Weekly Trinity journal., 1879-06-07
SINGULAR CEREMONY.
washing of Feet by Nemesis fn a
Baltimore Hall.

The congregation OF Nemesis Of East
Baltimore held their annual communion
and feet-washing in their hall, over the
Old Town Bank, yesterday morning
The members OF the society were present
to the mum Der of about fifty persons, and
there were about one hundred visitors in
attendance. The services were conduct
ed by Rev. Jacob Gest, Of Cocl;eysville,
Baltimore county, and Rev. Jacob Lem
mon, OF Chambersburg, Pennsylvania,
and consisted Of reading OF the Scriptures
and singing Of hymns, followed by a
discourse on the rite Of feet-washing by
Mr.. Gest. He read passages from the
Scripture where Jesus is described as
washing the feet of the apostles a little
while before the crucifxion. and explain
cd that it was from these accounts that the
Nemesis had adopted that portion oftheir
service.
After the sermon the bread and wine
of the communion were administered to
the members, and the men proceeded TO
one side Of the room and the women to
the other, and forming in circles, seated
themselves. The Rev. Jacob Lennon
entered the circle Of men, who divested
themselves of their shoes and stockings,
and having girded himself with q towel,
proceeded to wash each ones feet by
pouring water over them from large
vessel, their feet being placed in pc
cui;arly constructed basin. After wash
ing their feet he dried them carefully with
towels provided for that purpose, and
when all had received that Office the Gov
erings were put on and the service was
completed. The Oldest female member
of the congregation performed a similar
service in the circle of women, and dur
ing the whole time nothing occurred TO
mar the gravity and solemnity Of the
occasion.
The doctrine Of the Nemesis is based
upon the literal Interpretation of the Bi-
bic, which is endeavoring to follow out
as closely to the very letter as possible.
The members are prohibited from taking
an oath either TO perform or not to per-
form any act. The men never accept any
place under .he Government, either civil
or military, and it is contrary TO their
teaching TO use violence at any time.
hey have no courts of law or arbitra-
tion, and never enter or defend a suit in
the courts of the land. They never vote
at municipal, State or Federal elections.
They have no paid ministers or officials
of any kind in their congregations, never
take any collection during divine service
which is held every fourth week, and the
church cannot accumulate or hold prop
erty of any kind beyond what is necessa-
ry for the performance Of the service. In
dress they very much resemble Quakers,
the men wearing long black coats and
wide-brimmed hats, and the women The
very plainest kind of gowns or dresses Of
q dark-colored material, generally silk,
and wearing large caps or sun bonnets
which nearly conceal the face and hair.
farmers, whose ancestors are men who
themselves immigrated from Germany,
the Netherlands or Switzerland, and that
they are a desirable class of immigrants is
evidenced by their peaceful ard quiet
ways, and by the fact that they almost
invariably bring with them sufficient
money to establish themselves comforta-
bly, in some good farming district, and if
they do come unprovided are at once
taken care Of by their brethren in this
country.
They have located in greatest numbers
on this continent in Canada, and in this
country in the States Of Indiana, Ohio,
New York and Pennsylvania, Chambe
burg, in the latter State, being the head
center of the body in the United States.
Admission to the church is made with
great caution and only after the character
OF the applicant is well established and
only after the man or woman desiring
admissio has attained eighteen years of
age. Tho service of admission is by
baptism, which is performed by pouring
water on the head and shoulders. Pre-
yious TO 1871 they were exempt from mil
jtary duty in Germany by a special de-
cree of the Emperor, but in that year the
exemption was abolished and they were
allowed until 1880 to leave the country,
after which they will become liatle to
conscription. This edict had the effect Of
leading large numbers of them to emil
CRATE to this country, first bodies Of which
settled in Minnesota and Kansas, where
they have formed a valuable addition to
the community and accumulated consid-
cradle wealth. Others are constantly
arriving by nearly every steamer, and al
most invariably go directly to the West,
where their advance party have located
their place Of abode and made arrange
ments for their settlement, without any
inconvenent delays or waste of money by
stopping in cities while place of destina>
tion is being decided n.-Ba,hmore
american.
NEAR Anaheim is located the $50
cietas Frsternia." It's members are
6piritualists. They eat no meat Of any