Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1879-08-09

love feast and communion. Thil
great religious festival is usually
held in some immense barn In or
der to accommodates the large num-
bers in attendance, as we'll as con-
veniently to perform the peculiar
rites connected with the communion.
Some two years since, however. q
new church was built with especial
reference to these features. 1t Is a
large framed building, substantially
made, and plainly finished both
within and without. Situated on
knoll, with it's garb Of fresh white
paint relieved by window-blinds OF
green, it is q beautiful and attract
i've place of Worship: . fitting
shrine Tor those whose desire It IL
to keep in the simplicity and purity
of the faith once delivered to those
servants of whom Whittier sings:
ave 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 kitch.
en- and waiting rooms; the space
above being utilized as the gallery
of the main audience chamber. The
kitchen is supplied with ranges and
every facility for cooking. The au-
dience room is arranged into light
sliding partition behind the pulpit
so as to form a 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 Dunk
ards the love feast and communion,
with their attendant ordinances,
are always celebrated at night, that
being the time of their institution
by Christ.
After singing, prayer and read
ing 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 washing, while another,
girdled with long towel, follows to
wipe the feet dry. Any one may
perform this service, which is
purely voluntary one. The women
follow the same routine on the 9th
er side Of the house, for in these
ordinances the sexes do not mingle.
Nothing surpasses the modesty and
reverence with which this part of
the service is conducted. During
its performance the presiding min
lister explains the rite: "We be-
lieve that the Saviour himself in.
stituted this ordinance to tipify that
spiritual cleansing which his spirit
imparts to the soul. Having this
faith, we receive the ordinance with
JOY" Again: "This is religious
rite, and as such we practice it.
We believe that the Saviour CON-
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 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 al a
preparation for the love feast and
communion; their authority for it
being the incident of Christ wash
ing the feet of his disciples, nara.
ted in John xiiith. They claim that
the command in the 14th and 10Th
verses of this chapter is as literally |
binding as the commands elsewhere
for the observance of the commun- |
ion.
Next follows thelove feast, which
is distinguished from that of other
denominations, except that it is al |
ways observed at night. Preced- |
ing the communion, however, is the |
salutatiOn of the holy kiss, which.
they assert, was practiced in the
early church. Beginning 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 sa-
lutte each other in the same manner,
During the communion the sisters
all have their heads covered with
plain caps, while the brethren are
uncovered. Thanks are given for
both bread aud wine. The minister
breaks the bread to the brethren,
and they to each other. He breaks
to the sisters also, but they do not
break to each other, and the same
is the case in passing the wine.
The ordinance is observed once or
twice year by every church.
MODE OF BAPTISM.