THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
and a growing disrespect for the decisions of the Annual Meeting. Two radical parties developed and became separated from the Church; a '.. large majority took middle ground, ". and remained with the conference. The 1882 result was the separate organization of the " Progressive " and " Old Order " Brethren (see below). Since the separation the mother Church has made rapid advance. It retains all of its fundamental doctrinal and moral principles, while opening Sunday-schools, building up colleges, extending and endowing its mission work, and enlarging its publishing interests. The Conservatives and Progressives do not affiliate, but the unpleasant feeling that at first existed has practically subsided.
J. H. Mooee.
Bibliography: Sources are the Minutes of the Annual Meeting, 1778-1876, collected into one volume, Elgin, 111.; Revised Minutes of the Annual Meeting, brought down to 1898, ib. For the history consult: Henry Kurtz, Brethren's Encyclopwdia, Columbiana, O., 1867; M. G. Brumbaugh, Hist, of the German Baptist Brethren in Europe and America, Elgin, 1899; G. N. Falkenstein, Hist, of the German Baptist Brethren Church, Lancaster, Pa., 1901; H. R. Holsinger, Hist, of the Tunkers and the Brethren Churches, Oakland, Cal., 1901 (important for the later period); J. L. Gillin, The Dunkers. A Sociological Interpretation, New York, 1906 (gives valuable bibliography). For doctrine consult: A. Mack, Jr., A Plain View of the Rites and Ordinances of the House of God a translation of Kurz und einfdltige Vorstel-
lung der ausseren aber doch heiligen Rechten und Ordnungen des Hauses Gottes . . , last ed., Mount Morris, 111., 1888; R. H. Miller, Doctrine of the Brethren Defended, Indianapolis, 1876.
II. The Progressive Dunkers : The ultimate and fundamental cause of the secession of those Dunkers commonly known as " Progressive " from the mother Church was the rapid growth and development of the north-central division of
' to, " the United States. As the country
mental . . . J
Cause of lncreaseo- ln population, and new Sepa- means of speedy communication with
ration. the world, with all that it implies, became available, the former isolation of the Dunkers in the wilderness was destroyed. Traditions and customs of the Church which could be defended neither by the Bible nor reason fell into disfavor, and dissatisfaction grew especially with the dogmatic type of mind characteristic of many of the older and more ignorant. The necessity was felt of bringing the Church as rapidly as possible into line with the knowledge and culture of the times. On the other hand, congregations and individuals isolated from the influences which affected the more advanced communities were controlled by traditional beliefs and usages, and aimed at uniformity on the basis of tradition all the more strenuously because they knew of differences which had grown naturally in widely separated parts of the Church. Thus the social conditions of the United States created two radically different tendencies in the Dunker Church; and by 1880 these tendencies had come into open conflict which resulted in the division.
The immediate cause of the separation was sympathy with Henry R. Holsinger, of Berlin, Pa., because of what his friends considered ill treatment by the Annual Meeting of 1882. He was a radical
" Progressive " and was expelled by the Annual Meeting, charged with speaking and writing disrespectfully of certain leading members of the Church and of the Annual Meeting. Large numbers of his sympathizers in many congrega- 2. Org-ani- tjons went out with him, in some za ion piaces tb.e separation being made by- Present mutual consent, in others the Progress- Status. iyes bemg expelled. The work of organizing Progressive congregations went on rapidly under a committee appointed for the purpose by a convention at Ashland, O., in 1882. Hope of a reconciliation with the Conservatives was finally dissipated by the failure of the Annual Meeting of 1883 to take steps looking to that end, and the Progressives then formally organized as the Brethren Church at a convention at Dayton, 0., in June, 1883, representatives being present from about fifty congregations. In 1887 State organizations were formed and a national Sisters' Society of Christian Endeavor was organized. In 1892 a denominational Young People's Society was formed, which later was affiliated with the Christian Endeavor movement. In 1895 the General Mission Board was organized; it has city missions in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington. About 1900 a Foreign Missionary Society was organized, which maintains stations in Montreal, Canada, and Urmia, Persia. Following the Dayton convention the college at Ashland, O., was turned over to the Progressives on condition that they assume its indebtedness. It now has an endowment of about $60,000 and in 1905-06 had an enrolment of 150 students. The publishing house is at Ashland, O. In 1895 there were 138 congregations reported with a membership of 10,031. In 1905 the membership was 14,117 in 144 congregations in eighteen States of the Union. The States having the largest membership are Pennsylvania, 3,357; Indiana, 3,275; Ohio, 2,443; Virginia, 880; and Iowa, 841. The churqh periodical is the Brethren Evangelist.
In doctrine the Progressive Dunkers differ from the Conservatives in but few points. They hold that the decisions of no conference are * . " binding upon the individual conscience. and Hence, in church polity the Progress- Practise. lves are congregational. They differ from the Conservatives in refusing to conform to " the order," i.e. the style of dress and cut of the hair and beard prescribed by the Annual Meeting. They agree with the Conservatives in holding the general Evangelical doctrines, and in laying less emphasis upon orthodox theology than upon a pious life. They also hold with the Conservatives the doctrines (1) of the Lord's Supper consisting of foot-washing, the love-feast, or primitive agape, the communion in bread and wine, and the salutation; (2) of baptism for adults only and by trine immersion; (3) of non-resistance of evil, which includes opposition to war and avoidance of lawsuits; and (4) of opposition to the taking of any kind of oath. J. L. Gillin.
Bibliography: Consult, besides the works of Holsinger and Gillin, ut sup., the files of The Progressive Christian, 1878-83; The Brethren Evangelist, 1883-date; The Breth-