USA > New Jersey > The early Germans of New Jersey : their history, churches, and genealogies. > Part 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67
Such a man, as we might expect, performed with a great deal of feeling every service. The forms of baptism and con- firmation were observed with most devout and earnest prayer for the divine blessing as the records themselves abundantly attest.
The people here, both Holland and German Lutherans, were also under the care of Pastor W. Charles Berkenmeyer, who succeeded Mr. Falckner in his New York charge. Thus our forefathers enjoyed occasional preaching, probably only a few times a year, from the pastors in New York until 1734. By this time more immigrants had arrived, and were numerous enough to support a pastor of their own. But ministers were very scarce in those days, so it was necessary to send a call to the old country and have one sent out to supply this needy field. Upon the advice, therefore, of Mr. Berkenmeyer, a call
47
EARLY CHURCH HISTORY
was formally made out and signed by those who promised to support him with the particular amount of salary each offered to give to his pastor. This call was forwarded to the minis- terium of Hamburg in the year 1734. This ecclesiastical body, corresponding to what we call a presbytery or conference, was to chose a minister that would be willing to come, and also suitable for the work, and ordain him. The money for his pas- sage was sent with the call, and everything seemed to have been done by the congregations that could be done to show their interest in religion and their generous and intelligent character.
The ecclesiastical body in Hamburg seemed to have exer- cised due care and deliberation in choosing the man whose name they were to insert the place left vacant for that purpose in the call which had been forwarded to them. But by a most mysterious providence, all this care and forethought proved in vain, and served only to introduce a source of discord and dis- sension and an occasion of most injurious scandal for twelve long weary years.
The following account of another minister who rendered service to the Germans Lutherans in this State and of the way in which the first pastor came to be called is translated from the recently published History of Lutheranism in America by Prof. Graebner of St. Louis :
" During the lifetime of Justus Falckner his brother
DANIEL FALCKNER
had performed ministerial work among the Raritan churches. After the death of the former, the latter had also labored among the churches along the Hudson, as the following record in the Newberg church book shows : "In the year 1724 on the last day of September the following were baptised by me, Daniel Falckner, pastor at Millstone and in the mountains near the river Raritan in place of the deceased Kocherthal and of my deceased brother."
The following we quote from Prof. Graebrer's History of Lutheranism :
" In New Jersey a series of small German-Lutheran congre- gation extended north from the Raritan river. These were visited from year to year by Justus Falckner. They were, "In
48
EARLY GERMANS OF NEW JERSEY
the mountains," Millstone, at Uylekill [Wallkill ?], Remmers- pach [Ramapo], Hanover and Rockaway. In these congrega- tions, Daniel Falckner had settled as pastor, but had now grown old. Two daughters of his had married men belonging to his congregation, one a brewer William Dern by name, and the other a farmer by the name of John Kasner. Physically Mr. Falckner was still fit for service, his eyesight was still sharp and enabled him to continue his studies in botany. But he had a difficulty in his head, so that the congregation desired another pastor. Candidates were heard, the first of whom Caspar Stoever would have been called, if he had been able to get ordained, but the Swedish minister Cneberg, declared he had no authority to ordain. A schoolmaster by the name of Mues- selbach was also rejected and probably for the same reason. A committee from the congregations then appealed to Rev. Berkenmeyer, pastor of the New York congregation of Dutch Lutherans. They begged him to visit their people and admin- ister the communion. They said that some of the people and especially at Rockaway had withdrawn from Falckner two years previously. Berkenmeyer consented to help them if they would decide to call a minister of their own. On the 3rd of August, 1731, accordingly he was invited to come to Rockaway with two of his elders upon the 13th Sunday after Trinity. At the same time pastor Falckner was also invited to appear with his people to help to bring about a proper understanding con- cerning his relations to the congregations. On the 9th of Sep- tember Berkenmeyer set out with his elders John LaGrange and Henry Schleydorn. They travelled to Elisabeth Point by water and there obtained three horses. They rode until even- ing. After a short rest they started again at two o'clock in the morning, preferring the moonlight to the heat of the sun. They desired to visit Falckner on the way, in order to hear from him what he might have to say in his own behalf. After waiting some time for Falckner to return from a fishing and botanizing tour, they were greeted by him in a friendly way and received the assurance of his willingness to resign his office and to take part in the meeting to which he was invited.
