Persecution and Peacefulness: Hubmaier and Schleitheim

Introduction

One of the reasons the Protestant Reformation ever got on its feet in the first place was because of personal conviction of spiritual truth. Starting with Martin Luther, people were willing to break off from the Catholic church for the sake of believing and practicing what they thought to be true Christianity. Unfortunately, standing up for one’s Christian convictions proved—in hindsight—to generate violence, whether in the form of wars, executions, or widespread persecution. After Luther’s excommunication from the Catholic church in 1521, continual breakoffs and divisions would become the norm of the day, leading to many violent conflicts. Although not alone in speaking out against violence, Anabaptists stood out as the staunchest advocates of peace. Examining The Schleitheim Articles (or “Confession”) and Balthasar Hubmaier’s On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them, we glean three core principles that help us understand the peaceable way of Christ: 1) the plain understanding of Jesus’ commands in Scripture, 2) simple application of Jesus’ life and teachings, and 3) the understanding that ultimate justice comes from God.

In early January of 1527, one young Anabaptist, Felix Mantz, became the first “Protestant” (Mantz was an Anabaptist who was drowned for his “crime” of “rebaptizing” in Zurich, Switzerland) to be killed by other Protestants.[i] He would not be the last. Violence and coercion continued during the 1500s, Catholics, Protestants, and even Anabaptists all being responsible. Truth was sometimes coercively forced on a group of people. On the flip side of the coin, untruths (and the heretics who held to those beliefs) were extinguished through executions. This prevalent violence led some to examine scripture and Jesus’ teachings anew, with an eye towards the peaceable nature of Christ’s kingdom, and God’s people.

Schleitheim Confession

The Schleitheim confession, with Michael Sattler as its primary author, gives one of the clearest descriptions of early Anabaptist two-kingdom theology. The work was a product of a conference held in February 1527 between Swiss and South German Anabaptists in the small village of Schleitheim, on the Switzerland-Germany border.[ii] The articles flesh out important Anabaptist views on baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the oath. But one can sense that the core emphasis of the document is nonviolence and Christian abstinence from “the sword,” given the relatively large amount of time dedicated to the subject.

One principle the Schleitheim Confession conveys is that of the plain reading of Scripture. Concerning separation from the world, the authors write that “the devilish weapons of force will fall from us, too, such as the sword, armor and the like, and all their uses on behalf of friends or against enemies; [such nonviolence is commanded] by the power of the words of Christ, ‘You should not resist evil.’” It is clear and simple, and they don’t overanalyze it. If Christ commands not to resist evil, all forms and means of violence should be immediately abandoned.[iii]

Another principle that the Schleitheim Confession relies on is the simple application of Jesus’ teachings and life to the practice of nonviolence. Concerning Christian discipline, Sattler argues that the sword is “outside of the perfection of Christ.” Should Christians “use the sword against evil people for the sake of protecting the good” or for the sake of loving one’s neighbor, however oxymoronic that may be? To answer this, Sattler appeals to the story of the woman taken in adultery. Instead of allowing the woman to be stoned according to Jewish law at the time, Jesus simply instructs her to “sin no more.” Jesus operates with mercy and forgiveness. The application Michael Sattler draws from this is that Christians should abandon coercive violence in favor of the peaceful church discipline that Christ commands elsewhere. Sin is not rooted out with violence.[iv]

Balthasar Hubmaier’s On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them

Balthasar Hubmaier’s On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them was most likely written around late 1524, as Hubmaier was in temporary refuge in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. This became an important text as a foundation for modern notions of religious liberty. The text contains thirty-six “articles,” each expounding on ideas of religious liberty and Christian nonviolence.

The core principle we glean from Hubmaier in this text is that Christians should leave justice, or judgment, to God. Hubmaier bases this argument on Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13. Even though there will be some who deviate from the truth, Christians are to let the righteous and unrighteous “grow up together until the harvest, lest in gathering the tares you tear up the wheat together with it.” What does this mean? Well, as Hubmaier spells out, it means that Christian use of violence in condemning those who hold untruths is itself a great error, and from the devil. Christian combat is not against humans, but against “godless teachings” which ultimately cannot be extinguished by physical death. In addition, if imperfect humans begin to use violence, they risk making false assumptions about who is in the right and who is in the wrong. True justice and judgment on error ultimately comes from God, which is why Christian violence must be abandoned.[v]

Practically speaking, then, we overcome those who are in error with “holy instruction, not contentiously but gently.” A heretic is not overcome by sword or fire but only with “patience and supplication, whereby we patiently await divine judgment.” If vengeance is the Lord’s, Christians should humbly follow Christ, using gentleness, patience, and peacefulness in bringing others to the truth.[vi]

Conclusion

Regardless of one’s theological opinions, these Anabaptist examples from the 1520s lead each of us to consider how we relate to those Christians whose views we believe to be antithetical to the scriptures and to Christ’s life and teaching. As argued by both Balthasar Hubmaier and Michael Sattler, violence and other forms of coercion are never appropriate means for advancing Christ’s kingdom or carrying out church discipline. By simply following the plain meaning of Scripture, drawing applications from Jesus’ life and teachings, and understanding that justice and judgment are the Lord’s, we as Christians can faithfully proclaim the truth of the Gospel—peaceably.

