The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-06-12
The German Baptist Convention.

: Messys Editors.-With an absolute aversion
appearing in the columns of newspaper. you
T correspondent feels constrained to give snol
+ account OF hasty visit to the great Tunke
meeting held at Linvile Church, Rockingham &C
Va, not far from Broadway Depot. on the Vale
R. r., and which began on Monday Of last weel
and closed on the Friday following.
just forty years ago when boy commencing
the study grammar. the writer attended schoo
in dense cedar grove or thieket, now cleared
away and presen ting the site of the little village
of Broadway. A handsome Presbyterian Church
edifce now rears itself hard by the very spot
where the old school house stood. The rattline
of trains run over our old play ground, and the
busy throng at the depot is in easy hearing q
where still summers afternoon the pupils
once conned over their lessons. But Babylon the
Great has passed away until it is uncertain where
the foundation other colossal bulwarks were laid,
and even this humble school house may be for
gotten. Full thirty ye have elapsed since last
he looked upon these hills and wales. once the
home of his youth. But what change! Then
all was familiar, now everything is strange. A
generation has come and gone. The few menen-
toes left of those bygone days were indeed sad
reminders of the irrevocable past, and even on
them the ever ruthless hand of time had done It's
work. Thoughts and feelings strange, indescrib-
ably painful arose up and intruded themselves,
despite every effort to throw them off, nordid the
near approach of the vast surgng in.ermngiing
crowd afford any relief. Arriving on the AS a.
| m. train for Thursday, and meeting up with
brethren Martin CARRIER, Enoch Brewer and Da-
vid Kindig, all of Augusta, and old acquaintances,
some facts were CLEANED in reference to the meet
ing then in progress.
| Thespacious eating and cooking establishment
erected on the grounds in front OF the oh urch,
was found to be 1852 by 4S feet, with a cooking
| department attached in the form Of q 48 by 40
feet. In this latter there were five huge tanks or
boilers with prodigious capacity for boiling cof-
fee meats soups etc., etc. $4,000 feet Of lumber
were used in the construction OF this immense
| but rude tenement, having neither loft nor floor.
but simply the roof, walls, tables and seats. This
| hall accommodated at single time 300 guests.
| Two hundred walters. mostly young men and
maidens dispensed with ease and dignity the
| Inequalities OF the tables. Without prelimina-
ry drill it was astonishing to witness how expert
these young people were--no one was kept waiting
for anything to eat or drink-in fact the general
management and skill OF the whole business OF
feeding and providing for the people exhibited
practical sense worthy of all commehdation.
Rarely, if ever, except miraculously, were SO
many well fed, with so little trouble. confusion
and complaint. strong wire stretching entire
ly around the grounds and enclosing some acres,
ed the boundary to which, but no farther, all
horses, wagons and conveyance OF every kind
could approach. In the middle OF this enclosure
stands Linville Creek Church, large, plainly
built frame building without gallery or pulpit.
and one would suppose capable OF seating on IT'S
single floor from 900 to 800 persons. 1t has the
usual appendage OF a cookery to supply the wants
of the distant brotherhood at their stated meet
ings. Within the enclosure also is the grave
yard surrounded by stout stonewah. Here rests
the remains of Elder John Kline, Jealous min
lister of their persuasion On his tombstone is
inscribed "Killed in 1861 !" calling up to fresh
membrance one of the saddest occurrence OF our
late unhappy civil Just in rear of one end of
the church is a regularly formed basin or natural
amphitheatre. This was chosen as the place OF
discussion and elaboration for the highest eccle
siastical court known to the German Baptists, a
court which takes cognizance ofmatters affecting
the whole church, and from which there can be
no appeal.
Here under shelter of plain plank covering
with long seats facing in opposite directions to a
kind of a table or stand running the whole length
of the shelter, was the grand Council Chamber OF
the Conference. The venerable, patriarchal ap-
pearance of these aged, white haired christians,
seated around the council board, all intent upon
what was going on, instinctively and involuntari-
ly carried the behoder back to the days and times
of primitive christianity. Their proceedings so
far as observed extremely simple, some
times unique, but orderly, systematic and wholly
foreign to anything like show or ostentation
There were many queries presented to the church
by several standing committees from which all
questions must issue to be summarily disposed
OF, every one of which brought forth animated
discussions. 1t is needless to say what these
questions were, for they are, always have been,
and always will be ever various and varying, be-
cause what affects one branch of the church in
eminent degree becomes matter OF little i'm
portance to another. But the questions which
puzzled perhaps most was how body Of some
administers, besides considerable lay delegations
haling from about twelve States of our great con-
federacy, should proceed with so much and such
different business and that too, without the least
semblance of parliamentary usage sor discpl inc.
Yet such was the fact.
The fundamental law of the Thinkers that in
matters affecting the interests of the whole peo-
pie, there must be entire unanimity before any
act becomes binding, is a law that clearly pre-
vents discord and promotes peace and harmony
among the members. and especially is this to be
so when an essential doctrine OF the church is
sailed. In the history of the world it is found
that bare majority has been as often wrong as
right and this too, upon subjects of vital impor-
tance On the other hand small minority have
quite as often held the truth. The principle or
doctrine that unanimity alone must govern is
pre-eminently conservative and conduces to
IRENE caution. In minor respects affecting only
the individual churches the German Baptists
subscribe to the general rule that a majority
should rule.
As to the main tenets of their religion they in
no wise differ from the great body of the church
at large. They as tenacously as any other peo
pie cling to the cardinal doctrines of Faith in
Christ, repentance for sin. and cody walk and
conversation. The rare exceptions to a blameless
life found among them attest most powerfully the
sincerity oftheir profession.
Taking the New Testament scripture as the last
and sole will of our Lord and Master, they con-
strue them literally and interpret them with the
broadcast latitude, hence If they err it must be
going beyond the commands of the New Testa-
ment scripture, they never fall short OF them
If they SO jealousy, rigidly and almost stoieally
guard against every innovation upon or depart
ure from their understanding of the word, it only
shows the purity and frmness of a faith which
regards these same scriptures as all complete in
themselves for their eternal salvation.
This much in justice and candor we are bound
to accord to them, and upon those points of
church polity and church practice wherein we
differ from them, cheerfuly and heartily agree
to disagree, giving to them the right their
belief which we reserve for ourselves.
Twelve States, including the Virgnias, Mary
land, Pennsylvania, Ohio. Indiana, Illinois, Iowa,
Michigan, Missouri, Kansas and Tennessee, the
heart of our great country, were represented in
this meeting AS to the number present at any
one time, there were various estimates, ranging
from ten to seventeen thousand. Perhaps twenty
thousand is not too high to assume as the maxi
mum. That so large crowd should have been
retained on the ground for several successive
days without disorder or anything looking. like
Viam ia really A
was summoned for the occasion and were in at
tendance all over the premises. and the laws for
the protection of religious services are known to
be rightfully rigorous but we may nevertheless
safely ask can any other denomination of the
christian church here in the Valley draw together
SO large an assembly and preserve all the time
such unbroken order and decorum as prevailed
at this meeting? This bespeaks for them mo or
binary praise. There is something in the severe
simplicity and unreserving faith of these people
which will command our respect and admiration.
Their peculiar style OF dress, parting their hair