USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884 > Part 108
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On the 18th of May, 1814, thirty-three delegates assembled at the First Baptist Church of Philadel- phia, and organized the General Missionary Con- vention of the Baptist Denomination, etc. This body passed through several changes, and gave rise, in 1845, to the American Baptist Missionary Union, which, in 1883, had in foreign fields, 190 American missionaries, 1366 ordained and unordained native preachers, 1090 churches, and 102,261 church mem- bers, of whom 10,667 were converts baptized the preceding year.
On July 4, 1827, the General Association was founded in the Blockley Philadelphia Baptist Church to spread the gospel in Pennsylvania. During the first half-century of its existence it commissioned 1430 missionaries, and formed or fostered 133 churches. During 1883 the Baptist City Mission of Philadelphia, about four years in existence, work- ing for the same object as the General Association, and in a portion of its field, with it raised about $22,000, and employed fifty-eight missionaries.
The society for assisting in their education students for the Baptist ministry in this State has its head- quarters and its ablest supporters in Philadelphia. In the last twenty of the forty-four years of its ex- istence it has expended an average of $11,000 per year, and it has an invested fund of $33,500. It has aided over 500 students for the ministry, 350 of whom are recorded to be living and at work at the present time. This year (1884) seventy students are under its fostering care.
Pennsylvania has led in the Baptist ranks in edu- cation as well as in works of benevolence. Isaac Eaton's Hopewell Academy (1756) was the first in
1312
HISTORY OF PHILADELPHIA.
the country. Dr. Samuel Jones' Pennepek Academy lasted from 1766 to 1794. Dr. William Staughton had a school of theology early in the century,-re- moved to Washington in 1821. as Columbian College. Haddington College (1832) led finally to the Univer- sity of Lewisburg, established in 1846. The Crozer Theological Seminary became a noble monument of the liberality of the Crozers. The Jaynes, Creswells, Watsons, Bells, and a host more are worthily remem- bered among educational benefactors. The Baptists directly control five academies in the State, with about seven hundred pupils ; the University at Lewis- burg, and Crozer Theological Seminary ; the build- ings and endowments of these institutions are valued at 8968,000. The Baptist Home and Infirmary of Philadelphia, located upon spacious grounds, with partial endowments already secured, are valued at $175,000. The Baptist Orphanage, yet in its infancy, is a credit to the denomination, and a cause for grati- tude to those who need its shelter, and to their help- less friends, and to the benevolent who compassionate the dependent young.
The Baptists, in February, 1818, began their first religious periodieal in the city. The Latter-Day Lumi- mary. It was published quarterly, and was edited with marked ability. The National Baptist, a weekly journal, under the control of Dr. H. L. Wayland, editor and proprietor, is the organ of the Baptists of the State and of a large part of New Jersey. It is widely circulated and deservedly influential.
The American Baptist Historical Society is located in this city and chiefly sustained by its Baptist people. It has seven thousand volumes of religious literature, containing many that are invaluable, and its growth is steady. The works which Baptists have written and those which have been published against them lie lovingly together, and calmly invite the examina- tion of those who bow the spirit to the sceptre of trutlı.
In 1826 the Baptist Tract Society, located at Wash- ington, was removed to Philadelphia, and in 1845 be- came the American Baptist Publication Society. The work of this society is something enormous. Its total number of publications in 1883 was 1326. The printed matter issued between 1824 and 1883 would make 184,953,592 copies of books, tracts, and periodicals, equal to 7,080,323,003 18mo pages, or 4,720,215,336 16mo pages. Its income, in 1883, from the business and missionary departments was 8521,919.16, an in- crease of $72,502.45 over any preceding year. In 1883 it had 159 colporteurs and Sunday-school missionaries laboring all over our broad land. It has employed 1949 Bible colporteurs, Sunday-school, and publica- tion missionaries and secretaries from its beginning. During this period these men have sold 306,182 books, and given away 105,965, and they have distributed 7,990,683 pages of tracts, held 63,038 prayer-meetings, baptized 15,221 converts, constituted 569 churches, and organized 5334 Sunday-schools, and the society
in the same time has given donations of various amounts to 9992 schools.
In 1876 the Publication Society occupied its new marble building at 1420 Chestnut Street, erected at a cost of 8258,000, and free from debt. Its capital, permanent and other funds, and house are valued at not less than $700,000.
