to this celestial republic. But the issue of the scene was tragical and dis
tressing. For after a long siege, the city being captured in 1536 by its
bishop, Francis count Waldec, who was also its temporal lord, this New
Jerusalem of the Anabaptists was destroyed, and its king punished with
the utmost severity.(12) From these and other events of a similar char
acter which occurred about this time in various places,(13) it was but too



(11) [" Bockholdt, or Bockelson, alias
John of Leyden, who headed them at Mun
ster, ran stark naked in the streets, married
eleven wives, at the same time, to show his
approbation of polygamy, and entitled him
self King" of Sion ; all which was but a
very small part of the pernicious follies of
this mock-monarch." Mad."]

(12) Anton. Corvini Narratio de misera-
bili Monaster. Anabapt. excidio ; first pub
lished, Wittemb., 1536, and then elsewhere :
and the other writers mentioned by Casper
Sagittarius, Introd. in Historian! Eccles.,
torn, i., p. 537 and 835. Add Hcrm.
Hamelmanris Historia renati Evangelii in
urbe Monasterii ; in his Opera Genealogico-
Historica, p. 1203, &c. The elegant and
accurately written Latin elegiac poem of
Jo. Fabricius Boland, entitled : Motus
Monasteriensis Libri decem, Cologne 154G,
8vo. Hem. Kerssenbrock s Historia belli
Monasteriensis ; published by Dan. Gerdes,
Miscellan. Groningens. nova, tome ii., p.
377. Gerdes also treats (ibid., torn, ii., p.
403) of Bernhard Rohtmann, a minister of
the gospel at Munster, a man in other re
spects neither of a bad character nor un
learned, who joined with these Anabaptists,
find aided them in their mad projects.

(13) ["The scenes of violence, tumult,
and sedition, that were exhibited in Hol
land by this odious tribe, were also terrible.



They formed the design of reducing the
city of Leyden to ashes, but were happily
prevented and severely punished. John
of Leyden, the anabaptist king of Mun
ster, had taken it into his head that God
had made him a present of the cities of Am
sterdam, Deventer, and Wescl ; in conse
quence thereof, he sent bishops to these
three places, to preach his gospel of sedi
tion and carnage. About the beginning of
the year 1535, twelve Anabaptists, of whom
five were women, assembled at midnight in
a private house at Amsterdam. One of
them, who was a tailor by profession, fell
into a trance, and after having preached and
prayed for the space of four hours, stripped
himself naked, threw his clothes into the
fire, and commanded all the assembly to do
the same, in which he was obeyed without
the least reluctance. He then ordered
them to follow him through the streets in
this state of nature, which they accordingly
did, howling and bawling out, Wo / -wo !
the wrath of God ! the wrath of God ! wo
to Babylon ! When, after being seized and
brought before the magistrates, clothes
were offered them to cover their indecency,
they refused them obstinately, and cried
aloud, We are the naked truth ! Whep
they were brought to the scaffold, they sung
and danced, and discovered all the marks oi
enthusiastic phrensy. These tumults wer



20G BOOK IV. CENT. XVI. SEC. III. PART II. CHAP. III.

manifest whither the principles of this school would lead unstable and in
cautious men ; and hence it is not strange that the magistrates were eager
to extirpate the roots of such mischief with fire and sword. (14)

