USA > Pennsylvania > Historical notes relating to the Pennsylvania Reformed Church, V. I > Part 15
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As regards schoolmasters, Mr. Bohm made a more encouraging re- port : My congregation at Falekner Schwam is well supplied by the school-
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
master Johannes Reiffschneider, and at Philadelphia is one named Johannes Berger but neither can live from the office, for the reason that the people in this country (except in Philadelphia and Ger- mantown, where they live close together, ) are scattered over a large terri- tory and not enough children can be brought together to yield a living for the schoolmaster.
The congregation was steadily growing. In 1740, at the communion held on the 26th of April, one hundred and fifty-two were present.
It would have been proper to mention, carlier in this paper, that from the year 1729 the Reformed Church of Holland, the national church of that country, had been giving help to the needy congregations- which meant all of them-in Pennsylvania. The people of that noble country were at all times cager and able to send ministers, schoolmasters. Bibles, hymn-books and money to this western land, as indeed they were doing. and to this day are doing, to many other countries throughout the world. The Hollanders, while giving freely, wished to give wisely. They made frequent inquiries as to the state of the Reformed Church and its needs in Pennsylvania. Their object was to supplement the means and the efforts of the people here. Before 1740, the Synods of South and North Holland desired to know how much our congregations would undertake to con- tribute toward the salary of a pastor. The answer of Falkner Swamp was in these interesting terms:
Die Gemeinde im Falkner Schwam verbindet sich jahrlich gewiss und ohnefehl vor eines Predigers Sallarium zu zulegen zehen Pfundt sagen 10 Pfund, hiesigen landes Geldes, und zwantzig buschel Haffern: welches attestiren
Der Gemeinde im Falckner Sch wan d. 6. Januarj 1740
Johannes Drickdenhengst, Eltester Johannes Dunckel, Eltester Fridrich Reymer, Eltester Jacob Krauss. Eltester Johann Diter Bucher, Diacon Adam Röder, Dinc.
The congregation at Falkner Swamp will obligate itself to contribute. annually, certainly and without fail, toward a pastor's salary, Ten Pounds, say 10 Pounds, money of this province, and twenty bushels of oats. which we attest for the Falkner Swamp congregation, this 6th of January, 1740.
Johannes Drickdenhengst, Elder Johannes Dunckel. Elder Fridrich Reymer. Elder Jacob Krauss, Elder Johann Diter Bucher, Deacon Adam Röder, Deacon
The latter part of 1741 came trouble to the congregation and the pastor, which extended all through 1742 and over into 1743. In the year 1741. Count Zinzendorf came to Pennsylvania, and proposed to some of
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
the most active German churchmen, in all the denominations, a move- ment to bring them into a unity for the advancement of the cause of Christ; not an obliteration of the old church names, nor even of the con- , gregations, but an association of those most highly blessed with spiritual graces for mutual edification and growth in love for Christ, with the view of reacting beneficially upon the average membership, and kindling in them a heartier piety. Henry Antes, a member of Falkner Swamp Re- formed church, warmly embraced the purposes of the Count, and acted largely as his spokesman in his intercourse with the Germans of Pennsyl- vania, by whom Antes was greatly honored. On December 15. 1741. Antes sent out from his home in Frederick township, a call for a meeting of the sympathizers with the advance movement. Pastor Bohm, seeing danger and disruption for the Reformed Church in this, at once opposed the scheme with all the power at his command. Henry Antes and John Philip Bahm, cach sincere to the utmost degree, were at variance, and never became reconciled. Bolum issued a pamphlet in opposition to the Count's purposes, and obtained to it the endorsement of the consistories of the Reformed churches. The date of the signatures was in the months of February and March, 1742. The officials of Falkner Swamp who sup- ported Pastor Bohm, were:
Joh. Dirk den Hengst, E. Joh. Dunckel, E. Fridrich Reimer. E. Joh. Jacob Kraus, E. Joh. Ditrich Bucher. D. Adam Röder, D.
