41. Chapter 37: The Rise and Growth of the Baptists

CHAPTER 37 The Rise and Growthofthe Baptists

1. The Anabaptists Are Dissatis­fied with the Reformers In our chapters on the Reforma­tion the Anabaptists were men­tioned. This group appeared almost immediately after the Reformation started. Many of them at first hailed Luther and Zwingli with great enthusiasm. But they were, after all, not followers of the Re­formers, and before long they be­came their bitter opponents. Who were these Anabaptists? Where did they come from? What explains their changing attitude toward the Reformers?

Some think that they were an entirely new sect, which in no way existed before the Reformation. But it is unlikely that an entirely new sect, without any previous background, would suddenly spring into being. Others think that they had already formed their opinions before the time of the Reformation.

It is a known fact that all through medieval times there were within the Catholic Church in various parts of Europe, people who had ideas different from those of the Church. But they lived for the most part unnoticed. It might be said that they were the "underground" of medieval times. They had no complete, carefully worked-out sys­tem of thought, and they did not all hold the same ideas. So it seems likely that the kind of people who have become known to history as Anabaptists were there when the Reformation started. Since they were in oppo­sition to Rome, it is entirely nat­ural that they should heartily ap­prove of Luther’s and Zwingli’s bold attacks on the Catholic Church. The reason they changed so soon into strenuous opponents of the Reformers was that they felt sadly disappointed in them. They thought that Luther and Zwingli did not go far enough in their opposition to Rome. The Anabaptists were radi­cals, or extremists.

2. Many Practise Community of Goods The Reformation, through the printing press, put the Bible into the hands of the common man. Men without education or formal train­ing began to interpret the Bible for themselves. When the Anabaptists found that the first Christian church in Jerusalem practised com­munity of goods, many of them adopted it as a Christian require­ment. They freely shared with one another whatever they possessed, so that all would be equally pro­vided for and no one would be in want. This naturally appealed very much to the poorer people. Conse­quently it was among those who had little of this world’s goods that Anabaptism gained a tremendous following, especially in Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

3. Fanatics Cause Confusion and Conflict

Many of the Anabaptists, al­though by no means all, were fana­tics. Some of their leaders claimed that they were prophets. One of these self-styled prophets was a certain Thomas Munzer . At first Munzer thought highly of Luther. Through Luther’s influ­ence he was appointed a preacher in Zwickau not far from Witten­berg. But he soon became dissat­isfied with what he considered Luther’s half-way measures of re­form. He demanded that pure churches be set up immediately, re­gardless of consequences, and he denounced Luther as one who al­lowed people to continue in their old sins. He believed in the author­ity of the Bible, but he taught that the Spirit imparts truth to true believers not only through the Scriptures, but also directly to their hearts, apart from Scripture. In Zwickau, Munzer encouraged a certain Storch to organize a church of professed believers. Storch then considered himself ap­pointed by God to set up the King­dom of Christ on earth. While Luther was in the Wartburg (ch. 24, sec. 19) , Storch, together with certain other leaders, went to Wit­tenberg and tried to win over the professors there to their way of thinking. They had considerable success. They proclaimed them­selves to be prophets who talked familiarly with God, foresaw the future, and received revelations di­rectly from the Spirit. Carlstadt, who was rector of Wittenberg Uni­versity, was especially impressed. He at once attempted to stop all unscriptural practices in university and church. He laid aside his professorial dress, put on the clothes of a peasant, and renounced his doctor’s degree, belittling all learn­ing and exalting the understanding of babes and sucklings. Even Melanchthon was greatly impressed with the prophetic claims of these men, and was unable to answer their arguments. They stirred up great commotion in Wittenberg, and there was serious danger that the Reformation movement in its very beginning would come under the control of these fanatics. It was then that Luther at the risk of los­ing his life came out of hiding in the Wartburg, and by his vigorous preaching removed the threat which had been raised by the Zwickau prophets.

THE BIBLE IN PRINT
Schoenfeld Collection from Three Lions
Johann Gutenberg shows his partner, Johann Fust, a proof from their press. Guten­berg (1400? to 1468) is believed to have been the first European to print with movable type cast in molds. He lived in Mainz, Germany. His famous first Bible, often called the Mazarin Bible, is known also as the 42-line Bible, because most of the pages are 42 lines long. It was printed in 3 volumes. The Library of Congress has a complete set of this rare and treasured publication.

