The Anabaptists

1
The Anabaptists

• The Church under the Cross

2
Emergence out of Zwinglis Reformation

• 1519, Zwingli began attracting students
• Conrad Grebel
• Felix Manz
• George Blaurock
• Known as Swiss Brethren studies called Prophecy
  Meetings studied NT in Greek
• Study led to rejection of infant baptism
  support of believers baptism

3
First Signs of Disagreement

• Second Disputation (October 1523)
• Grebel opposed Zwinglis hesitation to reform
  mass
• Swiss Brethren refused to accept magistrates
  decision not to change mass
• Began meeting at Manz home for worship Bible
  study
• Contacted other Reformers Luther, Karlstadt,
  Muntzer for outside encouragement
• Breaking point
• Brethren openly opposed infant baptism
• Zwingli called for Third Disputation

4
Third Disputation 17 Jan. 1525

• Zwingli recognized that Council would not support
  rejection of infant baptism he needed Councils
  support for his Reformation
• So he called for suppression of Swiss Brethren at
  public disputation on baptism
• Zwingli coined term Anabaptists Re-baptizers
• Decision Brethren to stop meeting have
  children baptized or leave in 8 days

5
1st Baptism 21 Jan. 1525

• At home of Felix Manz, George Blaurock asked
  Conrad Grebel to baptize him
• Then Blaurock baptized others
• Baptism by pouring
• No ordained minister

6
Anabaptists

• Covenant
• To live separate from the world
• To teach the Gospel faithfully
• To hold steadfastly to the truth
• Significance
• Formed church after NT model
• Affirmed absolute lordship of Jesus
• Affirmed church based on voluntary commitment
• Refuted popular doctrine of infant baptism
• Rejected role of magistrate in religion

7
Anabaptists

• Pattern of preaching/evangelism
• Proclamation
• Response
• Baptism
• Observance of Lords Supper
• Witnessing by new converts

8
Persecution Martyrdom

• Ejection from Zurich
• Zwingli accused his former students friends of
  sedition
• Grebel, Blaurock Manz imprisoned many times
  sentenced to life imprisonment but escaped
• Grebel died of plague

9
Felix Manz 1st Anabaptist Martyr

• Manz sentenced to die on 5 Jan. 1527
• Zurich prosecutors decided punishment for 2nd
  baptism was 3rd baptism drowning
• Manzs hands bound to his knees, with stick
  thrust between arms legs thrown into icy
  waters of Limmat River
• Last words Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend
  my spirit

10
George Blaurock

• On the day of Manz martyrdom, Blaurock was
  beaten banished from Zurich
• Preached throughout Switzerland until banished
  in April 1527
• Went to Tyrol in Austrian Alps, where many
  believers were baptized churches started
• 6 September 1529, burned at stake

11
Church under the Cross

• Martyrdom was hallmark of Church under the
  Cross Jesus was their example
• Persecuted by both Catholics Protestants
• More Anabaptist martyrs in 16th century at hands
  of Christians than during first 3 centuries under
  Roman pagans
• Results
• Dispersion of Anabaptists spread of movement
• Remnants in Germany, Moravia, Netherlands,
  England
• Loss of leadership weakened movement

12
Martyrs Mirror

• The Bloody Theater or Martyrs Mirror of the
  Defenseless Christians Who Baptized Only Upon
  Confession of Faith, and Who Suffered and Died
  for the Testimony of Jesus, Their Saviour, from
  the Time of Christ to the Year A.D. 1660
• Illustrated stories of martyrs from Christ to
  17th-century Anabaptists

13
Dirk Willems

• Dirk was imprisoned in Netherlands escaped
  through window by rope
• Prison guard chased Dirk across frozen river
• Dirk crosses safely guard fell through ice
• Dirk rescued guard, who captured him
• Dirk was burned at stake
• Remembered as compassionate Christian who risked
  recapture to save pursuer

14
Hans Bret

• Anabaptist baker in Netherlands imprisoned
  tortured for teaching Anabaptist faith
• His letters to hismother detail torture
• Before being burnedat stake, tongue screw was
  usedto silence him
• Pastor retrievedscrew marriedHans mother
  screw became family heirloom

15
Michael Sattler (1490-1527)

• Former prior of Benedictine monastery
• Married Margaretha, former nun
• Baptized in 1526 became Anabaptist leader
• 24 Feb. 1527, Schleitheim Confession
• Baptism voluntary for adult believers
• Ban church discipline
• Lords Supper memorial only for baptized
• Separation of church state
• Local church calls, supports, and disciplines
  pastor
• Christians should not be magistrates
• Christians should not swear an oath

