In the Netherlands and Scandinavia
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the Bible is the only infallible authority in religion, and that “no man
should be coerced to believe, but should be won by preaching.”
The teachings of Luther found a congenial soil in the Netherlands,
and earnest and faithful men arose to preach the gospel. From one of
the provinces of Holland came Menno Simons. Educated a Roman
Catholic, and ordained to the priesthood, he was wholly ignorant of
the Bible, and he would not read it, for fear of being beguiled into
heresy. When a doubt concerning the doctrine of transubstantiation
forced itself upon him, he regarded it as a temptation from Satan, and
by prayer and confession sought to free himself from it; but in vain.
By mingling in scenes of dissipation he endeavored to silence the
accusing voice of conscience; but without avail. After a time he was
led to the study of the New Testament, and this with Luther’s writings
caused him to accept the reformed faith. He soon after witnessed in a
neighboring village the beheading of a man who was put to death for
having been rebaptized. This led him to study the Bible in regard to
infant baptism. He could find no evidence for it in the Scriptures, but
saw that repentance and faith are everywhere required as the condition
of receiving baptism.
Menno withdrew from the Roman Church, and devoted his life
to teaching the truths which he had received. In both Germany and
the Netherlands a class of fanatics had risen, advocating absurd and
seditious doctrines, outraging order and decency, and proceeding to
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violence and insurrection. Menno saw the horrible results to which
these movements would inevitably lead, and he strenuously opposed
the erroneous teachings and wild schemes of the fanatics. There were
many, however, who had been misled by these fanatics but who had
renounced their pernicious doctrines; and there were still remaining
many descendants of the ancient Christians, the fruits of the Walden-
sian teaching. Among these classes Menno labored with great zeal
and success.
For twenty-five years he traveled, with his wife and children, en-
during great hardships and privations, and frequently in peril of his life.
He traversed the Netherlands and Northern Germany, laboring chiefly
among the humbler classes, but exerting a widespread influence. Nat-
urally eloquent, though possessing a limited education, he was a man
of unwavering integrity, of humble spirit and gentle manners, and of
sincere and earnest piety, exemplifying in his own life the precepts