Year: 1877

OUNkARDS.


WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT FHEY BELIEVE


At the present time, there are in the
United States, about one hundred thou
sand people, whose religious faith and
practice are very imperfecdy understood
by the generality of the American read
ers, and in Europe very little is known
Of them. Many papers have gone forth
purporting 10 give a full and correct
account of their religious tenets and
some of their peculiar principles-bnt so
far, have been quite vague and often very
incorrect This article can be strictly
relied upon as being correct, and islike-
ly the most complete account of that
people that has yet been published, and
is intended to set forth some OF their
arguments by which they defend their
faith ard practice, along with many of
their peculiarities for which they are
noted.


THE NAME.


In history they are generally known
by the.name German Baptists, butmore
commonly among outsiders Drinkers, or
as it is more generally spoken Dunkards.
The latter, however, are nick names, de
rived from a German word meaning to
dip, and is somewhat expressive Of their
manner of baptizing. Among them
selves they are known as Brethren, taken
from the declaration of Christ on a Ger
tain occasion when he said; "All We are
brethren (Matt 23:S). The


ORIGIN. AND HISTORY


of this reformatory movement dates
from the year 17OS, having taken its rise
in Germany about that time, in portions
of the country where Baptists are said to
have been wholly unknown. Some eight
persons in number, who had been bred
Presbyterian, excepting one who was
Lutheran. became much dissatisfied
with the then prevailing religious
principles of the day consorted together
in order to prayerfully read the Bible
and comfort one another, and if possible
find the old path and walk therein, for
as yet they knew not that there
we're any Baptist churches in existence.


After a careful study of the sacred
word, they were fully convinced that
faith and strict obediance in all things,
laid down in the perfect law of liberty,
were essential to salvation, and agreed to
"obey from the heart that form of doc
trine once delivered unto the saints.'
Consequently in the year 1908, they all
repaired to the river Eder, by Schwar--
zenau, and were buried with Christ in
baptism. They all were baptized by
trinne immersion, organized themselves
into church, and chose Alexander
Mack for their minister Although
Alexander Mack was chosen as
their first minister, yet the church has
never recognized him as the originator
of either their faith or practice.


They increased rapidly, their doctrine
spread far and wide, and soon excited the
hatred of persecution by which they
were driven from place to place, till the
year 1719, when they commenced emf
grating to America, and settled in the
vicinity of Philadelphia and German
town. In 1923 nearly the whole church
found herself quietly settled down in the
western world. Among these was their
first preacher, Alexander Mack, though
formerly man of ofconsiderable property,
was now poor in this worlds goods, yet
rich in grace and knowledge. He quiet
ly settled himself on a small lot near
Germantown, in the vicinity of Phila-
delphia. He did not live long to enjoy
the quietudeof home in the new world,
but only six years after his arrival IN
America, he closed his labors on earth.
And now in the Brethren's public.bury-
ing ground in Germantown, the stranger
is shown the spot where rests the remains


this humble and venerable reformer.


,e is said to have been man OF great
piety, and exercised good infience IN
his Own fImily. All his sons united with
the church in their seventeenth year,
and some of them lived TO be useful men
in their Masters cause.


1t may be proper to observe that all
the Dunkards in America have sprung
from the little band of eight souls, who
started up in Germany in the year 11OS,
and that, too, in portion ofthe country
where no Baptis:s had lived inthe mem
ory of man, and even now, none exist
there. Most all reformatory movements
have usually been introduced and kept
up by some one of great influence and
talent, but not so in this. This move
ment was put on foot by men and
women who occupied humble positions
in life, and consequently, at the head OF
the organization, is no man to whom the
body can appeal for human authority or
precedent, and hence in all their faith
and practice, they are under the necess-
ity of appealing directly to the Scriptures
the only infallible source Of correct in
formation, for all their authority in re-
Ggious practices.


This little leaven has spread itself far
and wide till nearly every State and ter
rltory has its members They are, how
ever, most numerous in Pennsylvania,
Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri.


But while the present organization
dates its history from the movement in
Germany, the carefulreader will observe
that the rise of their faith and practice
generally is hid in the remote depths of
Christian antiquity.


PRESENT CONDITION.


Owing to the fact that they have nev-
er published any denominational s;atis-
tics, it is some what difficult to determine
the exact number. Those however, who
are acquainted with the entire body,
state that their number is not far from
onehundred thousand. As this estimate
was made several years ago it is likely
short OF their number, for in various
localities they have increased in numbers
very fast, and it is perhaps safe to place
their number considerably above one
hundred thousand.


WEALTH .ND oCrTrpaTrON


The larger majority of them are farm
ers, and where they settle to any great
extent they are sure to make well i'm
proved country. Many of them are
mechanics, while a small number are
professional men. Such thing as a