Jost Bitting, a member of Falkner Swamp congregation, also was identified for a time with the Zinzendorfian movement, which ended in the formation of the Moravian church of Pennsylvania. Bitting after- wards renewed his connection with the Reformed congregation. No fur- ther withdrawals were suffered by the congregation, so far as known.
Despite the agitation caused by the Zinzendorf movement in Pon- sylvania in general and in Falkner Swamp in particular, the congregation here flourished. In the year 1743 a phenomenal increase in membership was witnessed. No cause is assigned. From 152 communicants in 1740. the number increased to 236 in 1743. Let me give you the statement as it is recorded in the records in Holland, in the language of that country: 1743
den 26. Maart, 131, en den 24. April, 105, 236
N. B. Weyl de communicanten veel werden.
zo wordhet II. Avondmaal daar tolkens 2 maal gehouden. Translation: March 26, 1743, 131, and April 24, 105, total 236. N. B. As the number of communicants was large, the Holy Supper was held there on two occasions.
It is possible that some members commumed on both occasions. We are further informed that on March 26, the communicants comprised
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71 men and 60 women, and on April 24, 56 men and 49 women; and that included among them were 5 young men and 8 young women who came to the table for the first time. In the Fall of 1743, the report is: At Falkner Swamp, now named New Hanover township, 11th of September, 66 men and 63 women communed; and on the 9th of October, 55 men and 55 women. In the Spring of 1744 "auff die Heil. Ostern" 110, and on April 23, 103-a total of 213, communed.
'In the Spring of 1744 Pastor Bochum, reporting upon the condition of the Pennsylvania Church, said, concerning Falkner Swamp:
De Gemeente te Falckner Schwam heeft een van hout wel gebouwde Kerke opgeregt, welke langen tyd kan duuren: maar sy is nog by de sestig pond op schuldig. En sy heeft als nog geen woonhuysen, nog voor den predicant, nog voor voorlezer.
The congregation at Falkner Swamp has erected a well-built church of wood, which will last a long time; but they are yet about sixty pounds in debt. And they have as yet no dwelling house, either for the minis- ter or the schoolmaster.
On the 15th of September, 1748. Rev. John Philip Leydich came to Philadelphia, and not long after that he relieved Rev. Mr. Bohm of the Falkner Swamp congregation. In a pamphlet printed in Philadelphia in 1748 Mr: Bochum speaks affectionately of this congregation: "Welche letztere (Falkner Swamp), meine liebe und mir anvertraut- Gemeinde über 23 Jahre gewesen, nun aber wegen meiner heran nahenden Ohnver- mögenheit in meinem Alter, da ich die Reisen nicht lang mehr auszustehen getraue, gern und willig zu der Gemeinde Besten an D. Leydich samt der neuen Gemeinde in Providenz, übergeben hab." [The last of which (Falkner Swamp) was my beloved congregation, confided to my care for more than twenty-three years; but now by reason of the rapidly approach- ing infirmities of age, which, as I dare not much longer venture to make long journeys, I gladly and willingly, for the congregation's best interests, hand over, together with the new congregation in Providence, to Domine Leydich. ]
At the second Cœtus, held 28th September, 1748, at 10 a. m., in the new church in Philadelphia, John Philip Leydich preached from Ephe- sians 6: 23, 24. At this Cotus the pastors and elders subscribed a declar- ation that they are attached with heart and soul to the Heidelberg Cate- chism and the canons of the Synod of Dort of 1618 and 1619, and that they will unalterably hold to them-"dass wir dem Heydelbergischen Catech. und denen Canonibus Synodi Nationalis Dortracana von 1618 und 1619 mit Hertz und Seel zugethan sind, und uns auch unverändert daran halten wollen."