Munzer, after having been ex­pelled from Zwickau, settled in the little Saxon town of Allstedt. He soon won followers. Images were broken, infant baptism was abol­ished, dreams were cultivated as a means of communication with God, laws were passed reducing interest and cancelling debts, and the right to hold private property was ques­tioned. Munzer began to preach a campaign of fire and sword against the "godless," Catholics and Lu­therans alike. Luther wrote a letter to the elector Frederick, urging him to put down the "Satan of Allstedt." The elector summoned Munzer to a conference with Lu­ther, but Munzer was afraid to obey the summons. He fled to Mulhausen, reviling Luther as that "arch-heathen, arch-rascal, Wittenberg pope, snake, and basi­lisk." Not long after this the Peasants’ War broke out. The princes of Germany were caught entirely un­prepared. Many of the castles of the nobles were captured by the peasants and burned. The nobles and their families were killed. Munzer thought that his hour of triumph had struck. He called upon his followers to root out the "god­less" without mercy, as the people of Israel had destroyed the Canaan­ites. Luther saw the whole of Ger­many threatened with anarchy, and the cause of the Reformation in danger. In the most violent lan­guage he called upon the princes to put down the rebellion. The peas­ants were defeated in a decisive battle on May 15, 1525; Munzer was captured and put to death, and the cause of the Reformation was saved. The Peasants’ War was the se­verest crisis through which the young Protestant Church had to pass. Had not Luther’s iron fist held the helm, the frail bark of the Reformation might well have foun­dered.

4. Melchior Hofmann Influences Multitudes

Melchior Hofmann, a furrier by trade, was at first an enthusiastic follower of Luther. In course of time he worked out a weird system of interpretation of Scripture, whereby he astonished the un­learned and gained a reputation for possessing the key to the divine mysteries. From Bible prophecy he estimated that Christ would return to earth in the year 1533.

Coming to the Netherlands as an Anabaptist he claimed that the end of the world would take place within three years. He influenced multitudes of people, and every­where groups of his followers ex­pected the speedy establishment of the Kingdom of Christ upon earth. The plight of the Anabaptists in the meanwhile was fast becoming desperate. As enemies not only of the Church but also of the State, they were fiercely persecuted by both Catholics and Protestants. The Catholics blamed the Reforma­tion for the excesses of the Ana­baptists. That made the Protes­tants especially bitter against them.

Most of the early leaders of the Anabaptists had been put to death. Those that survived, women as well as men, were subjected to the most cruel persecution. Living under these conditions, they began to look for the speedy return of Christ to bring to an end their unbearable sufferings. From the Netherlands Hofmann went to Strassburg. This city was a hotbed of Anabaptists. Hofmann was put into prison, and after lan­guishing there for ten years he died. But he had not given up his hope for the speedy return of Christ. He had stirred great mul­titudes to a state of tremendous ex­citement, and this made them an easy prey to the extreme ideas of Jan Matthys.

5. Jan Matthys Becomes Leader

Jan Matthys was a baker in the city of Haarlem. He now became the fiery leader of the Anabaptists. He hated the upper classes as the oppressors of the poor people of God, and felt that true believers were to be the instruments in God’s hand to destroy them. Hofmann had predicted that just before the return of Christ the prophet Enoch would appear. Matthys declared that he was the prophet Enoch. The oppressed masses every­where were ready to receive the new gospel. Anabaptist ideas grew more and more popular.

6. The Minster Kingdom Is a Sad Failure In the year 1533 the Anabaptists made themselves master of the city of Munster in Germany. Early the next year two men sent by Jan Matthys announced to the people of Munster that Enoch had ap­peared in the person of Matthys, that the thousand year reign of Christ was at hand, and that hence­forth the baptized saints — under the rule of Christ — should lead a blessed life with community of goods, and without law. A few days later John of Leyden, a tailor, ar­rived, and in the name of Matthys took charge of the Munster move­ment. The entire wealth of the city was soon in the hands of the fana­tics. Polygamy, the practice of having more than one wife, was introduced.

Hofmann had declared that Strassburg was going to be the seat of Christ’s reign on earth, the new Jerusalem. But Matthys pro­claimed now that Strassburg be­cause of its sins had forfeited that honor, and that Minster was going to be the new Jerusalem. From dif­ferent parts of Germany and from the Netherlands many thousands streamed into Munster. Matthys soon arrived in the city and placed himself at its head.

Now Munster was besieged by an army of Catholics and Lu­therans. A reign of terror developed within the city. All those suspected of being out of sympathy with the Anabaptists were killed without mercy. Matthys was killed in battle in April, 1534.

John of Levden next took charge. It was revealed to him that the new Jerusalem was to have a king who would have power over the whole earth, and that he was that king. In the meanwhile the siege went on. For more than a year the Ana­baptists defended themselves with fanatical courage. Toward the end of the siege their sufferings were indescribable. At last on June 24, 1535, the city was taken. A terrible massacre followed. The leaders were horribly tortured. The body of John of Leyden was exhibited for three days in an iron cage.

7. Some Essential Doctrines of the Anabaptists

Most people at that time thought that the extreme ideas expressed at Munster were the necessary out­come of Anabaptist doctrine. In England and America the oppo­nents of the Baptist movement con­tinued for a long time to point to Minster as a warning. In Germany and other countries of Europe the reproach of Munster still clings to the Baptist name. However, fanat­icism and belief in Christ’s reign upon earth for a thousand years were not a real part of Anabaptist doctrine.

