USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > A history of the Goshenhoppen Reformed charge, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (1727-1819) > Part 5
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58 Ecclesiastical Records of New York, Vol. IV, p. 2440.
59 Journal of P. H. S., Vol. VII, p. 47; Life and Letters of Boehm, p. 208.
1
51
Letter of Boehm
services. Moreover, after these sermons and at other occasions he baptized various children and married people. He thus revealed what intention he had in mind during all this time. Through all this our poor congregation, which has been completely split by him, has been kept thus far in such harmful division and strife.
Boehm had also heard about the object of Weiss's jour- ney and was not at all pleased with it. He regarded it only as a means of strengthening still more the opposition to him. Continuing the above quoted letter to New York, he wrote :
Moreover he [Weiss] is now setting further mischief on foot, for he has resolved to cross the ocean with the avowed intention of going to Holland to receive the money which, he claims, has been collected there in answer to his letter. He intends to put this out at interest, so he can live on it. Then he is going to return. Through this the poor seceding members, who have been driven into rebellion through him, will still further be hardened.
Hoform Affilia Vifm
When Weiss was ready to leave, his elders associated Jacob Reiff with him, a well-to-do man and member of the Skippack congregation, for they feared that Weiss might be persuaded to stay in Holland or return to Germany. In that case Reiff was to take charge of the collected money and also try to secure them another minister. That this
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History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
was the reason why Reiff was associated with Weiss is asserted in a letter of Rev. John B. Rieger and Dr. John Jacob Diemer, written on March 4, 1733, to the Synod- ical Deputies. They write in the course of their letter:00
When Dominie Weiss, about three years ago, resolved to go to Holland and Germany to present our need to good-hearted souls eager to advance the honor of God, a doubt arose in the minds of some of us, whether he might not allow himself to be persuaded to remain in Germany, whereby our good efforts would prove fruitless. For this reason we associated with him Jacob Reif, a naturalized citizen of this country and a well-to-do man, who intended to travel to Germany, and we gave him a special power of attorney, by virtue of which he was requested to take charge of the collection, in case Weiss would not return, and act in accordance with the orders of the consistory of Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
That a possible change of ministers was contemplated appears also from a statement made by Do. Wilhelmius before the Synod of North Holland, held at Enkhuysen, July 29-August 7, 1732. The minutes of that meeting state :
Do. Wilhelmius has heard that the Society of Merchants has bought a large district in Pennsylvania, but intended to sell this land again, for which purpose J. Ryff has traveled to the Palati- nate. The said Mr. Wilhelmius had proposed Mr. Hottinger to J. Ryff, with the view of sending him to Pennsylvania, for the purpose of organizing the Church there. About this matter J. Ryff had written to Wilhelmius, that he had spoken to Mr. Hot- tinger about it and that he was not without hope that Mr. Hot- tinger could be persuaded to do this.
From these two documents we learn incidentally that Jacob Reiff had other reasons for going to Holland and Germany in 1730. He was traveling in behalf of a so- 60 The original is in the Hague archives, 74, 1, 15.
53
Jacob Reiff in Court
ciety of merchants as a land agent, and probably induced a number of those who are later found as his traveling companions on the ship "Mortonhouse " to go with him to Pennsylvania.
Reiff himself hotly denied in his answer to the bill of complaint preferred against him in 1732, that he had any other motive for going to Holland in 1730 except to serve the congregations of Philadelphia and Germantown. He said :61
ANSWER OF REIFF TO BILL OF COMPLAINT, SEPTEMBER 4, 1733.
[This defendant] denies that he did acquaint the said congre- gations, church-wardens or elders, or any person or persons what- soever, that he intended a voyage to Holland and from thence to Frankfort in Germany, or that he should be glad of the company of the said George Michael Weitzius (alias Weiss) or that he would willingly assist him in doing any service he could to his brethren of the Reformed Church of Philadelphia; or that if he should stand in need of any money for that purpose or for his own private wants that he this defendant would furnish him, or any- thing to that or the like purpose, as in the said bill of complaint is falsely suggested. But on the contrary this defendant saith that on his return from Holland to Pensilvania in the year of our Lord 1729 as aforesaid (or any time afterwards till prevailed on as here- after mentioned) he had no thought or design of going abroad any more. But several of the church-wardens or elders of the said congregations of Philada. and Skippack and the said George Michael Weitzius (alias Weiss) frequently applied to the defendant and earnestly entreated him to go to Holland and Germany once more, to accompany and assist the said George Michael Weitzius (alias Weiss) in collecting and receiving monies collected and to be collected for the use of the said congregations. And the better to prevail on this defendant to comply with their request, they volun- tarily and of their own accord faithfully promised that they would