John Philip Bohn, then pastor, and John Philip Leydich, soon to become pastor, of Falkner Swamp church, and Fridrich Reimer, chler. lay delegate to the Cetus, were among the signers to this declaration.
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01
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
Letter from a Holland Friend.
Dr. L. Overman, the Secretary of the General Synod of the Reformed Church of the Netherlands, Curator of the Church Archives at The Hague, and editor of Church publications, is one of the busiest men in Holland. He is at the same time one of the most genial and obliging of church ofli- cials. In manner and method he is entirely like an American. His son- shiny disposition makes him popular with all who have intercourse with him. He speaks our language, but prefers the Dutch or French. Several mornings, while the editor of Historical Notes was making researches in the Archives, Dr. Overman came in to see what progress he was making. and what assistance he could lend. On one such occasion he asked. in English, a conundrum involving a pretty play on words. In this way he made the stranger feel quite at case. Recently, we sent the booklet, entitled The Church at Market Square, to the Archives. In reply we have this formal acknowledgment, which we give in the original:
ALGEMEENE SYNODE DER
NEDERLANDSCHE HERVORMDE KERK.
's Gravenhage, den Bden November, 1899. Nº. 521.
Ik heb de cer U te berichten, dat het boekgeschenk :
„The Church at Market Square" on ,, Historical Notes". door U aan de ALGEMEENE SIJNODE DER NEDERLANDSCHE HER- VORMDE KERK aangeboden, is ontvangen.
Het is mij eene aangename taak U voor dit geschenk to be- danken, en ik heb de eer met de meeste hoogachting te zijn
De Secretaris van de Algemeene Synode der Nederlandsche Hervormde Kerk, L. OVERMAN.
Aan . den Heer Henry S. Dotterer te Philadelphia.
Gosen Thonis.
The name of Gosen Thonis, an elder of Falkner Swamp Reformed congregation, in 1734. appears on page $9 of Historical Notes. As to the doubt of the correctness of this name Prof. Hinke writes us: "I notice in your article on Falkner Swamp that you question the reading of Gosen Thonis'. My photograph shows that it is certainly correct. Only one must remember that we have no longer the original letter of Behm. The Dutch copy is a translation made in Holland. Bohm always wroteGerman."
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
Record of a Methodical Church Officer of the Past Century.
Jacob Hiltzheimer was an officer of the German Reformed congrega- tion of Philadelphia. Recently a record kept by him has been presented by A. W. Parsons, one of his descendants, to the First Reformed church of Philadelphia, which is the present name of the original congregation. We copy some of the more interesting entries. On the inside of the front cover is written:
This book Contains The Orders given on Mr. W". Von Phul, Treasurer to the Vestry of the German Reformed Congregation. Philad"., January 19th, 1784. Kept by Jacob Hiltzheimer, a Member of S4. Vestry. £56 0 0
1784. January 19
An order on W". Von Phul Treasurer in favour of Dielman Beck for the above Sum, fifty Pounds being Money Borrowed and Six pounds is the interest in full. Signed Philip Odenheimer Jacob Schreiner
Number 1
26
An Order on the Same Treasurer in favour of Philip Bohm of Twenty two Shillings as p' acc' Nº. 2 filed. Signed Ph. Odenheimer J'. Hiltzheimer Nº. 2
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26
An order In favour of John Kluges 23 11 0
Twenty three pounds Eleven shillings being the full ballance of his account for painting the Church after deducting five pounds a sum he greed to give towards said painting as prace' Number 3 and filed. Signed Philip Odenheimer Jb. Hiltzheimer
Nº. 3
Ap'. 5
An order on M'. W". Von Phul Tro' in favour of the Reverend M'. Weiberg for Seventy five pounds, 3 Months Salary Signed Philip Odenheimer John Baker
75 00
Number 7
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
Ap1. 5 An other order on Ditto in favour of Sª Weiberg for fourteen pounds being for Wood. Signed P. Odenheimer No. 8 And". Hertzog
1400
Ap'. 5 An order in favor of Jacob Schneider for one pound, being 3 Months wages for Blowing the Bellows of the Organ 100
Sigª P. Odenheimer Jacob Schreiner
Ap'. 5 An order In favor of Conrad Schlemer for Three Pounds being 3 Months Salary for Keeping the Church Clean, and Keep the Boys in order & give Notice to the . Vestrymen when the President shall order a meeting. Sigª P. Odenheimer & W". Rush
300
Ap'. 5 An order on Mr. Wr. Von Phul Treasurer in favor of Christopher Schreiner School Master for Eight pounds fifteen shillings £3 15 0 being three Months Salary Playing the Organ and five pounds is for Teaching poor Children 8 15 0 Siga P. Odenheimer Charles Seitz
SELF-DENIAL.
