Anabaptists
members of a wellcentury. It began to attract notice known sect, which largely figured in the within four years of the ever-memorable known sect, which largely figured in the affixed his "theses" to the gate of the Thomas Münzer, Mark Stubner, and Nicholas Storck. They had been discastle church of Wittenberg. The most eminent of its early leaders were eminent of its early leaders ciples of Luther; but, becoming dissatisfied with the moderate character of his Nicholas Storck. They had been dis- The Anabaptists than he was prepared to sanction. Durreformation, they cast off his authority, and attempted more sweeping changes ing his absence, they, in 1521, began to and attempted more sweeping changes than he was prepared to sanction. Dur- ing his absence, they, in 1521, began to Laying claim to supernatural powers, they saw visions, uttered prophecies, and made an immense number of proselytes.
In 1525, the peasants of Suabia, Thuriors, rose in arms. ringia, and Franconia, who had been much oppressed by their feudal supecast in their lot with the insurgent peasantry, and became their leaders in battle. After a time the allied princes of the empire, led by Philip, Landgrave of Hesse, put down the rebellion, and Münzer was defeated, captured, and ulti- Hesse, put down the rebellion, and Mün- Anabaptists from Holland, led by a baker called John Matthias, and a tailor, John of Leyden, seized of Münster, in Westphalia, with the John of Leyden, seized on the city of Münster, in Westphalia, with the view of setting up in it a spiritual kingdom. The name was changed to on the city ANABLEPS actual king. On June 24, 1535, the Bishop of Münster retook the city by force of arms, and John of Leyden, who had succeeded Matthias, was put to death. It was in 1534, when John of Leyden was in the height of his glory in Münster, that Ignatius Loyola took the first step toward founding the Order of the Jesuits.