At eight o'clock in the evening [Sept. 10, 1731], they arrived
49
EARLY CHURCH HISTORY
at Rockaway [Whitehouse], where they found their host, John Balthazar Pickel, engaged in arranging the pulpit and seats of the new church [at Potterstown].
On Saturday, Sept. 11th, preparatory service and a dedica- tion service were held. On the next day the communion was administered to about thirty people.
On Monday, Sept. 13th, the church officers had their meet- ing in Peter Kasner's house, in the congregation "In the mountains." It was decided not to have preaching either by Berkenmeyer or Falckner, and also not to hold the meeting in the church. Berkenmeyer began the speaking, after prayer had been offered, with the expression of thanks for himself and his congregation for the generous contribution toward the building of the new church in the city, which Falckner had collected from his Raritan people and also from those at Claverack. This subscription had been sent to Berkenmeyer on the 23rd June, 1727. The conference was very successful finally, although at first the people were frightened at the suggestion of sending a written call which they should all sign, to some minister in the old country, who should be willing to accept it. Falckner admitted his inability to perform the duties of a pastor and willingly resigned his claims to the privileges of that position. It does not appear whether he had received a written call or not, although it is very probable that he had only a oral agreement and depended solely upon personal friendship for himself for any recognition as pastor of the three congregations of Millstone, Pluckamin and Rockaway. To these we might add Hanover.
The call, which was to be forwarded to Germany, was duly signed and sealed. It was entrusted to Capt. Bruyn, at New York, to take to Hamburg on the 15th of September, 1731. Nothing came of it, however, until the year 1734, when Mr. Wolff was ordained on the 11th of May and started on his way to America. The salary mentioned in the call was £50, the free use of a parsonage, free light and fuel, free transportation to and fro for the purpose of administering the sacraments in other places. Money for travelling expenses to this country was also sent along with the call. A second copy of the call
50
EARLY GERMANS OF NEW JERSEY
was sent to Hamburg by another vessel for greater security.
JOHN AUGUSTUS WOLF
was the man sent over here as the first pastor of the German people in this part of New Jersey. He was born in Loebegin, and was a cousin of a well-known and highly esteemed pastor in the old country of the same name.
He was ordained in the Church of St. Nicholas, Hamburg, the 11th of May, 1734.
Let us now interrupt for a few moments the thread of our discourse to consider the significance of this historical event.
The call of which we have been speaking was given to Mr. Wolf by three congregations, called "On the Mountain," Rackaway [Rockaway] and Hanover. "On the Mountain" was the old church which stood about one mile east of Pluck- amin. In 1756 it was replaced by a stone church built in Pluckamin, on the site now occupied by a Presbyterian Church. The second church, called Rockaway, was in Potterstown, and is spoken of in a deed given for land "next to the church lot" by Aree Van Genee in 1741 to Matthias Scharfenstein.
But the most interesting question of all is where the third church called Hanover was situated. If this was Fox Hill, then we can claim a very early date for the settlement of this neighborhood. We must remember that the year 1734, when these churches are mentioned, was four years before Morris county was formed. What is now Morris, Sussex and Warren counties were at that time only so many townships of Hunter- don. I can find only three townships which would include, in 1738, what now constitutes the three counties. These town- ships were Walpack, Bethlehem and Hanover. Of course, the names were very loosely applied, and the limits of these town- ships were not defined at all. . In fact, they were not townships at all, but only convenient ways of designating particular dis- tricts of this sparsely settled section.
For this reason, Hanover township might very easily in- clude this part of Morris and Hunterdon counties.
Still further, we do not know of any other place in Morris county where a German church could have been established. Of course, the New Germantown church was not established
LUTHERAN CHURCH OF GERMAN VALLEY.
.
