Religion and Worship
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The Schleitheim Articles
1. Adult baptism
Baptism shall be given to all who have been taught repentance and the amendment of life, who believe that their sins are taken away through Christ, and who desire to walk in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This excludes all infant baptism.

2. The Ban
After taking baptism as a sign of commitment to the fellowship, if any inadvertently slip and fall into error and sin, the ban shall be employed. First they shall be warned twice privately, and the third time publicly before the congregation (according to Matthew 18). This shall be done before breaking bread, so that all may in one spirit and in one love, break and eat from one loaf and drink from one cup.

3. Concerning the Breaking of Bread
Those who partake of the bread (the Lord’s Supper) must beforehand be united in the one baptism and one body of Christ, Those who desire to drink in remembrance of the shed blood of Christ, cannot be partakers at the same time of the table of the Lord and the table of devils. All who have fellowship with the dead works of darkness have no part in the light. We cannot be made one loaf together with them.

4. Separation
We have been united concerning the separation that shall take place from evil and wickedness which the devil has planted in the world, simply in this; that we have no fellowship with them, and do not run with them in the confusion of their abominations….
Thereby shall also fall away from us the diabolical weapons of violence-such as sword, armor, and the like, and all of their use to protect friends against or against enemies-by virtue of the words Christ: “You shall not resist evil.”

5. Shepherds
The shepherd in the church shall be a person of good report according to the rule of Paul, who can read, extort, teach, warn, admonish and properly preside in prayer and in the breaking of the bread. If he need, he shall be supported. If he is driven away or martyred, another shall be installed immediately.

6. The Sword
The sword [government] is an ordering of God outside the perfection of Christ. It punishes and kills the wicked, and guards and protects the good….
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. The rules of government is according to the flesh; that of Christians, according to the spirit.

7. Rejection of Oaths
The oath is a confirmation among those who are quarreling or making promises. In the old law, forbids all swearing. One’s speech shall be yea or nay. Anything more is evil.

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