BAPTISTS, GERMAN, commonly called DUNKERS or (from the German tunken , to "dip"), and, among themselves, BRETHREN, originated at Schwarzenan, Ger many, 1708, but were driven by persecution to America about 1725. Iu 1790, a party who held universalist views having separated from them, the.whole denomination were, somewhat perversely, supposed to agree with them. But they have always denied the charge and, with the Mennonites, appeal to the confessions of faith published iu Hol land two centuries ago. They practice trine immersion (placing the candidate forward instead of backward) with the laying on of hands while the person is in the water. Their officers are bishops, elders, teachers, and deacons. The bishops are chosen from among experienced and faithful teachers. It is their duty to itinerate among the congregation, preach, officiate at marriages and funerals, and be present at love feasts, communions, ordinations, elections of teachers and deacons, and when an officer is to be excommuni cated. An elder is the oldest teacher in a congregation where there is no bishop. His duties are to appoint meetings, exhort, preach, baptize, travel occasionally. and to per
form all the work of a bishop when none is present. Teachers are elected. Their duties are to exhort and preach at stated meetings, and, when requested by a bishop or an elder, to officiate at baptisms and marriages. The deacons take care of the poor widows and their children, visit the families of the congregation to exhort, comfort, and instruct them, reconcile offenses and misunderstandings; and, upon occasion, to exhort, read the scriptures, and pray at. meetings. An annual meeting of bishops, teachers, and delegates is held. about May, at which a committee of five bishops decide cases pre sented to them by the teachers and delegates. In plainness of speech and dress German Baptists resemble the society of Friends. They do not to law, will not fight, and seldom take interest on money loaned to their poorer brethren. They are opposed to statistics, as savoring of pride; but, according to recent reports, they have 500 churches, 1,200 preachers, and 50,000 church members, chiefly in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Vir ginia, Ohio, and Indiana.