USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > Ephrata > Chronicon ephratense : a history of the community of Seventh Day Baptists at Ephrata, Lancaster County, Penn'a. > Part 8
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In autumn of the year 1735 all the Solitary, of both sexes,
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who had dwelt as settlers scattered through the country, moved to the Settlement. Thus this holy mode of life, over which God had poured out the powers of the new world, was brought to its end in Pennsylvania, and will hardly be revived again; for other schools afterwards arose, and when God wants to transfer any one to a higher duty, he makes his former estate to be sinful for him, otherwise would no one be brought to renounce it. In this same movement the afore-mentioned teacher of Tulpehocken in a letter to the Superintendent asked to be taken up in the Settlement. The Brethren did not think that such an one would be able to endure the severe mode of life, and advised against his reception. But the Superintendent had greater faith, and through his mediation he moved into the Settlement that autumn yet, and several of his household followed him. The rest fell away again from their testimony.
After the meetings had been held for a short time in Ke- dar, the following changes took place: A widower of prop- erty in the congregation, Sigmund Landert by name, felt himself obligated in his conscience to offer up his possessions to the glory of God; wherefore he asked the Superinten- dent's advice, who counseled him not to do it. But he soon came again, full of sorrow, and made this proposition, namely: that if he and his two daughters would be received into the Settlement, he would build out of his means another house of prayer adjoining Kedar, besides a dwelling-house for the Superintendent; then Kedar might be changed into a Sis- ters' Convent. This, the Superintendent saw, was from God, and accordingly agreed to his request. Here one can see how in those days the Spirit reigned and manfully urged them on, with the power of apostolic times, to a communal life. More such cases occurred in those times. Among the rest, a housefather sold his property, and, in apostolic wise, laid the price thereof at the Superintendent's feet; who used it for God's glory, and incorporated him and his family in the household at Ephrata, where, after much faithfulness in God's work, he ended his course under the name of Maca- rius. The erection of the church now went forward without hindrance; for the housefather before referred to brought all his possessions into the Settlement, besides his two daughters,
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who entered the Sisters' Convent. The younger of them had recourse to the world again; but the older entered into her rest, at this same Convent, in November of the year 1773. Their father, however, who was a skillful mechanic, rendered good service in building up the Settlement; and after a holy poverty and abnegation of all things had become his portion, he went home to his eternal fatherland under the name of Sealthiel; he had proved by his example that a domestic household may be dissolved through the heavenly call.
This house was a sightly structure, furnished with a hall for love-feasts, and one for meetings, which had two "port- kirchen " for the use of the Solitary, besides a gallery occu- pied by gray-haired fathers; here and there, moreover, texts in black-letter were hung. This beautiful building, after having stood about four years, was razed to the ground again, the cause of which can scarcely be comprehended by human reason; the standard is too limited. The Superin- tendent's followers were confounded in him, and knew not whether the erection or the destruction of this house, or both were from God. Other persons held him to be a sorcerer, and said he had made fools of his people. It is probable that a hidden Hand made use of him, in this wise symbolically to represent the wonders of eternity, after which the veil was again drawn over the affair; for there is a likeness in its history to that of the temple at Jerusalem, which, after it was scarcely finished, was plundered by the king of Egypt. Since a dwelling had been erected for him adjoining this building, he was now for the second time obliged to abandon his seclusion and therefore removed into the confines of the Sisterhood. Here God made use of him to found their Order; whereupon he devoted himself wholly unto them. For it is to be known that at his first awakening at Heidelberg he came unto the Virgin above, through whom the whole creation is restored again to God, and who was enamored of his limbum beyond measure, which was one cause of his many sufferings, for she wished to have him feminine and quite subject unto herself, whereas he was still possessed of the ardor of rising inanhood. Now however the graft of the upper virginliood was through him to be
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implanted in others for the spread of God's kingdom. Wherefore his spiritual daughters were sent unto him in the bloom of youth; all of whom, without distinction, he received. Whoever came to him at that time saw witlı astonishment his whole house filled with his spiritual daughters; and as he then had reached his fortieth year, it is easy to imagine what temptations he had to endure in his natural body, in reference to which he once declared that lie had really first learned to know his Father in his fortieth year. Before his death also, he placed among the many blessings God had shown him this, that he liad preserved him from the allurements of the female sex.