The Baptists have in Philadelphia the following institutions and church organizations in 1884:
American Baptist Publication Society, 1420 Cheatnut Street. Rev. Ben- jamin Griffiths, D.D., secretary ; Rev. G. J. Johnson, D.D., mission- ary secretary ; Rev. G. W. Andersoa, D. D., book editor; Rev. Syd- ney Dyer, Ph.D., Sunday-school sales department ; Rev. C. W. Ray, D. D., Sunday-school missionary.
American Baptist Historical Society, 1420 Chestnut Street. William Cathcart, D.D., president ; H. E. Liacolo, treasurer and librarian.
Baptist City Mission, 1420 Chestont Street. Charles H. Bages, presideat; Rev. James French, superintendent.
Baptist Home, Seventeenth and Norris Streeta. Mrs. Levi Knowles, president ; Mrs. Charles H. Banes, treasurer.
Baptist Orphanage. Forty-fifth Street and Silverton Avenue. Hon. Wil- liam B. Hanaa, president ; Mrs. J. J. Stadiger, treasurer.
Rev. H. L. Wayland, D.D., editor and proprietor National Baptist
Rev. W. H. Conard, corresponding secretary Pennsylvania Baptist Gen- eral Association.
Rev. R. M. Luther, district secretary American Baptist Missionary Union.
Rev. G. M. Spratt, D. D., corresponding secretary Pennsylvania Baptist Education Society.
Rev. Thomas Swaim, D.D., district secretary American Baptist Home Mission Society.
Churches .- Abbottaford, Baltimore Avenue, near Fifty-second Street. Rev. H. L. Wayland, D. D.
Alleghany Avenne Mission, Alleghany and Frankford Avenues. Rev. William Lawrence.
Angora, Baltimore Avenue, near Gray's Lane. Rev. J. E. Craig.
Berean, Chestnut Street, ahove Fortieth. Rev. Edgar M. Levy, D.D. Bethany, Fox Chase.
Betli-Eden, corner of Broad and Spruce Streets. Rev. John T. Beck- ley.
Bethesda, Fifthi aad Veaango Streets.
Blackley, Fifty-third Street, above Haverford Avenne. Rev. E. H. Bronson.
Brideshurg Mission of Frankford Church.
Broad Street, coraer of Broad and Browa Streeta. E. L. Magoon, D.D. Bustleton Chapel, Bustleton. Rev. Charles Warwick.
Byberry. Rev. T. C. Trotter.
Calvary, Fifth Street below Carpenter. Rev. F. C. Colby.
Centennial, Twenty-third and Oxford Streets. Rev. I. D. King.
Chapel of Hebron Baptist Church, Fifty-sixth and Vine Streets. Rev. T. G. Denchfield.
Chapel of Second Church (colored), Frankford.
Chestnut Hill, Main and Summit Streets. Rev. B. F. Robb.
East, Hanover Street above Girard Avenue. Rev. S. S. Woodward.
Eleventh (Chapel), Twenty-first and Diamond Streets. Rev. I. Newton Ritner.
Enon (Germantown), Coulter Street, near Wayne. Rev. James D. Brooks.
Falla of Schuylkill, Queen Street, above Ridge Avenue. Rev. H. W. Jones.
Fifth, Eighteenth and Spring Garden Streets. Rev. John Peddie, D.D. Fiftieth, corner Seventh Street and Susquehannaa Avenne. Rev. J. T. Craig.
First, corner Broad and Arch Streets Rev. George D. Boardman, D.D. First (West Philadelphia), corner Chestnut and Thirty-sixth Streets. Rev. W. H. Robinson.
First African, Cherry Street, east of Eleventh. Rev. T. Doughty Miller. First German, Sixth Street, above Poplar. Rev. J. S. Gubelmann. Fourth, corner Fifth and Buttonwood Streets. Rev. J. B. G. Pidge. Frankford ( First), corner Paul and Unity Streets. Rev. T. P. Coulston. Frankfurd (Second), Colored. Rev. E. G. Cooper.
Frankford Avenne, corner Frankford Avenue and Aramingo Street. Rev. C. T. Morgan.
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RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.
