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the purpose of a bed, and a small block of wood for a pillow. They allow of no intercourse between the brethren and sisters before marriage; and when they do marry, they remove from the settlement, but preserve their connection with the society. Their Church government and discipline are the same with the English Baptists, except that every brother is allowed to speak in the congregation; and their best speaker is usually ordained to be their preacher. They have deacons and deaconesses from among their eldest widows, and exhorters, who are all licensed to use their gifts statedly or occasionally.*

MORAVIANS, OR UNITED BRETHREN.

Among this religious community are to be found economies, or choir houses, where they live together; the single men and single women, widows and widowers, apart, each under the superintendence of elderly persons of their own class. In these houses, every person who is able, and has not an independent support, labors in his occupation, and contributes a stipulated sum for his maintenance. Their children are educated with peculiar care; their subjection to their superiors and elders is singular, and is strikingly manifested in their missions and marriages. In the former, those who have offered themselves for this service, and are approved as candidates, wait their several calls, referring themselves entirely to the discipline of the lot; and, it is said, never hesitate, when that has decided the place of their destination. In marriage, they may only form a connection with those of their own communion, and the brother who transgresses in this respect is immediately dismissed from Church fellowship. Sometimes a sister, by express license from the elder's conference, is permitted to marry a person of approved piety in another communion; yet still to join in the Church ordinances, as before. A brother may make his own choice of a partner in the society; but as all intercourse between the different sexes is carefully avoided, very few opportunities of forming particular attachments are found, and they usually rather refer their choice to the Church than decide for themselves. And as the lot must be cast to sanction their union, each receives his partner, as a divine appointment. Within a few years some of the above peculiarities of the United Brethren, it is believed, have been done away. Their former practice of a community of goods has also been abolished; with the condition that landed property belongs to the Church as formerly, and is rented to individuals. Their public worship is very simple; their singing accompanied by an organ, played in a soft and solemn

manner.

On a Sunday morning they read the liturgy of their own Church, after which a sermon is preached, and an exhortation given to the children. In the afternoon they have private meetings, and public worship in the evening. Previous to the holy communion, which is administered once a month, and on Maunday Thursday, every person intending to communicate converses with one of the elders on the state of his soul. The celebration of communion is preceded by a love feast; and on Maunday *Dictionary of all Religions.

Thursday by a solemn Pedilavium, or washing of each other's feet; after which the kiss of charity is bestowed: all which ceremonies they consider as obligatory, and authorized in all ages of the Church; quoting John xiii. 14. I Peter v. 14. Rom. xvi. 16. On Easter Sunday they attend the chapel, (or in some places the burial-ground,) where they read a peculiar liturgy, and call over the names of all their members who died in the preceding year. And every morning, in Easter week, they meet at seven o'clock, to read the Harmonies of the Gospel on the Crucifixion, &c.*

MENNONITES.

In respect to divine worship among this sect, an account of which has already been given, it is conducted much as among the Churches of the reformed, or among the Dissenters in England; only with this peculiarity, that collections are made every Sabbath day (sometimes in the middle of the sermon) in two bags; one for the poor, and the other for the expenses of public worship. They reject infant baptism, and refuse to commune at the Lord's table with any who administer it to children, unless re-sprinkled. In some parts of North Holland, young people are baptized on the day of their marriage. They baptize by pouring or sprinkling thrice, as Menno is said to have done, in the name of the Holy Trinity.

In Pennsylvania, in which large Churches of this denomination exist, they do not baptize by immersion, although they administer the ordinance to none but adult persons. The usual practice is this: the person to be baptized kneels before the minister, upon which the latter holds his hands over him, into which the deacon pours water, and through which it runs on to the head of the baptized, after which follows a prayer accompanied by the imposition of hands. There is said to be a branch of this sect, consisting of about a thousand souls, in Alsace, who, in their peculiarities, strongly resemble the Quakers. About their dress they use no buckles nor buttons. The men never shave themselves. Maidens wear their hair loose, while married women gather it up, and bend it round the head. With regard to baptism, they hold a middle course, administering the rite to youth, at the age of eleven or twelve, and then by sprinkling; the person thus admitted into the Church laying his hands on his breast, and answering for himself, which they consider essential to the sacrament.t

SANDEMANIANS.

A sect that originated in Scotland about the year 1728; and was originally called Glassites, after its founder, Mr. John Glass. The latter, however, who was a minister of the established Church in Scotland, being expelled on account of a supposed design to subvert the national covenant, and destroy the foundation of all national establishments, his followers formed themselves into Churches, conformable, in their institution and discipline, to what they apprehended to be the plan of the first

*Dictionary of all Religions.

+ Dictionary of all Religions.

