History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 88

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534

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The church enjoins the duty of hearing Mass and resting from servile works on Sunday, also the duty of observing holidays commemorating the saints, and especially fasting in Lent Ember-days, Advent, and abstaining from flesh on Fridays ; to confess to a priest and obtain absolution at least once a year. The church teaches unwavering obedience from her chil- dren and affirms that "out of her pale there is no salvation ;" it holds, furthermore, that dissent and schism are mortal sins,-that is, subjecting the trans- gressor, if unrepented of, to final perdition. It also teaches that in the celebration of Mass at the altar Christ is offered as an atonement for sin or " a blood-

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

less sacrifice " for penitents. Catholics teach " that the | years, having now over a dozen congregations. They good works we do receive their whole value from the were originally called " Albrights," from a German minister named Jacob Albright, who founded the society in the year 1800. They are almost identical and are often confounded with another German Methodist Church, that called "United Brethren in Christ," established near the same time by Rev. William Otterbein, a divine who had been raised in the Reformed Church. They, as also the church above named, in faith and church government, are almost identical with the great Methodist Episcopal Church. Most of them are Germans, and they largely use that language in their worship. Beyond active zeal for total abstinence from intoxicating drinks, and earnest efforts in evangelizing the unconverted, they are in nothing distinguished from the great Methodist family. grace of God, and that by such works we not only comply with the precepts of the divine law, but that we thereby likewise merit eternal life;" hence it is asserted that many eminent saints have performed more than duty or salvation required, which have been called " works of supererogation." Protestants, on the contrary, affirm that good works are not meri- torious, but only performed from the dietates of duty, and are the mere evidence of faith and obedience, as nothing secures salvation but Christ's sacrificial . death. It is proper to add here that all orthodox Protestants hold that Christ, once for all, offered hin- self an atonement for sin on the cross; that there were but two sacraments instituted by him ; that there is no purgatory, and that therefore prayers to departed Another small branch of the same Arminian flock was nearly overlooked, the African Methodist Episco- pal Church, of which there are four or five societies in the county, all in towns along the Schuylkill. saints and for the dead are unscriptural and un- warranted. The Catholic Church teaches that Christ instituted seven sacraments. to wit : Baptism, Lord's Supper, Confirmation, Penance, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders and Matrimony, some of these being founded on the writings of "the Christian Fathers," which that church regards of nearly equal authority as the evangelists, but which Protestants do not re- ceive as such.

There is another strongly marked distinction be- tween Catholics and Protestants in church polity : With the former all temporalities, such as church edi- fices, lands, colleges and cleemosynary institutions, are held by the ecclesiastical authority of a diocese,. while with the latter, church edifices and most other common property of churches or church institutions are held in trust by lay trustees exclusively, these being elected by the people of each congregation. Formerly the children of Catholics attended public schools in common with others, but recently the church has founded parochial schools, where, in con- junction with secular learning, the doctrines of their church are also inculcated.

The Catholic Church is noted for its opposition to secret societies, at least all such as are out of the pale of its own communion, and for maintaining the indissolubility of the marriage tie. Its testimony on the latter point, as also against color-prejudice in church, which was the opprobrium of some Protestant Churches previous to the abolition of slavery, is worthy of commendation, as is also the brotherly respect paid to their dead by large attendance at funerals. Although the Catholic denomination here has only grown up or gathered within the past fifty years, it has within that period increased more rapidly (chiefly by emigration from abroad) than any, and now has more worshipers for their space than any other.

