Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-10-19
BAPTIZED BY FIRE
A Religious sect that Brands lts Converts
with q Hot Iron.

A Religious sect that Brands LTD Converts
with Hot Iron.
Kansas missionaries of the queer
sect known as the Fire Baptized AS
ISOLATION keep up their work in Frank
lin county, Pennsylvania, says the
Philadelphia Record, and Juror In re-
ligious circles has been stirred up py
them in certain districts. These people
do not believe in the baptism by water,
but the later method-by fre-as sex
forth by st. Paul in the Acts OF the
Apostles. This they regard as per-
sonal privilege granted only TO tnose
who join their associations.
They also believe that one man
should not have more Of earthly pos
sessions than another, but that all
should share in common. In fact they
go q little further than this and take
the thirty-second verse of the fourth
chapter of The Acts literally, and say
that their possessions are not their
own, but are given to them by Dl-
vine Being merely temporarily. Iney
are seceders from the River Brethren
denomination, and during the first few
weeks of their stay here the misslona-
ries concentrated their attacks almosC
entirely upon that church. Recently,
however, they have turned their guns
upon all religious sects, and declare at
their public meetings. that their faltns
is the only one which guarantees alb
solute safety in the life to come.
The Fire Baptized have located In
Lehman's Grove, about six miles from.
Chambersburg. They hold two meet
ings a day-one in the afternoon and
another in the evening. On account or
the novelty of the affair, they attract
large audiences, but their converts:
have been very few. One of these IS
Amos Musser, one of the most promi-
nent farmers in that section OF the
county. The evangelists have been
making their home with him. There
are now about dozen from Kansas
Musser was baptized, a red-hot iron
being used to brand him on the back.
So earnest is he in his belief that while
attempting to fly from loft in his
barn he fell to the floor, sustaining,
however, but slight injuries. He has
also disposed of a large herd of hogs,
believing the assertion of the evangel-
list that hogs are unclean. A few days
ago he was willed farm, but he de-
clined to accept it on account OF 'nelth-
er said any of them that aught of that
which he possessed was his own"
Musser, however, has not given an
equal share in the magnificent farm
upon which he resides to his brother
evangelists.
The evangelists profess to be able to-
cure disease, and tell their hearers that
anything can be accomplished by faith,
but this doctrine was given terrific
shock few evenings ago, when one
of the number, to demonstrate their
power, prayed that a neigbhor would'
bring them supply of buttermilk att
once, which did not come. All sorts Of
attempts are made to prove their Om-
impotence; but, like the buttermilk, the
things asked for have failed to mate
rialiZe.
AS the camp is established in close
proximity to the Air Hill River Breth-
rem Church, their opposition to that
apparent The converts so far obtain
ed are former members of the River
Brethren Church. That the latter body
is determined to present hostile front
to the seceders is shown by the expul-
sion of a number of the members OF
the mother church who greeted the Sc
ceders with the holy kiss. There is a,
tacit understanding that the members
Of the old denomination are to have
nothing to do with the new sect For
this offense several members of Bishop
Martin w. OverholteZer's church wei g
deprived of their membership.
Were not the River Brethren an ex-
ceedingly law abiding people it is ques
tionable if the seceders would progress
very far with their work. Should they
continue their TRADES against other de-
nominations trouble will likely follow,
for already there is talk of driving
them from the community in whiens
they are located.
Mothers Visit