USA > Pennsylvania > Historical notes relating to the Pennsylvania Reformed Church, V. I > Part 20
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Rev. Weiss returned to Pennsylvania by way of Maryland in the spring of 1781. Before he left he gave Reiff a power of attorney to act in his absence. He also gave him a large sum of money, although this was
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600 -
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J. Rhust gave cash,
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
most strenuously denied by Reiff on his return, yet there is sufficient ovi- dence to prove this statement. Weiss declared distinctly to the members of his congregation "that he delivered to the said Jacob Reiff all the two thousand and one hundred and ninety-seven guilders, which he the s' Georg Michael Weiss received in Holland, to be by him, the said Jacob Reiff, delivered to the church wardens of the Reformed Church at Phila- delphia. (Affidavit of the petitioners before Court, January 23, 1732-3. ) Again, the minutes of the Synodical Deputies of April 13-16, 1739, state "that the money collected in Holland is still in the hands of Reiff. has been declared by Rev. G. M. Weiss under oath on November 8, 17:5." And finally Reiff himself confessed to have received about 1. 2100 in the · presence of Schlatter, as will be shown more fully later on.
A part of the money, 750 guilders, given by the Consistory and Diaconate of Amsterdam, were sent by John Leonard Van Asten to Frank- fort, which Reiff visited after the departure of Weiss.
When Rev. Weiss arrived in Philadelphia and informed the people of his success and the large amount of money collected (large at least for those days) there was great rejoicing, and measures were at once taken to insure the safety of the collected money. With this object in view Dr. John Diemer, of Philadelphia, wrote to the Synodical Deputy, Jacob Ostade, on November 22, 1731:
"We hear from Rev. Weiss that the Rev. Classis has already handed over some gifts or contributions for building a church in Pennsylvania. which have been represented by Rev. Weiss as being f. 2000, and it has now been learned from a letter of Reiff, that still more gifts of love have been contributed. We would therefore ask, without wishing to dictate. to send such money to certain well known merchants in London, then to communicate to us the name of the one who holds the money, whereupon two of our elders will designate two merchants here with whom it may be deposited through a bill of exchange, which according to my opinion is the safest way, by which nothing can be taken away from the church. To authorize one man to do all this is very dangerous, as it is a very doubtful thing to trust a mortal man, for the money might easily be lost. and on the other hand no evil minded person could reproach us, if we follow this plan, moreover certain merchants have offered to exchange the money for us. We leave however this matter to your wise counsel and decision."
If this sound advice had been followed how many future troubles would have been avoided !
The first event which brought about evil results was the removal of Weiss to the State of New York. The reason for this removal was very probably not, as has been suggested, his anticipation of coming difficul- tics, but the fact that his congregations were served by another minister when he returned from Europe. On August 29, 17:0, John Peter Miller
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
arrived and took charge of Weiss' congregations. When he left in the following year to go to Tulpchocken, Rev. John B. Rieger followed him, who had arrived on September 21, 1731. Weiss was therefore compelled to look around for another field of labor. About this time a call was extended to him to serve some German congregations in the State of New York. This he gladly accepted, and settled for about a year in the Schoharic valley. On February 8, 1732, he received and accepted a call from Catskill, then in Albany county, where he labored for a number of years.
But before he left he "purged himself with an oath, that he had received of the collected money not more than 200 guilders, which, it is said, were due to him for travelling expenses, and he declared under oath, that the other contributions were in charge of the Elder, Reiff."
