AMZI
210
ANABAPTISTS
ler's Jahrb. 1852, p. 41, 155; Ebrard. Christliche Dog- matil; § 43; Smith's Hagenbach, Hist, of Doctrines, § 225 a ; Gass, Geschichte der Protest. Dogmatik, ii, 328 sq. ; Cunningham, Hist. Theol. ii, 324 sq. ; Watson, Jnsts. ii, 411. See Baxtek; Camerox.
Am'zi (Heb. Amtsi', "^"SX, strong), the name of two Levites.
1. (Sept. 'A/itcrat.) A Levite, son of Bani, and fa- ther of Hilkiah, a descendant of Merari (1 Chron. vi, 46). B.C. long ante 1014.
2. (Sept. 'A/MHH.) A priest, son of Zeehariah, and father of Pelaiah, in the family of Adaiah (Neh. xi, 12). B.C. considerably ante 530.
A'nab (Heb. Anab', S33>, gi-npe-tov,'n ; Sept. 'Avc'ifi v. r. 'Av<tf3io5 and 'Aviov), one of the cities in the mountains of Judah, from which Joshua expelled the Anakim (Josh, xi, 21 ; xv, 50). Nearly west of Main (Maon) Dr. Robinson (Researches, ii, 195) observed a place called Anab, distinguished by a small tower. Eusebius and Jerome (Onomast. s. v. Anob) both con- found it with a Beth- Anab (q. v.) lying a few miles from Diospolis or Lydda (Reland, Palast. p. 500). Schwarz (Palest, p. 130) says it is the village Anabah, three English miles east of Ramleh, meaning doubt- less the Annabeh marked on Zimmermann's Map; but this is not at all in the mountains of Judah, as stated in both passages of Joshua.
Anabaptists («)'«, again, and /3«7rr<'£a>, / bap- tize), a name given to those who reject infant-baptism, because they rebaptize such as join their communion; and who maintain that this sacrament is not valid if it be administered by sprinkling and not by immersion, and if the' persons baptized be not in a condition to give the reasons of their faith. The name is some- times given reproachfully to the modern Baptists (q. v.) ; but, as they disclaim the title, it should not be applied to them.
1. The term Anabaptists, or Rebaptizers, is con- nected with the controversies of the third century. In Asia Minor and in Africa, where the spirit of con- troversy had raged long and bitterly, " baptism was considered to be only valid when administered in the orthodox church." In the Western Church the great principle of baptism rested on the invocation of the name of Christ or of the Trinity ; and, therefore, "any baptism administered in the name of Christ or of the Trinity, let it be performed by whomsoever it might, was held valid," so that heretics baptized by heretics, coming over to the Church, were received as baptized Christians. So high were the disputes on this ques- tion, that two synods were convened to investigate it, one at Iconium, and the other at Synnada, in Phrygia, which confirmed the opinion of the invalidity of hereti- cal baptism. From Asia the question passed to North- ern Africa: Tertullian accorded with the decision of the Asiatic councils in opposition to the practice of the Roman Church. Agrippinus convened a council at Carthage, which came to a similar decision with those of Asia. Thus the matter rested, till Stephen, bishop of Rome, prompted by ambition, proceeded to excom- municate the bishops of Asia Minor, Cappadocia, Gala- tia, and Cilicia, and applied to them the epithets of Rebaptizers and Anabaptists, A.D. 253.
2. A fanatical sect of Anabaptists arose in Germany in the early part of the sixteenth century who brought the name into great disrepute. It originated at Zwick- au, in Saxony, in the year 1520, and its leaders, by their lawless fanaticism, completely separated them- selves from the cause of the reformers, and with the subject of adult baptism connected principles subver- sive of all religious and civil order. The vast increase of their adherents from the year 1524, especially among the common people on the Rhine, in Westphalia, Hol- stein, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, was soon met by severe measures on the part of the magistrates. Imperial and ecclesiastical decrees were issued against
them, and many were put to death, after being urged to recant. But persecution produced its usual fruits. Still new associations were perpetually formed by itinerant prophets and teachers, whose doctrines con- sisted of the following propositions: "Impiety pre- vails everywhere. It is therefore necessary that a new family of holy persons should be founded, enjoy- ing, without distinction of sex, the gift of prophecy, and skill to interpret divine revelations. Hence they need no learning : for the internal word is more than
I the outward expression. No Christian must lie suf-
; fered to engage in a legal process, to hold a civil office, to take an oath, or to hold any private property ; but all
I things must be in common." With such sentiments, John Bochhold, or Bockel, a tailor, of Leyden, aged
J 26, and John Matthias, or Matthiesen, a baker, of
'■■ Harlem, came, in 1553, to Miinster, in Westphalia, a city which had adopted the doctrines of the Reforma-
! tion. Here they soon gained over a portion of the
j excited populace, and among the rest, Rothmann, a Protestant clergyman, and the councillor Knipper-
j dolling. The magistrates in vain excluded them from
! the churches. They obtained possession of the coun-
! cil-house by violence. Their numbers daily increased, and toward the end of the year they extorted a treaty, securing the religious liberty of both parties. Being strengthened by the accession of the restless spirits of the adjacent cities, they soon made themselves mas- ters of the town by force, and expelled their adver- saries. Matthiesen came forward as their prophet, and persuaded the people to devote their gold, and silver, and movable property to the common use, and to burn all their books but the Bible ; but in a sally against the bishop of Miinster, who had laid siege to the city, he lost his life. He was succeeded in the