The History of the Anabaptists During the Wars of Religion

After the beginning of the Protestant Reformation in 1517, Catholics and Protestants fought a series of Wars of Religion. While many nobles used Catholicism and Protestantism as tools for advancing their own political gain, some really did want religious freedom. Ironically, groups who attained the religious freedom for which they had fought refused to grant that same freedom to others. Lutherans were persecuted in Catholic countries while Catholics were persecuted in Lutheran countries. Other groups, like the Anabaptists, were persecuted wherever they went.

No one is quite sure from where the Anabaptists came. Some believe that the Anabaptists were the spiritual decedents of true Bible believers who had continued to practice Biblical Christianity “uncorrupted by the perversion” of the Catholic church. Others believe that the Anabaptist movement began with one congregation in Zurich, Switzerland and spread outwards. Still others believe that the Anabaptist movement began with several small, independent movements which eventually became more or less a single denomination.

Whatever their origins, the Anabaptists had some very different beliefs than both Catholics and most Protestants. They rejected the idea of infant baptism in favor of believer’s baptism. Thus, they believed that baptism should be an outward sign of an inward decision, not a ritual performed shortly after birth. They were also pacifists who refused to participate in civil society.

Because of their fairly radical ideas about their place in civil society and their refusal to baptize their children, the Anabaptists were ostracized by Catholics and Protestants alike. They were seen as anarchists and a threat to society and were persecuted accordingly. Thousands of Anabaptists were thrown into prison, tortured, and even burned at the stake for their faith.

The Anabaptists referred to themselves as “The Brethren,” so “Anabaptist” is a term given to them by their critics. These critics were either Lutherans or Catholics who recognized only infant baptism, not believer’s baptism. Therefore, although baptism was an extremely important issue for “The Brethren,” their critics said that they did not baptize because they did not practice infant baptism. Some who understood the Anabaptist theology a bit better referred to them as “rebaptizers.” This term was used by those who recognized their believer’s baptism, but saw it as a second, unnecessary baptism.

Despite the best efforts of Catholics and Protestants in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Anabaptist movement continued to grow. It never attracted the popular support that Catholicism and Lutheranism enjoyed, but it was never stamped out completely. Today, several groups including the Amish and the Mennonites claim to be institutional decedents of the Anabaptists, while other groups, like the Seventh-Day-Adventists and the Baptists, claim to be their spiritual decedents. They also left a legacy to our country. Understandably, they were among the first advocates of religious freedom. When they first proposed it, religious freedom was a radical idea. Over time, however, it became more and more accepted and eventually adopted by most countries in the world. That was, in part, thanks to the efforts of “The Brethren.”