USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > A history of the Goshenhoppen Reformed charge, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (1727-1819) > Part 10
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At Great Swamp he started a church record on April 24, 1736. On that day he wrote the title page of this
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History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
record and entered, at the same time, a brief but compre- hensive constitution for the congregation and six baptisms into the record. In all he recorded there but fourteen bap- tisms, the last on February 28, 1738.
On March 22, 1739, he opened the Egypt record with a Greek and Latin sentence. The Greek sentence reads : Ούδεν άλες γράφης, which means neither "Ohne Versuch schmeckt man nichts," as Dr. Weiser renders it,121 nor "nothing without writing," as Mr. Roberts translates it,122 but " Mayest thou write nothing crowdedly," or ren- dered freely: "Write everything plainly." These and other doubtful Latin and Greek phrases are of course remi- niscences of the Latin school at Zurich, and were evidently used by the young preacher to impress the German farmers of his congregations with his great learning.
22. Märta 1739. J. Fotenricus Goetschius. At Helvetico - Sigurinus.
Only three baptisms in the Egypt records are in the handwriting of Goetschy. They took place on June 12, June 27 and September 30, 1739, but two other children were also baptized by him on earlier dates. John Traxel, son of Peter Traxel, was baptized "by Rev. Mr. Götschi" on October 26, 1736, and Peter Roth, son of Daniel Roth on July 27, 1737. These two entries were probably made by Peter Traxel, "Vorsteher der Reformirten Gemeinde allhier," who acted as sponsor at the second baptism.
121 See Monograph, p. 15.
122 Pennsylvania Archives, 6th Series, Vol. VI, p. 134.
THE PENNSYLVANIA-GERMAN SOCIETY.
Sag buch for s- skifte
Lauf Buch Der Gemeint Non foschenhope.
unutar Dia Gomisina Bottr ato Gelihr um-
1 Eltrans Now show Kauft MeDigam Informes Fino ningenfünflet Harhun.
Brott Alle Ihre Maman mit chem Blut Jefu aus Dan Küchen fünf aus löfte : unul in clas labour Fünf - min- Ofmine. mums.
Jan. Henricus Gatsching VA Hehetia Taurina et " Pronuncias Peritación un Scheppach, Mit loschenkopen, Vu Gesehenhosen, Showum Jaren, Alegisten, chasevania, mijirfan bli, Bern Folgenhacen.
TITLE PAGE OF NEW GOSHENHOPPEN RECORD, 1736.
119
John Conrad Wirtz
On March 24, 1739, the Berne church record was opened by Mr. Goetschy. An earlier baptism which had taken place in May, 1738, was also most probably entered in March, 1739. On July 11, 1739, three children were baptized by Mr. Goetschy at Berne. At one of the bap- tisms, that of John Henry Jaeger, son of Philip Carl Jaeger, Goetschy acted as sponsor. Later dates on which baptisms were performed by Mr. Goetschy at Berne were : July 12, September 12 and November 26, 1739. In all there are fifteen baptisms entered by Mr. Goetschy at Berne from April, 1738, till November 26, 1739. Eleven other baptisms, from March 1, 1740, till August 20, 1740, though entered by a different hand, may possibly have been performed by Mr. Goetschy also, as we know from the New Goshenhoppen record that he officiated in the charge till September, 1740.
It was during the ministry of Mr. Goetschy that the first schoolmaster appeared in the Goshenhoppen region. It was John Conrad Wirtz, the brother-in-law of Goetschy. The exact time of his stay is uncertain, but the fact of his presence at Goshenhoppen is vouched for by Mr. Boehm. In his last letter to the Classis of Amsterdam, dated De- cember 2, 1748, he writes about Wirtz :
He was accepted at Old Goshenhoppen to teach school, but they soon got tired of him and sent him away. Afterwards the Men- nonites at Cannastocka accepted him for the same work, but he was dismissed by them just as quickly.
Later he assumed the ministry in various country con- gregations. From September, 1742, to December, 1743, we find him at Egypt in Lehigh County. When Schlatter came in 1746, he was ministering at Saucon, Springfield
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History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
and the Forks of the Delaware, now Easton. He was in these churches probably from 1745-1749.
