Abecedarians

A sect of Anabaptists who affected an absolute disdain for all 
human knowledge, contending that God would enlighten His elect 
interiorly and give them knowledge of necessary truths by visions 
and ecstasies. They rejected every other means of instuction, and 
pretended that to be saved one must even be ignorant of the first 
letters of the alphabet; whence their name, A-B-C-darians. They 
also considered the study of theology as a species of idolatry, 
and regarded learned men who did any preaching as falsifiers of 
God's word. 

At Wittenberg, in 1522, Nicholas Storch (Pelargus) and the 
Illuminati of Zwickau began to preach this doctrine, mixing it up 
with other errors. Carlstadt allowed himself to be drawn away by 
these singular views, and to put them thoroughly into practice he 
abandoned his title of Doctor and became a street porter. He 
preached the new doctrine for some time to the people and to the 
students of Wittenberg. 

JOHN J. A'BECKET 
Transcribed by Paul T. Crowley 
Dedicated to the Sacred Heart