European Background of the Ohio Mennonites and Amish / 31

wanted them as tenants for their large estates.

It was as tenants of the large estates that the agricultural genius of the Swiss Brethren came to the fore. Whereas most of the Rhineland peasants lived in villages, the Swiss Brethren occupied separate farm units, many of them being estates. While the Rhineland peasant was forced to farm in the traditional, centuries-old Dreifelderwirtschaft, the Swiss Brethren on the larger units were free from such regimentation. They had opportunity to experiment and practice what better farming ideas they may have learned from the days when their ancestors were compelled to eke out their existence on the poorer land. Moreover the Swiss Brethren because of their religion were compelled to remain excluded from the peasant village life. Thus the setting was made for the development of a unique agricultural community and pattern. The brotherhood concept worked two ways: it made the group cohere from within and it imposed isolation from without.

To see how the brotherhood concept further intensified the group life and pattern, one need only point to the matter of marriage. The Brethren principle of separation has perhaps been nowhere applied with more strictness than in the matter of marriage. Marriage with "outsiders" was strictly forbidden on religious grounds. At that time "outsiders" were likewise forbidden to marry within the fold of the Brethren. With marriage possibilities limited in this way it became a "necessity" for visits to be made from one Swiss Brethren community to another in order to find a mate. It is believed that this cross-fertilization of community contacts also resulted in the spread of good farming knowledge among the Brethren.

Mutual aid among the Brethren was both by design and necessity and was always reinforced by strong religious sanctions. "Love one another" was not merely a biblical theme to be speculated about; it was a commandment to be obeyed. Hardships and misfortunes by members of the "beloved community" became the concern and burdens of all. There is record of the formation of a credit union by the Brethren, one of the first for farmers in Europe. Forbidden by religious faith to invest their money "in the world," the Brethren chose to invest their money in their brotherhood and for a considerable time did so without charging interest.

It is of importance also to note that a strong democratic spirit prevailed in these brotherhoods. Rivalry and overbidding were frowned on and even condemned in the name of religion. The com-