposed that he receivcfl a fixed salary. "Nature was in 
 his instance stronger than doctrine," says K. Vos. This asser- 
 
 '" Vos, Menno Simons, p. 218.
 
 Menno on Greeting 211 
 
 tion is based on a statement found in one of Menno's letters. 
 The letter was printed apparently for the first time in the folio 
 edition of his works, 1681, or about one hundred twenty yearo 
 after it was written. An older manuscript copy is not known. 
 Clearly the text of this letter bears unmistakable signs of 
 faultiness and corruption.' ^ The passage on which the said 
 assertion is based follows. 
 
 "It was not with the thought of burdening you that I have 
 written in my last letter to my intimate brother concerning the 
 sixty Thalers annually. I took the liberty of so writing, for I 
 need it yearly. — If something be sent for my need, send it the 
 first opportunity ; for the slaughtering time is at hand and I have 
 little wherewith to buy. O, brethren, pardon mv writing- neces- 
 .sity compels me" (392a; II :232b). 
 
 It is by no means certain that Menno wrote this appeal. 
 However, assuming this to be the case, the above quotation 
 would indicate that at least some of the brethren were informed 
 that Menno needed sixty Thalers annually. Equally evident it 
 is that there would have been no necessity for him to write as 
 he did, had he received a salary of that amount a year. It need 
 not be repeated here that Menno and the early Mennonite 
 Church openly disapproved of fixed salaries for ministers. A 
 few years after Menno's death Leonard Bouwens was disposed 
 from the ministerial ofiice on several charges, one of which was 
 to the effect that he had accepted fifty Thalers for his service.'- 
 
 A false accusation against Menno and his friends is also 
 the insinuation of \'os^-' that they forbid to greet any one who 
 was not of their own persuasion. Certainly this would be a 
 characteristic of rank enthusiasm. There is absolutely no evi- 
 dence for this assertion and there is abundant proof that it is 
 unfounded. Menno writes on the passage II John 10, 11 (" 
 neither greet him, for he that greeteth him is partaker of his 
 evil deeds," German and Dutch translation). 
 
 "If some would say, John has forbidden the common usage 
 
 11 Compare Vos, Menno Simons, p. 139. 
 
 12 y ere taring he, etc., by J. O. (Jacques Outerman), 1609, parag. 304. 
 *3 Vos, Menno Simons, p. 116.
 
 212 Menno Simons 
 
 of greeting my answer is that before my God I can not under- 
 stand that John said this in regard to the common custom of 
 greeting, but he says: If some deceiver should come to us wha- 
 has forsaken the doctrine of Christ, we should not receive such 
 an one into our houses, lest he deceive us, and we should not 
 greet him as a brother that we may not be partakers of his evil 
 deeds. But not so with the worldly greeting. For if the worldly 
 greeting had such inherent power that it caused me to be par- 
 taking of the transgression of those whom I greet, it must 
 follow that I must be partaker of adultery, uncleanness, drunk- 
 enness, avarice, idolatry and blood-shed of the world as often as- 
 I greet a worldly man according to the common custom, or if I 
 answer to his greeting. O no! not this greeting, but the greet- 
 ing or the kiss of peace indicates unity (475a; II :278a). 
 
 K. Vos says:^* "Whenever Menno became involved in a 
 dispute, he overwhelmed his opponent with abusive words, but 
 as soon as the latter refused to yield, but held him down to the 
 point, and as soon as Menno was forced to argumentation, our 
 man stood embarrassed. So he showed himself against John 
 a'Lasco, Martin Micron, Adam Pastor and Leonard Rouwens." 
 Here again this author makes statements which can not be sub- 
 stantiated. To assert that Menno in these instances poured 
 abuse over his opponents, but stood embarrassed when they 
 insisted on arguments is more than his own contemporaiy 
 accusers have ventured to say. Menno in his Brief and Clear 
 Confession, of 1544, testifies that in the discussions held at 
 Emb-len he "in love" conferred with John a'Lasco and his co- 
 lalKjrers and they permitted him to depart in peace. He ad- 
 dressed them in the said book in a strikingly amicable tone. 
 What Vos says concerning Menno's harsh dealings with Adam 
 Pastor and Leonard Rouwens is an assumption which is without 
 any evidence whatsoever. The assertion that he used abusive 
 speech against his opponents at Wismar. and stood embarrassed 
 when they desired argtmients is based on the clearly biased 
 report of his opponent Micron. 
 
 It is true that in his v/ritings Menno is sometimes over- 
 severe in his arraignment of conditions in the state churches. 
 
 '* The same, p. 29.
 
 Menno a Defender of the Truth 213 
 
 On the other hand, a comparison with the leading state church 
 reformers shows that on point of abusive speech far severer 
 criticism is due to them than to Menno. John Calvin who was 
 more moderate on the point in question than either Luther or 
 Zwingli speaks of Menno Simons personally in almost unbeliev- 
 ably abusive terms. ^^ Never did Menno stoop down so low as 
 to use such epithets, even not against the corrupt sects whom he 
 denounced most severely. 
 
 Menno Simons' writings give unmistakable proof that he 
 was an able defender of the principles and doctrines for which 
 he and his friends stood. His defence of believers' baptism 
 and of the voluntary principle excels the argumentation of his 
 assailants on these points ; it is second only to that of Hubmaier. 
 None other but Martin Micron, his principal antagonist, himself, 
 in a letter to one of the reformers speaks of the great power 
 exerted by Menno through his writings.^' 
 
 The strange assertion that Menno confessed himself to be a 
 cowardly character is based on an evident misunderstanding of 
 a passage found on page 258a. of the folio edition (page 5, part 
 1 of the English edition) of his works. He does not say, as 
 has been supposed, that he urged his own faint-heartedness as a 
 reason against his ordination, but that he, in considering the 
 
 call which he received, recognized "my small gift the 
 
 timidity of my flesh." A cowardly person would not have con- 
 sented to become a leader of those who were put to death as 
 fast as they could be apprehended. 
 
 1' Nihil hoc asino posse fingi superbius, nihil petuhntius hoc cane. 
 Corp. Ref. Calv., vol. 10, part 1, page 176. 
 
 *' Corp. Ref., vol. 45, p. 68. Quoted, Moellcr-Kawerau, Kirchen- 
 geschichte, vol. 3, p. 117.
 
 XVII 
 
 A LETTER OF MENNO SIMONS TO A TIMID 
 BELIEVER 
 
 The following letter is addressed to Menno's wife's sister, 
 Margaret Edes. 
 
 Most beloved sister, whom I sincerely love in Christ. From 
 your dear husband's letter I understand that during all the 
 winter you have been visited with sickness and affliction, which 
 I very much regret to hear. But it is our daily prayer: "Holy 
 Father, Thy will be done," by which we commit our will to the 
 will of the Father, to deal with us as is pleasing in His blessed 
 sight. Bear your affliction therefore with a willing heart, for 
 this is His paternal good will concerning you and all to your 
 own good, that you may from your heart turn from all perish- 
 able things and keep your eyes fixed upon the eternal, living God 
 alone. Be of good cheer in Qirist Jesus for after the winter 
 comes the summer and after death life. O sister, rejoice that 
 you are a true daughter of your beloved Father. Soon the 
 inheritance of His glorious promise shall be due. Only a little 
 while yet, says the word of the Lord, and He who is coming 
 shall come and His great reward shall be with Him. May the 
 almighty, merciful God and Lord, before whom you have bent 
 your knees to his Honor, and whom in your weakness you have 
 sought, grant you a resigned and patient heart, not unbearable 
 pain, sweet refreshment, a gracious restoration or a godly dis- 
 solution, through Jesus Christ, for whom we all daily wait with 
 you, beloved sister in Christ Jesus. 
 
 Secondly I understand that you are often troubled in con- 
 science because you do not walk in such perfection as tiie Scrip-
 
 A Letter of Menno 215 
 
 tures direct us, nor have done so in the past ; on which account 
 I write the following to my faithful sister as a brotherly con- 
 solation from the sure word and eternal truth of the Lord. — 
 As no one under the heavens has perfectly fulfilled the right- 
 eousness required of God, save Jesus Christ alone, therefore 
 none, however god-fearing, righteous, holy and unblameable he 
 may be, can come to God, obtain grace and be saved, than only 
 (I say only) through the perfect righteousness, reconciliation 
 and advocacy of Jesus Christ. 
 
 Be of good cheer, therefore, and be consoled in the Lord. 
 You indeed can not expect greater or more perfect righteousness 
 in yourself, than all the chosen of God from the beginning have 
 had. In and by yourself you are a poor sinner and by the 
 eternal righteousness banished from God, accursed and adjudged 
 to eternal death ; but in and through Christ you are justified, 
 acceptable unto God, in eternal grace, and made His daughter 
 and child. In this all the saints have found consolation, they have 
 trusted in Christ and ever esteemed as unclean, weak and 
 imperfect their own righteousness. Alone in the name of Christ 
 they have with a contrite heart approached the throne of grace 
 and with firm confidence have prayed the Father : O Father, 
 forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 
 
 It is a very precious word which Paul speaks : "When we 
 were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the 
 ungodly," yea when we were yet ungodly ; and thereby "God 
 commendeth his love toward us." "For if, when we were 
 enemies, we were reconciled to Go 1 by the death of his Son, 
 much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." 
 Rom. 5:6-10. 
 
 Lo, my beloved child and sister in the Lord, this I write 
 from the sure ground of eternal truth. I herewith pray you and 
 desire that you commit yourself wholly and fully to Jesus Christ 
 and His merits, believing and confessing that llis precious 
 blood alone is your cleansing, His righteousness your piety. His 
 death your life and His resurrection your justification. For He 
 is the forgiveness of all your sins. His bloody wounds are your 
 justificaticni, His invincible strength the staff and consolation of
 
 216 Menno Simons 
 
 your weakness, as we have in former days, according to our 
 small gift often shown and admonished you from the Scrip- 
 tures. 
 
 Yea, most beloved child and sister, so long as you find and 
 feel in yourself such a spirit which has an earnest desire for 
 the good and abhors that which is evil, though the remnant of 
 sin is not entirely dead in you, as also all the saints have com- 
 plained of from the beginning, as already said, so long you may 
 be assured that you are a child of God and that you will inherit 
 the kingdom of grace in eternal joy with all saints, as John says: 
 ■'Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us, because he 
 has given us of his Spirit." I John 4:13. I sincerely ask you 
 that you may rightly accept this ground by faith to the refresh- 
 ment, strengthening and consolation of your distressed con- 
 science and soul, and hold fast to it to the end. 
 
 I commend you, most beloved child and sister, to the faith- 
 ful, merciful and gracious God, in Christ Jesus, now and for- 
 ever; may He do with you and with all of us according to His 
 blessed will; either in the flesh, yet to remain a little while with 
 your beloved husband and children, or out of the flesh, to the 
 honor of His name and in the eternal bliss of your soul. You 
 before and we after, or we before and you afterward. Separa- 
 tion must come once. In the city of God, in the new Jerusalem 
 we will wait for each other, there sing the Hallelujah before 
 the throne of God and the Lamb and praise His name in perfect 
 joy. 
 
 Your dear husband and children I commend to Him who 
 has given them to you, and He shall do all well for them. The 
 saving power of the most holy blood of Christ be with my most 
 beloved child and sister, now and forever. Amen. 
 
 Menno Simons, who sincerely loves you in Christ (434; 
 n:40).
 
 XVIII 
 
 MENNO IN WUSTENFELDE. HIS DEATH. HIS 
 
 PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF THE 
 
 REFORMATION 
 
 Soon after Menno had left Wismar he seems to have settled 
 in Wiistenfelde ("the desert field") near Oldesloe in the county 
 of Fresenburg between Hamburg and Liibeck in Holstein. It 
 is not definitely known just when he with his family first came 
 to this place. Here the Brethren were protected by the noble- 
 man Bartholomew von Ahlefeld. This man had been an officer 
 in the Netherlandish army and witnessed their persecution and 
 martyrdom in the Netherlands. They impressed him favorably 
 as quiet useful people and he decided to permit them to settle on 
 his estate called "the desert field." Notwithstanding the dangers 
 to which he exposed himself by tolerating them, he remained 
 their friend but, if taken to account by the higher authorities, he 
 would probably not have admitted that he knew these people to 
 be Anabaptists. 
 
 Says an old chronicler: "This nobleman privately gave 
 them liberty to live on his estate and cared for them faithfully. 
 At a time when he received orders from the king not to tolerate 
 them, he sent a servant to them, in agreement with the order of 
 the king, announcing to them that within a day they must depart 
 or bide the consequences; but afterwards he sent a trusted 
 servant to inform them of the cause for this order and advised 
 them that the men should absent themselves for a week or two, 
 or abide in their houses. In the meanwhile he succeeded in 
 quieting this excitement through one of the courtiers. After 
 this the exiles came from every side until there^ was a little 
 con gregation there that lived in comparative quiet. "^ 
 
 1 Preface to the Folio Edition of Menno's Works, also English 
 Works, part I, p. 8.
 
 218 Menno Simons 
 
 Menno Simons seems to have obtained his HveHhood at 
 times through his own manual labors. Later he was to a greater 
 extent directly occupied with the obligations of his calling. At 
 Wismar he incurred a severe injury on one of his lower limbs of 
 which he was never fully restored, hence he, in view of the 
 prevailing persecution, in order not to expose himself to un- 
 necessary danger, he signed some of his letters "The cripple, 
 your brother." At Wiistenfelde the congregation consisted for 
 the most part of exiles. 
 
 From 1546 to 1552 Menno Simons seems to have found it 
 impossible to have any of his writings printed. In 1552 (or 
 toward the close of the preceding year) he succeeded in estab- 
 lishing a small printing outfit and consequently a considerable 
 number of his books was published in this and the following 
 years. Where he set up his press is not known, later it was 
 located at Wiistenfelde. His printer was at one time waylaid 
 and arrested by a neighboring nobleman, but his patron von 
 Ahlefeld compelled the latter to release him. From here Menno 
 traveled extensively ; he is known to have visited in Friesland 
 and other states in this period. Some of the older writers have 
 opined that on one of his journeys the persecuting authorities 
 succeeded to apprehend and arrest him, but evidently this is an 
 error. One of the Frisian Mennonite writers, Peter Janz 
 Twisck, gives us an account of the dangers which Menno 
 encountered. He says : 
 
 "Menno Simons' daughter in our presence related the fol- 
 lowing incident : A man who attendetl the meetings of the 
 Brethren agreed that he would betray him to the authorities for 
 a certain sum of money. He pledged himself that he would 
 deliver Menno into their hands or would forfeit his life. How- 
 ever, this he could not accomplish, for whenever he watched for 
 him in the places where the meetings were to be held, Menno 
 escaped through the providence of God. And at one time when 
 this traitor, accompanied by an officer, undertook to find and 
 apprehend him, Menno unexpectedly passed before them in a 
 small boat on the canal, but the traitor kept silent until Menno 
 had ])assed them some distance and had leaped ashore on the 
 other side. Then the traitor said: 'I'ehold, the bird has escai)ed.' 
 The officer was enraged and demanded why he did not speak
 
 A Disappointment 219 
 
 in time, to which the traitor replied: 'I could not speak, for my 
 tongue was bound.' The magistrates were angry and the be- 
 trayer had to give his head because he let Menno escape." 
 
 "From a reliable source I have heard that Menno at 
 Eenighenburg, a village in North Holland, at one time went 
 into a church after the priest had completed the services for 
 that day, and with great boldness, readiness of speech and learn- 
 ing he conversed with him in Latin about various Papistic 
 superstitions. The priest was greatly surprised and after he had 
 resigned his office, he related at length his conversation with 
 Menno. Not infrequently Menno conversed with priests. A 
 certain cloister he entered without disclosing his identity and 
 spoke to the prior with great boldness, admonishing him earnest- 
 ly and pointing out their great errors. Although a decree con- 
 taining his name, description of his clothing, person, etc., was 
 nailed to the church doors, with the promise of hundred or a 
 few hundred guilders to any one who would cause his arrest, 
 yet God preserved him from all the designs and cunning devices 
 of the persecutors." 
 
 The Vv'ell-known story of Menno escaping arrest through a 
 sort of half lie has proved to be a fable. It is as follows: 
 Menno was fleeing for his life and was overtaken by catch polls 
 who halted the carriage in which he with others was traveling. 
 Upon their question, "Is Menno Simons in the carriage,?'" he is 
 said to have turned to his fellow travelers with the remark, "It 
 is asked whether Menno Simons is in the coach," and receiving 
 a negative reply, he said to his pursuers, "The friends say, no." 
 This story is of late origin and is unhistorical. Not Menno but 
 a minister named Hans Buscher effected his escape in this 
 manner. Later the story was ascribed to Menno Simons.^ 
 
 The year 1557 brought bitter disappointment to Menno and 
 his friends. Gillis of Aachen, having fallen into the hands of 
 the Catholic authorities in the Netherlands, recanted his faith. 
 In consequence he was beheaded and his body broken upon the 
 wheel, at Antwerp, on May 10, 1557. Had he remained stead- 
 fast he would have been burned alive. Some of the older 
 writers say he was visited by a minister of the Brethren after 
 his recantation and upon confession was reinstated into the 
 
 2 D. B., 1868, p. 25; Vos, Mcmw Simons, p. 261.
 
 220 Menno Simons 
 
 church. His last words, it is said, were, "It is too much to lose 
 both body and soul." His death was not recorded by Van 
 Braght in the Martyrs' Mirror. 
 
 The last years of Menno's life were saddened by the dis- 
 sentions on the question of the ban, which led to a division. 
 His wife and son — John — died before liim while two daugh- 
 ters are known to have survived him. He died at Wiistenfelde 
 in 1561, the date being probably January 31. 
 
 "His last exhortation," says a trustworthy writer "he gave 
 on his death bed, while his end seemed near, an evidence of his 
 unquencliable zeal. He, however, recovered and was better for 
 several days ; but on the day of the anniversary of his renun- 
 ciation of the Roman Catholic Church he had a relapse, and on 
 the day following, being Friday January 13 [31], 1561, in the 
 sixty-sixth year of his life, he fell asleep in Jesus, and was 
 buried in his own garden." 
 
 The exact place where his body was laid to rest is today 
 unknown, the settlement or village of Wiistenfelde having been 
 so completely destroyed in the Thirty Years War that no trace 
 of it remained.^ 
 
 Thus the way-worn pilgrim was permitted to die in peace 
 and enter into the joy of his Lord. His was a life of toil under 
 the most adverse conditions, a life of persecution and suffering. 
 He was in dead earnest to serve his God. The opposition and 
 scorn of the world made no impression on him. It has been 
 rightly said that he lived a martyr's life. That the truth of God, 
 the Gospel of His Son Jesus Christ be accepted and carried out 
 in life and practice, and that men be brought to a knowledge of 
 evangelical truth was the concern of his life. A mere profession 
 of Christianity and observation of outward forms without the 
 regeneration of the heart and the pertinent fruits he heartily 
 despised. State-made Christianity lie considered a miserable 
 counterfeit. 
 
 3 At Wiistenfelde as well as at Witniarsum a Menno monument has 
 been set. Menno medals also have been made. Of the various supposed 
 pictures of Menno none is acceptable as genuine. In all probability he 
 never had his likeness taken.
 
 His Work and Principles 221 
 
 Menno Simons was not the founder of a church. He was 
 -not a reformer in the sense that, in his opinion, the church with 
 which he identified himself was in need of a reformation. He 
 was the most noteworthy reHgious leader of the Netherlands in 
 the Reformation perio:!. In a strict sense he represented only 
 the Brethren in the Netherlands and North Germany, but the 
 Swiss Brethren of the South as well as the Huterites of 
 Moravia differed from him on only a few points. His writings 
 have been persistently ignored by church historians. They are 
 ,an indispensible source of information concerning the principles, 
 aims and life of one of the strongest religious parties of Refor- 
 mation times. During his lifetime the Mennonites were prac- 
 tically the only non-Catholic church in the Netherlands.* Says 
 Professor De Hoop Scheffer: "The Reformation among the 
 masses of the Dutch people was first of all wrought by the 
 -people called Anabaptists." Only after Menno's death was the 
 Calvinistic reformation introduced in Holland and later the 
 church founded by John Calvin was made the state church. 
 
 While in the affairs of the world Menno Simons was by no 
 4neans as prominent as the reformers who represented the state- 
 church Reformation, he was as an advocate of pure evangelical 
 -principles, more than the equal of these men. The principle 
 that the Holy Scriptures are the only valid foundation for the 
 doctrine and practice of the church he upheld more conse- 
 quentially and unswervingly than the leading reformers. He 
 differed from them on the question of free will and predestina- 
 tion. The doctrines of baptismal regeneration and the remission 
 of sins through the observance of the Lord's supper he opposed 
 on the ground that they are antagonistic to the principle of 
 justification by faith. At variance with all the leading reformers 
 he understood the great missionary commission of the Lord to 
 be valid for all time. He insisted on strict church discipline. 
 
 In contrast to Luther, Zwingli and Calvin, Menno Simons 
 •advocated the voluntary principle. He rejected the thought of 
 
 * There were circles of Davidians in the Netherlands. They did not 
 formally renounce the ruling church, and could not he properly designat- 
 icd as a church.
 
 222 Menno Simons 
 
 a national church or state-church to which they adhcrcvl. Hol- 
 land was the first country to accept the principle of liberty of 
 conscience. Here the Mennonite element was stronger than in 
 any other country, and Mennonite teaching on religiotis liberty 
 had a wonderful victory. The very presence of the numerous 
 Mennonites proved the correctness of their opinion that various 
 creeds may exist side by side in a given land without endanger- 
 ing existing political conditions, that for prosperity the church 
 is not dependent on the subsidy of the state, and that it is not 
 the business of the state to decide questions of creed, much less 
 to kill or persecute those who do not accept certain religious 
 teachings. Against the protests of the Calvinistic state church 
 theologians of Holland the government tolerated Mennonites 
 and other dissenters.^ It will be remembered that in Holland 
 the Pilgrim Fathers found an asylum before coming to America 
 in 1620. 
 
 After Menno's deatli Dirk (or Theodor) Philips was the 
 most influential minister among the Brethren in North Germany 
 and the Netherlands. His Hand Book of the Christian Doctrine 
 is, besides Menno Simons' writings, the most important doctrinal 
 work of the Brethren in the North. This book was translated 
 into French, German and English. Three German editions were 
 l^rinted in America. The first English edition appeared in 1910. 
 The complete works of Dirk Philips were recently published in 
 volume 10 of the Bibliothcca Rcfonnatoria Nccrlandica. Dirk 
 Philips died in 1568.® 
 
 ^ Knipscheer, De Nedcrlaudschc gcrcfonnccrdc syiiodcn Icgcunvcr de 
 Doopsgecindcn, 1563-1620, in D. B., 1910, 1911. 
 
 K. Vos (Menno Simons, p. 131) speaks of Dirck Philips contemp- 
 tuously as "this run away Franciscan monk." This designation is charac- 
 teristic of the tendency of this book. The charge that Philips was 
 "afraid of his skin" (Vos, p. 329) when in 1567 he decided to call the 
 leaders of the contending parties to Embden instead of going to the 
 Netherlands, is unacceptable. Only in 1561 he had been in the Nether- 
 lands in the interest of the cause for which he labored. A more ap- 
 preciative valuation of Dirk Philips' character, by Professor Ilenry E. 
 Dosker, is found in The Prtncctnn Theological Review, April, 1915, p. 306..
 
 XIX 
 
 MENNO SIMONS ON VARIOUS POINTS OF 
 DOCTRINE, PRINCIPLE AND PRACTICE 
 
 1. Preliminary 
 
 Since our oral teaching and testimony can and may not be 
 -given, we are led and constrained to publish in writing our an- 
 
 svver that by our written defense those of God-fearing, 
 
 upright heart and conscience, be they magistrates or citizens, 
 learned or unlearned, may know that we, as concerns the afore- 
 mentioned accusations, are guiltless and are slandered and belied 
 by our adversaries (496; 11:300). 
 
 Since it is well known to many thousands of honest people 
 (as I suppose) that we seek nothing upon this earth than in our 
 weakness to walk willingly in the footsteps of Christ and, deny- 
 ing ourselves, to obey His Word, to again light the extinguished 
 torch of the truth, point many to righteousness and by the help 
 and grace of the Lord save our own souls, on which account we 
 poor people must everywhere endure so much tribulation, misery, 
 
 anxiety, cross and persecution, therefore no well-disposed 
 
 person will think hard of me that I, by the Spirit and Word of 
 my Lord to the best of my ability, openly set forth and defend 
 the honor of my God, the salvation of my brethren, the founda- 
 tion of my faith and the praise of Christ, my Lord (229; 11:4). 
 
 Since there are many of you who treat God's children so 
 inhumanly, as is evident, we have described concisely our prac- 
 tice, principles, faith and doctrine from the Word of God, and 
 have published- them in print, that all revilers. evil speakers and 
 cruel persecutors may therefrom learn and understand our pur- 
 pose, aim and work (51a; 1 :76b).
 
 224 Menno Simons 
 
 2. The Authority and Inerrancy of the Scriptures. 
 
 Dear reader. I admonish and advise you, if you seek 
 God with all your heart and would not be deceived, do not 
 depend upon men and the doctrine of men, however old, holy 
 and excellent it may be esteemed, for one theologian is against 
 tlie other, both in ancient and modern times ; but build upon 
 Christ and His Word alone, upon the sure teaching and practice 
 of His holy apostles, and you will through the grace of God be 
 kept safe from all false doctrine and from the power of the 
 devil, and walk before your God with a confident and pious 
 mind (22a ; I \?)7). 
 
 This holy Christian church has only one doctrine — the pure, 
 unmixed and unadulterated Word of God, the Gospel of grace 
 of our Lord Jesus Christ. All teachings and decrees that do not 
 accord with the doctrine of Christ, be they the teachings and 
 opinions of doctors, decrees of popes, ecumenical councils, or 
 anything else, are but teachings and commandments of men 
 (Matt. 19:5), doctrines of devils (I Tim. 4:1) and therefore 
 accursed (Gal. 7:8). We write and teach nothing but the pure, 
 heavenly Word and the perfect commandments of Jesus Christ 
 and His apostles (399; H :193b). 
 
 My dear brethren, against the aforesaid doctrines, ordinanc- 
 es, sacraments and life, no imperial decrees, papal bulls, or coun- 
 cils of the learned have any authority ; no old usage, no human; 
 philosophy, no Origen, no Augustine, no Luther or Bucer, no 
 prison, banishment or murdering will avail. It is, I repeat, the 
 eternal, imperishable Word of God, and will abide forever. 
 (445b; n :244b). 
 
 The first sign by which the Church of Christ may be known,, 
 is the salutary and unadulterated doctrine of His holy divine 
 word. — In short, where the Church of Christ is, .... there Hi? 
 word is preached purely and rightly. The Church of Christ 
 know^s no other doctrine but the Word of the Lord (299a; 
 II :81a). 
 
 I pray all God-fearing hearts, for Jesus' sake, to submit 
 reason to the Word of the Lord and to think and believe of God
 
 The Authority of the Scriptures 225 
 
 ixs the Scriptures require and teach, not to ascend higher or 
 descend lower, but walk with a humble, contrite heart before the 
 Lord and His church, and they shall find peace of conscience 
 (563b; II :370a). 
 
 Think you, my friends, that the Lord is a dreamer or His 
 Word a fable? Ah, no! not a letter will fall to the ground of 
 all that He spoke (129b; 1 :175a). 
 
