THE MENNONITE BROTHERHOOD IN RUSSIA (1789 - 1910), P. M. Friesen, 1911

that he taught that no one can be condemned to eternal death through human commandment s . e) "By God’s grace I grew in knowledge of the Scriptures from day to day so that some people soon called me an evangelical preacher, though undeservedly so. Everyone sought and praised me for the world loved me and I loved the world. In spite of this it was said that I preached God’s Word and was a fine man. f) “Then, before I had ever heard of any of the brethren, it happened that a God-fearing, pious man named Sicke Snyder 5 was beheaded at Leeuwarden because he had been rebaptized. It seemed strange to me that one should speak of a different baptism. Eagerly I searched the Scriptures and gave serious thought to the issue; but of infant baptism I could find no justification in the Bible. When I realized this, I discussed the matter with my pastor, and after many talks with him I brought him to the point where he admitted that infant baptism had no foundation in the Scriptures. g) “Nevertheless I did not dare to trust my own understanding. I therefore sought counsel from several other authors. They taught that children had to be washed from their original sin by baptism. I compared this doctrine with the Scriptures and found it to be contrary to the blood of Christ. Thereupon I consulted Luther, eager to learn the reason from him. He taught me that children must be baptized on the basis of their own faith. I recognized that even this was not in accordance with God’s Word. Next I consulted Bucer who taught me that one must baptize children in order the more diligently to care for them and bring them up in the ways of the Lord. However, I found this too to be unfounded. Fourthly I turned to Bullinger who referred me to the (Old] Covenant and circumcision. But this I also found to be inconsistent with the Scriptures. h) “When I observed that the authors disagreed so greatly with one another, each following his own reasoning, it became obvious to me that we had been led astray with regard to infant baptism. i) “Soon thereafter I was called to Witmarsum [also in Friesland], the village of my birth. I moved there for the sake of fame and personal profit, but continued to preach God’s Word without spirit or love, as is the way of hypocrites. The disciples I produced were no better than I Menno Simons 5 their teacher: vain boasters and frivolous babblers who, like myself, really had no interest in these matters. And while I had already gained much knowledge from the Scriptures, I nevertheless wasted that knowledge through the lusts of my youth in an impure, sensual, unprofitable life without any fruit, and sought nothing but gain, ease, the favor of men, splendor, reputation and honor as those generally do who are afflicted by this illness. k) “Note, dear reader; thus it was by God’s boundless grace and through the illumination of the Holy Spirit while reading, rereading and meditating upon the Scripture