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

to do with such a person, I Cor. 5:11, so that he might be ashamed. According to the Gospels all capital punishment is forbidden; this also holds true for us. The Lord does not desire the death of the sinner but that he should be converted and live. “Commandments of the Elders a) “The respect given to the name of God. b) “We shall not take the name of God in vain, for the Lord will not allow him to remain unpunished, who takes His name in vain, Exodus 20:7. a) “The submission to the elders and the authorities of the church. b) “Let the elders who rule well in the congregation be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching, I Tim. 5:17. a) “The subjection of the wife to the husband and of all members of the household to the head of the family. Local Councils against Einlage 333 b) "According to Ephesians 5:22 wives shall be subject to their husbands as to the Lord; conversely, the husbands shall love their wives as Christ loved the church. Children shall obey their parents in all things, and servants are to give all due respect to their masters, I Tim. 6:1-2; Col. 3:18-22. “Forbidden are the following: a) “Fornication, covetousness, thievery, fraud, lying, perjury, filthy talk, quarreling, hate, discontent and treachery. Every infraction is p unis hable with death. b) “We may no longer live according to the lusts of men, but rather according to the will of God ; for it is enough that in the past we lived an unregenerate life, when we were subject to unchastity, diverse passions, drunkenness, gluttony, drinking to excess and idolatrous abominations, Eph. 4:22-23. Furthermore, we dictate death to no man, rather admonish everyone to be captivated by the love of the Lord Jesus and become children of God. 3. “Concerning the Hostile Aspirations of all Established Religions, Civil Authorities, and Ruling Princes a) “The Anabaptists reject the dogmas of all established religions as well as the faith in the Bible and believe only in a revelation of the Holy Spirit and maintain that everything they do is given them by the Spirit. b) “All directives given by men are accursed, and even if an angel should preach them, if they are not in accord with the Word of God as the only source of light for our salvation, Gal. 1:6-12. We believe that the Holy Spirit, in accord with the Scriptures, will reveal what we shall or shall not do. a) “The will of God shall be enforced with the sword. b) “We believe that he who takes up the sword shall perish by the sword, Matt. 26:52. a) “Civil authorities do not have the right to decide religious questions where the Holy Spirit gives directives. b) “We are allowed to make people captives for the Lord Jesus only by use of the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, II Thess. 2:8. Our weapons are described in Ephesians 6:11-16. Spiritual matters must be decided spiritually and not according to the laws