The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-18
M EN, w o M E N
 A N D T H 1 N G 5

This story is to keep my promise rather than any pleasure get out of l it. for it's at best a thankless and | hopeless task to try and treat the re lgious views of a person, sect or de nomination.
 I have been at pains, however in my effort in following up the article on Memo simon and the Anabaptists to try and get at the facts as they are set out in the best secular authorities have not at hand any first-hand in formation from the Mennonites them selves, neither have l been able to se- cure arr of their publications
 In my library I have quite an am f bilious volume of almost encyclopedia data or the religious faiths of the world but in looking through it was surprised to find no mention whatever i of the Mennonites, but in smaller l handbook 1 found short article Tn which some of the salient points are covered l only wish l had in connec- ton with the authorities l have ex' 1 nonites themselves.
 Memo Simon lived in times of great religious disturbances and it is not to be expected that there would be the same cohesive power in the Protestant world as there had been for centuries among the Roman Catholics. Not only did various denominations come into ] life but even those were soon dlvldea among themselves over doctrine or polity. It is not therefore to be won ldered that such was the case among the Mennonites | Be it remembered that the Anabap- lists of the Netherlands, who were Mennos followers, did not call them selves Mennoites until 1886, when they Iorganized and established their union. This union was, however, carly dis : lturbed by the complications springing from the most impracticable of their disciplinary canons, namely, that on the subject of excommunication, which was a very live topic, not only affect ling ones religious status but also his civil standing.
 
 one. section wished the strictest en-
 forcement of the rule, and were called Iknown as Flemings or Flanderians from their province; these were the rigid literalists of discipline. The cth- l CTS, die Broben, the Coarst, or Water flanders. so called from the district of Waterland, which they occupied, were milder in their interpretations of the
 disciplinary canon; but these late4
 were ultimately expelled from the 7 body Another schism took place al
 Amsterdam in 1864. between the Re monstrants and the orthodox party.
 
 . By the year 1S1 these early breaches n were all healeu and closer fellow
 ship than ever bound the Mennonite.
 together on the basis of belief T 1 baptism by infusion, for which adults
 alone were admissible. Memo Simol = on resigning his post after his belle ' in the Catholic dogmas had becomt z unfixed was baptized and set himsel U to reorganize the body. He furnished
 it with a doctrine very similar to tha e of the Reformed church, insisting, how
 
 e and by the introduction of feet wash IS ing, and the entire sanctity of tn V members.
 H. It was by enjoining the abstentio IS from civil and military service an " from the taking of oaths, that tn '. Mennonites under his leadership wer soon in conflict with the authorities l. Unlike other reformers we find tha E. the small community which left tn
 state church at Zurich in 1923, denie
 lat once the Christian character of tn st existing church and the civil authorit, 1t though, in common with the first Chris l. tians, it was their duty to obey a
 lawful requirements of an alien powe IS By Protestants as we'll as Catholic it this position was not unnaturaliy re
 garded as gsubversive of the establishe
 foundations of society.
 It will be seen from this that frol w the first they were in collision wit ,,, the governing ecclesiastics of tf ~. church as well as the secular ruler 'd The Aiehnonites became martyrs ar 1t. were bitterly persecuted It was a r ,,, turn to the mediaeval conception separaiion, from the world which ha la' leavened all middle class society in E' w rope; and the revolt from Rome hs al prepared many minds to accept u further idea of the separation fro Ne the church. for the pursuit of holine ed in q society pledged to primitive di on iciplne. This shows why the que
 tion of excommunication was such vital but divisive one.
 lis While the horrors of the( Munst ~. fana aticism which culminated in 15; ny made Anabaptism byword and i Jig creased the severity of q persecuti
 directed against all Baptists indiscrir
 inately. the reaction against the fat
 errors of the Munster experiment. i we creased also the adherents of comm ,,u Eites which discarded the sword.
 was necessary to bring this out in c oi der to show the full reason why ur Mennonites under the leadership rv simon Memo who had denounced t Munster type of Anahaptism was { ls Tor peace ~
 Oaths and the taking of life we
 absolutely forbidden; hence the ma si istracy and the army were forbidd nd and unlawful callings; but magistrat lon as before noted, were to be obeyed s. all things not prohibited by Scr 70 Lure. The new teachings and pra, all spread rapidly through Holland Gt Lrv many and France. Wherever theyNs ,h tied their Dutch thrift and indust
 caused wilderness to blossom as IFS rose. They were humble folk, W l. simply wished to cultivate the in ligious life apart from the world.
 , 1730 and 1732 their refusal to SCI 'ee in the army brought on them in Cf ms many the threat Of repatriation, 2 lnd in 17s9 they werc forbidden 10 beco ian landowners.
 ~.