OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 451 



ground of alleged departure from the purity of foiiner times. The secession or refor- 

 mation began in 1811 (John Heir, in Rupp's lie Pasa Ekklesia, p. 503 s(|. i They liave 

 bishops and ordinary ministers, 3 meeting houses and 8 or 10 other stated places in tho 

 county. 

 c. Ornish or Amish. 



They are sometimes called Hooker Mennonites, because they use hooks on their 

 clothes instead of buttons, and are thus distinguished from another class called Button 

 Mennonites. They settled in this county at an early date, and though (juite numerous 

 in 1735, are now only feebly represented. They have 5 or G miuLstcrs. In doctrine 

 they accept the Mennouite faith, but are more exclusive, and maintain greater simplicity 

 of dress than other branches of the Mennonites. The name AmisJi, or Ornish is derived 

 from Jacob Amen, of Amenthal, Switzerland, a rigid ^lennonite i>reacher of the seven- 

 teenth century, (Sliem Zook, in Rupp's //e Pkmi Ekklenia, p. oGl.) They meet in private 

 houses. 



II. Seventh Day Baptists. 



The history of this denomination has already been given in Division II. s. v. Ephratu, 

 p. 354 sq. 



III. TUNKERS OR DUXKERS. 



They are German Baptists and call themselves '"Brethren." Prior to 1721 they 

 settled in this county, formed a congregation ministered by Peter Becker. They have 

 7 places for meeting in the county. 



IV. WiNEBREXNARIANS. 



"This denomination is of comparatively recent origin. The name of ^^ Church of 

 God,''' was assumed by it about the year 1827 or '28. The church in the city was 

 first gathered about the year 1820, under the ministry of the late Rev. John Elliott, 

 who preached the gospel many years faithfully and with success, to an independent 

 congregation in the city. After he left, the church declined, till about the year 1841, 

 when the Rev. John Winebrenner, V. D. M., of Ilarrisburg, Rev'ds. Jacob Flake and Jo- 

 seph Ross and others of the Eldership of the Church of God, held protracted meetings, 

 when a number were revived and others awakened, and a deep interest manifested, and 

 soon a congregation of one or two hundred was organized." — Hupp. 



This denomination has Church edifices at the foUoAviug places: Lancaster City, 

 Washington Borough, Mount Joy, jMaytown, Bainbridge, Landisville, Smith ville and 

 Elizabethtown, and an aggregate membership of 900. It publishes an organ, called the 

 Church Advocate and a Sunday School paper called the Sunday School Gem, published 

 by the Rev. E. H, Thomas, at Lancaster. 



EPISCOPALIAXS. 



3Iissionaries of the Church of England visited this county as early as 1717 or 1719. 



Rev. Mr. Backhouse, of Chester, Pennsylvania, in a letter to tlie Society for the Pro- 

 pagation of the Gospel in London, reports a visit in 1720 to the people of Conestoga, 70 

 miles back in the country (from Philadelphia.) 



The Rev. Mr. Lindsay visited Lancaster County about 1735. 



St. James's Church, Lancaster, was organized Oct. 3, 1744. Thomas Cookson and 

 John Postlethwaite, Church Wardens, and Edward Smout, Daniel Sjmg, AVilliam 

 Bristow, John Folke, Morgan Morgan and John Connelly, Vestrymen. 



At a meeting of the Vestry on April 15th, 1745, steps were taken for the ei-ection of 

 a stone church. James Hamilton, Esq'r, granted a lot of ground; subscript i..ns 

 amounting to £16G 9s. enabled the people to erect and roof the church, 44 feet ni length 

 and 34 feet in breadth, about 1750. From 1744 to 1750 the Rev. Mr. Locke oflic.at«d 

 at Lancaster. He was succeeded in 1751 by the Rev. George Craig, durmg whose rec- 

 torship the church was finished in 1753, at an additional cost of £102 os. At this time 