5 1
EARLY CHURCH HISTORY
until fifteen years later, when a united central church was built to take the place of the four that had formerly constituted one parish. For a few years before, at least as early as 1743, there were four churches, as follows : One near Pluckamin called "On the Mountain," another at Whitehouse, called Leslysland, a third at Potterstown called Rockaway, and a fourth at Fox Hill. This last was undoubtedly the log church on Aunt Katie Sutton's farm.
Now of all these four churches the only one that could with any reason be said to be in Hanover was the last or the church on Fox Hill.
This makes the church of German Valley one of the oldest in the two counties. The Readington church had as its first regular pastor the Rev. Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghuysen, who came over from Holland just fifteen years before Pastor Wolf.
It must be remembered that nearly all churches in those days were union churches. Preaching was too rare and re- ligious services too infrequent to permit any sincere worshipper to make any difficulty over minor differences of doctrine or ritual. Thus a few German Reformed people added their names to John Weygand's call to the New Germantown church in 1749, and when the Lutherans built their church in 1756 at Pluckamin, some of the Episcopal families living in the neigh- borhood offered to help in its support if they could have preaching in English for a part of the time.
The first German Reformed preacher in this section was Michael Schlatter, who came here from Philadelphia five times: once in the year 1747, twice in 1748, once in 1749 and once in 1750. Before Mr. Schlatter, there no doubt had been occasional visits by Reformed preachers from Pennsylvania to baptize the children and keep the different congregations together, but the most of the Germans, both Lutherans and Reformed, wor- shipped together.
To return, now, to Mr. Wolf, we find him welcomed by the people to whom he had come with great rejoicing. They had sent a great ways for him and had been at considerable extra expense on his account, and they were prepared to give him every encouragement in his work among them.
52
EARLY GERMANS OF NEW JERSEY
But how great must have been their disappointment to hear bad accounts of his behavior as soon as he had landed in New York. But, of course, they hoped for the best, and made every allowance for his youth and inexperience. They were not per- mitted, however to remain very long undeceived with regard to his true character. He had shown on his first arrival that he was self-willed and obstinate, but he had no sooner settled down on the Raritan than he appeared to have no other object in life but to get married. Muhlenberg says : "Right at the start he ran after the girls and decided to marry, but has come into discredit thereby on account of misconduct."
This was bad enough, but much can be born from a pastor who is a good preacher. Yet this was just what Mr. Wolf does not seem to have been in the opinion of his people. And strange to say their objection to him on this ground was that he used written sermons. He was considered very well educated and as one who had made great progress in liberal studies but could not get along without notes. This, however, Muhlenberg says, the congregation could bear with, especially as he had given out that he had lost his memory upon the sea. But it seemed as though these afflicted churches were to drink their cup of sorrow to the very dregs. For worse soon followed.
Thus began one of the most bitter and prolonged church quarrels that one has ever heard or read of. Of course, it is not very edifying reading in itself, but it illustrates so clearly the difficulties in the way of maintaining church services in those days, and, it also furnishes such convincing proof of the sterling piety of the early settlers here, since they continued faithful even under such severe trouble, that no apology is needed for giving the full account of the whole matter in the words of Muhlenberg's own report to the authorities in Ger- many. To understand the pains that Muhlenberg takes to ex- plain the whole controversy fully, we must remember that the ecclesiastical bodies in Germany considered a call as given for life and would not consent except for the gravest reasons to dissolve the relationship of pastor and people. Let us notice also that the very reasons which made preaching so highly esteemed at that time, also made the preachers more indepen-
53
EARLY CHURCH HISTORY
dent and constituted a temptation which only the most faithful pastors could resist. We might well ask ourselves the question as we hear more of this now notorious Wolf in sheep's clothing how many of us could have stood such outrageous behavior on the part of one who was our pastor, without losing all faith in the ministry and giving up once for all the difficult task of maintaining the church. Says Muhlenberg, "For eight years there were no confirmations, no sacrament, and everything was in decay." But let us permit him to tell the story in his own words. We now quote at length from the last edition of the Hallesche Nachrichten or Reports from the Missionaries here to the Seminary at Halle, Germany, which had sent them thither and who gave them the authority under which they labored, until a Synod could be constituted in this country, which was done in Philadelphia in 1748.
A BITTER CHURCH QUARREL.
