The Anabaptist or Re-baptizers The Departure from Zwingli

1
The Anabaptist or Re-baptizers The Departure
from Zwingli

• Read textbook page 33, 34
• Zwingli was a Charismatic leader and because of
  his intelligence and ability to communicate he
  soon had a small group of dedicated men as his
  disciples
• But what Zwingli believed and what he practiced
  was sometimes not the same thing. This lag in
  implementation of Zwinglis doctrine into
  practice was due to Zwingli operating church with
  the city council as overseer or as Bishop
  (practically)

2
The Departure from Zwingli

• There was an inability to live his convictions
  because they were wed to the state along with his
  dishonesty (like being married for 2 years before
  announcing it, and his misstatements of facts
  concerning those he did not like).
• This weakness in Zwingli was met with disgust
  form Zwinglis disciples especially his reversal
  of his stand on believers baptism back to infant
  baptism for political reasons more than any
  reasoned scriptural reasons.
• The decision was made to be obedient to the
  teaching of the New Testament and perform a
  believers baptism.

3
The Departure from Zwingli

• About 12 men gathered at the home of Felix Manz
  and Grebel baptized Blaurock (textbook says at
  the town square in ZurichEstep Stitzinger say
  at Manzs home) the date was January 21, 1525
• Read in Estep page 13, 14
• These brethren as they called themselves came
  under open attack from Zwingli. The city council
  orders these men to
• Baptize their children by the 8th day from birth
• The brethren were forbidden to meet privately
  for Bible study
• Banishment from Zurich would be the punishment
  for disobedience
• In February Brebel, Manz Blaurock were banished
  from Zurich

4
The Departure from Zwingli

• William Estep in The Anabaptist Story page 18
  says The decision of Conrad Grebel to refuse to
  accept the jurisdiction of the Zurich Council
  over the Zurich church, however obscure it was,
  marks the beginning of the free church movement.
• The banishment of these three men sparked a
  pamphlet war. Balthasar Hubmaier now joins with
  the ousted Brethren.

Conrad Grebel
5
The Departure from Zwingli

• March 1526 Zwingli influenced the City Council to
  issue the death penalty for re-baptism.
• Zwingli now writes (On Baptism) 1525 (Refutation
  of the Tricks of the Anabaptists) July 1527 The
  word was out He who dips shall be dipped also
  called the 3 baptism (usually drowning)
• Eberli Bolt was the 1st martyr of the Swiss
  Brethren. May 1525 by RCC

6
The Departure from Zwingli

• Felix Manz was arrested and drowned 1527 1st
  martyr by Protestant hands
• Blaurock, imprisoned, beaten and burned at the
  stake in 1529
• Sattles tongue was removed and burned at the
  stake 1527 (more later)

Felix Manz
7
The Departure from Zwingli

• Hubmaier was arrested, tortured and burned at the
  stake 1528
• Zwingli approves and the City Council does the
  executions
• After the banishment from Zurich the Anabaptist
  were a people without a country or city (with the
  possible exception of Munster)

Old Anabaptist drawing
8
Three Life SketchesMichael Sattler, Balthaser
Hubmaier, and Menno Simons

• Michael Sattler 1490-1527
• Born in Staufien, near Freiburg, Germany about
  1490
• Sattler was probably present at the 2nd
  Disputation in Zurich with Zwingli
• Sattler in February 1527 presided over the
  Schleitheim Disputation and probably wrote the
  Confession.

Michael Sattler
9
Michael Sattler

• Soon after Austrian authorities in Rottenburg
  arrested Sattler and his wife and found him in
  possession of the Schleitheim Confession along
  with other documents of the Anabaptist 
• The trial was an emotionally charged circus but
  Sattler kept his cool
• During the trial Sattlers wife comforted him and
  urged him to remain faithful

10
Michael Sattler

• For the crime of his commitment to Anabaptism the
  sentence read as follows
• Michael Sattler shall be committed to the
  executioner. The later shall take him to the
  square and there first cut out his tongue, and
  then tie him fast to a wagon and there with
  glowing tongs twice tear pieces from his body,
  then on the way to the site of execution five
  times more as above then burn his body to powder
  as an arch-heretic. William Estep The
  Anabaptist Story pg 57
• The executioners did not fully cut out Sattlers
  tongue and he was heard praying for his captors
  on the way to the stake

11
Michael Sattler

• After the cords holding his hands burned off
  Sattler gave 2 fingers upsign to indicate that
  martyrdom was bearable
• After torture and every attempt to secure a
  recantation from Sattlers faithful wife had
  failed she was drowned 8 days later in the Neckar
  River

12
Balthaser Hubmaier 1480-1528

• Probably the premier theologian of the
  Anabaptists. Hubmaier could well have excelled
  Calvin if he had lived Prof. James Stitzinger,
  The Masters Seminary notes page 178
• Born 1480 in Freiburg near Augsburg
• Educated at the Latin School in Augsburg later
  received a B.A. at Freiburg then his Doctorate at
  Ingolstadt in 1512