The Christian and the cross are inseparable. The eross is the symbol of self-denial and suffering for the good of others for Jesus' sake. To many this is a hard saying, an offense. They approve the many sweet things said by our Saviour, but when it becomes clear to them that no one can follow Jesus without self-denial, they are disappointed, displeased, offended, and repelled; so that in the end they forsake Him and thus crucify Him anew. Oh, what a pity ! Let us not deceive ourselves. Jesus distinctly declares that no one can follow Him, be worthy of Him, or be a true disciple, unless he deny himself, and take up His cross daily. Those who truly love Jesus rejoice in the cross. It is their divinest sym- bol. Paul found but one thing worth glorying in-it was the cross. So every true follower of Jesus, for the joy that is set before him, endures the cross, despising all the shame, and finds an ample reward in the con- sciousness of doing good, and the promise of a life of glory with Christ in eternity. -E. F. WIENT.
:
HISTORICAL NOTES
RELATING TO THE
PENNSYLVANIA REFORMED CHURCH.
VOL. I. No. 8 December 10. 1899. $1.00 PER ANNUM. Edited by Henry S. Dotterer.
Perkiomen Publishing Co .. 1605 N. THIRTEENTH STREET, PHILADELPHIA.
Franklin Square's Dead.
Along the northern limits of Franklin Square, Philadelphia, rests the dust of thousands of the early comers from the continent of Europe to Pennsylvania. In the year 1741 Thos. Penn directed the surveyor general to survey to the congre- gation of the German Reformed church of Philadelphia a piece of ground 306 feet in length, north and south, and 150 feet east and west, in the North-west (now Franklin) Square, for use as a burying ground. For nearly one hundred years the Reformed Church people who came from Germany, Switzerland and Holland, -the Palatines and Huguenots-at the end of their life's work were laid to rest in this Gottes-Acker. Some sixty years ago the Reformed congregation was rude- ly surprised by the contention on the part of the city that the burial ground must be surrendered, to become a part of the public square. After years of litiga- tion the city's claim was established through the courts.
Some of the remains of the dead were removed ; but the great majority of the graves were not disturbed. except that the head-stones were turned down and cov- ored with a layer of earth. Now the green sod covers the ancient cemetery. broad paths have been laid through it, and lofty trees tower above it. Hurrying crowds daily pass over it uumindful and uninformed of the fact that they are treading upon ground which covers the foreparents -- if not their own-of many thousands of the dwellers in the great city. * *
This portion of Franklin Square would afford a suitable spot upon which to erect
a memorial to the Colonial immigrants of the Reformed faith. Here a stately mar- ble or granite shaft might appropriately be erected to tell the present and coming generations of the vast body of Reformed Church members who came in the Provin- cial period from the Protestant countries of Europe. It should bear designs em- blematic of their faith and representative of their nationality. It should be gener- ously costly and richly artistic.
