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

the rounds in February of 1860: “In accordance with the order of the Area Administrative Office, the owners of farms, 140 landless owners of homes 141 and renters’ « are hereby informed that a few members of the Molotschna Mennonite congregations have had the impudence to celebrate holy communion amongst themselves in the colony of Elizabethtal. And in spite of the Documentary Supplements 349 admonitions directed toward them, they did not want to relinquish their erroneous opinions; rather, they have much more severed themselves in writing from their respective congregations in order to establish a separate church, and have held many meetings amongst themselves. Thus the Area Administrative Office finds itself compelled, on the basis of article 362 of the penal code, promulgated in 1857, to take action. The article reads: "The founders and heads of secret [!] societies, which, although they may not have subversive objectives, are nevertheless forbidden by specific governmental orders and decrees, are subject to imprisonment for a period of six months to one year. The members of such a society, if they knew of the decrees forbidding them, are subject to imprisonment for a period of seven days to three weeks.” [Something seems to be missing here in our copy.] “The village mayoral offices are hereby most strictly ordered to supervise this matter most closely in order to make sure that no meetings of a religious nature take place in private houses amongst the above-named or other members. The mayoral offices are obliged to bring this to everyone’s attention and have the responsibility to turn over without delay any transgressors of this order, as well as the owners in whose houses such meetings may take place, to the Area Administrative Office for further disposal in this matter” [January 27, I860]. o) “II. The Inquiry of the Colonial Inspector of March 1, 1860, sub No. 293. “At the same time, as a consequence of the questions to be answered by the Area Administrative Office with regard to the brotherhood in question and prescribed by the honorable colonial inspector, the Area Administrative Office, in the spirit of the above circular, informs those authorities next in line. (Word for word): “1. What are the essential characteristics of the movement? 2. What kind of detrimental consequences could result for the Mennonite brotherhood from it, and 3. What kind of steps will have to be taken in order to bring about the dissolution of this society and whether or not it is necessary to deal with the founders as disturbers of the general peace and order, i.e., that after they have been captured, they be excluded from the status of colonist as a corrective measure, if the congregations give their consent to this.” p) “In response to the Area Administrative Office’s request, the following made their declaration: “III. The church elders (with the exception of Johann Harder) on March 11: 350