Baptists in Europe

THE BAPTIST M OV EM ENT I N T H E C ON TI N E NT OF EUR OPE A CONTRIBUTION TO MOD ERN HISTO RY EDIT ED B Y T HE R H USHB OOKE M A EV . R R . J . , . LONDON THE CAREY PRE 1 FURNIVAL RE E E C. SS, 9, ST T, . THEK G GA E PRE OU HAMP O ROW W C IN S T SS, 4 , S T T N , . I 9 1 S PR E FACE THE preparation o f thi s b ook was undertaken in the early part of last year at the request Of the Publica tion Departments Of the Baptist Missionary Society f and the Baptist Union o Great Britain and Ireland , and the original intention was to issue it in the of 1 1 . autumn 9 4 Its appearance has , however, been postponed for several months owing to the outbreak of to the war , which has made it impossible Obtain the manuscripts of some who had promised their co - operation , and has in other cases involved serious postal delays . M oreover , the Editor was himself detained abroad for the three months immediately f following the Opening o hostilities . For the plan of the book and the selection of He contributors the Editor is responsible . has also written the introductory chapter and the Appendix , . of I . s translated Chapters I I and I I I Part , and o far revised the work of all his coadjutors as to ensure consistency and eliminate needless repetitions . The general idea has been that the chief section of the book (Part I . ) should be devoted to the central , and by far the most important , Baptist movement in Europe , namely, that which origi vi PRE FAC E m ated eighty years ago in Hamburg , and has power fully affected the northern and eastern portions of the Continent ; and that this should as far as possible be exhibited as an organic whole . Johann Gerhard n cken one of O is, in truth , Of the great figures eccle siastical history, and British Baptists , for whom this book is written , will desire to render ungrudging tribute to the service and influence of their German - - co religionist and his fellow countrymen . Other movements , neither closely related with the German nor even interconnected among themselves , have been remitted to the shorter chapters forming Part I I . out In carrying his general idea , the Editor had purposed to entrust the chapters to writers who of or were natives , workers in , the various regions described, and in almost every instance he has been . of able to fulfil his intention In the case Hungary , sectionalism has played s o conspicuous and un a happy part , that it was clear from the outset that an impartial description could be secured only from a neutral pen , and an Englishman was therefore asked to write the chapter . The important section dealing with Russia was originally allotted to o n e who has laboured for many years in connection with the various groups o f Baptists i n that great land ; but this gentleman had never been natur alize d of , and the outbreak the war happening to find him in Germany , he was obliged to serve in the ’ Kaiser s army . H is promised contribution is un PRE FAC E v ii available , and in this instance the Editor had to to . modify his plan . He is indebted the Rev C T Byford for writing the chapter now inserted . Special acknowledgments are due to the Rev . B e n ande r n ot Principal , who has only contributed directly to the book , but has assisted the Editor in correspondence where the direct postal connection with England has been interrupted ; and an exce p tionally grateful acknowledgment must be extended not to the Rev . F . W . Herrmann , who has permitted grave international differences to hinder his co operation . Limitations of space have forbidden the treatment Of many interesting topics , and especially any full of consideration the social , political , and religious conditions of the various lands in their influence upon the reception Of the Baptist message . I nci dental and occasional references to such subjects f o or will be found , and the Appendix has O fered pp t unit f r y o some remarks of a general character . It is the hope of the Editor that the present volume may enlarge among British Baptists knowledge Of and sympathy with their Continental brethren , and that in the future the demand for a more com prehensive history will arise . J . H . R . Ma rch 1 1 , 9 5. CONT E NTS PREFACE PART I T HE C E NTR A L M OVE M E NT CHAPT E R THE . d or I . PIONEER By the E it T HE V T . R v . I I . MO EMEN IN GERMANY By the e . H e m ann F . W rr APPENDI% : IN FLUENCE OF THE GERMAN MOVEMENT UPON OTHER LANDS THE T OF T D E I I I . S ORY SOME MINOR COMMUNI IES ( N K H W TZ ST MAR , OLLAND, S I ERLAND, AU RIA) V . E V T W R ev . P n a I TH MO EMEN IN S EDEN . By the ri cip l E Benan der C . APP C S : W S PT STS ENDI E S EDI H BA I IN FINLAND, PETR OGR AD , ETC. V. THE V T R SS R ev . MO EMEN IN U IA . By the C T Byford APPENDI % BAPTIST WOR K AMON G NON RUSSIAN SLAVONI C PEOPLES AND THE BAL K AN RACES GENERALLY . THE V v V T H G . R e I MO EMEN IN UN ARY By the . ord C T . Byf CONTE NTS PART I I OTH ER M OVE M E NTS CHAPTER PAGE - . SP K P S . th R v I AMONG FRENCH EA ING PEO LE By e e . D ub a r R . r y IN T . R ev . Kem m e Lande s I I . I ALY By the . W l W . R v . Pr nc a . Oi IN e . e . I I I . NOR AY By the i ip l J A , M A V IN P . R ev . uan Uh r I . S AIN By the J T G . R e . O V. IN POR U AL By the v J J livei ra APPE N D I% THE S T B S SP T PO I ION , PRO LEM , AND PRO EC S OF EUROPEAN BAPTISTS . By the Editor B A P T I STS I N E U R O P E PART I THE CENTRAL MOVE ME NT C HAPTE R I T H E P I O N E E R JOHAN N G E RHAR D ONCKE N has long been known in ” Britain as the Father of the German Baptists ; “ f but he is far more . Father O the Continental ” Baptists would scarcely be an exaggerated title ; ou r indeed , as story unfolds itself, it will appear that the movement he inaugurated has exercised no slight n influence even beyond the European co tinent . It is , however, with that continent that this history is concerned , and especially with the main stream o f Baptist life and activity , which traces its rise to 2 1 8 Hamburg , and to April 3, 34, when the first Onck e n German Baptist Church was constituted , and , who had been baptized in the E lb e o n the previous i day, was chosen as its pastor . Other personal nflu e nce s have played a part ; minor movements have added their contribution to the main current ; but the summary statement may at once be made that almost the whole of the Baptist Church membership 2 BAPTI STS I N E U RO PE of to - day is found in communities established by - Oncke n and his fellow Germans , or by those who were directly influenced by them . His name must stand at the head Of what may be distinctively named the modern Baptist movement o n the continent Of Europe . In a second part Of this book we shall Speak of communities, comparatively isolated and weak , some of which date back to years pre f n k ceding the advent o O c e n ; but the living, m energetic , aggressive evangelistic ovement , whose registered adherents—church members and Sunday scholars —are known to exceed three hundred thousand , and probably (when reliable statistics Of the still imperfectly organized Russian work are available) will be found to approximate to half a million , has its beginnings in his activity . The communities with which the German movement h as l no direct connection probably number, at a libera estimate, less than adherents in all . r on The pioneer was born at Va el , in Oldenburg, r 2 6 1 800 . his Janua y , Shortly before his birth , father, who had taken part in political conspiracies aiming at the overthrow of the Napoleonic rule , had found it necessary to take refuge in England , where he died a few years afterwards . Johann Gerhard spent his early years in his native town , but of the conditions under which they were passed little is known . He owed something to the religious in fl ue nce Of one or a grandmother, and to two friends . He was confirmed in the Lutheran Church in his fourteenth year ; but in the atmosphere of Luther a nism he acquired little beyond the habit of church TH E PIO N E E R 3 — going and through the effective moral discourses ' — of th e local minister a sensitive conscience that caused him considerable disquiet .

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