(Letter of Deputy Prochsting to Mr. Logan, of Philadelphia, April 14, 1739. )
III. THE EFFORTS OF THE PHILADELPHIA CONGREGATION TO SETTLE THE REIFF CASE, 1731-1734.
While the events described in the last article had happened in Penn- sylvania, other and even more far-reaching transactions had been carried on in Holland. In relating them briefly, we shall follow the statements of Reiff himself. Shortly before Weiss left Holland, Reiff tells us that a consultation was hekl between himself, Weiss, and Rev. Wilhelmnius, of Rotterdam, "about disposing of the collected money, when it was pro- posed by the said Georg Michael Weitzius, that it should be laid out in goods and merchandise, which the said Dr. Wilhelmius approved of." After the departure of Weiss, Reiff went to the Palatinate to transact some business for a land company and collect there some money for the Re- formed congregations in Pennsylvania. He visited Frankfort and Hanan, where the Dutch and French Reformed congregations gave him small contributions. They were themselves poor and could not afford to give much, but they gladly contributed their mite to the good cause. After consulting with Prof. Hottinger at Heidelberg. Reiff returned to Holland. The money then in his hands he invested in merchandise, which he put on board of the ship Britannia, bound for Philadelphia. About the same time, from July 3-13, 1731, the Synod of South Holland met at Dort. Rev. Wilhelmnius persuaded Reiff to attend its meetings, but when he re- turned to Rotterdam, he found the ship with his goods had left for Penn- sylvania. It was the same ship which brought Rev. I. B. Rieger to America. When the ship arrived in England, the goods were detained "by the collector of his Majesty's customs at Cowes, in the Isle of Wight. where the said ship went to clear." Reiff, however, instead of following with the next ship, stayed in Holland for a whole your. It is possible that he took his trip to the Palatinate during the course of this year.
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ILISTORICAL NOTES.
June, 1732, we find that he had boarded another ship and was at Cowes. trying to free his goods from the custom house. But before he could make a settlement with the collector, the ship was ready to sail and he was forced to leave the goods in England. In the fall of 1732 Reiff arrived again in Philadelphia. Such, in short, is the story of Reiff's troubles and difficulties, as told by himself. Other witnesses, however, give us accounts which differ in several important particulars from the representations of Reiff, and as they throw a new and unexpected light upon these events, we shall give them at length, in a literal translation. The first is a letter of Rev. Rieger and Dr. Diemer, of Philadelphia, writ- ten on March 4, 1738, to the Synodical Deputies. They write as follows: "After Do. Weiss, who had not been further than Holland. returned." he reported that Mr. Reiff, when he left him, had already received more than 2000 ft., of which he had taken charge in his presence. We expect- ed this money with great eagerness and thought that he ( Reiff) would bring it over with him, but with the next ship we received the report that he had continued his journey to Germany, and finally we heard that he had bought several boxes of goods, had put the same upon one of the Palatine ships and had intended to transmit them to his brothers with the order to hand over those goods for which they had no use to the congre- gation upon a proper receipt. But these boxes were detained at Cowes in England, as there was no one who had his order to pay the duty on them. Thereupon Reiff himself returned last fall. Meanwhile Do. Weiss had accepted a call to Albany, situated in the State of New York, and had moved thither. Reiff arrived here with the first ship from Holland [prob- ably the first of the year 1732], which caused us great joy, as we hoped now to receive your contributions and devote them to the use intended by our benefactors, but he avoided us as much as possible and would not express himself clearly about the matter, under the pretense that the above mentioned goods would arrive with the next ship. However, ten ships arrived from Holland, but nothing for us. Whereupon we were. compelled earnestly to demand an account of him, then he answered us that he had not received more than fl. 750 from Do. Van Asten, for which he was ready to give security and which he was willing to put to our account. As Do. Weiss was far away from us and we had no proofs against Reiff, we were compelled to let the matter rest till we had written to Do. Weiss. He did not come himself, but answered us, that he him- self had not received all the collected money, but that Reiff had it in his keeping, and before his departure from Holland he had charge of more than 2000 ft., that Reiff had given him only as much as was absolutely necessary for his return, and that he had always tried to dismade him from investing the money in goods, but urged him to follow the orders of the Con- sistory of Holland and do nothing without their consent.
