The Anabaptistic movement originated in Zurich. Their leaders were
Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, and the monk George of Chur (also called
_Blaurock_, Bluecoat), who was the first to introduce anabaptism. In
rapid succession Anabaptistic congregations sprang up in Swabia, Tyrol,
Austria, Moravia, etc. Because of their attitude toward the civil
government the Anabaptists were regarded as rebels and treated
accordingly. As early as January, 1527, some of them were executed in
Zurich. Persecution increased after the council held by Anabaptists in
the autumn of 1527 at Augsburg, which then harbored a congregation of
more than 1,100 "Apostolic Brethren," as the Anabaptists there called
themselves. In Germany the imperial mandate of September 23, 1529,
authorized the governments to punish Anabaptists, men and women of
every age, by fire or sword "without previous inquisition by spiritual
judges." They suffered most in Catholic territories. By 1531 about
1,000 (according to Sebastian Franck 2,000) had been executed in Tyrol
and Goerz.
The most prominent of the early Anabaptistic leaders and protagonists
were Hubmaier, Denk, Dachser, and Hans Hutt. Besides these we mention:
Ludwig Haetzer, published a translation of the prophets from the Hebrew,
1527, for which he was praised by Luther, was executed as adulterer
February 4, 1529, at Constance; Eitelhans Langenmantel, a former soldier
and son of the Augsburg burgomaster, expelled from the city October 14,
1527, impassionate in his writings against the "old and new Papists,"
_i.e._, Luther and others who adhered to the real presence of Christ in
the Lord's Supper, decapitated May 12, 1528, at Weissenburg; Christian
Entfelder, 1527 leader of the Brethren at Eisenschuetz Moravia, and
later on counselor of Duke Albrecht of Prussia; Hans Schlaffer, a former
priest, active as Anabaptistic preacher and author, executed 1528; Joerg
Haug, pastor in Bibra; Wolfgang Vogel, pastor near Nuernberg, executed
1527; Siegmund Salminger, imprisoned 1527 in Augsburg; Leonard Schiemer,
former Franciscan, bishop of the Brethren in Austria, an
Antitrinitarian, executed 1528; Ulrich Hugwald, professor in Basel;
Melchior Rinck, pastor in Hesse; Pilgram Marbeck; Jacob Buenderlin;
Jacob Kautz, preacher and author in Worms; Clemens Ziegler; Peter
Riedemann, an Anabaptistic author and preacher, who was frequently
imprisoned and died 1556; Melchior Hofmann, an Anabaptistic lay-preacher
and prolific author, who died in prison at Strassburg, 1543.
(Tschackert, 148ff.; Schlottenloher, _Philipp Ulhart, ein Augsburger
Winkeldrucker und Helfershelfer der "Schwaermer" und "Wiedertaeufer,"_
1523--1529, p. 59ff.)
The various errors of the Anabaptists are enumerated in the Twelfth
Article of the _Formula of Concord_. The Epitome remarks: "The
Anabaptists are divided among themselves into many factions, as one
contends for more, another for less errors; however they all in common
propound such doctrine as is to be tolerated or allowed neither in the
church, nor in the commonwealth and secular government, nor in domestic
life." (839, 2.) Urbanus Regius said in his book _Against the New
Baptistic Order:_ "Not all [of the Anabaptists] know of all of these
errors [enumerated in his book]; it is therefore not our intention to do
an injustice to any one; we mean such public deceivers in the Baptistic
Order as John Denk and Balthasar Friedberger," Hubmaier.
(Schlottenloher, 80.)
While some of the Anabaptists, as Hubmaier, were more conservative,
others (Denk, Schiemer) went so far as to deny even the doctrine of the
Trinity. They all were agreed, however, in their opposition to infant
baptism, and to the Lutheran doctrines of justification, of the means of
grace, of the Sacraments, etc. What their preachers stressed was not
faith in the atonement made by Christ, but medieval mysticism,
sensation-faith (_Gefuehlsglaube_), and the law of love as exemplified
by Christ. Tschackert quotes from one of their sermons: "Whoever follows
the voice which constantly speaks in his heart always finds in himself
the true testimony to sin no more, and an admonition to resist the
evil." (153.) In his introduction to a publication of hymns of Breuning,
Salminger said: "Whoever speaks in truth to what his own heart testifies
will be received by God." Schlottenloher remarks: "It was medieval
mysticism from which they [the Anabaptists] derived their consuming
desire for the complete union of the soul with God and the Spirit."
(83.)