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say and write such of us. I have spoken of this as the eminent apostle has taught me, namely, that the Word was made flesh " (ii. 159). " As he is the only and true Son of God, he must also have the nature of the one of whom he is, this is too plain to be controverted" (ii. 392). " Although he humbled himself and laid down his divine splendor, privileges, and glory, nevertheless he was God and God's Word " (ii. 164). Menno states that " there are many among us " who have never " heard or asked a word " concerning the question of the origin of Jesus' body, and also testifies that he never refers to this doctrine in his sermons, " but I teach simply and plainly that Christ Jesus is truly God and man, a Son of God and a Son of man, conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of the pure virgin Mary " (ii. 332). The said doctrine of the incarnation was held by the Obbenites (see MENNONITES) before Menno identified himself with them, and it was, according to his own confession, only after severe and prolonged mental struggles that he arrived at the conclusion that it is entirely Scriptual (ii. 330).

The supposition that the teachings of Menno and his coworkers were tinged with rationalism is without foundation. His faithful colaborer,

to Ration- " Dirk and I are entirely of the same alism. mind " and whose extant writings fill a stately volume-an English translation is now in press-occupied the same position toward rationalism as Menno, and the same is true of the Swiss Brethren. The Dutch historian Brandt asserted that the excommunication of Adam Pastor (q.v.) for denying the deity of Christ was the work of Dirk Philips. Others have opined that Menno was at variance with Dirk in this matter. From Pastor's Underscheit tusschen rechte leer uncle valsche leer (published in vol. v. of Bibliotheca Reformatoria Neerlandica), it is clear that he held Menno responsible for his excommunication, and the latter testifies that Pastor was no longer of their number (ii. 96; the English translation of the passage is inaccurate, see Menno Symons' Wercken, p. 312, Amsterdam, 1681). In his refutation of Pastor, Menno speaks of the denial of the eternal preexistence of Christ as " a terrible blasphemy, curse, and abomination" (ii. 184). The hymn of Ludwig Haetzer (q.v.), expressing antitrinitarian sentiments, is not found in the hymn-books of Swiss and South German Anabaptists, nor of the Mennonites. It is doubtful whether its author was rebaptized or baptized others, although he agreed with the Anabaptists in their opposition to state-churchism and on a few other points (cf. F. Roth, Augsburgs Reformationsgeschichte, pp. 221-222, 232, Munich, 1901; Heberle in TSK, 1858, p. 845). His friend Hans Denk, unlike Haetzer, a man of unimpeachable character, was an advocate of liberalistic sentiments although not an antitrinitarian, and became the leader of an Anabaptist party called " Denkians," but before his death retracted his former teaching on the necessity of rebaptism. Unfortunately Menno and the Mennonites have sometimes been judged from the writings of such men, with whom in fact they had nothing to do.

Touching the position of Menno and his friends with respect to the leading Reformers, it is to be noted that Menno's personal estimate of Luther was congenial and appreciative, far

Reformers. Menno freely acknowledges that " the Lord has effected much good through Luther's first writings " (Works, i. 29). He severely criticizes Luther for permitting himself to lose sight of the principle of toleration which he had originally advocated. The Reformation, so far as it was identified with state-churchism, was in Menno's opinion quite superficial: it leas, says Menno, not brought a change in the life of the people and its foundations were not laid along Scriptural lines. In the Lutheran states of central and northern Germany the priests were given orders to accept the new standards of faith and practise prescribed by the heads of the State. The priests, as a rule, accepted the new order of things and the populace followed them (no other creed being tolerated by the civil authorities) with the exception of those who accepted Anabaptist teachings. If we may believe Menno's testimony, both shepherds and flock continued " with few exceptions " in their old inconsistent life. There can be no doubt that Menno was eye-witness of much that must give him an unfavorable opinion of State-Church Reformation. It is interesting to notice his evident surprise upon forming the acquaintance of Johannes a Lasco (q.v.), that a man of his piety was a representative of Zwinglianism. Menno addresses him in one of his books as his " beloved, holy brother." In his view it was an inconsistency that while the pope was held to be antichrist, his ordination was accepted as valid. " The little gods of Babylon," says Menno, had been abandoned, but that which was in fact responsible for prevailing superficiality and inconsistencies had been left untouched.

Menno, in his extant writings, never mentions or even alludes to any of the great leaders of the Swiss Brethren. Was he not informed