 But that he appeals to Tertullian, Cyprian, Origen and 
 Augustine, my reply is, first, If these writers can support their 
 teaching with the Word and command of God, we will admit 
 that they are right. If not, then it is a doctrine of men and 
 accursed according to the Scriptures. Gal. 1:8. (271b; II :49a) 
 
 We tell you the truth and lie not. If any one under the 
 canopy of heaven can show us from Scripture that Jesus Christ, 
 the Son of the Almighty God, the eternal wisdom and truth, whom 
 alone we acknowledge as the lawgiver and teacher of the New 
 Testament, has commanded one word to that eflFect, or that His 
 holy apostles have ever taught or practiced the like, there is no 
 !i<e«d of an attempt to compel us by tyranny and torture. Only 
 show us God's Word and our matter is settled. For we seek 
 nothing else (God who is omniscient knows) than in our weak- 
 ness to walk in obedience according to the divine ordinances, 
 word and will, for which we poor persecuted people are shame- 
 fully reviled, banished, robbed and slain in many countries. 
 (16b; I:31a). 
 
 Our salvation is wholly grounded upon and comprised in 
 Jesus Christ and His holy Word and never in men nor in any 
 other doctrine (448a; II :247a). 
 
 Again, I have no visions or angelic revelations, neither do I 
 seek or desire such, lest I be thereby deceived. For Christ's 
 Word alone is sufficient for me. If I do not follow His testi- 
 mony, then verily all is lost. And even if I had such revelations, 
 which is not the case, they could not deviate from the Word and 
 .spirit of Christ, or else they would be only imagination, seduc- 
 tion and satanic deception. (448b; II :248a). 
 
 Inasmuch as I daily see these terrible dangers, and from the 
 beginning many an unwise soul has been misled, and many are
 
 226 Menno Simons 
 
 yet misled by false prophecies, smooth words, seeming holiness, 
 lying wonders, boasting and false promises of the antichrists and 
 false prophets who under the cloak of God's Word have ever 
 sought their own honor and advantage, as was the case with the 
 Romish popes, with John of Leyden at Miinster and with others, 
 — therefore I deem it needful and well sincerely to warn and 
 admonish my beloved readers, not to accept my doctrine as the 
 Gospel of Jesus Christ until they have investigated for them- 
 selves an 1 found it to agree with the Spirit and Word of the 
 Lord, that their faith may not be founded on me nor on any 
 other teacher or writer, but solely on Jesus Christ. (449a; 
 II :248b). 
 
 Nevertheless, every reader should know that however learned 
 the before mentioned scholars and however unlearned I may be 
 the opinions of us all are of equal avail before God ; for in 
 divine things nothing that is pleasing to God can be instituted 
 or practiced by us without the command of the Holy Scriptures, 
 may we be ever so learned. For in the Holy Scriptures we are 
 not pointed to these or other scholars, but to Jesus Christ alone. 
 Whenever, therefore, such highly renowned men by their subtle 
 sophistry and artful philosophy would take from us, or change, 
 the plain, express ordinances of Jesus Christ and Mis ajiostles. 
 we must, surely consider their doctrine in tliat respect as 
 doctrine of man and false teaching (404b; II :199b). 
 
 3. The Trinity of God 
 
 We believe and confess with the Holy Scriptures that there 
 is an only, eternal God who created heaven and earth, the sea 
 and all that therein is ; a God whom heaven and the heaven of 
 heavens can not comprehend ; whose throne is heaven, and the 
 earth is His footstool ; who "hath measured the waters with the 
 liollow of his hand, and meeted out the heavens with the span, 
 and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and 
 weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance;" 
 "who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man 
 can ap])roach unto ; whom no man hath seen or can see ;" who
 
 The Trinity of God 227 
 
 is an almighty, powerful Ruler in the heavens above and in the 
 earth beneath ; whose strength, hand and power none can with- 
 stand ; a God of gods and a Lord of lords, who is above all, 
 mighty, holy, terrible, praiseworthy and wonderful ; a consum- 
 ing fire; whose kingdom, power, dominion, majesty and glory 
 is eternal, and shall endure forever. And besides this only, 
 eternal, living, almighty, overruling God and Lord we know no 
 other. And since He is a Spirit so great and awe-inspiring, and 
 invisible. He is also inexpressible, incomprehensible, indescribable, 
 as may be deduced and understood from the following Scrip- 
 tures: Deut. 4:35; 6:4; John 4:24; 1 :18; Gen. 1 :1 ; Psa. 33:6; 
 Col. 1:16; Isa. 43:11; 44:6; 48:13; 40:12; Job 11:8; I Tim. 
 6:16; Eccl. 1:7; Matt. 11:27; Rev. 17:14; 19:16; Heb. 12:29; 
 1 :8, 10. 
 
 This only, eternal, omnipotent, ineffable, invisible, inex- 
 pressible and indescribable God we believe and confess with the 
 Scriptures to be the eternal, incomprehensible Father, with His 
 eternal, incomprehensible Son, and with His eternal, incompre- 
 liensible Holy Spirit. The Father we confess to be truly Father : 
 the Son truly Son and the Holy Spirit truly Holy Spirit, not 
 carnal and comprehensible but spiritual and incomprehensible, 
 for Christ says: "God is a Spirit." (387a; 11:183). 
 
 John says : "There are three that bear record in heaven, the 
 Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one." 
 Read also Matt. 28:19; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:8; John 14:16; 
 15:26; I Cor. 12:11. And although they are three, yet in 
 divinity, will, power and working they are one and can no more 
 be separated from each other, than the sun, brightness and 
 warmth, for the one is not without the other. — (390; 11:187). 
 
 My brethren, understand all this in a divine and spiritual 
 sense, and not in a human or carnal manner. Then you will 
 indeed be satisfied with the plain, deep and simple testimony of 
 the prophets, evangelists and apostles concerning this unfathom- 
 able mystery. 
 
 Dearly beloved brethren and sisters in Christ Jesus, take 
 notice. Since the eternal God is such a great and terrible God, 
 since Jesus Christ was bom of the Father, as said, and the
 
 228 Menno Simons 
 
 attributes of God so richly abound in Him ; also, as the proph- 
 ets, evangelists and apostles so strongly declare, preach and teach 
 that He is God, and as the Scriptures so abundantly teach and 
 testify the same of the Holy Ghost, and confess that the eternal 
 Father with His eternal Son and Holy Spirit in their divine 
 nature, state, power, glory and sovereignty are ineffable, inex- 
 pressible and incomprehensible, as may be plainly understood 
 from the cited Scriptures, for it is all Spirit and God and there- 
 fore beyond human comprehension and wisdom; therefore I 
 earnestly pray, admonish and desire all my beloved brethren in 
 Christ Jesus, not to accept and consent to any speculations, new 
 teachings or expoi^itions of any man, be it of whom it may, con- 
 cerning this incomprehensible majesty of God (390b; 11:188). 
 
 My dear brethren, I for myself confess that I would rather 
 die than to believe and teach to my brethren a single word con- 
 cerning the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, at variance 
 with the express testimony of God's Word, as it is so clearly 
 given through the mouth of the prophets, evangelists and 
 apostles. 
 
 All who al)ide honestly and humbly by the Word of God, 
 as testified through the prophets, the evangelists and the apos- 
 tles, and accept and believe it although they can not fully com- 
 prehend it, avoiding all human subtlety, disputing, explaining, 
 distorting and conjecture regarding these unfathomable depths, 
 will by God's grace stand securely in all trials, and walk with a 
 peaceful, cheerful, conscience before their God all the days of 
 their life (391a; II:188b). 
 
 4. Chflst; His Deity and Humanity 
 
 We teach and believe iiiat Jesus Christ is God's first and 
 only begotten Sou, tlie incomprehensible, eternal Word, by wliom 
 all things are created, the first born of every creature. Col. 1 :15; 
 that He l>ecame a true man in Mary, the immaculate virgin, 
 through the almighty, eternal Father's eternal Spirit and power, 
 beyond the comprehension and knowledge of men; sent and 
 given unto us out of pure mercy and grace, from the Father;
 
 The Person of Christ 229 
 
 the express image of the invisible God and the brightness of His 
 giory, Heb. 1 :3. 
 
 We teach and believe that this first and only begotten Son 
 of God, Jesus Christ, is our only and eternal Messiah, prophet, 
 teacher and high priest .... through w^hom we all who believe 
 from our hearts, have the forgiveness of our sins, grace, favor, 
 mercy, liberty, peace, life eternal, a reconciled Father, and free 
 access to God in the Spirit, and all this through His merits, 
 righteousness, intercession and blood, and not through our own 
 works. Behold, this is the very summary of our belief concern- 
 ing Christ, our Savior, the Son of God (79b; 1:113). 
 
 All promises given the fathers, all expectations of the 
 patriarchs, the whole figurative law and all prophecies of the 
 prophets are fulfilled in and through Christ. — In short He is our 
 only and eternal mediator, advocate, highpriest, propitiator and 
 intercessor, our head and brother. And since we know all this 
 by faith, therefore I say we also observe His word faithfully, 
 hear His voice and implicitly follow His example and counsel, 
 and depart from ungodliness. The heart is changed, the mind 
 is renewed and with Moses we rely on the future promises as 
 though they were placed before our eyes, and patiently wait for 
 them with faithful Abraham till we with all the chosen shall in 
 reality inherit them (82a; 1:116). 
 
 We believe and confess that this same eternal, wise, al- 
 mighty, holy, true, living and incomprehensible Word, Christ 
 Jesus who in the beginning was with God and was God — • in 
 the fullness of time, according to the unchangeable purpose and 
 promise of the Father, became a true, visible, suffering, hungry, 
 thirsty, mortal man, in Mary, the pure virgin, and was born of 
 her, through the working and overshadowing of the Holy Ghost ; 
 yea that He was like unto us in all things except sin ; that He 
 grew up as other men and at the appointed time was baptized 
 and entered upon His ministry, and obediently fulfilled the office 
 of grace and perfect love which was enjoined upon Him by the 
 Father. He effaced and fulfilled the hand writing against us, 
 that is the law, and at last in this His human flesh, nature and 
 weakness, in which also He has sighed, wept and prayed unto
 
 230 Menno Simons 
 
 the Father, has through the eternal Spirit of His heavenly Father 
 offered Himself, has sweated water and blood and purified 
 our consciences of dead works, that we should serve the true 
 and living God ; and all who believe in Him have through Him 
 received grace, mercy, remission of sins, and eternal life, by 
 means of His precious blood which He, in His great love, 
 according to the good pleasure of the Father has offered and 
 shed for us poor sinners on the cross, and has thus become our 
 only and eternal higli priest, reconciler, mercy-seat, mediator and 
 advocate with God. His Father. For, as God, the almighty 
 Father, through His almighty Word. Cnrist Jesus, has created 
 Atlam and Eve. so He would also through Him, after they had 
 been seduced by the serpent, restore them together with all their 
 descendants, and save them — that we might give no one, neither 
 in heaven nor upon earth, the praise for our salvation, but only 
 the eternal Father through Jesus Christ, by the illumination of 
 the Holy Ghost. This may suffice on the Incarnation. Matt. 1 :16, 
 25 ; 5 :4 ; Mark 1 5 :37 ; Luke 2 :7 ; 22 :67 ; 23 :46 ; John 1 5 :9, 10 ; 
 11:26; Phil. 2:5,7; Col. 2:14,12; 1:13,16; Heb. 3:2; Eph. 
 2:12; 1:7; Rom. 8:32; 3:24,25; 5:11.12; Isa. 53:13; I Pet. 
 1 :19; Rev. 1:8; H Cor. 5:14. 
 
 Further, beloved brethren, we believe and confess Jesus 
 Christ to be truly God with His Father; and this because of the 
 flivine glory, works and attributes, which are found in such 
 abundance with Plim (388; 11:183). 
 
 P.ehold, beloved brethren, as the throne of Christ is an 
 eternal throne (Heb 1 :10) and the Scriptures confess Him to be 
 God, and also testify that He founded heaven and earth, that He 
 has all power in heaven and on earth, that He is the first and 
 the last, that He searcheth the hearts and reins ; whom we 
 should serve and worship, who forgives sin and bestows eternal 
 life, in whom we must believe and who at the last day will 
 raise us from the dead and judge us, as He has said, so it is 
 incontrovertible that Jesus Christ must be truly God with His 
 Father ; for God gives His glory to none other ; and these are 
 all glories, powers and attributes which belong to no one in 
 heaven nor upon earth, except alone tlie only, eternal, and true
 
 A Strong Testimony 231 
 
 God ; this all who are taught of God must fully admit and con- 
 fess (389; 11:185). 
 
 And the incomprehensible, inexpressible, spiritual, eternal 
 divine Being which is divinely and incomprehensibly begotten of 
 the Father, before every creature, we believe and confess to be 
 Jesus Christ, the first and only begotten Son of God, "the first 
 born of every creature," the eternal wisdom, the power of God, 
 the eternal light, truth and life, the eternal Word.— He is the 
 eternal, wise, almighty, holy, true, living and incomprehensible 
 Word, who in the beginning was with God and was God, by 
 whom all things were made and without whom was not anything 
 made that was made and who will remain forever. And there- 
 fore He says, "Before Abraham was I am." And again John the 
 Baptists says, "After me cometh one that was before me." Yea 
 He had this divine glory with the Father before the foundation 
 of the world was laid. He thought it not robbery to be equal 
 with God, His Father. Therefore we confess with John the 
 Baptist, Nathaniel, Martha, and Peter that He is the Son of the 
 living God. 
 
 Beloved brethren, understand me rightly, I say eternal wis- 
 dom, eternal power. For, as we believe and confess that the 
 Father was from eternity and will eternally remain, yea that He 
 is the First and the Last, so we also freely believe and confess 
 that His wisdom, His power, His light, His truth, His life, His 
 Word, Christ Jesus, has from eternity been with Him and in 
 Him. yea that He is the Alpha and Omega, or else we should 
 have to confess that this begotten, incomprehensible truly divine 
 Being, Christ Jesus, whom the church fathers called a person, 
 through whom the eternal Father has made all things, has had a 
 beginning like a creature; an opinion which all true Christians 
 look upon as a terrible curse, blasphemy, and abomination (387; 
 11:184). 
 
 I have taught Jesus Christ and Him crucified, very God 
 and very man, who before all time in an incomprehensible, 
 inexpressible and indescribable manner was born of Thee — 
 Thy eternal Word and wisdom, the brightness of Thy glory and 
 the express image of Thy person, and that in the fullness of
 
 232 Menno Simons 
 
 time, through tlie power of Thy Holy Spirit, He became, in 
 Mary, the unspotted virgin, very flesh and blood, a visible, 
 tangible and mortal man, like unto Adam and all his posterity 
 in all things, but without sin ; born of the lineage or seed of 
 Abraham and David, died, buried, rose again, ascended into 
 heaven, and thus became before Thee our only and eternal 
 advocate, mediator, intercessor and redeemer (174b; 1:225). 
 
 The prophets confessed Christ to be their mighty God and 
 everlasting Father (Isa. 9:6), their Jehovah who should be their 
 and our righteousness (Jer. 23:6; 33:16) ; that His going forth 
 was from everlasting. — Also, all the holy apostles (Matt. 
 14:33), the angel of God (Luke 1:28), the Father (Matt. 3:17; 
 3:17; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35) and Christ Himself 
 (John 9:35), John the Baptist (John 1:34; 3:28), Nathaniel 
 (John 1:49), and Martha (John 11:27) confessed Him to be 
 the true Son of the true and living God (571a; 11:378). 
 
 As He is the only and true Son of God, having no other 
 origin but of God, He must also have the nature of the One of 
 whom He is : this is too plain to be controverted. That He had 
 the divine nature He has proven by these manifest apparent 
 attributes of the true divine nature, as by His perfect righteous- 
 ness, truth, holiness, love and His wonderful works of power. 
 As He had the divine nature, I say, on account of His divine 
 origin, He also had the unblemished, pure human nature (like 
 unto the nature of Adam before the fall) and that by reason of 
 His evident true humanity. For as truly as He was the Father's 
 almighty Word from eternity, so truly also He, in the fullness of 
 time became a true, mortal man (John 1 :14; I John 1 :1). 
 
 That He had the true human nature, as well as the divine, 
 He has shown by the apparent evidence of the real human 
 nature, as by hungering, thirsting, being weary, sighing, weari- 
 ness, suflFering and death (589b; 11:392). 
 
 Christ has fully portrayed Himself in His Word, namely as 
 far as He desires that we should comprehend, know and follow 
 Him and become like Him, not as concerns His divine nature 
 according to which He is the true image of the invisible God, 
 "the brightness of his glory and the express image of his
 
 The Deity of Christ 233 
 
 person," Heb. 1 :3, •'dwelling in the light which no man can 
 approach unto, whom no man hath seen or can see," I Tim. 
 6:16, but in His life and conversation here upon earth among 
 men. He has given us an example and pattern, by word and 
 deed, which we should follow and to which we should conform 
 (180b; 1 :233a). 
 
 Besides, beloved brethren, we believe and confess Christ 
 Jesus with His heavenly Father to be truly God; and that 
 because of the plain testimony of the holy prophets, evangelists 
 and apostles (389a; H :186a). 
 
 Behold, faithful brethren, here you have the incompre- 
 hensible birth of Christ, His divine glory, working and power, 
 and numerous precious and plain testimonies of the holy proph- 
 ets, evangelists and apostles, all of whom with invincible power 
 and clearness testify and point out the true, incomprehensible 
 divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ (389b; H :186b). 
 
 Indeed, Christ Himself had to suffer death because He 
 confessed Himself to be the Son of God (545; n:352). 
 
 5. His Office 
 
 To such then [who are convicted of their sinful life] Christ 
 who is a comforter of all contrite hearts says. Believe the (jospel, 
 that is. Fear not, be of good cheer; 1 will not punish nor chas- 
 tise, but heal, comfort and give life, Isa. 41:10; a bruised reed 
 will I not break and the smoking flax [German translation: the 
 faintly burning wick] will I not quench. Matt. 12:20. I will 
 help that which is broken, will heal that which is sick, I will tie 
 up that which is wounded and seek that which is lost, Ezek. 
 34:16. For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to 
 repentance. Matt. 9:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32. I am come 
 into the world according to the pleasure of my Father, and 
 through the power of the Holy Ghost have become a visible, 
 tangible, mortal man, in all things like unto you, yet without 
 sin, Heb. 4:15. 
 
 I am the Son of the almighty God, Luke 1 :32, anointed 
 with the Holy Ghost to preach the Gospel to the poor, and to
 
 234 Menno Simons 
 
 !-iml up the l)roken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, 
 to give sight to the hHnd. to open the prison to them that are 
 bound, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, Isa. 
 61 :1 ; Luke 4:18. Believe the gospel. I am the Lamb that was 
 offered for you. I take av^^ay the sins of the world. My Father 
 has made me unto you wisdom and righteousness and sanctifica- 
 tion and redemption, I Cor. 1 :30. Whosoever believeth on me 
 shall not be ashamed, yea all that believe that I am He, have 
 eternal life. John 3:16. (9b; 1 :21a) 
 
 Christ has taught us the true way, fulfilled the law for us, 
 reconciled us to the Father and redeemed us by His precious 
 blood and bitter death ; has conquered hell, the devil, sin and 
 death and obtained for us grace, favor, mercy, and eternal life. 
 And therefore the sorrowful, contrite hearts which saw before 
 them, through the terrible threatening law, nothing but the wrath 
 of God, are again revived ; they take courage, become peaceful 
 and joyous in the Holy Ghost. (83a; 1 :117b). 
 
 6. The Incarnation 
 
 Faithful reader, observe; just as 1 do not comprehend the 
 almighty, only and eternal God in His divine nature, in the 
 dominion of His glory, in the creation and preservation of His 
 creatures, in the recompensation of both the good and the evil, 
 and in many of His works, yet I do truly believe in Him as such, 
 and for this reason : because the Scripture teaches it, so likewise 
 1 can not comprehend how, or in what manner the incompre- 
 hensible, eternal Word became flesh, or man, in Mary. Never- 
 theless. I do truly believe that He became man because the 
 Scripture teaches it (369; H :160b). 
 
 Inasmuch as we clearly find and know that the Holy Ghost 
 has not revealed this mystery [of the Incarnation] in the Scrip- 
 tures that He has not revealed it unto us in any manner, neither 
 by any i)rophet. nor apostle, nf)r 1)y the Son Himself, and inas- 
 much as it is manifest that it can not be fathomed by reason . . . 
 and besides we learn from history and find in our own time that 
 many sharp eyes have been blinded by this impenetrable bright-
 
 Against Speculation 235 
 
 ness, therefore I warn all pious hearts that would walk with a 
 clear conscience before their God, not to speculate about this 
 ineffable and indescribable majesty of the incomprehensible, 
 eternal Godhead, and not to conclude, assert, teach or maintain 
 above that which the Holy Spirit has revealed and taught us in 
 His holy word (563b; n:369). 
 
 And therefore I say that I do not at all undertake to reason 
 oitt this incomprehensible point, but v/ill follow the word of my 
 Lord which is quite clear in this instance (595a; H :398a). 
 
 7. The Holy Ghost 
 
 As we have now pointed out and confessed our faith and 
 doctrine of the true divinity of Christ, we will also now, by the 
 grace of God, set forth in few words our faith and confession 
 of the Holy Ghost. Let the God-fearing judge. We believe and 
 confess the Holy Ghost to be a true, real, or personal Holy 
 Ghost, and this in a divine sense — even as the Father is truly 
 Father and the Son truly Son; which Holy Ghost is [in His 
 nature] incomprehensible, inexpressible and indescribable, as 
 we have also testified of the Father and the Son. He is divine 
 in His attributes, proceeding from the Father through the Son, 
 although He ever remains with God and in God and is never 
 separated in His nature from the Father and the Son. And the 
 reason why we confess Him to be such a true and personal Holy 
 Spirit is, because we are impelled to it by the Scriptures (389b; 
 II :186b). 
 
 He guides us into all truth ; He justifies us ; He cleanses, 
 sanctifies, pacifies, consoles, reproves, cheers and assures us ; He 
 testifies to our spirit that we are the children of God. — Yea, my 
 brethren, from these plain Scriptures, testimonies and references 
 and a geat many other texts which are too lengthy to quote, and 
 which may be found in the Scriptures and read, we believe the 
 Holy Ghost to be the true Spirit of God who adorns us with 
 His heavenly and divine gifts, frees us from sin. makes us 
 cheerful, peaceful, pious, satisfies our hearts and minds and 
 makes us holy in Christ Jesus. (390a; II:187a).
 
 236 Menno Simons 
 
 8. Sin 
 
 As Adam and Eve, then, were bitten and poisoned by the 
 infernal serpent and became of sinful nature, and would have 
 been subject to eternal death if God had not again accepted 
 them in grace through Christ Jesus, so also all we who are bom 
 of them, are by birth of a sinful nature. — We can not be 
 delivered therefrom (we speak of those who have come to years 
 of understanding and have committed sin), unless we accept 
 Christ Jesus, the only and eternal means of grace, by true and 
 unfeigned faith, and thus look upon the brazen seri>ent which 
 is lifted up by God, our heavely Father, as a sign of salvation 
 for us poisoned sinners (Num. 21:9; John 3:14; 8:28) (461b; 
 11 :261b). 
 
 Wherever these two, namely original sin — the mother 
 — and actual sins — the fruits — are in evidence and in power, 
 there is no forgiveness nor promise of life, but there abide 
 wrath and death, unless they are repented of, as the Scriptures 
 teach. If this inherent sin is to lose its strength in us and actual 
 sin be forgiven, we must believe the word of the Lord, be born 
 again by faith, and in the strength of this new birth, through 
 true repentance, resist the inherent sin, die unto actual sin and 
 be spiritually minded (508a; II :313a). 
 
 I did not know my condition as long as it was not pointed 
 out to me by Thy Spirit. I thought I was a Christian, but when 
 I proved myself rightly, I realized that I was quite earthly, carnal 
 and without Thy Word. — O, dear Lord, I knew myself not till 
 J viewed myself in Thy Word ; then I learned to know with 
 Paul my blindness, nakedness, uncleanness, depraved nature, and 
 that nothing good dwelt in my flesh. (167b; 1 :217b). 
 
 And although such wilful blasphemy and sin had no offer- 
 ing in Israel (Num. 15) and the sin against the Holy Ghost has 
 no forgiveness, as Christ says, yet I would pray and advise all 
 the God-fearing, as far as I am able, that if any should after his 
 confession and baptism again fall into open works of the flesh, 
 vice and deadly blasphemy and persist in the same, they should 
 consider the matter in all wisdom and not pass an unseasonable 
 and undue sentence ; for the Lord to whom nothing is concealed
 
 Sin Against the Holy Ghost 237 
 
 knows what sin was committed ; whether he has sinned against 
 the Holy Ghost ©r not ; but let them admonish such according to 
 the vord of the Lord. If he be converted, if he show true fruits 
 of repentance according to the Scriptures, if he again give 
 evidence of a broken, contrite and penitent heart, of a peaceful, 
 joyous and upright mind, then it is manifest that he did not 
 commit the sin against the Holy Ghost. But if he remain unre- 
 pentant, continue in his perverseness, and wantonfy despise 
 Christ and His Word to the end, then his works show clearly 
 what sin he has committed, and thafe his end and reward will be 
 death. Behold, kind reader, thus we believe that all sins, both 
 inward and outward, have their reconciliation in the merits and 
 the power of the Wood of the Lord, if truly repented of., accord- 
 ing to the Scriptures (509a; H :314a). 
 
 9. The Law 
 
 Wherever the law is preached riglitly and the hearer takes 
 it to heart by faith, it manifests its nature and power. There we 
 find a contrite mind, a repenting, humble heart, a conscience 
 which trembles before the word of God, and the true fear of God 
 which quenches, subdues and drives out sin, as Sirach says. For 
 this is the real work and object of the law : To reveal unto us 
 the will of God, indicate our sin, threaten us with the Lord's 
 wrath and punishment, to announce death and to point us to 
 Christ, that we may be truly humbled in heart before God's 
 countenance, die unto sin and seek and find the only and eternal 
 medicine and remedy for our souls. Jesus Christ (285a; II :65a). 
 
 10. The Atonement 
 
 Tlierefore the incomprehensible, eternal Word through 
 whom Adam and Eve were created, by whom all things are and 
 must forever remain, the almighty power and wisdom of God, 
 must become man that He might bruise the head of the deceiving 
 serpent, for the salvation of the condemned Adam ami all his 
 descendants ; that he might overcome in temptation, fulfill the 
 holv and unchangeable will of tl'se l-'ather ; tliat tiie dominion
 
 238 Menno Simons 
 
 and power of the devil might be destroyed, and that He might by 
 His willing obedience and spotless offering pay the great debt of 
 Atlam and put away deserved death by His undeserved death 
 (373a; H :165a). 
 
 I think this may well be called a joyous Gospel and glad 
 tidings to all convicted and troubled souls who, through the law, 
 have been brought to a knowledge of their sin and know that 
 they are in danger of eternal death, who tremble before the 
 righteous judgment and wrath of God — that the almighty, eternal 
 God and Father has so loved us poor, perishing sinners who 
 were so far estranged from Him and according to His righteous 
 judgment had deserved eternal death, that He sent into this 
 world His almighty, eternal Word, His only, eternal and beloved 
 Son, the brightness of His glory, as a poor mortal man, like unto 
 Adam before the fall, as a proof and means of His grace; and 
 that He tli rough His perfect righteousness, willing obedience 
 and innocent death, has brought us from the kingdom and 
 dominion of Satan into the kingdom of His divine grace and 
 eternal peace (374b; II :167a). 
 
