The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-26
SOME NEW BOOKS.
the ANN baptists.

We are iMOeDJeu 10 u Welh-knOWn e,OSihho'
writer. Mr. T.. BELropT BAx, for a succinct
account of the Anabaptist movement
which took place in Germany and England
during the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries. In volume entitled Rise and
FGN OF the Anabaptists (Macmillans) the
subject 10 discussed from a social rather
than religious viewpoint in fact, tho
book before MS constitutes Part Ill. OF the
authors work on 4The Social Side Of the
Reformation in Germany Perhaps one
reason why Anabaptism has received less
attention than il e'eaorvas is the fact that il
waE essentially German product and did
not take root in the Latin countries, There
q il no doubt that the Importance of the
movement in a.! lands possessing a strong
Teait onic element, not even excluding
England, has been imperfectly compre-
hended by the average historian. The
latter, as Mr.. Bax reminds US, has been
inclined for the most part to dismiss this
tremendous upheaval OF the disinherited
classes al the close Of the Middle Ages with
q few paragraphs OF misrepresentation or
abuse. Our author, for his part, regards
Anabaptism as the eliminating effort Of
pledisval Christian Communism, which
saw in the communication of worldly goods
understanding by this the economic prod
ucts designed for consumption) the fur
thsst goal Of mans social existence The
modern notion Of the Specialization OF the
means Of production was not as yet. Thought
Off nor was such kind Of specialization
even conceivably possible at the stage OF
economic evolution then reached.
Renders of the authors two former
volumes will recall that in them was traced
the history of the movements in Germany
which eliminated in the great Peasants
War Of 1926 This instruction, ostenslbly
exeingushed though it was for the time
being, continued to shoulder in the minds
of the people. and in a manner rose again
from it's ashes in the great Anabaptist
uWising OF a few years later 1t would be
a mistake, however, to describe the leaders
of the peasant revolt of 1925 as Anabaptists
on account of tho similarity Of their social
views and aims to those Of the latter move
ment. Thomas Munzer, the leading spirit
oil the rebellion in Thuringia, was by no
means al one, from religious point OF view,
with the nitiators OF the Anabaptist move
ment, then just beginning in Switzerland
To the special sign OF that movement, re-
bapt ISM Miner attached no Importance
whatever. As to the actual origins OF
Anabaptism. properly so called. informa-
tiop in scant and is vitiated by the fact
that much O; ii comes from bitterly hostile
sources Our author holes that the germ
of the movement may he recognized iii an
obscure gathering of enthusiasts at Zurich
in the year 1895 The Brethren, or
"Spirituais. who formed the Left. or
Radical, wing OF the Swiss reforming party,
organized by Ewingli. determined on Jan
q, 1925. to constitute rebaptism sign
and seal Of membership in their COM
munity,
By this decision the Brethren definitely
cut themselves off from the rest OF Christen-
dom, Protestant no less than Catholic. he
baptism was gauntlet thrown down TO
current Christianity in all its forms. TO the
new reform doctrine represented by uther
and Zwingli no less than to the Older Cath OIL
icIen. The notion Of a community OF the
elect surrounded by n wicked world with
which 1t was at war WAS fustered by the new
DEVELOPMENT which things had taken. The
change, slight as it may seem to U.S. had an
electrical effect Brethren with glrdles OF
cords round their waists were to be seen
IN the streets and open places OF Aur'ch'
as well as ia the country round about, cry
;rg -Woe' Woe" and foreteltiEg Tor Iurlch
tbe fate Of Nineveh which would not listen to
Jonah. exhorting to repentance, rlgneous-
ness and brotherly love. and dsnounclng
the dragon. as they called Zwinglt, with all
his abettors. To enable us TO understand
the revolutionary effect produced by the
dogma. Mr.. Rax points out that in the adop-
tiop OF the theory Of re-baptism she Zurich
Brethren were entirely original. lntan'
baptism, not few Of the reforming party
had opposed. indeed, Hwingh hiihseh
Ind originally favored SUCH opposition
and. although The Brethren gave II special
prominence from the beginning. the oppo'
stion to infant baptism cannot be regarded
as in any way an exclusive tenct OF thelfs
With re-baptisln it was otherwise Ih's
had never been before suggested by any Oh
the reforming party
A sharp. persecution now began. Inc
patb or council OF Zurich, ordered NUM-
her If arrests, and severer punishnents
ware tried In order TO suppress the ne"
teaching. The persecution succeeue" Ii
tts immediate objects, for the Brethren OF
Anabaptists. as they may henceforth pe
called were nearly all driven from Inrich
The result was to carry the seed Of the ne
-octrines over the whole of northern SWltH
erlapd and southern Germany In l'1"
one OF the Anabaptist leaders, hunlAeyer
repaired to Augsburg. and subsequent,
proceeded to Noravia, where he settled
Another leader, Hatzer, started an indus
trious propaganda in Strassburg ana III
the upper Rhenish districts generally
A former admirer of Thomas Munzer
Hans. Hut, from Hahn, in Franconla, wa!
won over to the new sect and TO the doctrh'
~ non-resistance- which originally wa
one OF the cardinal tene"s OF Anabaptism
In proportion as, after the crushing deiea
of the peasants In 1928, despair OF attaining
their aims by insurrectlcaary methods
fell upon the agriculturists and the poo
handioraftsmen. the Anabaptist doctrin
spread like wildhre, attracting to itself al
the elements from the earlier peasant am
nroIetsrian movements that had sinila
religious coloring. BY the end OF 1927 th
new propaganda had done its work. TIL
process of absorption was complete, an
the great Anabaptist movement had entere'
upori it's changeful career.
Mr.. Bax thinks that the general tenet
of the Anabaptist organization were cor
rectIy set forth in 1891 by Heinrich Bulingel