Evangelical Association (German Methodists). -This branch of the Methodist persuasion is the latest denomination planted in our county, and must conclude our series. This humble, zealous people have come to be quite numerous within the past forty

A few critical observations on the status and drift of our current religion may not be out of place here by way of review. First, the original formation and substructure of society here was Christian Protestant, on a square basis of equal social and religious rights. The peace sects have aimed to confine their work at home among their own people, the Evangelicals striving to catch and mould the popular drift flowing in upon us, Catholics, with a few Hebrews, stand rather aside now, disinclined to fully coalesce with the mass. Popular education, journalistic activity and the inflow of wealth make rapid inroads upon old Protestant manners and customs. German and other continental people have been pouring in upon us until Puritanic and Quaker notions are giving way before them. A few years ago, when Friends, Pres- byterians and Baptists were influential, Christmas day, " Christmas-trees," Easter evergreen adornments and other holiday observances, birth-day, golden and silver weddings, flowers and floral crosses at funerals, with wedding-gifts, were unheard-of things. Now these social gifts, observances and adornments have grown into such fashion that, with stylish churches, æsthetic religious ceremonials and other social meetings of the people, we are now, to say the least, rapidly progressing into the new or continental civilization. Commenting on this, the recent issue of a denominational journal makes the following dolor- ous observations :

"Every one not utterly blind has seen within the past few years the introduction and growth, in non-prelatical churches, of the observance of 'holy days,' sacred symbols, costly church music and elaboration of forms of worship. It is true that this dilution exists with remains of plain forms ; but, like the man who begins with brandy and water, it ends with brandy alone. Let us not 'exalt ourselves over idolatrons Eph- raim,' for even our backsliding 'Judah ' is beginning to 'forsake her husband ' and burn incense at the altar of ritualism."

The writer further adds :

" It has always been true, from the Apostles' times, that theatric wor- ship is ever accompanied by intense worldliness, decay of heart religion, growth of heterodoxy and scepticism within the bosom of the church."

375

CHURCH HISTORY.

Having thus given a hasty and imperfect review of our religious denominations, some of their contrasted doctrines, discipline, social peculiarities and moral drift, we proceed further, and describe church divisions and other disturbing matters, with such fundamental or natural changes as have arisen among them. First under this head, then, will come

Schisms .-- As the Society of Friends was earliest established in our county, its domestic troubles must first be noticed. As has been stated, the seventeenthi and early part of last century were times of religious ferment, and this society, which claimed to be led by the Inward Light alone, was subjected to dissensions and divisions also.

George Keith, a Friend standing very high in the society during the early years of last century, broke the bonds of unity upon some private grievance or conscientious conviction, and began to preach against Friends, finally joining himself to the English national church, carrying with him a small party of the society at or near Philadelphia. Near a century later the great Unitarian controversy, that rent the Congrega- tional Church of New England at the commence- ment of the present century, brought "humanitarian" expositions of the New Testament widely before the whole country, and it is hardly doubted that Elias Hieks, with other Friends, caught the spirit of the great debate from it and them. Hicks was " public Friend." residing on Long Island, a gifted, eloquent preacher and an acute metaphysical re.isoner. Ile traveled for several years all over the bounds of the society, promulgating his views and what were thought somewhat strange interpretations of Scripture, that very many of the society, particularly the elders. thought new and which they felt "no unity with." He was accused, perhaps falsely, of denying the divinity of Jesus Christ, the viearious atonement, the miraculous conception and literal resurrection of the Saviour, the authoritative value of the Scriptures of truth, as well as other doctrines claimed to be held by Friends from the beginning, and which had the sanction of Fox, Penn, Barclay and others. Many leading members of some of the higher meetings openiy and loudly expressed their " want of unity" with Hicks, and refused to hear him, while a much greater number in this region of country maintained that his teachings were in strict accordance with those of the founders of the church.

After much heated controversy in a quiet way, the society separated at the Yearly Meeting in Philadel- phia, in 1827, and in all others where there was much dissent, divisions took place all over the country. In our county the adherents of Hicks' views, by their op- ponents called " Hicksites," being largely in the major- ity, held the following houses of worship : Abington, Horsham, Gwynedd, Plymouth, Upper Dublin and Upper Providence ; while Lower Merion and Potts- town adhered to the "Orthodox." Soon after the division the separated members erected small houses

of worship for themselves at Abington, Moreland, l'ly- mouth and Gwynedd, and at Horsham a meeting was held weekly for a time in a private dwelling. In recent years the Providence Meeting has been "laid down," i.e., suspended, though the property is held and the Norristown Meeting is since established. At the time of division, or shortly after, an enumeration taken showed that of the divided society a very large majority adhered to the Hicksites (an appellation they repel), which accounts for the disposition of the meet- ing-houses. Since the separation and the death of Hicks both parties claim to be the true " Society of Friends," and profess not to have changed from the original doctrines and discipline of the early society. In fact, any differences in the general deportment, dress and customs of both divisions are but slightly discernible to people of other persuasions.