September 27, 1750, he applied to the Presbyterian Synod of New York for admission. He was received as a probationer by the Presbytery of New Brunswick, Sep- tember 3, 1751, and was ordained by this Presbytery as pastor of Rockaway, N. J., June 5, 1752. He served this church and others in its neighborhood until 1761. He was then dismissed by the Presbytery to become the pastor of the Reformed Church at York, Pa., where he officiated from May, 1762, to September, 1763. He died
Joh Conrad. Wuerly From
at York, September 21, 1763. His numerous descendants have recently presented a beautiful memorial tablet to the Church in York, to commemorate his labors.
Mr. Goetschy came in conflict with Mr. Boehm by cir- culating everywhere a letter of Rev. Wilhelmius of Rot- terdam, which Boehm claimed was forged. This letter gave the Reformed congregations in Pennsylvania the privilege to engage and dismiss their ministers at pleasure.
Finally, in the spring of 1740, the letter fell into the hands of Mr. Boehm, who sent at once a copy of it to the Classis of Amsterdam and wrote the following important
I2I
Boehm to the Classis
letter concerning it, in which he also touches upon his rela- tion to Mr. Goetschy :1 23
LETTER OF BOEHM TO THE CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM, APRIL
4, 1740.
Very Reverend Classis, Reverend and Devout Church Fathers!
I had serious doubts about sending the enclosed copy to the Rev- erend Classis, believing that on its account I might be regarded with displeasure. Yet I thought it indispensably necessary, in whatever aspect I considered it, to let the Very Reverend and Devout Church Fathers see it, for they, in their exalted wisdom, will know what to do with it, in order that your poor fellow- servant may be guarded against further trouble.
This letter caused constant mischief and was the continual sup- port of the wicked associates of Jacob Reiff, since the time of its arrival in this country. (Do. Weiss brought it along from Hol- land). The Christian Synods in their letters to his Reverence, Mr. Dorsius, have sufficiently declared their displeasure with the unordained preachers and hirelings.
About eight years ago, I was shown this letter (of which the en- closed is a copy) from a distance, with the statement that they did not concern themselves much about me and my church-order ; here they had a right church order and they knew what power and lib- erty they had.
But although I tried hard during all this time, yet I could not obtain the letter, until a few weeks ago. It came by accident out of their hands into mine.
Now I believe firmly that this letter was cunningly forged, for Ist. A long time ago I heard from the lips of Reiff himself that he had received the same from Do. Wilhelmi in the Dutch language and that he had it translated into the German language in Holland. 2nd. The signature is written by the hand of the translator, while the name of the translator is not mentioned. This ought to be entirely different.
123 The original letter of Boehm is in the Classical Archives at Am- sterdam. First printed in Life and Letters of Boehm, pp. 300-303.
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History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
3rd. The letter consists of six sheets, which have been sewed to- gether with a blue silk ribbon and sealed. I cannot believe that it is Do. Wilhelmi's seal, for I have his seal on two letters in three forms, none of which is like it.
4th. In these letters Do. Wilhelmi wrote me, after I had notified him that they did such things in the name of his Reverence (which they did as the letter shows) and he assured me, if such was done in his name it was done without his knowledge and approval. His letter was dated June 30, 1736.
5th. The so-called "Report and Instructions concerning Penn- sylvania," drawn up by ten commissioners and printed by order of the Christian Synods (probably in 1731) is almost uniform with the regulations of the enclosed letter. But nothing is mentioned [in the Report] about that which is contained in the beginning of the letter, in regard to the power and liberty which the letter grants to the people of this country and to the exercise of which it urges them.124 The letter likewise does not say to whom money
124 The letter of Dr. Wilhelmius is too long to be given entire. But a few of the more important paragraphs of the first part of the letter may be quoted. In the beginning of the letter the writer expresses his pleasure that he was permitted to appeal in behalf of the Pennsylvania churches to the church of Holland, with the result that the latter would take up the cause of the Pennsylvania churches and assist them with counsels and con- tributions. He expresses his regret to hear of their troubles and divisions, caused by the ordination of Mr. Boehm. He reports that he had trans- mitted their letters to their destination. The first he had sent to the Classis of Amsterdam, which, however, he informs them, continued to be of the opinion that Dom. Boehm should be supported in his position. Hence on November 21 [1730] he had submitted their second letter to the Classis of Rotterdam with the result that a committee of ten persons had been ap- pointed to investigate the whole case. But as their report would not be submitted to the Classis before next Easter, and as he did not want Mr. Weiss to return empty-handed, he would give them his own personal opinion in the matter.