"Meanwhile a report was current that Reiff intended to have this
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province for Virginia and we were obliged to complain to the governor about his dishonesty, who sent him a mandate in excat provincia [not to leave the province] and compelled him to give bail for $1000. After this Reiff came to us and threatened us with many words, that we would get nothing of the money, that he would rather spend it all in litigation."
There are two important statements in this account which clearly contradict the statements of Reiff. In the first place, Weiss denies explic- itly ever to have consented to investing the goods in merchandise, and, secondly, the moneys held by Reiff were more than 2000 fl., and not 750 il. as Reiff pretended before the people. We shall produce other evidence that in these two points Reiff willfully and intentionally misinformed the people.
The last part of the above quoted letter has shown that when Reiff tried to evade his obligations, the congregation took the case into court. The court records, which are fortunately preserved at Harrisburg, give us the following information: On November 23, 1732, Jacob Diemer, Michael Hillegass, Peter Hillegass, Joost. Schmidt, Hendrick Weller, Jacob Sigel and Wilhehn Rohrich appeared before Governor Keith in the Court of Chancery at Philadelphia and laid before him a complaint and petition, in which they stated their whole case, the story of the collection, the moneys received by Reiff, his unwillingness to render an account and his apparent intention to leave the province, and hence they played the court "to restrain the said Jacob Reiff from departing this province until he has answered the bill of complaints of these deponents who prosecute in behalf of the said Reformed German Church of Philadelphia." Their petition was granted and Reiff was compelled to give bail, as stated in the letter of Rieger. On June 20, 1733, the attorney of Mr. Reiff asked the court to discharge Reiff and his securities from the bond, and when the case was called up, it was found that the petitioners had failed to lodge a formal bill of complaint against Reiff, thinking perhaps that their petition and affidavit would be sufficient. They were given time to file their bill of complaint to July 3, and when they were not yet ready at that time, till July 12, when the bill of complaint was at last presented. Two days later Reiff filed his answer, upon which the first part of our article is based. ( 'To be continued. )
Notes.
Lim Harbaugh, Esq. of Chambersburg. Pa., has recently issued a biography of his father, the late Henry Harbaugh. D. D. This work cannot fail to interest the membership of our Church.
The Pennsylvania-German is the title of an attractive and able quar- terly, edited and published by Rev. P. C. Croll. AA. M., at Lebanon, Pa. As its name indicates, it deals with the history and biography of the early settlers of Pennsylvania from the Continent, and their descendants. Sub- seription, $1.00 per annum, in advance.
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IHISTORICAL NOTES.
Holland and Pennsylvania. V.
HOLLAND'S CARE OF THE REFORMED CHURCH IN PENNSYLVANIA.
[Continued.]
That the Synod of South Holland, of which Rotterdam was the con- tral city, took as deep an interest in Pennsylvania as the Classis of An- sterdam, which was the leading Classis of the Synod of North Holland, there can be no doubt. The MS. records of the proceedings of the South Holland Synod, carefully preserved in the Archives in one of the office buildings of St. Lawrence Church, show this to be the case. Rotterdam, however, was not by any means as large or as wealthy a city as Amster- dam; consequently, the bulk of the correspondence from Pennsylvania asking aid was addressed to the latter, the financial and commercial. if not political, capital of the Netherlands.
Rotterdam saw in its streets and on its waterways, daily, the throng of "Palatines," men, women and children, many of them carrying in their hands and on their backs, their entire worldly belongings-all eager to embark for the new Promised Land. This was an object-lesson to the Reformed Church people of Rotterdam which made a deep impression upon their kind hearts and intensified their Christian sympathies for their unfortunate fellow-believers.
In 17:30 the Synod of South Holland met at Breda, July 4-11. Col- lections for the needy Pennsylvania churches amounting to 79 guilders were reported from the Classes: Delft, etc., 12; Schieland, 50; The Hague. 16; Buuren, 1. The delegate from the Classis of Seaicland stated for D". Ticle that his Reverence had not had opportunity to hand over the money in his care, but that he hoped to do so. The Classis of The Hague desired the Reverend Synod to make inquiry as to the state of the church in Pennsylvania.