 There will in eternity be found no other remedy for our 
 sins, neither in heaven nor upon eartii, neither works, merits nor 
 ordinances (even though they are observed according to the 
 Scriptures), neither persecution nor tribulation, neither the 
 innocent blood of the saints, nor angels, nor men, nor any other 
 means, but alone the immaculate blood of the Lamb which out 
 of pure grace, mercy and love was shed once for all for the 
 remission of our sins (113b; 1 :155b). 
 
 They all seek some remedy for their sins, but the only true 
 remedy, Christ, they do not recognize ; they have therefore 
 contrived so many remedies that we can neither describe nor 
 relate them all, such as the Romish indulgences, holy water, 
 fastings, confessions, masses, pilgrimages, infant baptism, bread 
 and wine, etc. (32a; 1 :51a). 
 
 My dear reader, the truth we testify to you in Christ ; you 
 may believe, do, hope and seek where and what you choose, we 
 are assured that you will in eternity find no other remedy for 
 your sins which will avail before God, than the one we have
 
 Only Remedy for Sin 239 
 
 pointed out to you, which is Jesus Christ, else all Scripture must 
 be erroneous and false (32b; 1 :51b). 
 
 All those, therefore, that seek other remedies for their sins, 
 however great and holy they may appear, than the remedy pro- 
 vided by God alone, deny the Lord's death, which He suffered 
 for us, and His innocent blood which He shed for us. (33a- 
 1 :52a). 
 
 For how could God show and express His love to us 
 more perfectly than that Pie sent His eternal wisdom and 
 truth. His pure, powerful Word, His blessed Son by whom He 
 created all things, who was like unto Him, and His image, and 
 made Him lower than the angels, a poor, despised, suffering, 
 mortal man and servant who alone had to bear the labor, trans- 
 gression, curse and death of the whole world. Yea, He so 
 humbled Himself that He became the most <lespised of men. 
 (I Pet 2:24; Isa. 53:6). — Say, beloved, who ever heard of 
 greater love? (527a; H :332a). 
 
 11. Repentance 
 
 Behold, dear reader, such repentance we teach, namely to 
 die to the old sinful life and to live no longer according to the 
 lusts of the flesh, but do as David did. When he was reproved 
 by the prophet for his sin, he wept bitterly, cried to God, forsook 
 evil and committed such sinful abominations no more. Peter 
 sinned very grievously once and no more. Matthew, after his 
 call, did not return into his old life. Zaccheus and the sinful 
 woman did not again become guilty of the impure works of 
 ('arkness. Zaccheus made restitution to those whom he had 
 overcharged and defrauded and gave half of his goods to the 
 poor and distressed. The woman v/ept very bitterly and washed 
 the feet of the Lord with her tears; she anointed them with 
 precious ointment and sat humbly at His feet to listen to His 
 blessed words. These are the true fruits of that repentance 
 which is acceptable to the Lord (7a; 1 :18a L 
 
 Such repentance wc teach, and no other, namclv that no one 
 may rightfully glory in God''; grace, forgiveness of his sin and
 
 240 Menno Simons 
 
 the merits of Christ, unless the fruits of true repentance are 
 found in his life. It Is not enough that we say, We are Abra- 
 ham's children, that is that we bear the Christian name, but we 
 must have the works of Abraham (John 8:39). We must walk 
 as all true children of God are bidden and commanded in the 
 Word of tlie Lord; as John says: "If we say that we have 
 fcllowshiiJ with him, ami walk in darkness, we lie, and the truth 
 is not in us. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we 
 have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ 
 his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (I John 1:6,7). (7b; 1 :18b) 
 P.ut if you would rightly confess and repent, and receive 
 true absolution of God, approach Him with a believing, penitent, 
 contrite heart, with a sorrowing, distressed mind, forsake sin, 
 do justly and right to your neighbor, love, help, serve, reprove 
 and comfort him, as you ought. And if you have sinned against 
 him or in any way taken unfair advantage of him, confess it to 
 him and satisfy bim. Behold this is the only true Auricular Con- 
 fession and penance taught in the Word of God (107b; 1 :148a). 
 
 12. Faith 
 
 True faith which avails before God, is a living and .saving 
 power which is, through the preaching of the holy Word, be- 
 stowed of God on the heart; moving, changing and regenerating 
 it to newness of mind. It destroys all ungodliness, all pride, 
 i.nholy ambition and selfishness, makes us children in malice, 
 etc. Behold, sucli is the faith which the Scriptures teach us, 
 and not a vain, dead, and unfruitful illusion, as the world 
 dreams (280a; II :59a). 
 
 Yes, dear reader, true Christian faith as it is required in 
 Scripture, is so living, active and strong in all those who through 
 the grace of the Lord have rightly obtained it, that they do not 
 hesitate to forsake father, mother, wife, children, money and 
 possessions for the Word and testimony of the Lord ; to suffer 
 all manner of scorn, disgrace, hardship and prison, and finally to 
 l.ave their weak bodies burned at the stake, as may be frequent- 
 ly seen in many pious children of God and faithful witnesses
 
 The Nature of Faith 241 
 
 for Christ especially in these our Netherlands (115b; 1 :158a). 
 
 Since then faith so fully realizes that God can not break 
 His promise, but must keep it, because He is the truth and can 
 not lie, as was said, therefore faith makes the believers frank- 
 hearted, joyous and cheerful in the Spirit, though they be con- 
 fined in prisons and bonds, or suffer death by water, fire or the 
 sword. For they are assured in the spirit through faith that God 
 can not break His promise toward thera, but will fulfill it in due 
 time. They believe in Christ in whom the promise has been 
 sealed, they recognize through Him also His grace, word and 
 will, notwithstanding that in former times they lived so ungodly 
 and walked according to the flesh (116b; 1 :159a). 
 
 But you should know and understand that the righteous- 
 ness which avails and ever will avail before God, consists not in 
 ceremonies and works, but in a true, fruitful faith and nothing 
 else. For the faith which is bom of the word of God can not 
 be without fruits, except in those who grieve the Holy Ghost, 
 as said above. True faith ever exercises itself in works of right- 
 eousness, it willingly shows all obedience and with cheerfulness 
 and zeal submits not only to the ordinance of baptism, but to all 
 words and works which God, our gracious Father, through His 
 beloved Son has so clearly taught and ordained in the holy 
 Gospel (420a; H :217a). 
 
 All who can believe this from their hearts as certain and 
 true, are sealed through the word of God in their heart and 
 spirit, are changed in the inner man, receive the fear and love of 
 God, and out of their faith bring forth righteousness, fruit, 
 power, an unblameable life and a new being, as Paul says, "With 
 the heart man believeth unto righteousness." Through faith, 
 says Peter, God purifies our hearts. And thus the fruits of 
 righteousness follow invariably out of an upright, unfeigned, 
 true Christian faith. Observe this well. (80a; 1 :114b). 
 
 Not, dear reader, that we believe that faith merits this on 
 account of its own worth; by no means; but the pleasure of 
 God has attached His promise to true, genuine faith through the 
 Word. Faith saves, not through its own worth or merit, but 
 through the promise which is attached to it. (116a; 1 :159a).
 
 242 Menno Simons 
 
 This, I say, is our fundamental doctrine and by the grace of 
 God will ever so remain; for we truly know and confess that it 
 is the invincible word and truth of the Lord. Therefore we 
 testify before you and before all the world that we do not 
 agree with those who teach and introduce a historical, dead faith 
 without a change of heart, Spirit, power and fruit. Secondly 
 we also disown the teaching of those who would be saved by 
 their own works ; and this for reasons that have been stated 
 (464a; II :264b). 
 
 Behold, beloved sirs, friends and brethren, all who believe 
 the Gospel are those of whom the Scriptures say : ,,To them he 
 gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that be- 
 lieve on his name ; which were born, not of blood, nor of the 
 will of flesh nor of the will of man, but of God, John 1 :12, 13. 
 They are those who by faith are justified and have peace with 
 God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have 
 access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice iiv 
 hope of the glory of God, Rom. 5:1,2. This all is of grace and 
 love, as Paul teaches and says. All have sinned and come short 
 of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through 
 the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be 
 a propitiation through faith in his blood. Rom. 3 :23-25. There 
 is none that of himself can rejoice in his faith ; it is the gift of 
 God, Eph. 2 :8. 
 
 All who receive it from God, receive a tree full of all man- 
 ner of good and precious fruit. Blessed are they who receive this 
 ."•ift of God, for it surpasses all gold, silver and precious stone; 
 there is nothing that may be compared with it. He who receives 
 it, receives Christ Jesus, forgiveness of sins, a new mind and life 
 eternal. For the true faith which is acceptable to God can not 
 be idle ; it must bring forth its fruits and prove its kind ; it 
 works continuously in love, walks willingly in righteousness, 
 mortifies the flesii, crucifies lusts and desires, rejoices in the 
 cross of Christ, renews and regenerates, f|uickens, makes free, 
 gives liberty and ])eace in Christ Jesus. I'chold, such a faith, 
 v.e say. is God's gift by which the righteous liveth, as the Scrip- 
 ture saith, as did Abel. Enoch, Noah. Abraham. Moses, Rahab.
 
 Fruits of Faith 243 
 
 and all the saints. Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit 
 after its kind, Matt. 7:17; every tree that bringeth not forth 
 good fruit, however many leaves it may have, must be accursed 
 and consumed by fire. Matt. 3:10. So also an unfruitful, power- 
 less faith, such as the whole world has, which does not work by 
 love, be it ever so learned, wise, eloquent, and miracle working, 
 is in the sight of God unclean, dead and accursed. 
 
 Therefore, we exhort you, with Christ Jesus, "Believe the 
 -gospel," that is, believe the joyful news, the message of divine 
 grace through Jesus Christ. Cease from sinning, manifest 
 repentance for your past lives, submit to the word and will of 
 the Lord, and you will become fellow citizens, children and heirs 
 of the new, heavenly Jerusalem, freed of all your enemies, hell, 
 •death, sin and the devil, if you but walk after the Spirit and not 
 after the flesh. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting 
 life (9b; 1 :21b). 
 
 If you accept and believe these words of Christ with the 
 whole heart, that the almighty, eternal Father has so loved you 
 and the whole human family, that He sent His incomprehensible, 
 eternal Word, Wisdom, Truth and Son, by whom He created 
 the heavens, earth, the sea and the fullness thereof. His eternal 
 glory, into this vale of tears, that He let Him become a poor, 
 suflfering man, that He let Him for the sake of the sins of us 
 all endure hunger and thirst, be slandered, apprehended, crowned 
 with thorns, scourged, crucified and killed, it can not fail that 
 your old carnal mind must become a regenerated spiritual mind, 
 your thoughts chaste and pure, your words discreet and well 
 seasoned and your wdiole life pious and unblamable (114b; 
 1 :157a). 
 
 Observe here that true Christian faith through grace is the 
 only fountain whence flows not only the contrite new life but 
 also obedience as concerns the evangelical ceremonies, such as 
 baptism and the Lord's supper, not as compelled by law, for the 
 rod of the oppressor is broken, but through the voluntary, sub- 
 missive spirit of love which by virtue of its Christ-like nature is 
 willing and ready for every good work in obedience to the holy 
 divine word (115a; 1 :158a).
 
 244 Menno Simons 
 
 13. Justification by Faith 
 
 In the third place, we teach with Christ and say, "Believe 
 the gospel" (Mark 1:15). This Gospel is the joyful tidings of 
 God's favor and grace toward us, and of the forgiveness of our 
 sins through Jesus Christ. This message faith accepts through 
 the Holy Ghost ; the believer does not behold his former right- 
 eousness or unrighteousness, but, like Abraham, "against hope 
 believes in hope" (Rom. 4:18) with the wkole heart depends 
 entirely upon the grace, word and promise of the Lord, since he 
 well knows that God is true and His promises can not fail. 
 Thereby the heart is renewed, converted, made spiritually mind- 
 ed, peaceful and joyous, a child of God is born. The believer 
 approaches with full confidence the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16) 
 and becomes a joint heir with Christ and of eternal life. (9a; 
 1 :20a). 
 
 Behold, kind reader, we do not seek our salvation in works, 
 words or sacraments, as do the theologians, although they ascribe 
 this to us, but we seek it alone in Jesus Christ, and through no 
 other means in heaven or earth. In this only means we comfort 
 ourselves and in no other. We hope by the grace of God to 
 abide in it unto death. 
 
 But that we avoid sinful works and desire to conform our- 
 selves in our weakness to His word and commandment, this we 
 do because He has thus taught and commanded us. For whoso- 
 ever does not walk according to His doctrine, testifies by his 
 deeds that he does not believe in Him nor know Him, and that 
 he is not in the communion of tlie saints. (John 1.^:7; I John 
 3:10; 5:10; II John 6). 
 
 All those, now, who with believing hearts accept and receive 
 this means of divine grace, Christ Jesus, and believe and confess 
 that through His sacrifice, death and blood their sins are for- 
 given, that His wrath will nevermore be upon them, that they 
 will not be lost, that He accepts tliem as His beloved sons and 
 (laughters and gives them eternal life; all such are of a peacealile 
 and joyous spirit and give thanks to God with renewel hearts;
 
 Justification by Faith 245 
 
 for the power of the Spirit quickens and changes them into new- 
 ness of life, and they walk thus by the gift and grace of the 
 Holy Spirit in the power of the new birth, according to the 
 measure of their faith, in obedience to their God who has shown 
 them so great love (462a; II :262a). 
 
 Those who trust in their works or ceremonies for salvation 
 deny thereby the grace and merits of Christ. For if our recon- 
 ciliation consisted in works and ceremonies, grace would come 
 to naught and the merits and virtue of the blood of Christ would 
 all be void. O no! it is grace and will be grace in all eternity, 
 all that the merciful Father through His dear Son and Holy 
 Spirit has done for us grievous sinners (115b; 1 :158a). 
 
 He [Gellius Faber], I presume, well knows that we em- 
 phatically teach that by no outward works, however great and 
 goo<l they may appear, we could be saved or entirely please 
 GckI, for they all are in every instance mixed with imperfection 
 and weakness, and through them, on account of the corruption 
 of the flesh, we can not acquire the righteousness required in the 
 commandments. We point therefore alone to Jesus Christ who 
 is our only and eternal righteousness, reconciliation and propitia- 
 tion with the Father, and know of no trust in our own works. 
 My reader, I write the truth in Christ and lie not (246a; II :25a). 
 
 If God should judge us according to our own worthiness, 
 righteousness, works and merits, and not according to His great 
 goodness and mercy, then I confess with holy David, that no 
 man coukl stand before His judgment (Psa. 143:2; 130:3). 
 Therefore it is far from us that we trust in or console ourselves 
 with anything but the grace of God though Christ Jesus ; for it 
 is He and none other who has perfectly fulfilled and satisfied the 
 righteousness required by God. We are also aware, by the 
 grace of God, that all saints, from the beginning, have lamented 
 the proneness to sin, of their flesh, as e. g. Moses. David, Job, 
 Isaiah. Paul, James, and John. 
 
 But for Christ's sake we are in grace, for Christ's sake we 
 are heard, for Christ's sake our failings and weaknesses which 
 are committed involuntarily, are remitted. For it is He who 
 .•■■tands between His Father and His imperfect children with His
 
 246 Menno Simons 
 
 perfect righteousness, and with His innocent blood luul death, 
 and intercedes for all those who believe on Him and who by 
 faitii are guided through the divine word, turn from evil, follow 
 that which is good, and who sincerely desire with Paul that they 
 may attain the perfection which is in Christ. 
 
 Mark, beloved reader, we do not believe nor teach that 
 salvation is of our merits and works, as our opponents accuse 
 us without any truth, but solely by grace, through Christ Jesus, 
 as has been said (463a; II :263a). 
 
 14. Regeneration 
 
 Do you think, beloved, that the new birth is nothing else 
 but that which the poor world hitherto has thought it to consist 
 in, namely immersion in the water or the saying of the words, "I 
 baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of 
 the Holy Ghost?" No, dear brethren, no. The new birth con- 
 sists verily not in water nor in words, but it is the heavenly, 
 quickening power of God in our hearts which comes from God 
 and through the preaching of the divine word, if we accept the 
 same by faith, touches, pierces, renews and changes our hearts, 
 so that we are converted from unbelief to faith, from unright- 
 eousness to righteousness, from evil to good, from carnality to 
 spirituality, from the earthly to the heavenly, from the evil 
 nature of Adam to the good nature of Jesus Christ (419a; 
 II :215a). 
 
 God does not seek words nor appearance but power and 
 deed. Do you think it sufficient if you know Christ only accord- 
 ing to the flesh? Or if you but say that you believe on Him, 
 that you are baptized and are Christians, and that you are 
 purchased by the blood and death of Christ? Ah no! I have 
 told you often and tell you again, you must be born of God and 
 your life changed and converted in such a manner that you are 
 new men in Christ, that Christ be in you and you in Christ, or 
 you can never be Christians, for, If any man be in Christ, he 
 is a new creature" (127b; 1 :172b). 
 
 Here I would call on all the high and mighty lords, princes,
 
 The New Birth 247 
 
 and rulers under all the canopy of heaven, also on all the popes, 
 cardinals, bishops, all the learned and scholars who from the 
 beginning have broken and obscured the Scriptures, to show us 
 one single word in the whole Bible (I say in the Bible, for 
 human fables and lies we do not regard) that an unbelieving, 
 refractory, carnal man, without true repentance and regenera- 
 tion, ever was or ever will be saved, simply because he boasts of 
 faith and the death of Christ, or attends the mass and services of 
 the priests, as the whole world does. If so, they would have 
 gained the point. But from the beginning this never has been, 
 nor will be to the end of time. For if such impious men without 
 repentance and regeneration could be saved by hearing masses 
 and confessing, as they, poor people, without the warrant of 
 Scripture hope, then it might of a truth be said that the afore- 
 mentioned means (though they are idolatrous) were stronger 
 than the word of the Lord. For the Word knows no mass, but 
 says, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Then 
 would also Moses and the prophets, Christ and His apostles, 
 have been false witnesess ; they would have miserably deceived 
 us poor people by directing us upon so narrow a path (126b; 
 I:171b). 
 
 All who accept by faith this grace in Christ which is 
 preached through the Gospel, and adhere to it from their hearts, 
 are born anew of God, through the power of the Holy Ghost. 
 Their heart and mind is changed and renewed ; yea, they are 
 transferred from Adam into Christ. They walk in newness of 
 life, as willing and obedient children, in the grace that is extend- 
 ed to them. They are renewed, I say, have become poor in 
 spirit, meek, merciful, compassionate, peaceable, patient, hungry 
 and thirsty after righteousness, ready to suffer for the truth ; 
 tliey strive steadfastly by good works after eternal life; for they 
 are believing, they are born of GckI, they are in Christ and Christ 
 is in them ; they partake of His Spirit and nature and thus live 
 by the power of Christ which is in them, according to th.e Word 
 of the Lord. This is what it means, according to the Scriptures, 
 to believe, to be Christians, to be in Christ and Christ in us. 
 
 My dear reader, here take notice how vastly this sinful
 
 248 Menno Simons 
 
 woman differs after conversion in her faith and conduct, from 
 the faith and conduct of the world. They are like the sinful 
 woman before her conversion, but not after conversion. Whether 
 such are believers, I will let the intelligent reader to reflect upon 
 with the Spirit and word of the Lord. 
 
 I know of a certainty that a proud, haughty, man whoever 
 he may be, is no Christian, neither is an avaricious, selfish man, 
 or a drunken, intemperate man, or an unchaste, lustful man, or 
 a wrangling, envious man, or a disobedient, idolatrous man, or 
 a false, lying man, or an unfaithful, thievish man, or a defaming, 
 backbiting man, or a bloodthirsty, unmerciful, revengeful man a 
 Christian, even if he were baptized a hundred times and kept 
 the Lord's supper daily ; for it is not the ordinances or rites, 
 such as baptism and the Supper, but a true Christian faith with 
 its unblamable good fruits, of which the ordinances testify, that 
 makes a true Christian and has the promise of life. 
 
 Here neither masses, holy water, holy days, rosaries, auricu- 
 lar confession or absolution avail, but only a believing, contrite, 
 broken heart, spirit and mind, a penitent, regenerated, new 
 heart, a pious, fully surrendered life (107a; 1 :147b). 
 
 To teach and believe that regeneration is obtained through 
 baptism, my brethren, is terrible idolatry and blasphemy against 
 the blood of Christ. For there is neither in heaven nor on earth 
 any other remedy for our sins, be they evil propensities or trans- 
 gressions, than the blood of Christ alone, as we have often 
 ?hown in our first writings (I Pet. 1 :19; I John 1 :7 ; Col. 1 :20). 
 If then we ascribe remission of sin to baptism and not to the 
 blood of Christ, we make of baptism a golden calf and place it 
 in Christ's stead. For if we could be washed or cleansed by 
 baptism, then Christ and His merits would be displaced, except 
 we confess that there are two means for the remission of our 
 sins, namely baptism and the blood of Christ. But this is not 
 the case, nor will be in eternity, for the immaculate, iriost 
 precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ shall and must have the 
 glory, as all prophets and apostles have so clearly prophesied and 
 testified throughout the Scriptures (406a; II :200b). 
 
 My dear reader, I warn you with a faithful heart to take
 
 Change of Heart 249 
 
 heed. He can not save you, nor pardon your sins, nor show you 
 His mercy and grace, except according to His word ; namely, if 
 you repent, if you beheve, if you are born of Him, if you do 
 what He has commanded you and walk even as He walked. For 
 if He could save sinful, carnal man without regeneration, faith 
 and repentance. He would not have taught us the truth. He is 
 the truth and there is no lie in Him. Therefore I tell you again 
 that ye can not be reconciled with all your masses, matins, 
 vespers, ceremonies, sacraments, councils, statutes and command- 
 ments which are under the whole heavens and which the popes 
 and their followers have made from the beginning. For they 
 are detestations and not reconciliations ; of this I warn you. 
 Christ says, "In vain do they honor me, for they teach the com- 
 mandments of men." But, first and above all, if you would be 
 saved, your earthly, carnal, ungodly life must be changed. For 
 all the Scriptures, with all their admonitions, threatening, re- 
 proving, miracles, examples, ceremonies and ordinances teach us 
 nothing but repentance and a new life. And if you do not 
 repent, there is nothing in heaven or on earth that can help you. 
 for without true repentance one is comforted in vain. We must 
 be born from above, must be changed and renewed in our hearts 
 and thus be transplanted from the unrighteous and evil nature 
 of Adam into the righteous and good nature of Christ, or we 
 can not be helped in eternity by any means, whether divine or 
 human. 
 
 That regeneration of which we write, from which follows 
 the contrite, pious life having the promise, comes alone from the 
 Word of the Lord if it is rightly taught and is through the Holy 
 Spirit rightly received into the heart through faith. (124b; 
 1 :169a). 
 
 15. The New Life 
 
 Behold, beloved reader, thus true faith or true knowledge 
 begets love and love begets obedience to the commandment of 
 God, as said above. — For true evangelical faith is of such 
 nature that it can not be workless or idle; it ever manifests
 
 250 Merino Simons 
 
 itself in all righteousness and works of love, it dies unto self, 
 seeks and fears God and serves Him from the inmost soul, it 
 clothes the destitute, feeds the hungry, consoles the comfortless, 
 shelters the homeless, aids the oppressed, returns good for evil, 
 serves those that injure, prays for those that iKrsecute, teaches, 
 admonishes, and reproves with the word of the Lord, seeks that 
 which is lost, hinds up that wdiich is wounded, heals that which 
 is sick, and protects that wdiich is sound. The persecution, 
 suffering and anxiety which befalls it for the sake of the truth 
 of the Lord is to it a glorious joy and consolation (446b ; 
 IT :246a). 
 
 For this can never fail; where there is true Christian faith, 
 there is also dying to sin, a new creature, true repentance, a 
 sincere, regenerated, unblameable Christian. One does no longer 
 live according to the lusts of sin but according to the will of 
 Tlim who purchased us with His blood, drew us by His Spirit 
 and regenerated us by His Word, namely Jesus Christ. 
 
 Rut where faith exists only in the mouth, and where right- 
 eousness, a new mind and a pious life do not follow, there is 
 notliing l)Ut unbelief, hypocrisy and falsehood, no matter how 
 much talking and disputing about the Scripture there may be. 
 This rule VN-ill remain firm and can never be broken. "If ye live 
 after the flesh ye shall die" (83b; 1 :118a). 
 
 I say again, he who believes and accepts this can never be 
 prevented, by angel or devil, life or death, but he will and must 
 love again from his inmost heart the merciful Father who has 
 manifested so great grace and love toward us grievous sinners, 
 yea praise, honor, thank, serve Him and be obedient to Him all 
 the days of his life. For this is the greatest delight and joy of 
 the believers, that they in their weakness may walk and live 
 according to the will and word of the Lord. It can not be other- 
 wi.se. but where the unfeigned pure love of God dwells, there 
 must be the voluntary ready service of that love, namely the 
 keeping of His commandments. (81a; 1:115). 
 
 True evangelical faith looks upon and has respect unlo the 
 doctrine, ceremonies, commands, restrictions and unblameable 
 example of Christ alone and strives to conform thereto with all
 
 The New Life 251 
 
 its powers. For as it is the nature of fire to produce nothing 
 but heat and flame, of the sun nothing but Hght and heat, the 
 the water moisture, and a good tree good fruit after its natural 
 properties, so also true evangelical faith brings forth true evan- 
 gelical fruit, in accordance with its true, good, evangelical nature ; 
 Yea, even as a virtuous bride, through natural love, is ever 
 ready to hear and obey the voice of her bridegroom, and from a 
 sincere, good, loyal disposition, good-will and love which she has 
 toward him, will ever so conduct herself before her most faithful 
 friend and beloved husband whom she respects and loves with all 
 her heart that for his sake she willingly endures whatever may 
 befall her, even so it is with a true regenerated believer who 
 has been joined to Christ by grace through faith. He has be- 
 come one with Christ and grafted into Him through ardent, 
 fervent love and is ever willing and ready to do His bidding 
 and will whether it be difficult or easy. For His holy name's 
 sake he is willing to endure all things that may befall him at 
 any time, be it joy or tribulation, satiation or hunger, refreshing 
 or thirst, honor or dishonor, good or evil report, imprisonment 
 or liberty, to live in the land or be exiled, ease or discomfort, 
 life or death (84a; 1 :118b). 
 
 The true believers show in act and deed that they believe, 
 are born of God and spiritually minded. They lead a pious, 
 unblameable life before all men, they are baptized according to 
 tlie I.-ord's command, as a proof and testimony that their sins 
 are taken away through Christ's death and that they desire to 
 walk with Him in newness of life; they break the bread of 
 peace with their beloved brethren, as a proof and testimony that 
 they are one with Christ and with His church and that they have 
 or know no other means of grace and of remission of their sins. 
 neither in heaven nor upon earth, than the innocent bod}^ and 
 blood of our Lord Jesus Christ alone, which He once through 
 His eternal Spirit, in obedience to the Father, has offered 
 up and shed upon the cross for us poor sinners. They walk in 
 all love and mercy, they serve their neighbors, etc. In short, 
 they order their lives, in their weakness, according to all the 
 words, commandments, ordinances. Spirit, rule, example and
 
 252 Menno Simons 
 
 measure of Christ, as the Scriptures teach; for they are in 
 Christ and Christ is in them. And therefore they Hve no longer 
 in the old life of sin after the first earthly Adam (weakness 
 excepted), but in the new life of righteousness which is by faith, 
 after the second and heavenly Adam, Christ; as Paul says, "I 
 do not now live, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I 
 now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who 
 loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). And Christ 
 says, that those who love Him will keep His commandments. 
 (John 14:15). (462b; II :262b) 
 
 If you believe truly in Christ as you boast, then show by 
 your works that you believe ; for "the just shall live by faith," 
 as the Scriptures say. And that this is the truth has been fully 
 testified and shown by the works of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abra- 
 ham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Samuel, David, 
 Matthew, Zaccheus, Magdalene, Paul and all the true children 
 of God who were from the beginning and even to this day 
 n27b; 1 :172b). 
 