First of all he advises them to accept the counsel of the Classis of Am- sterdam in order to preserve by it peace and harmony among the churches, until after the death of Mr. Boehm a change would take place. By doing this they would be sure of gaining the favor and good will of the Classis, inasmuch as the ordination of Boehm had taken place in answer to a
123
Letter of Wilhelmius
had been given in Holland. The printed pamphlet, however, men- tioned that a considerable sum had been placed into the hands of Do. Weis in Holland.
Therefore I cannot believe that Do. Wilhelmi ever wrote such a letter.
For this reason no one would be a more fitting person to lead the poor misguided people back upon the right way and to bring about unity, love and a God-pleasing order, by exposing such cun- ning and fraud, than his Reverence, Do. Wilhelmi, whom God may graciously reward for it. This would certainly be the case because many have passed away without being reconciled, and many have gone over to the sects on account of the trouble and dishar- mony occasioned by this letter, so that my heart often bled and sighed to God. I should be very glad to have a letter regarding it in my hands (for if it gets into the hands of Reiff's adherents, it will be hidden). Then, with the help of God, I would soon gather my sheep and perform my work among my congregations petition received from them and Mr. Boehm could not be removed from his office without much scandal and bitter feeling.
After these sensible admonitions, there follow four paragraphs which are out of harmony with all that precedes and follows and which were no doubt inserted by Reiff and his followers. It is inconceivable that Dr. Wilhelmius could have written them. They read as follows:
" In case this advice be not acceptable to you and your minds cannot unite with him, nor be edified, improved and comforted by his ministry and your church be exposed to ridicule and contempt, as you write in your letter and I have heard from the two delegates, I give it as my own per- sonal opinion, that, in order to remove the present and future quarrels, you have the divine right, given to you by God in Christ Jesus, which you can and must use, to elect on your own responsibility a minister according to the word of God and the church order.
" For your nation, which is living in a free land, is a perfectly free church, dependent upon none, which has in herself the right to govern herself, to elect such elders as she may please, if it be only done according to the word of God. Being independent of every church in the world, whichever it may be, you can accept advice and follow it or decline to do so. This is entirely different with the churches in New Netherland, which have been organized by the church of Holland.
" Inasmuch as this is so, the congregation of Schippach, Schwam and
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History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
with a double joy and my bitter sorrow would soon be sweetened.
But as long as this letter has been here my work has been ren- dered useless among many. The slanderers and liars found it a weapon against me and I had to put up with a small compensation for all my difficult and wearisome toil and labor and thus lose my food for the support of my body. But the most painful result was that I had to see my labor made fruitless with many, because of the letter, and had to behold more harm in all the congregations of the whole country than I could bring about growth.
The Reverend Classis can, therefore, clearly see that it is not my fault that our true church in this country did not grow. For Henry Goetschy has shown this letter everywhere and thereby caused me very much persecution, until he learned differently from his Reverence, Inspector Dorsius. Then he heartily repented and asked my forgiveness in the presence of his Reverence, which I granted him with all my heart. I also wish him success and inter- cede for him with God and our Reverend Church Fathers. He obediently submitted to the decision of the Reverend Christian Synods and desisted immediately. May God give him blessing and grace that he may become an efficient instrument to edify others.
neighboring places, has the divine right herself to elect a minister whom she may find fit for that position, and it is my opinion that the following procedure should be adopted: The consistory should assemble and inves- tigate the conduct of the men, who in the name of the whole congregation wrote to the Classis of Amsterdam, asking for Boehm and when it shall appear that they did not act truthfully, or that they themselves were de- ceived, the consistory must bring them to a confession of their guilt, and exclude these men from the table of the Lord and his communion, they being the cause of this disturbance. They should treat Dom. Boehm in the same manner, and if it be found that he deceived these men in their simple- mindedness, by his cunning and artifice, I suggest that these things be properly recorded and sent to the Classis, in order to justify yourselves and to assure the Classis that her resolution was based upon deceptive tales.
" After this has been done, the consistory shall notify all male members to meet at the specified time and vote one by one for the election of a minister, acting according to the church order of the Palatinate, then pro-
125
Forged Letter
I also made this suggestion to his Reverence, Inspector Dorsius, to propose to the Christian Synods, in sending the desired ministers, to ordain each for his particular place. For some places are more acceptable than others and the people also differ. I think that thereby future quarrels could be avoided entirely, and all would have to be content. May God give his gracious blessing upon his work for the salvation of many.
