RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Miienster
Catholics and the bishop; in consequence Roll, Staprade, Vinne, and Stralen were banished, while Rothmann was forbidden to preach. Thus the situation which obtained after the conclusion of peace in Feb., 1533, seemed to be restored, and the council concluded to establish Evangelical church institutions with the aid of preachers sent by the Landgrave of Hesse. A church order was called into life, and the pulpits were occupied by Evangelical preachers.
In Jan., 1534, there followed a change by reason of the adoption in Miinster of the ideas of Melchior Hoffmann (q.v.). Hitherto the Wassenberg tendency, mitigated by Evangelical conservative precedents, had dominated the adherents 4. Anabaptist of Rothmann, i.e., the Lord's Supper Radicalism had been celebrated as a Passover in Control, meal and the necessity of the baptism of children energetically refuted, without, however, drawing any antitrinitarian or Anabaptist inferences. But after the summer of 1533 Melchiorites nocked into the city and amalgamated with the Wassenberg people. In Dec, 1533, the banished preachers returned to the city, and the appearance of two disciples of Jan Matthys in Jan., 1534, gained the victory for Melchioritism. Jan Matthys, a baker of Haarlem, who regarded himself as the promised Enoch, was penetrated by Hoffmann's idea of the expansion of the Gospel of the covenant. Rothmann, Klopriss, Vinne, Roll, Stralen, and Staprade were baptized, while within eight days the number of baptized persons increased to 1,400. An attempt of the council to expel the preachers again failed. A covenant of the baptized was formed after the arrival of Johann Bockhold or Jan Bockelson (generally known by his assumed name John of Leyden, q.v.) and Gert torn Kloster at the invitation of Matthys (Jan. 13). The Dutchmen found the ready support of the democracy, especially of Knipperdolling, the fanatical champion of government by the people, and gained the support also of the preachers. Their adherents were pledged to certain articles of faith, the socalled Articles of Miinster, which in the refusal of obedience to " pagan " authority followed the Dutch type, and in Feb., 1534, John of Leyden and Knipperdolling began to proclaim the segregation of the communion of the just before the divine judgment of wrath. On Feb. 11 they obtained by force the guaranty of entire freedom of faith, completing thereby the victory of Anabaptism over the party of order. The adherents of the latter left the city, while the Anabaptists in unbridled fanaticism successfully carried on a most active propaganda. Jan Matthys now entered Miinster; Knipperdolling became burgermaster; the populace spoiled and devastated the monasteries and the cathedral; while all the " godless " were expelled. Appealing to Acts ii., Jan Matthys began with the introduction of the community of goods, for the administration of which seven " deacons " were installed. On Mar. 15, all books in the city were burnt, with the exception of the Bible which became the law book of the " New Jerusalem." A bloody defeat subdued the opposition of the citizens.
In the mean time the bishop had prepared a reg-
ular siege which was strengthened by the aid of Cleve, Cologne, and Hesse. The radicalism and fatalism which characterized Hoffmann's principles induced the besieged for the time being to desist from
attempts at organization, and the same 5. Anabap- defects led Jan Matthys on Apr. 5, tistTheoc- on the basis of a supposed revelation, racy; Siege to make a sally in which he found his of the City, death. John of Leyden became his
successor. He completed the organization of the "New Jerusalem" by overthrowing the old municipal constitution and replacing it with a divinely revealed constitution of Israel. " Twelve elders of the twelve tribes of Israel " assumed all worldly and spiritual power in Miinster. John of Leyden was appointed speaker of the elders and at the same time had charge of the military forces. These were now organized so excellently that the besieged gained continual victories over the besieging forces of the bishop. Following the example of the patriarchs, on the basis of Gen. i. 28 and an inference from I Tim. iii. 2 to the effect that the common man had more than one wife, induced also by the social anomaly of a great surplus of women, John of Leyden introduced polygamy; Rothmann even took nine wives. These conditions led the more considerate citizens to a final attempt to overcome the movement. With about two hundred adherents Heinrich Mollenhecke, a blacksmith, succeeded in capturing John of Leyden, Knipperdolling, Rothmann, and other leaders, but the energy of the Anabaptists prevented the opening of the gates and surrender of the town into the hands of the bishop, released the captured leaders, and took bloody vengeance on the opponents so that the control of the prophets became absolute. On Aug. 31 John of Leyden was proclaimed king over the chosen people and ruler of the world (Jer. xxiii. 2-6; Ezek. xxxvii. 21 sqq.). The new king immediately constructed his court; Knipperdolling became viceroy, Rothmann court preacher, and other officers such as chancellor, butler, court tailor, were added, in spite of the community of goods. Divara, the beautiful widow of Matthys, became queen. Special coins were struck with the inscription John i. 14, iii. 5. In accordance with Matt. x. the mission of twenty-seven apostles was proclaimed, but they were soon captured and put to death. To further the cause, Rothmann published about this time his book, Restitution rechter und gesunder christlicher Lehre, according to which the restoration began with Luther, but was completed by Melchior Hoffmann, Matthys and John of Leyden. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the only authority, the incarnation of Christ is to be conceived in a Melchioritic sense, free will plays a part in the work of redemption of Christ, baptism is of instructed adults only, the communion of persons baptized in this way forms the church, Christ's kingdom is earthly. Another work, Bilchlein von der Roche, called forth by the fate of the Anabaptist apostles, attempted to prove from passages of the Bible that the day of the destruction of the godless as the harbinger of the kingdom of peace (Jer. xxxi.) had arrived. But owing to the vigilance of the besieging forces, the invasion of outside con-
Mueneter Muenzer