a society of Baptists in Holland, so called from Menno Simon
of Friesland, who lived in the sixteenth century. He was originally a
Romish priest, but joined a party of the Anabaptists, and, becoming
their leader, cured them of many extravagancies, and reduced the system
to consistency and moderation. The Mennonites maintain that practical
piety is the essence of religion, and that the surest mark of the true
church is the sanctity of its members. They plead for universal
toleration in religion, and debar none from their societies who lead
pious lives, and own the Scriptures for the word of God. They teach that
infants are not the proper subjects of baptism; that ministers of the
Gospel ought to receive no salary. They also object to the terms
_person_ and _trinity_, as not consistent with the simplicity of the
Scriptures. They are, like the Society of Friends, utterly averse to
oaths and war, and to capital punishments, as contrary to the spirit of
the Christian dispensation. In their private meetings every one has the
liberty to speak, to expound the Scriptures, and to pray. They assemble,
or used to do so, twice every year from all parts of Holland, at
Rynsbourg, a village two leagues from Leyden, at which time they receive
the communion, sitting at a table in the manner of the Independents; but
in their form of discipline they are said more to resemble the
Presbyterians. The ancient Mennonites professed a contempt of erudition
and science, and excluded all from their communion who deviated in the
least from the most rigorous rules of simplicity and gravity: but this
primitive austerity is greatly diminished in their most considerable
societies. Those who adhere to their ancient discipline are called
Flemings or Flandrians. The whole sect were formerly called
Waterlandians, from the district in which they lived. The Mennonites in
Pennsylvania do not baptize by immersion, though they administer the
ordinance to none but adult persons. Their common method is this: The
person to be baptized kneels, the minister holds his hands over him,
into which the deacon pours water, so that it runs on the head of the
baptized; after which follow imposition of hands and prayer.
Divine worship is conducted among the Mennonites much as among the
churches of the reformed, or among the Dissenters in England, only with
this peculiarity, that collections are made every Sabbath day, sometimes
in the middle of the sermon, in two bags, one for the poor, and the
other for the expenses of public worship. They have a Mennonite college
at Amsterdam, and the ministers are chosen in some places by the
congregation, and in others by the elders only. As they reject infant
baptism, they refuse to commune at the Lord’s table with any who
administer the ordinance to children, unless resprinkled. They train up
catechumens under their ministers, and, about the age of sixteen,
baptize them, taking from the candidate, before the minister and elders,
an account of his repentance and faith. In some parts of North Holland,
young people are baptized on the day of their marriage. They baptize by
pouring or sprinkling thrice.
With respect to their confession of faith, as it is stated by one of
their ministers, Mr. Gan, of Ryswick, they believe that in the fall man
lost his innocence, and that all his posterity are born with a natural
propensity to evil, and with fleshly inclinations, and are exposed to
sickness and death. The posterity of Adam derive no moral guilt from his
fall: sin is personal, and the desert of punishment cannot be inherited.
The incarnate Son of God is set forth to us as inferior to the Father,
not only in his state of humiliation, but in that of his exaltation, and
as subject to the Father: he is nevertheless an object of religious
trust and confidence in like manner as the Father. With respect to the
number of Mennonites in Holland, they are calculated at only thirty
thousand, including children, and form about a hundred and thirty
churches. In the United States of America, it appears, there are more
than two hundred Mennonite churches, some of which contain as many as
three hundred members in each. They are mostly the descendants of the
Mennonites who emigrated in great numbers from Paltz.
of Friesland, who lived in the sixteenth century. He was originally a
Romish priest, but joined a party of the Anabaptists, and, becoming
their leader, cured them of many extravagancies, and reduced the system
to consistency and moderation. The Mennonites maintain that practical
piety is the essence of religion, and that the surest mark of the true
church is the sanctity of its members. They plead for universal
toleration in religion, and debar none from their societies who lead
pious lives, and own the Scriptures for the word of God. They teach that
infants are not the proper subjects of baptism; that ministers of the
Gospel ought to receive no salary. They also object to the terms
_person_ and _trinity_, as not consistent with the simplicity of the
Scriptures. They are, like the Society of Friends, utterly averse to
oaths and war, and to capital punishments, as contrary to the spirit of
the Christian dispensation. In their private meetings every one has the
liberty to speak, to expound the Scriptures, and to pray. They assemble,
or used to do so, twice every year from all parts of Holland, at
Rynsbourg, a village two leagues from Leyden, at which time they receive
the communion, sitting at a table in the manner of the Independents; but
in their form of discipline they are said more to resemble the
Presbyterians. The ancient Mennonites professed a contempt of erudition
and science, and excluded all from their communion who deviated in the
least from the most rigorous rules of simplicity and gravity: but this
primitive austerity is greatly diminished in their most considerable
societies. Those who adhere to their ancient discipline are called
Flemings or Flandrians. The whole sect were formerly called
Waterlandians, from the district in which they lived. The Mennonites in
Pennsylvania do not baptize by immersion, though they administer the
ordinance to none but adult persons. Their common method is this: The
person to be baptized kneels, the minister holds his hands over him,
into which the deacon pours water, so that it runs on the head of the
baptized; after which follow imposition of hands and prayer.
Divine worship is conducted among the Mennonites much as among the
churches of the reformed, or among the Dissenters in England, only with
this peculiarity, that collections are made every Sabbath day, sometimes
in the middle of the sermon, in two bags, one for the poor, and the
other for the expenses of public worship. They have a Mennonite college
at Amsterdam, and the ministers are chosen in some places by the
congregation, and in others by the elders only. As they reject infant
baptism, they refuse to commune at the Lord’s table with any who
administer the ordinance to children, unless resprinkled. They train up
catechumens under their ministers, and, about the age of sixteen,
baptize them, taking from the candidate, before the minister and elders,
an account of his repentance and faith. In some parts of North Holland,
young people are baptized on the day of their marriage. They baptize by
pouring or sprinkling thrice.
With respect to their confession of faith, as it is stated by one of
their ministers, Mr. Gan, of Ryswick, they believe that in the fall man
lost his innocence, and that all his posterity are born with a natural
propensity to evil, and with fleshly inclinations, and are exposed to
sickness and death. The posterity of Adam derive no moral guilt from his
fall: sin is personal, and the desert of punishment cannot be inherited.
The incarnate Son of God is set forth to us as inferior to the Father,
not only in his state of humiliation, but in that of his exaltation, and
as subject to the Father: he is nevertheless an object of religious
trust and confidence in like manner as the Father. With respect to the
number of Mennonites in Holland, they are calculated at only thirty
thousand, including children, and form about a hundred and thirty
churches. In the United States of America, it appears, there are more
than two hundred Mennonite churches, some of which contain as many as
three hundred members in each. They are mostly the descendants of the
Mennonites who emigrated in great numbers from Paltz.