Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-06-21
Staunton indicator.
FRIDAY MORNING, JUNE 81. 1889.
LOCAL.
LOCAL..
THEIR IRREGULARITIES"

AAI4Al 1S " 144ilk4 llJNG
CLOSE OF The GREAT GERMAN BAPTIST
MEETING.
BY THE ANNUAL CONFER
ENCE AT THIS MEETING-TIIE TOBACCO
N-AMUSEAIENTS-NO AFFILI-
ALTON WITH OTHER CHURCHES-AN
ARRANGEMENT OF THE PRoGREssIvEs
BY AN OLD SCHOOL MAN-ALLEGING
THAT IN SOME CHURCHES THE SISTERS
WEAR HATS, FEATHERS AND BUsTLEs,
AND MINISTER'S PREACH FOR A SALARY
THE ADJOURNMENT.
&C., &C., &C.
Reported by the Staunton VINDICAroRl
HARRISONBURG, June IA.
The German Baptist General Conference
has adjourned and it's members have started
for home, with the exception of those who
have gone to make visits to their friends in
the Valley. One can hardly be a spectator
and listener at one of these conferences
without, if he has read any Of Tolstoi's re-
ligious works, being struck with the SINH
larity. The German Baptists, like Tolstoi,
take the words of Jesus and his apostles
literally, and carry them out in practice.
Where these teachers commanded thing to
he done the IN embers Of this church do that
thing without modification, however pecu-
Liar it may appear and however different it
may be from the practice of the world.
They seem to lay the same stress on obeying
in all things the commands of the Bible, us
the other denominations do on obeying every
thing in the Decalogue. The eccentric Gus
toms growing out of this view make the
world laugh, but when | look around on the
utter contentment that seems to pervade
them; the prosperity which is unmistak-
able; the absence of that haggard, worn
look which accompanies the hot social and
political ambitions and rivalries of the
world; the absence of poverty and the alb
sence also of great riches, cannot but
think that the laugh is on the other side.
A "PECULIARITY" ENFORCED.
In going over the work of the Conference,
| find some points which will be interest
ing to the outside world, from the fact that
they do not occur in it. Taking the wear
ing of riding habit by women, first, be-
cause it came first, | find that the question
of suppressing it came from the First Dis
trict in Virginia, the District meeting OF
that district having decided it this way
HWe would advise them to adyoid superfu-
tiles and to keep within the rules of the
church in plainness and non-conformity tc
the world" The question now was Wheth
Ell the General Conference would affirm this
The riding habit was not absolutely friend.
less. Two delegates from Virginia thought
they were useful, that they protected the
sisters from the cold, and saved their cloth
ing from themud. But the '!habit had pow
erful enemies. One delegate from Ohio
said the wearing of habit sacrificed a
plain principle of the gospel, and should be
voted down. Another delegate said the
habits were sometimes short and that was
Objectionable. A rising vote was demand
ed, the District meetings. answer was at,
firmed, and an end put to riding habits.
GOLD WATCHES.
Virginia, which had a good many queries
at this Conference, asked through the Second
District ''Should the carrying of gold
watches be made cause for expulsion from
the church?n This came up without any
answer to it and so the Standing Commit
tee had framed one. The answer said that
1--WE consider 1st Peter 3-3. and LIST limo
thy 80 and the articles of annual meeting of
1864 are sufficiently clear on this subject to
enforce discipline.
One of the articles cited says, Gas the
carrying of gold watches may and is likely
to lead to pride, we think it advisable not
to wear them. The Standing Committee 5
| answer was adopted without dissent.
ADJUSTMENTS.
The Second District of Virginia present,
ed the query, "Whereas it is generally un
derstood by Brethren that members OF the
church are not permitted to attend places
of amusement, and whereas some members
have wood choppings, grubbings, &c., witt
the equippings, and in the evening thos'
who wish are allowed to take part in Varl
Gus kinds of plays, we, the District meet
ing. have decided that it is wrong, and ask
Annual Meeting to sustain U.s.. :" The query
with its answer, was adopted.
THE QUESTION OF PROHIBITION.
On the subject of the sale of liquor there
is no difference of opinion in the church
but there is a strong difference about letting
/ their opposition to it carry them into al
entangling alliance with the world in it,
measures against it. This was illustrates
in a case where the Maryland district ha(
answered a query and stated that it wa
right for church members to go to the poll
and vote for prohibition. The vote on con
firming this answer was very much divided
in consequence of the view | have mention
ed. The position of the church in this mat
ter was, on the next day, clearly defined b
the adoption of the following resolution re
ported by the Standing Committee:
WHEREAS, In the consideration of query Nc
3 from Western Maryland, there unfortunate
ly obtained a misunderstanding among gu
Brethren producing very unsatisfactory re
suits by creating a wrong impression as to GU
position on the subject of temperance, There
fore 4..,,
mend that all our Brethren carefully main
tain our position against the use OF tolefanc
of int0yicants. whether to manufacture t.
sell. or use as beverage, and to the extent o
our influence contribute our part to secur
practical prohibition, but that we be advise
i against taking part in the public agitation 0
the subject.
WOMEN AS CHURCH DELEGATES.
An Ohio church asked if it was right TO