German Mission, Restein Hall, Seventh and Dickinson Streets. Rev. Joho C. Schmidt.
Germantown (First), Price Street. Rev. J. S. James.
Germentown (Second), corner of Main and Upsal Streets. Rev. John Love.
Germantown (Third), corner Wister and Wakefield Streets. Rev. J. L. Ray.
Rev.
Gethsemane, corner Eighteenth Street and Columbia Avenue. Lewis P. Hornberger, D.D.
Grace, Berke Street, ubove Eleventh. Rev. R. H. Conwell.
Haverford Avenue, Haverford and Westminster Avenues and Fifty-sixth Street. Rev. T. G. Denchfield.
Holmesburg, Main Street. Rev. S. V. Marsb.
Hope Mission of the Second Church, Richmond and Neff Streets. Rev. W. G. Russell.
Immequel Chepel, Twenty-third Street, ebove Race.
Lehigh Avenue, Lehigh Avenue and Twelfth Street. Rev. Welter Calley.
Lower Dublin, near Bustleton. Rev. Charles Warwick.
Maostawna, Upper Roxborongh. Rev. W. B. Tolen.
Manayunk, Green Lane, below Wood Street.
Mantue, Fortieth Street end Silverton Avenue. Rev. J. G. Walker, D.D. Memorial, corner Broad and Master Streets. Rev. Wayland Hoyt, D.D. Messiah, Dauphin Street, near Amber (west of Frankford Avenue). Rev. W. W. Dalbey.
Milestown, Oak Lane. Rev. C. C. Earle, Brauchtown.
Monumental, Forty-first aod Ludlow Streets. Rev. Robert A. Pinn. Moore Street Mission. Rev. James French.
Mount Olive, Hall, Seventeenth and Poplar Streets.
Mount Vernon Mission, Washington Street, above Hipple's Lane, Mana- yunk.
Nicetown, Germantown Avenue, above Broad Street. Rev. Henry Bray. North, Eighth Street, above Master. Rev. J. J. Muir.
Olivet, corner Sixth and Federal Streets. Rev. B. F. Leipsner.
Passyunk, Passyunk Avenue, west of Broad Street.
Pilgrim, coraer Twenty-third and Christian Streets. Rev. George A. Peltz, D.D.
Pine Grove Chapel, Bristol turnpike, neer Tecony.
Poplar Street Chapel of Fifth Church, Popler Street, near Twenty- seventh.
Powelton Avenue, Powelton Avenue, above Thirty-sixth Street. Rev. F. B. Greul.
Roxborough, Ridge Avenue, opposite Lyceum Avenue. Rev. J. W. Willmarth.
Sandy Ford Chapel, Bustleton turnpike.
Scandinavian Mission, Hazel Street, helow Second.
Second, Seventh Street, below Girard Avenue. Rev. William Cath- cart, D.D.
Second German, Second Street, above Norrie. Rev. Jobn Linker.
Shiloh (colored), South Street, between Teath and Eleventh. Rev. W. C. Depois.
South Broad Street, corner Broad and Reed Streets. Rev. P. L. Jones. South Seventh Street Mission. South Seventh and Emily Streets.
Spring Garden, Thirteenth Street, above Wallace. Rev. J. W. T. Boothe, D.D.
Spruce Street, Spruce Street, below Fifth. Rev. C. H. Thomas. Tabernacle, Chestout Street, above Eighteenth. Rev. G. E. Rees. Tecony. Rev. W. W. Ferris.
Tenth, Eighth Street, above Green. Rev. A. J. Rowland, D.D. Third, Second Street, above Catharine. Rev. W. H. Shermer.
Trinity Mission, northwest corder Markoe and Seneca Streets.
Union, Minster Street, above Sixth. Rev. W. Wallace. Wheatsheaf Mission of Frankford Church, Bridesburg.
White Hall, Twenty-third Ward. Rev. K. Walling.
Wissahickon Chapel, Ridge Avenue, above Dawson Street.
York Street Mission, York and Fourth Streets. William Edie, lay mis- cionary.
Zien (colored), Hall, Thirteenth and Poplar. Rev. Horace Wayland.
Free Baptists ( Macedonian Missions) .- First, Twelfth and Mckean Streets. Rev. Ernest G. Wesley.
First Colored, Rodman Street, above Tenth. Rev. Alfred Brown.
