A
Brotherly Agreement
Brüderliche Vereinigung etlicher Kinder Gottes / sieben
Artikel betreffend
Adopted at a
Meeting in Schleitheim, in Switzerland, 24 February
1527
May joy, peace, mercy from our Father, through the
atonement of the blood of Christ Jesus, together with the
gift of the Spirit - who is sent by the Father to all
believers to give strength and consolation in all
tribulation until the end - be with all who love God and
all children of light, who are scattered wherever they
might have been placed by God our Father, wherever they
might be gathered in unity of spirit in one God and Father
of us all. Grace and peace of heart be with you all. Amen.
Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, first and
foremost we are always concerned for your consolation and
the steadfast purpose of heart (knowing that you have
passed through times of confusion), so that you might not
become separated from us but turn to the truly implanted
members of Christ, who have been armed through patience and
the knowledge of self, to be united with us again in the
power of a godly Christian spirit and zeal for God.
We see with what great cunning the devil has tried to
distract us so he might destroy and cast down the work God
began in us through his mercy and grace. But the true
Shepherd of our souls, Christ, who has begun this in us,
will direct and teach the same unto the end, to His glory
and our salvation, Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters, we who have been assembled in
the Lord at Schleitheim on the Randen make known, in points
and articles, unto all that love God, that we have been
united to stand fast in the Lord as obedient children of
God, sons and daughters, who have been and shall be
separated from the world in all that we do (the praise and
glory be to God alone), completely at peace. In these
things we have come to the unity of the Father and of our
Lord Christ in his Holy Spirit. For the Lord is a Lord of
peace and not of quarrelling, as Paul indicates.
So that you may understand why we came to this agreement we
must tell you the following: Some false brothers did much
damage among us, leading a number of us away from the faith
by teaching that in Christ one may do whatever one feels
like. But such have fallen short of the truth and (to their
own condemnation) have been given over to impurity and the
lust of the flesh. They thought that once in the faith they
could do and permit everything and that nothing can harm
nor condemn them, since they are "believers."
Note well, you members of God in Christ Jesus, that faith
in the heavenly Father through Jesus Christ is not like
this. It produces and brings forth no such things as these
false brothers and sisters practice and teach. Guard
yourselves and be warned of such people, for they do not
serve our Father, but their father, the devil.
But for you it is not so - you who have crucified your
flesh with all its lusts and desires. You know who we mean.
Separate yourselves from them, for they are perverted. Pray
to the Lord that they may come to repentance, and for us
that we may persevere along the path we have entered upon,
unto the glory of God and of Christ His Son. Amen.
The Seven Articles
The articles we have dealt with, and in which we have been
united, are these: baptism, the ban, the breaking of bread,
separation from abomination, shepherds in the congregation,
the sword, and the oath.
1.
Notice concerning baptism.
Baptism shall be given to all those who have been taught
repentance and the amendment of life and who believe truly
that their sins are taken away through Christ, and to all
those who desire to walk in the resurrection of Jesus
Christ and be buried with Him in death, so that they might
rise with Him; to all those who with such an understanding
themselves desire and request it from us. With this we
exclude all infant baptism, the greatest and first
abomination of the pope. For this you have the reasons and
the testimony of the writings and the practice of the
apostles. We wish simply yet resolutely and with assurance
to hold to the same.
2.
We have been united as follows concerning the ban.
The ban shall be employed with all those who have given
themselves over to the Lord, to walk after Him in His
commandments; those who have been baptized into the one
body of Christ, and let themselves be called brothers or
sisters, and still somehow slip and fall into error and
sin, being inadvertently overtaken. The same shall be
warned twice privately and the third time be publicly
admonished before the entire congregation according to the
command of Christ (Matthew 18). But this shall be done
according to the ordering of the Spirit of God before the
breaking of bread, so that we may all in one spirit and in
one love break and eat from one bread and drink from one
cup.
3.
Concerning the breaking of bread.
We have become one and agree that all those who desire to
break the one bread in remembrance of the broken body of
Christ and all those who wish to drink of one drink in
remembrance of the shed blood of Christ, must beforehand be
united in the one body of Christ, that is the congregation
of God, whose head is Christ, and that by baptism. For as
Paul indicates, we cannot be partakers at the same time of
the table of the Lord and the table of devils. Nor can we
at the same time partake and drink of the cup of the Lord
and the cup of devils. That is: all those who have
fellowship with the dead works of darkness have no part in
the light. Thus all those who follow the devil and the
world, have no part with those who have been called out of
the world unto God. All those who lie in evil have no part
in the good.
