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

We have now heard two other sides in addition to that of the M.B. Church and the author’s own view. We have seen how infinitely variably— to the point of grotesque, mutually exclusive contradictions — sincere, believing, respected, well-educated Mennonite authorities— widely read men— who think deeply, can define the essence of Mennonitism. (We could add here that the very highly regarded second writer is as enthusiastic a proponent of the millennium as the equally worthy Isaak Peters is its opponent.) We must be very careful, with regard to all groups, not to assert that such and such persons are not Mennonites! At the same time we should have the liberty to assert our position while respectfully and lovingly tolerating that of others, concluding thus: “But for me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court” (I Cor. 4:3). In the final analysis we must allow everyone who claims to be a Christian (whether a good or bad Mennonite in terms of the early Anabaptists) to stand on his own under the banner, "It is God who judges me.” 312 XXI. SEVERE HARDSHIPS OF THE YOUNG EINLAGE M.B. CHURCH IN RELATION TO THE TOTAL MENNONITE BROTHERHOOD OF THE CHORTITZA DISTRICT §138 1. The Chortitza Area Administrative Office set the tone for the history of the oppression imposed on this church in a circular dated February 28, 1862, that is, even before the baptism: “To the village mayors : "It has come to the attention of the Supervisory Commission that there are persons belonging to the new sect of so-called Friends of Jerusalem (Templers), followers of the theologian Hoffmann of Kirschen- hardthof, near Stuttgart in the Kingdom of Wuerttemberg, who are endeavoringtoenticecolonistsoverto then-sect, 111 and who are preaching principles which do not agree with the views of the government and which run contrary to the established practices of the colonies. As a consequence, the Supervisory Commission, in accordance with resolution 472 circulated by the most worthy chairman to the Area Administrative Office on January 16 of this year, urging very strictly, that it be seen to, that preaching within the colonies by any unfamiliar private individuals who might be visiting the colonies and do not have a pastoral calling be forbidden. This applies in particular to foreigners. Anyone disobeying this rule will be subject to prosecution under the law. “Those fanatics, who have arisen in some of our colonies, however, do not use the name Friends of Jerusalem or followers of the theologian Hoffmann; they simply call themselves converted Christians. The principles they have adopted, however, and to the propagation of which they devote all their energy, especially such men as Gerhard Wieler and Peter Berg in Chortitza and Heinrich Neufeld, Abraham Unger and Heinrich Epp in Einlage, will lead to destruction. Berg, for example, maintains that he is a man of God, and that what he does as a man of