The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-07-25
THE JOURNAL.
hepunkers.

The Dunkers.
The Philadelphia Telegraph says
The Dunkers are q very curious re-
ligious sect, originating in the
old world, and fiourishing in various
parts of our country, especially in
Lancaster county, Pa. They are
well to do farmers, and as a friend
remarked to me, are likely to be
found wherever there is limestone
soil. Their ministers are uneducat-
ed and unpaid farmers; their religion
is acompound of honesty, hard work
and legal rites Their churches are
barns, and their chief meetings con
centrate themselves in half yearly
services before and after harvest.
Leaving Litiz after tea, we were
quickly carried behind our landlords
swift and powerful horses through a
real garden land to the place of Dun
ker meeting-the large white barn Of
rich farmer in their persuasion.
The lanes leading to the barn were
filed with carriages, and the grounds
were crowded with spectators who
were grouped nnC er the appletrees or
around the wide opened doors of the
barn. The services were we'll under
way, and the interesting ceremony Of
feet washing was over when we ar
rived. With ,some difficulty we
worked our way over implements and
haypiles into one corner of the barn,
from where we could overlook the
whole scene. The building had been
cleared for the brethren and sisters,
who sat along narrow tables ranged
along the body OF the barn. A par
tition wall separated the sexes, and
over it we could see the serious ia
ces of the sisters, with their white
caps and white capes, while row Of
sedate brethren sat so near to US
that we could have laid our hands
on their hair, religiously parted in
the middle.
As we came il they were silently
partaking of their love feast. On
the narrow tables stood tin bowls o.
lambs broth, with the boiled Joint
aside of them, bread and butter, and
water served out in watering cans.
About two hundred and fifty were
partaking of the meal by the light
of tslloW candles, and never a word
was spoken, except in address, OF
hymn or prayer.
After the love feast was over, a
speaker Significantly reminded as
strangers that as we did not keep the
Lords feast in this divinely appoint
ed way we had little to expect on
the day of judgment. Then came a
prayer, the 18th chapter Of John, re
counting our Lords crncifxion, and
the address of an old white bearded
man, who with rude but deep pa
thos, told of Christ's love in His re
deeming death.
The leader babe them greet each
other with a "holy kiss ere they
tasted their Lords sacramental sup
per, and silently and slowly the salu-
tation passed down one side of the
long tables and up the other. Then
the elements were consecrated, and
passed from hand to hand. The
scene was striking. The barn was
dimly lighted by the candles, the
faces of all were sober, and some
were thoughtful, Many of the men
we're gray and toil-worn, and some
Of the women, if not beautiful, had
a sweet charm in their faces. Some
times German or an English hymn
pealed upward among the rafters OF
the barn, and then there was deep
silence again, broken only by slight
justlings in the hay and low whis-
pers among the strangers, watching
to see what new ceremony would
next be started from the cross table
at which the banker preacher sat.
Here was a strange mixture of the
true and false; ritual rude and yet
refined, and as closely observed by
these farmers as are the forms of st.
Albans by its fashionable deyotees.