At this same time when the female part was incorporated in his household, and while the Brothers' Convent was being built, the Superintendent was impelled to lay the founda- tions of the communal life. Accordingly all provisions were delivered to the Sisters in their kitchen, who daily prepared a supper for the entire Settlement in a large dining-hall, they being separated from thein by a dividing screen. Everything, withal, was done in order and reverently accord- ing to the leading of the Holy Ghost, and under the super- vision of the Superintendent, so that the powers of the new world were markedly manifested. After this had continued for half a year, and the common household of the Sisters had been dedicated, the Brethren were again dismissed in peace, and the Superintendent restored to them their pre- scribed rations.
At this time the Lectiones were first instituted in the, Settlement; namely, the Superintendent ordered that weekly, on the evening of the sixth day, every one should examine his heart before God, in his own cell, and then hand in to the Superintendent a written statement of liis spiritual con- dition, which he read at the meeting of the congregation on the following Sabbath. These confessional papers were called Lectiones, and several hundred of them were after- wards published in printed forin. It is remarkable that the most unlearned and simple-minded stated their condition so artlessly, unreservedly, and simply that one cannot but be astonished at their simplicity.
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CHAPTER XV.
NEW PERSECUTIONS ARE COMMENCED ; IN PART BY THE MEM- BERS OF THE CONGREGATION.
There are some things in the Superintendent's course which are specially remarkable and scarcely can be under- stood. Such is this, that people who at first exalted him to the heavens, afterwards became his worst opponents. In the preceding chapter we described the earnest conversion of a Brother, C. W. But as he did not keep watch over himself, there grew from the root of enmity to God within him, which had not been killed, an antagonism against the Superinten- dent, which was the cause of his renouncing the testimony of God again, and allowing himself to be taken up by the world. Since, however, God finally vindicated his glory in him, and through many circuitous by-ways brought him back to his first love and the wife of his youth, we do not hesitate to incorporate in this history so much as belongs here of the mistakes and circumstances of this remarkable 111 a 11. As he possessed great natural talents in matters per- taining to the government of the land, and, besides, was Indian interpreter, having been adopted into their tribes, so that the country could neither wage war nor make peace with the Indians without him, everybody was sorry that so useful a man should have allowed himself to be fooled so. Wherefore Governor Th. who then was ruler, and who well understood the art of dissimulation, took measures to bring him over to his side again, to cope with which the good Brother was by no means competent. The former took hold of the inatter very shrewdly, spoke in praise of the organi- zation at Ephrata, and that he was not disinclined to come into closer relations with such a people. This he could well say, for he went to the trouble to visit the Settlement with a following of twenty horses and accompanied by many people of quality fromn Virginia and Maryland. He was worthily received by the Brethren, though the Superintendent and
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the Mother Superior of the Sisters held themselves aloof. He declared himself well pleased with the institution. But when he saw that the families also had an own household in the Settlement, he wanted to know what the object of this was ; and on being told that they too had entered the celibate state, he regarded it as something curious. Having made a favorable impression on the Brother [C. W. ], he now ten- dered him the office of a justice of the peace, which the Brother would no doubt have gladly accepted if it were not against the principles of his people; he did so, however, only on condition that the congregation would permit it. There- upon at his request a council was held to decide the question whether a Brother of this confession might be allowed to hold a governmental office. The fathers were of opinion that this could not be done. But the Superintendent thought differently, and asked them whether they had a right to restrict a Brother's conscience. And when he [C. W. ] was asked about it, he declared that his conscience did not forbid him to accept; upon which full liberty was granted him. The Governor also gave him the privilege to with- draw from court whenever such matters should happen to come up as were against his conscience.
