Peter Jahnsen Moyer, Abraham Dirkson, David ter Haer, Peter Jahnsen van Singel, Leyden-Christian de Koning, Johannes Weyns. Harlem-Johannes Doom, Peter Gryspeer, Dirk Wouters Kolenkamp, Peter Joosten. Schiedam Cornelius Bom, Lambert Paeldink. Blokziel-Claes Claesen, Peter Petersen, Dirk Rendersen. Utrecht-Hermann Segerts, John Hendricksen Hooghvelt, Daniel Horens, Abraham Spronk, William von Brockhuysen. Bommel-Wilhelm Jansen van Exselt, Gyspert Spiering. Germany--Peter van Borsel, Anthony Hans. Krevelt-Herman op de Graff, Wilhelm Kreynen.

The foregoing articles are received and maintained by all the Mennonites throughout the United States, Territories, and in Canada, wherever they have been dispersed; for, since the first immigration of the Mennonites to this country, they have been spread over a great portion of Pennsylvania, where large bodies of them are found in Lancaster county, in Bucks, Chester, Philadelphia, Montgomery, Dauphin, Cumberland, Juniata, Mifflin, Franklin, York, Westmoreland, and some other counties, and also in Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, New York and in Canada.

The Mennonite congregations in Pennsylvania are divided into three general circuits, within each of which, semi-annual conferences, consisting of bishops, elders or ministers, and deacons, are held for the purpose of consulting each other, and devising means to advance the spiritual prosperity of the members. A similar conference is held in Ohio, where the Mennonites are very numerous, consist ing, however, principally of foreign immigrants who have settled there within the last thirty years. The members of the congregations in Indiana are principally from Switzerland. In Canada they have from fifteen to twenty places where religious meetings are held; their semiannual conferences are alternately held at Waterloo, Clinton, and Markham.

*

Bishops, elders or ministers, and deacons, are usually chosen by casting lots. Their pastors neither receive nor accept stipulated salaries, nor any kind of remuneration for preaching the gospel, or in attending to the functions of their office. Their number of ministers, members, congregations, and houses of public worship, in America, has been variously estimated; but the exact number of members cannot be given, as they keep no records among them for that purpose. In this they hold the same views as they do in giving alms, when our Saviour says (Matt. vi.): "Take heed that ye do not your alms," &c. So they believe it would not be acceptable in the sight of God to make a public display of the number of their communicants, as they know the Head of the Church of God, namely, Jesus Christ, sees and knows who are his children in the whole world. Furthermore, they bear in mind the confession of King David, declaring himself that he greatly sinned by causing Israel to be numbered. (2 Sam. xxiv.)

In a letter to the editor from Shem Zook, who is well-informed in the religious statistics of the Menonnites, he says, when speaking of the Menonnites, "their number in the United States has been computed at 120,000." This estimate, we think, is too high. So far as we can ascertain, they have about ninety-five ministers in Pennsylvania, one hundred and eighty places of public worship; in Virginia, from thirty to forty ministers, about thirty-five places of worship. In Maryland, Ohio, Inministers, and one hundred and thirty places diana, and New York, probably eighty-five of worship. In all America, about two hundred and thirty or forty ministers, and rising of four hundred places of public worship, and between fifty and sixty thousand members. bly exceed 120,000; but they have not that The whole Menonnite population may probanumber of communicating members.

They are distinguished above all others for their plainness in dress, economy in their domestic arrangements; being frugal, thrifty, and withal very hospitable. They take in strangers; treat them kindly without charge. They suffer none of their members to become a public charge.-ED.

HISTORY.

THE Mennonite denomination derived its name from Menno Simon, a very zealous and successful reformer; but, owing to the manner in which he and his fol lowers were persecuted, and his doctrines and views misrepresented, through the malice of his papistical adversaries, his name was never handed down to posterity, side by side with that of Luther, Calvin, and others; though it must be admitted, he did as much towards the enlightening of mankind, and contended with adversaries as powerful, as ever impeded the progress of Luther, and all those illustrious personages, whose names shed such a lustre on the history of the Reforma

tion.

But as there is required a history of the Reformed branch of the Mennonite Society only, it will not fall within the design of this sketch, to trace her history to that dark and superstitious period, when the earth was daily drenched with the blood of the righteous.