It is ditlivult, also, for historians, or even contempo- rary religionists, to discriminate and point out the weighty and real matters about which the two branches of Friends so differed in their great schism ; it would appear, however, that it was not about forms of worship or mainly about discipline; but never having had a written or formulated creed, they came to differ among themselves about the essential doc- trines that constituted Christianity.

It is manifest, also, that several years antecedent to the separation revival efforts amongst contemporary sects had brought Scripture doctrines and church efforts, into wide discussion amongst all religious classes, and many Friends also came to adopt views, more or less in accord with the historical teachings of the New Testament or orthodox tenets. Some Friends felt bound to maintain the validity and authority of certain doctrines and literal faets revealed and his- torically recorded in the Old and New Testaments, as fundamental ; while, on the other hand, many " liber- als" of the society, having adopted Socinian views of Christ, insisted, on the contrary, that none should be held bound to accept revealed writings except in such a sense as accorded with divine light manifested to themselves. Hence little was fixed to the latter class as absolute truth ; and thus the liberal party planted themselves rather upon negations than affirmations, contending that such were the doctrines of the society from the beginning; and hence also many came to characterize all professors who maintained positive opinions in religious belief as "sectarians", claiming that they themselves by reason of non-affirmation of dogmatic faith, were not sectarian.

Since the division the Hicksite branch has been much more active, touching moral reform questions, such as anti-slavery, temperance and peace, while Orthodox Friends are more rigidly evangelical in doctrine. The latter have in some parts of the coun- try had new divisions of small "separatists" called Gurneyites and Wilberites, and Hieksites in Chester County have also had a secession called "Progressive Friends."

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

DIVISIONS AMONG MENNONISTS. - It is known that the lesser German, and especially the peace sects, as in- dividuals and societies, resist innovations in dress, customs, worship,-in short, concerning everything brought with them from the Fatherland ; hence these, as also their tenacity in religious belief, expose them to constant schisms. In the interior of the State there are several branches of the society, unknown in our localities, called " Omish," " Hooker Mennonites, "etc. In our county there have been several divisions of the Mennonite body. The first one took place in 1847, into what was called "Old Mennonites" and "New," the latter party led by Rev. Abraham Hunsicker, a bishop, who thought the old testimonies of the society against scholastic learning and general participation in socie- tary movements ought to be reformed. Five years afterwards, feeling himself aud his adherents tram- meled and uncomfortable in the "New Division," he withdrew, and organized "The Trinity Christian Church," mainly in doctrinal accord with the old societies, except in patronizing institutions of learn- ing, Sunday-schools, revival meetings and the like. There are two prosperous societies of this denomina- tion, one at Freeland and the other at Skippackville. Subsequently another division in parts of Bucks and Lehigh was organized under the title of " Evangelical Mennonites." Several of these small parties are known by the name of the leaders, such as "Funkites," " Overholtzer," "Johnson," and " Herrites," all of which appellations they repel of course. The last of the four mentioned takes its name from John Herr, of Lancaster County. They have one or two societies in our county, in Worcester or Perkiomen. They are usually and incorrectly called " Harralites," and their views and customs are so peculiar that some of them are appended : "They do not and dare not, for fear of the ban of separation" (a sort of penance), "hear the minister of another denomination preach. When one of their members commits a sin or breaks their rules, he or she is 'put under the ban,' and is' kept in avoidance' ; then they do not eat or sleep with him or her, nor sit at the same table, under pain of like censure." These more than monkish austerities are calculated to split society into many factions; yet peace is so ingrained in their nature that, to their credit be it spoken, serious quarrels are rarely reported amongst them.

