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Supper , immediately under the pulpit and opposite to the bench of elders , who with their ten grey heads soon made their appearance . But during the reading of these chapters , the great body of the congregation waited at the door for the arrival of the pastor , and after having taken off their hats as he passed , and received his friendly but grave salutation in return , all took their places . The pastor appeared about fifty years of age , and his hair was
turning grey with the mountain air . His countenance expressed great firmness and decision of character , but his address was mild and paternal . During the early part of the service , a man entered the church , almost covered with a long pink coloured robe of rich silk , evidently a relic of former times , finely embroidered with silver lace and flowers . It floated in ample folds to his feet , but seemed to conceal something which he was bearing in his arms . Two women followed , and the party made a reverence
to the minister , and placed themselves in front of the pulpit . It did not immediately occur to me what this could mean , but the minister soon rose and said , " You desire that this child should be baptized ? " The use of this rather showy robe is probably one of those ancient customs which every one follows without considering why . The minister read a short , simple and interesting service for baptism , out of the Geneva Liturgy , and coming down into the aisle , inquired the intended name of the child . The robe
was turned aside and discovered a very young infant in a sort of portable bed in the arms of its father . The woman next him produced a small phial , and poured the whole of the water it contained into the palm of the minister ' s hand , who baptized the child in the name of the Father , the Son and the Holy Spirit . He afterwards returned to the pulpit and read the Geneva Morning Service . In this and in every part of the Liturgy I have heard read , there are no traces of the peculiar doctrines of any sect , but the
Father alone is worshiped in a style of great simplicity and devotion . The reading of the Liturgy was preceded and followed by the singing of a psalm , and then succeeded an extempore prayer from the minister , which was addressed with sublimity and fervour to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , and entirely free from the peculiar phraseology of orthodoxy . He then pronounced his text , Deut . xxvi . 11 , Tu te rejouiras de toutes les bonnes choses que le Seigneur V a donne , tu et le Levite , et 1 ' etranger qui est avec
toi . — " Thou shalt rejoice in all the good things which the Lord hath given thee , thou and the Levite , and the stranger that is with thee . " He then began his address in the affectionate manner always employed by the Waldenses : " Chretiens , mes trh aimfo freres en Je ' sus-Christ notre Seigneur f " ** Christians , my dearly beloved brethren in Christ Jesus our Lord ! " The occasion of the discourse was the conclusion of the vintage among the Vaudois , which he touched on with great simplicity and pathos . He met
an objection in the outset . " Some of you , my friends , will say , It is for those to whom the Lord has given the good things to rejoice , and not for me who have no land belonging to me to till , and no grapes to gather in . But you will observe in my text , that you are all included in the invitation , * thou , and the Levite , and the stranger that is with thee . ' Though these last had no vineyards , they shared in the abundance of others , and so will
you ; and were it not so , can you not rejoice in the goodness of God to your brethren ? Enjoy , then , this new gift of Divine Providence , but , * au nom de Dieu gardez vous de V intemperance , ' In the name of God keep from intemperance . The fruits of the vine are given you , to strengthen and cheer you and enable you to support your labours in the field , and not that you might divest yourselves pf reason by abusing them . " The crop of
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The Waldemei . 417
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1827, page 417, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1797/page/25/
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