Samuel Heinrich Froehlich

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Samuel Heinrich Froehlich (1803-1857) he was an evangelist responsible for organizing the Evangelical Baptist Church in Western Europe, which eventually spread to become known as the Nazarenes in Eastern Europe and the Apostolic Christian Church in America during the 1830s and 1840s. Froehlich, a young seminary student in Switzerland, experienced a dramatic conversion, causing him to come into conflict with the state-church. He was excommunicated in the aftermath of his refusal to submit to an order that required the Heidelberg Catechism to be replaced by a new rationalistic catechism. He had sympathies with the Mennonite faith, but soon became convinced they were in a lukewarm state. Some of the Reformed and Mennonite persuasions followed Froehlich and were soon known as "Neu-Taufer". They later adopted the official name of Evangelical Baptist Church.

At age 24 he began to preach with zeal and power about the sinfulness of mankind and the need of God's grace, this sparked a great awakening and many came to faith in Jesus. Many came from the surrounding region to hear his sermons, so that the church building, previously poorly attended, was now full. A major conflict with the national church council occurred three years later when Fröhlich refused to replace the Heidelberg Catechism with a new rationalistic man-centered Catechism for instruction of children. This conflict escalated into a complete excommunication.

Froehlich continued to preach despite the government prohibiting him to teach. Officers throughout Switzerland received strict orders, if he enters their jurisdiction, to have him arrested and reprimanded and sent back to his home town. He was continually in danger of being jailed and had to travel from town to town at night to avoid arrest.

During this time he became affiliated with Baptist, Mennonite and Anabaptist workers. He was re-baptized in February, 1832, as an adult. Through preaching in private meetings, new churches were planted. The work continued and in thirty-five years around 110 congregations were established.

"It never entered my mind that I should found a sect here on earth, rather it was my purpose to gather the children to God. If I could not place my confidence in the Lord my God, that He call me to His Gospel, I would indeed chose to have started something on what the Lord cannot give His blessing, or with which He could not be pleased. Now, however, I placed myself wholly into his hands, that He might lead me according to His good pleasure." - Samuel Heinrich Fröhlich

Froehlich was deeply influenced by the Anabaptists (who were known as the radical reformers in sixteenth century Europe). He embraced the following Anabaptist teachings:

Sola Scriptura - Scripture alone is the sole rule of faith and practical living.

Separation of Church and State

Believers' Baptism - adult baptism as opposed to infant baptism.

Holiness of Life

Nonviolent - Opposed going to war in the name of Christianity.

Froehlich sent Benedict Weyeneth (1819-1887) to America at the request of Joseph Virkler, thus encouraging the foundation of the denomination in the United States.

[edit] Writings

• Baptismal Truth
• Meditations on Hebrews
• Meditations on the Epistles of John

[edit] Quotes

"Whoever does not, with his whole heart, wish to become a subject of Christ does not belong to the congregation and to the new covenant."

"It never entered my mind that I should found he sect here on earth, rather it was my purpose to gather the children to God. If I could not place my confidence in the Lord my God, that He call me to His Gospel, I would indeed chose to have started something on what the Lord cannot give His blessing, or with which He could not be pleased. Now, however, I placed myself wholly into his hands, that He might lead me according to His good pleasure"

"The priests of the high places give their own fiction, legends, fables, and inventions, precedence over the Word of God, and the people accept these spurious, man-made commandments blindly and implicitly, as if they came from God. At first an addition was made to the divine commandment, and in the course of the time the man-made commandment was raised above the divine order, and the sacredness of the latter was transferred to the former."

"Blind adhesion to the tenets of the church, careful observance of religious customs, together with the reverence of the clergy were considered to be the prime requisites of a good christian ..... In proportion as the Bible was neglected, tradition gained more influence and importance and tradition in fact was the basis on which the theology of that time was resting."