 The regenerated put on Christ and manifest the nature and 
 power of His Spirit in all their fruits. They fear God with all 
 their heart and with all their thoughts, words and works, seek 
 nothing but the glory of God and the salvation of their beloved 
 brethren. Hatred and vengeance they know not, for they love 
 those who hate them, do good to those who despitefully use 
 them and pray for those who persecute them ; they hate avarice, 
 liaughtiness, unchastity, pomp, wantonness, drunkenness, adul- 
 tery, fornication, hatred, envy, backbiting, lying, defrauding, 
 <;uarreling, blood shedding, false sanctity and idolatry, in short 
 all impure, carnal works, and forsake the world with all its lusts. 
 They meditate upon the law of the Lord by day and by night, 
 rejoice over the good and are grieved over the evil. Evil they 
 do not repay with evil, but with good. They seek not self nor 
 tlieir own good alone, but also the good of their neighbor, both 
 as to body and soul. They feed the hungry and give drink to 
 the thirsty, entertain the needy, visit the sick, comfort the faint- 
 hearted, admonish the erring and are ready after their Master's 
 example to give their lives for their brethren.
 
 The Christian Life 253 
 
 Again their thoughts are pure and chaste, their words are 
 true and seasoned with salt; with them yea is yea and nay nay, 
 and their works are done in the fear of the Lord. Their hearts 
 are heavenly and renewed, their minds peaceful and joyous; 
 tliey seek righteousness with all their heart. In short, they have 
 through the Spirit and word of God such assurance of their 
 faith, that they will through such faith valiantly overcome all 
 bloodthirsty, cruel tyrants with all their tortures, imprisonments, 
 exiling, spoiling of their property, stocks, stakes, executioners, 
 tormentors and henchmen ; and out of a godly zeal, with an 
 innocent, pure heart, with simple yea and nay they are willing 
 to die. The glory of Christ, the sweetness of the Word and the 
 salvation of their souls are dearer to them than all that is under 
 heaven (125b; l:I70a). 
 
 Besides we teach the true love and fear of God, the true 
 love of our neighbor, to serve and aid all mankind and to injure 
 none, to crucify the flesh and its desires and lusts, to prune the 
 heart, mouth and the whole body with the knife of the divine 
 word, of all unclean thoughts, unbecoming words and actions. 
 Consider now whether this is not the will of God, the true 
 doctrine of Jesus Christ, the rightful use of the ordinances, and 
 the true life, which is of God, although all the gates of hell may 
 wilfully oppose it (445a; II :244a). 
 
 In short, we teach and urge, as far as in us lies, from the 
 Word of the Lord, to abstain from fleshly lusts which war 
 against the soul, I Pet. 2:11, to crucify the flesh with the affec- 
 tions and lusts. Gal. 5 :24, not to be conformed to this world, 
 Rom. 12:2, to cast oflF the works of darkness and put on the 
 armor of light, Rom. 13:2, to love not the world, I John 2:15, 
 put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful 
 lusts, Eph. 4:22, such as pride, avarice, unchastity, hatred, 
 envyings, gluttony, drinking, idolatry ; and put on the new man 
 which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, 
 whose fruits are faith, love, hope, righteousness, peace and joy 
 in the Holy Ghost, Eph. 4:24; Rom. 14:17, Gal. 5:16, longsuffer- 
 ing. charity, compassion, chastity, earnest hatred and rebuke of 
 sin and a sincere, true love of and zeal for God and His word.
 
 254 Menno Simons 
 
 I repeat it, such repentance is sincere, fruitful and acceptable- 
 to the Lord according to the teaching of His Word (7b; II :19a). 
 
 16. Predestination 
 
 ZwingH taught that the will of God actuated a thief to steal 
 and a murderer to kill, and that their punishment was also 
 brought about by the will of God — which in my opinion is an 
 abomination above all abominations. (311a; II :294b). 
 
 What shall I say, dear Lord? Shall I say that thou hast 
 ordained the wicked to wickedness, as some have said? Be that 
 far from me. I know, O Lord, that thou art good and nothing 
 evil can be found in thee. We are the works of thy hand, 
 created in Christ Jesus unto good works, that we should walk 
 therein. Life and death hast thou left to our choice. Thou 
 wiliest not the death of the sinner, but that he should repent 
 and live. Thou art the eternal light, therefore hatest thou all 
 darkness ; thou desirest not that any should perish, but that all 
 repent, come to a knowledge of thy truth and be saved. O dear 
 Lord, so grievously have they blasi)hemed thine unspeakably 
 great love, thy mercy and majesty that they have made thee, the 
 God of all grace and creator of all things, a very devil, saying 
 that thou art the cause of all evil — thou who art called the 
 Father of lights. Of a surety evil can not come from good, nor 
 light from darkness, nor life from death ; yet do they ascribe 
 their stubborn hearts and carnal minrls to thy will, in order that 
 they may continue upon the broad way and have a cover for 
 their sins. (171a; T :221b). 
 
 17. The Church 
 
 The true messengers [of the Gospel J who are one with 
 Christ in Spirit, love and life, teach that which is entrusted to 
 them by Christ, namely repentance and the peaceable Gospel of 
 grace which He Himself has received of the Father and taught 
 the world. All who hear, believe, accept and rightly fulfill the 
 .same are the church of Christ, the true, believing Christian 
 church, the hodv and l)ride of Christ, tlic ark of the Lord, etc.
 
 Characteristics of the Church 235 
 
 They are chosen to proclaim the power of Him who has called 
 them from darkness unto His marvelous light (539a; H :345b). 
 Christ's church consists of the chosen of God, His saints 
 and beloved who have washed their robes in the blood of the 
 Lamb, who are born of God and led by Christ's Spirit, who are 
 in Christ and Christ in them, who hear and believe His word, 
 live in their weakness according to His commandments and in 
 patience and meekness follow in His footsteps, who hate evil 
 and love the good, earnestly desiring to apprehend Christ as 
 they are apprehended of Him. For all who are in Christ are 
 new creatures, flesh of His flesh, bone of His bone and members 
 of His body (118b; 1 :161b). 
 
 The true signs by which the Church of Christ may be 
 known : 
 
 1. The unadulterated pure doctrine. 
 
 2. The scriptural use of the sacramental signs. 
 
 3. Obedience to the Word. 
 
 4. Unfeigned brotherly love. 
 
 5. Candid confession of God and Christ. 
 
 6. Bearing oppression and hatred for the sake of the Word 
 of the Lord. (301a; n:83b). 
 
 Some of the other parables, as of the net in which good and 
 bad fishes are caught ; of the wise and foolish virgins and their 
 lamps; of the wedding of the king's son and the guests, and of 
 the threshing floor with wheat and chaff, although the Lord 
 spoke them in allusion to the church, yet they were not spoken 
 for the purpose that the church should knowingly and wilfully 
 accept and suffer open transgressors in its communion ; be- 
 cause in that case Christ and Paul would differ in doctrine, 
 for Paul says that such should be disciplined and avoided. But 
 they were spoken because many intermingle with the Christians 
 in a Christian semblance, and place themselves under the Word 
 and its sacraments who in fact are no Christians, but are hypo- 
 crites and dissemblers before their God ; and these are likene>} 
 unto the refuse fish which will be cast out by the angels at the 
 day of Christ; unto the foolish virgins who had no oil in their
 
 256 Menno Simons 
 
 lamps; unto the guest without a wedding garment and unto the 
 chaff. For they pretend that they fear God and seek Christ ; they 
 receive baptism and the Lord's supper and outwardly have a 
 good appearance, but do not have faith, repentance, true fear 
 and love of God, Spirit, power, fruit, works and deeds (305a; 
 II :88b). 
 
 18. The Ordinances 
 
 All the rites ordained of God, both of the Old and New 
 Testament, have been instituted that our faith may be exercised 
 and our obedience proven. Therefore we must not use them at 
 our own pleasure, nor change them to suit our fancies, but we 
 must use them as the Lord Himself has ordained and coinmand- 
 ed in His Word (19b; 1 :31b). 
 
 For the truly regenerated and spiritually minded Lonform 
 in all things to the word and ordinances of the Lord ; not for 
 the reason that they suppose to merit the propitiation of their 
 sins and eternal life; by no means. For this they depend on 
 nothing except the blood and merits of Christ, relying upon the 
 sure promise of the merciful Father which was graciously given 
 to all believers, which blood alone, I say again, is and ever will 
 be the only and eternally valid means of our reconciliation, and 
 not works, baptism or Lord's Supper, as said above. (115b; 
 1 :158a). 
 
 Repentance must come before the ordinances, and not the 
 ordinances before repentance. For the signs [ordinances] of 
 the New Testament are in themselves quite powerless, vain and 
 useless, if that which they signify, namely the new contrite life 
 is not in evidence as has been said above in treating of baptism 
 (285a; II :65a). 
 
 Dear reader, understand rightly what I write. Without 
 true repentance neither water, bread, wine, or ceremonies, if 
 they were administered even by the apostles themselves, will 
 avail before Jesus Christ. For in Him and before Him a new 
 creature alone, a converted, changed and contrite heart, true 
 fear and love of God, unfeigned love of one's neighbor, a oon-
 
 Purpose of the Ordinances 257 
 
 secrated, humble, sober and peaceful life according to the Lord's 
 word and example, will avail (285b; II :66b). 
 
 To this end baptism and the Lord's supper were instituted 
 in the Lord's house, that through them we should testify our 
 faith and obedience: That we desire to walk in continuous con- 
 trition of heart; that we remember His unspeakably great love 
 and blessings ; that we be reminded that He has offered for us 
 His spotless body and has shed His precious blood for the recon- 
 ciliation of our souls in His exceedingly ardent love for us ; that 
 we ever walk with Him in unity of the Spirit and follow in His 
 footsteps; that we love, assist, console, reprove, bear, admonish 
 and serve each other as members of one body, and that we prove 
 ourselves before all the world unto death as the regenerated 
 children of God, in all righteousness, holiness and truth. Be- 
 hold, dear reader, for such purpose were the signs [ordinances] 
 of the New Testament instituted (286a; II :66a). 
 
 This is briefly, in all matters that concern the Christian 
 church, my only foundation and sincere conviction, that before 
 God neither baptism, nor the Supper, nor any other outward 
 ordinances avail if partaken without the Spirit of God and the 
 new creature, but that before God only faith. Spirit, the new 
 creature or regeneration avail, as Paul plainly teaches, Gal. 5 :6. 
 All who by the grace of God have received these from above, 
 will be baptized according to the command of the Lord and 
 rightly partake of the Supper. Yea, with ardent desire they 
 accept all the ordinances and doctrine of Jesus Christ and shall 
 never willfully oppose the holy will and plain testimony of God 
 (542a; II :349b). 
 
 All who bring you another doctrine respecting the signs or 
 ordinances, and place them before or above faith and repentance, 
 deceive you, however much they may adorn their teaching witli 
 choice words, such as sealing, sign of grace, etc., for it is in fact 
 nothing but human wisdom, deception of souls and hypocrisy. 
 For, if the children under the Old Dispensation were received 
 into the covenant by circumcision and those of the New 
 Dispensation by baptism, as he [Gellius] says, it would unde- 
 niably follow that the infants who died before the eighth day
 
 258 Menno Simons 
 
 and those who were not circumcised in the wilderness [Josh. 
 5 :5], as well as all the females, were not in tiie Israelitish church 
 or congregation, and consequently had no share in the grace, 
 covenant or promise. 
 
 The same would also apply to the children who have died 
 hefore they could have been baptized. O great abomination 1 
 (270b; II :47b). 
 
 Ceremonies without tlie reality are not valid before God. 
 For He is not such a God who has pleasure in any outward 
 shadow, ceremony, type, bread, wine, water, and nominal service, 
 but in spirit, power, deed and truth. 
 
 Again, the prince of darkness, the old serpent and the devil, 
 can transform himself into an angel of light. Nothing of an 
 external nature is oppressive or vexatious to him; if he can 
 only gain possession of the citadel of our hearts, and expel 
 therefrom Christ's nature, spirit and power, he has already won 
 the price of his craftiness. Yea, if a man were baptized even 
 by Peter or Paul himself, and received the bread of the holy 
 "supper from the Lord's own hand, and never again witnessed 
 the idolatry of the priests, yet if he retained but one of the 
 fruits of the devil whether hatred, envy or bitterness, revenge- 
 fulness or avarice, pride or unchastity, or any other vice, it 
 woulfl have to be said with the Scriptures that his spirit is 
 Imgodly and his life hypocrisy (211 ; 1 :265a). 
 
 My brethren, it was by no means permitted to change one 
 :letter touching the ceremonies of the law of Moses. For it is 
 not the will of the almighty God that we should follow our own 
 inclinations with regard to the ceremonies which He has com- 
 maHdeil us, but He desires us alone to observe His good will and 
 pleasure ; for this purpose He has commanded them. In the 
 outward ceremonies ilone God has no pleasure, but He has com- 
 manded them because He ever requires of us the obedience of 
 faith. His wrath has often come upon those who deviated in 
 the practice of His ceremonies from His commandments, as in 
 the case of Nadab and Abihu and many others. For it is His will 
 that wc shoulfl not follow our own opinion, but that we should 
 hear, belie.re and obey His holy voice. (402a; II :196a).
 
 God's Covenant of Grace 259 
 
 For a trnly believing Christian is thus minded that he 
 neitlier will nor may do otherwise than that which is taught and 
 enjoined upon him in the word of his Lord. For he knows that 
 all presumption and disobedience are Hke the sin of witchcraft, 
 and the end thereof is death. The willfully disobedient are 
 standing outside of the promise ((115b; 1 :158a). 
 
 In the first place, as we said before, we all are accepted 
 into the covenant of God, not by any signs [ordinances], but by 
 grace. — For Abraham was already in God's covenant before he 
 was circumcised, as Paul shows, that his faith was counted for 
 righteousness when he was yet uncircumcised (Rom. 4:3,11); 
 and because he was in God's covenant, justified by faith, there- 
 fore God commanded him the circumcision. 
 
 To all those who are thus, by faith, accepted of God through 
 grace into the covenant of peace, with Abraham, God has given 
 as evidences of their faith His ceremonies and figurative signs. 
 Not that they are thereby justified, for if it were by the signs, it 
 wouk! not be grace, but that they should be justified and be 
 children of God, children of the promise, etc., by faith, which 
 tliey should show by their obedience to the commandments of 
 God, having been called and accepted through grace and con- 
 soled by His promise. For those who are obedient unto God 
 are His friends (John 15:14). 
 
 Behold, dear reader, in tjiis manner Abraham was circumcised 
 ynd thus we are baptized, because it is thus commanded of God. 
 He who disobeys the voice of the Lord commanfling these cere- 
 monies, and despises the performance of them because of their 
 supposed triflingness, not observing that they were commanded 
 of God, excludes himself from the covenant of grace, by his 
 stubborn disobedience, neither does he seal his faith that it is 
 fruitful and living, but on the contrary, he proves that it is 
 unfruitful and dead before God. For he hears not the voice of 
 his Lord nor lives in accordance therewith, but despises it as 
 vain and useless. 
 
 Therefore observe and know that we are not accepted into 
 the covenant by an outward sign, but alone by grace through 
 Christ Jesus. And because we are by grace in the covenant,
 
 260 Menno Simons 
 
 therefore He has given and instituted for us His signs, that they 
 sliall be observed by tliem to whom He has commanded them, 
 namely the beHevers. 
 
 For if it were possible that we could come into the covenant 
 of God by any signs or ceremonies, then the merits of Christ 
 would be vain and grace ended. No, brethren, no. Abraham 
 was already chosen, accepted and justified by God, through faith, 
 before he was circumcised, and because he believed and was 
 justified through faith, therefore circumcision was commanded 
 him of God, that he should thereby seal his faith. 
 
 Again, Abraham and all his seed, born of Isaac, together 
 with others were aJready included in God's covenant, women as 
 well as men, and the promise was given to both, yet it was not 
 commandeoj that the females should be circumcised, but the 
 males. Observe well, dear reader, had they obtained the coven- 
 ant of God through the signs and not through grace, then the 
 females must have been excluded and without the promise. Not 
 so, it was by grace, it is grace, and it will in all eternity be 
 grace (416b; H :213b). 
 
 19. Baptism 
 
 We are not regenerated because we have been baptized, . . . 
 but we are baptized because we have been regenerated by faith 
 and the Word of God (I Pet. 1 :23). Regeneration is not the 
 result of baptism, but baptism the result of regeneration. This 
 can indeed not be controverted by any man, or disproven by the 
 Scriptures (418b; II :215a). 
 
 Faitli is to precede baptism. For tlie beginning of all right- 
 eousness which avails before God is faith, from vvliich baptism 
 results as a sign and proof of obedience. If the infants, then, 
 had faith, their baptism would not be forbidden by the alleged 
 words in Matthew and Mark (402b; 197a). 
 
 The Scriptures know of only one remedy, wiiich is Christ 
 with His merits, death and blood. Hence, he who seeks the 
 remission of his sins through baptism, rejects the blood of the 
 Ix)rd and makes water his idol. Therefore let every one have a
 
 Baptism 261 
 
 care, lest he ascribe the honor and glory due to Christ, to the 
 outward ceremonies and visible elements (17b; 1 :32a). 
 
 The believing receive remission of sins not through baptism, 
 but in baptism, in the Allowing manner: as with their whole 
 heart they believe the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ which has 
 been preached and taught to them, namely the glad tidings of 
 grace, remission of sins, peace, favor, mercy and eternal life 
 through Jesus Christ, our Lord, they experience a change of 
 mind, renounce self, bitterly repent of their old sinful life, 
 and with all diligence give attendance to the Word of the Lord 
 who has shown them such great love ; and fulfil all that He has 
 taught and commanded in His holy Gospel. Their confidence is 
 firmly established upon the word of grace promising the remis- 
 sion of sins through the precious blood and the merits of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ. They therefore receive holy baptism as a 
 token of obedience which proceeds from faith, an evidence 
 before God and His church that they firmly believe in the remis- 
 sion of sins through Christ Jesus, as has been preached and 
 taught them from the Word of God (406a; H :201a). 
 
 With the sacrifices, also of the Old Testament was con- 
 nected atonement in the Scriptures, not because of the worthi- 
 ness of the sacrifices upon the altars, for the blood of bulls and 
 goats, says Paul, could not take away sin (Heb. 10:4) ; all that 
 might and could be ofifered was moreover beforehand the Lord's, 
 yes all the cattle upon a thousand hills, says David (Psa. 50:10) ; 
 but because they truly believed the word of divine promise and 
 therefore were obedient to His command. Similarly now the 
 remission of sin is preached through baptism, not for the sake 
 of the water or of ceremonies perfomed by us ; we say it again, 
 Christ alone is the means of grace; but because we accept the 
 promises of the Lord by faith and in obedience fulfill His word 
 and will (18a; 1 :32b). 
 
 20. Import of Baptism 
 
 All who by the grace of God have been translated from 
 Adam into Christ, and been made partakers of the divine nature 
 and are baptized of God with the Spirit and fire of heavenly
 
 262 Menno Simons 
 
 love will not contend so deridingly against the Lord and say : 
 What can water avail, but they say with trembling Saul : "Lord, 
 what wilt thou have me to do?" and with the penitent on the 
 uay of Pentecost: "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" 
 They will renounce their own wisdom and willingly obey the 
 word of the Lord, for they are led by His Spirit, and through 
 faith, with willing obedient hearts perform all things commanded 
 tiiem of the Lord. 
 
 Rut as long as their minds are not renewed, and they have 
 not the mind of Christ, Phil. 2:5; are not washed in the inner 
 man with clean water from the living fountain of God, Heb 
 10:22, they may well say. What can water avail us? For the 
 whole ocean would not cleanse them as long as they are earthly 
 and carnally minded (22b; 1 :38b), 
 
 2L Infant Baptism 
 
 Since, then, we do not find in all Scripture a single word by 
 which Christ has ordained the baptism of infants, or that His 
 apostles taught and practice ! it, we say and confess rightly that 
 infant baptism is but a human invention, an opinion of men, a 
 perversion of the ordinance of Christ (15b; 1 :29b). 
 
 I do not doubt but that you will confess that the faith, 
 which avails with God is a gift of God, a gift which brings forth 
 all righteousness, and that such faith comes from hearing the 
 divine word. If, now, it comes by hearing the word, as Paul 
 leaches, how will it be found in unconscious infants, for it is 
 plain that they can not be taught, admonished or instructed 
 (403a; II :197b). 
 
 To baptize before that which is required for baptism, name- 
 ly faith, is found is as if one would place the cart before the 
 horse, to sow before plowing, to build before the lumber is at 
 l-.and, or to seal the letter before it is written (415b; II :211b). 
 
 Lastly, they appeal to Origen and Augustine and say that 
 these assert that they have obtained infant baptism from the 
 apostles. To this we reply and inquire whether Origen and 
 Augustine have proved it from Scripture. If they have done so,
 
 Infant Baptism Unscriptural 263 
 
 we desire to hear it. But if not, we must hear and beheve 
 Christ and His apostles, and not Augustine and Origen (21b; 
 1:37a). 
 
 Beloved, since the ordinance of Jesus Christ is unchange- 
 able, and it alone is acceptable to the Father ; and since He has 
 commanded that the Gospel should first be preached and, second- 
 ly, those who believe baptized, it follows that those who baptize 
 and are baptized without being taught the holy Gospel and with- 
 out faith, baptize and are baptized on their own opinion, without 
 the doctrine and command of Jesus Christ; therefore it is an 
 ungodly, useless and vain ceremony. For had Israel circumcised 
 their females because it was not expressly forbidden, they would 
 have circumcised without the ordinance of God, for He had com- 
 manded that the males should be circumcised. It is the same in 
 this instance. If we baptize the unconscious infants, although it 
 is not expressly forbidden in Scripture, just as it was not for- 
 bidden to circumcise the females, we baptize without the 
 ordinance of Jesus Christ ; for He commanded that those should 
 be baptized who hear and believe His holy Gospel. Matt. 28:19; 
 Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 9:18; 10:48; 16:33. (402a; II :196b) 
 
 Again, if the infant baptists assert that infant baptism is 
 not forbidden and that therefore it is right, I reply that it .is not 
 expressly forbidden in the Holy Scriptures to bless, as tliey call 
 it, holy water, candles, paims, goblets, and robes, to hoVi ma-s 
 i-ni other cc-cm-iu nies, ye* we ^ay rightfully that it is wicng. first 
 because people put their I'ust in these things, secjndly because 
 it is done without the commandment of God. for He has com- 
 manded us not a word thereof, and never should any commana- 
 ment be observed which is not contained or implied in His holv 
 Word, either in letter or spirit (418a; II :214b). 
 
 Search diligently all the Scriptures — Moses and the proph- 
 ets, Christ and the apostles — and you will find in more than 
 one instance that God not only had no pleasure in unbidden 
 ceremonies and worship, but that He has often severely rebuked 
 and punished those who observed them. If such ceremonies 
 could be observed with a good conscience for the reason that 
 there is no express command : "Thou shalt not baptize infants,"
 
 264 Menno Simons 
 
 then it would also be justifiable to consecrate water, tapers, 
 palms, bells and priests, to say mass, to build cloisters, cathedrals 
 and altars, to turn monk or nun, to make pilgrimages, to pray 
 for the dead, etc , with as much right one could take part in all 
 these things, for in all Scripture there is not a word to be found 
 which expressly forbids these ceremonies or says : You shall 
 not do these things (272b; II :50a). 
 
 I know that Luther teaches that faith is present in infants, 
 just as in a believing, sleeping man. To this I reply, first, that 
 if there were such a sleeping faith in little unconscious infants 
 (which however is nothing but human sophistry), it would not- 
 withstanding be improper to baptize such children so long as 
 they would not verbally confess it and show the required fruits. 
 For the holy apostles did not baptize any believers while thev 
 were asleep, as we have shown in our former writings (404b; 
 II :199a). 
 
 Luther writes that infants should be baptized because of 
 their own faith, and adds, if infants had no faith their baptism 
 would be blaspheming the sacrament. I believe it to be a great 
 error of so learned a man through whom the Lord at the begin- 
 ning of his writing effected not a little good, to hold that 
 infants who are unable to hear and to understand, have faith, 
 W'hile the Scriptures so plainly state that they know neither good 
 nor evil, that they can not discern right from wrong (Deut. 
 1 :39; Jonah 4:11) ; and he says that faith is dormant and con- 
 cealed in infants until they arrive at the years of understanding, 
 even as in a believing person who is asleep. If Luther writes 
 this as his sincere opinion, it shows that he has written much in 
 vain concerning faith and its power; but if he writes this to 
 please men, may Gorl have mercy upon him. We know of a 
 truth that it is only human reasoning and a fable of men, and by 
 God's grace it shall not make void tiie word anfl ordinance of 
 the Lord. For we read nowhere in Scripture that the apostles 
 baptized a single believer while asleep. They baptized those who 
 were awake and not the sleeping ones. Why then do they 
 baptize infants before they awake from that supposed sleeping 
 faith, and confess it? (15a; 1 :29a).
 
 Baptism of Households 265 
 
 In the third place, we answer: We have in the Scriptures 
 record of four liouseholds that have been baptized, namely that 
 of Cornelius, of the jailor, of Lydia and of Stephanas, Acts 
 10:48; 16:15,33; I Cor. 1:16, and the Scriptures clearly show 
 that in three of these households all were believers, namely of 
 Cornelius, Acts 10:2,44-47, of the jailor Acts 16:34, and that of 
 Stephanas I Cor. 16:15. But touching the household of Lydia. 
 the reader should know that although the Scriptures say nothing 
 definite about it, it is not usual in Scripture, nor the custom of 
 the world, to call a family by the wife's name as long as the 
 husband is living. Since Luke here names the house by a 
 woman and not a man, reason teaches us that Lydia was at that 
 time either a widow or a virgin. And how much is to be made 
 of the supposition that there were infants in her household, we 
 will let the God-fearing reader judge. (21a; 1 :36b). 
 
 22. Salvation of Infants 
 
 And althoug)| infants have neither faith nor baptism, think 
 not therefore that they are lost. O no ! they are saved, for they 
 have the Lord's own promise of the kingdom of God; not 
 indeed through any element, ceremony or external rites, but 
 only by grace through Jesus Christ. And therefore we do truly 
 believe that grace is extended to them, yea that they are accept- 
 able to God, pure and holy, heirs of God and of eternal life. 
 On the ground of this promise all Christian believers may be 
 assured of and rejoice in the truth that their children are saved 
 (20b; 1 :36a). 
 
 Dear reader, this is to be held as a sure, eternal and un- 
 <:hangeable rule of divine truth to fulfill all righteousness, namely, 
 first the true preaching of the holy Gospel of Jesus Christ; 
 secondly, to hear with earnestness and to understand ; thirdly, to 
 •cordially believe the Gospel and to carry out its teaching. This 
 being the case, it follows that the unconscious infants have no 
 faith, for they can not understand and learn. — If they die 
 before they come to years of understanding and before they may 
 :hear and believe, they die under the promise of God and are
 
 266 Menno Simons 
 
 saved, and this by no other means than the precious promise of 
 grace, given through Jesus Christ, Luke 18:16. But if, havin^j 
 reached the years of understanding, they hear and beUeve, they 
 should then be baptized. If they do not accept or beheve the 
 word when they have arrived at such age, whether they are 
 baptized or not, they will be lost, as Christ Himself teaches, 
 Mark 16:16 (404a; II :198b). 
 