8. When this miserable sect was in the utmost consternation, partly
from the extinction of all their hopes from the men of Munster. and partly
from anxiety about their personal safety, while they saw the best as well
as the worst among them daily hurried away to certain execution ; great
consolation and relief were afforded them, by Menno Simonis of Friesland,
who was once a popish priest, and as he himself confesses a debauched
character. He first covertly and secretly united with the Anabaptists ;
but afterwards in the year 1536, quitting the sacred office he had hitherto
held among the papists, he openly espoused their cause. And now in the
year 1537, he listened to the entreaties of several of these people, whom
he describes as sober, pious persons, that had taken no part in the criminal
transactions at Munster, but who as others believe, had been associates of
the Westphalian rabble, but had become wiser by the calamities of their
brethren, and consented to assume the functions of a religious teacher
among them. From this period to the end of his days or for about five-
and-twenty years, he travelled with his wife and children, amid perpetual
sufferings and daily perils of his life, over very many regions of coun
try, first in West Friesland, the territory of Groningen, and East Fries-
land, and then in Gelderland, Holland, Brabant, Westphalia, and the
German provinces along the shores of the Baltic as far as Livonia, and
in this way he gathered an immense number of followers, so that he may
justly be considered as almost the common father and bishop of all the
Anabaptists, and as the founder of the flourishing sect that has continued
down to our times. The causes of this so great success may readily be
conceived, if we consider the manners and the spirit of the man, and the
condition of the party at the time he joined them. Menno possessed ge
nius, though not much cultivated, as his writings evince ; and a natural elo
quence. Of learning he had just enough to be esteemed very learned and
almost an oracle, by the raw and undiscerning multitude. Moreover, if we
may judge from his words and actions, he was a man of integrity, mild,
accommodating, laborious, patient of injuries, and so ardent in his piety as
to exemplify in his own life, the precepts which he gave to others. A man
of such a character would readily obtain followers among any people ; but
among none more readily than among such as the Anabaptists then were,
a people simple, ignorant of all learning, accustomed to teachers that ra
ved and howled rather than instructed them, very often deluded by impos
tors, worn out with perpetual suffering, and now in constant peril of their
lives, (15)

followed by a regular and deep-laid conspir- After an obstinate resistance he was sur-

acy, formed by Van Gcclen (an envoy of rounded with his whole troop, who were

the mock-king of Munster, who had made a put to death in the severest and most

very considerable number of proselytes) dreadful manner, to serve as examples to

against the magistrates of Amsterdam, with the other branches of the sect, who were

a^design to wrest the government of that exciting commotions of a like nature in

city out of their hands. This incendiary Friesland, Groningcn, and other provinces

marched his fanatical troop to the town- and cities in the Netherlands." Mad. }

house on the day appointed, drums beating, (14) Ge.rh. Rrandfs History of the Ref-

and colours flying, and fixed there his head- ormation in Belgium, torn, i., lib. ii., p.

quarters. He was attacked by the burghers, 119, &c.

assisted by some regular troops, and headed (15) Menno was born, not as many saj

by several of the targomasters of the city, in 1496, but in 1505, and at Witmarsum,



HISTORY OF THE ANABAPTISTS OR MENNONITES. 201



9. Menno had struck out a system of doctrine, which was much mild.
er and more tolerable than that of the furious and fanatical portion of the



a village near Bolswert in Friesland. After
being variously tossed about during his
whole life, he died in 1561, in the duchy of
Holstein, on an estate situated not far from
Oldeslo, and belonging to a nobleman, who
\vas touched with compassion for the man
exposed now to continual plots, and who
received both him and his associates under
his protection and afforded him an asylum.
An account of Menno has been carefully
drawn up by Jo. Mi llcr ; in his Cimbria
Litterata, torn, ii., p. 835, &c. See also
Herm. Schyn s Plenior deductio Histories
Mennonit., cap. vi., p. 116. His writings,
which are nearly all in the Dutch language,
were published the most complete, Amster
dam, 1651, folio. One who is disgusted
with.a style immoderately diffuse and ram
bling, with frequent and needless repetitions,
with great confusion in the thoughts and
matter, with pious but extremely languid
exhortations, will rise from the perusal of
them with but little satisfaction. [A con
cise history of his life, or rather a develop
ment of bis religious views, drawn up by
himself, is found both prefixed to the com
plete edition of his works, (Amsterdam,
1651, fol.), and in the 2d vol. of Herman
Schi/ris History of the Mennonites (Histo
ries Mennonitar. plenior deductio, p. 118,
&c., Amsterdam, 1729, 8vo). It contains,
I. A short and lucid account, how and why
he forsook popery. II. A short and plain
Confession of Faith of the Mennonites.
III. Concise instructions in questions and
answers, derived from scripture, for such as
would join their community. Menno was
born in 1505, at Witmarsum in Friesland.
In his 24th year, he became a priest of the
Romish church in the village of Pinningen.
His rector had some learning ; and both he
and another clergyman under him, had some
acquaintance with the scriptures ; while
Menno had never read them, being afraid
they would mislead him. But the thought
at length occurred to him as he read mass,
whether the bread and the wine could be
the real body and blood of Christ. At first,
he supposed this thought was a suggestion
of the devil ; and he often confessed it, and
sighed and prayed over it, but could not get
lid of it. With his fellow-clergymen, he
daily spent his time in playing, drinking,
and other indulgences. At length he took
up reading the New Testament ; and from
that, he soon learned that he had hitherto
been deceived, in regard to the mass ;
Luther also helped him to the idea, that
disregarding human prescriptions did not



