Schleitheim Confession

Article I — 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 understanding desire and request it from us.

Thereby is excluded all infant baptism, the greatest and chief abomination of the pope. In this you have the foundation and testimony of the Apostles. (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38)

Article II — The Ban

The ban shall be employed against all who have given themselves 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 in secret and the third time publicly disciplined or banned according to the command of Christ. (Matt. 18:15–18)

This must 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.

Article III — Breaking of Bread

All those who wish to break 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, they must beforehand be united in the one body of Christ — the congregation of God whose head is Christ — and that by baptism.

For as Paul indicates, we cannot at the same time be partakers 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 the devil. That is, all those who have fellowship with the dead works of darkness have no part in the light. (1 Cor. 10:21; 1 Cor. 11:23–26)

Article IV — Separation from the World

We have been united concerning the separation that shall take place from the evil and the wickedness which the devil has planted in the world, in this: that we have no fellowship with them and do not run with them in the confusion of their abominations. So it is; since all who have not entered into the obedience of faith and have not united themselves with God so that they will to do his will, are a great abomination before God. (2 Cor. 6:14–18; Rev. 18:4)

By "world" we understand all those outside the fear of God, a great abomination — that which is of the world, carnal, and contrary to God. To us then the command of the Lord is clear when he calls upon us to be separate from the evil one, and thus he will be our God and we shall be his sons and daughters. It does follow that everything which is not united with our God and Christ cannot be other than an abomination.

Article V — Shepherds in the Congregation

The shepherd in the church of God 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. (1 Tim. 3:1–7) This office shall be to read, exhort, teach, warn, admonish, or ban in the congregation, and properly to preside among the sisters and brothers in prayer and in the breaking of bread, and in all things to take care of the body of Christ, that it may be built up and developed, so that the name of God might be praised and honored through us, and the mouth of the mocker be stopped.

If the shepherd should be driven away or led to the Lord through the cross, at the same hour another shall be ordained in his place, so that the little flock and people of God be not destroyed, but be maintained and consoled.

Article VI — The Sword

The sword is an ordering of God outside the perfection of Christ. It punishes and puts to death the wicked and guards and protects the good. In the law the sword was ordained 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.

Now it will be asked by many who do not recognize this as the will of Christ for us, whether a Christian may or should employ the sword against the wicked for the defense of the good. Our answer: Christ teaches and commands us to learn of him, for he is meek and lowly of heart and so shall we find rest to our souls. (Matt. 11:29) Also Christ says to the woman who was taken in adultery that he would not condemn her; neither will we condemn, but warn and exhort. (John 8:11)

Now Christ, when he was tempted with earthly kingdoms and all their glory, refused them, and said, "Get thee hence, Satan." So also should we follow after him, and we shall not walk in darkness. Whosoever would follow him must take up his cross and follow him — not with carnal weapons but with spiritual ones, putting on the whole armor of God. (Matt. 4:10; Eph. 6:11–17)

Article VII — The Oath

We are agreed on this: the oath is a confirmation among those who are quarreling or making promises. In the law it is commanded that it should be performed in God's name, truthfully and not falsely. Christ, who teaches the perfection of the law, forbids all swearing to his followers — whether true or false — neither by heaven nor by earth, nor by Jerusalem, nor by our head, and that for the reason he himself gives immediately following: for you cannot make one hair white or black. (Matt. 5:33–37; Jas. 5:12)

Observe, all swearing is forbidden, whether true or false — whether to swear by God or by the creatures. By this it is clearly and plainly to be seen that it is not permitted for us to confirm a statement except with the Word, yea and nay. Christ is simply Yea and Nay, and all those who seek him simply will understand his Word. (2 Cor. 1:17–20)

Subscribed at Schleitheim, 24 February 1527.