St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-08-01

sented was the "Sermen on the Mount"
Christ standing on the summit of a
hill, with a number of disciples and
women ranged below him. The artist,
ignorant of the peculiar tenets of the
sect for which he drew, had given but
scant hair and beard to his male figures,
and, worse still, had left the heads of
his women uncovered. The drawing
was hastily returned for correction, and
reappeared with the proper quantity of
hair, and the growing glory of woman
hidden under stiff poke bonnet. Still
it did not please. Some sectarian eye
had discovered that while the length of
the hair met the requirements, it was
parted on one side instead of in the
middle, and the artist was again called
upon to correct his work.
ALovE FEAST AND ITS CEREMONIES.
Apart from their dress the peculiari-
ties of the Dunkards lie mainly in their
religious forms and belief. 1t is their
custom hereabouts to hold, each au-
tumn, a series of religious meetings,
the interest of which eliminates in the
annual love feast and communion. This
great religious festival is usually held
in some immense barn in order to ac-
commOdate the large numbers in at
tendance, as we'll as conveniently to
perform the peculiar rites connected
with the communion. Some two years
since, however, new church was built
with especial reference to these features.
1t is a large framed building, substan-
TALLY made, and plainly finished both
within and without. Situated on a
knoll, with its garb of fresh white paint
relieved by window blinds of green, it
is beautiful and attractive place of
worship; a fitting shrine for those
whose desire it is to keep in the sim
plicity and purity of the faith once de-
livered to those servants of whom
Whittier sings:
1--WE praised Him when to prison led,
We owned Him when the stake blazed red
We knew, whatever might befall,
His love and power were over all"
At the east end of the church are two
rooms designed for use as kitchen and
waiting rooms the space above being
utilized as the gallery of the main au-
dienee chamber. The kitchen is sup
piled with ranges and every facility for
cooking. The audience room is ar
ranged into a light sliding partition
behind the pulpit so as to form large
dining-room- that will accommodate
nearly two hundred persons. During
the love feast this partition is removed,
and the members sit at long tables,
back of the pulpit, the women, young
and old, dressed plainly in sober cOlors,
and wearing dainty white Swiss caps.
With the Dunkards the love feast and
communion, with their attendant ordi-
nances, are always celebrated at night,
that being the time of their institution
by Christ.
After singing, prayer and reading of
the Scriptures the ordinance of feet
washing is first celebrated, small tubs
of water being used. On the mems side
one brother performs the act of wash
ing, while another, girdled with a long
towel, follows to wipe the feet dry.
Any one may perform this service,
which is a purely voluntary one. The
women follow the same routine on the
other side of the house, for in these
UIuIuanOUs UrrO sO->Os uV "vv HrI"SIU.
Nothing surpasses the mOdesty and
reverence with which this part of the
service is conducted. During its pei
formance the presiding minister ex-
plains the rite: "We believe that the
Saviour himself instituted this ordi-
nance to tipify that spiritual cleansing
which his spirit imparts to the soul.
Having this faith, we receive the Ordi-
nance with joy" Again: ''This is a
religious rite, and as such we practice
it. We believe that the Saviour COM
mands all Christians to observe it. He
says that we ought to wash, and that
he did it as an example for us. There
is Il stereotyped idea that there are but
two ordinances baptism and the Lords
Supper. But we believe that feet
washing was observed in the temple
service of the Old Testament, and then
solemnly ordained by Christ for the
observance of his churches in the New
| Testament" Feet-washing is observed
by the Dunkards as preparation for
the love feast and communion their
authority for it being the incident of
Christ washing the feet of his disciples,
narrated in John Xiiith. They claim
that the command in the 14th and 18th
verses of this chapter is as literally
binding as the commands elsewhere for
the observance of the communion.
Next follows the love feast, which is
distinguished from that of other denOm-
nations, except that it is always OBJ
served at night. Preceding the COM
muniOn, however, is the salutation OF
the holy kiss, which, they assert, was
practised in the early church. Begin
ming at the head of the table, the first
brother clasps the right hand of the one
next to him and salutes him with a
kiss, the second salutes the third, and
so on in chain of salutation around
the table. The sisters salute each Other
in the same manner. During the com,
munion the sisters all have their heads
covered with plain caps, while the
brethren are uncovered. Thanks are
given for both bread and wine. The
minister breaks the bread to the
brethren, and they to each other. HI
breaks It to the isis sisteE5s als9 but tthesa dt
is the case in passing the wine. Th'
ordinance is observed once or twice
year by every church.
.... d.. MODE OF BAPTISM.
, The method of baptism followed b.
5 the Dunkards is called trine immersion
! and is the first in order of their ordi
uances-to be observed immediatel
after the exercise of true repentance
Believing in the doctrine of the Trinlt
q that there are three persons in on
Godhead-they maintain that ther
E should be three acts in one baptism
= In accordance with this belief the car
didate is immersed three times, invarif
= bly, by forward motion of the bod!
u backward immersion being, they say,
u human invention. In addition to tn
= ordinances already named the SCI
is practice the laying on of hands an
=; anointing the sick with oil. 1t is, how
Z ever, done only at the request of ii