This was the year of the memorable visit of Pastor Weiss and Eller Reiff to Holland, sent at the instance of the Philadelphia and Skippack . congregations, to obtain funds for the use of these churches. The Presi- dent of the Synod presented a letter-not improbably inspired by the two American envoys-touching the state of the church in Pennsylvania, of this purport: 1. That the number of Palatines of the Reformed faith there is already about fifteen thousand, and that it grows from year to year; that within a few weeks six hundred persons in three ships had departed from Rotterdam bound thither; 2, that two ministers, one in the work and the other gone on a journey, have been placed there by the Palatine Church Council, and the new American church is under the management of the same; but that it appears that the condition of things among the Reformed in the Palatinate is such that it were better that the control and care of this great opening should come from the Sgoods of the Netherlands.
( To be Continued. )
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
Marriages by Rev. George Wack.
COMMUNICATED BY W. H. REED, PH. G., M. D., OF NORRISTOWN. ( Continued. )
628. November 15. Joseph Pruner and Sarah Taylor.
629. November 22. Nicolaus Slough and Elizabeth Bazard.
630. December 20. Abraham Custer and Mary C. Shrader.
631. December 22. James Keel and Susannah Van Fossen.
632. December 22. Thomas Logan and Ann Tresler. 1837.
633. January 26. John Guyder and Mary Ann Bucknam.
634. February 23. William Booz and Mary Ann Johnson.
635. August 6. Philip Hendrix and Lea Keiser.
636. September 12. William Wentz and Hannah Livergood.
637. September 14. Nathan Raile and Sophia Wentz.
638. September 17. Harman Ache and Cathrine Schweinhart.
639. October
8. Isaac Bean and Hannah Undercufler.
640. November 5. William Beyer and Elizabeth Cassel.
641. November 5. Laurentz Nuss and Veronica Ruth.
642. November
9. Samuel Booz and Sarah Knipe.
643. December
3. John Landes and Ann Hunsicker.
644. December 3. Christian Wismer and Mary Cassel.
645. December 31. David Rosenberger and Cathrine Longaere. 1838.
646. January
14. Charles Weak and Sophia Schrack.
647. January
20. John B. Fergerson and Jane Graham.
648. January 28. George Tettweiler and Ann Beyer.
649. February
4. Benjamin Van Fossin and Mary Earnhart. 8. John Mover and Ann Eliza Taylor.
650. March
651. March
22. William Vansant and Sophia Price. S. Jesse Davis and Mary Caster.
654. August.
.9. Henry Dowde and Mary Ann Hoffman. 26. John Freed and Hanaretta Goeler.
