Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-06-14

A CHURCH THAT HAS UNRIVALLED AU-
THORITY-THE SCENE IN THE GREAT
TABERNACLE-THE KISSING OF THE
BRETHREN-THE DRESSES OF TIE MEN
AND WoMEN-CHURCH POLICIES UNDER
DISCUSSION-TIIE CONFERENCE DE-
CLARES AGAINST ITS WOMEN WEARING
RIDING HABITS, IT'S MEN WEARING
GOLD WATCHES, IT'S DELEGATES USING
TOBACCO, AND IN FAVOR OF PROHIBI-
TIoN-INTEREsTING DETAILS OF THE
CAMP SCENES.
Reported for the Stanton VINDICAToRl
HARRISONBURG, June II.
AS one passes through the world he should
see Il General Conference of the German
Baptist church. He would see Il church body
to which jim point of personal power over its
members, the other denominations are mere
children. Neither the Greek Catholic
church nor the Roman Catholic have one
tenth of this power over their members that
this great body, without Patriarch OF Pope
at it's head, has. 1t can in the tWinkling of
an eye change OF enforce their dress.
This afternoon in a brief space of
minutes the body ordered that hereafter
the female members of the church shall not
wear riding habits, they being deemed to be
''superfluous,7 nor shall the male members
wear gold watches, which are q sinful
fashion. You may smile at this, but
in the brief discussion attending each
change, Bible authority for each was so
plentifully cited, that it seemed at the end
to just be Il question of whether the com
mands Of the Bible were to be obeyed OF
not. Is there any other church org;niza-
ton, think you, that can do this, so rear
the close of the Nineteenth century? And
yet this seems to be done by the people
themselves through men chosen fol
their piety and wisdom, and being done
seems to be hardly questioned, OF if ques-
toned, it is by anew element that is spring
ing up called the Progressive element, which
is still greatly in the minority.
A GLANCE INTO THE TABERNACLE.
One looks curiously at a body having so
much real and far-reaching authority, and
at the members and supporters of it. | will
show you the gathering at What is called
the first Business meeting. There is an i'm
mense building called the Tabernacle which
will seat $500 persons comfortably. 1t is
open on the sides and, when squeezed in, ii
the centre there is a space rallied off fol
about 800 delegates, who are the church
body, and in their midst is a raised plat
form fol- the officers of the conference. The
whole congregation wears but two cuts of
dress. The men wear suits Of homespun
cloth, the coat being what is called shad-
belly, with no buttons behind-they being
deemed superfluous. The hair of the man
Like his beard, is long, and he wears nc
mOustache. On the head is the soft felt hat
The absence of the moustache is not with
out it's use. 1t is a part of the discipline of
the church that the brethren shall salute
each other with "a holy kiss" AS l stood
at the entrance to the railed-in-space, trying
to urge on the custodian the Importance of
a newspaper man having q seat near the
Moderator-in which by the bye failed
saw more of this doctrinal kissing than |
ever saw before. An Elder, aged about
sixty, a tall, fine looking man, seemed to
have the seating of the arriving delegates in
charge. AS each one came up, he asked his
name, took him by the right hand and bend
ing down in a fatherly way, gave him q
1vic q oh+ l. of ,+a,,
duration, like the dip of a swallows wing
1t was a perfunctory kiss, like ladies give
each others in shopping. 1t was a purely
doctrinal kiss, delivered like we Presby-
terrain children used to stand up in Sabbath
School and mechanically intone the answer
to "What is the Chief End of Man." But
momentary, perfmctory, OF doctrlnal, ]
could not help an unorthodoX feeling that
there was good deal of kissing being wasted
THE WOMEN MEMBERS.
The dress of the female members is, like
that of the males, cut by one rule, though
there are some slight variations in colors.
They wear a plain dress with no trimmings,
in solid and Sedate colOrs, sometimes cape
most charming little sun-bonnets ever i'll
vented. These bonnets are sometimes OF
satin, sometimes of silk, and then again OF
commoner material. They have little cape
to them and the crown is often pleated
They are close fitting, and within them
are the fairest faces that it was ever my
lot to see. Skins as fresh as children's anG
as smooth as silk, clear earnest eyes and
good teeth. 1t would be hard for the plain
est woman not to he attractive with al
these. | gave q half hour to the study Of
the problem of whether they We're vain OF
these points of superiority over the worlds
women. The study was interesting, but
improbable. If they knew their beauty
they gave no evidence OF it. In the dining
room, and wearing little white lace caps
those who wait in the dining room on the
grounds, wore no bonnets While waiting-l
saw a girl of sixteen the perfection OF
the beauty of that age, and a young woman
of twenty-five equally perfect for her age
but | don't think the most experienced
man of the world could have detected g
particle of consciousness of the fact. A
woman might have detected some, they are
qualified in that direction, but don't think
man could.
THE DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH.
The religious doctrines that these mel
and women hold are of interest, though
do not know that | am able to properly set
them forth. On the cardinal points of the
Christian religion they differ not atal
from other Christian bodies, but i'll theil
mode of putting that belief in practice they
differ in many points. They hold baptism