THE TUNKERS.
Hardly any sect now in existence has a greater number of names than the Tunkers, who have also
been known as the Dunkers, Dunkards, Tumblers, Dumplers, Brethren, and German Baptists. They now have two churches in Philadelphia, and their early history centres about "Bebber's township" and Germantown. They are in belief Seventh-Day Bap- tists, with a Universalist tendency, and with certain tenets that are strongly Roman Catholic. They first became well organized near Schwartzenau, Germany, early in the eighteenth century, and appeared in Pennsylvania in 1717, when twenty families arrived, settling at Germantown, Oley, Skippack, Conestoga, and Falkner's, and lacking religious organization till 1722, when their clergymen, Messrs. Becker, Gantz, Gomery, and the Trautz brothers, visited them, succeeding in forming a church December 25th the next year, in " Bebber's township."1 Rev. Peter Becker (or Baker), one of the most enterpris- ing of their evangelists, held the first meeting at his own house, in the morning of that day, and then baptized Martin Urner and wife, Heinrich Landes and wife, and Friederich Long, in the Wissahickon. The love-feast and holy communion were observed the same evening, at the house of John Gomery. This was the first love-feast celebrated in America by the Tunkers.
The original members of the Tunker Church were Peter Backer, Henrick Traut, Henry Holzapfel, Johannes Gomery, Jeremiah Trant, Balser Traut, Stephen Koch, John Freis, John Kempser, Johannes Hildebrand, Daniel Ritter, George Balser Gans, Magdalina Traut, Anna Gomery, Maria Hildebrand, Joanna Gans, Jacob Koch, Johannes Priesz, and Johannes Kaempfer. Rev. Peter Baker, their first minister, was born at Delsheim, in Germany, in 1687; was educated a Presbyterian ; embraced the principles of the Baptists in 1714; came to America in 1719; settled with the church at Bebberstown in 1723; ceased to preach in 1746, and died in the year 1748.
A good idea of their present customs and beliefs may be gathered from Dr. Cathcart's " Baptist Cyclo- pædia" and from Dr. Baird's "Religion in America," but the earlier Tunkers, such as organized in " Beb- ber's township," were more ascetic and communal, and attracted much attention. Their dress consisted of a long tunic, reaching to the heels, confined by a sash about the waist, and also a hood similar to that of the Dominican friars. This dress was adopted by both males and females, with the addition, by the latter, of a veil, which was not withdrawn in public.
1 This tract, bought by Matthias van Bebber, was above Germantown preper, and its name was soon corrupted tu " Beggar's town," a name etill in use. The township was settled in 1684. So thoroughly wus the origin of the name forgotten that Morgan Edwards, writing in 1770, describing the meeting-house of the Tunkers, says, "Tho meeting- house is of stone, thirty feet square, erected this year (1770), on a lot of eighty rods. On the same lot stands their old building, erected by John Pettikoffer, for his dwelling-house, in 1731, and because it was the first house in the place, and erected by a beggar, the village assumed the name of ' Beggarstown.'"
1314
HISTORY OF PHILADELPHIA.
The beard was never cut, though it was customary to clip the hair. The sexes were kept entirely separate, even at seasons of religious worship. The only ex- ception was at the occurrence of their love-feasts, one of their sacraments, when men and women dined at the same table. They prohibited marriage, and if any insisted on abandoning celibacy they must also abandon the geographic limits of the society, though they could settle in the vicinity, worship as formerly, receive their portion of the public funds, and send their children to be educated by their brethren and sisters. Their diet was of the most simple sort, and flesh of all kind was proscribed by their rules, ex- cept at the love-feasts, when mutton aud no other kind of meat was eaten. Their furniture was very plain ; a bare bench served for a bed, and a small block of wood for a pillow. Their religious exercises consisted, to a great extent, in private meditation. Beside this they had seasons of public worship, when the men met in their appointed place, and the women in theirs. They were required to worship four times each day.
In baptism they are immersionists, not by one act, but by three, making a triple immersion, and they dip the candidates head forward under water, while kneeling. Their name "Tunker" is said to come from " Tunken," "sops," "to dip a morsel." Some of their doctrinal beliefs were as follows :
That future happiness was to be procured by pen- ance and mortification of the flesh in this world ; evidently being tainted with the Gnostic opinion that evil was inherent in matter.
