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

s who were lacking in understanding: all who would not humble themselves before him were exco mmuni cated without discussion .... The poison, which came into the church and produced such tragic consequences, came from G. Wieler. In G. Wieler ’s opinion I had earned the ban [because of a difference of opinion], and he himself, as he had often done in his §189 434 THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH intractable manner, had forbidden me to have fellowship. On one Sunday morning in the end of November [1864] the congregation was to judge between G. Wieler and myself; the conclusion was that I was justified and G. Wieler was given time for reflection to abandon his stubborn ways; otherwise, he was to be banned. [Johann Wieler went on a trip for a week.] . . . returned to Einlage on Sunday, and while I was calmly sitting in Franz Wieler’s home, suddenly G. Wieler appeared from an adjoining room and banned me from the congregation of the saints. He had asked his wife not to receive me nor to give me anything to eat. I responded calmly that he, because of his treatment of souls, had long ago been banned by God from the congregation of the saints .... During this week G. Wieler had been at Heinrich Neufelds [minister in the church; see #141, May 7, 1862] and had pronounced misfortune over that house; this had intimidated H. Neufeld. Benjamin Becker [Heinrich Neufeld’s son-in-law] now went . . . among the brothers and sisters, in order to confront G. Wieler forcefully ... for the latter had trounced Becker and forced him to humble himself to the dust in order to avoid excommunication. On the following Monday there was ... a conference [meeting of the brethren], where Gerhard Wieler was, first of all, asked to justify his apostleship and to demonstrate the significance of his position. With energetic determination he frightened the people with banning and removal from office, so that no one was able to say anything against this unexpected turn of events; instead, all bowed before the iron fist of Wieler, following the example of Heinrich Neufeld. Benjamin Becker and G. Wieler, who quarrelled about rank, threatened each other with fists and, in the name of Jesus, banned each other. Each repeated and emphasized this several times, since neither believed the other. Nevertheless, G. Wieler gained the victory in this struggle, and Benjamin Becker was regarded as banned, while other brethren, intimidated by this vigorous action by G. Wieler, confirmed his apostleship. I, without being granted a hearing or being heard, was banned by the same congregation which two weeks ago had justified me and banned G. Wieler; now he was justified. [In a later meeting of the brethren, G. Wieler banned his father, who had protested against these procedures, as well as another twenty brethren, Abraham Unger and others, as is already known; Heinrich Neufeld explained:] ‘an apostle has the authority’ [to ban without the approval of the