 But the little children, and particularly those born of Chris- 
 tian parents, have a peculiar promise which was given them of 
 God, without the medium of any ceremony, but of pure grace, 
 through Christ Jesus, our Lord, who says, "Suffer little children 
 and forbid them not to come unto me, for of such is the king- 
 dom of heaven" (Matt. 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 18:16). 
 This promise satisfies and assures all the chosen saints of God 
 in regard to their children that have not attained to understand- 
 ing, for they know full well that the word of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ can never fail nor prove false. Inasmuch as He has- 
 shown so great mercy to the children that were brought unto 
 Him. that He took them up into His arms, blessed them, laid 
 His hands upon them, promised them the kingdom of heaven 
 and has done or commanded to be done nothing in addition to 
 this, therefore Christian believers have a well grounded and firm 
 assurance of the grace of God concerning their dear children, 
 namely that they are children of the kingdom, of grace, of the 
 promise and of eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord to 
 whom alone the glory belongs, and not by any ceremony. Yea, 
 by this promise they are assured that their beloved chiklren, so 
 long as they are not of understanding years, are pure, holy, 
 saved, and acceptable to God, be they alive or dead. Therefore 
 they give thanks to the eternal Father through Jesus Christ, our 
 Lord, for His inexpressibly great grace toward their children, 
 and bring them up in the love of God, by correcting, teaching 
 and admonishing them, and by walking before them in an 
 unblamable life until they may hear the word of GckI, believe in 
 ir and be guided by it. Then it is time, of whatever age they 
 may be, that they, in obedience to the word of Christ, receive 
 the Christian baptism commanded by Jesus Christ to all Chri.s-
 
 Salvation of Infants 267 
 
 tians, and which His apostles have thus taught and practiced 
 f429a; II :226a). , '■ ^ 
 
 It is in my opinion a great error which some entertain, that 
 the children of Jewish parents were acceptable to Christ on 
 account of circumcision, and that our children are acceptable on 
 account of baptism. O great reproach, that in every instance 
 Christ, the only and eternal medium of divine grace, must be 
 set aside and grace must be attributed to the lifeless rites and 
 elements. Here I would ask all infant baptists how they are 
 going to prove that these children [whom Jesus blessed] were 
 all circumcised and that there were nor among them female 
 ■children? If they were acceptable on account of their circum- 
 cision, as is asserted, then why were not the adults who were 
 circumcised acceptable? He commanded that adults, although 
 they were circumcised, should be baptized upon their faith, but 
 concerning infants He gave no command to baptize. He took 
 tliem into His arms, laid His bands upon tliem and blessed 
 them, promised them the kingdom of heaven and dismissed them, 
 but did not baptize them. (18b; 1 :33a). 
 
 23. The Name "Anabaptists" Repudiated 
 
 We must also be the Anabaptists of the theologians, because 
 we baptize upon the confession of faith, as Christ commanded 
 His disciples and as the holy apostles taught and practiced .... 
 We are informed by the Scriptures that Paul rebaptized those 
 -who had been baptized with the baptism of John which was of 
 heaven — because they had not been taught about the Holy 
 Cihost. Acts 19. Inasmuch, then, as we but baptize according 
 to the command of Christ, and according to the teaching and 
 practice of the holy apostles, nor do any more than Cyprian did, 
 together with the Councils of Nice and Carthage in this matter 
 (although we admit that we do not believe in all their doctrine), 
 and inasmuch as we rebaptize those who were not baptized with 
 a divine baptism (as were those baptized by John) but with the 
 baptism of Antichrist, and had at the time of their baptism no 
 knowledge of divine matters, as both nature and the Scriptures 
 -teach, since they were unconscious infants, (which was not the
 
 268 Menno Simons 
 
 case with those baptized of John) and we for these reasons must 
 be the Anabaptists of the theologians, it follows, indeed, that 
 Christ and His apostles, Cyprian and his bishops, the Nicene 
 Council and the holy apostle Paul also must have been Anabap- 
 tists. This is incontrovertible (513a; II :318a). 
 
 24. The Lord's Supper 
 
 The holy supper, as taught by Christ and His apostles, 
 reproves all idolatry and foreign mediums of reconciliation, all 
 hatred, discord and unrighteousness. For it points only to the 
 one offering of Christ which was made by His body and blood 
 once for all, as stated. It expresses Christian peace, unity, 
 brotherly love, and the pious, unblamable life. (31b; 1 :50a). 
 
 In like manner we believe and confess concerning the Lord's 
 holy Supper, that it is a holy sacramental sign, instituted of the 
 Lord Himself, with bread and w^ine, and enjoined upon His own 
 in remembrance of Him, taught and administered also according 
 to the institution of the Lord, by the apostles among the breth- 
 ren. It is, first of all, to show forth the Lord's death, as Paul 
 says, to remind us that He has offered up for us His holy body 
 and shed His precious bloo<l for the remission of our sins. 
 
 vSecondly it is an emblem of Christian love, unity and peace 
 in the church of Christ. "For we, being many," says Paul, "are 
 cne bread and one body ; for we are all partakers of that one 
 bread" (I Cor. 10:17). For as a loaf being composed of many 
 grains is one bread, so we also are many members but one body 
 in Christ. And as the members of one body are not at variance 
 with each other but are in everv' respect of one mind and peace- 
 able among themselves, so it is with all those who in the Spirit 
 and faith are true members of the body of Christ. 
 
 Thirrlly it is a communion of the body and blood of Christ 
 (1 Cor. 10:16), which communion consists in this that Christ 
 has in His great love accepted us and we are become partakers 
 of Him, as Paul says. "We are made partakers of Christ, if we 
 hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end." 
 Heb. 3:14. 
 
 Inasmuch as it is a sign instituted by Christ for the purpose
 
 Significance of the Lord's Supper 269 
 
 that it is to show forth and remind us of His death, of love, 
 peace and unity among the brethren, and also tlie communion of 
 His body and blood, as was said, therefore none can rightly 
 partake of this supper, according to Scripture, but he that is a 
 disciple of Christ, flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone, who 
 seeks the remission of his sins in no other means than in the 
 merits, sacrifice, death and blood of Christ alone, walks in unity, 
 love and peace with his brethren and leads a pious and unblam- 
 able hfe in Christ Jesus, according to the Scripture*: (46Sb- 
 H :270a). 
 
 It is as if Jesus had said by instituting this supper : Behold 
 beloved children, so long have I been with you, liave taught you 
 my Father's word, admonished, reproved and comforted you and 
 kept you in His name; but now my hour is at hand, this night I 
 shall be betrayed. All that the prophets said of me is about to 
 come to an end. And since I can minister to you no longer with 
 my doctrine and life, I will at least serve you with my painful 
 sufferings, with my body, blood, cross, and death. And this 
 indeed is the reason why I have called you to thi,s supper, name- 
 ly that I might institute this rite with bread and wine, that you 
 should after my death from time to time come together to com- 
 memorate the great mercies of my ardent love, so abundantly 
 manifested toward you, and especially that my love to you was 
 such that I oflPered my body and gave my blood for you. Great- 
 er love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for 
 his friends. I have by my death obtained for you everlasting 
 reconciliation, grace, mercy, favor and peace with my Father, 
 as I have told you, namely. "Even as the Son of man came not 
 to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a 
 ransom for many," Matt. 20:28 (27a; 1 :44b). 
 
 We should observe that in the Lord's supper Christian 
 unity, love and peace are typified and set forth, after which all 
 true Christians should seek and strive. "For we being many." 
 says Paul, "are one bread and one body; for we are all par- 
 takers of that one breal," I Cor. 10:17. Like as natural bread 
 is made of many grains, broken by the mill, kneaded together 
 with water and baked by the heat of the hre, so also the church 
 of Christ is made up of many believers who are broken in their
 
 270 Menno Simons 
 
 liearts with the hammer of the divine word and are baptized into 
 pne body with the water of the Holy Ghost and the fire of pure, 
 unfeigned love. And as the natural body is in harmony and 
 peace with all its members, and as each member discharges its 
 duty to promote the good of the whole body, so also it behooves 
 the true and living members of the body of Christ to be in 
 harmony, of one heart and one soul, not quarrelsome and im- 
 peaceable, not selfish and envious, not wrathful and hateful, not 
 malicious, obstinate or bitter one toward another, as are the 
 ambitious, covetous and proud of this world ; but in all things 
 be longsufFering, friendly, peaceable, ever ready in true Chris- 
 tian love to serve our neighbor to the extent of our ability, by 
 exhortation and reproof, by comforting, giving of our means 
 and counsel, serving with hard work, yea by giving our body and 
 life ; ready to forgive one another as Christ has forgiven us and 
 l;as ministered unto us by His word, life and death (26a; 1 :43a). 
 
 ■ \Vc teacli, seek, and desire that supper which Christ Jesus 
 Hirnself has instituted and administered, to be observed in a 
 cliurch wdiich is outwardly without spot or blemish, that is, 
 without any known transgression and wickedness ; for the 
 cliurcli judges that of wdiich it has knowledge but inward wick- 
 edness which is not ai)parent to the Church such as the betray- 
 ing of Judas, of that God is to judge, for He alone tries the 
 hearts and reins, an^.l not the church. It is to be observed in 
 both kinds, namely bread and wine, to the rememl)rance of the 
 Lord's death and as a renewal and evidence of brotherly love 
 (444b; H :243b). 
 
 .'\nd this is the sum of the whole matter, that all who with 
 the disciples and guests of Christ would sit at the Lord's table, 
 whether they be of high or low station in life, rich or poor, must 
 be sound in the faith and unblamable in conduct and life. — 
 But if any one has a good appearance before men, and is at 
 heart proud, avaricious, carnal and without the Spirit of God, he 
 is not judged of the church, but of the Lord Himself, the search- 
 er and trier of men's hearts and reins, as the Scripture saith. 
 Therefore we admonish all who would go to the Lord's table, to 
 examine themselves before they partake of it; for all who eat
 
 The Lord's Supper 271 
 
 unworthily of this bread and drink of this cup, eat and drink 
 condemnation and judgment to themselves, I Cor 11-29 (28h- 
 1 :46b). • • \ > 
 
 25. On the Doctrine of the Corporeal Presence of Christ in 
 the Bread and vVine 
 
 In the first place we must take heed that we do not make 
 the visible, perishable bread and wine the Lord's real body and 
 bloo<l as some do; for to believe this is contrary to all nature 
 reason and Scripture, yea it is evident blasphemy of the Son of 
 God, an abomination and idolatry. But as Israel had to keep 
 the passover annually, at the appointed time according to the 
 command of Moses, to commemorate that the almighty God, the 
 God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, did graciously preser^-e'His 
 people trom the judgment and plagues, when He slew the first- 
 born of the Egyptians, and by His strong hand and outstretched 
 arm led them out so gloriously and wonderfully and saved them 
 from the iron furnace of Eg^^pt and the dread tyranny and 
 dominion of Pharaoh, according to the word of His promise- 
 and therefore the paschal lamb is called the Lord's passover' 
 that is, passing over, Ex. 12, — the rite for the reality, for the 
 lamb was not the passover although so called, but it only typified 
 the passover, as said; so also the bread of the holy supper is 
 called the body, and the wine the blood of the Lord, the si<Ti I 
 say, for the reality. Not that it is actually the body and blood 
 of Christ, for with that He ascended into heaven and sitteth at 
 the right han<l of His Father, immortal and unchangeable in • 
 eternal majesty and glory; but it is an admonishing type and a 
 memorial of the fact that the Son of God, Jesus Christ has 
 redeemed us from the power of the devil, from the dominion of 
 hell and eternal death, by offering up an immaculate sacrifice. 
 His innocent body and blood, and has triumphantly led us into 
 the kingdom of His grace; as He Himself savs, "This do' in 
 remembrance of me" Luke 22:19 (24b; 1 :41b). 
 
 They believe the bread of the Lord's supper to be the real 
 flesh, and the wine the real blood of the Lord, and have con- 
 chK'cd this from the wor.'s of Christ, "Take eat. this i. mv
 
 272 Menno Simons 
 
 body," etc. They do not consider that Christ Himself, in the 
 sixth chapter of John where He fully instructs us about eating 
 I lis flesh and drinking His blood, says that it profiteth nothing 
 io eat His flesh and drink His blood literally, neither were 
 this possible, for He would ascend up to where He was before 
 (Jolm 6:62,63). And therefore the eating of His flesh and 
 drinking of His blood is not to be taken according to the 
 letter but according to the spirit, as He Himself says, in the 
 same chai>ter, "The words I speak unto you, they are spirit and 
 they are life." All who thus understand this from the Scrip- 
 tures arc by many abused as cursed heretics and blasphemers of 
 the sacrament,' and m.ust suffer on account of it by water, fire 
 an ! the sword (30b; T:49a). 
 
 26. The Washing of the Saints' Feet- 
 
 The third ordinance is the washing of feet of the saints 
 which Jesus Christ has commanded His disciples (John 13: 
 4-17), and this for tw® reasons. The first is that He would 
 have us know that He Himself must cleanse us after the inner 
 man and that we must by Him be washed from the sin which 
 besets us, (Heb. 12:1) from all uncleanness of the flesh and 
 spirit, that we may become purer from day to day, as it is 
 written: "He that is pure, let him become purer, he who is holy, 
 let him become more holy," etc. (Rev. 22:11). And tiiis [cleans- 
 ing by the Lord] is needful, yea it must be if we would be saved. 
 Therefore Christ says to Peter: "If I wash thee not, thou hast 
 r.C) part with me" (John 13:8). Then Peter answered: "Lord, 
 rot my feet only but also my hands and my head." To this 
 
 ' Luther and liis friends applied tlie reproachful epithet Sacrament- 
 schaender to the Zwinglians as well as the Anabaptists, since both denied 
 the bodily presence of the Lord in the supper. 
 
 - Menno Simons mentions feet washing (189; 1:242, end of first 
 column, and (7>(\); 11:44%) as well as the holy kiss, though his extant 
 ••vritings do not have a treatise on either of these subjects. The follow- 
 ing article on feetwashing is taken from Dirk Philips' booklet Of the 
 Church of God, Bib. R(f. Neeri, vol. X, pp. 397-399; Enchiridion or 
 Jfavd Book. Elkhart. Ind., 1910; pp. 388-390.
 
 Feet Washing 273 
 
 Christ replied : "He that is washed needeth not sare to wash 
 his feet, and is clean every whit" (John 13:10). 
 
 By this He makes it clear that the feet washing wherewith 
 Christ washes us is very necessary, and how it is signified, inas- 
 much as those whom He 'Iocs not wash have no part with Him 
 and that those who have been washed by Him need no more than 
 that their feet be washed and they are wholly clean. For it is 
 Christ who must wash us from our sins with His blood and He 
 who is sprinkled and washed therewith needs no more than to 
 have the earthly members, the evil lusts and desires of the flesh 
 mortified and overcome and through grace he is wholly clean 
 and no sin imputed unto him (Rom. 3 :24 ; Eph. 1:1-7; Col. 3 :5 , 
 I John 1:7; Rev. 1 :5 ; Rom. 8:13). 
 
 The second reason why Christ instituted the ordinance of 
 feet washing is that we should humble ourselves before one an- 
 other and that we hold our fellow-believers in the highest respect 
 for the reason that they are the saints of God and the members 
 of the body of Jesus Christ and that the Holy Ghost dwells in 
 them. (Rom. 12:10; Phil. 2:3; I Pet. 5:5; Jas. 4:10; Col. 
 3:12,13; I Cor. 3:16). These things Christ teaches us in these 
 words : "Ye call me IVIaster and Lord and ye say well : for so I 
 am. HI then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, 
 ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you 
 an example that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, 
 verily, I say unto you. The servant is not greater than his lord 
 neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. H ye know 
 these things, happy are ye if ye do them." (John 13:13-17). 
 
 Now if they are happy (blessed) who know and do this. 
 how void of blessing shall those be who profess to be apostles 
 and messengers of the Lord and do not know these things, or if 
 they know, do not do them or teach others to do them. 
 
 27. Discipline 
 
 It is evident that a congregation or church can not continue 
 in the salutary doctrine and in a blameless and pious life without 
 the proper practice of discipline. Even as a city without a wall 
 and gates, or a field without an inclosure or fence, or a house
 
 274 Menno Simons 
 
 without walls and doors, so is also a church without the true 
 apostolic exclusion or ban. For it would be open to all deceiving 
 spirits, all godless scorners and haughty despisers, all idolatrous 
 and insolent transgressors, yes to all lewd debauchers ami adul- 
 terers, as is the case with all the great sects of the world which 
 style themselves, although improperly, churches of Christ. In 
 my opinion it is a leading characteristic, an honor and a means 
 of prosperity for a true church to teach with Christian discretion 
 the true apostolic exclusion and to observe it carefully with 
 vigilant love according to the teaching of the holy divine Scrip- 
 tures. (188; 1 :241b). 
 
 For so long as the pastors and teachers [in the primitive 
 Christian church] earnestly taught and required a pious, godly 
 life, served baptism and the Supper to the godly alone, and right- 
 ly practiced discipline according to the Scriptures, they were the 
 church and congregation of Qirist. But as soon as they began 
 to seek an easy, careless life, and hated the cross of Christ, they 
 laid aside the rod, assured the people of peace, and gradually 
 became loose in discipline, they became the church of Antichrist, 
 Babel, and the world, as has, alas, been fully evident for many 
 centuries. Yea, my reader, if we had not with all earnestness 
 maintained to the present time this means ordained of God — 
 scriptural discipline — our people would, because of wicked 
 ones, be a reproach to everybody, while now, I trust they are in 
 their weakness by the grace of God (although the wicked world 
 will not acknowledge it) an example and a light to many. (289a; 
 IT :69b). 
 
 The world knows no other excommunication but that when 
 a great crime has licen committed, the executioner bans the 
 guilty one with the sword, gallows or fire and puts them to death 
 for the sake of their evil doing. (291b; II :72b). 
 
 It is evident that these words of Christ (Matt. 18) teach, in 
 the first place, if any one should err or sin against his brother 
 through negligence, infirmity, inconsiderateness, inexperience, or 
 ignorance, that he should not in consequence hate him, nor con- 
 nive at his transgression, but out of true brotherly love admonish 
 and reprove him, lest his brother fall into greater error and
 
 Discipline 275 
 
 perish ; but that he may by this means be brought to overcome 
 his fault. 
 
 In the second place, these words teach us that he who has 
 transgressed should receive the admonition of his brother in love 
 and be again sincerely reconciled, as is also taught in Matt. 5 :23, 
 24. This is indeed the nature and disposition of true believers 
 who are born from above of the holy seed of peace, that if they 
 trespass against a brother, they have neither peace nor tran- 
 quility of heart until they have in true love satisfied him and are 
 fully reconciled with him in Christ, and that without hypocrisy. 
 For they are a generation of peace, children of love, who mani- 
 fest their Christianity in the power, and testify by their deeds 
 that they know God. 
 
 Thirdly, if the trespassing brother receives in obedient love 
 the brotherly admonition given him in sincerity, is humbly recon- 
 ciled and ceases from his error, the transgression should be for- 
 gotten and forgiven in all sincerity. Even as God, for Jesus' 
 sake forgives all our sins, so must we also in Christ forgive our 
 neighbor all his transgression which he has committed against us. 
 And we must not, nor can, harbor any hatred or revenge against 
 him, even if he should never repent, as we have the example in 
 Christ and in Stephen. 
 
 From all of which it is more than clear that these three 
 several admonitions of which Christ here speaks, first between 
 him and you alone, secondly before witnesses, and thirdly before 
 the church, do not refer to all offensive, carnal sins of which the 
 eternal sentence of death is the penalty, but to the shortcomings 
 between brother and brother only. (201a; 1 :254b). 
 
 Therefore take heed. If you see your brother sin, do not 
 pass by him as one that is not concerned about his soul, but if his 
 fall be not unto death, help him to arise immediately, by loving 
 admonition and brotherly instruction, before you eat, drink, sleep 
 or do anything else, as one who ardently seeks his salvation, lest 
 your i:)Oor erring brother be hardened in his sin, and perish. 
 (633b; II :445a). 
 
 But if he receive the admonitions of his faithful brethren, 
 if he confess his fall, if he be sorry, promise to better his life,
 
 276 Menno Simons 
 
 show works ami fruits of penitence, then receive him as a re- 
 turning, beloved brother, no matter how deep may have been his 
 fall. But let him beware, lest he mock his God, for that he is 
 received of tlie brethren does not avail if he be not accepted of 
 God. Let him, I say, take heed, that his accepting the admoni- 
 tions, his sorrow, his promise of reformation and his penitence 
 may be upright and true before God, for He searches the hearts 
 and reins and He knows all intents and thoughts of men. (Jer. 
 17:10; John 2:25; Rom. 8:27). 
 
 If indeed his accepting the admonitions, his sorrow, promise 
 and penitence do not proceed from a true purpose of heart and 
 an earnest, burning desire, but are only lukewarm and dissem- 
 bling, spiritless, hypocritical, from the motive that he does not 
 desire to be publicly excluded from the communion of the breth- 
 ren, he is yet excluded of Christ and is a hypocrite in the sight 
 of God ; nor will God at any time look upon him as being any- 
 thing else. For God, the righteous judge, does not judge accord- 
 ing to the outward appearance, but solely according to the hidden 
 intentions of the heart. 
 
 Say, beloved, inasmuch as the matter stands thus before 
 God. of what avail is it to have the mere name of a Christian 
 brother, if he have not the inward evangelical faith, love and 
 unblamable life of a true brother of Jesus Christ? 
 
 Or of what avail is it to partake of the holy Supper of our 
 T.ord Jesus Qirist with the brethren, if we have not the true 
 fruits which are symbolized by this supper, showing forth the 
 death of Christ, the love of the brethren and the peaceable unity 
 of the faith in Jesus Christ? So it is also of no avail to be in 
 the fellowship of the brethren outv/ardly, if we are not inwardly 
 in the communion of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 'therefore, brethren, no one is cut off by us, or e.Ncluded 
 from the fellowship of the brethren but those who have already 
 exclu'led and separated themselves, either by false doctrine, or 
 by a blamable life, from Christ and His communion. For we 
 do not desire to exclude any one but to receive them; not to cut 
 off but to restore, not to reject but to win them back; not to 
 afflict but to comfort, not to condemn but to .save them, etc.
 
 The Ministers of the Word 277 
 
 My brethren, this is the true reason why and to what end 
 this cutting off or exclusion is so earnestly taught and command- 
 ed in the Scriptures, by Christ Jesus and His holy apostles, first, 
 for the sake of false doctrine, secondly, sinful, carnal life, furth- 
 er that the disciplined are to be admonished (those who are will- 
 ing to accept admonition). (634a; II :445b). 
 
 28. Qualification of Ministers 
 
 The true teachers, shepherds and laborers in His vineyard 
 seek nothing but the eternal honor, glory and praise of God and 
 the true conversion, regeneration and salvation of those whose 
 brotherly care is entrusted and commanded to them of God and 
 His church. Yea, He sends such as are unblameable both in 
 doctrine and life, who are led by the Holy Spirit, who sincerely 
 grieve and weep with Christ over those who do not realize tiie 
 gracious time of their visitation; who rejoice with all the angels 
 of God over the conversion of sinners ; who long for the salva- 
 tion of all mankind as a hungry person hungers for bread • who 
 so faithfully accept the word and truth of the Lord that they 
 teach or practice not a word otherwise than Jesus Christ Himself 
 has taught, practiced and commanded, the pure unadulterated 
 Biblical word in the true sense and meaning of Christ and His 
 apostles. (534b; II :341b). 
 
 In the first place, we desire, according to the Word of (iod, 
 that no bishop, pastor or teacher should in the church of tnc 
 Lord be permitted to teach and administer the ordinances excej^ 
 those who are found in the true doctrine, ordinances and life of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ and are unblamable in all things (I Tim. 
 3:2; Tit. 1:6; Lev. 21:7; Ezek. 44:21). Pot the Word of die 
 Lord is truth (John 17:17), it is spirit and life (John 6:63), 
 therefore it can not be administered by the carnally minded, not 
 by children of eternal death, nor the untrue, but by the truthful, 
 by the spiritually minded, by those who rightly confess Jesus 
 Christ and who are assured of eternal life in their own hearts 
 and who in Christ Jesus live unblamably before God, that they 
 may say with Paul, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of 
 Christ" (I Cor. 11:1). (444a; n:243a).
 
 278 Menno Simons 
 
 29. Support of the Ministry 
 
 At all places where they established churches, the apostles 
 ordained bishops and teachers who were unblamable in doctrine 
 and life, and have never mentioned a stipulated annual salary, 
 beniiices or rents. For they were men of God, servants of 
 Christ, full of the love of God and their dear bretl*'cn, -Awd 
 through love, through an inward constraint they labore !. taught, 
 sough.:, pastured and watched, not only for one, two, oi three 
 houi." d week in the synagogue, but at all times an! in all places, 
 in synagogues, streets, houses, mountains and fields. 
 
 And as they had received the knowledge of the kingdom of 
 God, the truth, love, and Spirit of God, without price, so they 
 were again ready to dispense it according to their ability to their 
 needy brethren without price. And as for the temporal neces- 
 saries of life, the church was sufificiently constrained through love 
 and the Spirit and Word of God to give to such faithful servanis 
 of Christ and watchers over their souls all the neces'^.nrics of 
 life, to assist them and provide for them that which they could 
 not obtain themselves. (535b; II :341b). 
 
 Say, kind reader, did you ever read in the Scriptures of any 
 prophets, apostles, and shepherds who said to any cities, districts 
 or villages, if you will care for our necessaries of life, or if you 
 will give us a certain amount of money, or revenue, we will 
 teach you the Word of the Lord ? O no, reader, no. It never 
 was an! never will be the way of the holy i)rophets, apostles or 
 servants of Christ. Of this we are sure. (466a; TI :267n ). 
 
 30. The Social Message of the Church 
 
 In the fourth place some of them charge and assert that we 
 have our property in common. We reply that this charge is 
 false and altogether without foundation. We do not teach nor 
 practice the doctrine of having all property in common. l>ut we 
 teach and maintain by the word of the Lord that all true believ- 
 ers are members of one body, are baptized by one Spiiil into one 
 body (I Cor. 10:18) and have one Lord and one Goi (Eph. 
 4:5,6).
 
 Cnristian Stewardship 279 
 
 Inasmuch as they are thus one, therefore it is Christian and 
 reasonable that they truly love one another and that the ore 
 member be solicitous for the welfare of the other, for both the 
 Scriptures and nature teach it. All Scripture urges charity an.! 
 love, and it is the one sign by which a true Christian may be 
 known, as the Lord says, "By this shall all men know that ye art 
 my disciples (that is, that ye are Christians) if ye have love one 
 to another." John 13:35. 
 
 Beloved reader, it has not been heard of that an intelligent 
 person clothes and cares for one part of his body and leaves the 
 rest destitute and naked. O, no, it is but natural to care for ail 
 the members. Thus it must be with those who are the Lord's 
 church or body. All who are born of God, are partakers of the 
 Spirit of the Lord and are called into one body of love, accord- 
 ing to the Scriptures, are ready by such love to serve their neigh- 
 bors, not only witii money and goo;ls, but also, according to the 
 example of their Lord and Head. Jesus Christ, in an evangelical 
 manner, with life and blood. 
 