draw after it eternal death. His examina
tion of the scriptures carried him farther ana
farther, and he began to be called an evan
gelical preacher, and every body loved him.
But when he heard that an honest man was
put to death at Lewarden, because he had
been rebaptized ; he was at first surprised
to hear of a repetition of baptism ; he went
to consulting- the scriptures, and he there
could find nothing said about infant bap
tism. He held a discussion on the subject
with his rector ; who was obliged to con
cede the same fact. Some ancient writers
taught him, that children by such baptism
were cleansed from original sin ; but this
seemed to him, according to the scriptures,
to militate against the efficacy of Christ s
blood. After this, (we give, all along, his
own account), he turned to Luthc* ; but
his assertion that children must be baptized
on account of their own faith, appeared con
trary to the scriptures. Equally unsatis
factory to him was the opinion of Bucer ,
that the baptism of infants is necessary, in
order that they be more carefully watched,
and be trained up in the ways of the Lord ;
and also Bullinger s referring it to a cove
nant, and appealing to circumcision. Not
long after this, he was made rector of his
native village, Witmarsum ; where he
preached much indeed, from the scriptures ;
but without being himself made better. In
the mean time, he glories in having attained
to correct views of baptism and the Lord s
supper, by the illumination of the Holy
Ghost, and by frequent perusal of the scrip
tures. With the disturbances at Munster,
he was greatly troubled ; he ascribed them
to erring zeal ; and he opposed them in his
sermons and exhortations. Yet he was so
much affected by the example of the multi
tudes who sacrificed themselves for the in
terests of the party, that he felt more and
more distress and shame on account of his
own state of mind ; he prayed God to aid
him ; his whole state of mind became
changed ; a ad he now taught Christian
piety, much more purely and effectually.
And the discovery which he had made of
the corrupt state of the Romish church,
induced him in the year 1536, utterly to re
nounce it, as well as his priestly office ;
which he calls his departure from Babylon.
The next year, there came to him several
godly Anabaptists, who most importunately
entreated him, in their own name and in
that of other devout men of the same faith,
to become the teacher of this dispersed and
persecuted company. He at length con-



208 BOOK IV. CENT. XVI. SEC. III. PART II. CHAP. III.



Anabaptists ; yet perhaps one which was somewhat harsher, though bel .er
digested, than that of the wiser and more moderate Anabaptists, who
merely wished to see the church restored to its long-lost purity, but had
undefined conceptions about it. He therefore condemned the expectation
of a new kingdom of Jesus Christ, to be set up in the world by violence
and the expulsion of magistrates, which had been the prolific cause of so
many seditions and crimes ; he condemned the marvellous restitution of the
church by a new and extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit ; he con.
demned the licentiousness of polygamy and divorce ; and he would not en.
aure those who believed, that the Holy Spirit descended into the minds of
many just as he did at the first establishment of Christianity, and manifest-
ed his presence by miracles, prophecies, divine dreams, and visions. The
common Anabaptist doctrines in regard to infant baptism, a coming thou
sand years reign of Christ before the end of the world, the inadmissibility
of magistrates in the Christian church, the prohibition of wars and oaths
by Christ, the inutility and the mischief of human learning, these doc
trines he retained indeed, but he so corrected and improved them, that they
appeared to come nearer to accordance with the common tenets of Protest
ants. This system of religion was so highly recommended by the nature
of the precepts themselves, by the eloquence of the preacher, and by the
circumstances of the times, that it very easily gained the assent of most
of the Anabaptists. And thus the influence of Menno caused the Anabap
tists of both sorts, after excluding fanatical persons and rejecting opinions
pernicious to the state, to become consolidated as it were into one family or
community. (16)



