European Background of the Ohio Mennonites and Amish / 37

question. What did Reist think about excommunicating someone who admitted telling a falsehood? To this Reist gave another answer unsatisfactory for Ammann.

The investigators continued their journey and next went to Eggiwyl where they probed two other ministers for their views on the Meidung issue. These ministers advised the convening of the entire ministry, and this was done. The gathering took place in Nikolaus Moser's barn. Some ministers were there, but Hans Reist was absent. No conclusion could be reached and another meeting was scheduled to be held in two weeks.

Again Hans Reist did not appear at the meeting. After waiting for some time for Reist to arrive, two women were dispatched to find him and ask him to attend the meeting. The women returned with the word that Reist was busy in the harvest and could not find time to attend. Jakob Ammann interpreted this absence as due to indifference and proceeded to list six charges against Reist and declare him excommunicated. Upon questioning some of the others present, Ammann found them also unsound on the Meidung issue and he likewise excommunicated them. The meeting disbanded with Ammann and his followers leaving without shaking hands with anyone. Seven of the followers of Ammann met around noontime of the same day and near the same place and forbade that their opponents be told about the meeting. Further excommunications were issued by the Ammann party. According to a letter by Uli Ammann the division actually took place in late July or early August of 1693.

Jakob Ammann was soon to learn that his actions did not meet with everyone's approval. Reist had a considerable number of followers. Some of these took Ammann to task for going too far and finally convened a meeting at which Ammann was present. Nothing by way of reconciliation came out of the meeting, however. Ammann continued to "purge" the church and even issued a letter asking all church members to say that they accepted his views on the three controversial issues or to prove that he was wrong. He even set a deadline of March 7, 1694, after which time those not agreeing with him would be excommunicated.

However, in March 1694, a meeting was held at a mill at Ohnenheim in Alsace during which both sides made an effort to achieve reconciliation. But neither side would yield on the Meidung question. On March 13, 1694, the Swiss and Palatine ministers