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

church of Christ (“to restore everything to its primitive state” to the best of its ability, Confession of Faith, 1900/1902, p. 5) in accordance with its received understanding and conviction— since one may be able to guide a stream (or the development of a church), but not reverse its flow? The author, along with the late C.H. Spurgeon, believes church membership should be based strictly upon baptism, but one should aspire toward spiritual fellowship in word, prayer and the spreading of the Gospel, in works of charity and mercy with all children of God, whatever their understanding of baptism may be, as well as at the Lord’s Table. Membership in our churches is, after all, not synonymous with membership in “God’s Church,” to which all “children of God” belong (Confession of Faith, article III). Every individual church is only an “association,” a part of God’s Church (of the “one Church of Christ”). If we cannot accept someone into our “church association,” which is called the M.B. Church or something else, because of differences in Baptism by Immersion 303 understanding, we do not thereby exclude him from God’s Church— in this matter hopefully all Mennonite Brethren are agreed!? But if we refuse co mmuni on fellowship in our “association” to a child of God because of our lack of understanding, then we offend a member of Christ’s Body. If the M.B. Church as a body cannot yet decide in favor of such fellowship at communion, one should permit it in love and kindness to those who wish to do it in private circles according to the program given in Waldheim in May of 1903. (See #198 for more on this matter.) The duty of tolerant brotherly love towards those who demand “open co mmuni on," and of kind indulgence of the “all-too-strict-ones” on the part of “liberated ones,” must be no less categorically emphasized. We are absolutely "iree” in respect to any difference in understanding of the brother and therefore we cannot understand how anyone can be indignant when others, true to their understanding of God's co mmandm ent, c ann ot, agree with him in spiritual matters! This is to demand freedom for themselves but to deny it to the brother and, therefore, to coerce him. 9. a) Another M.B. Church practice, which is closely tied to the question of baptism and which has evoked many questions to this day, is the church marriage of non-baptized individuals. It is said that formerly this never happened among Mennonites. The Zondagsboode of the Dutch Mennonites (1899) relates several cases, as examples of many others, in which non-baptized folk were married around 1650, and these non-baptized persons were members of a respectable ministerial and deacon family, Claassen, of Ansloe. Furthermore, it is said that it is non-evangelical. Marriage is a natural right and, if performed and conducted in an orderly manner, also has a natural sacredness about it in the case of non-Christians. We consider it unjust that