One of the essential doctrines of the Anabaptists was believers’ bap­tism. They taught that only believers should be baptized and belong to the Church. They rejected in­fant baptism, because infants can­not believe. They baptized only adults after they had made confes­sion of faith. Even if a person had been baptized in infancy in the Catholic, Reformed, or Lutheran Church, the Anabaptists required that he be baptized again upon con­fession of faith. Because of this they were called Anabaptists, or Rebaptizers. The Anabaptists also introduced a change in the manner of baptism. They substituted immersion for sprinkling. This, however, is of minor importance. The important thing is not the manner but the subjects of baptism. The Reformed churches teach that infants of be­lievers not only may but ought to be baptized. The Anabaptists ­and their successors, the Baptists—just as firmly reject infant bap­tism, and teach that only those who do actually believe, that is, adults, may be baptized. The Anabaptists differed in still another respect from the Catholics, the Lutherans, and the Calvinists. That was in regard to the relation of Church and State. In the East­ern and the Lutheran Church the State more or less dominated the Church. According to the Catholic theory the Church should dominate the State. Calvin made the State an instrument of the Church in Ge­neva. The Anabaptists advocated complete separation of Church and State. This and believers’ baptism are two essential and distinguish­ing Anabaptist doctrines.

8. The Anabaptists Stand for Liberty of Religion When Church and State are closely connected, false doctrine or heresy is an offense not only against the Church but also against the State. Heresy is then a crime and should be punished by the govern­ment with the utmost severity. This is the view that was held not only by Catholics, but by Protestants as well. The Anabaptists, because of their doctrine of separation of Church and State, stood for liberty of religion. The Anabaptists taught that Christians, as much as is possible, should keep themselves separate from the world. They admitted that in this present life some kind of government is necessary. But they taught that believers should not have anything to do with it. Con­sequently, according to them, a Christian should not hold govern­ment office, should not be a soldier, should not take an oath, and should not own private property. You can see that the Anabaptists were radi­cals in their day. But as a result of fierce persecu­tion and a more sober way of think­ing, they gradually became less ex­treme in their ideas. The objections to office holding, arms bearing, oath taking, and private property were given up. But their fundamental principles of believers’ baptism, separation of Church and State, and complete liberty of religion for every individual survive today in the Baptists. The name "Baptists" is mislead­ing. Christians who baptize infants are also Baptists or Baptizers. A better name would be Adult-only Baptizers. The term "believers’ baptism" is also misleading. It assumes that only adults can believe. But that is exactly what some other Christians deny. A more appropriate term would be adult believers’ baptism.

Because of the disgrace attached to the name Anabaptist, it was dropped, and those who held these views became known as Baptists. But there was after all some accu­racy in the name Anabaptist.

9. The Mennonites Continue the Anabaptist Tradition

Menno Simons had been a Catho­lic priest in Witmarsum in the Dutch province of Friesland. After the Munster collapse he became the leader of the Anabaptists in the Netherlands. He traveled widely throughout the Netherlands and neighboring parts of Germany, everywhere organizing his follow­ers into churches, and teaching and exhorting them with mouth and pen. In course of time the name Men­nonites instead of Anabaptists came to be applied to these people. They became peaceful, industrious, prosperous, and highly respected citizens. In later years the Mennonites, torn by frequent dissentions, divid­ed and subdivided. Their ranks were also invaded by Arminianism and Socinianism (ch. 38, sec. 1-5).

10. The Baptists Divide into Gen­eral and Particular Baptists

John Smyth, who with his Con­gregational church of Gainsbor­ough had sought refuge in Amster­dam (ch. 36, sec. 4) , became ac­quainted with the Mennonites. Under their influence he adopted Baptist principles. A portion of his church returned to England, and in 1611 or 1612 established in Lon­don the first permanent Baptist church in England. In the Nether­lands the Baptists also had been influenced by Arminianism, which rejected the doctrine of election. The Baptists who adopted Armini­anism received the name of General Baptists.

Congregationalism was perma­nently replanted in England when Henry Jacob, who had belonged to the Congregational church of Rob­inson in Leyden (ch. 36, sec. 4) established a Congregational church in Southwark. A portion of this church seceded in 1633, and its members received the name of Par­ticular Baptists. They were in many ways Calvinists, but they be­lieved in adult baptism.

Presbyterians and Congregation­alists sang rimed versions of the Psalms in their church services. The Baptists were the first to in­troduce the singing of hymns.

11. Some Similarities between Congregationalists and Bap­tists The Congregationalists and Bap­tists have much in common. Both believe in the independence of local churches. And neither the Congre­gationalists nor the Baptists think much of creeds. The Baptists go even further than the Congrega­tionalists in rejecting the authority and the binding character of creeds.

Like the Congregationalists, the Baptists during the eighteenth cen­tury underwent the weakening effects of serious errors in doctrine. But they also experienced the re­viving effects of Methodism, which will be explained in chapter 40.

During the last years of the eighteenth and the first years of the nineteenth century the Baptist preacher Robert Hall was Eng­land’s greatest pulpit orator. And during the second half of the nine­teenth century there were very few preachers in all the world who could compare with Charles Had­don Spurgeon. In only one respect was Spurgeon a Baptist; he re­jected infant baptism. Aside from that he was a thorough Calvinist.