For a time favorable winds blew for him after this, and he could soon be seen as chief justice of court seated beneath the crown wearing his accustomed beard. At length, how- ever, his office came to occupy him so much that he became estranged from his Brethren. He first and most severely took offence at his tried friend the Superintendent himself, of which the latter was himself the cause, for he loved the good Brother more than he could bear. He was indeed more than once repaid for his love in such coin, so that he used to say, that he trusted no one until he had been aggrieved by him. The occasion for his being offended C. W. took from a remark of the Superintendent, who told him that once, when he stood in the breach for a deceased Brother, the blood was forced from his finger nails; from which he inferred that the Superintendent must think himself to be Christ. Moreover, because the Superintendent on account of his office had to be in the Sisters' Convent a great deal, he forbade him this
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under penalty of severe punishment; because he took for granted that things were not as they should be. At length he was given an opportunity to carry out his purpose. It was thus: One of the first spiritual virgins took the liberty to propose marriage to the Superintendent. And when he told her that if he were to do that he would have to deny God, she insisted on it no more; but still she thought he should allow her to assume his name. And when he declined this also, and when furthermore her younger sister after the flesh was preferred before her and appointed Mother Superior of the Sisters' Convent, her love changed to hatred, and she sought the Superintendent's life at the risk of her own. For she testified to the afore-inentioned C. W. that she and the Superintendent had made away with a bastard child. This he at once reported to the Governor. Just at the time when this was made known in the Settlement the Superintendent was in a sad condition, as the powers of darkness, whose lords rule in the air, lay heavily upon him, in addition to which sickness came from without. For, though he lived an inno- cent life before God and men, yet this did not protect him against the tempter, in whose domain his natural body had grown up. Meanwhile two Solitary Brethren were sent to him [C. W. ], who implored him for God's sake not to imbrue himself in innocent blood; to whom he also promised, if it were possible, to withdraw the matter. But the Governor wrote to him that he should give the witness another hearing, and then bring the case before the court at Lancaster. Thereupon he had another hearing of the witness in pres- ence of a housefather, when she again confessed the whole thing; though soon after, when she heard that her own life was endangered, she took it all back, and confessed that her temptations had brought her to make the charge. And since she no longer had any guardian, she married. But just after she was wedded, and was about to retire to the bridal bed of the old Adam, she was suddenly called into eternity; which we consider to have been a divine favor rather than a judgment.
As this attempt failed, he [C. W] again sought out those who had been his acquaintances before his conversion, who
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rejoiced over him exceedingly, and in all things put him at the head; although there was little cause for rejoicing over one whose conversion had been such a failure. He may have formed many plans at that time to bring to naught the judgment of God against fallen man. Once he tried to prove in a writing that Adam had been created for nothing higher than the natural life; that God had offered him a higher destiny under certain conditions, which was to be attained if these latter were fulfilled, but if not, then he would remain as he had been created. This effort, however, never saw the light of day, as no one gave any countenance to it.
Another incident concerning him must be mentioned. When he saw how heavily burdened the household of the congregation was, it did not seem right to him, and there- fore he wrote the following letter to the organization :- " C. W., your former Brother, has the following to say to you in this writing, on behalf of the poor, sighing souls, of whom there are not a few among you, who are groaning day and night unto God because of the heavy Pharaohic and Egyp- tian bond-service with which the congregation is so heavily laden and burdened that it scarcely can endure it any longer. Besides which, this bond-service is much worse than the Egyptian; for the latter was for the payment of debts, but with that under which the congregation is in bondage no debts can be paid. Yea, what am I saying? Pay? The more one lets oneself come under this service, the more one sinks into debt. But they who withdraw from it, because they see that no debts can be paid with this bond-service, and that one cannot fulfill it so long as one lives, are refused fellowship as though they were evil-doers, and are even ex- pelled from the congregation, etc." Moreover he advised that a reformation be commenced in the church which was very necessary, and said that if he were given word of it, he would come and help reform the church. The Superinten- dent made this letter known, but it was not taken into con- sideration, for every one knew that it had been written du- ring temptation and with no good purpose.