Your obedient servant commends herewith the Very Reverend Classis, your reverend persons, with all your families and holy service to the dear heavenly father and to the word of his grace and himself to your blessed and affectionate care, and he remains,
Very Reverend Classis, Your most submissive and obedient servant, Јон. Рн. Военм, Minister at Falckner Schwam, Schip Bach and Weitmarge. Witpen Township, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, April 4, 1740.
ceed to the ordination, and, in order that all this be done orderly, the advice and guidance of the nearest regular minister, that can be secured from Staten Island or Bucks County, should be requested, who should be present and preside over the whole transaction."
No arguments are needed to prove that these sections constitute the for- gery of which Boehm complained. It is incredible that any minister in his right mind could have written them. They are not only inconsistent with Dr. Wilhelmius' preceding advice to submit to the counsel of the Classis of Amsterdam, but they are also inherently absurd. The ridiculous insistence on a supposed " divine right " of the congregation is enough to discredit them. Moreover, why should the writer have taken the great trouble to work out elaborate rules for the guidance of the churches in Pennsylvania (which follow these sections immediately), if in his opinion the Palatinate church order was sufficient for their government? The pity of it all was that the " Fathers " in Holland paid no attention to these just complaints of Boehm, allowing his enemies to go on unrebuked. The letter of Wilhelmius is dated December 31, 1730. Boehm's copy of this letter is in the Pennsylvania Portfolio, archives at Amsterdam, new letters, No. 10. It was printed in full in Life and Letters of Boehm, pp. 303-311.
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History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
In the spring of 1740, Mr. Boehm visited the Goshen- hoppen congregations to secure from them, as he had se- cured from all the other Reformed congregations in Penn- sylvania, a statement as to what they were willing to give towards a pastor's salary.
In March, 1740, Boehm reported as follows to the Classis regarding his visit to Goshenhoppen :125
Concerning the congregation of Goshenhoppen I know not what to say. I have been there three times, yet I have not been able to do anything, although I entreated them very urgently not to cast aside the grace of God, now so clearly visible. When I went to them the third time, they [namely the elders] held a meeting on the 21st of February, and a part of them promised me at last to come to me on the 26th or 27th in order to sign the paper. I also heard that the people in Great Swamp and those at Saucon Creek were not at fault. However I did not see any of them.
Shortly afterwards, however, they sent in a report through Mr. Goetschy; the New Goshenhoppen congrega- tion promising ten pounds, Great Swamp five pounds and Saucon Creek five pounds. The paper signed by the elders of the three congregations was as follows :126
(1). The congregation in New Goshenhoppen promises Ten Pounds.
Herman Fischer
George Steinmann
Elders
Caspar Holtzhauser
Andreas Greber
(2) The congregation in Great Swamp promises Five Pounds.
Felix Brunner
Michael Eberhard
Elders
Christian Willauer Jacob Wetzel
125 The original of Boehm's report is in the Classical archives. Printed in Life and Letters of Boehm, p. 296 f.
126 Also in archives of Classis. See Life and Letters of Boehm, p. 293.
127
Pledges of Goshenhoppen
(3) The congregation at Saucon Creek promises Five Pounds.
Georg Best Frantz Blum
Friedrich Scholl
Elders Tobias Baal
At the same time when Boehm secured these pledges for pastor's salary, he also proposed to the Classis that the congregations in Pennsylvania be organized into six charges. The last and sixth charge to consist of New Goshenhoppen, Great Swamp and Saucon Creek. It is strange that he passes Old Goshenhoppen by entirely, which was certainly in existence, as is evident from the documents which we have already presented.
In repartitioning the congregations in 1740 (an earlier partitioning into four charges had been proposed by him in 1734), Boehm suggested not only how the congrega- tions might be most advantageously combined into charges, but he also pointed out where the residences of the minis- ters might be most conveniently located. Thus he wrote of Goshenhoppen :127
VI. Goshenhoppen. As in the last two congregations [Oley and Tulpehocken], a place might here also be found for a minis- ter's dwelling which would not be too inconvenient in order to supply Great Swamp and Saucon Creek from it.
The good feeling and spirit of cooperation, which was established between Boehm, Dorsius and Goetschy in 1740 did not last very long. In the winter of 1739-1740, Mr. Boehm had made an extended tour of visitation to all the Reformed congregations, traveling 300 miles on horseback to visit the various congregations, in order to ascertain how much each was willing to pay towards a pastor's salary.
