Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-09-09
IN EUROPE.

Mrs. Gibbons Mt Crefe;d German

In visiting one OIL the Old buildings ot
the Seventh Day Baptists, at Ephrata. in
our county Of Lancaster, saw q clock
| which bore on its tace Ioeckers, Crefeld
We read also that certain Ludwig
Hoecker established a Sabbath school at
Ephrata, long before tho first Sunday.
school was formed in England. CAS- Sat
ur.lay, however, is tho Sabbath OF the
Seventh Day Baptists, it was held ON that
day. have visited in this town a Men
MONTE minister, AMI understand from him
that there once were Hoeckers hero, but
that they have disappeared. The name is
doubtless the same rs Hacker, where that
name is found among our Pennsylvania or
Lancaster county Germans.
came hither from Cologne especially
to learn about the Mennonites who arc
here. had passed through this town on
my WY to Cologne; whore was appoint
ell to attend the conference for reforming
conference was very favorabIy received by
tho people of Cologne, 80 far rs raising 4
handsome sum Of money to entertain the
members, anu granting Il venerable pictur-
osque hall in the city hall Or raA Aans for
the sittinss Of the conference. Tho mayor
Of Cologne in a large double necklace, ap-
parently Of gold, received the delegates ut
public meeting nc and his wife were also
present at an elegant banquet given to
| members Of the conference and their wives.
in another hall Of venerable rccollectiOns,
and of present grandeur. But rs regards
attendance Oh tho sittin.s by the psople
Of Cologne themselves, this was very
slender. This small attendance may
have been caused in great measure hy the
proceedings being mostly carried ON in
English but when, il ever, a universal
tongue is established and generally taught
then International conventions may be
more generally established and frcquente,l.
Among Americans present ut this late con-
ference were David Dudley Field,
Justice Field, Of our supreme court, and
| President Barnard, Of Columbia college,
New York.
President White, of Cornell university
(whO was on his way home, having re-
signed his place of minister to Germany,
was also present, and spoke ut one of the
meetings. Perhaps the address which
was most f,vorably received at the con
ference was that Of Henry Richard, men,
Der Of the British Parliament, on the
progress made towards arbitration rs
means of settling the diff .ultes between
| nations.
The conference having closed its SEES
sions last Friday, made my way back to
Crefed Ga r,le of about an hour ami
a-half on the railway, to endeavor to
learn something OF that people here,
among whom | live at home. But, first,
let me remark, thakthis part OF Germany
seems to be overwhelmingly Catholic. II
the reader will please take 4 map nf Ger
many and find the city of Cologne, upon
tho Rhine, he can then locate this town
OF Crefcl,l rs not far north Of it and few
miles west of the river Rhine.
| n gentleman Of this Gown nts estimated
it's population for me thus Catholics.
So 900; Evangelical Tor the united Luth-
eran AMI Reformed churchts), 900;
Jews, 900; Mennonites, 1000. Bu: the
attendance ut the Mennonite church yes
ter,!ay morning did not seem to Indicate
SO large 4 nuInDer of chemists ~ Gas
our Lancaster county people say).
| l cannot express more fully to our own
people, how much this church here differs
from their own simple meetings al home,
than to tell them that the preacher il
paid: that he spoke from = pulpit; wore Il
black robe and read one of hi. prayers
from n book. Yet what they will perhaps
consider us a more inward and vital diff
ference is this, that the McnnOnites Of this
town bear arms. Since 1868 tho McnnOnites
here have not been exempted from mill
tary service by the government Gas those
were i'm Pennsylvania ,iurin. the rebellion
who plead conscientious scruples). The
Mennonitcs here at Crefcld serve in the
army when drafted. They could. however,
if they chose, take peaceful positions, such
as nurses in military hospitals or clerks.
but while MonnOnitcs in East or West
/ bSssi tuthiS'iSto VI
| those in Crefcld do not. am told by ono
not Mcnnist, that the positions in the
army arc more honorable "Then," said
l., in substance to tho young preacher,
"Why not join the Evangelical (Luthcran
Or Iteformed) church, il there is SD little
difference between yOu?'
He thea gave me little pamphlet
whence learn that two Of the chief diff
ferenccs are that these Mennonites only
baptize those Of mature years (and got in
fants) that they refuse to swear in courts
Of Justice making use Of privilege of
the government by which they declare
nearly thus: My yes is yes, my no is no,
and in testimony thereto offer my right
hand"-thc handschlag.
have, however, learned from IN agree
able gentleman here, q preacher in the
Evangelical Cor united Reformed and Lu-
thcran) church, that in TINT part of Ger
many to which ] expect soon to
travel, there are other Menno-
mites. These arc in South Germany, and
therefore nearer to Switzerland, whence
our Lancaster county Mennists originally
came. think that may be able to visit
ono Or two Of those communities in South
Garmanv Some of the McnnOnites there