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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-02-22, Page 16Page 2—Crossroads—Feb. 22, 1984 Menno Simons: Leader of Ana By John H. Martens The Ana -Baptist .move- ment was founded in the year 1525 by a certain Kon- rad Grebel in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. A product of the Reformation the movement went even further in its divergence from Roman Catholic doctrine and practice than Lutheranism or Calvin's teachings, and — for that matter — the Zwinglian Re- formation in Zurich. It con- stituted the more radical wing of the Swiss Reforma- tion, of which it was origin- ally a part. Grebel rejected the state church and advocated religious tolerance, while insisting on believers' or adult baptism. Pacifism and the rejection of the oath further characterized Ana - Baptism. In 1534,nnine years later, there arose in the Nether- lands a similar movement, founded by Obbe Philips. Its adherents were known as Obbenites. Then in 1536, a former Catholic priest by the name of Menno Simons, was bap- tized by Obbe Philips and joined the movement. Menno Simons' name has ever since been inseparably connected with Anabaptism. He was for twenty-five years the undisputed leader of the Dutch Anabaptists and . — although the latter name did not fall entirely into disuse — Anabaptists in general were henceforth known as Menno- nites. Who was Menno Simons, to whom so many on three con- tinents trace their spiritual origins? Simons was born in c. 1496 in the little village of Wit- marsum in the province of Friesland in the Nether- lands. He apparently was a bright boy and studied to be a priest, in which capacity he served in the nearby village of Pingjum. Menno Simons left, as we saw, the Roman communion in 1536, to join the movement founded by Obbe Philips. In those criti- cal years the Anabaptists were divided into a number of factions. From the begin- ning Menno Simons was re- pelled by Anabaptism of the Munster type with its mur- derous excesses of violence and its immorality. Since his HEY KIDS! LEARN TO DRAW WITH DANNY COUGHLAN —0— / / \ DA PP ©t4 c 1. Here's Danny's complete drawing. 2. Finish what Danny started. 3. Now try it yourself! joining the Anabaptists lI1enno Simons was cease- lessly on the go, preaching his message, wherever he found listeners. As a true Christian missionary of old, he travelled through Hol- land, Friesland and the north of Germany. Within ten years his fol- lowers called "Mennists" spread into the Rhineland, all across the north of Ger- many to the Vistula delta in the Danzig area. Here they lived, some- times in relative peace, at other times suffering from severe persecution. But the Mennists survived and the ones living in the Danzig area became the vanguard of a further movement still more to the east, some two and a half centuries later, when, in 1788, Prussian Men- nonites of Dutch origin were induced by Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, to settle in the Ukraine. For the moment we will stop here and tell something more about Menno Simons himself, although we do not intend to go into a formal biography. We will begin with the ob- servation that his move- ments are difficult to trace. Simons was permanently on the move, from East Fries- land to North Holland and back again to East Fries- land. Ffe preached in Am- sterdam, Emden, Lubeck and Wismar. His wanderings were as much due to his mis- sionary zeal as to the perse- cution suffered by the Ana- baptists. The violent Ana- baptist Munster intermezzo had caused great alarm among secular authorities and more conservative Re- form -minded people alike. All Anabaptists, the more peaceful groups as well as the radical elements, were equated with the Munster group and harassed violent- ly. Particularly Menno Simons was permanently on the "most wanted men" list. In the Netherlands a num- ber of interesting stories are still in circulation after all ' 4 aptists checked by knocking against course in the study of the them. The first four or five Frisian language. It seems sounded hollow and the that the future holds some sixth, in which Menno promise of a dramatic in - Simons was hiding, was left grease in over knowledge of alone. An old man in Wor- the apparently numerous kum, a little city in Fries- land, told the writer half .a century ago, that this is the reason why the chimneys on top of the 19th century Doopsgezinde (Menniste) Church in Workum are fash- ioned in brick in the form of barrels com with hoops. They are bu ging slightly outward in the middle and are supposed to keep. alive the memory of Simons' lucky escape, so the old man said. Returning to Eastern Europe, during the reign of Catherine the Great (1720- 1796) no fewer than 10,000 Mennonites of Dutch origin went to Russia, accom- panied by some from Switzerland. However, during the 70's of the 19th century 18,000 emigrated to North America because of their fear of military con- scription, while after the first World War some 20,000 fled to. Canada before the Bolsjewist regime. Another 35,000 Russian Mennonites retreated with the Nazi armies from the Ukraine in the waning years of World War II. More than half of these people were however forcibly sent back to disappear largely from view. It will be clear that the Russian Mennonites settling on the North American continent constitute a wholly different group than the Pennsylvanian , Mennonites who settled from 1683 .and .following years around Germantown, Pennsylvania. The Russian Mennonites largely descend from Dutch pioneers, who via the cir- cuitous route of the Vistula Delta and the Ukraine finally found in the New World a haven of refuge where they could live accordingly to the dictates of their