Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-08-19
A Peculiar rsople.

AS an item Of news and Of interest to
our readers we chronic the somewhat re-
cent appearance III our community, OF
religious body whose faith and practice
make them peculiar people. meeting
has been recently held by them
and series of lectures been delivered in
this place By one of their speakers, Mr..
A. B. Magruder, of Baltimore, which
attracted the attention of our citize ms,
who evfnced their interest in the novel
and strange doctrines they advance.
They accept no name other than one of
Bible coinage, calling themselves in
dividually disciples. saints, chr istian,
believers, breathren, &c and collect vely
the Church of God or Church of Christ {,
refusing to accept or acknowledge any
name not inscribed in the Bible. They
dec'air their adherence to the BIB lie alone
as their guide in religion. but they reje ct
altogether. IS nntaught in the scriptures,
the doctrine of the fmmort .lity of the
soul. the translation to heaven or hell at
death, OF. at any time Of the dead, and the
eternal torment of the wicked in he'll or
elsewhere. They maintain that there is
no immortality for man out Of Christ;
that the wicked, who arc those that sin
against light and knowledge, will not live.
forever, but will DO utterly destroyed af-
ter enduring previous punishment ac-'
cor1l,ng to their deeds; that the earth will
never be destroyed. but become the ever
lasting abode Ct the righteous that on
this earth the righteous will be rewarded
and the sinner judged and punished that
the resurrection is the only hope Of future
lite that two deaths and two resurrec-
tons are taught In the Bible; that Christ
will return to this world, put down and
subdue all exis ting ,kingdoms and gov
over man, and on their ruins
erect His divine kingdom, and reign with
bis ifnmortalized saints, visiDly, and In
great power over all its inhabitants; that
all the nations now or III the past who
have lived In times Of ignorance and con-
having no opportunity, have no
and will never rise frsm the
dead; that all mems responsibilities before
God are to be measured by their oppor.
that God will punish tho wicked
less than they deserve and reward the
righteous far above their just dssertsi
that the twelve tribes of Israel will DO re-
stored to their land and become the i'm
mediate subjects Of Christ's reign, In
Jerusalem, on David's throne reconstruc-
tod, whilst his empire, a. King Of kings.
will extend over the whole earth which
will then be Paradise restored.
They have no clerical order AMONG :hem
and do not preach nor teach for money or
on salaries. They hold that every male
member is At liberty to teach and preach
the faith once delivered to the saints, a.
time and opportunity Is afforded. They do
not call OH any outside oftheir own BROTH
erhood, to give money or help their cause;
but maintain that on the people Of COD
devolvc the duty and privilege of support
ing and maintaining the Church of God,
which they recognize as the pillar ard
ground of truth. They refuse to swear or
to bear arms, mud whilst carefully obeyihg
all laws enacted by the State, they do not
vote nor take any part In public affairs,
awaiting the time to come in Gods provi-
dence and at his pleasure, when he will
the present government OF the
world and establish his kingdom down on
earth and rule over men In his own per-
son of the Son and the saints associated
with him.
They are Congregationslists. each sep
srate church or body taking the bible as
the kguide, and meeting together every
first day of the week, to break bread and
keep the ordinances of The Lords house.
to preach the Gospel OF the kingdom and
encourage and exhort one another to con-
tinue in the faith unto the end.-Winohes