13
Balthaser Hubmaier 1480-1528

• Dr. Eck, a humanist, had high praise for this
  promising student.
• 1521 became pastor of a small church in Waldshut
  (RCC) soon after arrival he began to study Pauls
  epistles and read Martin Luther
• At the 2nd Disputation with Zwingli he published
  a paper of 18 Articles to reform the town of
  Waldshut. They were not accepted and he was
  forced to leave the church as pastor

Waldshut Germany
14
Balthaser Hubmaier 1480-1528

• Married in 1523 Elizabeth Huglline
• 1525 Began to write strong statements on his
  new-found position of Believers Baptism. He was
  baptized in 1525 and in that same month baptized
  over 300 others.
• Hubmaier was driven out of Waldshut by Ferdinand
  of Austria. He then became pastor of a strong
  church in Nikolsburg June 1526. During his
  pastorate the church grew to over 6,000 members.
  He also at this time began to write against the
  radical fringe of the Anabaptist.

Nikolsburg (Mikulov) Czech Republic
15
Balthaser Hubmaier 1480-1528

• He was arrested in August 1527 and was burned at
  the stake in March 1528. His wife was drowned 3
  days later.
• Short but influential ministry. Sometimes he
  lacked courage and recanted temporarily.

16
Hubmaiers Doctrine

• Man is saved (regenerate) after he responds to
  the general call of God by (his own) faith
  non-Calvinist
• Believers baptism is the formal means by which a
  believer commits himself to a life of obedience
• Separation of church and state
• Communion is a memorial
• Priesthood of each believer
• No purgatory, images or pictures
• A Christian could hold an office in the
  government.

17
Menno Simons 1496-1561

• Born in the province of Friesland in 1496
• Became a RCC priest in 1524 at age 28
• After reading Luther he began to struggle with
  the authority of the RCC as opposed to the Bible
• Menno remained in the RCC until 1536 while still
  a priest he began to refute the writings of the
  radical fringe Anabaptist

18
Menno Simons 1496-1561

• In late 1536 he left the RCC and was promptly
  baptized. He had struggled with this decision for
  9 years 
• Menno had a prolonged ministry among the
  Anabaptists. Many of his writings are still
  around.
• Menno had a keen sense of danger and moved many
  times during his life sometimes escaping hour
  before the authorities arrived

19
Menno Simons 1496-1561

• This outstanding leader of the Dutch Anabaptists
  was very helpful for the later survival of the
  Mennonites who trace their origin to him.

20
Menno Simons

• Salvation by repentance and faith. Menno had a
  defective Christology He held that Christs
  physical nature was created by the Holy Spirit
  within the body of Mary. Meaning that Christ had
  a celestial flesh.
• Menno held to believers baptism by immersion but
  would allow for affusion if circumstances
  prevented immersion.
• The Lords supper was a memorial
• The Ban the was strong discipline of believers
  out of love (complete social isolation) to
  protect the church from corruption and to cause
  the sinning brother to repent
• Voluntarismchurch ought to be spiritually
  independent of the state
• Very strict qualifications for a pastor. (Menno
  himself was a man of sterling character)
• Died a natural death in 1561

21
The Radical Fringe

• In Switzerland and Austria, persecution of the
  Anabaptist began as soon as they began to speak
  out
• August 20, 1527 Ferdinand I of Austria issued a
  mandate against the heretics and sectarians
  because of their misuse of theology in re-baptism
• Hubmaier was one of the first to be of his
  victims
• After the Edict by Ferdinand and the closing of
  Zurich the Anabaptists scattered to 4 winds.

Ferdinand I of Austria
22
The Kingdom of Munster 1534-1535

• Munster was the capitol city of Westphalia,
  Germany
• This city became a center for radical social
  reformers. Munster became known as The New
  Jerusalem
• Melchior Hofman predicted that the Lord would
  return to Strasburg in 1533. After he did not
  return to Strasburg people then gathered at
  Munster where there was a measure of tolerance. 

23
The Kingdom of Munster

• Jan Matthys claimed to be one of the two
  witnesses of Revelation. He helped overthrow the
  city and set up their own town council Feb 9,
  1534. The city was seized and all who refused
  baptism where cast out.
• After the death of Jan Matthys and many of his
  army, Jan Van Leyden took over. Due to the now
  smaller number of men Van Leyden okays polygamy
  that later turns to gross immorality
• The city was taken by the army of Westphalia. The
  news of the corruption and the association with
  other Anabaptists severely increases persecution
  of Anabaptists in other regions. People unfairly
  lumped the radical fringe in with reasonable
  Anabaptists.

Jan Matthys
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Anabaptist Doctrine

• Evangelical Anabaptist
• Separation of church and state
• Practiced voluntarism
• Believers baptism
• Regeneration required for membership in the
  church
• Bible as sole authority

25
Evangelical Anabaptist

• Purity and church discipline
• Against the use of the sword
• Against the use of an oath
• Weak on prophetic views
• Against their brethren holding the office of
  magistrate
• Salvation in Christ alone (sola Christos)

26
Radical Anabaptist

• Amalgamate of church and state
• Use of force
• Practiced rebaptism as a covenant with the church
  state
• New revelation by dreams and visions
• Use of the oath
• Extreme views on eschatology (setting dates)
• Advocated takeover of city government
• Salvation is in the conformity to the
  political/social/religious agenda