A letter to Germany of date December 12, 1745, from Dr. Muhlenberg contains the following : "Last summer ( 1744) some men came to me from the neighboring New Jersey. These men dwell upon the Raritan, where there were from 1732 to 1736 two strong German Lutheran congregations, which had written through Pastor Berkenmeyer to Hamburg, and had asked for a preacher. The reverend Ministerium of Hamburg had thereupon sent to New Jersey a Mr. August Wolf, of Leb- egin, with a license to preach. This Wolf proved himself at the start in New York in the presence of some witnesses, who are still living, a capricious head full of pride and obstinacy. He has shown himself one who has made great progress in liberal studies, but has no gifts and training in spiritual mat- ters, and especially for preaching. He was received in his congregations with great love, and although he read all his sermons, yet the congregations had patience with him because he gave out that he had lost his memory upon the sea.
"They then fell into strife with one another, which pastor Berkenmeyer and Mr. Knoll from New York have again mediated. But Mr. Wolf does not look at his office rightly, for he is not willing or able to preach without his written sketches.
54
EARLY GERMANS OF NEW JERSEY
He has married a farmer's daughter and lived with her in con- tinual blows and quarrelling. This quarrelsome life and inefficiency in preaching made the congregations dissatis- fied, so that they do not pay him his promised salary and wished even to have nothing to do with him. They offered him his traveling expenses if he would return home again, but he would not consent to do so. He boasted then that he had brought his written call and seal from Hamburg. Mr. Berken- meyer and Mr. Knoll interfered, and complained to the Gover- nor of the unscrupulousness of the congregation. The Gover- nor ordered that the congregations pay and support him. The congregations complained on the other hand that he did not administer his office well. The matter then came to trial be- fore the Court. When a year had passed Mr. Wolf swore before the authorities that he had performed his duties according to contract. The members were then served with writs of execu- tion upon their property, and many of them were arrested upon the highway. In short, the office of preacher was by these means slandered, the youth neglected, the communion not ad- ministered, the sick not visited, indeed, there was such a deso- lation that it was made among the Germans a subject of street songs. The congregations were altogether scattered except a few families. Such complaints and legal processes had con- tinued for nine or ten years. The magistrates were at last tired themselves and did not wish to give a decision. In spir- itual matters the English magistrates cannot decide, these be- long to ecclesiastical courts. Finally the matter came before the Supreme Court and caused a heavy expense to the congre- gation. The lawyers found their advantage in it. Part of the members sold their property and moved away. Mr. Berken- meyer and Mr. Knoll tried in a friendly way to make up the differences. At one time Mr. Wolf was willing to take the amount of money and leave the congregation ; then the con- gregation would not be willing. At another time the congre- gation would be willing to give an amount of money and then Mr. Wolf would not consent. The congregations could not be brought into any agreement and reconciliation with Mr. Wolf. Then Mr. Wolf was obstinate and was not willing to take back
-
REV. EPHRAIM DEYO.
REV. BENJ. B. COLLINS.
55
EARLY CHURCH HISTORY
his wife nor to improve his manner of life. The congregations were also obstinate on account of the hard proceedings of law, and said " Mr. Wolf is an hireling." In short, so much scandal and injury to souls was caused in these ten years, that the effects will be felt forever. These congregations pestered me for two years to help them to get free. They shed abundant tears over their children who wished to know nothing more of religion, because it presented so bad an appearance, finally the congregations had brought the matter before the authorities in such a way that both agreed to submit their case to arbitration. The arbitrators were to be four preachers. Mr. Wolf named upon his side Mr. Berkenmeyer and Mr. Knoll ; the congrega- tions named Mr. Muhlenberg and Rev. Mr. Brunnholz. For the latter Rev. Mr. Wagner was afterward substituted.
"We gave both parties a hearing and were engaged four days and four nights in rumaging through the matters which had been for many years subjects of litigation ; and I can say that I never in all my life had a task so hard and disagreeable. There was such a bitterness between the congregations and the preacher Wolf, that an agreement was impossible. The congregations desired nothing but to be separated from the evil man, but Mr. Wolf could argue and speak to his own ad- vantage as well as the best of advocates. We would have will- ingly declined to interfere and let the matter come to the reverend Ministerium at Hamburg, but that was opposed to the purpose of the arbitration, and the magistrates wished it to be concluded and not to be prolonged still further.