 They exercise charity and love as much as they have ability ; 
 they suffer no one to be a beggar among them ; they distribute 
 to the necessity of the saints, receive the miserable, take the 
 stranger into their houses, console the afflicted, assist the needy, 
 cloth the naked, feed the hungry, do not turn their face from the 
 poor, and do not despise their own suffering members — tlieir 
 own flesh. Isa. 58:7,8. (504a; II :309a). 
 
 To repeat : This love, charity and community we teach and 
 practice, and have for seventeen years taught and practiced in 
 such manner that although we have to a great extent been robbed 
 of our property and are yet robbed, and many a pious. God-fear- 
 ing father and mother has been put to death by the fire, water, 
 or the sword, and we have no secure place of abode, as is mani- 
 fest, and besides there are dear times, yet, thanks be to God. 
 none of the pious, nor any of their children who have been com- 
 mitted to us, have been found to beg. (504b; II :309b). 
 
 Is it not an annoying, unbearable hypocrisy that they boast 
 of following the word of God. and of being the true Christian 
 church, and never realize that thev have cntirelv lost the evidence
 
 280 Menno Simons 
 
 of true Christianity. For although they have plenty of every- 
 thing and many of tlieir own people fare sumptuously and live 
 in voluptuousness, in superfluous expense, going about in silk 
 and velvet, gold and silver and all kinds of pomp and pride nw'' 
 furnish their houses with all manner of costly ornaments, and 
 have their coffers well filled, yet they suffer many of their p''^o'' 
 afflicted members, although they are their fellow believers, have 
 received one baptism and partaken of the same bread with them, 
 to go begging, some of them suffering from the bitterest want, 
 himger and need, and so many of their aged, sick, lame, blind 
 members are compelled to beg their bread at their doors. 
 
 O, ministers, ministers, where is the power of the gosjiel 
 which you preach? Where is the signification of the Supper 
 which you administer? Where is the fruit of the Spirit you 
 have received? And the righteousness of your faith which you 
 can paint and present so beautifully before the poor ignorant 
 people? Is it not all hypocrisy that you preach and would pre- 
 tend and maintain? Are you not ashamed of your easy going 
 gospel and worthless preaching and fruitless breaking-of -bread, 
 you who in so many years have not gathered sufficient strength 
 from your gospel, teacliing and sacraments that you have been 
 able to preach your suffering, miserable members from the 
 streets, notwithstanding the Scripture plainly teaches and says, 
 ■'Whoso has this world's good and seeth his brother have need, 
 and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwell- 
 eth the love of God in him?" Also Moses: "There shall be no 
 beggars among you." I John 3:17; Deut. 15:8. (505a; II :310a). 
 
 31. The Dangers and the Right Use of Riches 
 
 Since then the Lord himself, as also His faithful servants 
 James and Paul, have in so clear words set forth the dangers of 
 riches and of high station, and experience teaches how high they 
 exalt themselves, as may be educed from their titles, houses, 
 shields, clothes, servants, horses and dogs, and in consideration 
 of Christ's words. Matt. 18:3, it would be more in accordance 
 with evangelical righteousness, if Gellius, instead, would diligent-
 
 Unworldliness 281 
 
 ly point such proud and exalted persons to the humiHty of 
 Christ, that they may learn to deny themselves and to consider 
 their origin and destination, that they may repent of their exces- 
 sive pomp and vanity, their superfluity and ungodliness, fear God 
 from their hearts, walk in His ways and in true humiHty of 
 heart serve their neighbors with their riches. (239a; II :17a). 
 
 32. Non-conformity to the World 
 
 This is not a kingdom in which one adorns himself with 
 gold, silver, pearls, silk, velvet and costly finery, as does the 
 proud, haughty world, and also your leaders, giving you liberty 
 to do likewise, under the excuse that it is harmless if your heart 
 is free from it. So even Satan might excuse his pride and 
 pretend the lust of his eye to be pure and good. But this is the 
 kingdom of all humility in which not the outward adorning of 
 the body but the inward adorning of the Spirit is desired and 
 sought with great zeal and diligence, with a broken heart and a 
 contrite mind. (65b; 1 :96a). 
 
 33. The Doctrine of Non-resistance 
 
 The regenerated do not go to war nor fight. They are the 
 children of peace who have beaten their swords into plowshares 
 and their spears into pruning hooks and know of no war. They 
 give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things 
 that are God's. Their sword is the word of the Spirit which 
 they wield with a good conscience through the Holy Ghost. 
 (126a; 1 :170b). 
 
 Since we are to be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 
 8:29), how can we, then, fight our enemies with the sword? 
 Does not the apostle Peter say: "For even hereunto were ye 
 called, because Christ also sufTered for us, leaving us an ex- 
 ample, that ye should follow his steps ; who did no sin neither 
 was guile found in his mouth ; who, when he was reviled, reviled 
 not again; when he suffered he threatened not; but committed 
 himself to him that judgeth righteously" (I Pet. 2:21-23; Matt. 
 16:24). And this accords with the words of John who says:
 
 282 Menno Simons 
 
 "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, 
 even as he walked" (1 John 2:6). And Christ Himself says: 
 "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take 
 up his cross and follow me." (Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). Again: 
 "My sheep hear my voice. . and they follow me" (John 10:27). 
 And this is the voice of Christ: "Ye have heard that it 
 has been said : An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But 
 I say unto you that ye resist not evil ; but whosoever shall smite 
 thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matt. 5:39). 
 Again : "Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy 
 neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your 
 enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate 
 you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute 
 you ; that you may be the children of your Father which is in 
 heaven, for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the 
 good, etc. (Matt. 5:43-45; Rom. 12:20; I Pet. 3:9; Luke 6:34; 
 I Pet. 1:15). 
 
 Behold these are the words of Christ. All those, now, who 
 are His sheep will hear His voice. (627b; H :435b). 
 
 My dear reader, if the poor, ignorant world with an honest 
 heart accepted this our hated and despised doctrine, whicii is not 
 of us but of Christ, and faithfully obeyed it, they could well 
 change their deadly swords into plowshares and their spears 
 into pruning hooks, level their gates and walls, dismiss their 
 executioners and henchmen. For all who accept our doctrine in 
 its power, will by God's grace not have any ill will to any one 
 upon earth, and not against their most bitter enemies, much less 
 wrong and harm them by deeds and actions ; for they are chil- 
 dren of the Most High who from their hearts love that which is 
 good and in their weakness avoid that which is evil ; nay, hate 
 it and are inimical thereto. (322a; H :103a). 
 
 Antichrist rules through hypocrisy and falsehood, with 
 violence and the sword, but Christ reigns through patience with 
 His word and Spirit ; neither does He use any other sword nor 
 sabre. 
 
 O man! man! look u])on the irrational creatures and learn 
 wisdom. All roaring lions, all frightful bears, all devouring
 
 Doctrine of Non-resistancc 283 
 
 wolves, live in peace among themselves with their own species. 
 But you, poor, helpless creatures, created in God's own image and 
 called rational beings, are born without teeth, claws, and horns 
 and with a feeble nature, speechless and strengthless, yea, neith- 
 er able to walk nor stand, but have to depend entirely upon 
 maternal care — to teach you that you should be men of peace 
 and not of strife. (50b; 1 :76a). 
 
 Peter was commanded to put his sword into the sheath. 
 All Christians are bidden to love their enemies, do good to those 
 who do them evil, and pray for those who abuse and persecute 
 them; to give the cloak also if any one sue them at law for the 
 coat; if they are stricken on the right cheek to turn to him who 
 abuses them the other also. Say, beloved, how can a Christian, 
 according to the Scriptures, consistently retaliate, rebel, war, 
 murder, slay, torture, steal, rob and burn cities and conquer 
 countries? 'Matt. 26:52; John 18:10; Matt. 5:12.39.40. 
 (502b; II :306b). 
 
 All who are led by the Spirit of Christ know no sword but 
 the Word of the Lord. Their weapons are powerful, fervent 
 prayer, a long-suffering, patient heart, strong, immovable faith, 
 a living hope and an unblamable life, as has been said. By 
 such means the Gospel of the kingdom, the word of peace is to 
 be spread and defended against the gates of hell. (42b; 1 :65a). 
 
 O, beloved reader, our arms and weapons are not our 
 swords and spears, but patience, silence and hope, and God's 
 Word. With these we must fight our battle. Paul says, "The 
 weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through 
 God." In that way we intend and desire to resist the kingdom 
 of the devil ; and not with swords, spears, cannons and coats of 
 mail. 
 
 True Christians know of no vengeance, how ever they may 
 be wronged; in patience they possess their souls (Luke 21:18). 
 They do not break the peace even if they should be tempted by 
 bondage, torture, poverty, and by the sword and fire. They do 
 not cry for vengeance, as does the world, but with Christ they 
 pray, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." 
 They have, according to the declaration of the prophet, beaten
 
 284 Menno Simons 
 
 their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. 
 (502b; II :307a). 
 
 Again, our fortress is Christ, our defence is patience, our 
 sword is the Word of God, and our victory is the sincere, firm, 
 unfeigned faith in Jesus Christ. Spears and swords of iron we 
 leave to those who, alas, consider human blood and swine's blood 
 of well nigh equal value. He that is wise, let him judge what I 
 mean. (55a; 1 :81b). 
 
 I am well aware that the tyrants who boast themselves 
 Christians attempt to justify their horrible wars and shedding of 
 blood, and would make a good work of it, by referring us to 
 Moses, Joshua, etc. But they do not reflect that Moses and his 
 successors, with their iron sword, have served out their time, 
 and that Jesus Christ has now given us a new commandment 
 and has girded our loins with another sword. — They do not 
 consider that they use the sword of war, which they wield, con- 
 trary to all evangelical Scripture, against their own brethren, 
 namely those of like faith with them who have received the 
 same baptism and have broken the same bread with them and 
 are thus members of the same body. 
 
 Further we reply that we know and use no other sword than 
 that which Jesus Christ Himself brought down from heaven and 
 which the apostles have used in the power of the Spirit, namely 
 tliat which proceeds from the mouth of the Lord, the sword of 
 the Spirit, which is "sharper than any two-edged sword, pierc- 
 ing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the 
 joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and in- 
 tents of the heart." With this sword and no other we desire to 
 destroy the kingdom of the devil, reprove all wickedness, preach 
 righteousness, etc. in like manner as Jesus Christ and His holy 
 apostles and the prophets did in this world. I do not here mean 
 the prophets Elijah and Samuel, understand me rightly, who also 
 used the sword, but I mean the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc., 
 who only reproved with doctrine, and not otherwise. 
 
 This sword we wield and would not let emperor or kings, 
 or authorities lake it from us or forbid its use. For Peter says, 
 "We ought to obey Gorl rather than men." To the praise and
 
 Carnal Warfare 285 
 
 service of Him who has girded us with this sword we must wield 
 it, whether it bring us life or death, as it may please God. (149; 
 1:198). 
 
 Captains, knights, soldiers and such like bloody men are 
 offering to sell soul and body for money, and swear with uplifted 
 hand that they will destroy cities and countries, apprehend and 
 kill the citizens and inhabitants and rob them of their posses- 
 sions, although they have never harmed them nor given them any 
 provocation. O what an accursed, wicked, abominable business ! 
 And yet it is said that they protect the country and people and 
 assist in administering justice! (98b; 1 :137a). 
 
 It is clearer than mid-day that many of you are so mad, so 
 influenced by the spirit of the devil, that ye hate, envy, bite and 
 devour one another. You have destroyed whole principalities, 
 cities, castles and citadels with your accursed wars and uproar, 
 and have shed human blood like water. You deprive poor 
 citizens and peasants (those of your own faith) of body and 
 possessions, by burning, robbing, plundering, apprehending, im- 
 'position and torturing even those who have never harmed you or 
 given you a rash word. Such good-for-nothing, godless saints, 
 or Christians we do not read of in Scripture. (129a; 1 :174b). 
 
 I tell you the truth in Christ ; the truly baptized disciples of 
 ■Christ, who are baptized inwardly with the Spirit and with fire, 
 and outwardly with water according to God's Word, know of no 
 weapons other than patience, hope, non-resistance and God's 
 Word. Paul says, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, 
 but mighty through God, etc. (II Cor. 10:4,5). Our weapons 
 are not such with which cities and countries are desolated, walls 
 and gates broken down and human blood shed like water, but 
 they are weapons to destroy the spiritual kingdom of the devil, 
 put away ungodliness and break the flinty hearts that have never 
 been affected by the heavenly dew of the holy word. (55a; 
 1 :81b). 
 
 Thus we do not combat with carnal, but with spiritual 
 weapons, with patience and with the Word of the Lord, trusting 
 in Christ, against the flesh, the world and the devil. Nor shall 
 there ever be found other weapons with us. Therefore be not
 
 286 Menno Simons 
 
 afraid of us (I tell you the truth in Christ Jesus) ; for we do 
 not desire your destruction but your regeneration — on account 
 of which I have these seven years suffered slander and scor-i, 
 anxiety, persecution and great peril of being imprisoned ; and 
 persecution is still increasing. (311; II :327b). 
 
 34. Capital Punishment 
 
 If a criminal should truly repent Ijefore his Ciod and be born 
 from above, he would then be a saint and a child of God, a 
 fellow-partaker of grace, a spiritual member of the Lord's body, 
 sprinkled with His precious blood and anointed with the Ho^y 
 Ghost — and for such an one to be hanged on the gallows, 
 executed on the wheel, burned at the stake or in any manner b." 
 harmed by another Christian who in Christ Jesus is one heart 
 and soul with him, I should think strange and out of place, 
 considering the compassionate, merciful, loving disposition, spirit 
 and example of Christ, the meek Lamb, which example He has 
 commanded all his chosen children to follow. 
 
 Again, if he remain impenitent and his life be taken, this 
 would be nothing else but to unmercifully cut short his time for 
 repentance of which, in case his life were spared, he might yet 
 avail himself ; to tyrannically deliver his soul which was pur- 
 chased with such a precious treasure unto the devil — never 
 taking into consideration that the Son of Man who .says, "Learn 
 of me" (Matt. 11:28). "1 have given you an exampl;;" (John 
 13:15), "Follow me" (.Matt. 16:24"). is not come to destroy 
 souls, but to save them (Matt. 18:11; Luke 19:10). (603b; 
 II :407b). 
 
 Profane history shows that the Lacedemonians who were 
 heathen did not put their criminals to death but imprisoned them 
 and put them at labor. (604a ; II :408a). 
 
 35. Swearing of Oaths 
 
 W'c arc aware that the authorities advance the opinion that 
 it is right to sv.ear wlienever oath is made to the truth. Tliis we 
 answer simply with the word of the Lord, Matt. 5:33-27. To
 
 Oaths Forbidden 287 
 
 swear to the truth was permitted to the Jews under the law, but 
 to the Christians it is forbidden in the Gospel. (471a; II :273b). 
 
 Christ says, "Ye have heard that it has been said to them of 
 old time : Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform 
 unto the Lord thine oaths. But I say unto you : Swear not at 
 all, neither by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by the earth, 
 for it is his footstool, etc. (Matt. 5:33-35). And you, ]\Iicron, 
 say that none but light minded and false oaths are thereby pro- 
 hibited, as if Moses had permitted Israel to swear lightmindedly 
 and falsely and that to us under the New Testament only, Christ 
 has forbidden it. 
 
 If we have the same liberty as tlie Israelites in this matter, 
 
 as you assert then tell me, why did the Lord not say : 
 
 Ye have heard that it has been said to them of old time: Thou 
 shalt not forsvv-ear thyself, and I say unto you : Obey this in- 
 junction. But he says : Moses has permitted you to swear 
 rightly ; but I say unto you : Swear not at all. 
 
 Since, then, it is more than clear that Jesus Christ, the 
 teacher of righteousness, points us away from the oath of Moses 
 which was an oath of truth and was sworn by the name of the 
 Lord and which you use and highly recommend, and points us to 
 the truthful yea and nay, and I well know that His word is the 
 truth and His commandment life everlasting, therefore I am^ 
 frank and bold thus to teach it, believing of a truth that He will 
 not deceive us by His teaching. (604b; II :409a). 
 
 Behold, beloved reader, before these words of Christ all 
 human laws and commandments concerning the oath must yield 
 and be abolished, all kinds of oaths no matter how they be per- 
 formed, be it by words, or by raising your hand, or laying your 
 hands upon your breast, or upon a cross, or upon the New Tes- 
 tament, etc., and the true yea and nay, ordained of the Lord 
 Himself must be put in its place, if the authorities and subjects 
 do not want wantonly to transgress the word of the Lord and 
 ignore it as useless ; for w hatsoever is more than yea and nay, 
 Christ says, cometh of evil. The same is also taught by James : 
 "Above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, 
 neither by the earth, neither by any other oath ; but let your yea
 
 288 Menno Simons 
 
 be yea and your nay, nay ; lest ye fall into condemnation." Jas. 
 5:12. (471a; II :273a). 
 
 The Scriptures teach that we should hear Christ, for He is 
 the king in Jacob, Isa. 9:7, the king of righteousness, the teacher 
 and the prophet promised of God, who hath taught us the word 
 of the I<"ather, and His word is truth. His commandment is 
 eternal life. 
 
 Inasmuch as we confess and sincerely believe that no emper- 
 or or king may rule or command contrary to His word, since, He 
 is the head of all princes and the King of all kings (Rev. 1 :5 ; 
 19:16) and to Him every knee shall bow which is in heaven, in 
 earth or under the earth (Phil. 2), and He has so plainly for- 
 bidden us to swear and pointed us to yea and nay alone, this is^ 
 the reason why we, fearing the Lord, do not and may not swear, 
 though we must hear and suffer so much on that account from 
 the world. (470b; II :272a). 
 
 The oath is required for no other purpose than to obtaJH 
 truthful statement and testimony. Can, then, the truth not be 
 told without an oath? Do all tell the truth who are under oath? 
 You will admit that the first question is to be answercvl in the 
 affirmative and the second in the negative. 
 
 Is, then, the oath itself the truth of the testimony, or does^ 
 the truth depend upon him who swears the oath ? Why then do- 
 not the authorities require the truth to be told with yea and nay,, 
 as ordained of God, rather than with an oath which God has- 
 forbidden? For they can notwithstanding punish those who are 
 found false in their yea and nay, the same as those wb.o commit 
 perjury. 
 
 I trust that no person is so confused as not to know that the 
 ordinances of God which are of heaven can never give way to 
 the earthly ordinances of men. (605b; II :410a). 
 
 We hereby pray all lords and authorities, for Jesus' sake, 
 to fear the Lord sincerely, and to be subject to the word of the 
 Lord in this matter of the oath. We ask them to consider why 
 they require the oath, namely, that that shall be fulfilled to which 
 oath is made. Inasmuch, now, as we deem our yea and nay to be- 
 of no less import than an oath, why, then, require any further
 
 Calling of Magistrates 289 
 
 affirmation of us than the word of the Lord teaches and allows? 
 That yea is yea and nay nay with all true Christians, is fully 
 proven by those who, in our Netherlands, are so tyrannically 
 visited with imprisonment, confiscation and torture, with fire, the 
 stake and the sword, when indeed with one word they could 
 escape all this, if they would misuse their yea and nay. But as 
 they are born of the truth, therefore they walk in the truth, and 
 testify to the truth unto death, as may be abundantly seen in 
 Flanders, Brabant, Holland, West Friesland, etc. (472b; 
 274b). 
 
 36. Duties toward the Magistracy 
 
 In temporal things we teach and exhort that the emperor, 
 king, lords and princes, yes all in authority, are to be sincerely 
 obeyed in all their laws and regulations as far as they are not 
 contrary to God's word. (Rom. 13:1-3). (56a; 1 :82b). 
 
 Therefore we pray you through the mercy of God, O yc 
 great ones of the earth whom we acknowledge as our gracious 
 lords in all temporal things, that you let the eternal mighty King, 
 Jesus Christ be the only Savior, Lord and Sovereign of our 
 souls, even as He was ordained of His Father, and you confine 
 your service and office to temporal matters to which you have 
 been called. For we desire with all our hearts to render "unto 
 Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things 
 that are God's." (lib; 1 :24b). 
 
 Again, that we should be disobedient to the magistracy in 
 the things to which they are ordained of God, is not true ; under- 
 stand me, in lawful things, such as working on dykes, roads and 
 rivers, paying duty, taxes, tribute, etc. But that they, contrary 
 to Jesus Christ, by commandments of men, undertake to rule and 
 lord it over our conscience, following their own wantonness and 
 not the will of God, to this we do not consent, but much rather 
 sacrifice possessions and life, than for any man's sake, be he 
 even emperor or king, to sin knowingly against Jesus Christ and 
 His holy word. (149b; 1 :199a). 
 
 The writings which we have published during several years 
 abundantly prove that the accusation against us of disobedience
 
 290 Menno Simons 
 
 to tlie magistracy is unfounded and untrue. We confess and 
 have always confessed as long as with our small talent we have 
 served the word of the Lord, that the office of the magistrates is 
 ordained of God ; and we have always been obedient to tliem 
 when their demand was not contrary to the word of God, and 
 we desire to do so all our lives. For we are not so ignorant but 
 know well what the word of God teaches and demands of us in 
 this respect. Taxes and duties we pay, as Christ has tauglit d ". 
 and Himself has rendered (Matt. 17:22). We pray for the 
 imi)erial majesty, kings, lords, princes and all in authority and 
 honor and obey them (I Tim. 2:2; Rom. 13:1). (498b; II :302b). 
 W^e resist neither the emperor, king, nc" any authority in 
 thai, over which tliey are given jurisdiction b'- God, bin we are 
 ready to render all obedience even unto deat'.i in all things that 
 a:e not contrary I) (ioJ and God's Word, ;.nd we know \/elI 
 what liit Si riptures Teach and enjoin con:e'" 'in;,' this matter 
 (Rom. 13:1-8). But we desire mercy of you to the extent that 
 we, under your gracious protection, may in liberty of conscierce 
 live, teach, work, and serve the Lord. (11a; 1 :23b). 
 
 37. Liberty of Conscience 
 
 Tell me, kind reader, v.hcre have you, in all the days of 
 your life read in the apostolic Scriptures, or heard, that Christ 
 or tlie apostles called upon the power of the magistracy against 
 those who would not hear their doctrine or obey their words? 
 Yea, reader. I know to a certainty that wherever the government 
 is to perform the ban with the sword, there is not the true 
 knowledge, Spirit, word and church of Christ. (290; 11:71). 
 
 1 repeat, if we are disobedient to God in religious matters, 
 we are willing and anxious to be instructed, taught, and correct- 
 ed by the Word of God, for we strive diligently to do and to 
 fulfill His most holy will. Or if we are not obedient unto the 
 Einperor in matters over which God has called and ordained 
 him to rule, then we will willingly submit to punishment, such as 
 should, in your judgment be laid upon us. But if we with all 
 our heart seek and fear the Lord our God, as I trust we do, and 
 are willingly obedient to the imperial majesty in temporal things,
 
 Faith is God's Gift 291 
 
 as we should be according to the Word of God, and notwith- 
 standing for the sake of the truth of the Lord we must suffer 
 and be persecuted, and put to death, then it is in our place to 
 consider that "the disciple is not above his master nor the servant 
 above his lord." Yet you should know and realize, O ye beloved, 
 illustrious lords, ye judges and keepers of the law, that as often 
 as such are apprehended, condemned and put to the sword by 
 you, you thrust your tyrannical sword into the blessed body of 
 our Lord Jesus for they are "of his flesh and of his bones" (Eph. 
 5 :30) ; they are His chosen, beloved brethren and sisters who 
 are with Him born from above of one Father (John 1 :13) — 
 From their whole heart, drawn and led by the Holy Spirit, they 
 have through faith given themselves to the service of our beloved 
 Lord Jesus Christ and henceforth do not live according to their 
 own will, but alone according to the will of God and the direc- 
 tion of His holy blessed word. They would surrender all they 
 possess upon earth and suffer slander, scourging, persecution, 
 anxiety, famine, thirst, nakedness, cold, heat, poverty, imprison- 
 ment, banishment, fire, sword or any other manner of death 
 rather than to deny the Gospel of grace, forsake the truth of 
 God, or depart from the love which is in Christ Jesus. But the 
 vain doctrines and commandments of men they will not accept. 
 (431; 11:229). 
 
 Faith is a gift of God, therefore it can not be forced upon 
 any one by worldly authorities or by the sword ; alone througl- 
 the pure doctrine of the holy Word and with humble ardent 
 prayer it must be obtained of the Holy Ghost as a gift of grace. 
 Moreover it is not the will of the Master of the house that the 
 tares should be rooted up as long as the day of reaping is not at 
 hand, as the Scriptural parable teaches and shows with great 
 clearness. 
 
 Now if our persecutors arc Christians, as they think, and 
 accept the word of God, why do they not heed and follow the 
 word and commandment of Christ? Why do they root up the 
 tares before the time? Why do they not fear, lest they root n > 
 the good wheat, and not the tares? Why do they undertake to 
 do the duty of angels who, at the proper time, shall bind the
 
 292 Menno Simons 
 
 tares in bundles and cast them into the furnace of everlasting 
 fire? 
 
 Since we injure no man upon the whole earth in the very 
 least by our faith, or unbelief (as they say), it would be right 
 that they commit us with our belief or unbehef to the Lord and 
 His judgment alone who at His own time will judge all, and not 
 like savage mad pagans proceed against us with their devouring 
 sword. It is the right and true disposition of a true, pious 
 Christian to seek the poor erring sinner to repentance and not 
 to destruction, as these do. (150; 1:199). 
 
 Christ Jesus with His powerful word and Holy Spirit is the 
 protector and Lord of His church, and not the empe-or, king, 
 or any worldly potentate. The kingdom of the Spirit mu-^t bt* 
 protected and defended by the sword of the Spirit, ant' not with 
 the carnal sword. This is, according to the doctrine and ex- 
 ample of Christ and His apostles, too clear to be controverted. 
 
 Further I say: If the government rightly knew Christ and 
 His kingdom, they would in my opinion, rather choose death, 
 than with their worldly power and sword undertake to settle 
 spiritual matters, which are not subject to the authority of man 
 but to that of the great and almighty God alone. But now t^ey 
 [the magistrates] are taught by their theologians tin;' they 
 should arrest, imprison, torture and slay those who are not 
 obedient to their doctrine, as may, alas, be seen, in many cities 
 and countries. (323; n:104). 
 
 Beloved rulers and judges, if you take to heart these cited 
 Scriptures, and diligently reflect upon them, you will observe 
 that your office is not your own, but God's ofiice and service : 
 and it is in your place to humble yourselves before His majesty, 
 fear His great and adorable name and rightly and reasonably 
 ])erform your ordained office; further that you sliouM noi so 
 unscrupulously, with your earthly and temporal po ver. under- 
 take to adjust that which belongs to the jurisdiction and king- 
 dom of Christ, the Prince of all princes, you should not by your 
 iron sword judge and punish that which is reserved solely for 
 the judgment of the Most High, namely the faith and matters 
 pertaining thereto, as also Luther and others maintained in the
 
 Liberty of Conscience 293 
 
 beginning, but after they had come to a higher and more exalted 
 station, they have forgotten it all. (449; II, p. 303). 
 
 How haughtily do they assume without any awe or fear the 
 authority of God and the office of the Holy Ghost; they drive 
 Jesus Christ, the head of all princes and powers, to whom is 
 given all power in heaven and on earth, from the throne of His 
 divine majesty, and judge with their iron sword, after their own 
 blind opinion and carnal purpose the chosen God-fearing, pious 
 hearts who are enlightened in God through Jesus Christ. (139; 
 1:186). 
 
