Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-05-15

vert1sements,
Address-'stsunton spsctstor," sts.afoa, VI.
church. Their record on this subject il
very commendable. They have no pc
culiar views concerning marriage, and
do not restrict their members to thsir
own church. They are strongly oppos-
ed to secret societies of every grade and
order, and make membership in them q
cause for accommodation.
Their manner of salutation is that of
a kiss in compliance with the instruc-
tions Of Paul and Peter, who teach to
salute all the brethren with kiss Of
charity. In this particular the sexes do
not mingle, believing the house of the
Lord to be a house of order.
DRESS.
The prevailing style of dress among
them is somewhat similar to that of the
Friends. They are generally able to re-
cognize each other by their dress, and
have for many years had that order
among them, and it may be worthy of
note here to remark that all the congre.
cations that hold to that order are still
plan in their manner of dressing. The
fundamental principle among them is
that OF entire plainness and abstaining
from all useless ornaments. Nojewelry,
or anything merely for ornament, is al
lowed.
TEMPERANCE.
On the subject of temperance they are
the strongest of teetotallers and claim to
be the oldest temperance society in the
United States. They forbid the use Of
all alcoholic or malt liquors as bever-
age, In public or private, and have a de-
cision of the National Conference that
it shall be cause for excommunication,
They permit the use of it for strictly
medicinal and mechanical purposes on
~. They go farther than this and for
DID members to be in any way interest
ed in the traffic of liquors of any. kind,
or to sell any grain or other article used
in spirituous liquors to any .manufactu-
rer or to any person that win use it for
manufacturing purposes. They would
not, under any circumstances, hold a
saloon keeper as a member of the
church.
THE POOR.
They make ample provision for the
support of their own poor, and never al
low them to receive aid from town or
county where the congregation is able
to support them. All their INDECENT
are well cared for, and suffering from
poverty among them is effectually pre-
vented, as should be the case in every
religious denomination.
LITERATURE.
They publish several periodicals and
! few standard works, but admit them
selves to be deficient ilr a proper Church
literature; but now that the want is felt
and acknowledged, active measures
will probably be-taken to supply it, and
give to the Church the means of infor-
nation concerning their past and pres
ent history and Church polity, and
give also to the public an opportunity
for more extensive and correct informs.-
lion concerning the denomination thania
yet accessible. They now have published
among them two weeklies and several
Though deficient in litera-
lure, they have among them some men
of considerable learning, and are doing
= noble work in reforming the people
and converting the world. Their doc
.rine is spreading rapidly, and should
hey as religious body. continue to adj
vocate and practice plainness in all
things, and oppose the superfiuities and
vanities of the world and live close to
the teaching of the Holy Scripture, they
are destined to become q leading order
among the American people.
The following
BRIEF SUMMARY
Of their doctrine embodies the leading
features of their faith and practice:
They recognize the New Testament as
the only infallible rule OF faith and prac-
tice:
And maintain that the sovereign, un-
unsolicited grace of God, is the
1nly source of pardon, and
That the vicariOus su uffering and me-
ritorious work of Christ are the onlv
price of pardon:
That Faith, Repentance and Baptism.
ire conditions of pardon, and hence for
The remission of sins.
That the Holy Scriptures teach but
'ne valid baptism, and that is the inn
nersion of a truly penitent believer
hree times face-forward as taught
n Matthew %: 10, and also maintain
hat this method was the general prac-
uries of the Christian church:
That Feet washing as taught in John
g, is divine command to be observed
n the church:
That the Lords Supper is full even
ing meal was, in connection with Feet
instituted by the Lord himself,
and in like manner should still be observ-
ed by his people:
That the Bread of Communion, and
The Cup of the New Testament, perpetu-
ated in cOmmemeration of Christ's death
and suffering, should, in connection
with feet-washing and the Lords Sup
per, be observed in the evening, or af-
ter the close of the day:
That the salutation of the Holy Kiss,
Or Kiss of Charity, is q diviue COM
mand, and as such, is binding upon all
the humble followers of Christ:
That War and Retaliation are contra
~ to the spirit and self-denying princi-
pie of the religion of Jesus Christ, and
that no Christian has the right to take
up arms to shed the blood of his fellow
men:
That in public worship, or religious
exercises, Christians should appear as
in l. Cor. IL: 4, 5:
That NOn-cOnfOrmity to the world in
our dress, customs, daily walk and con-
is essential to true holiness and
Christian piety:
That the Amounting of the sick with
oil in the name of the Lord, is religious
and duty, enjoined upon Gods
people.
In short, it is one of the distinctive
features of their doctrine to advocate
and strictly observe all things that
Christ and the apostles have enjoined in
their teaching and practice.
A CONTRAST BETWEEN CHRIST AND
to your Natural Relig-
ion /; lay before her Mahomet and his
disciples, arrayed in armor and in blood,