After much investigation we found, first, that Mr. Wolf himself had been the primary cause of all the contention and scandal ; second, he was found to be an adulterer, who without right or reason had thrust away his wife ; third, he would not live with his wife again ; fourth, he had sworn several times before the magistrates that he had administered his office according to contract, and we find the contrary to be the case ; fifth, he had not once for the many years during which he had his children with him shown official and paternal fidelity enough to teach them the ten commandments.
Could one then with any equity force the congregations to
56
EARLY GERMANS OF NEW JERSEY
recognize as a guardian of souls, one who was a corrupt knave, an adulterer, a perjurer, a wolf and a disturber of the com- munity, who did not manage his own household, and should they in reward of his wickedness pay him so much money yearly ? The people had also, it is true, transgressed with hard words, but the most of them were innocent, and then Wolf had every time first given the occasion. Had we proceeded with vigor, then no other resolution could follow than to set the con- gregation free, since no reconciliation could take place. But we asked Mr. Wolf what he claimed ; his written answer was, that he desired a sum of money to resign, then he would give up his rights and claims on account of his call. I and Mr. Wagner came to a conclusion in the arbitration and decreed according to the protocol previously made, that the congrega- tions should be free and released. But before this conclusion was sealed and subscribed another was found, to wit, Mr. Wolf stated in writing, that he released and set free the congrega- tions from all claims and rights which he at any time asserted or might still assert, on account of the call. In short, he re- leased the two congregations and gave as a reason his own incompetency.
In return he claimed after a long bargaining the sum of ninety pounds, Jersey money. This money was laid upon those whose property had not been levied upon by the authori- ties, and who had gone over to the other sects. For those members who in consequence of the writs of execution had been compelled to pay from year to year, said it was fair that the others who had not yet given anything, should bear some- thing of the burden. Since now Mr. Knoll urged it and Mr. Wolf sought nothing else but a sum of money, and the mem- bers in part agreed to it, I arose and Mr. Wagner with me and made this the decree of the whole arbitration : Mr. Wolf sold his call and his right, for ninety pounds, and the congregations were glad with ninety pounds to get rid of the godless man, al- though much sweat of the brow and many drops of blood go into the ninety pounds, for which Wolf had done nothing but cause scandal. When the ninety pounds had been promised to Wolf it was insisted that he should take upon himself the back-
57
EARLY CHURCH HISTORY
standing costs of the court and should further deliver up the the call and the license from the reverend Ministerium of Hamburg, which he had hitherto grossly misused, and which had been like a sword in the hand of a maniac. He handed over the call, and the wardens, who had subscribed their names, tore off the seal and also their names, and gave the names and the seal to me. If the reverend Ministerium of Hamburg desires it, then the already long abused seal can be sent over or destroyed, that it may never again come into the hands of such men, who only bring reproach upon so reverend a body and put a stain upon our evangelical Lutheran religion in this western land.
CHAPTER VII. REV. CARL RUDOLPH.
O GREATER service could be rendered to any church than Muhlenberg had per- formed as arbitrator for the Raritan flock and their unfaithful shepherd. For thus ended at last the long series of law suits and arrests and executions continued for ten years or more from 1734 at least to 1744. How any congregation could have held together after such experience we can hardly understand. But they were still eager for the truth and were only too glad to make another trial of the appointed means of grace, even though they had found to their cost that the truth had been committed to earthen vessels.
We find that the unfaithfulness of the wicked Wolf had not been permitted to deprive the children of instruction in the gospel, and another preacher by the name of
LANGENFELD
had been asked to supply the lack of service of Wolf. Says Muh- lenberg, "the young people had been well instructed in the heads of the catechism and although they had learned it in the Hol- land language, they also understand German and give the right answers. I administered the communion in both congregations which had not been administered in long years." In regard to settling a pastor over them Mr. M. says, "The two congrega- tions are able and willing to support a pious man generously." "I have found," he says again, "that the people there have
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.