So it shall and must be, that whoever does not share the
calling of the one God to one faith, to one baptism, to one
spirit, to one body together with all the children of God,
may not be made one loaf together with them, as must be
true if one wishes truly to break bread according to the
command of Christ.
4.
We have come to unity concerning separation.
We shall separate ourselves from the evil and the
wickedness that the devil has planted in the world, and
have no fellowship with those that take part in it, not
running with them in the confusion of their abominations.
All those who have not entered into the obedience of faith,
not uniting themselves with God so that they can do His
will, are a great abomination before God. Nothing but
abominable things, therefore, can grow or spring forth from
their lives. Everything in the world and all creation is
either good or evil, of faith or of unbelief, darkness or
light, the world or those that come out of the world, God's
temple or idols. Everything belongs either to Christ or to
Belial, and one cannot be a part of the other.
To us, then, the commandment of the Lord is obvious. He
orders us to separate ourselves from the evil one, so he
can be our God and we his sons and daughters.
Further, He admonishes us to go out from Babylon and from
the earthly Egypt, so we may not be partakers in the
torment and suffering that the Lord will bring upon them.
From all this we should learn that everything that does not
belong to God in Christ is an abomination we should avoid.
By this are mean all popish and state church rituals and
idolatry, worldly gatherings, going into worldly church
buildings and taverns, signing pledges and becoming members
of public organizations, things the world regards highly
yet which are against the command of God, patterned after
the wickedness that is in the world. From all this we shall
separate ourselves and have no part with such, for these
things are nothing but abominations, which cause us to be
hated before our Christ Jesus, who has freed us from
serving the flesh and fitted us for the service of God and
the Spirit whom He has given us.
With this we also rid ourselves of all diabolical weapons
of violence such as swords, armour, and the like, and the
use of them to protect ourselves and our friends, or resist
our enemies. We reject violence because Christ said "you
shall not resist evil."
5.
We have reached unity concerning shepherds in the church of
God.
The shepherd in the church shall be a person according to
the rule of Paul, fully and completely, who has a good
report of those who are outside the faith. The office of
such a person shall be to read the Scriptures, to exhort
and teach, to warn, admonish, or ban in the congregation,
and to lead an exemplary life among the sisters and
brothers in prayer, and in the breaking of bread, taking
care of the body of Christ in all things so it may be built
up and developed, so that the name of God might be praised
and honoured through us, and the mouth of the mocker be
stopped.
The Shepherd shall be supported materially, in whatever he
needs, by the congregation that chose him, so that he who
serves the gospel can also live from it, as the Lord has
ordered. But should a shepherd do something worthy of
reprimand, no action shall be taken against him without the
voice of two or three witnesses. If they sin they shall be
publicly reprimanded, so that others might fear.
If the shepherd should be driven away or led to the Lord by
the cross, at the same hour another shall be ordained to
his place, so that the little flock of God may not be
destroyed, but be preserved by warning and be comforted.
6.
We have reached unity concerning the sword.
The sword is an ordering of God outside the perfection of
Christ. It punishes and kills the wicked and guards and
protects the good. In the law the sword is established over
the wicked for punishment and for death, and the secular
rulers are established to wield the same.
But within the perfection of Christ only the ban is used
for the admonition and exclusion of the one who has sinned,
without the death of the flesh - simply the warning and the
command to sin no more.
Many who do not understand Christ's will for us ask whether
a Christian may or should use the sword against the wicked
for the protection and defence of the good, or for the sake
of love.
The answer is unanimously revealed: Christ commands us to
learn from Him, for He is meek and lowly of heart so we may
find rest for our souls. Christ did not say the woman who
was taken in adultery should be stoned according to the law
of His Father (and yet He says, "What the Father commanded
me, that I do") but with mercy and forgiveness and the
warning to sin no more, he said: "Go, sin no more." We
should do exactly that, with the rule of the ban.
People also ask whether a Christian should pass sentence in
disputes and strife about worldly matters, like the
unbelievers. This is the answer: Christ did not wish to
decide or pass judgment between two brothers concerning
their inheritance. He refused to do it and we should also
refuse.
A third question people ask is whether Christians should
become magistrates or take civil office if they are elected
to one. This is the answer: When they tried to make Christ
a king he fled, even though he had access to all power and
authority in heaven and on earth. We should do as he did
and follow him, not walking in darkness. For Christ says:
"Whoever would come after me, let him deny himself and take
up his cross and follow me." Christ forbids the violence of
the sword when He says: "The princes of this world lord it
over them, etc., but among you it shall not be so." Further
Paul says, "Whom God has foreknown, the same he has also
predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son." Peter
also says: "Christ has suffered (not ruled) and has left us
an example, that you should follow after in his steps."
