Background
Many people were ready for the state to step into church affairs, however some people were opposed to the idea. These people, known as the Anabaptists, were radicals who wanted major reform in the church , and for the state to stay out of it. Many of the low-income people were Anabaptists because they were not benefitting from the economic changes.
The Ideas of the Anabaptists
The Anabaptists agreed with one another on many topics. One huge point they all believed was that the Christian church was a group of believers who all were reborn when they put faith in Christ, and then had been baptized to become a part of the church. The Anabaptists also thought that adult baptism was more important than infant baptism. They also thought that becoming a Christian and having a relationship with God was completely voluntary and that no one could be forced into Christianity. They wanted to follow the ways of the early church, and so everyone was equal, and the people would elect the church’s minister, who could be any one of them. The minister’s job was to lead services, very similar to those in the early church. The Anabaptists also knew that they would undergo persecution because of their beliefs. They also wanted to follow the Bible as much as possible since they believed it was God’s true word. They also believed that the Lord’s Supper was just a symbolic remembrance of Jesus’ example before his death on the cross. The Anabaptists thought that church and state were to be completely separated, and that the state could not even rule over Christians. If God had saved them, then the law of humans wasn’t necessary. They also didn’t take any political office, and didn’t typically have weapons because of the commandment “Thou shall not kill.” The Anabaptists were viewed by the Catholic and Protestant churches as radicals who they needed to get rid of.
Varieties of Anabaptists
In Zürich, a group called the Swiss Brethren came about. They had some radical ideas, and so they were kicked out of the city in 1523. These Swiss Brethren had been baptized as kids and as adults, so they had been baptized again, which is why they were called Anabaptists, or Rebaptists. These people could be executed under the Roman law. The Anabaptists were frequently persecuted since they were spreading through Germany, the Austrian Habsburg lands, and Switzerland. Because of this heavy persecution, many moved to places like Poland and the Netherlands, which morphed many Anabaptist beliefs.
There was a huge Anabaptist uprising in Münster, Germany, which ultimately decided the Dutch Anabaptism future. Münster had been through a tough economic time, and many things were devastated. There was also a Catholic bishop who had a seat in the city. The city had been one of many that converted to Lutheranism, but it got even crazier than that, with the eventual acceptance of Anabaptists. This meant that many Anabaptists came there because it was safe for them to live there. There was also another group of more radical Anabaptists called the Melchiorites. They believed in millenarianism, in which the end of the world was coming, and that Münster would be the New Jerusalem. By the end of 1534, the Melchiorites had gotten rid of everyone who didn’t believe, and they burned every book but the Bible. Because of this belief, a man named John claimed he was the king of this New Jerusalem. He took it upon himself to go out and to take the elect with him, ridding the world of evil in order to prepare for Jesus’ Second Coming. Luckily, the Catholic bishop of Münster put together an army and laid siege to the city until it was finally retaken in June of 1535. They then killed all of the Anabaptist leaders.
Because all of the radicals were killed, the city was able to return to a peaceful and cooperative city. Menno Simons was the one who got Dutch Anabaptism back up on its feet. He believed in separation from the world, and that Jesus was the ultimate example. He only wanted his followers to consist of dedicated people, not those who didn’t follow his rules. His group, the Mennonites, went as far as the Netherlands, Germany, and even Poland and Lithuania. The Mennonites are still around today.
There was a huge Anabaptist uprising in Münster, Germany, which ultimately decided the Dutch Anabaptism future. Münster had been through a tough economic time, and many things were devastated. There was also a Catholic bishop who had a seat in the city. The city had been one of many that converted to Lutheranism, but it got even crazier than that, with the eventual acceptance of Anabaptists. This meant that many Anabaptists came there because it was safe for them to live there. There was also another group of more radical Anabaptists called the Melchiorites. They believed in millenarianism, in which the end of the world was coming, and that Münster would be the New Jerusalem. By the end of 1534, the Melchiorites had gotten rid of everyone who didn’t believe, and they burned every book but the Bible. Because of this belief, a man named John claimed he was the king of this New Jerusalem. He took it upon himself to go out and to take the elect with him, ridding the world of evil in order to prepare for Jesus’ Second Coming. Luckily, the Catholic bishop of Münster put together an army and laid siege to the city until it was finally retaken in June of 1535. They then killed all of the Anabaptist leaders.
Because all of the radicals were killed, the city was able to return to a peaceful and cooperative city. Menno Simons was the one who got Dutch Anabaptism back up on its feet. He believed in separation from the world, and that Jesus was the ultimate example. He only wanted his followers to consist of dedicated people, not those who didn’t follow his rules. His group, the Mennonites, went as far as the Netherlands, Germany, and even Poland and Lithuania. The Mennonites are still around today.