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

om the Calwer Bibel Lexikon, II, p. 168. “Even though Menno had many unique dogmatic-speculative opinions 15 (with regard to Christology), the central thrust of his efforts was the creation of a pure church separated from the world, and consequently a renewal of the individual through a conversion which he 40 DUTCH-PRUSSIAN ANABAPTISTS saw essentially as a moral cleansing under the influence of and in obedience to God’s Word. Baptism, according to Menno, has absolutely no mystical [mysteriously operative] significance, but is rather a symbolic [allegorical] expression of the already completed conversion, and consequently only appropriate for adults. These fundamental viewpoints, together with the rejection of the oath, are still operative today in the congregations which claim descent from Menno. In contrast, as a consequence of many disagreements and schisms, the strictness of the old church discipline, the prohibition against military service, and the assumption of political offices have gradually fallen into abeyance, and, since the second half of the 17th century (and later consistently more so), even with regard to dogmatic issues— at least in the Netherlands— the liberal wing, which would recognize no binding confession of faith but wanted simply to adhere to the Bible (‘Galenists’ after their leader Dr. Galenus Abrahams [De Haan] or ‘Lambites’), gained the upper hand over the old orthodox ‘Apostoolites’ (after then- leader Dr. Apostool) or ‘Sunites.’ In order to avoid any indication of subservience to man, this more liberal element with regard to matters of faith and discipline even dropped the name ‘Mennonite’ and called themselves Taufgesinnte. These have gradually absorbed the entire Mennonite community in the Netherlands and today constitute an important church membership, intellectually alive and scholarly, constitutionally independent, who, in matters of faith, encompass great extremes from a simple biblical faith to the broadest radicalism. . . . Thus, while the Mennonite name has, strangely enough, died out in the old homeland, it lives on, together with more of the old simple, earnest and strict spirit of faith of Menno— albeit without fanaticism and aggressive [or combative] essence— in the few congregations in Switzerland 16 (where a schism also took place in the 17th century over issues pertaining to greater or lesser severity in matters of discipline and life style— the adherents of Jakob Amman, 17 who regarded the use of buttons instead of hooks and eyes and a shaven face as conceit and sin, were called ‘Haeftler’ or ‘Baertler’), in Germany (congregations in Alsace, Baden, the Palatinate, Wuerttemberg, Rhineland, Friesland, Hamburg, Friedrichstadt, and Lithuania), in France and Russia (immigrated Germans). The most prosperous and numerous develop- ment of the Mennonites has taken place in North America (200,000 members).” V. THE MENNONITE CONGREGATIONS IN PRUSSIA 1.