Finally, one can see in the following points that it does
not befit a Christian to be a magistrate: the rule of the
government is according to the flesh, that of the
Christians according to the Spirit. Their houses and
dwelling remain in this world, that of the Christians is in
heaven. Their citizenship is in this world, that of the
Christians is in heaven. The weapons of their battle and
warfare are carnal and only against the flesh, but the
weapons of Christians are spiritual, against the
fortifications of the devil. The worldly are armed with
steel and iron, but Christians are armed with the armour of
God, with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation,
and with the Word of God.
As Christ our Head is minded, so we (the members of his
body) must also be minded, so that there is no division in
the body, through which it would be destroyed. Since Christ
is as was written about him, his members must be the same
way, so his body may remain whole and unified for its own
advancement and upbuilding. For any kingdom divided against
itself will be destroyed.
7.
We have reached unity concerning the oath.
The oath is a confirmation among those who are quarrelling
or making promises. In the law it is commanded that it
should be done only in the name of God, truthfully and not
falsely. Christ, who teaches the perfection of the law,
forbids his followers to swear, whether true or false,
whether by heaven nor by earth, whether by Jerusalem or by
their own heads, because we cannot so much as make one hair
white or black. We see in this that all swearing is
forbidden. We cannot perform what is promised in the
swearing, for we are not able to change the smallest part
of ourselves.
Now there are some who do not believe the simple
commandment of God and who say, "But God swore by himself
to Abraham, because he was God (as he promised him that he
would do good to him and would be his God if he kept his
commandments). Why then should I not swear if I promise
something to someone?"
Hear what the Scripture says: "God, because he wished to
prove to the heirs of his promise that his will does not
change, inserted an oath so that by two immutable things we
might have a stronger consolation (for it is impossible
that God should lie)." Notice the meaning of the passage:
God has the power to do what he forbids you, for everything
is possible to him. God swore an oath to Abraham, Scripture
says, in order to prove that his counsel is unchangeable.
That means, no one can withstand and twist his will - he
can do whatever he promises but we cannot. So, as Christ
said, we should not swear.
Others say God cannot forbid swearing in the New Testament
if he commanded it in the Old, but that it is forbidden
only to swear by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, and our head.
Hear what the Scriptures say about this: "He who swears by
heaven, swears by God's throne and by Him who sits thereon.
If swearing by heaven is forbidden, which is only God's
throne, how much more is it forbidden to swear by God
Himself! You blind fools, what is greater, the throne or
the one that sits on it?"
Others say if it is wrong to use God for truth, then the
apostles Peter and Paul also swore. But Peter and Paul only
testified to what God had promised Abraham, something we
have long received. When one testifies, one speaks
concerning the present, whether it be good or evil, like
Simeon spoke of Christ to Mary and testified: "Behold: this
one is ordained for the falling and rising of many in
Israel and to be a sign which will be spoken against."
Christ taught us to do the same when he said, "Your speech
shall be yes, yes and no, no, for what is more than that
comes of evil." He says, your speech or your word shall be
yes and no, so that no one might understand that he had
permitted swearing. Christ is simply yes or no, and all
that seek him with an honest heart will understand what he
says to us. Amen.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, these are the
articles some brothers had confused and misunderstood,
leading many with weak consciences into error and bringing
reproach on the name of God. For this reason we felt it
necessary to come to an agreement on these issues, in the
Lord - something that has now come to pass. To God be
praise and glory!
Now that you have clearly understood the will of God as
revealed through us at this time, you must live it out. You
must persevere in it and not turn aside, for you know what
happens to the servant that knows what he should do but
refuses to do it.
Everything you have done unknowingly and now confess to
have done in error shall be forgiven, through the prayers
offered among us in our meeting for the gracious
forgiveness of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Watch out for all that do not walk in the simplicity of
God's truth as described in this letter, so that all of us
might be governed by the same rule, and so we might prevent
false brothers and sisters from coming in among us.
Put away from you what is evil and the Lord will be your
God, and you will be His sons and daughters.
Dear brothers, keep in mind what Paul admonished Titus. He
says: "The saving grace of God has appeared to all, and
disciplines us, so we should deny ungodliness and worldly
lusts, to live righteous and godly lives in this world
while wait on the appearing of the glory of the great God
and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us,
to redeem us from all unrighteousness and to purify unto
himself a people of his own, that would be zealous of good
works." Think on this, and exercise yourselves therein, and
the Lord of peace will be with you.
May the name of God be forever blessed and greatly praised,
Amen. May the Lord give you His peace, Amen.
Decided upon, and written at Schleitheim, St. Matthew's
Day, Anno MDXXVII.