16
Michael Sattler

• Arrested charged with violations of Catholic
  doctrine practice
• Asked for debate prosecutor replied You rascal
  of a monk, should we dispute with you? The
  hangman shall dispute with you
• 20 May 1527, martyred
• Tongue cut out
• Chained to wagon
• Flesh torn with hot tongs
• Bound to ladder bag of gunpowder around his
  neck pushed into fire
• Prayed for persecutors
• Margaretha drowned 8 days later

17
Balthasar Hubmaier (1480-1528)

• Education early ministry as Catholic (to 1522)
• Earned doctorate Scholastic theologian at
  University of Ingolstadt
• Catholic priest at Regensburg
• Pastor at Waldshut studied NT, especially
  Pauline epistles

18
Balthasar Hubmaier

• Evangelical Reformer (1522-25)
• Associated with Zwinglis Reform in Zurich but
  sided with Swiss Brethren at Second Disputation
  (Oct. 1523)
• Wrote 18 Articles planned Reform at Waldshut

19
Balthasar Hubmaier

• Anabaptist Reformer (1525-28)
• Baptized day before Easter next day, baptized
  300
• Reconstituted church at Waldshut based on
  believers baptism
• Imprisoned at Zurich released after recanting
• 1526, formed church at Augsburg
• 1527, organized Anabaptist church in Nikolsburg,
  Moravia

20
Balthasar Hubmaier

• 10 March 1528, in Vienna, burned at stake with
  sulphur gunpowder rubbed into his beard
• O dear brothers, pray God that he will give me
  patience in this my suffering. I will die in the
  Christian faith
• Wife Elizabeth drowned in Danube 3 days later

21
Balthasar Hubmaiers Writings

• Eighteen Articles (1524)First Reform writing
• Faith, not merely assent
• Hints at believers baptism
• Local church should choose support its own
  pastor
• Denounced scholasticism
• Priests should be allowedto marryLords Supper
  memorial

22
Balthasar Hubmaiers Writings

• Concerning Heretics Those Who Burn Them (1524)
• 1st 16th-century writing to advocate universal
  religious freedom
• Advocated separation of church state
• On Christian Baptism of Believers (1525)
• Defended believers baptism refuted Zwingli

23
Hubmaiers Doctrines

• Universal religious liberty
• Separation of church state
• Baptism
• Essential requirement for proper NT church
• Not sacramental
• Prerequisites
• Hear the word
• Repent
• Show faith
• Confess sins
• Lords Supper as memorial

24
Hubmaiers Doctrines

• Faith
• Not mere mental assent
• Breaks out in thanksgiving
• Soteriology
• Human has free will, though limited in capacity
  to do good
• Human is drawn outwardly by Word inwardly by
  Holy Spirit
• Result is new birth
• Hubmaier believed in type of predestination that
  allows Gospel to be preached so that all may have
  chance to respond be saved

25
Hubmaiers Doctrines

• Marriage of priests
• Hubmaier on the Magistrate
• Christian could be magistrate
• Christian could bear the temporal sword, but only
  in certain instances of civil defense
• Never justified in rebelling against unjust
  tyrant in such a case, one must practice
  non-violent resistance, with willingness to suffer

26
Pilgram Marpeck (1495-1556)

• 1528-32, at Strasbourg, led Anabaptist church
  opposed Bucers Reformed covenantal emphases was
  expelled
• Settled in Augsburg in South Germany
• Distinguished between purposes of OT NT
• OT is promise NT is fulfillment
• OT is not equally normative with NT for
  ecclesiology OT is preliminary NT is final
• OT should not be used to justify theocracy
  (church-state union) or covenantal interpretation
  of infant baptism

27
Melchior Hoffman (1495-1543)

• Began Anabaptist churches in North Germany
  Netherlands
• Taught heavenly or celestial flesh of Christ
• Mary did not furnish Jesus flesh but only his
  nourishment she was conduit
• Minimized his humanity emphasized his deity

28
Melchior Hoffman (1495-1543)

• 1533, preached on Daniel Revelation declared
  that Strasbourg would be site of Jesus return
  start of millennial kingdom
• Attracted multitudes, who expected Strasbourg to
  be New Jerusalem
• Rejected earlier Anabaptist pacifism called for
  children of God to fight against children of
  darkness
• Predicted his imprisonment for 6 months, after
  which end would come
• He was imprisoned but was held beyond predicted
  Second Coming
• His followers left him in prison went to
  Münster to look for Kingdom

