BIOGRAPHY OF MENNO SIMONS Gathered from his own writings and also from Gerhard Roosen, a Mennonite minister at Hamburg, in his book named: “Innocence of the Evangelical Baptists, who are called Mennonites,” which was printed in the year 1702, as well as from several other writers. He was born in the year 1495 at Witmarsum … Continue reading Benjamin Eby’s “Origin and Doctrime of the Mennonites – Part 5
Waldensians
Benjamin Eby’s “Origin and Doctrine of the Mennonites” – part 4
Thomas Herman, a very earnest preacher of the Gospel, was arrested at Kitzipil in the year 1527, and was also sentenced to be burned. His heart they could not burn and at last threw it into the lake, which was near the place of execution. Leonhard Schoner, a defender of the teachings of Christ, was, … Continue reading Benjamin Eby’s “Origin and Doctrine of the Mennonites” – part 4
Benjamin Eby’s “Origin and Doctrine of the Mennonites” – part 3
For more than 1,600 years these defenceless Baptists were distressed by persecution, imprisonment, beside all kinds of torment and torture, and finally killed by fire, sword, hunger and drowning. Nevertheless, through all the centuries from the apostles’ time on, there were many Baptists who maintained, preached and practised the pure teachings of Christ, in spite … Continue reading Benjamin Eby’s “Origin and Doctrine of the Mennonites” – part 3
Who was Benjamin Eby?
Benjamin Eby was a great-great-grandson of Jacob Eby, who was ordained bishop of the Mennonites at Zurich, Switzerland in 1663. Jacob’s son, Theodor us Eby, left Switzerland in 1704 to escape the persecution of the Mennonites that was going on there. This Eby family settled in Lancaster County Pennsylvania in 1715. Benjamin Eby’s older brother, … Continue reading Who was Benjamin Eby?
Succession of the apostolic faith
While many historians consider that there is no historical relationship or kinship of faith between the Cathars, Donatists, Waldensians, Mennonites, etc., we in the Anabaptist tradition believe they were all manifestations of one, holy, apostolic faith. The following paragraphs are excerpted from the author’s introduction to a massive book (1100 pages) compiled in 1660 by … Continue reading Succession of the apostolic faith
Early Church History
The first recorded separation of the Christian Church occurred in A.D. 251. Novatian, bishop at Carthage (near the location of the present day city of Tunis) in North Africa, insisted that members who had renounced Christ during the persecution of Diocletian could no longer be recognized as members of the Church of Christ. He was … Continue reading Early Church History
English Christianity – Part 2
INFLUENCE OF WYCLIFFE IN BOHEMIA - HUSSITES The writings of John Wycliffe reached as far as Bohemia, where they were adopted, at least in part, by Jan Hus. Hus was appointed rector of the University of Prague in 1401 and chaplain of Bethlehem Chapel in Prague in 1402. Hus preached in the Czech language and … Continue reading English Christianity – Part 2
English Christianity – Part 1
PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY The exact time when the Christian faith first reached the British Isles is lost in the mists of time. Traditions that the Apostle Paul or Joseph of Arimathea first brought the Gospel to England seem somewhat dubious, but cannot be proved or disproved at this distance in time. There is evidence, though, that … Continue reading English Christianity – Part 1
Flatlander Faith 