It is important to understand that the Anabaptist movement began in two separate areas in Western Europe – Switzerland and the Netherlands. In Switzerland, they were known as the Swiss Brethren. Several years after the beginnings of the Anabaptist movement in Switzerland, the movement reached the Netherlands through the influence of a wandering preacher with a Lutheran background named Melchoir Hoffman. Hoffman had fanatical notions about the earthly kingdom of God, which bore fruit and culminated in what became known as the Munster tragedy. Two men influenced by Hoffman, John of Leiden and John Matthys, established their “kingdom” in the city of Munster. They instituted a reign of terror for about a year until the opposing forces annihilated them and the few holdouts with them. While they could be called Anabaptists because they were re-baptized at the beginning of this saga, they obviously did not stay true to other Anabaptist principles. 

  Among the many baptized by Hoffman or his followers, a pair of brothers became very significant: Obbe and Dirk Phillips. These two brothers and their followers, who opposed the violence and fanaticism of the Munsterites, became known as the Obbenites. The Obbenites could be rightfully considered the founders of the Dutch Mennonite movement.^[1]

Any new movement must come to terms with its fringe elements and tendencies. The aforementioned Munster incident was one of those divisive elements. Some held to hyper-literal interpretations of the Gospel. The fledgling Anabaptist movement needed a leader to stabilize and unify the cause. 

In 1536, it has been traditionally accepted that Obbe Phillips baptized a former Roman Catholic priest named Menno Simons. Menno Simons was born in 1496 in the Dutch town of Witmarsum. Menno was ordained a priest in 1524 but was not serious about life. He involved himself in partying, cards, drinking, etc. However, events in his life led him to begin to question the Catholic practice of transubstantiation. "…during the first year (as priest) he was suddenly frightened. While he was administering the Mass he began to doubt whether the bread and the wine were actually being changed into the flesh and blood of Christ. First he considered these thoughts the whisperings of Satan; but he was unable to free himself through "sighings, prayers, and confessings."^[2]

  He struggled with his doubts for two years. Finally picking up a Bible and beginning to read, he discovered that the teachings of the Catholic church were incorrect. Several events also were instrumental in bringing him to a crossroads of faith. News of a public beheading reached him and disturbed him because the reason for the beheading was rebaptism. A second baptism seemed a strange doctrine to him. He had never before doubted infant baptism. In his home town of Witmarsum about 300 Muensterites took over a monastery and tried to defend themselves against the governor, but all were killed, probably including his own brother. The news of Muenster and the Hoffman/ Muensterite prophets' influence prompted him to speak out publicly against these fanatical excesses.

  Finally, in January of 1536, he made the break – closing the door to a priestly career and a life of ease and pleasure and instead embracing the cross of Christ, a wanderer with a price on his head. “I voluntarily renounced all my worldly honor and reputation, my unchristian conduct, masses, infant baptism, and my unprofitable life, and at once willingly submitted to distress and poverty, and the cross of Christ”^[3]. He spent a year in seclusion studying Scripture, and around 1537, Obbe Phillips ordained him.

He was a hunted man with enemies everywhere – Roman Catholic traditionalists and other Reformers on one side and fanatics on the other. But he had a burden for the souls of men, the common people who found themselves caught in the middle of the swirling winds of change. “Thus reflecting upon these things my soul was so grieved that I could no longer endure it. I thought to myself — I, miserable man, what shall I do? If I continue in this way, and live not agreeably to the word of the Lord, according to the knowledge of the truth which I have obtained; if I do not rebuke to the best of my limited ability the hypocrisy, the impenitent, carnal life, the perverted baptism, the Lord's supper and the false worship of God, which the learned teach; if I, through bodily fear, do not show them the true foundation of the truth, neither use all my powers to direct the wandering flock, who would gladly do their duty if they knew it, to the true pastures of Christ — Oh, how shall their shed blood, though shed in error, rise against me at the judgment of the Almighty, and pronounce sentence against my poor, miserable soul.”^[4]

He was an humble servant of the Lord, willing to serve but painfully aware of his inadequacies. As he reflected on the needs of the poor, straying flock who wandered as a sheep without a shepherd, he wrote, “My heart trembled in my body. I prayed to God with sighs and tears, that he would give to me, a troubled sinner, the gift of his grace, and create a clean heart within me; that through the merits of the crimson blood of Christ, He would graciously forgive my unclean walk and unprofitable life, and bestow upon me, wisdom, Spirit, candor and fortitude, that I might preach his exalted and adorable name and holy word unper­verted, and make manifest his truth to his praise.”^[5]

Menno had his faults like any man, but he deserves his place in history with the other Reformers of that age, maybe even deserving a higher ranking than the others. Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli accomplished their roles in conjunction with the state's political power. In contrast, Menno Simons played his part by obeying the Scriptures, bearing the cross of Christ, and enduring the shame of persecution. He traveled, preached, debated, and wrote many treatises and letters, many of which are available today. A volume of The Complete Writings of Menno Simons has 1,092 pages. His influence on the Mennonite church, which bears his name, is incalculable. 

