The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-03-13
THE MENNoNITEs.
Whore They Come From and tho Doc
trines They Believe.

The aonnoniics are n rclieious sect Of Protest
ant. who. like the Baptists. reject infant BAPTISM
bar,i.ins only adults on profession of faith, and
who. like Quakcrs. practice non resistance and
ab'iinencc from oath. But the sect antedlaes both
the Baptists and Quaksrs. the first church having
been organized at Zurich. Switzerland. in ij2j.-
They rapidly sprcai in Switzerland. but pcrsecu-
tion soon drove many Of them to South Germany,
where they suffered new prosecutions. They were
called by their opponents Ansbaptists, and thous-
ands Of them suffered martyriom in Swabia. Ba-
saria. Austria and Tyrol. They found refuge in
Moravia. where they greatly increased till the
thirty years war drove them away. About TWEEN
~ years after the origin of the sect. Simon Menno
q Catholic vicar Of Friesland. became n convert 10
the new faith and leader Of such authority that
his name was given 20 the sect. The frat century
Of their history was ono Of nearly continual per
secuiions About 6,0O0 Of the Dutch Mcnnonites
suffered marty riom under the reign of that blood
thirsty bigoi. Philip tho II. of Spain, and il was
not till 1851 that they tolerated by the law in
the Netherlands. The Dutch Mcnnonitss were
early divided by d0ctrinal discussions. but in l>0l
they reunited in one body. and founded
thcolo. ical seminary at Amsterdam. The Dutch
MeInoniies in 1900 numbered 100000. Atprcscnt
they number only some 10000. In Switzerland
and Southern Germany there are about 5000 com
munican,s. and about the same number in East
friesanI, West Prussia and other parts Of South
Germany. About hundred years ago large num-
bers Of them began TO emigra,e from West Prussia
10 southern Russia. where thcy settled at first on
the banks o: the Dniepcr and later on the sea Of
Aiof By special DEGREES Of the Emperors they
exempted from military duty, and in 1870
formed population Of 10000 But in 1871 the
privilege OF exemption from military duty was re
voked. and u avoid cunscripton they embraced
the alternative Of chi grafton. which was conceded
90 thcm-this latter privilege. .howsver.exprinS in
lSsu. In consequence of this measure there was
a considerable emigration of the Russian Men
o. H. tnts. k.e h. f.l
mainly in Minnesota. Kansas. Dakota and Mani
toba. There is a considerable colony Of those
Mcnnonites at Mountain Lake, IL We remember
rightly, on tho 81. Paul and Sioux City Railroad
and there othcrs'in other parts Of the State
and in southern Dakota But the first emigration
OF Mcnnoniies TO the niicl States took place
two hundred years ago Some Of the first Dutch
settlers of New York where Mennoni;es. and in
los: the first church was organized at Germantown,
near Philadelphia consisting mainly of Holland
ers. In l1O9 there wn large emigration from
Switzerland and the ralaiinaic. These settled in
Lancaster county Pa. and in the beginning of the
present century they began 10 spread from Penn
sylvania aud Maryland into the Western states
and Canada. The Mennoniics in America now
number about GO,0o0 communieants-with 500
meeting houses-of which about one eighth are in
Canada.
The Mennonitss are generally n thrifty and
highly respected people now -a.days. in all eoun
tries. For they consider honesty. industry and
plainnss. Of dress and manners TO be prominent
Christian duties. They will not take oaths or in.
ict punishment. and for this reason they will not
accept public Offices which would make il necessary
to do either. They never go TO law. In this
country. in Europe they are nearly all farmers.
IL 10 great pity that the example Of this quaint
and interesting people. which in som. Tc~peess
conforms 20 closely 10 the principles and practice
of the great Founder of Christianity. not more
generally followed by other and more iourishing
sects-Pionesr prsss.