29
Münster

• Anabaptists took over Münster, led by John
  Matthys John Leiden
• Expelled Catholics bishop hisarmy laid siege
  to city
• Results iconoclasm, visions, polygamy, death of
  Matthys
• End John Leiden was tortured, executed his
  body was exhibited in cage
• Afterward, all Anabaptists tainted by reputation
  of radicals at Münster

30
Menno Simons (1496-1561)

• Former priest in Netherlands baptized in 1536
• Theology
• Discipline through church ban
• Pacifism reaction to Münster refused
  participation in war
• Faulty Christology Christs nature did not
  derive from Marys flesh instead, Christs
  body composed of celestial flesh
• Followers settled in America Mennonites

31
Hutterites

• Led by Jacob Wiedemann (1528) financed by Jacob
  Hutter near Nikolsburg, Moravia
• Peter Riedemann (1506-56) described Hutterite
  beliefs - Christians must forsake
  private property - Regenerate person
  has no desire to own personal goods -
  Community of goods is necessary sign
  of true Church as seen in Acts 2

32
Biblical Anabaptists Theology

• Reform church back to primitive, NT model
• Scripture guidelines for church from NT, not OT
  to justify state-church or persecution of
  heretics or infant baptism
• Believers baptism
• Lords Supper memorial Thanksgiving sign of
  fellowship unity

33
Biblical Anabaptists Theology

• Voluntarism Believers formed gathered church,
  based on commitment to Christ, pledging
  themselves to discipleship
• Magistrate to discharge justice protect
  innocent no jurisdiction in religious matters
  most Anabaptists said that no Christian could be
  magistrate
• Sword no Christian could go to war, even in
  defense of state
• Religious liberty for all
• Autonomy of local church local congregations
  should elect, support discipline pastor

34
Types of Radical Reformers

• Biblical Use Bible as ultimate authority for
  reconstructing primitive church examples
  Anabaptists, later English Baptists
• Spiritualistic Emphasize immediacy primacy of
  revelation from Holy Spirit new revelations come
  to Gods prophets that augment even supersede
  Scripture examples Zwickau prophets, Münster
• Rationalistic Human reason is authority in
  determining sense of Scripture primitive model
  challenge to doctrines of Trinity, vicarious
  atonement examples Servetus, Unitarians

35
Spiritualists

• Inspirationists or Evangelical Mystics
• Beliefs
• Appealed to direct inspiration of Holy Spirit as
  prior, separate, beyond (or even against)
  Scripture
• Dispensed with externals such as outward
  ordinances formal church structures such as
  ordained ministry confessions of faith

36
Spiritualists

• Beliefs
• Gathered informal societies for fellowships for
  prayer, worship, exhortation Bible study
• Often held to perfectionist ideas that saints
  could live in full power of Christian life
  overcome sin in present life
• Opposed religious persecution, favored toleration
  separation of church from state

37
Spiritualists

• Andreas Karlstadt
• Zwickau Prophets
• Thomas Müntzer
• Casper Schwenckfeld(1489-1561)
• Mystic, Quietist, Pietist
• Influenced by Luther but separated from him over
  spiritual interpretation of Lords Supper
• Emphasized experiential knowledge of Christ
• Believer is enrolled in School of Christ

38
Rationalists (Anti-Trinitarians)

• Beliefs
• Restoration of biblical ideal for church
• Appealed to reason for interpreting Scripture
• Questioned orthodox teachings
• Anti-Trinitarian in range of heretical positions
  from modalism adoptionism to Arianism
• Optimistic about humanitys moral uplift
• Opposed persecution, advocated religious freedom

39
Rationalists (Anti-Trinitarians)

• Early example Michael Servetus (1511-53)
• Wrote On the Errors of the Trinity (1531)
• Executed in Geneva with John Calvins approval

40
Rationalists (Anti-Trinitarians)

• Later shaper Faustus Socinus (1539-1604)
• Exiled Italian humanist who joined Polish
  Brethren
• Applied baptism only to Gentile converts hence,
  rejected infant baptism
• Denied deity of Christ Trinity
• God's omniscience limited to what was necessary
  truth in future (what would definitely happen),
  and did not apply to what was contingent truth
  (what might happen)
• Beliefs led to Socinianism Unitarianism