  What messages did Menno preach in his day that we need to be reminded of today? The following quotes are all from his own writings. 

True religion must bear sanctified and holy fruit. The state churches did not call their members to be born again as a prerequisite for membership. You were basically born into the church by being baptized into it as an infant. The Anabaptists insisted on membership by choice, and the standard was the New Birth. This made their way of life straight and narrow. The state churches left it broad and open.^[6]

“Such a repentance we teach and no other, namely, that no one can or may piously glory in the grace of God the forgiveness of sins, the merit of Christ, unless he has truly repented.”

“It is not enough that in appearance a man speaks much of the Word of the Lord. It must also be verified by devout and unblameable conduct, as the Scriptures teach.”

“ For true evangelical faith is of such a nature that it cannot lay dormant; but manifests itself in all righteousness and works of love; it dies unto flesh and blood; destroys all forbidden lusts and desires; cordially seeks, serves and fears God; clothes the naked; feeds the hungry; consoles the afflicted; shelters the miserable; aids and consoles all the oppressed; returns good for evil; serves those that injure it; prays for those that persecute it; teaches, admonishes and reproves with the Word of the Lord; seeks that which is lost; binds up that which is wounded; heals that which is diseased and saves that which is sound.”^[7]

The Church is a Brotherhood. The state churches who persecuted the Anabaptists were made up of citizens of their local city/state. They were there by birth, not by choice. Mennonites are members of a Brotherhood because they willingly submit their lives to the body and care for one another.

“Inasmuch as then they are one, therefore it is Christian and reasonable that they piously love one another, and that the one member be solicitous for the welfare of the other, for this both the Scripture and nature teach. The whole Scripture speaks of mercifulness and love, and it is the only sign whereby a true Christian may be known”. 

Menno Simons had much to say about the life of preachers. This is may be because of his own experience in the priesthood, and also because the loose living and depravity of church leaders was rampant. 

Speaking of the state churches he says: “Under these splendid trap­pings (crosses, bells, organs, masses) may plainly be seen the slily, croach­ing wolf, the earthly, sensual mind, the anti­christian seductions and bloody abomina­tions; for they seek nothing but the favor of men, honor, splendor, venery, idleness, self, gold, silver, gluttony, &c., and suffer them­selves to be called spiritual doctors, teach­ers, lords, abbots, guardians, fathers and priors”.

Speaking of true preachers, he says, “These are they who gather with Christ what has been scattered, bind up the wounded, and heal the sick, for they are influenced by the Spirit of the Lord and urged by unfeigned love. They are vigilant and assiduous in the discharge of entrusted duties. They fight daily with the weapon of obedience. They tear down, break, and destroy all that which is against the word of God, not by external power, with sword and spear, but by the preaching of the holy word, in power and spirit, with the word of the Lord. They till, sow, water, and plant. They cut down what is ripe. They gather their grain and sheaves, and carry them into the Lord's barn, and their fruits will abide unto eternal life.”

Shunning Babylon (the world)

“We further teach and admonish from the word of God, that all true children of God, who are regenerated from the incorruptible living seed of the divine word, who have separated themselves, according to the Scriptures, from the idolatrous generation, and yielded to the yoke and cross of Christ, and who are able to judge between true and false doctrines, between Christ and antichrist, must shun, according to Scripture, all seducing and idolatrous preachers with their doctrines, sacraments and worship. They must avoid all, of every doctrine, faith, sect, creed and name, who are not found in the pure doctrine of Christ, and in the scriptural usage of his sacraments, because they have neither calling, doctrine, nor life, according to the word of God, but are sent by anti‑christ, and ordained in his employment and service.”

  Menno was a voluminous writer. Only small samples can be given here. One thing that shines through and through was his “divine enthusiasm”^[8] for the work of Christ in the heart of the true believer. Here is a quote from him; “Behold, worthy reader, all those who sincerely believe in this glorious love of God, this abundant, great blessing of grace in Christ Jesus, manifested toward us, are more and more renewed through such a faith; their hearts overflow with joy and peace; they break forth with joyful hearts, in all manner of thanksgiving; they praise and glorify God with all their hearts, because they, with a good conscience have received the Spirit; they believe and know that the Father loved us, so that he gave us poor, wretched sinners, his own and Eternal Son, with his merits, as a gift and an eternal ransom, as Paul says, The grace and love of God, our Savior, appeared not on account of the works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Savior.^[9]

  After a busy and fruitful life, Menno Simons died of natural causes on January 31, 1561. God used him mightily to stabilize and bless the Anabaptist movement. God is calling men and women to Kingdom work today. May we be faithful and take courage to step forward in faith and answer His call.

Heb 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Peach Bottom, PA