61 Reformed Quarterly Review, Vol. XL, p. 61 f.
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History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
reimburse and pay to him this defendant all costs and charges and expenses that he should be at in the said voyage, and that they would likewise pay and allow him any reasonable satisfaction for his time and trouble therein. But this defendant often refused to take the said voyage, this defendant being then employed in car- rying on certain buildings on his plantation at Skippack, and it was likely to be very prejudicial to this defendants affairs. And this defendant saith that in order to get rid of their importunities he endeavored to get some other person to undertake the said voyage in his stead and accordingly offered £5 out of his own pocket to one Hans William Rohrich who was willing to go. But neither of the said congregations thought fit to trust him. And this defendant saith that by the continued importunities of the said members of the said congregations, their elders or church wardens and minister, induced by their fair promises expecting that agree- able thereto he should be reimbursed all the charge and expense he should be at and be also generously rewarded for his trouble, and upon the said elders or church-wardens signing an instrument for that purpose, he the said defendant was at length prevailed upon to undertake the said voyage, tho' hazardous, troublesome and very prejudicial to this defendants affairs and interest, and the great displeasure and uneasiness of his most intimate friends and rela- tions. And this defendant saith that true it is a power was given to this defendant signed by the elders or church wardens of both the said congregations of Philadelphia and Skippack, but denies that the said power is of the purport or contents in the bill set forth or that he was thereby enjoined to observe the directions of the Classis in Holland, as may appear by the said power now in the defendants possession and ready to be produced to this honorable court, a copy whereof is to this defendants answer annexed, which this defendant prays may be taken as part of this his answer.
This power of attorney, written in incoherent German, with several words left out, as well as poorly spelled, was, according to Reiff's copy [presumably correct ] as follows :62
62 Reiff's copy of this power of attorney is in the Harbaugh collection of manuscripts; printed in the Reformed Quarterly Review, Vol. XL, p. 58.
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Power of Attorney
POWER OF ATTORNEY GIVEN TO REIFF, MAY 19, 1730.
Forasmuch as our pastor, Mr. Weiss, has resolved to take a journey, accompanied by Jacob Reiff, to England and Rotterdam, for the purpose of receiving the collection which is said to be lying ready there, [intended] for the erection of a church in this coun- try ; authority is herewith given to Jacob Reiff to take entire charge, so that Mr. Weiss may be expedited on his immediate return with the same to Pennsylvania. Therefore we also entrust everything to his good conscience, and give him plenary power in everything. In testimony whereof we subscribe our names. Given at Phila- delphia, May 19, 1730.
We hereby request Jacob Reiff to arrange matters in such a way that, if Pastor Weiss should or would not return to this country, 63 he, Reiff, may at once bring with him a minister from Heidelberg, and provide him with whatever is most necessary ; because if monies collected should be no longer on hand, we deem is unnecessary that Mr. Weiss proceed further in his journey, but that, according to his best judgment, Jacob Reiff should deliver the letters at their proper destination and personally ask for a reply thereto.
Signed by all the elders of the two congregations at Philadelphia and Skippack :
[Philadelphia] [Skippack]
J. DIEMER, D.M.P.
WENDEL KEIBER
PIETER LECOLIE
DEOBALT JUNG
JOHANN WILLEM RÖRIG
CHRISTOFFEL SCHMITT
HENRICH WELLER GERHART (G.I.H.) INDE HEVEN
GEORGE PETER HILLENGASS
GEORGE REIF
HANS MICHEL FRÖLICH MICHEL HILLENGASS.
GEORG PHILIP DODDER.
It is significant of the state of affairs that Reiff admits in his answer to the bill of complaint "that at the time when the said power was given, the said George Michael
63 This statement shows that there was still a lurking suspicion in the minds of some of his members that Weiss would not return to Pennsylvania.
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History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
Weitzius (alias Weiss) was absent and this defendant be- lieves it was given without his knowledge."
