FRATELLI

BRETHREN. — A common name for numerous Protestant sects. Besides the Bohemian Brethren (v.), the Moravian Brethren (v.), the Brethren of Christ or Christadelphians (v.), and the Plymouth Brethren or Darbites (v.), the other sects that bear this name may be divided into two groups: 1st group: those that derive from the German Baptist Brethren (German Baptist Brethren or Dunkers), namely: a) the Church of the Brethren (Church of the Brethren, Conservative Dunkers); b) the Old German Baptist Brethren; c) The Brethren Church (The Brethren Church, Progressive Dunkers); d) the Church of God (Church of God, New Dunkers); e) the Seventh Day Baptists; 2nd group: those that derive from the United Brethren in Christ or River Brethren, namely: a) the Brethren in Christ; b) the Old Order or Yorker Brethren; c) the United Zion’s Children.

I. THE DUNKERS

During the Pietist movement (v. PIETISM), one of the students of the Halle school, E. C. Hochmann, withdrew to Schwarzenau and, together with Alexander Mack, devoted himself to preaching. In 1708 eight of Mack’s companions went with him to the banks of the Eder River (Westphalia); and one of them, chosen by lot, led Mack to the river and immersed him three times, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. After this, Mack baptized all the others, and together they organized a new sect, which, because its founders were perhaps the first German Protestants to be baptized by triple immersion, was called the Taufers, Tunkers, Dunkers, Dunkards, Dompelars (dippers), or also German Baptist Brethren: Church of the Brethren. This sect disregards apostolic succession, has no written creed, is strict in the conduct of its members, believes that triple immersion is necessary for Baptism, practices the mandate of washing the feet before Communion, preserves Extreme Unction, and is opposed to oaths, war, and the use of intoxicating liquors. From their very first appearance, the Dunkers were persecuted by the official German Churches. A group of them emigrated to the English colonies in America and settled in Germantown in the colony of Pennsylvania (1719). Ten years later they were followed by another group led by Mack, and the sect disappeared from Europe. Except for a small group that in 1728 separated and formed the sect of the Seventh Day Baptists—so called because they believed that Saturday, not Sunday, was the day of rest—the Dunkers remained united for more than a century. The schisms occurred mainly for reasons of discipline. In 1848 in the state of Indiana the New Dunkers or Church of God separated; in 1881 the Old Order German Baptist Brethren; and in 1822 the The Brethren Church (Progressive Dunkers). In 1926 all these sects together had only 158,248 members, and the largest was that of the original Dunkers, which had taken the name of Conservative Dunkers.

II. UNITED BRETHREN

The United Brethren in Christ arose from the Swiss Mennonites. In 1751 thirty Mennonite families from Basel, weary of the persecutions they suffered, crossed first into England and the following year into North America, where, led by the Engle brothers, they settled near the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. In the same year (1752) Philip G. Otterbein, a missionary of the German Reformed Church, also arrived there. After studying the new field of action, he left his own sect and, in union with the Engle brothers and the two preachers Bochm and Bocham, directed the great revival of 1770 in the colony of Pennsylvania. Their followers, because they settled on the banks of the Susquehanna River, were called River Brethren or Brethren of the River, although their official name was United Brethren in Christ. Their distinctive doctrine is the belief that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace and His kingdom is a kingdom of peace, so that everything that might disturb peace, such as war, must be avoided. Because of certain disagreements over this doctrine and the manner of administering Baptism, in 1843 some separated and formed the sect of the Yorker Brethren or Old Order Brethren; and in 1853 others, led by Matthias Brinzer, separated and called themselves the United Zion’s Children. Those who remained faithful to the principles and doctrines of Otterbein kept the name of Brethren in Christ. The three sects, in the official statistics of the United States, are grouped under the name of River Brethren, and in 1926 they barely reached 8,000 faithful in total.

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