<P> In the early days of the Anabaptist movement, Menno Simons, a Catholic priest in the Low Countries, heard of the movement and started to rethink his Catholic faith . He questioned the doctrine of transubstantiation but was reluctant to leave the Roman Catholic Church . His brother, a member of an Anabaptist group, was killed when he and his companions were attacked and refused to defend themselves . In 1536, at the age of 40, Simons left the Roman Catholic Church . He soon became a leader within the Anabaptist movement and was wanted by authorities for the rest of his life . His name became associated with scattered groups of nonviolent Anabaptists whom he helped to organize and consolidate . </P> <P> During the 16th century, the Mennonites and other Anabaptists were relentlessly persecuted . This period of persecution has had a significant impact on Mennonite identity . Martyrs Mirror, published in 1660, documents much of the persecution of Anabaptists and their predecessors . Today, the book is still the most important book besides the Bible for many Mennonites and Amish, in particular for the Swiss - South German branch of the Mennonites . Persecution was still going on until 1710 in various parts of Switzerland . </P> <P> Disagreements within the church over the years led to other splits; sometimes the reasons were theological, sometimes practical, sometimes geographical . For instance, near the beginning of the 20th century, some members in the Amish church wanted to begin having Sunday Schools and participate in progressive Protestant - style para-church evangelism . Unable to persuade the rest of the Amish, they separated and formed a number of separate groups including the Conservative Mennonite Conference . Mennonites in Canada and other countries typically have independent denominations because of the practical considerations of distance and, in some cases, language . Many times these divisions took place along family lines, with each extended family supporting their own branch . </P> <P> The first recorded account of this group is in a written order by Countess Anne, who ruled a small province in central Europe . The presence of some small groups of violent Anabaptists was causing political and religious turmoil in her state, so she decreed that all Anabaptists were to be driven out . The order made an exception for the non-violent branch known at that time as the Menists . </P>

Who came first the amish or the mennonites