Denk, who was called the "Archbaptist," the "Bishop," "Pope," and
"Apollo" of the Anabaptists, was born in Bavaria and trained in Basel.
In 1523 he became Rector of St. Sebald in Nuernberg where he was opposed
by Osiander. Banished in the following year, he escaped to St. Gallen.
Expelled again, he fled to Augsburg. Here he was rebaptized by immersion
and became an active member of the Anabaptistic "Apostolic Brethren,"
who at that time numbered about 1,100 persons. Denk was the leader of
the council held by the Anabaptists in 1527 in Augsburg. Expelled from
the city, Denk died during his flight, 1527, at Basel. His "Retraction,
_Widerruf_" (a title probably chosen by the printer), published 1527
after his death, does not contain a retraction, but a summary of his
teaching. (Schlottenloher, 84.) The mystic mind of Denk runs a good deal
in the channels of the author of the "German Theology, _Deutsche
Theologie_," and of his pantheistic contemporary, Sebastian Franck.
Denk taught: God is one, and the source of unity. To return from all
divisions to this unity must be our constant aim. The only way is entire
surrender to God and submission in tranquillity. He says: "Nothing is
necessary for this salvation [reunion with God] but to obey Him who is
in us, and to be tranquil and wait for Him in the true real Sabbath and
tranquillity, losing ourselves and all that is ours, so that God may
both work and suffer in us. He who is in us is ready every hour and
moment to follow, if we are but willing. His hour is always, but ours is
not. He calls and stretches forth His arms the entire day, always ready;
nobody answers Him, nobody admits Him or suffers Him to enter. Do but
seek the Lord, then you will find Him; yea, He is already seeking you;
only suffer yourselves to be found. Indeed He has already found you, and
even now is knocking. Do but open unto Him and let Him in. Apprehend and
know the Lord, even as you are apprehended and known of Him."
Denk held that the source of religious and moral knowledge is not the
Scriptures, but the voice of God in the heart of man, or Christ Himself,
who speaks and writes the divine Law into the hearts of those who are
His. [Before Denk, Thomas Muenzer had said: "_Was Bibel! Bibel, Bubel,
Babel!_"] Whoever has this divine Law in his heart lacks nothing that is
needed to fulfil the will of God. According to Denk a man may be saved
without the preaching of the Word, without the Scriptures, and without
any knowledge of the historical Christ and His work. Nor can the
Scriptures be understood without heeding the revelation of God in our
own bosom. The Scriptures must indeed be regarded as higher than "all
human treasures, but not as high as God's Word" [in our own bosom].
Baptism is a mere outward sign that one has joined the number of
believers; hence it can be administered to such only as are conscious of
their faith. Ceremonies in themselves are not sin, says Denk, "but
whoever imagines to obtain grace through them, either by Baptism or by
the Breaking of Bread, is given to superstition." (Tschackert, 143;
Meusel, _Handl_. 2, 142.)