Of the most important elders of his church, Meinhardt formed a body-guard. Among those men he chose certain ones who were to act as spies and inform him of every secret. These he distinguished above others, and rewarded. He sent them to persuade the people, and by degrees the most stubborn yielded. Meanwhile German commerce flourished. From Holm, or Kirchholm, as Meinhardt called the place after his church was built, and Ikeskola new villages were founded. Taking the name of the Livs, the whole country was now called by the Latinized term Livonia, and the churches were mentioned as “the Church of Livonia.” It might seem that this work was one that could never be undone. But all at once there was a tempest—a wild revolt throughout the whole country. A thing unheard of, a spectacle unique in Christianity was presented to the eyes of the “Apostle of Livonia,” as disciples called Meinhardt, when those same people who had received baptism from him sprang into the Dvina, washed themselves clean of his apostolic touch, dived in the water “to purify their persons.” “Behold!” shouted they to him. “We have cleansed ourselves from German baptism.” And looking at the waves of the river rushing toward the sea, they added: “Be off from us, far away. Go to the place whence thou hast come.” In this manner the whole country gave back its baptism to the German monk. Meinhardt began to threaten. He would sail away; he would find a legion of defenders of Christ and bring them back on countless ships. Then they would see how God punished apostates, they would see the awful power of Christ’s vicar on earth, by whom he, Meinhardt, had been deputed. This threat alarmed the people; they became tearful and begged him not to leave them. Instead of going himself, he sent Dietrich. Why did the people rise? “Because they differed little from beasts, were wild and rude. There had been great religious excitement, and this uprising was simply a reaction.” This is the explanation of certain historians, but a further statement should be added: The monk had begun to enforce obedience to the Archbishop of Bremen, and to demand tithes for “the church.” The “Apostle of Livonia” was a faithful servant of the Archbishop of Bremen. He was made Bishop of Livonia in subjection to Bremen in 1188, and died in 1196. The monk Berthold, an abbot of the Cistercian Order, appointed to fill Meinhardt’s place, heard that the people were considering whether to burn him in the church or drown him in the river. He shut himself up in Kirchholm, but he had warriors clad in steel from head to foot, with heavy swords at their sides, and sitting on mighty horses, such as the people had never seen till that day. These were the “Knights.” People sent to ask why this man of God had brought those warriors into the country. “To punish apostates,” was the answer.