 Say, beloved where do the Holy Scriptures teach that in 
 Christ's kingdom and church, conscience and faith which stand 
 under the authority of God alone, are to be regulated and ruled 
 by the violence, tyranny, and sword of the magistracy? In what 
 instance have Christ and the apostles ever done, advised or com- 
 manded this? For Christ says simply: 'Beware of the false 
 prophets,' and Paul commands that a heretic is to be shunned 
 after one or two admonitions. John says that we shall not greet 
 or receive into our houses the transgressor who does not bring 
 the doctrine of Christ. But they say not: Down with the 
 heretics, arraign them before the magistrates, imprison them, 
 drive them from cities and countries, cast them into the fire and 
 water, as the Romish have done for many years, and even now 
 is found to a great extent among you who fancy yourselves to 
 adhere to the Word of God. (334a; 11:118). 
 
 Do not excuse yourselves, beloved sirs and judges, on the 
 plea that you are the servants of the Emperor. It will not 
 acquit you in the day of vengeance. It availed Pilate nothing 
 that in the name of the Emperor he crucified Christ. Serve the 
 Emperor in civil matters as far as the Scripture warrants, and 
 serve God in divine matters. In the day of Christ you can not 
 justify yourselves by the authority of men. 
 
 Do not interfere with Christ's jurisdiction and kingdom, for 
 He alone is the ruler of the conscience and beside Him there is 
 none other; let Him in this matter be your Emperor and His 
 holy word your placard and you will soon become tired of 
 tyranny and murdering. (58b; 1:86).
 
 294 Menno Simons 
 
 Besides, the proud, carnal, worldly, itlolatrous an;l tyran- 
 nical princes who do not know God (1 speak of the evil princes) 
 set up their mandates, decrees and laws as authoritative, how- 
 ever much they may be contradictory to God and His blessed 
 Word; just as if the almighty Father, the Creator of all things 
 who holds heaven and earth in His hands, who rules all things 
 by the Word of His power, had ordained them to command, rule 
 and according to their own judgment prescribe ordinances not 
 only in the temporal kingdom of this perishable world, but also 
 in the heavenly kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. O no, 
 beloved, no. This is not the will of God, but it is an abomina- 
 tion in His sight if mortal man will usurp for himself His 
 authority. (439; n:238). 
 
 1 think, beloved brethren, that I have clearly shown that the 
 excuses of the tyrants by which they would avert their tyraimical 
 murdering to be just and right, are heathenish in principle 
 (154; 1:205). 
 
 Say now, all who are guilty of innocent blood and who 
 would palliate your conduct with the mandate of the Emperor, 
 wdiere have you read a single word in all the teachings of Christ 
 wdiich gives authority to torture or put to death any one for the 
 sake of faith ? Where have the apostles ever taught or coun- 
 tenanced such a practice? Should not matters of the spirit, 
 i. e., of faith, be subject to the judgment of the spirit alone? 
 Why do the Emperor and you undertake to usurp the authority 
 of God, judging things which you understand not and which are 
 not committed to you? Do you not consider what befell l^har- 
 aoh, Antiochus, Herod and many others, because they feared 
 not the Most High and raged against His people? Dear men. 
 how wilful, arrogant and proud you are toward Him who 
 created you ! Do you suppose that the Scriptures are mocking 
 us and are not the truth? (153; 1:204). 
 
 The first parable is explained by Christ himself: "lie that 
 sovveth the good seed is the Son of man ; the field is tiie world 
 (understand it rightly, the field is the world, and not the church, 
 as Gellius would have it) ; the good seed are the children of the
 
 Liberty of Conscience 295 
 
 kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the 
 enemy that sowed them is the devil ; the harvest is the end of 
 the world; and the reapers are the angels." Matt. 13:37-39. 
 
 My reader, understand it rightly. Christ, the Son of man 
 sows His seed (God's word) through His Spirit in the world. 
 All who hear and believe it and fulfill it in obedience are here 
 called the children of the kingdom. In the same manner the 
 enemy sows his tares (false doctrine) in the world, and all that 
 hear and follow him are called the children of evil. Both wheat 
 and tares grow together in the same field, namely the world. 
 The husbandman does not want the tares to be plucked out 
 before their time, that is, he desires not that they should be 
 delivered to destruction, but be permitted to remain vmtil the 
 harvest, lest the wheat be destroyed with the tares. 
 
 Oh my rearler, if the preachers rightly understood this 
 parable and had the true fear of God. they would not cry out 
 so vehemently against us poor people who, alas, everywhere are 
 in their opinion tares, Anabaptists and schismatics : Away and 
 to death with the heretics — even if we held heresies, from 
 which God preserve us. Alas, alas! it is the good wheat which 
 they thus destroy. But what does our testimony avail? Satan 
 must persecute and murder, for it is his nature and work, as the 
 Scriptures teach. (304b; HrSSa). 
 
 38. Higher Education 
 
 Reader, do not misunderstand me. Learning and a knowl- 
 edge of languages I have never in my life despised, but have 
 from my youth honored and loved. Although I have not 
 acquired them, yet (thanks be to God) I am not so bereft of my 
 senses that I should despise or ridicule the knowledge of the 
 languages through which the precious word of divine grace has 
 come to us. I wish from my heart that I and all the pious 
 possessed such learning, if we could in true humility use it 
 rightly to the praise of our God and the service of our neighbor, 
 in the pure fear of God. (357a; IT :145b).
 
 296 Menno Simons 
 
 39. Worldly Titles 
 
 Say, kind reader, did you ever hear or read that the holy 
 apostles and prophets were covetous of such high, vain titles, as 
 are the theologians and preachers of the v^orld? It is true, the 
 word Rabbi or Master was applied to the ambitious scribes and 
 Pharisees, but not to the apostles and prophets. For we do not 
 read of Doctor Isaiah, or Master Ezekiel, or Reverend Paul or 
 Peter. No, no; those who have rightly taught the Word of the 
 Lord were not in their time honored by the world with such 
 high-sounding names. (46.Sa; II :266a). 
 
 40. Anti-Secrecy 
 
 Lo, kind reader, thus we have from the beginning of our 
 ministry been ready and desirous to give an account of our faith 
 to every person who asked it in good faith, whether they were 
 ruler or citizen, learned or unlearned, rich or poor, man or 
 woman. And today we are ready to do so as far as is possible to 
 us, for we are not ashamed of the Gospel of the glory of Christ. 
 If any one desire to hear from us, we are prepared to teach; if 
 any one wish to know our principles, it is our hearty desire, if 
 our writings do not suffice, to explain them clearly. — For it is 
 our earnest endeavor that the truth may be brought to light. But 
 the blood-thirsty murder of Antichrist must not be attempted, I 
 say, for it is of the devil and inconsistent to a Christian. (515b; 
 II :321b). 
 
 41. Duties to Children 
 
 The Holy Scriptures teach that God purifies the heart by 
 faith, that faith comes by hearing, and righteousness through 
 faith. Therefore let all parents who truly love their cliildren 
 take heed that they rightly and clearly instruct them from the 
 Word of God as soon as they may be able to receive and under- 
 stand it ; that they may guide them in the way of truth and 
 zealously watch over all their life; that they may from youth 
 learn to know the Lord their God, to fear, love, honor, thank 
 and serve Him ; so that the inborn evil nature of sin may not
 
 Parents' Duties 297 
 
 rule in them nor overcome them to the everlasting shame of their 
 poor souls. (110b; 1 :151b). 
 
 Therefore all you who fear the Lord and love your children 
 with a love that is of divine nature, seek their salvation with all 
 your heart, even as Abraham, Tobit and the Maccabean mother 
 did. If they transgress, correct them firmly; if they err, exhort 
 them lovingly; if they are childish, bear them patiently; as they 
 are able to receive it, instruct them Christian-like. Dedicate and 
 consecrate them to the Lord from their youth; watch over their 
 souls as long as they are committed to your care, that you may 
 not lose your heavenly reward on their account. Pray without 
 ceasing as this pious Syro-phoenician woman, that the Lora mav 
 grant them His grace, that they may resist the devil, subdue 
 their sinful nature through the Lord's Spirit and help, and walk 
 from their youth up before God and His church in all righteous- 
 ness, truth and wisdom in a true, firm faith, unfeigned love and 
 living hope, in an upright and holy life, unblamable and without 
 ofifence, abounding in the fruits of faith unto eternal life. Amen. 
 (112a; 1 :153b). 
 
 My beloved brethren and sisters in Christ, who sincerely 
 seek to follow God's Word, instruct your children from youth 
 up, and daily admonish them with the word of the Lord ; set 
 them the example of a blameless life. Teach them and admon- 
 ish in proportion to the development of their understanding, con- 
 strain and correct them with discretion and moderation, without 
 anger or bitterness, lest they be discouraged. Spare not the rod 
 if necessity require it. 
 
 I write and admonish you again, take heed lest the bloo 1 
 and condemnation of your children come upon you. H you love 
 them with a godly love, teach, admonish and instruct them in 
 God, lest the word, blood and death of the Lord be made unto 
 them of no efifect and His name and church be slandered on 
 their account by the unwise. 
 
 Pray to almight}-- God for the gift of His grace, that in His 
 great mercy He may guide and keep them through His Spirit in 
 the right path. Be concerned about their salvation as for your 
 own souls. Teach, instruct, admonish, threaten, correct and
 
 298 Menno Simons 
 
 chastise them as may be requiretl. Do not permit them to keep 
 company with undiscipHned, wicked chikh-cn among whom they 
 hear and learn nothing but lying, swearing, fighting and knavery. 
 Urge them to read and practice writing and bring them U]i in 
 habits of industry. (220b; 1 :274b). 
 
 My brethren in Christ, if we should see any one in danger 
 of being drowned or burned, or in any dangers that threaten 
 their lives, and there were a prospect that we could render them 
 help, would not our inmost souls be moved with compassion 
 toward them, if haply we might afford relief? Undoubtedly. 
 And now we see with our own eyes, if we but believe God's 
 Word, that they are walking in the shadow of eternal death and 
 liable to be devoured by hell and its unquenchable fire, unless 
 from their heart they turn unto Christ and His word, repent and 
 be saved as the Scriptures teach. Therefore consider the terrible 
 wretchedness of their poor souls which will live forever, either 
 in heaven or in hell ; and strive diligently and faithfully that in 
 some way, through your faithful ministry of love and by the 
 direction and instruction of the divine word they be rescued and 
 delivered from everlasting destruction and be made partakers of 
 salvation. For genuine love is of such a nature that it is 
 constantly hungering and thirsting after the glory of God and 
 the salvation of all men, even of those who are strangers to us 
 according to the flesh. (220a; 1 :273b). 
 
 42. The Glorious Hope 
 
 Finally I beseech and exhort you to consider with all 
 diligence and earnestness that wdiich is promised in the world to 
 come to all the overcomers and soldiers of Jesus Christ, namely 
 the incorruptible, eternal kingdom, the crown of glory and the 
 life that will remain forever. Therefore, O thou people of God, 
 put on thine armor and make ready for the conflict — not with 
 external weapons and armor as the blood-thirsty barbarous 
 world, but alone with unwavering faith, tranquil patience and 
 fervent prayer. It will and can not be otherwise, the combat of 
 the cross must be fougiit and the winepress of suffering must be 
 trodden. O thou bride and sister of Christ, prepare thyself.
 
 God's Sure Promises 299 
 
 The thorny crown must pierce thy head and the nails transfix 
 thy hands and feet ; thy back must be scourged and thy face 
 spit upon. Gird thyself and be prepared, for thou must go with 
 thy Lord and Bridegroom without the camp, bearing His re- 
 proach. At tlie place of the gallows thou must ofifer up thy 
 sacrifice. Watch and pray. Thine enemies are more numerous 
 than the hairs of thy head or the sand of the sea. Though their 
 hearts, hands, feet and swords are exceedingly red and stained 
 with blood, be not dismayed, for God is thy leader. Thy life on 
 earth is an incessant warfare. Fight valiantly and thou shalt 
 receive the promised crown. (158b; 1 :210b). 
 
 For although the children of Abraham were grieved with 
 much sorrow and pain for some hundreds of years, yet the Lord 
 according to His pomise led them forth victoriously and gave 
 them the land of promise. So also it will be with us. If we 
 doubt not His promises, but cling to them with a firm faith, as 
 Abraham; if by faith we fear, love, honor, thank and serve the 
 Lord who has given them, walk in His commandments and pos- 
 sess our souls in patience, though ever so lamentably we are 
 persecuted by the hellish Pharaoh and his fierce, unmerciful 
 servants, though we be oppressed, smitten, robbed, murdered, 
 burned at the stake or drowned in the water, yet shall the day of 
 our salvation quickly arrive and all our tears shall be wiped 
 from our eyes and we shall be arrayed in the white silken robe 
 of righteousness and with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob follow the 
 Lamb and sit down in the kingdom of God, and possess the land 
 of eternal peace. Praise God, ye who suffer for Christ's sake, 
 and lift up your heads, for the time is near when ye shall hear, 
 "Come ye blessed," and ye shall then eternally rejoice with Him. 
 (87a; 1 :122b).
 
 XX 
 
 MENNO SIMONS' WRITINGS 
 
 Plain and Clear Proof Against the Blasphemy of 
 
 John of Leiden 
 The Spiritual Resurrection 
 Meditation on the Twenty-fifth Psalm 
 The New Birth 
 The Foundation 
 Christian Baptism 
 
 The Reason Why I do not Cease Teaching 
 Of the True Christian Faith 
 Loving Admonition, on Discipline 
 Brief and Clear Confession, to John a' Lasco 
 Clear Account on Excommunication 
 Confession of the Triune God 
 Questions and Answers, on Discipline 
 Confession Concerning Justification, etc. 
 Brief Defense to all Theologians 
 Humble Supplication to all Magistrates 
 Defense and Reply Concerning False Accusations 
 The Cross of Christ 
 Reply to Geilius Fabcr 
 Confession, on the Incarnation of Christ (Reply to 
 
 a' Lasco 
 Reply to Martin Micron 
 Duties Toward Children 
 Instruction on the Excommunication 
 Answer to Sielis and Lemeke 
 
 Place in 
 
 Place in 
 
 THE Folio 
 
 THE Com- 
 
 Edition 
 
 plete 
 
 OF 1681 
 
 Works 
 
 
 OF 1871 
 
 619-631 
 
 J 1 :425-440 
 
 177-185 
 
 I :229-237 
 
 160-176 
 
 1 :21 3-228 
 
 120-130 
 
 1:165-178 
 
 1-70 
 
 T: 11-102 
 
 393-433 
 
 11:189-231 
 
 435-445 
 
 11:233-255 
 
 71-120 
 
 1 :103-164, 
 
 631-637 
 
 11:441-449 
 
 517-542 
 
 11:325-350 
 
 337-350 
 
 11:120-137 
 
 383-391 
 
 11:179-188 
 
 473-478 
 
 11:276-281 
 
 457-473 
 
 11:257-276 
 
 331-336 
 
 11:115-120 
 
 325-330 
 
 11:107-114 
 
 491-516 
 
 11:297-323 
 
 133-150 
 
 1:179-212 
 
 225-324 
 
 II: 1-105 
 
 351-382 
 
 11:139-177 
 
 543-618 
 
 11:351-424 
 
 215-222 
 
 1 :269-276 
 
 185-214 
 
 I :239-268 
 
 479-490 
 
 11:283-295
 
 Menno Simons' Writings 301 
 
 LETTERS 
 
 To the Melchiorites at Amsterdam, folio edition of Menno's works, 
 637-640; English works, 1:277-280. 
 
 To the Brethren in Amsterdam, folio edition, 641-642; English 
 works, 1:281-282. 
 
 To the Brethren at Franeker in Friesland, Bib. Ref. Neerl, 7:444- 
 447; English works, 1:283-284. 
 
 To the Brethren at Embden in East Friesland, Bib. Ref. Neerl. , 
 7 :448-450 ; English works, 1 :284-285. 
 
 To the Brethren in the Waterland, folio edition, 392; English works, 
 II :232. 
 
 To Margaret Edes, folio edition, 434; English works, 11:401-402. 
 
 To the wife of Leonard Bouwens, folio edition, 455-456; English 
 works, 11:449-451. 
 
 To the Brethren in Prussia. Complete works of Menno Simons, 
 German, Elkhart, Indiana, 1881; 11:652-656. 
 
 To David Joris. Ncdcrl. Archief voor K. Geschicdenis, vol. 5, 1845, 
 pp. 72,-77. Zcitschr. f. hist. Theol, 1863, pp. 143-146. 
 
 On Church Discipline. Doopsges. Bijdragen, 1894, pp. 62-69. 
 
 To an afflicted widow, folio edition, 336; English works, 11:113. 
 A collection of various books of Menno Simons was printed 
 in 1600 and 1601 at Hoorn in Holland. His works (not com- 
 plete) were for the first time printed in 1646. The large Folio 
 Edition of Menno Simons' Complete Works was published at 
 Amsterdam in 1681 by H. J. Herrison. In the English language 
 The Complete Works of Menno Simons appeared in 1871 at 
 Elkhart, Indiana, and in 1876-1881 the works were printed at 
 the same place in the German language.^ A critical edition of 
 Menno's writings is in preparation in Holland. 
 
 1 The repeated assertion that the translators and printers of Menno 
 Simons' Works have changed and perverted certain sentences in his writ- 
 ings and "have given spurious copies of his works to the world" is with- 
 out any foundation whatever. A comparison with the original editions 
 shows that the sentences in question have been accurately reprinted in the 
 later editions and correctly rendered in the English Works.
 
 XXI 
 
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 Handelinge Der Ver-eenigde Vlaemse, en Duytse Doops-gesinde Ge-
 
 306 Menno Simons 
 
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 -, David Joris in R. E., vol. 9. 
 
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 Bibliography 307 
 
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 DICTIONARY 
 
 Alenson, Hans. Minister of the Waterlandians in Delft and 
 Haarlem; died about 1630. 
 
 Augsburg Confession. The most authoritative confession of the 
 Lutheran Church, written by Melanchthon, 1530. 
 
 Baum, Johann Wilhelm. Professor in the Protestant Seminary 
 (Reformed) in Strasburg. 
 
 Beza, Theodor. (1519-1605). The successor of John Calvin in 
 Geneva. 
 
 Blaurock, Georg. One of the founders of the first church of 
 the Swiss Brethren in Zurich. He was burned at the stake at 
 Clausen in Tirol, in 1529. See Martyrs' Mirror, p. 415. 
 
 Bossert, Gustav. A well known Lutheran historian of Germany. 
 
 Brandt, Geeraerdt. Church historian of the Remonstrants in 
 Holland in the eighteenth century. 
 
 Bucer, Martin. (1491-1551). The most noteworthy of the Ger- 
 man state-church reformers, besides Luther, 
 
 Calvin, John. (1509-1564). The Reformer of French Switzer- 
 land. Founder of Reformed and Presbyterian churches. 
 
 Capito, Wolfgang. (1478-1541). Zwinglian reformer in Stras- 
 burg. 
 
 Carlstadt, Andreas. (1480-1541). At first Luther's co-worker in 
 Wittenburg, and later his opponent. Luther's acceptance of the 
 Roman doctrine of the sacraments as means for regeneration and 
 forgiveness of sin was offensive to him. He died as professor in 
 Basel. 
 
 Charles V. (1500-1558). Emperor of Germany, ruler of the 
 Netherlands and King of Spain. 
 
 Cloister. A convent or monastic establishment; the living place 
 of a community of monks or nuns. 
 
 Cornelius, Carl Adolf. Born 1819. Professor of history at Bonn 
 and Munich. A Catholic whose writings on Anabaptist history are 
 distinguished for impartiality and fairness.
 
 314 Dictionary 
 
 Cramer, A. M. Mennonite niinister at Middelburg in the Nether- 
 lands. Historian. 
 
 Cramer, Samuel. (1842-1913). Son of A. M. Cramer. Professor 
 in the jMennonite Theol'Ogical Seminary in Amsterdam. 
 
 Denck, Hans. (1495-1527). An Anabaptist leader who later 
 advocated "the middle way" or "stillistand." He died in 1527. 
 
 Detmer, Heinrich. Head Librarian in the Royal Library at 
 Munster. 
 
 Diet. The administrative assembly of the old German Empire, 
 consisting of representatives of the various provinces and free cities. 
 
 Doopsgezinden. The official name of the Mennonites of the 
 Netherlands, though popularly they are known as Mennonites. The 
 word mean? those who follow the doctrine of (believers') baptism. 
 
 Ecumenical Council. A general council or synod of the bishops 
 and theologians of the early Catholic Church. 
 
 Egli, Emil. Professor of church history in Zurich and editor of 
 the new edition of Zwingli's works. He published two important 
 books on the history of the Swiss Anabaptists. 
 
 Elector. One of the (seven) princes of the old German Empire 
 entitled to choose the Emperor. 
 
 Electorate, A state or province ruled by an elector. 
 
 Estates. The representatives of the old German Empire. 
 
 Flemish Mennonites. The Mennonites of Flanders, or those 
 who, in consequence of the extraordinarily bloody persecution pre- 
 vailing in that province fled from Flanders to other parts. 
 
 Franck, Sebastian. (1499- 1543). A Come-outer of the Reforma- 
 tion times. He rejected the ordinances and all churcli organization. 
 A noteworthy historian. 
 
 Geneva. A city in French Switzerland; for many years the 
 scene of John Calvin's labors and the center of t'he Calvinistic Refor- 
 mation. 
 
 Grebel, Conrad. The most distinguished of the group of men 
 who founded the first congregation of the Swiss Brethren at Zurich, 
 Switzerland, in 1525. He died in prison at Maienfeld, in 1526. 
 
 Hardenberg, Albert Rizaeus. Reformer of Bremen. Died in 1574. 
 
 Hegler, Alfred. Professor of Protestant tlieology at Tubingen 
 in Wurtemberg. 
 
 Herzog-Hauck Theological Encyclopedia. The great Protestant 
 Encyclopedia. The Xcw Scliaff-llerzog Religious Encyclopedia is 
 based on it. 
 
 Hierarchy. A body of ecclesiastical rulers; the Roman priest- 
 hood. 
 
 Hoekstra, Sytse. (1822-1898). Professor in the iMennoiiite Tiie- 
 ological Seminary in Amsterdam.
 
 Dictionary 315 
 
 Hofmann, Melchior. The founder of the Melchiorites or Coven- 
 anters. He was imprisoned in Strasburg from 1533 to his death 
 (1543 or 1544). 
 
 Holland. In Menno Simons' time this name was applied to the 
 northwestern part of the Netherlands, not to the Netherlands in 
 general. 
 
 Honorius. (384-423). Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 
 Hosius, Stanislaus. (1504-1579). Cardinal and prominent Roman 
 Catholic theologian. 
 
 Host. The wafer used instead of the bread in Mass as well 
 as in the communion service of the Roman Catholic Church. The 
 host is believed to be Christ Himself and hence i's worshiped. The 
 elevation of the host is a feature of IMlass, the host being held up 
 and presented before the congregation which worships it in kneeling 
 posture. 
 
 Hubmaier, Balthasar. The most distinguished writer among the 
 Anabaptists of South Germany, Switzerland and Moravia. His fol- 
 lowers constituted a distinctive party of Anabaptists. He was 
 burned at the stake in or near Vienna in 1528 
 
 Hunzinger, A. W. Lutheran theologian in Hamburg, Germany. 
 
 Huterites. Named after Jacob Huter who was burned at the 
 stake at Innsbruck in Tyrol, in 1536. They differed from the Men- 
 nonites and Swiss Brethren principally in having their possessions in 
 common. They have a number of churches in South Dakota and 
 Montana. Not all their congregations adhere to the communistic 
 life. 
 
 Krauth, Heinz. Anabaptist martyr who was beheaded at Jena in 
 Saxony, on January 26, 1536. 
 
 Kuehler, W. J. The successor to Professor S. Cramer in the 
 Mennonite Seminary in Amsterdam. 
 
 Kuijper, Abraham. The noted Dutch Reformed theologian, for- 
 mer prime minister of the Netherlands. 
 
 Landgrave. The title of the ruler of Hesse. 
 
 a'Lasko, John. (1499-1560). A native of Poland where he labored 
 as a reformer in the later years of his life. 
 
 Loserth, Johann. Distinguished Protestant church historian of 
 Austria. 
 
 Manz, Felix. One of the founders of the first Swiss Brethren 
 congregation in Zurich. He suffered martyrdom by drowning at 
 Zurich, in 1527. See Martyrs' Mirror, p. 400. 
 
 Marbeck, Pilgram. After the martyrdom of Michael Sattler, in 
 1527, tlu- most prominent minister among the -Anabaptists in South 
 Germany. Tie labored, principally, at Strasburg and Augsburg. 
 
 Matthys, Jan. A baker of Haarlem in Holland who, with John
 
 316 Dictionary 
 
 of Leyden, became the founder of the Munsterite sect. He lost his 
 life during the siege of Munster in 1534. 
 
 Melanchthon, P. (1497-1560). Luther's most distinguished helper 
 in the task of the church reformation. Professor in Wittenberg. 
 
 Melchiorites. The followers of Melchior Hofmann; also known 
 as Covenanters. 
 
 Menius, Justus. (1499-1558). The reformer of Thuringia. He 
 wrote a number of books against the Anabaptists. 
 
 Micron, Martin. (1522-1559). Born in Flanders, proibably at 
 Ghent. Labored as Zwinglian Reformer in London, Frankfort 
 a. ]\L and Norden in East Friesland. 
 
 Moravia. Province of Austria, east of Bohemia. 
 
 Musculus, Wolfgang. (1497-1563). Reformed theologian. Pastor 
 in Strasburg and Augsburg; since 1549 professor of theology in Bern. 
 
 Netherlands. In the Reformation period the Netherlands com- 
 prised modern Belgium as well as Holland. 
 
 Protestant. In 1529, at the Diet of Speier, the Lutheran and 
 Zwinglian Estates protested against a plan which was designed 
 eventually to suppress the Reformation, hence they were called 
 Protestants and this designation ihas become the usual name of 
 Christian professors not belonging to the Roman Catholic or to one 
 of the Eastern churches. 
 
 Reformed Church. In certain countries the followers of Ulrich 
 Zwingli and John Calvin are known as the Reformed, while in other 
 countries they are called Presbyterians. In America the Reformed 
 and Presbyterians are distinct denominations. 
 
 Rothmann, Bernt. The theologian of the Munsterites. 
 
 Sacrament in both kinds. In the Roman Church the cup is with- 
 held from the laity under the pretext that the bread or host is the 
 body of the Lord and that the body is not bloodless, hence the blood 
 is given although the cup is withheld. The expression "both kinds" 
 refers to the cup and bread. 
 
 Saints. In the language of Scripture the believers are the saints. 
 In Roman Catholic theology the saints are those who have been 
 canonized or declared holy by the pope and to whom prayer is to 
 be offered. 
 
 Scheffer, Jakob Gysbert de Hoop. (1819-1893). Profess'or in the 
 Mennonite Theological Seminary in Amsterdam. The most dis- 
 tinguished Mennonite historian. 
 
 Schwenckfeld, Caspar. (1490-1561). He is considered the foun- 
 der of the Schwenckfelder Church, although he did not desire to 
 found a church. His followers organized themselves after liis death.
 
 Dictionary 317 
 
 Servetus, Michael. (i5ii-i553). A Spaniard who was condemned 
 to death and burned at the stake in Geneva for various unorthodox 
 teachings. 
 