655. September 30. Isaac Bean and Sarah Vanfossen.
656. October 4 23. Peter Houck and Cathrine Cassel.
657. November 22. Michael Bean and Ann Wismer. 1839.
658. January 3. Themas Coulston and Susanna Detterer.
659. March 10. John Steever and Sarah Dannchauer.
660. March 24. Samuel Bender and Mary Steinback.
661. May 17. Edward K. Lower and Elizabeth Work.
662. July i. Jesse Obdegrove and Emelia Mover.
663. November 17. Joseph Boier and Lidia Rittenhouse.
664. September 15. Andrew Henning and Susannah Stong.
652. April
653. July
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
665. November 28. Frederick Beaver and Margareth Knipe. 1840.
666. June 20. Henry Clair and Cathrine Shive.
667. July 27. Henry H. Hippel and Isabella Henvir.
668. September 20. Jesse Tyson and Elizabeth Styles.
669. September 20. Joseph Robins and Sarah Craft.
670. October 4. Jesse Schultz and Cathrine Godshalk.
671. November 26. Abraham Cassel and Susannah Cassel.
672. December 24. John Booze and Eliza Belgert.
673. December 24. Isaac Ritter and Elizabeth Reiff.
674. December 31. Joshua Cozons and Maria Collo !.. 1841.
675. April
18. David Hining and Rebecca Stone.
676. September 26. Joseph Hendricks and Sarah Am Casselberry.
677. September 26. Jacob Klemmings and Sophia Schultz.
678. October
24. William Kricabel and Mary Zilling. 18-42.
679. January 2. Jacob Beaver and Mary Ann Snyder.
680. February 10. George Dannchauer and Sarah .A. Bergenstock.
681. February 20. Solomen Hartman and Euphemis Stong.
682. May 22. Gerret Bean and Cathrine Freyer.
683. August 25. John Andrew Mires and Ellenora Ramsey.
684. September 20. Abraham Obdegraf and Harriet Taylor.
685. October 30. Henry Nice and Levina Tyson.
686. November 3. Silas HI. Land and Barbara Panchauer.
687. November 27. Thomas (. Schultz and Elizabeth Climiner.
688. December 4. Lewis Wasser and Elizabeth Ruth.
689. December 8. George Kline and Maria Godshall.
690. December 11. Levi Barndt and Suphia Knipe.
691. December 25. Henry Fuss and Elizabeth Johnson. 1843.
692. January
5. Isaac Zimmerman and Sarah Wissler.
693. January 12. Andrew B. Yerger and Angeline Douchanter.
694. January 12. Samuel Hendricks and Elizabeth White.
695. March 16. Charles Yeakle and Sarah Nuss.
696. March . 23. Francis W. Yost and Ann Leids.
697. June 15. David Johnson and Susannah Ritter.
698. October 28. Jesse Bean and Henrietta Schwenk.
690. November 12. Antrim Hausher and Edith Wiegler.
700. December 5. Heury Rittenhaus and Sophia Cionbly. 1844.
701. June 20. William Winkler and Hester Seibert.
702. April 18. Martin Ruth and Mary Miller. ( To be Continued. )
HISTORICAL NOTES
RELATING TO THE
PENNSYLVANIA REFORMED CHURCH.
VOL. I. No. 11. March 10, 1900. $1.00 PER ANNUM. Edited by Henry S. Dotterer.
Perkiomen Publishing Co., 1605 N. THIRTEENTH STREET, PHILADELPHIA.
Rev. Mr. Wack's Marriages.
In the present number is concluded the list of marriages performed by Rev. George (. Wack. This record begins with the year 1803 and ends with 1852. The num- ber of couples imited in the holy bonds is 724.
This is a valuable record, and will now be available, in the libraries of this and other countries, for reference for all future time. It was a happy thought on the part of Dr. W. II. Reed, of Norristown, to rescue this important record from the danger of destruction ; and we take credit to ourselves for putting it in print, and preserving it from further risk.
Stumbling-blocks.
What is the chief cause of the failure of our Church to perform its share of the work of evangelizing the world? Why is it at a : tand-still in some sections, and in a state of dry-rot in others? Why is it devoid of influence in the centres of population and of culture? Why can it not get a foot- hold in leading American cities, in which we aspire to be represented ?
We have in our ministry and among our laity earnest men and learned ; men who have a just apprehension of the spirit of Christ's cause ; men who live
It does seem that in times past, not very remote, the setting up of a particular set of doctrines, and their maintenance. was regarded as the highest function of a Christian denomination. These doctrines were not necessarily uniform. They
might be as various as the names of the branches of the Church. The indispens- able point was that the series of doctrines embraced by one's own Church, was the fanltless and only safe one.
There has been a change. At any rate in some quarters. It has come to Ix. thought that the chief end of the Church as the custodian of the religion instituted by Christ is the salvation of sinful man. Those who hold and practice this view, look to the words, the example and the precepts of the Redeemer while on earth. Controversy is not required to explain these teachings. All men read and un- derstand the story of His life alike. Men ont of the pulpit have substantially the same perception of the purport of Ilis words and His works as men who have been under the influence of the schools. The intelligent layman can discern the essential points of Christ's gospel as radi- ly as the consummate theologian. The change from the old life to the new is a matter of the heart ; not at all of the in- tellect .. Instances are numerous of the utterly unlettered having attained to perfect grace.