conscience. The Pennsylvania Men- nonites left Europe much earlier to escape persecution these manvy_ears hout_the and • religious intolerance. busy and beloved preacher. One time Menno Simons was travelling by wagon through the countryside. He was seated up front beside the coachman and one would hardly have recognized a fa- mous predLher in the incon- spicuous, simply dressed passenger. In the back of the wagon travelled half a dozen other passengers. When an armed patrol rode up to inspect the contents of the wagon and to identify the. coachman and his companions, the patrol leader demanded to know: "I M Simons in the s enno hack of the wagon?" Simons turned around and asked the people: "Is Menno Simons there?" When the answer was in .the negative, Menno Simons turned to the patrol, saying: "They say that Menno Simons is not there." The patrol was satisfied, did not ask any more questions and, waving them on, did not even bother to scrutinize the coachman and his compan- ion, who by now had taken over the reins. Thus originated the ex- pression: "A Mennist Lie" (in Dutch: "een Menniste Leugen"), which means speaking only half the truth, in this way avoiding the fatal consequences which would have resulted from disclos- ing the whole truth. On anotheroccasion the wandering preacher was hidden in a large buttervat or barrel and again escaped detection when the other barrels of the shipment were crossroads Published every Wednesday by Wenger BroS Limited as the lifestyle and entertainment section in The Listowel Banner. The Wingham Advance - Times. The Mount Forest Confederate and The Milverton Sun Members of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association. Ontario Community Newspaper Association. and the Ontario Press Council Controlled distri- bution in Elmira. Palmerston. Harriston. Brussels. Millbank. Newton. Atwood. Clifford. Drayton. Wallenstein. Moorefield and Arthur Display and Classified advertising deadline — 5 00 p.m Thursday week prior to publication date Advertising and Production The Listowel Banner 188 Wallace Ave N PO.Box 97. Listowel, Ont N4W 3H2 Accounting and Billing The Wingham Advance -Times Josephine St P O Box 390. Wingham. Ont NOG 2WO The Listowel Banner 291 -1660 The Wingham Advance -Times 357-2320 The Mount Forest Confederate 323-1 550 The Milverton Sun 595-8921 Their arrival -`preceded the coming of their brothers in the faith from Russia some 1'%2 to 2t/2 centuries. Among Russian North American Mennonites.not in- frequently names like Wiebe, Kla(a)ssen or others remind .us of ,their ancient Dutch or. Frisian origin. It has been, reported of late by Dutch explorers travelling for that.purpose through Siberia via the trans Siberian Railway that here and there in. the wilderness there still exist Mennonite settlements. Probably these people have been rounded up sometime in the 1870's for their refusal to enter into military service or perhaps during or after one of the two World Wars of this, century. Even more surprising, some Dutch travellers have told us,. that presently in some of their isolated settle- ments in the Siberian inter- ior the Frisian language is still in use while plain and recognizable Frisian and Dutch first and surnames are not infrequently en- countered. The most amazing thing revealed in this context how- ever, is that the University of Novosibirsk, the West Siberian capital. offers a and indestructible Siberian Mennonites, about whom most people know next to no- thing. Much more could be said about the Mennonites and how it has come about that they can be found in modern times all over the world, es- pecially Canada. For the followers of Grebel and Menno Simons can still" be found in France, Switzer- land, the Netherlands and Germany as well as in the countries mentioned above. Perhaps we will go into that some other time. As everyone knows Mennonites worldwide are famous and honored for their social service on behalf of their needy fellow men. Their stand in this respect has undoubtedly contributed greatly to whatever world- wide respect Christianity en-' joys. In Witmarsum a statue of Nature's experiment Menuo Simons faces the town hall, where the writer of this article was married. It always seemed as if the gaze of the preacher was di- rected at the large windows of the upstairs council cham- ber where the cermony was performed. Or was he gazing beyond the building to the far dis- tances where his followers later would be dispersed? It is hard to say, but the picture of that statue often rises to the surface of my memory. If given the opportunity, I want to visit and stand be- fore it again, take off my hat to honor a great Christian and try again to discover the direction of his eyes, gazing into the distance. And in clear words I will tell him that in North -America, the USA and Canada, we have not forgotten him. We will perhaps even touch his hand of stone and the appeal of his simple sta- tue will far overshadow the effect of impressive eques- trian statues or • the monu- ments of famous battlefield commanders, surrounded by cannons and battle flags. + *api jEt K ',NATA TR' ',VEL rfor . • yor Portugal/Spain and Made;`, March " - to Ouded SO‘i 1 days =16s9 twin Space limited The Best >f Europe • featuring Holland at Tulip Time April & May Departures over 20 meals included 21 days 1699 twin Oberammergau and Europe June Departures over 25 meals included guaranteed seating for Passion Play 22 days '2229 twin Why pay more? The Royal Viking The.Alpine September Departures New and improved 24 meals included 19 days :1990 twin featuring 3 nights in Lucerne 24 meals included 17 days =1699 twin TOURS DESIGNED WITH SENIORS IN MIND Full 6corted worry -free holidays. 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