When Weiss and Reiff left for Holland they took with them several letters. The consistory of the Dutch Re- formed congregation at Neshaminy, Bucks County, sent through Mr. Reiff a letter, dated May 3, 1730, to the Rev. David Knibbe of Leyden and the Rev. John Wilhelmius of Rotterdam,64 asking them to issue in their name a call to a minister for the Dutch Reformed church in Bucks County at a salary of sixty pounds, and sending at the same time a sum of money to pay his traveling expenses. Two other letters, dated May 10, 1730, almost identical in contents, were sent by the followers of Weiss at Skippack, one to the Classis of Amsterdam, the other to the Classis of Rotterdam. As these letters have not been published before, we offer herewith a translation of the letter to the Classis of Amsterdam, which is the more interesting of the two, because 41 signatures of people living at Skip- pack in 1730, are affixed to it. It reads as follows : 65
LETTER OF THE SKIPPACK REFORMED CHURCH TO THE CLASSIS OF AMSTERDAM, MAY 10, 1730.
Very Worthy, Very Learned, our Highly Respected Gentlemen of the far famed Classis of Amsterdam.
A whole congregation ventures, upon the request of the elders and deacons of the Reformed Church and Congregation at Skip- pack, to submit this present letter to the very Reverend Classis of
64 This letter, together with the old church records of the congregation, is now in the archives of the Theological Seminary at New Brunswick, N. J. It was translated and published by the writer in a paper, read before the Bucks County Hist. Society, January 19, 1918, on the Life and Work of the Rev. Peter H. Dorsius.
65 The original of this letter is in the archives of the Classis of Amster- dam, " Pennsylvania Portfolio," new letters, No. 4.
57
Letter of Skippack Church
Amsterdam with the request to look upon it with favorable eyes. It is indeed a great comfort to us here in this wilderness that a Reverend Classis has taken our affairs somewhat to heart, which favor we are certainly unable to appreciate sufficiently with a thank- ful spirit, yet it pains us that we are unable to accept and recognize Mr. Boehm as our minister, in whose behalf a letter was addressed to the Reverend Classis, in the name of the congregation at Schi- bach. This is due to the fact, that he did not hesitate, without our knowledge and against our will, to deceive with a false statement your Reverences, for whom we have and shall always maintain the highest respect. For in our name and with the addition of some signatures he asked and petitioned a Reverend Classis about things which we have not even thought of. We recognize that, in answer to Mr. Boehm's supplications, the Reverend Classis had the best interests of the Reformed Congregation in view and acted very wisely, but it was certainly desirable that Mr. Boehm should have made the same profession of his intentions here in this country as before a Reverend Classis, so that we would not be compelled to annoy you with complaints.
We, the whole congregation in the neighborhood of Schibach creek, are well satisfied with our minister, Mr. Weiss, who, in answer to a regular call and upon our repeated requests and desires, undertook the service of the ministry among us. We are deeply grieved that he is to be taken from our congregation. It appears to us so hard, because we feel as if we were no longer worthy to hear the Word, which is the only saving means of grace, from a duly ordained minister of God's Word, who insists on a virtuous, loving and God-fearing heart. We can have great confidence in a man, who leads a good life, but little in one who has a restless head and mixes too much in worldly affairs. Rev. Mr. Weiss read on December 7, 1729, after his sermon at Schibach, the de- cision of the Reverend Classis regarding the ordination of Mr. Boehm which had taken place. But, as we were greatly dismayed about this, we asked Mr. Weiss to spare us in this, as we could not possibly accept Mr. Boehm and recognize him as a minister. The letter which Mr. Boehm had written some time ago to the Reverend
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History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
Classis, had not been sent with our knowledge and consent. Now the Reverend Classis can easily see what to think of Mr. Boehm's petition and how he deceived us all.
We hope that for this reason the Reverend Classis will not take it amiss, inasmuch as we do not wish to give thereby offence to the · whole Reformed Church nor any occasion for slander to the mani- fold sects in this country.
However, we heartily forgive Mr. Boehm for what he has done in this matter, if only he will give up his purpose. We herewith request the Reverend Classis to favor us with a reply in so impor- tant a matter, in order that we may be governed by it and not be hindered in our divine services.
With all dutiful respect all of us remain greatly indebted to the Reverend Classis,
Schibach, May 10, 1730.
The most submissive and obedient servants of the Reverend Classis, Deacons and Elders of the Congregation at Schibach :
WENDEL KEUPPER GERHART (G.I.H.) INDEHEVEN HANS GEORG REIFF.