The Christian whose life is guided by the example of Jeans while in the theh has no care for church names. There are such in every denomination. They Het godly lives, who have the grace of God on common ground. The men of our in their hearts, consecrated men. These are not stumbling-blocks.
time who have done most to bring sin- ners to accept Christ-Moody, for es- ample-to what denomination do they belong ? Who knows ? Who cares?
We have had in the last fifty yearsses- eral learned men in the Reformed Chinch whose intellectual power made them known beyond the bounds of our denomi-
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HISTORICAL NOTES.
nation. Mighty in controversy they were. Pitted against each other, their learned battles shook to its centre our little Zion, perform this act of filial duty. He has done his work well. Good judgment pervades the volume from beginning to end.
whose single-hearted membership looked on, awe-struck.
Where are the fruits of their labors? Where the sinners brought to repeat- ance by them ? Where was the Reformed ('Imreh extended and strengthened? How was the cause of Christ advanced ?
Acrid discussion ents both ways. It drives members of the Church out of it. and keeps others from coming in.
Ministers and members who use the Church to further their private interests and ambitions will never do much toward the spread of the Gospel. The world quickly detects those who are in the church to make money or fame ont of it.
A source of injury to the Church, and the cause it esponses, is the thinly-dis- guised struggle for "easy berths" by clergymen,aided by their partisans. They use the methods of the politician to effect their ends. Sinner and saint despise them and their ways.
Greed, selfishness, intrigue in the Church are a blight upon its growth.
Whatever stands between the sinner and the Master is a stumbling-block. It is the duty of the Church to clear the path.
Biography of Harbaugh.
Life of the Rev. Henry Larbangh, D. D. By Linn Harbaugh, Esq. Philadelphia: Reformed Church Publication Board. Sunday-school Board of the Reformed (hmarch. 500 pp. Price, $1.25.
Henry Harbaugh was heloved by the membership of the Reformed Church. He was of the plain people, in hearty accord with them and their interests. His writings in The Guardian, simple in style, sincere in purpose, susceptible of ready comprehension, made a lasting im- pression. His poems in the colloquial speech of the Pennsylvania-German folk endeared him to the vist host of the de- scendants of the stock who came in the colonial times from the Palatinate and other German sections to find a home in Pennsylvania.
Fortunate it is that a son of the honor- ed leader in the Church is at hand to
The volume begins with an apprecia- tive Introductory of fifteen pages by Rev. Nathan C. Schaeffer, D. D. This is followed by the Eulogy delivered, a few weeks after Dr. Harbaugh's death, by Rev. En'l V. Gerbart. D. D., LL. D. Of the lymms and poems written by Dr. Harbaugh, six are given : Jesus. I Live to Thee ; Jesus, my Shepherd : Jesus, to The Cross I Hasten ; The Mystic Weaver; Heemwech : Das alt Schulhaus an der Krick.
Henry Harbaugh was of Swiss lineage. His immigran ancestor, Joost Herbach, came to Pennsylvania about the year 17:6, and took up a tract of about alle hundred acres of land. three miles from Maxatawny creek, in what is now Berks county. About four years later he moved to Krentz creek, west of the Susquehanna. Henry Harbaugh was the great-grandson of Yost Harbaugh ; grandson of March Harbaugh and Anna Margaretta Smith. his wife ; son of George Harbaugh and Anna Snyder, his wife. In the old Har- haugh homestead, four miles south-east. of Waynesboro, Pa .. Henry was born October 28, IST. Here he "passed hi- boyhood. in the winter months at the school house by the creek ; in the sum- mer turning the hay rows or following after the cradles in the broad acres of the harvest field."
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