And who is to pay for the monument to be thus magnificently reared ? Shall our Reformed Church membership be burdened with such an undertaking? By no means. Depleted and weakened by the untoward influences heretofore re- ferred to in these pages, this can not be expected. From some one or more of the hundreds of thousands of their de- scendants now holding other denomina- tional connection, among whom are many, as is certainly known, who have the abundant means and the liberal spirit. it must come. Gifts of a hundred thou- sand dollars-nay, of a million dollars- are quite a common occurrence in these onr days, for public purposes. Is not this which we propose a most laudable object ?
The Boers of South Africa are a branch of our international and interracial Ro- formed communion. Two hundred years ago their ancestors were Hollanders of good degree. They carried their na- tional religion with them to South Africa, and we now hear of the celebration of Nachtmaal there as we do of the Nacht- mahl in interior Pennsylvania.
NAR484
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
A Happy Christmas.
The happiest of the millions who have had a Merry Christmas, was, possibly, a. blind young woman, suffering from spinal meningitis, who is a member of one of our city churches. When five years old she lost her sight. For twenty-three years she was protected and provided for by loving members of her family. Death came and took away her mother ; mis- fortunes followed, and deprived the in- valid of her other care-takers. She was in dark distress. The King's Daughters applied for admittance for her into the Home for Incurables. Room was made for her. Upon the payment of one hun- dred dollars she might come. Her pas- tor was asked to call upon the members of her congregation for contributions. The second Sunday before Christmas at the morning service he stated the case from the pulpit. Apart from the regular Sunday collection, the members brought forward gifts of love-liefde gaven, they say in Holland ; during the day more was given ; at the evening service the sum required, and more, was made np. On Wednesday before Christmas the poor invalid was taken by the Daughters to the Home, where every possible comfort will be provided. She was happy. When her friends went away the sufferer was singing for joy. To this poor child of sorrow and pain came a Christmas more delightsome than to any favored son or daughter of wealth, in all the land. And to those who made it possible for her to be so placed, came a pleasure akin to hers.
It is refreshing to look down the long list of donations to Bethany Orphans' Home. Our people give to it freely. They like to do it. They see in giving to the orphans a practical charity. If we had homes for the aged poor, or hospitals for the needy siek, our Reformed Church people would respond with their gifts with as much alacrity as they do for the orphans.
It is not enough that we keep our Re- formed people in our congregations. We should get others in.
We cannot find words to thank Jacob Hiltzheimer for thoughtfully jotting down in his Memorandum book the principal ocenrrences in the affairs of the German Reformed Church of Philadelphia. In this munber we give a number of extracts from his record. One hundred and six- teen years have passed away since he made his notes. Compare the doings of the city Vestry of that day with the transactions of your Board at this time. How great the changes!
Before and after 1784 the children were tanght on Sunday afternoons in the Re- formed Church of Philadelphia. More than one hundred and sixteen years ago. It was before the era of Sunday School literature. International lessons. ill- strated papers, wall maps, Sunday School libraries -- all these were unknown then. But an eminently suitable book for study was at hand and was used. It was the Heidelberg Catechism. Where is al- other Sunday School that dates back one hundred and sixteen years ?
One of the Woman's Missionary so- cieties of our Church has taken up the study of the heroines of the Church in Reformation days. After the regular business has been transacted an hour is devoted to reading, the subject being one of the characters in Dr. God's Women of the Reformed Church. as published in the Reformed Church Magazine. In De- comber it was Electress Louisa Henrietta of Brandenburg and her flymn. She was descended from William of Orange and Coligny. The hymn, Jens meine Zuversicht, which is still sung at the inn- erals of the royal family of Prussia, was written by the Electress.
Be good. Do good. It is casier to do good than to be good. It is better to do good than simply to be good. Doing good, at the same time, leads to doing good. To be good only is of trifling value. "Faith without works is dead." Is it not worth while to think over this? Practi- cal Christianity is best.
