Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-11-07
A PECULIAR PEOPLE.
THE HARMONlSTS AND THEIR CELE-
 BRATlON OF THE LORDS SUPPER.

Practice-Music on the sacramentaI
 Day-Dipping the Sop.
 Every one has heard of the Harmonists or Economies. Their fame is world wide. The story of how, to escape religious persecution, they fled from their German Faderland to this country and established here in 1895 theocratic, communistic religious society upon the principle of holding all things in common, is familiar tale. Their adoption in 1907, wholly from religious motives, of the rigid practice of celibacy, which they have strictly observed down to the present time, has had wide notOriety, and has even been commemorated in one of the poems of Lord Byron.
 A close intimacy with their religious lead CTS and residence of many years in their immediate vicinity have given me unusual opportunities for the observance of these things. The frequent interpretations Of them by newspaper and magazine correspond ents have aroused in the breast of the Har- monist leaders a desire that they shall be truthfully stated. It is owing to this combi- nation of circumstances that I am able to give 0 correct account of the manner in which the Harmonists celebrate that most sacred of all religious usages-the Lords Supper.
 AN ANNUAL SACRAMENT.
 These singular people partake of this sacra- ment but once year. They believe that as it was intended to replace an annual Observ- hnce-the Feast of the Passover-it was our Lords intention that it should be celebrated but once in a twelvemonth, and that it is 0 direct violation of his wish and will to keep it oftener. It is the only sacrament they rec ognize. They believe that at the Lords table the true body and blood of Jesus Christ are verify present in the eternal symbols of bread and wine, and that they arc there communicated and received. They attach un- usual importance to the scriptural saying that damnation (the revised version substi- tutes ''condcmnation') shall be the portion of him who eats and drinks unworthily The worthiness which they deem essential includes not merely change of heart. No one must approach the Lords table with feel ings of enmity in his heart toward any of his brethren. Before coming to communion they are careful to first privately and then publicly reconcile all variances which may have arisen among any of their members, so that they may all participate together in truo Christian love and fellowship. They claim that this practice is strictly enjoined by our Saviour in his sermon on the Mount. as re- corded by St. Matthew V, 23, 24 'Thero- fore if thou bring thy gift to the altar | and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way; first be reconclled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift"
 AN OCCASION OF JOY.
 But notwithstanding the very sacred and | mystic character with which they invest it, | the Harmonists' celebration of the Lords | Supper is largely social as well as a relig- | iOus observance. It is an occasion of joy, not of sadness or gloom. Every dispute having | been amicably settled and every sin atoned l for for 1ipc tha of 4bo | transgressOr, all the members of this singular | community arc at peace with each other and with themselves. Music plays a most impor- | tant part i'll their celebration of the sacra- ment, as i'll all their other social and religious observances. Father George Rapp, the | founder of the Harmony society, was a great lover of music and thoroughly understood its influence over large bodies of men. He caused great attention to be paid to it's culti- yatiOn by all the members of his community
 On the sacramental day music is heard on every hand-not sad and somber melodies, but airs of the gayest, liveliest character, seeking to give fit expression to tho exuber- ant joy of these dcvout and simple minded | Christians. As is their custom on all their great feast days, the town is awakened at sunrise by the music of the band playing from 0 portico constructed for the purpose around the high steeple of the church. Marching back to breakfast still playing, the bandmen havo no sooner finished their meal than they arc on the street again, awakening tho echoes of the sleepy, grass grown old town, and blowing as though like the winds in poor King Lear's time, they would "crack their checks" From house to house they go, arOusing the inmates and summoning them to church, where all are re- quired to assemble to hear a sermon from Father Jacob Henrici, the venerable man who has been the absolute civil and religious head of the community-its prophet, priest and klng-for more than twenty years past.
 DIPPING THE SOP.
 After the preaching comes the observance of the sacrament. This does not take place
 in the church, but in a large public hall specially erected for such purposes. Only members of the society are permitted to com municate or even to be present. The Har- monists do not confine their celebration of the Last Supper to partaking of bread and wine. They have an elaborate feast prior to receiving the sacred elements In the char acter of the viands for this repast as we'll as in the preparation of them, they strive to initiate as closely as possible those partaken r of by the Saviour and his disciples when they ate the Passover for the last time Unleav-
 ened bread and a large dish of 0 peculiar kind of soup are placed in the center of the
 table.
 In connection with these they perform a peculiar ceremony which they term ''dipping the sop." At @ given signal from Father
 Henrici all the members present simultane-
 ously dip into the soup piece of bread, thus
 converting it into @ sop. This they do in . memory of the Saviour's words when asked t by his disciples who should betray him Matt xxvi 23, and John xiii, 26-"He that dippeth his hand with mo in the dish, the . same shall betray me-" and ''He it is, to whom I shall give Q sop, when I have
 dipped It."
 This ''dipping the sop'' the Harmonists
 deem @ most sacred ceremony, and they per. . form it with the utmost solemnity, regarding
 1t as an humble confession that they have all
 betrayed Christ many times by their sins
 against him. After this ceremony the bread
 is broken and tho cup prepared by Father t. Henrici. He blesses both, and all partake ir
 silence. Then they pass one by one from the .. great hall and tho celebration of the sacra 5 ment is finished-Econony (Pa) Cor. New S York Herald.
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