The morning times., 1895-08-19

A sermon extraordinary in It's delivery,
theology and personality, and an immense
crowd owning Anacostia Heights as
spectators, and a most picturesque imnIer-
sion ofniany candidates yesterday afternoon
in the liulpid waves of the Eastern Branch.
The part of the Branch selected for the cere-
mony was that near the Navy Yard bridge:
The bluff was crowded with white people;
the colored people were congregated near
the rivers edge. A number OF small craft
drew up just outside of the cross which was
set up in the water, and these were filled
with curiosity-seekers. The small boy,
black and white, swarmed into the river
and waded out as far as he could go toward
the exact spot at whichthe candidates were
immersed
The white people were quiet and inter-
ested. The colored people were Interested
and talkatiye and made running commenta-
ries on everything that went on and under.
REV MASON THUNDERS.
The ceremony was under the direction
of c. C. Mason, the colorcd Baptist who was
dismissed from the congregation OF Mount
Carmel Church, and whom the Baptist
authorities have repeatedly reported as
unfit to be a pastor Of the Baptist church
This authority recently had Mason in
dlcted for obtaining money under false pre-
lenses for marrying couples without
license.
For all this, Mason waist-deep in water,
paid his respects to the Baptist Union, and
every time he criticised it the colored peo-
pie emphasized the criticism by fervent
''amens," and the frequent "Oh, yes,
Lord
4 bout half past 3 a procession came down
the slope of the hill, headed by Deacon
Finney and the Rev. Mr. Mason These
were dressed in black suits and round black
| caps, Deacon Finney bearing a cross. Be
hind those walked slowly TO the music of an
old hymn eleven candidates for baptism,
seven male and four female. The women
were dressed in white with white 'kerChiefs
bound around their heads. The men were
bareheaded, without coats and vests.
One OF these wore white shirt and blue
! pants, which moved an old lady to say that
de man in de blue breeches ought 10 bet de
head front of de line" When the pro-
| cession reached the river side Deacon Flnncy
waded out into the water and planted the
cross waist deep. This also moved one OF
the flippant women to protest that they
were going to drown them niggas sholy."
PRAYER IN BLANK VERSE.
While the preparations were going on
the female candidates. leaned OH the matrons
who had charge of them. The pastor called
ON the Rev. Mr.. Tieler for prayer and he
delivered a singular prayer half of which
]
incarnation. The burden of the prayer was
that Jesus should look down as specta-
tor on this Eastern Branch this afternoon.".
/ When he closed, one of the old men raised
solemn, slow tune, to which the bodies OF
| the matrons and candidatesswayedin inrhyth-
! mic unison.
| When all was in readiness Mr.. Mason de-
livered an address to the assembled multi
tude, starting out by saying that if they
didn't behave themselves they would never
hereafter beregarde ladies' gentlemen.
He then quoted the passage of St Mark, in
which the baptism of Christ is narrated and
held that this was a stumbling block to the
gentiles ever afterwards, and especially to
the Chinese and Hungarians who are still
chewing opium.
His church was the true one because all
tist, did not baptize in the river of Jordan
and if they didn't, how could they come to
Christ.
That's fact" said one of the women,
who amened everything the preacher said.
"There was Nicodemus," went on the
| preacher, who was a well-educated man,
but yet when he butted up against Christ
he had to come TO halt The stars were
out in the morning and the moon was
painting the sky at the same time and on
the very night he humbled himself before
Christ"
.GOLIAH HIS PROTOTYPE.
Taking Nicodemus as a text he referred
to the Baptist Union and said that he was
the C. c. Mason whom the people had read
about in the newspapers and whom the
D. DIS had tried TO put in prison and give
a free ride to Jail. And some of these were
more than d. DIS: they were a. AS
Yes, Lord" shouted a brother
They went into the police court and 1
went to Jesus l was like Goliah who
perambuated the hills of the Philstines,
and Goliah was a mighty big fellow"
HE was that, amen" said a colored
matron very devoutly. =
But Goliah threw the d. DIS and the
A. AS out of court.
"Yes, you did," said a voice from the
crowd.
HE wasn't learned man like Nicodemus,