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."

He and his father, Thomas Campbell, renounced the Presbyterian system, and
were immersed, in the year 1812. They, and the congregations which they
had formed, united with the Redstone Baptist association, protesting
against all human creeds as bonds of union, and professing subjection to
the Bible alone. This union took place in the year 1813. But, in pressing
upon the attention of that society and the public the all-sufficiency of
the _sacred_ Scriptures for every thing necessary to the perfection of
Christian character,--whether in the private or social relations of life,
in the church, or in the world,--they began to be oppo