Anabaptism

This is one of the 16th century religious development that claimed to be the true apostolic succession or assembly perpetuity from the time of Yahoshea Meshiyach. Some religious historians hold that Anabaptists were of Waldensian origin. The official historic record of the Anabaptists writers accounted that it was a distinctive religious body that originated in Zurich in 1525 when Conrad Grebel rebaptised George Blaurock and Blaurock in turn rebaptised several others immediately.

History Of The Movement

These baptism were the noted first re-baptism known among the religious sect and viewed as the real point of origin or establishment of Anabaptist.  Though, prior to this event, there were records of some men and their activities that were viewed as fore-runners to the official formation of the religious body.

For example, on 1521, three acclaimed prophets from Zwickau came into the city of Wittenberg and had an encounter with Thomas Muntzer.  The preaching of these acclaimed prophets and Thomas Muntzer helped to influence the social crises that erupted German peasant's war on Southern Germany in 1525.

As the revolution was targeted against constituted authority or feudal oppression, the Muntzer led revolt became an attempt to form an ideal religious common wealth, on apostolic ground with intension of instituting absolute equality and community of good people.

Though, these prophets did not rebaptize as required of  Anabaptism and the German peasant's war differed with the social ideals of Anabaptists but it was found that a good percentage of latter Anabaptists played active role in the peasant uprising.

The Anabaptists claimed  succession to Apostolic order but historians are divided over its exact account of origin. Some accounts read that Anabaptist emerged in a single expression in Zurich and spread to other parts of the world (Monogenesis).  Others record that the body began through several independent movements (polygenesis).

The monogenesis account lay claim to the fact that the Anabaptism began from the efforts of Swiss Brethren Movement of Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock etc.  This group held that Anabaptism had its origin in Zurich and the concept of the Swiss Brethren spread to Southern Germany, Austria, North Germany where it developed into many branches.

The polygenesis account held that they were six groups of early Anabaptists which gave rise to three originating points of departure being the “South-Merman Anabaptism” which was a diluted form of Rhineland mysticism.  Next was Swiss Anabaptism “which emerged from Reformed Congregationalism and lastly the “Dutch Anabaptism” which came into existence through social unrest and the apocalyptic visions of Melchoir Hoffman.

Some of polygenesis accounts include links of the body with Thomas Muntzer and Hans Hutt (Hutterites) especially towards formation of the South German Anabaptism.

Etymology Of The Name

The term “Anabaptism” originated from the Neo-Latin world – “Anabaptisia” which mean “Baptism over again”. This can be adequately explained as of “rebaptizing converts who already had been baptized” as infants.  Anabaptism requires that a convert receiving baptism must be able to make his own confession of faith and therefore rejected infant baptism.

The early Anabaptists rejected the name because it was imposed upon them by their enemies. This was based on their conviction that an infant baptism was invalid and unscriptural.  So, a person that had received infant baptism was unbaptized and therefore baptizing of members is never – “re-baptism” but a “scriptural baptism”.

Bathasar Hubmaier (an Anabaptist) made the expression in this way – “I have never taught Anabaptism but the right baptism of the saviour which is preceded by teaching and oral confession of faith, I teach, and say that infant baptism is a robbery of the right baptism of the saviour”.

Spread Of The Sect

The belief of adult baptism by the Anabaptists attracted severe persecution upon them from both the Roman Catholic Church who has already passed an edict of compulsory infant baptism as well as magisterial Protestants who saw doctrines of Anabaptists as contrary to their belief.

Some of the contrary areas to Protestants includes their position on condemnation of oath-taking and against using of court actions to settle matters between members.  Others include that Anabaptists must not bear arms  or offer forceful resistance to wrong doers.  They conclude that no member has the right to a sword.

The group equally rejected partism politics since they hold that civil government means “Caesar” and that non that belong to the kingdom of Yahweh must vie or contest for political positions or office in which he will be passively obeyed.

The body equally taught on purity, self denial and strict over sinners or unbelievers who must be excluded from sacraments and intercourse with believers till they repent.

Anabaptism spread from Zurich to other parts of Europe through the efforts of the original visioners of the concepts.  For instance, in Switzerland, Anabaptism began from the efforts of Ulrich Zwingli's Church reform.

In 1522 there were evidences of church reform by Zwingli when he started questioning the practices of Catholicism on areas as tithe payment, the mass observation and infant baptism.  To achieve his mission, Zwingli assembled some reform minded men and began to study scriptures with them.

In a short moment, these men began to feel that Zwingli was slow towards the restoration and this dispute led the Zwingli and the radical reformers to part-ways in 1523.  One of the important points of difference was that Zwingli held that the reform must move in line with the city council's permission while the radical members held an opposite view that the reforms were acts of Yahweh with Holy Scriptures as its final authority and that council was irrelevant to the struggle.

The dispute between Zwingli and the radical brethren that were later termed as Swiss Brethren separated them.

By this disputation, city council resolved that any member who continued  to refuse baptism of his infant or child within seven days will be expelled from Zurich.  Meanwhile, one of the fathers of the movement – Comrade Grebel had a daughter at that moment and the law pointed personally to him.  Instead of complying with the city council’s order, he held a meeting with other brethren where he firstly baptized George Blaurock who in turn baptized him.  The other attendees were baptized and such became the original Anabaptists  in Swiss.

Another city that the Anabaptism spilled to was the Tyrol which was assumed to be opened by George Blaurock.  Like the occurrences of German Peasant's war, the Gasmair uprising in the city of Tyrol was led by Michael Gasmair who had intension of bringing religious, political and economic reforms through a violent peasant's  uprising.