How long the followers of Menno, adhered to the doctrines he had inculcated how long they practised his precepts, and guarded with a jealous eye those divine truths, that he had promulgated, is not exactly known; but we are informed from

* This article has the sanction of the Rev. John Herr, of Strasburg, a Bishop of the Society.-ED.

a source which cannot be doubted, that soon after the persecution ceased, there was a gradual falling off from their former purity, and that they did not carry into effect the doctrines they had formerly taught and professed. From this it is evident, that they became, by degrees, more and more corrupted.

and on reflecting how they had deviated It was when viewing their fallen state, from the path in which they had formerly trod; how they resisted minor evils, though they were instructed that the New Testament showed expressly, that Christ taught his disciples to resist no evil whatever; in short, it was when contrasting their conditions now, with what they professed then, that a few individuals contemplated the design of restoring them to their former purity. They, for this purpose, met repeatedly, and exchanged in simplicity of heart the sentiments of their minds. They warned the Mennonites of their delusion; but as they were unwilling to be convinced of the errors under which they were laboring, and as those few enlightened souls found it impossible to take part in their proceedings, as long as they remained in their defiled condition, they found it necessary to renovate and renew the whole Mennonite doctrine. They accordingly razed the rubbish to the foundation, on which they commenced building the church of Christ anew. This happened in the year 1811; and as their number was con

2. They believe and confess, that our first parents were created with a free will, susceptible of change; and that they were at liberty to fear, serve, and obey their Creator, or disobey and forsake him; and that, through the subtlety of the serpent, and the envy of the devil, they transgressed the command of God, and disobeyed their Creator; by which disobedience sin and death came into the world, and thus passed upon all men. They also believe that, by this one sin, they were driven from paradise, became so far fallen, separated, and estranged from God, that neither they nor their posterity, nor any other creature in heaven or on earth, could redeem or reconcile them to God; and that they would have been eternally lost, had not God interposed with his love and mercy.

3. They believe and confess, that God, notwithstanding their fall and transgression, did not wish to cast them away, and have them eternally lost; but that he called them again to him, comforted them, and testified that there was yet a means of reconciliation; namely, that the Son of God, who was appointed unto this purpose before the foundation of the world, and who was promised unto them and their posterity, for their reconciliation and redemption, while yet in paradise, from that time forth was bestowed upon them by faith.

4. They believe and confess, that when the time of the promise was fulfilled, this promised Messiah proceeded from God, was sent, and came into the world, and thus the Word was made flesh and man; they also believe, that his going forth is from everlasting to everlasting, without beginning of days, or end of life: that he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last; and, also, that he was God's first and only Son, and who was the Lord of David, and the God of the world.

They further believe, that when he had fulfilled his course, he was delivered into the hands of the wicked; was crucified, dead, and buried; rose again on the third day, ascended to heaven, and sits on the right hand of the majesty of God; from whence he will come again to judge the quick and the dead. And that through his death, and the shedding of his blood

for all men, he bruised the serpent's head, destroyed the works of the devil, and obtained the forgiveness of sins for the whole human family.

5. They believe and confess, that previously to his ascension he instituted and left his New Testament, which he confirmed and sealed with his blood, and commended it so highly to his disciples, that it is not to be altered, nor added to, nor diminished. And that, inasmuch as it contains the whole will of his heavenly Father, he has caused it to be promulgated over the earth, and appointed Apostles, missionaries, and ministers, to teach it in his name to all people, nations, and tongues; and has therein declared all men his children and lawful heirs, provided they live up to the same by faith.

6. They believe and confess, that the first lesson of the New Testament of the Son of God is repentance and reformation; hence it is their opinion, that men must reform their lives, believe in the gospel, desist from sin, forsake unrighteousness, sacrifice the old man with all his works, and put on the new man created after God in unsullied holiness.

7. As regards baptism, they confess, that all penitent believers, who by faith, regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, are made one with God must, upon their scriptural confession of faith, and reformation of life, be baptized with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, agreeably to the doctrine and commandment of Christ; whereupon they must learn to observe all which the Son of God taught and commanded his disciples.

8. They believe and confess a visible Church of God; namely, those that are made one with God in heaven, and received into the fellowship of the saints here on earth. They also confess, that the same are the chosen people, the royal priesthood, the holy nation, and the chil. dren and heirs of everlasting life, a dwelling-place of God in the spirit, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Christ being the chief corner-stone, upon which the church is built; and this church must be known, by her obedience to her supreme Head and King; in all matters of faith to obey him, and to keep