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

of men, I Cor. 2:13-14. 334 THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH a) "They teach and believe that it is completely out of order for any civil power to take up the sword for the honor of Christ. b) “ [thus in the Document]. a) “At investigations they laugh about secular involvements in religious matters. b) “This does not happen. a) “The ministers of this new sect term themselves prophets, baptizers, and apostles, preaching abstinence from all worldly pleasures and direct fellowship with God, for which, they claim, no clergyman is needed according to the Bible. b) "We believe that God has chosen some to be apostles, some prophets (though none has as yet been designated thus amongst us), some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints to perform the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, etc., Eph. 4:11-14; I Cor. 12:7-12. We have fellowship with God because we know what He has given to us, I Cor. 2:10-12. a) “They call the clergymen (priests) of all Christian confessions, who use the power of the state against the believers in their sect, lying prophets. b) “We believe that anyone who does not conform to the doctrine of Christ, or who does not remain in that doctrine, has no faith in God, and whoever comes to us without that faith will not be recognized by us as coming from God, 2 John 9, 10. a) “They preach insubordination to secular and ecclesiastical powers that make use of the sword and the oath. b) “We teach our members and remind them that they are to be subject to all princes and civil authorities and to obey them, for they are God’s servant for our good, to execute God’s wrath on the evildoer, Rom. 13:1-7; Tit. 3:1-2; I Pet. 2:13-16. Since ecclesiastical authorities are not ordained to wield the sword, we do not recognize any who do. As to fulfilling the Word of God with respect to the state, we agree with Acts 4:19-20: Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot but speak what we have seen and heard. We speak because we have faith. a) “They state that a harvest is coming accompanied with the sword. God is calling on the faithful to do away with all other Christians, whom they consider unclean. b) “The time will come when God shall judge the earth with justice, Local Councils against Einlage 335 when all scorners of the faith and the godless shall be consumed like straw, and all liars, fornicators, sorcerers, idolators, and all those who practice a life of falsehood shall find their portion to be in the lake that bums with fire and brimstone, Rev. 21:8; 22:15. And all that according to God’s will. a) ‘‘They shout loudly on the streets: Be converted, for the Day of the Lord is at hand, and give their personal t