127 Minutes of Coetus, p. 16; also Life and Letters of Boehm, p. 298.
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History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
The result of his visits was embodied by him in an elabo- rate report, which he placed into the hands of Dorsius, in order that he might transmit it to Holland. Instead of doing so, Dorsius made a summary of it in Dutch and sent that to Holland in his own name, giving there the im- pression that he himself had secured all the information which had been requested. 128 When Boehm heard of it he became very angry and on July 25, 1741, wrote a long letter of complaint to the Classis. In it he wrote :129
It seems to me that my sending over [a copy of] this letter [of Do. Wilhelmius] accounts largely for the ill-will, which his Rev- erence, Mr. Dorsius, bears me. For after I had secured this letter from Mr. Goetschi, after many efforts, and it became known to Mr. Dorsius, Goetschi came directly to me, brought me greetings and implored me to give him the letter again, under all kinds of pretense. He also said, that the Inspector, Mr. Dorsius, deemed it advisable to return the letter to the people, otherwise trouble might arise. But I thought that they were trying to make the letter dis- appear. I, therefore, declined in a friendly way and retained the letter. Now, whether his Reverence, Mr. Dorsius, is also of the opinion that every one in this country may do as he pleases, I leave to men, endowed with wisdom, to find out. For his Reverence ordained this young Goetschi, who caused so much harm here through the assistance of disorderly people and by the arbitrary transgression of our Reformed church order and customs. This ordination took place after he left Goshenhoppen, and had lived half a mile from his Reverence and studied under him for one year, on the 7th of April last [1741], with the assistance of Do. Frei- linghausen, of Randany [Raritan] and of another whose name I have not been able to find out as yet. But as far as I have heard, he is said to be one of the Tennents, who are of the Whitfield fol-
128 Incorporated into the minutes of the Synodical Deputies, under date March 7-8, 1741.
129 In Classical Archives, Pennsylvania Portfolio, No. 14; see Life and Letters of Boehm, p. 324 ff.
Goetschy at Tulpehocken 129
lowers, otherwise called Presbyterians. I shall try to make certain. This Goetschi, as reported in my last submissive letter, had indeed asked for my forgiveness, in the presence of Mr. Dorsius, of the wrong committed against me and promised to live according to all order. This occurred on the 21st of February 1740. But what he did soon afterwards (and it can hardly be thought that he did it without the knowledge of his Reverence, Mr. Dorsius) may be seen from the enclosure, marked C. He likewise made two oral offers to my regular congregation in Oley (according to their testi- mony) whereby this congregation also was separated and divided.
Enclosure C. is a letter from the elders at Tulpe- hocken,130 addressed to Mr. Boehm, dated April 20, 1740, informing him that Mr. Goetschy had written to them a letter in which he notified them that he and Mr. Dorsius would come to Tulpehocken in May and administer the Lord's Supper there.
In his report of 1744, Mr. Boehm confirms and en- larges upon his previous statements regarding the ordina- tion of Mr. Goetschy and the conditions prevailing at Goshenhoppen. He writes :131
This congregation up to this time has claimed the privilege ac- corded to them in the letter which Reiff had when he returned from his collecting tour, and which purported to have been written by his Reverence, Doctor Wilhelmi of Rotterdam (whereof a copy may be found among the Pennsylvania papers). Hence they will not submit to any church-order. And no matter how much I may admonish them, they remain of the same mind. They had taken young Goetschi to be their pastor, but when Do. Dorsius arrived he withdrew from them, went to him, and studied a year with him, and after this year he was ordained as minister for Long Island in the month of April 1741, by Mr. Dorsius, assisted by Do. Fre-
130 Classical Archives, Pennsylvania Portfolio, No. 17. Printed in Life and Letters of Boehm, p. 342.
131 Minutes of Coetus, p. 26; also Life and Letters of Boehm, p. 419.
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History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
linghuysen, of Raritan, and still another (as I learned afterwards) Tennant by name, of whom it was said that he was one of the Whitfielders.
In 1739, the Synods of Holland had notified the Penn- sylvania churches (see Life of Boehm, p. 284) that they could expect no help from them, unless they would "refuse to hear the unordained ministers and hirelings." As a result Goetschy stopped preaching in 1740 (see p. 124), went to Dorsius, studied with him for a year, and was then ordained by Dorsius, Frelinghuysen and Tennent on April 7, 1741.
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