That Jesus Christ died for the salvation of all men, but that it could and ought to be secured by good works, each individual thus working out his own sal- vation independent of the atonement.
That men might perform more good works than re- quired by God, and that these would be credited to the account of those who were remiss in duty, so that they might not only work out their own but others' salvation by deeds of supererogation.
That the final punishment of the wicked was not to be eternal. They insisted that Christ preached His gospel to the dead, and that the souls of just men made perfect were employed as missionaries to the spirits of such as enjoyed no means of grace in this world.
That sundry Jewish divisions of time were typical of certain periods after the general judgment, when repentant spirits would be admitted to bliss from the scene of their punishment. And that at the very last those who persisted in impenitence would be con- verted hy a special act of divine interposition and re- ceived into glory. This was supposed to have been indicated by the Jewish jubilee.
That deeds of violence were not justifiable, even in cases of self-defense.
That the members of Christ's church should on no account engage in litigation.
Their church government and discipline were much the same as that of the Baptists in general.
The Bebberstown (or Upper Germantown) Church grew but slowly. In September, 1729, Rev. Alexan- der Maek came from Germany with his three sons, Johannes Mack, Valentine Mack, and Alexander Mack, Jr., also Hans Gunde, Andreas Bony, Johann Naas, Anthony Deerdorf, Jacob More, Rudolph Har- ley, Johann Peter von Lausche, Jacob Kalckgluesser, Johannes Kipping, Jacob Bossert, Heinrich Kalck- gluesser, Christopher Kalckgluesser, Wilhelm Knep- per, Jacob Schneider, Matthias Schneider, Johannes Pettenkoffer, Hans Koch, George Koch, Reinhard Hammer, and others, who greatly strengthened the church.
Rev. Mr. Alexander Mack was born in 1679 or 1680. He died at Germantown (being an assistant to Rev. Peter Becker), on the 19th of January, 1735. His son, Rev. Alexander Mack, Jr., who succeeded him at Germantown, was called to the ministry June 1, 1748, and on the 10th of June, 1753, he was ad- vanced to the office of bishop, at which time the public charge of the church at Germantown was laid upon him. He preached until near the time of his death, in March, 1803.
In 1731 the congregation obtained for their place of worship a house erected by John Pettikoffer for his dwelling-house, and meetings were held there till 1770.
About this time, early in the eighteenth century, the Tunkers of Bebberstown attempted an enterprise, which connects them closely with the Ephrata Breth- ren, indeed Ephrata was often called "Tunkertown." Conrad Beissel, who had about 1732 founded the large monastery in Ephrata, had been a Tunker.
At Ephrata the habit of the Capuchins or White Friars was adopted by both the brethren and sisters, which consisted of short trowsers and vest, with a long white gown and cowl of woolen webbing in winter, and linen in summer. That of the sisters differed only in the substitution of petticoats for trow- sers, and some peculiarity in the shape of the cowl. Monastic names were given to all who entered the cloister. There were three places of worship,-Sha- ron, Bethany, and Zion. The brethren had a farm, a paper-mill, printing-office, aud oil-mill; the sisters spun linen and wove cloth.
We are indebted to " Historic Notes of Olden Time in Roxborough and Manayunk," written by Horatio Gates Jones, and published in the Manayunk Star in 1859, for the following translations from the "Chron- icon Ephratense," published in 1786, which purported to be the work of two monks, whose religious names were " Lamech" and " Agrippa." One of them says, -
"On the 12th of April, 1736, I moved to Brothor Alexander Mack's, where three of us lived for some time. In the year 1737 we built a house in a valley one mile from Germantown, lute which we moved October 14th of the same year. Another hermit, named John Reiss- man, and a couple of married people, came to and lived with us. On the 21st of March, 1738, my three brethren-Alexander Mack, Henry
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RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS.
Hoecker, and John Reissman-left me, and went to the hermits in Eph- rata, whilst the housekeeper went again to the country. After this another pious housefather came and lived with me, but only up to March 27, 1739, at which time I moved also to the solitary ones at Ephrata."
