FRANKENTHAL COLLOQUY: A conference
between representatives of the Reformed Church of
the Palatinate and Anabaptists, held at Frankenthal
(20 m. n. by w. of Speyer) May 28-June 19, 1571.
There were Anabaptists in the Palatinate from
1525, both native and immigrants. They had
settled in great numbers along the Hardt River
after they had been cured of the wild fanaticism
of the earlier time. As they were industrious
cultivators of the soil, Elector Ottheinrich did not
dislike them. Hoping to win them over to the
Church of the Palatinate, he ordered a colloquy to
be held at Pfeddersheim in 1557. No agreement
was reached, but the Anabaptists were still tolerated
under the condition that they should keep aloof
from disturbances and innovations. As some of
their teachers from Moravia tried to incite them
against the Reformed, Elector Frederic III. the
Pious called the colloquy at Frankenthal. It was
opened in the presence of the Elector by Chancellor
Christoph Ehem, who had been joined by the
Electoral delegates, Wenzelaus Zuleger, Hans
Rechklau, and Otto von HSvel. On the side of the
Reformed seven prominent preachers were called
to the
conference, most of them Netherlanders who
had entered the service of the Palatine Church or
who were preachers of foreign congregations
court preacher Petrus Dathenus, Gerhard Verstegus,
Petrus Colonius, Franz Mosellanus, Engelhert
Faber, Konrad Eubulaeus and Georg Gebinger.
Prominent Anabaptists were Diebald Winter,
Rauff Bisch, Hans Rannich, and Hans Bfchel.
Thirteen important points of doctrine in which the
Anabaptists deviated from the Reformed were dis
cussed-the authority of the Old Testament, the
Trinity, the substance of the body of Christ, original
sin, good works, the resurrection of the body, the
relation of the Christian to the secular authority,
to the sword, and to the oath, and others; finally
the baptism of children. The chief speaker of the
Reformed was Dathenus, while Rauff Bisch was the
most efficient defender of the Anabaptist cause.
The Anabaptists showed great haughtiness and
stubbornness, refusing to acknowledge in some
points the authority of even such Anabaptists as
Menno Simons, Jakob Hutter, and Matthmus
Cervas. They rejected a thorough theological in
vestigation as a quibble of words. Thus an agree
ment was impossible, but the two bodies departed
without hostility, after a comprehensive protocol
had been examined and signed on both sides. The
Elector was not satisfied with the result, but decided
not to expel the Anabaptists; their leaders, how
ever, were strictly forbidden to teach or baptize in
his country.
(F. W. Cuno.)
Bibliography:
The proceedings (Protokoll) were printed,
Heidelberg, 1571, by Johann Mayer. Consult: B. G.
Struve, Beriqht von der pftiWschen
Kirchen-Historie, pp.
238 sqq., Frankfort, 1721; H. Alting, Historia eccleaix
Palatine, Groningen, 1728; F. W. Cuno, Bl&tter der Erin
nerung an Dr. K. Olevianue, pp. 37-38, Barmen, 1887.
