Martyrs' Synod
The so-called martyrs Augsburg Synod was a cross-regional meeting of South German, Swiss and Austrian Anabaptist leader, which until August 24, 1527 took place from 20th in Augsburg. The aim of this meeting, which consisted of around 60 delegates of various Baptist groups, is to come into the central Anabaptist teaching of opinion between the pacifist Swiss Anabaptists of Schleitheimer confession and the apocalyptic and militant South German Anabaptists led by Hans Hut in a match and at least to adopt a consensus statement was. Concrete follow up of the meeting was the posting of preachers and emissaries in the respective affected areas. The term martyr Synod comes from the fact that many of the participants in the meeting suffered only a short time later martyred.
Background
The relatively young Anabaptist movement was faced with the difficult task of giving their various groupings a unified foundation. Therefore, had already been a Baptist Synod in Schleitheim in the spring of 1527 under the direction of Michael Sattler, in the course of the meeting adopted the so-called Schleitheimer article. In this commitment the takeover of secular offices, take the oath and military service were refused. Other groups of Anabaptism, especially the South German Anabaptists, were of the view that the government was legitimized by Romans 13LUT to demand from their subjects the oath and military service. More important item on the agenda of the Martyrs Synod, therefore, was to reach an agreement between the Swiss and South German Anabaptists in these matters. Also on the agenda was the Anabaptist eschatology.
The fact that Augsburg was chosen as the site of the Baptist Synod, hung for one with its central location together. The areas of the young Anabaptism were limited at this time to parts of South and Central Germany, Switzerland, Alsace and on Moravia and Tyrol. Significantly certainly was that even gave a numerically strong Baptist congregation in Augsburg, the 1527 gathering still relatively free and because of their size for the approximately 60 participants could provide a suitable meeting room and quarters.
Participant
Not all names of the synod have survived. However, the following 33 participants are known and can be assigned to various Baptist groups.
The largest group among them were the followers of Hans Hut:
- Eukarius binder from Coburg
- Burkhard Brown from oven
- Leonhard village Brunner from White Castle
- Hans guilders from Biberach
- Sigmund Hofer
- Hans Hut
- Marx Meir from Old Erlangen
- Joachim Mertz from Bamberg
- Hans Mittermaierstrasse from Ingolstadt
- Georg Nespitzer from Passau
- Leonhard Schiemer of Jews Castle
- Hans Floppy
- Leonhard Spörle from Rich Bride Ingen
- Ulrich Trechsel from Franconia
- Jakob Wiedemann from Memmingen
The second largest group were the members of the Augsburg Baptist Parish:
- Jakob Dachser
- Matheis Finder
- Gall Fischer
- Laux Fischer
- Konrad Huber
- Hans Kiessling
- Hans Leupold
- Bartholomew Nußfelder
- Sigmund Salminger
- Peter Scheppach
The Swiss Anabaptists were represented by three delegates:
Also, three members of the Synod belonged to the circle around Hans Denck:
- Hans Denck, Ludwig Hatzer and Jakob Kautz from Worms.
Meeting of the Baptist Synod of Augsburg were the home of Weber Gall Fischer, the House of Nestler's Konrad Huber and the house of the butcher Matheis page.
Negotiations
For the Augsburg Synod martyrs there is no record of the trial, not even a written communiqué fixed. On the objects of their negotiations may be entered into only because of court hearings, which many synod participants were subjected to later. Two of the three meetings were under the joint leadership of Hans Hut and Hans Denck.
Oaths and bear arms - as the minutes of these hearings - were treated at the beginning of the Synod. Hans Hut contradicted in this regard the Swiss Anabaptists and advocated both the oath and military service. Furthermore, the claim of the Swiss set a uniform dress code for the Baptist, met with resistance from Hans Hut.
Was rejected by a large majority Hans Hut prophecy that would come " three and a half years after the Peasants' War ", namely in 1528, the judgment of God, " the sin punished and the government should be exterminated ." Although it is true in principle, agree with him that the return of Christ was imminent, but declined to calculation and indication of the time with regard to the relevant Bible passages. After prolonged negotiations to reach a compromise on this issue. Although hat took his prophetic statements not go back, but promised " henceforth not to teach publicly " but they only tell those private " this self warmly coveted".
Sending out
At the end of the Martyrs Synod was the agreement to send out missionaries from Augsburg to gather in anticipation of the imminent return of Jesus, " as many of the elect ." The Anabaptist messengers were sent individually and in pairs in the following well-defined areas:
- Peter Scheppach and Ulrich Trechsel to Worms
- Hans Denck and Hans Beck in Basel Country and the area around Zurich.
- Gregor painter to Vorarlberg
- Georg Nespitzer to Central Franconia
- Leonhard Leonhard Schiemer Spörler and to Bavaria
- Leonhard village Brunner to Linz
- Hans Mittermaierstrasse to Austria and
- Eukarius binder and Joachim Mertz in Salzburg
However, this large-scale mission plan were unsuccessful. Most of the ausgesandeten emissaries suffered shortly after the arrival in their assigned areas effect martyred and thus made the Augsburg Baptist meeting the so-called Augsburg Martyrs Synod.
Follow
The Augsburg Martyrs Synod prepared according to Hans Guderian " at the same time a high point and a turning point in the development of early Anabaptism. For here were the last time Baptist leaders such different backgrounds together in such large numbers. After the way of the Augsburg Anabaptist communities resulted in persecution and martyrdom, in withdrawal and separation from the world. "