The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-02-08
IPUBLIsHED BY KEoUEsT.l
The German Baptists
OR
DUNKARDS:
Who They Are and What They
Believe.

Who They Are and What TheJ
Believe.
At the present time. there are in tn
United States, about one hundreG
thousand people, whose religious faitt
and practice are very imperfectly un'
derstood by the generality of thu
American readers, and in Europe
very little is known Of them. Many
papers have gone forth purpOrtiug to
give q full and correct account Of theil
religious tenets and some Of their pc.
culiar princIples-but So far, have
been quite vague and often very in,
correct. This article can be strictly
relied upon as being correct, and is
likely the most complete account o.
that people that has yet been pub
lished, and is intended to set forth
some of their arguments by which
| they defend their faith and practice,
along with many Of their peculiarities
for which they are noted.
THE NAME.
In history they are generally
known by the name German Bdp-
lists, but more commonly among out
siders DILlEeTs, or as IL IL more gen.
orally spoken DulEGrds. The latter,
however, are nIcksnAmes, derived
from Q German word meaning to dip,
and is somewhat expressive Of their
manner Of baptiZlng. Among them
selves they are known as Brethren,
taken from the declaration Of Christ
on q certain occasion when he said (;
Gan ye sre brethren" Matt. XIII :
81. The
ORIGIN AND HISTORY
OF this reformatory movement dates
from the year 1T0S, having taken its
rise In Germany about that time, in
q portion of country where B4ptists
are said to have been wholly un-
known. Some eight persons in num-
Der, who bad been bred Presbyterians,
excepting one who was q Lutheran,
became much dissatisfied with the
then prevailing religious principles OF
the day consorted together in order to
prAyerfully read the Bible and COM
fort one another, and If possible, find
the old path and walk therein, for as
yet they knew not that there were
any Baptist churches in existence.
After q careful study Of the sacred
word, they were fully convinced that
faith and strict obedience in all things
laid down in the perfect law of liber-
ty, were essential to salvation, and
agreed to Hotey from the heart that
form Of doctrine once delivered unto
the saints. s."-Romans. VIII. Con-
seqHeRtiy in the year 17OS, they all
repaired to the river Eder, by Schwar-
zenau, and were buried with Christ
In baptism. They all were baptized
by trine immersion, organized them
selves into q church, and chose Alex
snder Mack for their minister.
Though Alexander Mack was chosen
as their first minister, yet the church
has never recognized him as the Origi-
ndtor of either their faith or practice.
They increased rapidly, their doc
trine spread far and wide, and soon
excited the hatred Of persecution by
which they were driven from place to
place, till the year 1719, when they
commenced emigrating to America,
and settled in the vicinity Of Phila-
deIphis and Germantown. In 1729
nearly the whole church found her,
self quietly settled d1wn in the wes-
tern world. Among these was their
first preacher, Alexander Mack,
though formerly q man Of consider
able property, was now poor In this
worlds goods, yet rich in grace and
knowledge. He quietly settled him
self on 8 small lot near Germantown,
in the vicinity of Philadelphia. He
did not live long to enjoy the quiet
ude Of a home in the new world, but
only six years after his arrival in
America, he closed his labors on
earth. And now in the Brethren's
public burying ground In German
town, the stranger Is shown the spot
where rests the remains Of this hum
BILE and venerable reformer. He Is
said to have besn q man of great
piety, and exercised q good influence
in bis own family. All bis sons
united with the church in their seven
teenth year, and some of them lived
to be useful men in their Masters
cause.
1t may be proper to observe that all
the DunkGrds in America have
sprung from the little band OF eight
souls, who started up In Germany in
the year 1708, and that, too, in o por-
ton OF the country where no Bap-
tist had lived In the memory Of man,
and oven now, none exist there.
Most all reformato-y movements have
usually been introduced and kept up
by some one Of great influence and
talent, but not 30 in this. This move
ment was put on foot by men and
women who occupied humble post.
tions in life, and consequently, at the
head Of the organization Is no man
to whom the body can appeal for
human authority or precedent, and
hence in all their faith and practice,
they are under the necessity Of ap-
peSling directly to the Scriptures, the
only infallible source of correct infor-
NATION, for all their authority In re-
ligious practices.
This little leaven has spread itself
far and wide till now nearly every
State and territory has its members.
They are, however, most numerous in
Pennsylvania, Maryland. Virginia,
Ohio, Indians, Illinois, Kansas and
Missouri.
But while the present organization
dates its history from the movement
in Germany, the careful reader will
observe that the rise of their faith and
practice generally is' hid in the re-
mote depths of Christian antiquity.
PRESENT CONDITION.
Owing to the fact that To ey have
never published any denominational
statistics, it is somewhat difficult to
determine their exact number: Those
however, who are acquainted with
the entire body, state that their num-
Der is not far from one hundred thous-
and. As this estimate was made
several years ago ii Is likely short of
their number, for in various localities
they have increased in numbers very
fast, and it is perhaps safe to place
their number considerably above one
hundred thousand.
WEALTH AND OCCUPATION.
The larger majority Of them are
farmers, and where they settle to any
great extent they are sure to make
we'll improved country. Many of
them are mechanics, while q small
number are professional men. Such q
thing as q Dunkard lawyer is wholly
unknown. They are usually in good
circumstances, and many of them are
men OF considerable wealth. As 1t is
q part Of their religion to inculcate
industry and frugAlity, sbstaining
from all extravagance and worldly
display, they are likely to become in
possession Of property. By abstain
| ing from superhuities OF all kinds
they not only improve their health
and increase their wealth, but set be-
fore the world 9 good example OF
pIainness and frugality.
THEIR CREED.
They have no written creed, save
the New Testament, which they re-
gard as the only rule Of their reli-
gious faith and practice. They con-
slider this to be all that was used by
/ the primitiye Christians in the first