The Book of Religions: Comprising the Views, Creeds, Sentiments, or Opinions, of All the Principal Religious Sects in the World, Particularly of All Christian Denominations in Europe and America, to Which are Added Church and Missionary Statistics, Together With Biographical SketchesHayward, John
Religion
The Book of Religions: Comprising the Views, Creeds, Sentiments, or Opinions, of All the Principal Religious Sects in the World, Particularly of All Christian Denominations in Europe and America, to Which are Added Church and Missionary Statistics, Together With Biographical Sketches
Hayward, John
Christian biography; Religions; Sects
It is a universal maxim of this denomination, that practical piety is the
essence of religion, and that the surest mark of the true church is the
sanctity of its members. They all unite in pleading for toleration in
religion, and debar none from their assemblies who lead pious lives, and
own the Scriptures for the word of God. They teach that infants are not
the proper subjects of baptism; that ministers of the gospel ought to
receive no salary; and that it is not lawful to swear, or wage war, upon
any occasion. They also maintain that the terms _person_ and _Trinity_ are
not to be used in speaking of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
The Mennonites meet privately, and every one in the assembly has the
liberty to speak, to expound the Scriptures, to pray, and sing.
The Mennonites do not baptize by immersion, though they administer the
ordinance to none but adult persons. Their common method is this: The
person who is to be baptized, kneels; the minister holds his hands over
him, into which the deacon pours water, and through which it runs on the
crown of the kneeling person’s head; after which follow imposition of
hands and prayer.
Mr. Van Beuning, the Dutch ambassador, speaking of these _Harmless
Christians_, as they choose to call themselves, says, “The Mennonites are
good people, and the most commodious to a state of any in the world;
partly, because they do not aspire to places of dignity; partly, because
they edify the community by the simplicity of their manners, and
application to arts and industry; and partly, because we fear no rebellion
from a sect who make it an article of their faith never to bear arms.”
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST; SOMETIMES CALLED CAMPBELLITES, OR REFORMERS.
The rise of this society, if we only look back to the drawing of the lines
of demarkation between it and other professors, is of recent origin. About
the commencement of the present century, the Bible alone, without any
human addition in the form of creeds or confessions of faith, began to be
preached by many distinguished ministers of different denominations, both
in Europe and America.
With various success, and with many of the opinions of the various sects
imperceptibly carried with them from the denominations to which they once
belonged, did the advocates of the Bible cause plead for the union of
Christians of every name, on the broad basis of the apostles’ teaching.
But it was not until the year 1823, that a restoration of the _original
gospel_ and _order of things_ began to be advocated in a periodical,
edited by Alexander Campbell, of Bethany, Virginia, entitled “The
Christian Baptist.”
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