After this all remembrance of him ceased in the Settle-
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ment, though various offices in the worldly life were heaped upon him. Meanwhile, however, God, in view of his earlier faithfulness in the work of God, bore him in mind, and opened the door of his long spiritual captivity, so that he vis- ited first of all his old friend P. M. at the Settlement. And when he noticed that no one passed severe judgment upon him, he also hunted up the Superintendent, who soon be- came aware that the good once done for him had not been in vain, and received him with open arms of love, taking him into the Sisters' house, where his old acquaintances rejoiced with him that he had found again his piece of silver that had been lost. Soon after the congregation assembled for a love- feast, at which he by partaking of the holy sacraments, was re-incorporated in the spiritual communion; although we wil- lingly yield to his mother-church the honor of having gar- nered in his body.
Now we will take up again the regular course of our story. The fathers in the Egyptian deserts practiced works of love to such an extent that with the earnings of the harvest they supplied with bread the poor and captive; wherefore Theo- dosius and other Christian emperors absolved them from all taxes. The Solitary at the Settlement were an Order equally useful to the human race, because of the many services they rendered to the poor of their neighborhood; wherefore also they insisted that similar privileges should be accorded them. But there was no statute to that effect in the laws of the land. Six Brethren however joined themselves together to try their fortune (more did not venture to make the attempt). These refused to pay tax, so that their neighbors had to deliver them up to prison, which they did very willingly, mingling their malice with it; for they hoped that it would become a cause for persecuting them. Hardly were they in prison, however, ere the rumor went forth that the Sabbatists in Lan- caster County were being persecuted, so that crowds stood all day before the prison bars, although the authorities were quite innocent, and had no hand in the matter. But in the congregation there was great fear lest a persecution might arise in which all one's possessions might be lost. The Su- perintendent, however, stood up for them; for the more
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strange the circumstances the more fully he rose to meet them. After they had been prisoners for ten days, the justices of the county held a council, and gave them a hearing, when a venerable justice, Tobias Hendricks by name, offered to go security for them if they would promise him to appear at the next court, which they did, and therefore were released from captivity. May God recompense him for this act of love on the day of judgment.
At the following May Court of the year 1737 they were brought up for a hearing before the Commissioners and Assessors of Taxes, over whom, when they saw before them the men who in the bloom of youth had raised such a war- fare against the world, the fear of the Lord came so that they did not speak to them otherwise than friendly, and offered them every favor. The first question was, Whether they would be loyal subjects of the king? To which they ans- wered respectfully, that they had already pledged allegiance to another King, and therefore could obey the King only in so far as his riglits agreed with those of their king. The other question was, Whether they would pay the taxes ? Answer: "Not the head-tax; because they acknowledged no worldly authority's right over their bodies, since they had been redeemed from the world and men." Moreover, they considered it unjust that, as they were pledged to spend their lives in their present condition, they should be measured by the same standard as vagabonds, and be made to pay the same tax as these. If they would consider them as a spiritual family, however, they would be willing to pay of their earthly possessions according to what was just. All this was granted them, and remains unchanged to the present day. This was the last time that the Solitary came in conflict with the civil authorities. The latter had always shown themselves of a mild and Christian character. When these Brethren returned to their own, during one of the midnight services, they were welcomed with the hymn: "A mighty fortress is our God, etc," after which the Superintendent made an impressive address on the power of the Beast upon earth. Upon those neighbors, however, who had gloated over the misfortune of the Brethren, there fell the terror of the Lord, so that they hurriedly left this region.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE HOUSEHOLD OF THE SOLITARY IS SO CONSTITUTED AS TO OPPOSE THE WORLD IN EVERYTHING. A VISITATION FROM THE BAPTISTS ARRIVES AT THE SETTLEMENT.
