The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-08-24
50 - = - y n 81 = ttA f
CUSTOMS AND PRINCIPLES OF TIE
!. y IiIfl s(.N 1G =. -

CUSTOMS dND PRINCIPLES OF TIE
| = DUSRERG.
The Dunkers profess all the funda-
mental principles Of Christian faith.
They do not, however, believe in the
eternal perdition OF souls. They have
no creed apart from the Bible. What
they aim at Tito restore Christianity to
its primitive purity, ssTupnlously to fol-
low the precepts and the example of the
Savior, and to make religious conviction
the sole arbAer OF conduct in life. They
| still baptisa tho neophy tes-as their
founders at Schwarzenau did--by inn
mersing them three times, in the name
OF the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
Their holy communion is preceded by
the rite OF foot washing. A curious dis
cussion has of late engaged their atten-
tion-upon the question whether the
single or the double moie has the better
claim for observance. When the same
brother both washes and dries the feet,
kis the single mode when each service
rs perl by separate person, they
CALI foot-washing by the double mode.
/ It is MOTTO be understood, however, that
the whole congregation is thus served
by one or two of their number. There
are enough Of them going around with
tub and towel to finish the ceremony
within reasonable time. Foot-washing
and communion are always administered
in the evening during the afternoon a
love feast is held, in commemoration OF
the supper which Jesus took with his
disciples. There is no binding rule as to
the choice of food, though among the
viands lamb has the preference. Even
such luxuries as coffee and butter, un-
known to Scriptural Palestine, are not
objected to. After the love-feast comes
the "holy kiss" The minister gives it
to the brother that sits next to him on
the right; he applies it, in turn, to his
neighbor. and thus it is passed along the
line, and by the last is carried to the
next table. The same order is observed
with the women, with. the exception
that the first kiss is applied by the min
lister to the first sisters hand.
The Dunkers live in peace with one
another, and seek no redress, for injury
done to them, by recourse to law. Dis
agreements among themselves are settled
by the elders, whose decision is final.
Only in exceptional cases, and after per-
mission is granted by the officers of the
congregation, do they institute lawsuits
against the people of the world. Like
the Quakers, and Mennonites, they re-
frain from taking or administering oaths,
from participating in warfare, or giving
countenance to.it in any manner what
ever. They are averse to accepting pub
lie Office. Their poor they support.
Among their host of 100000 people,
there is not one who suffers from want.
| Even those who fail in business are
| aided to make new effort, and such as
sistance may be lent three times. After
the third failure, they ta4eit to be the
will OF God that the unfoy y1ss. -vsase-e
sl..Il no. succeed. Gently Magazine.
THE bindings Of books in galleries
perish from heat, and the higher the
books are above the floor the more ac-
tive is this destructive agency. Leather
is an animal tissue, and will not, like
linen, cotton, paper and other vegetable
substances, sustain without injury
higher temperature than we find agreea-
BILE to live in. Books cannot live where
men cannot live. They are more nearly
| allied to us as congeners than we are
wont to suppose. In excessive heat the
leather of bindings slowly consumes and
its life departs. The sulphurous re-
| sidium of gas combustion is also said to
be injurious to bindinas. Books should.
| therefore, lie shelved in the coolest par
of the room, aud where the air is never
| likely to be overheated, which is near
the floor, where We ourselves live and
move. In the private libraries OF our
residences mistake is often made in
carrying the shelving Of our bookcases
SO high that they enter the upper and
| oyerheated stratum Of air. If any one
be skeptical on this point, let him test,
by means of step-ladder, the condition
| of the air near the ceiling of his common
| sitting room on winter evening, when
the gus is burning freely. The heat is
| sifnply insuffarahe.