Churches mentioned in the New Testament. Some years after, Mr. Sandeman imbibing the same opinions, and being a more conspicuous character, the followers of Glass became known by the name of Sandemanians. The practices in which this denomination differ from the generality of other Christians are their weekly administration of the Lord's supper; their love feasts, of which every member is not only allowed, but required to partake; and which consist of their dining together at each other's houses, in the interval between the morning and the afternoon service; their kiss of charity, on the admission of a new member, and other occasions, (Rom. xvi. 16.) their weekly collections before the Lord's supper, for the support of the poor, and other necessary expenses; mutual exhortation; abstinence from blood, and from things strangled; and the washing of each other's feet. Every one (it is said) considers all that he has in his possession and power, liable to the calls of the poor and the Church. They also hold it to be unlawful to lay up treasures upon earth, by setting them apart for any distant, future, and uncertain use. They allow of public and private diversions, so far as they are not connected with circumstances really sinful. Mr. S. pleads, towards the close of his "Letters on Theron and Aspasio," pretty much in favor of theatrical amusements; and it is said, that an attendance on them is very common among his followers: but apprehending a lot to be sacred, they disapprove (merely on this account) of lotteries, playing at cards, dice, and all games of chance.

They have a plurality of elders, pastors, or bishops, in each Church. In the choice of them, the want of learning, or engagement in trade, is no sufficient objection, if qualified according to the instructions given by Paul to Timothy and Titus: but second marriages disqualify for the office. In discipline they are strict and severe, thinking themselves obliged to separate from the communion and worship of all such religious societies as appear to them not to profess the simple truth for their only ground of hope, and who do not walk in obedience to it. Moreover, as in their Church proceedings they are not governed by majorities, but esteem unanimity to be absolutely necessary, whenever a member differs from the rest, he must give up the point or be excluded. In their families, it is said, there is but little social worship; for conceiving it unlawful to join in prayer with one who is not a brother or sister, and finding no express precept or precedent in the Scriptures for family prayer, that, which by other Christians is held sacred as a part of moral obligation, is by them very commonly disregarded.*

JUMPERS.

Persons so called from the practice of jumping during the time allotted for religious worship. This singular practice began, it is said, in the western part of Wales, about the year 1760. It was soon after defended by Mr. William Williams, (the Welch poet, as he is sometimes called,) in a pamphlet, which was patronized by the abettors of jumping, in religious assemblies. Several of the now zealous itinerant

*Dictionary of all Religions.

preachers encouraged the people to cry out gogoniant, (the Welch word for glory,) amen, &c. &c; to put themselves in violent agitation, and, finally, to jump until they were quite exhausted, so as often to be obliged to fall down on the floor or the field, where this kind of worship was held. These scenes continue sometimes for two or three hours, and sometimes during half the night, after having produced the greatest confusion, and too often turned the solemnities of religion into the most extravagant clamors and gestures.*

HARMONISTS.

Certain emigrants from Wurtemburg to America, about the year 1805, under Mr. George Rapp, their pastor, being compelled to leave their native country, on account of the then government insisting upon their attendance upon the parish church, after some alteration had been made in the public service, which they did not approve. On their arrival in

America, they formed the village of Economy, a few miles below Pittsburg, on the west bank of the Ohio. This village is neatly built with broad, rectangular streets, and handsome frame-houses. They have a large woollen and cotton manufactory, and carry on various branches of manufacture. All their property is nominally held in common. By profession, they are Lutherans; but their leader appears to have imbibed some mystical notions, which are at variance with the received opinions of his sect. One custom among this people is peculiar. They keep watch by turns at night: and, after crying the hour, add, "A day is past, and a step made nearer our end. Our time wears away, and the joys of heaven are our reward."

Buck's Theol. Dict.

389

PROTESTANT MISSIONS,

AND

BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES.

CHRISTIANITY is essentially missionary in its spirit; embracing in its benevolence the utmost latitude and longitude of the habitable earth. To cherish and to act upon this principle, our blessed Lord enjoined his disciples, when he commanded them to "go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." Nor did he leave them comfortless, in the prospect of the painful duty; but added, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."

Sincere and intelligent Christians, in every age, influenced by the Savior's grace, have been constrained to regard his injunctions as obligatory upon themselves: at the same time they have rejoiced in his merciful promise, while contemplating the immutable word of inspired prophecy, "The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

But while the disciples of Christ have been thus acquainted with duty, and have been encouraged by promise, they have at no period, since apostolic times, put forth efforts in any measure corresponding to the magnitude or importance of the work of evangelizing the world. Prior to the reformation, in a long series of centuries, scarcely nothing was done; and, during that eventful period, the reformers were too much occupied in directing that great work to its full completion and establishment, to attempt the extension of the Gospel in heathen lands.

It is only since the above glorious era, that the attention of the Christian world has been turned towards this great subject. And yet, after the lapse of centuries, how little has been accomplished. A great portion of the world's population is still groaning under the bondage of a cruel despotism; is still sitting in the shadow of spiritual death. Look at Paganism-it embraces the greatest part of Asia, the interior of Africa, the wilds of North and South America, and much of the islands of the seas-shrouding in moral darkness more than four hundred and fifty millions of the human race. Look at Mahometanisma religion abounding in absurdity and superstition, indecent and immoral