CHRISTOPHEL SCHMITT
DEWALD JUNG
JAGOB KELLER
JOHANNES SCHOLL
MARTE HILTEBEUDEL
JOHANNES LEFEBER
ULRICH STEFFEN
JOHANNES LEMAN
JOHAN JACOB ARNDT
JOST FERER
HANS ADAM (H M) MAUER
FELIX GUTH
JOHANN PHILB RIED
HENRICH H HUWER
PHILLIPS HENRICH SÖLLER
JERG (G) GERNAN
JOHANNES LEBO
VALENTIN (VHA) HANS AMEN BASTIAN SCHMIT
LORENTZ SCHWEITZER
HANS FILB STEINHEINDIG
JOHANNES (O) WILLHE
JACOB HEIDSCHUH
PETER WENCE
JOST SCHEULER
NICKLAS LÖSCHER
JACOB HANF
CHRISTIAN WEBER
DAVID MONTANDON
PETER BORGER
HANS JERG BAUMAN
59
Weiss in Holland
CARL LUDWIG KEIPPER
ANDREAS HACK
LUDWIG SCHEFER
FRIDERICH SCHOLL JACEL LEIDY
GEORG PHILIE DODDER.
WILLHELM SCHMIT
The point made against Boehm in this complaint was of course poorly taken. In order to have a valid petition Boehm did not need to have the signatures and consent of all the members of his congregations. It was enough that he had the signatures of all his elders. The plaint of the seceders at Skippack amounts simply to this, that Boehm did not take them, his enemies, into his confidence. There was no deception in that and no sensible man can blame him for not doing it. It was the part of wisdom to keep his own counsels.
Before Weiss and Reiff reached Holland the Synod of South Holland had been held July 4 to 14, 1730, at Breda,66 at which its president, Rev. Dr. Wilhelmius of Rotterdam, read a lengthy report. In it he stated among other things that the number of Reformed confessors from the Palatinate then in Pennsylvania was 15,000. They were increasing year by year through new arrivals. Only a few weeks before the meeting of Synod, three ships with 600 emigrants had passed through Rotterdam. The same report was also read before the Synod of North Hol- land, held July 21 to August 3, 1730. As a result of this report the church of Pennsylvania was earnestly recom- mended to the benevolence of the Classes.
Weiss and Reiff arrived in Holland shortly after the ses- sions of these Synods. We first meet them at Haarlem67
66 There is no evidence that Weiss and Reiff were present at the Synod of Breda. Their names are not mentioned in the minutes of that meeting. 67 These dates are based on the list of contributions printed in the writer's " History of the Reiff Case," in Mr. Dotterer's Historical Notes, p. 153. There are three contemporaneous copies of this list: (1) In the
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History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
on August 10, where the Rev. Jacob Geelkerke handed them fl. 390, collected by the Synod of North Holland. A few days later, on August 15 to 16, they were at Rot- terdam, where the Rev. Alardus Tiele gave them, by order of the Synod on South Holland, held at Kuilenburg in 1729, fl. 696.12, and the Rev. Barth. Van Velse handed over the contributions of the Synod just held at Breda in 1730, namely fl. 79. At the same time they appeared before the Synodical Deputies, whose minutes of August 15 to 16, 1730, give us the following information :
WEISS AND REIFF BEFORE THE SYNODICAL DEPUTIES.
I. The Deputies of the Synods have requested the Rev. Classis of Schieland to appoint some of her midst to make further inquiries, in accordance with the resolution of the Rev. Synod of South Hol- land, held at Breda, regarding the report touching the churches in Pennsylvania, which had been presented to the Synod. They hear with much satisfaction from the mouth of the president, Do. Wilhelmius, that a good opportunity will be afforded to do this, be- cause the Rev. George Michael Weitzius, minister at Philadelphia and an elder of that congregation67a are at present in Rotterdam.
2. Who having been interviewed at length by the Deputies about the condition of the church and the contents of the memorial, presented before Syond, it was resolved to further discuss the matter with them tomorrow at the house of Do. Wilhelmius.
3. Having met here, the above mentioned Do. Weitzius
(a) presented to the Deputies his certificate of examination and the commission given to him by Upper Consistory at Heidelberg, Harbaugh manuscripts (see Ref. Quarterly Review, Vol. XL (1893), p. 68 f.) ; (2) in the Minutes of the Synodical Deputies, under date April 13-16, 1739 (see Dotterer's Historical Notes, p. 153); (3) in the letter book at the Hague, 74, II, 3. pp. 15. 16.
67a Reif was not an elder, but only a member of the Skippack Church, see Life and Letters of Boehm, p. 237; see also his own statement, above, p. 46.
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Weiss before Deputies
dated May 1, 1727, and renewed by the said Consistory on April 26, 1728.