sentcd ; and he remarks, on this occasion,
that he was called to the office of teacher,
neither by the insurgents of Munster, nor
by any other turbulent party, but by true
professors of Christ and his word, who
sought the salvation of all around them, and
took up their cross. Thenceforth, during
eighteen years, amid many perils and dis
couragements, poverty and want, and often
concealed in lurking-places, with his wife
and children, he discharged the duties of his
office ; and thereby (says he) hath God,
in many cities and countries, brought his
church to such a glorious state, that not
only have a multitude of vicious persons
been reclaimed, but also the most renowned
doctors and the most cruel tyrants have been
made to stand confounded and ashamed be
fore those who have suffered with him.
To this, which is Merino s own account,
other writers add, that with unwearied ac
tivity, in Friesland, Gelderland, Holland,
and Brabant, in Westphalia, and generally
in northern Germany, as far as Livonia, he
either planted and strengthened Anabaptist
churches, or reduced them to order and to
unanimity ; until, at last, in 1561, he died at
Oldesloe in the duchy of Holstein. Trans
lated from SchroeckWs Kirchengeschichte
seit der Reformation, vol. v., p. 444, 447.
-TV.]



(16) These facts show, how the famous
question concerning the origin of the Men-
nonites may be readily solved. The Men-
nonites use every argument they can devise,
to prevent credence being given to what is
taught in innumerable books, that the modern
are the descendants of the ancient Anabap
tists. See Herm. Schyn s Historia Men-
nonitar., cap. viii., ix., xxi., p. 223, &c.
Nor is the reason of their zeal in this mat
ter difficult to ascertain. This timid peo
ple, living dispersed among their enemies, are
afraid, lest the malevolent should take occa
sion, from that relationship, to renew those
laws against their existence and their safety,
by which those ancient disturbers of the pub
lic peace were put down. At least, they
hope the severe odium which has long rankled
against them, will be much diminished, pro
vided they can fully eradicate from the pub
lic mind the belief that the Mennonites are
the successors of the Anabaptists, or vather
are themselves Anabaptists, though reformed
and made wiser than their predecessors. But
I must candidly own, that after carefully
comparing what the Mennonites and their
antagonists have advanced on this subject,
I am unable to determine what the pre
cise point in dispute between them is. In
the first place, if the Mennonites wish to
maintain, that Mcnno, the founder of the



HISTORY OF THE ANABAPTISTS OR MENNONITES. 209



10. Menno must have possessed more than human power, to be able tc
diffuse peace and good order throughout so discordant a body, and bind to
gether in harmonious bonds men actuated by very different spirits. About
the middle of the century therefore, a violent dispute arose among the
Anabaptists, [or Mennonites], respecting excommunication, occasioned
cl lie fly by Leonard Bouwenson and Theodore Philip : and its effects have
continued down to the present time. The men just named not only main
tained that all transgressors, even those that seriously lamented and deplo
red their fall, ought to be at once cast out of the church without previous
admonition ; but also, that the excommunicated were to be debarred all so
cial intercourse with their wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, children, and
other relatives. They likewise required obedience to a very austere and



present existing sect, was not infected with
there opinions, by which the men of Mun-
ster and others like them drew upon them
selves deserved punishments ; and conse
quently, that he did not propose to establish
a new church of Christ, entirely free from all
evil, nor command the abolition of all civil
laws and magistrates, nor impose upon him
self and others by fanatical dreams ; then
they will find us all ready to agree with
them. All this is readily conceded by those,
who at the same time contend, that there
most certainly was an intimate connexion
between the ancient and the modern Ana
baptists. Again ; if the Mennonites would
maintain, that the churches which have
adopted the discipline of Menno, quite to
the present time, have been studious of peace
ana tranquillity, have plotted no insurrections
or revolutions among the people who were
their fellow-citizens, have always been averse
from slaughter and blood, and have shunned
all familiarity with persons professing to have
visions and to hold converse with God ; and
likewise have excluded from their public dis-
courseS; arid from their confessions of faith,
those [principles and tenets which were]
causes, that led the ancient Anabaptists to
nursue a different course of^conduct ; here
also, we present them the hand of friendship
and agreement. And finally ; if they con-
iend, that, rot all who bore the name of An
abaptists prior to the times of Menno, were
as delirious and as furious as il unzer, or the
faction at Munster, and others ; that many
persons of this namo abstained from all crim
inal and flagitious deeds, and only trod in
the steps of the ancient Waldenses, Henri-
cians, i D etrobrussians, Hussites, and Wick-
liffites ; and that these upright and peace
able persons subjected themselves to the pre
cepts and opinions of Menno ; we shall still
make no objections.