·
الـ
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
We could wish that Mr. Hillegas had made plainer, in Oom Panl's People, the Boers' religious relations to the Holland Reformed Church, and thus to the Re- formed Church the world over. A scion of the house of Hillegass, which has been trained by Dr. Weiser, father and son, for fifty years, and whose adherence to the Reformed faith goes back at least as far as the persecutions of the Huguenots, he could have set forth, in a hundred words, a historical fact unknown, possibly, to nine-tenths of the thousands in America and England and their colonies who will read his book.
Dwight L. Moody.
No other man of our time did as much to bring souls to Christ as Dwight L. Moody. He was a business man, not a clergyman. He appealed directly to the sinner. In no discourse delivered by him did he omit to emphasize the solemn im- portance of conversion. Creeds, denomi- nations, all extraneous considerations, he eschewed. This is different from the pul- pit in general. The result was different. He is dead. Thousands of saved men remain to land-bim and his works.
An Heir-loom.
The editor of Historical Notes has re- cently been presented with a walking- stiek, made of ebonized bamboo, which was presented some eighty years ago to Rev. Casper Wack by members of the German Reformed Church of German- town, of which congregation he was then ' the pastor. It is so constructed as to serve the double purpose of a cane and a pipe. The handle is the bowl of the pipe, and by unscrewing the stick about the middle a mouth-piece for smoking is disclosed. This ingenious piece of work- manship descended to Mrs. Abigail Panne- becker Gerhard, of Philadelphia, who is a granddaughter of its original recipient. The editor, who has been for more than forty years a friend of Ms. Gerhard and her family, greatly appreciates this gift, which came to him appropriately at the Christmas-tide of 1899.
Recent Publications.
Leaders of the Reformation. By Joseph Henry Dubbs. D. D., LL. D. The Hei- delberg Press, Philadelphia. For sale at the Reformed Church Book Store, 1308 Arch Street.
This work consists of a series of lec- tures on Reformation of the Sixteenth Century, delivered by Professor Dubbs. They are written in am entertaining style, and are well adapted to instruct our Re- formed Church people with regard to the men who led the struggle for liberation from the Romish Church. The book is divided under six heads, viz: The Dawn of the Reformation (John Huss) ; The Glory of the Reformation ( MartinLuther); The Free Church in the Free State ( Ulric Zwingli) ; The Church under the Cross (John Calvin); The Struggle of the Creeds (Cranmer and Knox) ; The Threefold Cord ( Frederick III., Olevianus and Ur- sinus). It is handsomely bound, suit- able for library or parlor ; and is an im- portant addition to the meagre literature of the Pennsylvania Reformed Church.
Reformed Church Officers in 1730.
Prof. W. J. Hinke communicates the following information which he met with in his researches in Holland :
In a letter of Rev. John Philip Bohm's consistories, written on January 29, 1730, the following are given as Bohm's elders and deacons.
FALKNER SCHWAM.
Friedrich Antes, Ilans Wolffsmiller, Bastian Reiffschneider.
Hans Meyer, Gabriel O. Schueler's merk. Lærnert Spar. Lorentz Bingeman.
WEITM VESCI.
Willem Deewees, Johannes Rebenstork. lack Dilback. Undwig Knanss.
..
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
Zurich.
BY HENRY S. DOTTERER.
Zurich, the scene of Zwingli's most im- portant labors, is a Mecca for all Ameri- cans of the Reformed persnasion. It is familiar to all, made so by picture and story. It is built upon steep acclivities on both sides of the Limmat river, at the head of Lake Zurich. It is a busy manu- facturing town, and the seat of a famous university. The churches and other buildings associated with the Reforma- tion struggles have been carefully pre- served. The citizens of the present time evidently regard them, and the scenes enacted within them, the chief glory of their delightful city. Every edifice of historie interest has been plainly marked, in order that the tourist may know it as he passes by and the resident may regard it with due veneration.
The twin-towered minster, in which Zwingli preached, is the chief object of interest. On the opposite side of the Limmat is the church in which Lavater
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