 Speier or Spires. A city in the Palatinate where the German 
 Diet convened repeatedly in the Reformation period. 
 
 Strasburg. A city on the upper Rhine. The capital of Alsace. 
 
 Theodosius II. (401-450). Emperor of the Eastern Empire 
 {Capital Constantinople). 
 
 Theodosius III. Eastern emperor w'ho ruled 716-717. 
 
 Thirty Years' War. (1618-1648). A religious war, at least in its 
 first period, between the Catholic provinces of Germany headed by 
 the Emperor, and the Lutheran and Zwinglian states. The latter 
 •were aided by (Lutheran) Sweden and (Catholic) France. 
 
 Trijpmaker, Jan.. Jan Volkerts of Embden was a brogue (holl. 
 trijp) maker by trade and was called by this name. 
 
 Transubstantiation. The doctrine that the Bread and Wine is 
 conTcrted into the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist or 
 Mass. 
 
 Tschackert, Paul. Professor of theology (Protestant) in the 
 University of Gottingcn. 
 
 Unitarian. One who, unduly emphasizing the unity of God, 
 denies His Trinity, and hence also denies the deity of Christ. The 
 Unitarians believe in Jesus of Nazareth as a great moral teacher, 
 but not as the Savior. 
 
 Valentinian III. Emperor of the Western Roman Empire from 
 425 to 4SS. 
 
 Van Braght, Thieleman Janz. (1625-1664). Minister of the 
 Mennonites of Dort in the Netherlands. A prominent conservative 
 leader and staunch opponent of the new views advocated by Galenus 
 Abrahams. He presided over the great conference held in June, 
 1660, at Leyden. Author of the "Martyrs' Mirror" and of a catechism 
 which was used till the middle of the nineteenth century by con- 
 servative Mennonites. 
 
 Volkerts, Jan. Baptized by Melchior Hofmann in Embden, 
 labored at Embden and Amsterdam, suffered martyrdom December 
 5, 1531- 
 
 Vos, K. Mennonite minister at Middelstum in the Netherlands. 
 
 Waterland. A district in the nort/hern part of the province of 
 Holland in the Netherlands. 
 
 Wittenberg. City in Saxony. The center of the Lutheran Refor- 
 mation. Both Luther and Melanchthon were professors in the 
 university at this place. 
 
 Wheel. The expression "the wheel" is used in Menno Simons' 
 writings for "breaking on the wheel" which was a form of torture
 
 18 Dictionary 
 
 and execution. The victim was placed on a cart-wheel and his limbs 
 tied to the spokes. On the slowly revolving wheel his bones were 
 broken with blows of an iron bar. 
 
 Wizel, George. A Lutheran theologian of the Reformation 
 period who returned into the fold of the Roman Church. 
 
 Woodsawer, (Houtzager) Peter. Mentioned in Obbe Philips' 
 "Confessions." His occupation was that of a wood sawer; his 
 family name is not known. Dirck Philips was baptized by him 
 (1533).
 
 INDEX 
 
 Aachen, 83, 163 
 
 Absolution, 240, 248 
 
 Adamites, 199 
 
 African bishops, 119 
 
 Ahlefeld, Bartholomew von, 217, 
 
 218 
 Albert, Margrave of Brandenburg, 
 
 170 
 Alenson, Hans, 146, 164, 165 
 Altars, 123 
 Alsace, 135 
 America, 222 
 Amsdorf, 95 
 
 Amsterdam, 58, 59, 163, 185, 301 
 Anabaptists, a misnomer, 267 
 Andrese, Johann Valentin, 114 
 Anna, Countess of East Friesland, 
 
 78 
 Antichrist, 29, 40, 98, 118, 119, 128, 
 
 273, 274, 282 
 Antiochus, 99, 294 
 Antwerp, 219 
 Appeldoorn, J. G., 137 
 Aristotle, 149 
 Arnhelm, 81 
 Aschendorf, 194 
 
 Atonement, doctrine of, 237-239 
 Augsburg Confession, 123, 127 
 Augustine, church father, 224, 225, 
 
 262 
 Austria, 46, 124 
 Avoidance of the excluded, 145, 
 
 195 
 
 Backereel, Hermes, 88-91 
 
 Balk, 153 
 
 Baltic sea, 87 
 
 Baptismal regeneration, doctrine 
 
 of, 22, 246 
 Baptism, doctrine of, 260-262 
 Baptism, import of, 261 
 Baptism of households, 265 
 Baptism of infants, 22, 23 
 Baptists, 44, 134 
 
 Basel, 41, 107, 169, 190-192 
 Batenburgers, 40, 41, 157, 160, 177, 
 
 178 
 Batenburg, Jan Theodor of, 41, 53, 
 
 177, 178 
 Bauni, Johann, Wilhelm, 47 
 Bavaria, 55, 106 
 Beggars, 280 
 Believers' baptism, import of, 120, 
 
 121 
 Berlin, 137 
 
 Bern, 43, 45, 107, 127 
 Beza, Theodore, 74, 80 
 Blanckenham, 54 
 Blaurer, Ambrosius, 45 
 Blaurock, George, 127 
 Blesdijk, Xicolaus, 188-191 
 Bocholt, 178-180 
 Boehmer, H., 135 
 Bolsward, 17 
 Bos, P. G., 163 
 Bossert, Gustav, 47 
 Bouwens, Leonard, 83-86, 211, 212, 
 
 301 
 Brabant, 70. 106 
 Braitniichl, Caspar, 106 
 Brandenburg, 107, 108 
 Brandenburg-Kulmbach, 170 
 Brandt, G., 209 
 liruges, 177, 200 
 Bruges, John of, 190, 191 
 Brunswick, 169 
 Brussels, 54 
 Bucer, Martin, 23. 45. 97, 98, 139, 
 
 206, 224 
 Bullinger, Heinrich, 23. 44, 47, 91, 
 
 102, 113, 114, 148, 174, 176 
 Buscher, Hans, 219 
 Buttlar. Eva. 176 
 
 Calvin, John, 74, SO. 102. 112. 123. 
 
 125. 127, 128 165, 171 213 221 
 Calvinists, 46 127 
 Candles. 263
 
 320 
 
 Index 
 
 Capital punishment, 173, 286 
 
 Capito, Wolfgang, 45 
 
 Carlstadt, Andreas, 93, 125, 127 
 
 Carthage, council of, 267 
 
 Cathedrals, 264 
 
 Centsen, Jan, 134 
 
 Ceulen, Peter of, 128 
 
 Charles V, Emperor, 21, 55, 11, 99, 
 
 101 
 Chase, Ira, 87 
 Christ llig deity and humanity, 
 
 228-233 
 Christ, 11 is office, 233, 234 
 Christian, king of Denmark. 88 
 Church, doctrine of, 139, 140, 254- 
 
 256 
 Church fathers, 231 
 Circumcelliones, 68 
 Circumcision, 257-260, 263, 267 
 Claeszoon, Jan, 58 
 Cleve, 82 
 Cloisters, 264 
 
 Cologne, 77, 78. 80, 81, 83, 88 
 Communism, 278 
 Confessions, 240, 248 
 Cornelis, Adrian, 134, 201 
 Cornelius, Carl Adolf, 47, 112 
 Corporeal presence of Christ in 
 
 bread and wine, 271 
 Cramer, A. M., 173 
 Cramer, S., 19, 147, 150, 195, 196, 
 
 197, 200. 206 
 Cyprian, 119, 225, 267, 268 
 
 Danzig, 87 
 
 Davidians, 40, 41, 87, 157-161. 177- 
 
 193, 194, 222 
 Davidians on infant baptism, 188 
 Death sentence for heresy, 100, 101 
 Delft, 177. 186 
 Denck. Mans 127, 206 
 Deiickians, 187 
 Denmark, 88-90 
 Dctmer. ileinrich, 172 
 Discipline. Meniio on, 139-145, 272, 
 
 277 
 Divorce. 171, 172 
 Dollinger, Ignaz, 127 
 Dorpen, 194 
 Dort. 134, 135, 201 
 Doskcr, Henry R.. 198. 222 
 Douwen. W. J. van. 201. 202 
 Drinking houses, 67 
 Diisseldorf, 174 
 
 Eastern language, 205 
 
 East Friesland, 17, 53, 58, 78, 80, 
 
 89, 301 
 Ebionites, 168 
 lulos. Margaret, 78, 164, 165, 214- 
 
 216, 301 
 Edes, Rcyn, 78 
 Edward VI, king of England, 80^ 
 
 88 
 Ecnighenburg, 219 
 Egli. Emil, 46 
 
 Elevation of the host, 123, 125, 126 
 iMiibden. 22, 78, 79, 87, 128, 194, 
 
 203, 212, 222, 301 
 England, 88, 89, 98 
 Ephrata, Pa., 107 
 Erhard, Christoph, 107 
 Eusebius, 168, 186 
 Exorcism, 123, 126 
 
 Faber, Gellius, 17, 18, 21, 32, 33, 
 
 39, 57, 7Z, 87, 104, 118, 119. 122, 
 
 135, 144. 159, 199, 300 
 Faith, 240-243 
 I'cet washing, 271, 272 
 I-oldsberg, 107, 124 
 Felbinger, Claus, 106 
 Fencing-schools, 67 
 Fischer, Christophus Andreas, 46, 
 
 107, 124 
 Fischer, George Park, 42 
 Fischerswert, 81 
 Flanders, 70, 106 
 Flemish confessions, 134 
 Flemish Mennonites, 128, 134. 200, 
 
 201 
 lu)U)idatoii, revision of, 59, 205 
 Iniessli. Johann Conrad, 47 
 France, 170 
 
 I^'ranck, Sebastian, 96, 112 
 Francker, 301 
 h'rankenthal, 202 
 Frankfurt, a. M., 107 
 Free Will, 221 
 Frerichs, Sikke, 22, 23 
 Fresenburg, 217 
 Friesland,^ 17. 19, 32, 53-58, 70, 73, 
 
 77, l(>3, 204, 218, 301 
 h'risian Confession, 134 
 }*"roschower Bible, 88 
 Froschower New Testament, 107 
 
 Geelen, Jan van, 163 
 Gelders, 70, 106 
 Geneva, 80 
 
 George of Parris, 80 
 Gerbrands, Claes, 59 
 
 t
 
 Index 
 
 321 
 
 Gen-etsen, J. H., 91, 151 
 
 Gerrits, Lubbert, 134 
 
 Gillis of Aachen, S3. 174, 219 
 
 Goch, 87, 194 
 
 Golden calf, made of baptism, 248 
 
 Gothland, 87 
 
 Graiss, 163 
 
 Grebel. Conrad, 93, 127 
 
 GrispetT, Pieter, 201 
 
 (ironingcn, 32, 53, 58. 78, 163 
 
 Gross, Jacob, 112 
 
 i laariem, 200, 201 
 
 Hague, The, 178 
 
 Mailer. Berchthold. 44 
 
 Hamburg, 92, 217 
 
 Hamelmann, 199 
 
 Hanseatic league, 87 
 
 Haidenberg, A. li.. ^A, 82 
 
 Haslenrath, Tcunis von, 81 
 
 i I ayes, Sjonck, 55 
 
 Hedge-preachers, 103, 112 
 
 Heglcr, Alfred, 47 
 
 Hell, 29S 
 
 ilenry, Duke of Brunswick, 169 
 
 Herman von Wied, Elector of 
 
 Cologne, 80, 8l 
 Herrison, H. J., 301 
 Hesse, 27, 100, 109 
 Historical development, 35 
 Hochhnth, K W. H., 47 
 Hoekstra, S., 128. 129, 200 
 Hofmann, Melchior, 43, 161, 175. 
 
 207 
 Holdeuian, Jolin, 60 
 Holland, 106, 134, 163. 200. 221. 
 
 222 301 
 llolstein, 78, 83, 92. 217 
 Holy Ghost, doctrine of, 235 
 Holy water, 238. 248, 263. 264 
 Honorius, emperor, 101, 
 Hoorn, 301 
 
 Hosius, Cardinal, 209 
 Hubmaier, Balthasar. 202. 2! 3 
 Hulsliof, Abraham, 47 
 Hunzinger, A. W.. 175 
 Hut, Hans, 202 
 Huterites, 41, 43, 106, 124. 12o, 141. 
 
 145, 172, 187, 202, 221 
 Huysman, Bartholomew. 89 
 
 Idolatry, 26, 27 
 Idol houses, 123 
 Illekhoven, 81 
 
 Incarnation, doctrine of. 31, 79, 
 1-16-152, 195, 201, 234, 235 
 
 Incense, 123 
 
 indulgences, 238 
 
 Infant baptism, Luther on, 129 
 
 Infaiit baptism, meaning of, 120. 
 
 121 
 Infant baptism unscriptural, 262- 
 
 265 
 Infant baptist denominations, 40 
 in farts, salvation of, 265 
 Instrumental music 123 
 interim. 96, 97. 98 
 
 Jans, Peter, 53 
 
 janz, Gerrit, 32 
 
 Janz, hierman, 32 
 
 ielsum, 22 
 
 jcna, 104 
 
 Jews. 120, 124, 185, 193 
 
 Joachim, Margrave of Branden- 
 burg, 107 
 
 John. Elector of Saxony, 94, 100 
 
 John Frederick, Elector of Sax- 
 ony. 100, 169 
 
 John, son of Menno, 220 
 
 loris, David, 41. 80. 110. 133. 156, 
 177-193, 301 
 
 Julich, 163 
 
 Juniata College Library, 60, 6l 
 
 Juctiikation by faith. 244-246 
 
 Kaiiipen, 53 
 
 Kes5ler, Johannes. 44. 127 
 
 Kevs of binding and loosing. 142 
 
 iviel, 60, 61 
 
 Kimswerd, 53 
 
 Kiss, the holy, 271 
 
 Koehler, V, alter, 135 
 
 Krauth, Heinz. 104 
 
 Kuehler, W. J., 61, 201 
 
 Kuijpcr, Abraham, 41 
 
 Kuvper, Frar.cis Reines, 134. 203 
 
 Lacedemonians, 286 
 Lamberts, I iicas, 58 
 a'Lasco. John, 74. 78-81. 88. 89, 
 
 151, 152, 158. 212. 300 
 Law. the, 237 
 Leeuwarden. 22. 54. 55 
 i^eipzig, 107 
 Lemeke. 300 
 Lcmke, a deacon. 81, 88 
 Levden. Tohn of. 41, 42. 153-178. 
 
 193. 207, 211. 226 
 Liberalism, modern, 132-138 
 Libertinism, 179 
 Liberty of consciem-e, 66. 100, 222
 
 322 
 
 Index 
 
 Likeness of Menno, 220 
 
 Lir.ibur^. 163 
 
 Lir.nich, 81 
 
 Livonia. 87 
 
 London, 88 
 
 Losectii, Joliann, 47 
 
 Lother, Mattliaus, 113 
 
 Liibeck, 82, S7, 92, 188, 194. 198, 
 
 217 
 Liineburg, 92 
 Luther, 18-24, 27, 30. 40, 41, 80, 88, 
 
 93-96, 100, 101, 103, 107, 108, 112. 
 
 123, 125-130, 139, lo5, 171, 172, 
 
 175-177, 213, 221, 2(A, 271 
 
 iMagistracy, Duties to, 2^*^ 
 
 McX'Stricht, 163 
 
 Manz, Felix, 127 
 
 Marbeck, Piigram, 112 
 
 ]\lartens, Roelof, see Adam Pastor 
 
 Martyrs' Mirror, 200, 201, 220 
 
 Marv, Regent of the Netherlands, 
 
 21,' 54. 55 
 Marv, Queen of England. 88. 98 
 Mas's, 19. 20. 26, 27, 30, 123, 126 
 Matthys, Jan, 175 207, 211 
 iXiaurice, Duke of Saxony. 96, 98 
 McGlothlin, W. J., 135 
 Mccklenhurg, 87 
 Meditation on the 2Stli Psalm, date 
 
 of, 35 
 Jiiccting houses, 124 
 Melanchthon. 18, 97, 101. 104. 110. 
 
 123. 125 
 Melchiontes, 22, 32, 37, lol, 178, 
 
 179, 189, 190, 2(M. 301 
 Menius, Justus, 101 
 Menno medal, 220 
 Menno monument, 220 
 Mcnnonite confessions. 134 
 Memionitc Librarv in Amsterdam. 
 
 58. 134 
 Menno Simons' brother, 26, 159 
 Menno .'^imons' daughter, 218 
 Menno Simons' wife, 32, (S. 72, 73, 
 
 78, 82 
 Mtiise river, 81 
 Micron. Martin, 80, 88, 91, 148, 149, 
 
 151 205, 206, 210, 212, 213, 300 
 Middle Way, 189 
 ■Ministers, quafihcations of, 277 
 Ministers, support of, 278 
 Mis^Min work. 50, 112. 22! 
 Mohamet, 124 
 MoUenhecke, 159 
 Moravia. lOT). 107. 124 221 
 
 -Moravian Anabaptists, 202 
 Munster, 41, 153, 154, 185, 199, 226 
 Munstcrites. 25, 26. 28, 32, 34, 40- 
 
 44, 100, 153-176 
 Musculus. Wolfgang. 148. 149 
 
 Xaumbiirg, 95 
 
 Xero, 99 
 
 .Veulen, Jan. 81 
 
 New birth, 246 
 
 Xcw Israel, 171 
 
 Xew life, 249-254 
 
 Xew 1 estament, relation to Old, 
 
 122-125, 171 
 X;ice, Council of, 119, 267, 268 
 Xicolai, Gcrhardus, 199 
 Xicolaitancs, 168, 176 
 Nicolsburg articles, 202, 203 
 Xon-conformity to llie World, 287 
 Xon-rosistance, doctrine of. 129-131, 
 
 153, 176, 196, 281-286 
 Norden, 89 
 Xorth Holland, 58, 219 
 
 Oath, 196, 286-289 
 
 Obbcnites. 31. 34. 35, 42, 43, 150, 
 
 178, 180, 194 
 Oldcloisterites, 25, 34. 159-165 
 Oldcreum, 53 
 Oldesloe, 83, 217 
 Obi Flemish confession, 134 
 Oliz'e Branch, confession, 134 
 Oppcidieim, 96 
 Ordinances, doctrine of, 39, 243, 
 
 256-260 
 Origen. church father. 224, 225, 
 
 262 
 Original sin, 79, 128, 146. 236 
 Outerman, Jacques. 134, 200, 201 
 
 Palatinate, 202 
 
 Palms, 264 
 
 Parables, exposition of, 255 
 
 Pastor, Adam. 133. 194-200, 212 
 
 Pennsylvania. 59 
 
 Pennypacker. S. W., 18, 59 
 
 Peters Quirinus, 58 
 
 Philil), Landgrave of Hesse, 100, 
 
 101, 169, 172 
 Philips brothers, 204 
 Pliilips, Dirk, 61. 62. 83, 87, 129. 
 
 188, 194, 197, 198. 222, 271 
 Philips. Obbe, 31, 32, 39, 61, 62, 
 
 178, 199 
 Pilgrimnges. 238, 264 
 Pilgrim l-'athers, 222
 
 Index 
 
 323 
 
 Pingjum, 17, 19, 22, 24, 166 
 
 Pius X, pope, 130 
 
 Play-kou»es, 67 
 
 PoJancl, 78, 202 
 
 Polygamy, 159, 172, 174, 186 
 
 Prayer for the dead, 264 
 
 Prayer of Menno for liberty of 
 
 conscience, 37 
 Predestination, 128, 221, 254 
 Priestly robes, 123, 126, 263 
 Printing press, Menno's, 218 
 Pronhets. false, 156 
 Prussia, 301 
 Purity of the churcli, 140, 270 
 
 Rademacher, Reinken, 81 
 
 Rationalism, 132 
 
 Rauf Bisch, 202 
 
 Raymakers, Jater, 81 
 
 Rcbaptism bv Paul, 267 
 
 Rederijkers 83, 177 
 
 Regeneratkin, 246-249 
 
 Religious parties, five, 157 
 
 Repentance, 239, 240 
 
 Resurrection, doctrine of, 196 
 
 Revelations, new, 225 
 
 Reynders, Tjard, 53, IZ 
 
 Riches, dangers and right use of, 
 
 280 
 Ries, Hans de, 134, 20Q 
 Ris, Cornelis, 134 
 RituaHsm, 122 
 Roennond, 82 
 Ronsdorf, 176 
 Roosen, Gerrit, 18 
 Rostock, 92 
 
 Rothmann, Bcrnt, 170, 171, 176 
 Russia, 87 
 
 Sabbatarians, 173 
 
 Sacramcntarians, 92, 100 
 
 SacravAcntschaender, 271 
 
 St. Gall, 45, 127, 206 
 
 Sanctification, 79 
 
 Sattler, Michael, 135 
 
 Saxony, 27, 31, 93, 94, 100, 109, 113 
 
 Schaffhausen, 135 
 
 Scheffer. T. G. de Hoop, 196, 198, 
 
 221 
 Schlatten, 135 
 
 Schocmacker, Douwe. 1()4, 165 
 Schottlaiid, 87 
 Schugger, Thomas, 206 
 Schwrenckfeld, Caspar, 37, 114, 118 
 Schwenckf elder, 114 
 
 Scriptures, authority of, 35, 36, 
 
 221, 224-226 
 Scripture interpretation, Menno's 
 
 principle of, 1/1 
 Sects, corrupt, 41, 157, 158, 166, 
 
 167, 169, 180, 184 
 Servetus, Michael, 80 
 Siclis, 300 
 Silesia, 108 
 
 Sin, doctrine of, 236. 237 
 Smalcaldian War, 82, 88, 96 
 Sinit, R. J., 153 
 Snyder, Sikke, see Frerichs 
 Snyer, Lyske, 81 
 Social Message of the Church, 278- 
 
 280 
 Socinians, 200, 202 
 Sommelsdyk, 83 
 Speier, 11, 100 
 State church Reformation, 20, 21, 
 
 23, 24, 30, 31, 93-127 
 Steenwijk, 177 
 
 Stewanlship, Christian, 278-282 
 Stillsiattd, 37, 38, 102 
 Stralsund, 92 
 
 Strasburg, 23, 97, 112, 2«1, 206 
 Supper, the Lord's, 268-271 
 Sweden, 87 
 Swiss Brethren, 31, 41-43, 107, 114, 
 
 124, 126, 127, 134, 141, 145. 172- 
 
 174, 187, 201, 202, 221 
 Symonson, Peter, 163 
 
 Tapers. 264 
 
 Tares and wheat, parable of. 154, 
 
 291, 294 
 Taverns, the drunkea, 67 
 Taxes, 289 
 Ten Gate, E. M., 134 
 Tertullian, 225 
 
 Theodosius II, emperor. 101 
 Thirty Years' War, >20 
 Trijpmaker, Jan, see Jan Volkerts 
 Trinitv, doctrine of, 226-228 
 Tschackert, Paul, 46, 171, 172 
 Turks. 98, 124 
 Twisck, Peter Janz, 134, 218 
 
 Union of church and state, 94-129, 
 Unitarianisni, 195, 202, 206 
 Upper German churches, 134, 201 
 Upper Palatinate, 96 
 Utrecht, 17 
 
 Vadian, Joachim, 45 
 Valeiitinian III, emperor. 102
 
 324 Index 
 
 Van Braght, Thieleman Janz. 134. Wismar Decisions, 92 
 
 220 Wittenberg, 125, 127 
 
 Vlekwvk, Herman, 200 Witniarsuin, 17, 19, 24, 32, 56, 78, 
 
 Volkcr'ts. Jan, 22 161, 165, 166, 204, 220 
 
 Voluntary Principle, 93, 221 Wizel George. 114 
 
 Vos, K., 25, 53, 55, 79, 128. 141. Woodsawcr, Peter, 204 
 
 146, 147, 155. 163, 164. 202, 204- Wormer, 59 
 
 213, 222 Woulden, 53 
 
 Vrancken. Metken. 81 Wiistenfelde, 83, 217, 218, 220 
 X'nlgate, 87 
 
 Zionites, 176 
 
 Waldshut, 112 Zofingen, 43, 45 
 
 Waterland, 163, 301 Zurich, li, 43, 44. 87, 91. 93, 107, 
 
 Waterlandians. 133, 200 112, 127 
 
 Waterlandian confessions, 134 Zwickau, 113 
 
 Wesel, 82, 163 Zwingli, Ulrich, 20-24, 31. 93, 102, 
 
 Westphalia, 178, 194 112, 124, 125, 128, 139, 165, 169, 
 
 Wismar. 87-92. 212. 217, 218 171. 175. 176, 213, 221, 254
 
 THE NETHERLA: S and northwest GERMANY. 
 
 c
 
 A SHORT HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY 
 
 By John Horsch. 5x7^ in. 304 pages. 
 EXCERPTS FROM REVIEWS 
 
 A serviceable review of ehurch history. — prof. w. koehler, ix 
 
 THEOL. JAHKESBERICHT, VOL. 24, p. 483. 
 
 We have read the book with much interest and proht. — christian 
 
 CONSEKVATOR, JTIT.Y 8. 1903. . * * * •, 
 
 It gives in a straightforward way the gist of the matter,^ la 
 
 compact and full of information. — mich. chr. advoc.\te. aug. 1. 19U3. 
 
 The author's style is clear; he goes right to the pomt, compellmg 
 attention whether the reader always agrees with his deductions or not. — 
 
 THE LUTHERAN OBSERVER. AIM.'. 21, 1903. 
 
 The author has chosen his own method of treatment of church his- 
 tory. * * The matter is couched in readable style and will prove of gen- 
 eral interest. — rel. telescope, jul. 1. 1903. • , ^u • *• * 
 
 A sketch dealing rather with the progress of practical Christianity 
 during the centuries than with the church as an organization, and pre- 
 senting the essential facts in a simple style. — chr. endeavor world, 
 sept. 4, 1903. „ , 
 
 The Christian student will receive it gladly, it giving in concise form 
 that which can only be obtained by the patient study of volumes and 
 libraries. — ST. louis chr. advocate, jul. 22, 1903. 
 
 It should be said that the author has done his work very well, com- 
 pressing a vast amount of history into a small space. In general he has 
 treated his various subjects with fairness and clearness. * * * A valuable 
 little manual. — journal and messenger, nov. 19, 1903. 
 
 The peruliaritv of this work is that it is written from an American 
 point of view ; that is, the view of the independence and freedom of the 
 church from statecraft and civil control. This gives it a distinct charac- 
 ter and adds to its value for our people. — pittsburg chr. advocate, dec. 
 
 3, i903. . , , , ,, 
 
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 story of Christianity from the beginning until now. The point of view is 
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 spiritual conflict, triumph and advance. * * * We hope his readers will be 
 very many. — the examiner, new york, jul. 9, 1903. 
 
 " Written in the clearest English. — It is a rather cheap looking book, 
 but its contcNts are worthy of attention. — the standard, Chicago, dec. 
 
 19. 1903. ^ , , ■ . r 
 
 The author aims to write church history from the standpoint ot 
 "Independentism," that is, the principle of the separation of church and 
 state. This position, the author claims, is not taken by the "noted church 
 historians of PLurope," and bv the American historians who imitated them. 
 We are not sufficicntlv acquainted with the subject to confirm or deny 
 this contention. But we note that his outline consistently differs some- 
 what from the usual divisions. * * We admire the treatment of church 
 historv from this standpoint and the book gives fresh interest on this 
 account. It is, thus far. original. * * Altogether the book before us has 
 valuable and praiseworthy features. We bespeak for it a future. — -bhe 
 
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 i5"7l 58 00714 0220 
 
 EX 
 
 81^3 
 M5H78