But, I. If they would have us believe,
that none of the Mennonites are, by birth
and blood, descendants of those people who
jnce overwhelmed Germany and other coun-

VOL. III. D D



tries with so many calamities ; or, that none
of the furious and fanatical Anabaptists be
came members of the community which de
rives its name from Menno ; then they may
be confuted, both by the testimony of Men-
no himself, who proclaims that he had con
vinced some of this pestiferous faction, and
also by many other proofs. The first Men-
nonite churches were certainly composed of
Anabaptists, of both the better sort and the
worse. Nor, if the Mennonites should ad
mit this, (which is true beyond contradic
tion), would they expose themselves to more
infamy, than we do, when we admit that our
ancestors were blind idolaters.

And, II. We must be equally at variance
with them, if they deny, that the Mcnnonites
hold any portion at all of those opinions,
which once betrayed the turbulent and sedi
tious Anabaptists into so many and so enor
mous crimes. For not to mention, what
has long since been remarked by others, that
Menno himself styled those Anabaptists of
Munster, whom his children at this day ex
ecrate as pests, his brethren, though with the
qualification of erring ; I say, not to men
tion this, it is the fact, that the very doc
trine, concerning the nature of Christ s king
dom or the church of the New Testament,
which led the ancient Anabaptists, step by
step, to become furious and open rebels, is
not yet wholly eradicated from the minds of
the modern Mennonites ; although it has
gradually become weakened, and, in the more
moderate, has ceased to vegetate, or at least-
has lost its power to do harm. I will not
here inquire, whether even the more peace
ful community of Menno, has not, at any
time, been agitated with violent commotions :
nor am I disposed to pry into what may be
now taking place among its minor sects and
parties ; for that the larger sects, especially
those of .North Holland, shun the men who
are actuated by a fanatical spirit, is suffi
ciently evinced by the fact, that they most
carefully exclude all Quakers from (heir coin*
munion.



210 UOOK IV. CENT. XVI. SEC. III. PART II. CHAP. III.

difficult system of morals. But many of the Anabaptists looked upon this
as going too far. And hence, very soon the Anabaptists became spirt into
two sects ; the one more lenient towards transgressors, the other more se
vere ; the one requiring a sordid style of living and very austere morals,
the other conceding something to human nature and to the elegances of
life. Menno laboured indeed to restore harmony to his community, but
discovering no possible way to effect it, he fluctuated as it were during his
whole life, between those two sects. For at one time he seemed to favour
the severer party, and at another the more lax brethren. And this incon
stancy in one of so high authority, tended to increase not a little the dis
quietude and commotion among them. (17)

11. These two large sects of Anabaptists [or Mennonites], are distin
guished by the appellations of the Fine and the Gross, (die Feinen und die
Grobcn, SuUites et Crassi), i. e.,the more Rigid and the more Lax. (IS)
Those called the Fine hold and observe, more strictly than the others, both
the ancient doctrines and the morals and discipline of the Anabaptists ; the
Gross depart farther from the original opinions, morals, and discipline of
the sect, and approach nearer to those of the Protestants. The greater
part of the Gross or lax Mennonites, at first, were inhabitants of a region
in the North of Holland, called Waterland : and hence this whole sect ob
tained the name of Waterlanders.(l9) A majority of the severer sect
were inhabitants of Flanders ; and hence their whole sect received the
name of Flemings or Flandrians. Among these Flandrians, soon after,
there arose new broils and contentions ; not indeed respecting doctrines,
but respecting the offences for which men should be excommunicated, and
other minor matters. And hence again, arose the two sects of Flandrians
and Frieslanders, disagreeing in morals and discipline, and receiving their

(17) See the history of the contests and the Mennonites in simplicity and soundness,
controversies among the Mennonites, previ- has been often published, and recently by
ous to the year 1615; composed by some Hcrrn. Schyn, in his Historia Mennonitarum,
Mennonite writer, and translated from Dutch cap. vii., p. 172. It was explained in a co-
into German, by Joach. Christ. Jehring, pious commentary, in 1686, by Pf.ter Joan-
and published, Jena, 1720, 4to ; also Sim. nis, a Netherlander and minister among the
Fred. Rues, Nachrichten von dem Zustande Waterlanders. Yet this celebrated Confes-
der Mennonitem ; Jena, 1743, 8vo. sion is said, to be only the private Confession

(18) ["The terms fine and gross are a of that church over which its author presided,
literal translation of groben andfcincn, which and not the general one of the Waterlander