The relationship between the violent uprising that failed and the non-violent Anabaptists was that some of the peasants became Anabaptists who took to the alternative peaceful measure as proffered by Anabaptists  to resolve the conflict.

Again, before the coming of Blaurock and his Anabaptism, the city of Tyrol had already had a glimpse of Protestantism that was introduced by Hans Vischar (a former Dominican) and some of the protestant converts easily embraced Anabaptism.

It was at the city of Tyrol that George Blaurock was captured and burned at a stake on 1529.

Again, Jacob Hutter (Hutterites) was a convert of Anabaptism in Tyrol and as there arose a severe persecution upon Anabaptists as ordered by Ferdinand I, Hutter was arrested and burnt at a stake on 1536 and this led many Anabaptists to run down to Moravia to avert persecutions.

When the persecution of Anabaptists became severe in many areas, the city of Monrovia maintained the state of religious tolerance and that made many Anabaptists from various cities to run down to Monrovia of which later became a rallying centre for Anabaptists.

By these development, there were many collection or varieties of Anabaptists with slight doctrinal differences in the city.  Soon, a strong convert from the stock of Swiss Brethren – Jacob Wiedemiann came into the city with the doctrine of pacifism as ordained by the Swiss Brethren.  This position was unaccepted by Balthazar Hubmaire who was strongly on the ground as an Anabaptist.

Separations In The Movement

The dispute between Widdemann and Hubmaire led to the division of coverts in the city into groups known as Schwertlers (sword bearing) and the Stabler (Staff bearing). Later about 200 Stablers withdrew from Moravia and form a community at Austercitz.  The Stabler maintained  the Swiss Brethrens Doctrine of “community of goods (charitable)”

As the city of Moravia became filled of Anabaptists, many of the communities embraced the practices of community of goods and Jacob Hutter was instrumental to organization of more communities into what was later known as the Hutterities which later became the last surviving Anabaptist group in the city.

In low countries, Melchoir Hottmen was accounted to have introduced the Anabaptism to those vicinity after his re-baptizing. He equally baptized many converts at Emden.  He was an Anabaptist preacher at low countries until his arrest and imprisonment at Stresbourg where he died about 10 years later.  He was accused of habouring heretics relating to the Munster rebellion.

At that period, a convert by name Obbe ordained David Joris and Menno Simon (who later became the father of Mennoites and from whom the sect drew its name). Later, David Joris and Simon Menno disagreed because the Joris was more interested on spirit and prophecy while Menno lay much emphasis on the authority of the scriptures.

Again, the next early known Anabaptist movement was at Southern Germany and it was brought to light by Hans who had prior German mystical background.  Hut was credited to be the greatest known evangelist of Anabaptist of his days because he made greater number of converts more than many of his contemporaries.

Hut introduced many religious methods amongst his movement of Anabaptist.  He evenly predicted that the kingdom of Yahweh will be coming in 1528 – a prediction that failed and he was tagged as a false prophet and minority of his followers abandoned Anabaptism. In support of the false prediction, the severe persecution ensued in the area that many of his members became absorbed into Swiss and Moravian Anabaptist congregations.

Trials and Persecutions

The movements and congregations were aimed at search for true doctrines of Yahoshea Meshiyach and for the quest of becoming his true apostolic successors.

To keep firm with their faith, the Anabaptist went through rigorous persecutions and such prompted their migrations and humiliations at various cities.  Roman Catholics and Protestants  alike declared Anabaptists  as heretics and aimed at annililation of the movement.

Protestants under Zwingli started the persecution of the Anabaptists by burning of Felix Manzdt at stake in 1527. The  Roman Catholic authority followed up by execution of Micheal Sattler in same 1527.

King Ferdinand I declared “drowning” which he called “The third baptism” as a better option of execution of the Anabaptists. Protestant kings like Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth I of England persecuted the Anabaptists with much fury as they considered the converts as threat to religious harmony.

The English Royalty recalled the ancient edicts of Theodosius I and Justinian I that were passed against Donatist movement that prescribed for death sentence for any who practiced rebaptism.

By this ugly developments,, many thousands of Anabaptists were executed between 1525 and 1660 in various parts of Europe.  And such prompted the mass migration of many Anabaptist movement that relocated to North America included Amish, Hutterites and Mennonites.

Benefits From The Group

Historically, the activities of 16th century Anabaptism had much influence over modern-day Christianity and European society. Some of the legacies of Anabaptism includes the regard of authority of the scriptures as the only source of faith and worship.  The freedom of religion, liberty to conscience, separation of the apostolic assembly from the state, application of pacifism, and non resistance to attacks, priesthood of all believers, non-conformity to the world evangelistic zeal, voluntary church membership and believer's baptism.

Conclusion

In later days, some Mennonites and Mennonite-Quakers were the first religious body that wrote formal protest against slavery in the United States.

The Anabaptism was a religious movement that aimed at apostolic continuity but due to its adoption of numerous catholic practices became a total failure to such claim.

The Anabaptist did not return to early apostolic practices in form of proclamation of the true name of the creator being Yahweh as revealed to the apostles by Yahoshea Meshiyach.  They did not restore Sabbath observation as the early apostles did.  They neither observed scriptural feasts as held by the early apostles.

The movement had no central doctrines but each congregation or movement developed its set of doctrinal practices of which some were diametrical to the observations of the early apostles.

Therefore, claims of apostolic continuity by the Anabaptists cannot be properly proven since it was entirely cut off from the sound scriptural practices of the early apostles of Yahoshea Meshiyach.