The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-04
THE MENNONITES.
A Quaint and Curious PeopIc-Edu-
cntional and Missionary Move
menI AMONG Them.

| 60,n0 of them here, and over 10000 In
Canada The fact that they are branch
ing out In foreign missionary work Ga
field in which they have been compare
lively imperative, and their recent activ-
! lily in India rellef-they sent many car
loads of corn and much money last sum
mer TO India through the Chris tian Her
aid-has awakened interest in many peo-
PIE who seem to have cared little or
nothing of them. Through the courtesy
| OF DIR. Dewitt r. Good, of Dale Enter
prise, Va, tho Christian Herald presents
the following facts complied for this
paper by Bishop l.. ]. Heatwole of the
Middle District Virginia Conference.
"Mennontes, previous TO the year 1890.
had never made public, any statement OF
their work, at which time, reports as 20
| their numbers, doctrines and tenets OF
faith. were rendered for use by the u. s.
| Census officials. The custom, from time
immemorial, has prevailed among them TO
go about things in quiet way, and they
have never followed the custom of pub
hshlng an account of their work or the
number OF their communicates. With
them the evangelical life is reduced to a
principle that requires not only separa-
ton, but also distinction from the world.
With respect to this outward distinctive
torm-such as the prayer head-coverlng'
Tor women and the peculiar regulation
dress for men, these people have main
tanned throughout all their generations
the attitude of sober singularity before
the world.
The first authentic account of any set
| tlement OF Mennonites in America is that
| OF body of some twenty-five members,
| VINO located at Germantown. Pa, Oct s,
ltSS, coming thither from Holsteiu on the
| invitation of William Penn. The colony
| Increased raDidIV thropUl -,
migration, and its members came under
the notice OF the neighbors as being very
simple I'm their habits and mode of life
as adhering, like the Quakers themselves,
10 pam, modest apparel; as being slow
10 abandon the customs of their forefa-
theirs, and not readily adopting innova-
tons of any kind. With the breaking out
or the Revolutionary War, there were
torty-two meeting -houses in Pennsyl-
Nahla Congregations are now located in
| at least twenty-five states. and An the
| Canadian provinces.
All Mennonites recognize the Confess
zion of Faith, consisting of eighteen ar
ticles, which was framed and adopted
April u, 1852, at the City of bort. in Hol-
land- In addition to the principles set
forth in Baptism and the sacrament of
bread and wine, this confession also en-
| JOINS the ordinance of Foot Washing. en-
JOINS marriage only between members OF
the same faith, prohibits membership In
secret organizations, forbids the taking
Oh oaths' and impresses upon Mennonites
the doctrine Of non-resistance
The communion is observed twice a
year Every intending participant is
carefully examined separately concerning
ms spiritual standing, before the day APP
| pointed Tor taking the sacrament Imme-
Glately after the communion of bread
and VINE, comes the ceremony of foot
washing. The member of the sexes ner-
FORM the office among themselves. each
IN turn washing and wlping the feet OF
ms Drother or her sister. and giving al
the same time the hand of fellowship and
the kiss of peace Those who nerforrr
the duties of the ministry are chosen
from the congregation to be served
should more than one person be placed
in nomination by the congregation. a day
is appointed to choose by lot one from
among the persons nomina ted. Deacons
are chosen in the same manner, and are
ordained to care for the poor and the sick,
10 ADJUST matters of difference among
| members and in the absence of the min
| lister to conduct the service with exborta-
ton and prayer. Bishops are chosen from
among the ministers and are ordained 70
administer the right of baptism and the
communion, to celebrate the rite of matri-
mony, and to have the pastoral charge of
district in which there are a number OF
places of worship. and a number of min
listers and deacons, all under his dIrec-
ton"
The ministry. except for travelling evan.
gelists, is unsalaried, preachers, deacons
and bishops, supporting themselves, as q
rule, at their ordinary occupations.
Their first college In this country
Elkhart Institute, Elkhart. Ind.-and the
only one in existence among the class OF
which Bishop Heatwole writes, was I'm.
corporated in 1886 Among the growing
| institutions in the Mennonite Church
probably there is none which has such
possibilities for usefulness The schoo
owns its own buildings and grounds, and
has a well-equipped laboratory, library
and modern facilities and methods of in
struction. The Principal, Prof. N. f.
| Byers, is a graduate of Northwestern
| University. II is the earnest desire oil
| the management to raise the endowment
| fund of $4,000 to $4,000 as soon as posi-
| BILE. Eleven states and Canada are rep
| resented in the enrolment. The religious
influences surrounding the students are
very good. and the sisters of the church
who are attending the school wear the
prayer head-covering," at the chape
exercises and at all devotional
meetings. The group consists of num-
Der of students, some of whom will grad
uste at the next commencement
The recent Doukobor emigration from
Russia to America will recall our Men
monte influx from that country which
attracted much attention, in 1S7l-76, when
almost an entire remnant of a great com
pany which had fed thlther a hundred
| years before from Austria rather than
submit to military impressment, came
| over to us, driven by the same goad and
settled in Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska
and Dakota. 1t is their doctrine of nom
resistance which has brought upon them
their most persistent troubles. During
the days that followed the Reformation
they came under the condemnation OF
Protestant and Roman Catholic rulers
alike, for take up arms they would not
at any command. No sect, 1t IS said
according to numbers, has suffered "a
much from persecution or given so many
martyrs for it's faith. 1t was this fierce
persecution and wholesale slaughter that
| ouenched the missionary spirit which
early history shows they exhibited in ex-
ceptional degree. DR.. Good had been
prominently identified. both here and in
| Canada, with its modern revival.
Two old colored men were standing In