References:

[i] Carlos Eire, Reformations (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2016), 249.

[ii] Michael Sattler, The Schleitheim Articles (1527). Cambridge Core edition.

[iii] Michael Sattler, The Schleitheim Articles.

[iv] Michael Sattler, The Schleitheim Articles.

[v] Balthasar Hubmaier, One Heretics and Those Who Burn Them (1524).

[vi] Balthasar Hubmaier, One Heretics and Those Who Burn Them.

Persecution—a word that rings with doom and causes many to fear. Whether political or religious, persecution has been responsible for the ending of lives throughout history. The threat of persecution would have weighed heavily on Balthasar Hubmaier’s mind when he wrote On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them. Written approximately September or October of 1524, Hubmaier sought temporary shelter in Schaffhausen when he wrote the treatise.[1] In a call to end persecution and include others of different beliefs, Hubmaier defined the charge of heresy and described the church’s response.

First, Humbaier described the characteristics of a heretic. He wrote, “Heretics are those who wantonly resist the Holy Scripture.”[2] The example provided was that of the devil tempting Eve in the garden. The devil directly disobeyed the word of God. Thus, one identifies a heretic if they ignore and preach against the Scriptures. However, that is not the only characteristic of a heretic. Suppose one preaches a false doctrine essential to the Christian faith, such as that Jesus is not the Son of God. Thus, the definition of a heretic expanded to include those who reinterpreted the Scriptures incorrectly and forced their beliefs on others. We can determine that the Scriptures are the basis for which to identify a heretic. The heretic either denies the Scriptures or misinterprets the Scriptures.

Although the heretic can be identified, the punishment of a heretic was the following question to be answered. The verdict of heresy was no slight charge and often carried a burning, drowning, imprisonment, or banishment sentence, as evidenced by martyrs and reformers throughout history. Hubmaier argued that heretics should not be killed but instead allowed to live. “Those who are [heretics] should be overcome with holy instruction, not contentiously but gently.”[3] When confronting heretics and their theology, the Holy Spirit must be the guiding factor. It will help the individual be gentle yet strict towards the heretic. If the heretic does not relent, “then avoid them and let them go on to rant and rage.”[4] Hubmaier also cites Matthew 13:29f, “Let both grow up together until the harvest, lest in gathering the tares you tear up the wheat together with it.”[5] The evil must be allowed to coexist with the good so that a judgment will be in the last days. At that time, Christ will divide the heretics from his followers. The answer to heresy is not execution, but prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, Hubmaier argued that Jesus Christ did not command burning heretics. Hubmaier even shifts the verdict of heresy onto the inquisitors because the inquisitors work against Jesus’ teachings when they condemn heretics to die by fire. “For Christ did not come to slaughter, kill, burn,” he wrote, “but so that those who live should live yet more abundantly.”[6] Following Christ’s example, His followers should not use fire or sword to combat heretics but rather prayer and patience. Christians should use prayer and intercession towards heretics rather than condemning them to die by fire.

Additionally, neither the church nor the secular authorities should condemn heretics to die by fire. The secular authorities are only to protect the defenseless from those who would harm them. Hubmaier writes, “But the enemy of God can harm no one, unless [that person] would not have it otherwise and would forsake the gospel.”[7] That statement may seem controversial at face value; however, the reader must remember that Hubmaier is explaining from the perspective of the secular government. A heretic will maintain the identity of a Christian and thus will follow the civic laws. However, a heretic may violate any other civic laws, at which time he must be tried by the civic government. However, the civic government cannot condemn a heretic for just being a heretic. Rather, the responsibility falls to the church leaders to protect their flock against heresy.

One may argue that the church is doing God’s work when condemning heretics to die by fire. While one may burn heretical writings, Hubmaier had already shown that to kill is not to follow Jesus’ example. To actively defame God’s Word reveals that whoever condemns a heretic to die is also a heretic. The only sword that a Christian can raise against a heretic is “the [sword of the] Word of God.”[8]

At this point, Hubmaier switched from the perspective of a heretic to that of a magistrate or church official. “How much greater will be the evil, to burn to ashes the genuine proclaimers of the Word of God…”[9] It is owed to anyone that proclaims a different view than you to debate them. Allow them the time to change or allow the time to draw truth from them. Recall to mind the story of Gamaliel in Acts 5:38 and 39, where he offered advice to the council. Any movement of man will fade away, but any movement from God will not fade away. Nothing man can do will stop God’s work. Hubmaier, vying for the inclusion and debating of heretics and persecuted religious people, summed that advice in this way, “Truth Is Unkillable.”[10]

[1] Balthasar Hubmaier, On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them, 58.

[2] Hubmaier, On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them¸ 59.

[3] Hubmaier, On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them¸ 60.

[4] Hubmaier, On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them¸ 60.

[5] Hubmaier, On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them¸ 61.

[6] Hubmaier, On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them¸ 62.

[7] Hubmaier, On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them¸ 63.

[8] Hubmaier, On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them¸ 63.

[9] Hubmaier, On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them¸ 64.

[10] Hubmaier, On Heretics and Those Who Burn Them¸ 66.