It is maintained, not without reason, that the Solitary ill the Settlement would have been happy people if it had been granted to them to end their days in the Settlement in the spirit of self-denial which God had put into their hearts. Certainly there would not have been revealed in them so m111ch of what was evil. But afterwards through the guid- ance of the Holy Spirit there was established such a house- hold, in which were to be found all the instrumentalities belonging to a spiritual martyrdom. For the Spirit sought to restore, even externally, that unity in all things, which was destroyed by the fall of inan, and transformed into diversity. Accordingly the condition of the Solitary Breth- ren was first taken up; for since the dress of the male sex is designed so as to please the female, it was resolved in coun- cil to muffle the mortal body in such a style of garment, for its humiliation, that but little of it should be visible. Even before this matter was taken up, and when the gar- inents of the world had already been laid aside, all sorts of strange garbs were donned by the Solitary, whereby the world was much offended; so that necessity demanded a uni- forinity of dress. The garb of the Order of the Brotherhood was designed with particular care in the council, and was intended to represent a spiritual man. It consisted of a Tha- lar [surplice] reaching down to the feet; over this was a gar- ment having an apron in front and a veil behind which covered the back, and to which was fastened a pointed monk's hood, which could be put on or allowed to hang 'down the back as one pleased; the whole was provided with a girdle around the waist. During services they wore a cloak besides, reaching down to the girdle, to which also a hood was fastened. Upon contemplating this garb it was found
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that they who had designed it for the Order had, without knowing it, borrowed the style from the Order of Capuchins; and as said Order prided itself that its habit had been the dress of the first Christians, the Solitary at Ephrata felt flat- tered that they should have the honor to dip water from the same well with so venerable, famous and ancient an Order. This costume of the Order all the Solitary Brethren at that time adopted without any objections; and have kept it this long time; nor did they permit it to be worn either by a widower who might be among them, nor by a novice until after the close of his year of trial.
Soon afterwards the Sisters undertook a similar work in their convent, with the co-operation of the Superintendent. Their costume, like that of the Brethren, was designed so that but little was visible of that humiliating image revealed by sin. They wore hoods like the Brethren, but rounded instead of pointed, which while they were at work hung down the back; whenever they noticed anyone coming, however, they drew the same up over the head and face, so that one could see little of the latter. The distinguishing mark of their spiritual betrothal, however, was a large veil, which covered thein entirely in front, and down to the girdle behind; of this members of Roman Catholic Orders, who saw it, said that it was known among them as the Scapula. This costume of the Order the Sisterhood has retained with particular care in its establishment, called Sharon, for 110w nigh unto fifty years.
As the Solitary of both sexes in the Settlement had now firmly established themselves in their newly formed Orders, the domestic households did the same, in view of the fact that at all awakenings a change of dress has ever followed upon a change in forins of worship (vide Gen. xxxv, 2). They therefore applied to the Superintendent for a reforma- tion; for at that time there still flourished the first love and unity of spirit, and as the Solitary followed the Superinten- dent, so the domestic households ordered themselves accord- ing to the Solitary. Accordingly the households at that time also laid aside the worldly dress of their members, and both sexes adopted a new garb which differed from that of
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the Solitary (besides some unimportant details) only in this, that the Solitary appeared at divine services in white gar- ments, but the married in gray ones. Thus whenever there was a public procession, as commonly was the case at bap- tismis, one saw the host of God stand by the water divided into four regiments. The households, however, afterwards changed about again, and conformed themselves to the world in dress as in other respects.
About this saine time the Settlement together with the surrounding district took a new form; for it appeared as if Joel's prophecy would again be fulfilled, and the last temple be built up as the temple of the Holy Ghost. Prophecies streamed forth from the Superintendent at all the meetings, witnesses whereof are still to be found in the hymns then composed by him. But this power of the Spirit in the Set- tlement at that time was like fuller's soap and a refiner's fire, whereby men's natures were tamed to such a degree that, although both sexes were in the very bloom of youth, they nevertheless led an angelic and separate walk. Whoso will compare these circumstances with those of the holy fathers of old in the desert, will confess that the Superintendent, at least in some respects, surpassed thein in his course; for while the former were wont to shun danger, he on the con- trary plunged his followers into the very midst of it. The Superintendent stood high in the esteem of the Sisterhood and house-wives, they being so firmly convinced of his divine mission, that the former would rather have laid down their lives than submit to a man. The latter, with the consent of the house-fathers, their husbands, committed themselves to his leading, for both were convinced that the married state had originated in sin, and therefore would have to come to an end. He frequently also submitted to their counsel. It has already been mentioned that they were the first to clothe him, and gave him the advice for the sake of God's work to renounce other labors. On one occasion, too, they would have ejected a Swedish preacher, who had caused a disturbance in meeting, if the Superintendent had not inter- fered in his behalf.
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