Posted on 02/26/2010 8:11:15 AM PST by Rodebrecht
[This article is excerpted from An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, vol. 1, Economic Thought Before Adam Smith.]
Communist Zealots: the Anabaptists
Sometimes Martin Luther must have felt that he had loosed the whirlwind, even opened the gates of Hell. Shortly after Luther launched the Reformation, various Anabaptist sects appeared and spread throughout Germany. The Anabaptists believed in predestination of the elect, but they also believed, in contrast to Luther, that they knew infallibly who the elect were: i.e., themselves. The sign of that election was in an emotional, mystical conversion process, that of being "born again," baptized in the Holy Spirit. Such baptism must be adult and not among infants; more to the point, it meant that only the elect are to be sect members who obey the multifarious rules and creeds of the Church. The idea of the sect, in contrast to Catholicism, Lutheranism, or Calvinism, was not comprehensive Church membership in the society. The sect was to be distinctly separate, for the elect only.
(Excerpt) Read more at mises.org ...
These guys were nothing to the Fifth Monarchy Men. Nearly all the forms of communism you see today were invented and practiced in England between 1640 and 1660.
Then they decided to restore Charles II.
Apparently they had read and studied Plato not the Church Fathers and Bible.
You have to remember that many of the old sects of the time were literally bomb throwers. Even the Quakers, known as peaceful people here, had instances of shooting up others.
The Anabaptists were very dangerous folk at the time.
We are in agreement -— I am simply pointing out that the utopianists of any historical age are dangerous.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.