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

ell as the baptism in faith in England, came from Holland. At that time the only organized independent churches in the world consisted exclusively of Mennonites, the largest number being in Holland. Immersion-baptism upon faith was practiced by many Mennonites; in Rhynsburg baptism was performed only by immersion; many Mennonite ministers baptized there. This can be deduced clearly from the following sources: J.M. Cramp, Th.D., Geschichte der Baptisten (History of the Baptists), Hamburg, Oncken, 1878, pp. 324-328; Professor Henry C. Vedder, Kurze Geschichte der Baptisten (Short History of the Baptists), Hamburg, Oncken, 1896, pp. 75-79; C.A. Ramseyer, Histoire des Baptistes (History of the Baptists), editor Eduard Revel, pastor, Neuchatel, 1897, pp. 406-417; Professor A. Rauschenbusch, Kindertaufe und Biblische Taufe (Infant Baptism and 296 THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH Biblical Baptism), Hamburg, Oncken, 96 1898, pp. 111-114. Prof. Rauschenbusch would not acknowledge that the Mennonites or the early continental Anabaptists had at any time practiced immersion. He did not know of Ullimann (Uolimann) in St. Gallen, of the immersionist church in Augsburg, the Old Flemish, the Swiss Mennonites who in 1720 baptized by immersion in Surhuisterveen in open water, nor that Mennonite ministers administered baptism in Rhynsburg. Similarly, Professor Lehmann in his book, Geschichte der deutschen Baptisten (History of the German Baptists), is completely in error when he maintains that the M.B. Church must be Baptist because it immerses. According to the above genealogy of the English Baptists, one could sooner say that they were Mennonites in a new form, than that the Menno- nite Brethren were Baptist, because the M.B. Church essentially main- tained the chief doctrines of the Anabaptists of Swiss-Netherland origin: non-resistance, refusal to take the oath (in the form of swearing), etc., and retained their church constitution, and baptism by immersion, since, although not generally Mennonite, it nevertheless was not foreign to Mennonitism. l) At the beginning of the eighteenth century, a great revival began in the Rhineland, brought about partly through evangelical Pietists, and partly through persecuted Swiss Mennonite refugees. “The Mennonite church in Krefeld became a beacon of light for the entire region.” Many accepted baptism by immersion. Gosen Gogen, a Mennonite minister in Krefeld, was baptized in the Rhine in 1724, and a large number followed him (Ramseyer, p.398 and 413). m) B.C. Roosen, preacher emeritus of the Hamburg-Altona Menno- nite Church, who died recently at a very advanced age, reports in Geschichte der Mennoniten Gemeinde zu Hamburg-Altona (History of the Mennonite Church of Hamburg-Altona), Part I, pages 40ff., concerning a lively Baptist movement in his church: "The first violent conflict which emerged in our church and which shook it deeply was the Dompelaar dispute [quarrel abo