It would seem from this that the supposed monas- tic establishment founded by the unknown author of the " Chronicon Ephratense" was only kept up about seventeen months, and could not have been composed of more than seven persons. The question is, Where is the house spoken of by the author of the " Chron- icon ?" Was it the old Gorgas mansion, now known as the " Monastery ?" It is altogether unlikely. The "Historic Notes," from which we have already quoted, say that in the valley of the Wissahickon, on the east- ern side, on the brow of a hill, and a mile above the Red Bridge, there is "a large, three-story house of dressed stone, with an old-fashioned hollow cornice. That building is the so-called 'Monastery of the Wissahickon,' but not as originally built, for many of the windows have been walled up, and a cornice that once projected over the first row of windows has been removed. In fact, the old house, which was a grand mansion in its pristine glory, has been thor- oughly modernized, with the exception that it has escaped the vandalic coat of exterior plaster which in this region has ruined many a noble old house."
1
But, as the writer proceeds to show, the ground in question was sold in March, 1747, to John Gorgas, of Germantown. In 1752 the latter conveyed half of it to his brother, Joseph Gorgas, aud there is a recital in the deed that Joseph had since (1747) erected at his own cost and charges "a three-story stone house or messuage on a certain piece or spot of land." Jo- seph Gorgas was a member of the society of Seventh- Day Baptists. It is conjectured that he erected this house for purposes of seclusion and meditation. It is said, "Hither were gathered congenial spirits like himself, and there they held sweet communion." A small strip of land below the county bridge is pointed out as the place where the monks were accustomed to administer the rite of baptism in the Wissahickon, and on the early township map the spot is designated as the Baptisterion.
Joseph Gorgas sold the lot with the house, now called the " Monastery," to Edward Milner in 1761, and it has since gone through various hands. The house in which the unknown author of the " Chroni- con" lived for seventeen months could not have been the stone mansion to which tradition affixes the title. There is no proof that Gorgas allowed his house to be used for monastic purposes, but novelists have made much of the legends and tales of hermits and
first meeting June 8th. The following persons were then members : Alexander Mack, minister, with his wife and daughter; Christopher Saur, exhorter, with his wife and son ; Margaret Bozer, deaconess; George Shriber and wife, Henry Slingluff and two daughters, Philip Weaver and wife, Peter Sybert and wife, John Slingluff and wife, Henry Slingluff, Anthony Snyder and wife, Richard Roob, Michael Keyser, Peter Keyser and wife, Jacob Bow- man and wife, Justus Fox and wife, John Kime, Conrad Good, Conrad Stamm and wife, Hannah Stamm, Mary Baker, Sarah Baker, Susanna Baker, Eve Fith, Elizabeth Bozer, Mary Bossert, Margaret Herzbach, Magdalen Mellenger, OLD TUNKER CHURCH, GER- MANTOWN. Elizabeth Roob, Chris- tian Van Lashet and wife, William Spyra, Nathaniel Shriber, Katharine Shriber, Henry Sharpnack and wife, Mary Nyse, Rudolph Haly and wife, Mary Fend, Sybelia Ent.
The church had no graveyard for the members, who were buried in the Mennonite and other grounds until 1793, when the yellow fever raged so terribly in the city that sufficient places could hardly be found to bury the dead in. The brethren then took up a sub- scription for a graveyard, to which Alexander Mack subscribed 10s., Peter Keyser 15s., Garret Clemens 15s., Michael Keyser 10s., Dirck Keyser 10s., Chris- tian von Lashet 15s., Peter Keyser, Jr., 11s. 3d., William Keyser 10s., Benjamin Lehman 118. 3d., Thomas Langstroth £1, Peter Leibert 15s., etc. In 1804 they also bought the adjoining lot to the meet- ing-house for a road, that they could drive in with a " wagon or cart to the stable, and down to the graveyard, if needs be ; and also to enlarge the graveyard at a future day." Four hundred and thirty pounds were paid for it, in two installments. The first was made up by subscription, and the second was borrowed from Peter Leibert and Peter Keyser, Jr., at six per cent. interest. To the subscription we find Peter Leibert gave $50; Peter Keyser, Jr., $50 ; Peter Keyser, Sr., $40; Michael Keyser, $30; Benjamin Lehman, $53.33; William Keyser, 820; James Lynd, $10; Keturah Clemens, $10; Catharine Langstroth, $10; John Keyser, 810, etc.
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