THE GREAT PRESBYTERIAN SCHISM .- The most im- portant division occurring among Christian bodies in our county during the present century, happened to Presbyterians between the years of 1838 and 1855. But in order to make it clear and intelligible to the reader, it will be well to glance at the greater schism between the constituents of the general Presbyterian family of the Union in 1837-38. In order to do this, then, it may be needful to quote a few points of doc- trine found in the Assembly's Catechism, about which Presbyterians differed in their expositions. We quote as follows: First, about "the covenant made with

Adam, through which all his posterity sinned in him ;" second, "God, out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity elected some to everlasting life" (and per consequence left al! others non-elected) ; third, " hu- man redemption is the result of a covenant between the Father and the Son in the counsels of eternity." These and a few similar dogmas were elaborated and enlarged, or rather perverted, by some Scottish and German theologians into what is usually called Anti- nomianism, a short summary of which is quoted from Schmucker's " History of all Religions," pp. 153, 154.1

These points, as the reader will perceive, are but perversions of those copied from the Westminster Catechism above, or perhaps inferences drawn from them. To show how far others claiming to be Calvin- ists had drifted in the opposite direction, we quote, in a note below, certain points " alleged to be held by New School men" (but which the latter denied), drawn up and condemned by the Philadelphia General Assembly of 1837, with other points still more heterodox.2

It will be readily seen from these quotations that wide diversity existed, though few Presbyterian di- vines would have subscribed the last points, not that some did not partly believe them, but because not sustained by the " church standards." The fact was the current theology had advanced through a better understanding of the Scriptures, while the Catechism had not advanced, especially as learned men of the time elaimed to understand the Word (the acknow- ledged authority), as well as the Westminster doctors. Such being the doctrinal condition of the church at large when the revival furor was most pre- dominant all over the country, there was consequently much dissent and disquiet in the denomination. Those who held to ultra-Scotch interpretations of the catechism and Word were called "Old light" or "Old School"; and others who accepted symbols of the Westminster Assembly in a liberal sense, "New School." Thus matters stood until about 1830, when Rev. Albert Barnes, then just called to the First

1 " That the justification of sinners is an imminent and eternal act of God, not only preceding all acts of sin, but the existence of the sintier himself; that justification by faith is no more than a manifestation to us of what was done before we had a being; that God secs no sin in believers, and they are not bound to confess, mouru for it or pray that it may be forgiven ; that God is not angry with the elect, nor does he punish them for their sine; that by God's laying our iniquities upon Christ, He became as completely sinful as we, and we as completely righteous as Christ ; that the new covenant is not made properly with us, but with Christ for us, and that the covenant is all of it a promise having no conditions for us to perform, for faith, repentance and obedi- ence are not conditions on our part, but Christ's, and he repented, be- Jieved and obeyed for ns."

2 " We have no more to do with Adam's first sin than the sins of any other parent ; there is no other original sin in us than the fact that all the posterity of Adam, though by nature innocent, or possessed of no moral character, will begin to sin when they begin to exerciso moral agency ; the doctrine of imputation, whether of the guilt of Adam's sin or of the righteousness of Christ, has no foundation in the word of God, and is both unjust and absurd; that the righteousness of Christ is not the sole ground of the siuner's acceptance with God, and in no sense does the righteousness of Christ become ours." (See Schmucker's Ilis- tory, p. 85-86).

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CHURCH HISTORY.

