The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-07-26
NOT CAPABLE OF SIN
A Peculiar Religious Sect IN
North Carolina.
THE SANCTlFlED CHURCH
It's Communicates Live in Arks
on the Water.
AND LEAD A NOMADlC LIFE
They Believe NO One Can Goto Heaven
Unless He First Becomes
Sanctlfied in Cody
and Spirit.
THE SANCTlFlED CHURCH
VD LEAD A NoMADlc LIFE

yer will perhaps De surprised 10 iSdi'i
that RIGHT here in North Carolina there
are more arks than Noah ever dreamed
of. and many more dWelers in them
than the families OF several Mr. Noahs
These "arl<s," as they are called by
the occunants. when afioat look like
ordinary board shanties floating down
stream after a sudden rise in river,
but when drawn upon shore, look Just
as much ut home at if they had never
been on the water. They are one-story
or deck high. from twenty to thirty
feet i'm length from stem TO stern
about twelve feet wide, and draw from
a foot to a foot and a half OF water.
They are constructed of rough pine
boards. and having no sails or masts,
or motive power Whatever, they are
moved about as caprice or necessity die
tates bv favorable winds or tides, or
by some fayorably disposed passing
craft.
INTERIOR OF THE ARK.
The interior of these arks are
as uninviting as their exterior. In en-
terinp from the bow, even an unbe-
lever must assume reverent attitude,
owing to the low pitch OF the roof ana
door. to find himself in the kitchen,
which, strange to say, is the hrst room.
All that can be seen here are bare
walls of rough, unplaned boards,whlch
are nailed on straight up ana down.
with plenty of open spaces between
to assure a plenty of ventllatlon, anu
one cook stove, constitutes the sole
furniture of this room. The next room
is entered through hole In the wall,
and it's here that the religious ser
vices are held. and meals taken; TINS
is also used as a reception room. lt 1s
as bare of comforts as the first one,
and the furniture consists of some
rough pine board tables, and few
chairs and boxes for seats. The next
or third compartment, is the dormitory
where everybody aboard sleeps regard
less of age, sex, condition IN HE, or
whether married or single. There is
also door at the stern end of each of
the arks. but there are no windows
holes in tie sides, with board slides
being used instead Each of these
arks land there are six in the waters
of the Albemarle Sound and tributa-
ries). are built just alike, varying only
In size.
The number inhabiting an ark is
limited only by the capacity of the
ark, your correspondent having count
ed twenty-five on one of the larger
size, and this twenty-five were com
posed of men, women and children, out
he was told that there were no I'M
married women aboard of the one he
saw. Peculiar as these arks are on
which these people live, they are not so
Ia 10 Ixy..e.
They call themselves Christ's Sane
titled Holy church, and are called sThe
Sanctified Band" They originated on
Chincoteaque Island, Accomac county,
Virginia, in 1892 and their leaders,
Joseph 3. Lynch and Sarah f. Collins,
with some of their followers, having
been indicted and convicted in Accomac
county as common nuisances, in Sep
TENDER, 1894, they fed to Elizabeth
City, n. c., where being again threaten
ed with prosecution, they fled from
there, and commenced the building
of arks for occupancy, because of the
ease and inexpensiveness of moving,
as well as for the greater immunity
from prosecution, which their ability
may be that the fact that
the First Congressional district of
North Carolina lies on a water course
tributary to the Albemarle Sound,
may have influenced them in adopting
this nomadic and nautical method
of living, however.
SOME PECULIAR BELIEFS.
Christ's Sanctified Holy church en-
tertains some very singular views, some
of which are totally at variance with
the principles and practices of all 9TH
er religious denominations Among
these peculiar views are the follow
ing:
No one can go TO Heaven unless he
or she first becomes sanctified in body
as well as spirit-holy as God is holy.
They maintain that this is condition
Immediately following justification,
and like it, is instantaneous, and may
be had for the asking, and that all
persons not thus made holy-incapable
of share damned, and they do not
hesitate to say that all preachers of
other denominations, as well as the
communicates of all other denomlna-
tions are going to hell, while they, the
sanctified ones alone, have. the exclu-
sive privilege of going to Heaven when
they die, and OF leading sinless lives
during this life.
They assert that civil marriage is
carnal marriage, not recognized by
| God. and that all thus married live IN
adultery. Their discipline forbids the
marriage of any one save the holy
and when one who has contracted
civil marriage embraces their religion,
he or she must abandon his or her
'carnal" spouse and contract spirit
uar' marriage with holy person.
These views alone are very produc-
tive of mischief. Wherever they have
been, deserted wives and husbands, and
worse than orphaned children are left
in their wake. Injured wives. nus.
bands and relatives, cry out against
them, and family, neighborhood and
church ties and relatives are broken
up and much hard feeling engendered
But this is not all, for in addition te
the requirement that there must ,bt