Contemporary with these fanatical Anabap tists there were those who united denial of the validity of infant baptism with mystical views, and even with denial of the deity of Christ. But in Switzerland and South Germany the Anti paedo-Baptists, who date from 1523, and were dominated by the theological views of Balthazar Hubmeier, though reckoned with the other Ana baptists and cruelly persecuted and suppressed, held only at worst defective political views, but had no part or parcel with any immoral prac tices. Their creed can be learned from Zwingli's attack upon them. See the English translation in Jackson's Selections from Zwingli, pp. 123 25S (*New York, 1901 ). This humble folk were treated like criminals, because the authorities recognized that their principles, though in no way sinful, were subversive of the tyrannieal government they exercised. Anabaptists must die because they would not submit to the estab lished order. To this day the advocates of the State Church look askance at them. At first among them the mode of baptism was not con sidered important, and so not much discussed. It was by pouring or sprinkling.
A new era for the Anabaptists begins with Melillo Simons. (See LENIN O. ) Surrounded by dangers, Menno succeeded, by prudent zeal, in collecting • the scattered adherents of the sect, and in founding congregations in the Nether lands and in various parts of Germany. He called the members of the community "God's congregation, poor, unarmed Christians, bro thers;" later, they took the name of and at present they call themselves, in Germany, Taufgesinnte; in Holland, Doopsgezinden—cor responding very nearly to the English designa tion Baptists, This, besides being a more appro priate designation, avoids offensive association with the early Anabaptists. Menno expounded his principles in his Elements of the True Chris tian Faith in Dutch. This book is still an authority among the body, who lay particular stress on receiving the doctrines of the Scrip ture with simple faith, and acting strictly up to them, setting no on learning and the scientific elaboration .of doctrines. They reject
the taking of oaths, war, every kind of revenge, divorce (except for adultery), infant baptism, and the undertaking of the office of magistrate; magistracy they hold to be an institution neces sary for the present, but foreign to the kingdom of Christ; the Church is the community of the saints, which must he kept pure by strict disci pline. With regard to grace, they hold it to he designed for all, and their views of the Lord's Supper fall in with those of Zwingli; in its cele bration the rite of feet-washing is retained. In Germany, Switzerland, and Alsace their form of worship differs little from the Lutheran. Their bishops, elders. and teaehers serve without pay. Children receive their name at birth, baptism is performed in the place of worship. and adults that join the sect are rebaptized. (See MEN NONITES. ) Almost the only split among the early Conti nental Baptists on doctrinal grounds was that which took place in Amsterdam in 1664. Ar minianism had not been without its influence, especially among the Waterliinders, originally more liberal in their views. A leading congrega tion accordingly divided into two parties, one (Galenists, from Galenus, their leader) advo cating freer views in doctrine and discipline; the other (Apostoolists, from Samuel Apostool) adhering to absolute predestination and the dis cipline of Menno. The liberal party rejected creeds as of human invention, adopted much of the philosophy and theology of England, and exercised no little influence on the intellectual progress of Holland. two parties grad ually absorbed the other sections of the Baptists in the Netherlands; and about the beginning of the nineteenth century a union took place by which all the congregations now belong to one body. __ For the modern denomination called Baptists, which continues the same protest against infant baptism, but has little, or, as some claim, no genetic connection with the Anabaptists, see BAPTISTS.