(b) He gave an account of the large number of Reformed people in Pennsylvania, who have been served hitherto by him alone and by a certain Philip Beem [Boehm], who has set himself up as a teacher, although being without education and having no proper call, but who through wrong information was examined, it seems, and admitted to the ministry by one of the ministers of New Netherland, upon the order of the Rev. Classis of Amsterdam, about which the congregation at Philadelphia and at Skippack wrote a letter to the Classis of Amsterdam and also to the Classis of Schieland, dated May 30, 1730, signed by forty-four persons, requesting that the above mentioned Beem might not be forced upon them as their minister.
(c) He accepted the request to prepare a chart, showing the different colonies of the Palatines, the distance of one from the other, and how many churches ought to be built there for their service, and how many shepherds or teachers would be necessary to serve them properly, and he agreed further to give a detailed written account concerning the whole condition of the land and the Palatines living therein.
The minutes of the meeting of September 12 to 14, 1730, add: "This report came after the close of the ses- sions and was communicated to the Deputies."
It is very unfortunate that this report and chart of Weiss are no longer in existence, for they would have given us no doubt important information regarding the various German settlements in the province and the earliest Re- formed congregations.
On September 4, 1730, Weiss and Reiff were in Am- sterdam, where they appeared before the famous Classis of that city. The Classical Minutes states that :
Do. G. Mich. Wijs, minister at Philadelphia, appeared with an elder of Schibach and made known that the congregation at Schi-
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History of the Goshenhoppen Charge
bach, from which also a letter had been received, is very much dis- turbed and in great confusion, because the congregation refuses to recognize Do. Boehm as a properly ordained minister, who has been installed as their pastor, in accordance with the order of this Classis, by the ministers of New York, which can be seen in the Acts of January 11, 1729. His Reverence requested this Classis to take such measures as would restore the peace of the congrega- tion. Whereupon the Deputies for foreign affairs were asked to investigate this matter carefully and present their recommendations to this body.
Further his Reverence requested a contribution to build a church at Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, which congregation is recom- mended to the charity of all the congregations under the jurisdic- tion of this Classis.
The two travelers remained in Amsterdam for several months. On October 18, 1730, the burgomasters of the city permitted them to collect fl. 600. A list of contribu- tions spread out upon the minutes of the Synodical Depu- ties under date April 14, 1739, shows that this sum was actually collected. The permit issued to them has been translated and printed several times, but as it is desirable to have all the documents, bearing on their stay in Hol- land, put together in one place, we may be pardoned for repeating it in this connection, with a few minor correc- tions :68
PERMIT OF BURGOMASTERS OF AMSTERDAM, OCTOBER 18, 1730.
The Burgomasters and Magistrates of the City of Amsterdam, upon the report made to their Honors by George Michael Weiss, minister, and Jacob Reiff, elder, as commissioners of the Reformed congregation at Philadelphia, concerning the miserable condition of the said congregation, consisting in general of poor and needy
68 A contemporaneous copy of this permit in Dutch, from which the above translation was made, is found at the Hague, Vol. 74, II, 3.
63
Weiss in Amsterdam
people, who were compelled by religious persecution or from lack of subsistence to emigrate thither, and after long and expensive journeys had to settle there empty handed; and being without places and opportunities for the exercise of their religion, and for the propagation of the Christian Reformed religion, have resolved, in order to so far come to the aid of these poor banished brethren in the faith, in the attainment of their desires, as to grant and per- mit to their aforesaid commissioners, being assisted by John Peter Bolthuysen, a resident of this city, that these same, within this city and its jurisdiction, may visit the homes of the good citizens and residents and may solicit of the same most courteously the gifts and donations of their Christian sympathy, such as they may be willing to contribute to them; moreover, that they may accept such gifts and contributions with gratitude to the amount of six hun- dred guilders and no more.
Done at Amsterdam on the 18th of October 1730.
By ordinance of their Excellencies aforesaid
(L.S.)
S. B. ELIAS.
On October 19, 1730, the consistory of the Reformed Church at Amsterdam gave fl. 150, through Rev. John Visscher, pro tem. president of Synod and on the follow- ing day the diaconate added fl. 600, through Wm. Coeven- hoven, deacon.
During October and November private persons in Hol- land contributed fl. 217, so that the total of all the contri- butions received was fl. 2132.12.
The last reference to the presence of the two delegates in Holland is found in the minutes of the Classis of the Hague, which mentions, under date November 6, 1730, a Latin letter of Do. Weiss, addressed to the Classis, in which he asked for their help and encouragement.
The later movements of Weiss can fortunately be traced by an account which he submitted in May, 1738. At that time he made a trip from German Flats, N. Y., to Skip-
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