Church, Philadelphia, commenced to publish annota- tions on the New Testament. He held modified Calvinism or new school views. He was accused of heresy in his Presbytery, but acquitted under protest from a few of its members. The accusation was ap- pealed to the Synod, and the action of the lower court reversed, and finally to the General Assembly of 1833, and the appeal sustained, when the discussion grew bitter, and it was sent back to Synod and Presbytery, which latter bodies acquitted him. Other appeals followed, continuing until 1835, when a Synod sus- pended him from the ministry. In 1837 the great dispute was continued in the Assembly, but no final action taken until the following year (1838,) when, upon assembling, the moderator refused to entertain a motion to receive the commissioners from the Synods of Genesee, Geneva, Utica and Western Reserve; thus the chairman ruled a large part of the Assembly out of the church. The exscinded members gathered at Mr. Barnes' church and organized what was after- wards called the New School Presbyterian Church.

The divergence in doctrinal belief and other sources of alienation were largely brought about by the infu- sion of Congregationalist members and ministers from New England into the churches of the Middle and Southern States. Many of these also had held re- vival meetings, and co-operated in foreign and domestic missions with "The American Board," a Congrega- tional institution.

Before the great division at Philadelphia churches connected themselves by consent of Synod, with the Presbytery most in accordance with their own views, the Second Presbytery thus becoming old, while the Third was new school. The First Church of Norris- town, however, happened to belong to the second. Accordingly, when its pulpit became vacant, in the fall of 1837, by the resignation of Rev. Robert Adair, early the following year it called Rev. Samuel M. Gould, and asked the Presbytery to ordain and in- stall him. He being from New England and new school, the Presbytery, largely old school, rejected him on the alleged ground of unsoundness in doctrine. but mainly, as Rev. Dr. Ralston says, in the history of the church, "from party feeling." The Presbytery charged Rev. Dr. Neill, of Germantown, with the duty of announcing its action to the Norristown Church. The reverend gentleman appeared next Sabbath at the hour of worship, conducted the service and forbade Mr. Gould to longer continue as supply. When the services were ended, Mr. Gould, who had been present, now rose and appealed to the congregation, asking all who were willing to hear him, as in the past, to rise to their feet, when the assemblage rose almost en masse. By this response (or at a congrega- tional meeting called for the purpose afterwards) the church resolved to withdraw from the Second and oin the Third Presbytery, they still retaining Mr. Gould as "supply," which was done. The latter body soon after examined Mr. Gould, passed and installed

him pastor of the Norristown Church. This action of Norristown Church caused the withdrawal of one or two members only. Thus the Norristown congrega- tion became part of the new school division, with the full acquiescence of all its other members. Mr. Gould continued to serve the church thenceforth until 1857, thirteen years, when some troubles arising, he resigned the charge, and after near a year's interval, Rev. Randolph A. Smith was called and installed. Mr. Smithi had been pastor some three years when the present house of worship had become finished but not dedicated, a new parsonage built and occupied.

Alleging ill health as a reason, Mr. Smith expressed a wish to resign his charge, at the same time giving notice of the assembling of a congregational meeting to join him for that purpose. When the people con- vened, they, knowing Mr. Smith's disability was but slight, refused to vote for the dissolution of the rela- tion. The meeting at once appointed a committee to wait on the pastor in the parsonage, near by, and strive to dissuade him from his purpose; it called on him, and returned soon after accompanied by Mr. Smith, who heartily thanked the people for their vote of confidence, and then, for the first time, stated that " he could no longer retain the pastorate and con- tinue his intercourse with the Third Presbytery, some of whose members," he alleged, "had not used him well." Upon this announcement a member arose and moved that "the First Church of Norristown with- draw from the Third, and join the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia." The question was put and declared adopted, very few of the members being aware that such action was carrying the church out of the new school denomination into the old. No sooner, how- ever, was the vote correctly understood by a large majority of the people (after the meeting adjourned), than they protested against it and asserted it was ef- fected through "a mere pretense," and demanded a new congregational meeting to test the true will of the people; but the request was never granted by the session and trustces of the church. The same mneet- ing also appointed another committee to announce to the Third Presbytery the church's withdrawal from its body, and also to effect a union with the Second Presbytery, Old School.

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History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Part 88

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1534

Author: Bean, Theodore Weber, 1833-1891, [from old catalog] ed; Buck, William J. (William Joseph), 1825-1901
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1534