History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884, Part 130

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 992

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1 Mr. Schlatter had been sent from Europe with anthority to unite the scattered German Reformed congregations in n better organization. The Dutch Classis and Synod also sent over, a little later, Revs. Weiber, Steiner, Otterbein, Hendel, Helfenstein, Helfrich, Gebhard, Vollicker, Blumer, Faber, Becker, and Herman, all able and devoted men.

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adjoining counties. It is supposed that he died in in 1762. No permanent supply was obtained until 1739.

One of these Reformed congregations, early estab- lished by Rev. Mr. Weiss, was that at "Folkner Schwam" (or Swamp), in Frederick township, in 1727. Rev. M. Goetschiey preached there for a few years. Henry Antes, afterward ordained, preached at times. Rev. John Philip Leidich took charge of the church in 1748, and so remained till 1761, when Rev. Conrad Steiner became his coadjutor. In 1770, Rev. Nicholas Pomp, a native of Germany, and grad- nate of Halle, became pastor there, and remained in charge till the Revolutionary war had fairly begun. A book of his against Universalism (" Das Ewig Evan- gelium") was printed in 1774, by Henry Miller, Phila- delphia.

At Great Swamp, in Upper Hanover, J. Henry Sproegel, abont 1726, gave fifty acres of land for religions and educational purposes. The promise was made to Jacob Moyer, a Mennonite, but no formal deed was executed. Meanwhile the German Reformed Church had organized, and Rev. J. H. Goetschiey was the minister in 1730. In 1737 they built a church on the Sproegel tract. In 1746 it was arranged by Mr. Schlatter that Rev. George M. Weiss should be pastor of this church, and of New Goshenhoppen and Old Goshenhoppen. The three congregations contributed £40 a year. Mr. Weiss recorded in 1746 that "Grosen Schwam" congregation had forty-eight families. Old Goshenhoppen Reformed Church was also served as early as 1730 by Rev. Mr. Goetschiey. Rev. Michael Schlatter preached there, in "a new stone church," on the 20th of September, 1746. At that time trouble had been made by "a certain schoolmaster who undertook to preach without reg- ular license." This was subsequently arranged, and Rev. George M. Weiss became pastor in 1746-47. New Goshenhoppen Church was taken charge of in January, 1730, by Rev. Mr. Goetschiey, and the con- gregation then had forty-five families. This church was also the scene of divisions and factions in 1746. They were settled by the efforts of Messrs. Boehm, Schlatter, and Weiss, and the latter was placed in charge. Difficulties about the church site at Great Swamp began in 1850, the Mennonites having raised the money for Abraham Moyer to erect buildings on the tract claimed under the deed of 1726. It was also claimed by the Lutherans. The Germau Re- formed rebuilt their church in the year 1769, and cansed to be surveyed two and a half acres of ground for church use, wishing to appropriate the rest to the use of the schoolmaster and to the support of the school already put np. The Mennonites also built a church, and the Lutherans erected a school-house. In 1796 this dispute was settled. Half went to the German Reformed Church, and the remainder to the Lutherans and Mennonites. Rev. G. M. Weiss, who took charge of Great Swamp, and Old and New Goshenhoppen in 1750, remained there till his death,

1766, when Rev. John Theobald Faber, a native of Toggenheim, arrived from Holland, though Rev. Jacob Reiss officiated for a short time. Rev. Mr. Faber married the daughter of Erhard Rose, of Read- ing, and was still in the pastorate till 1779. Rev. Caspar Wack had, about this time, a roving com- mission, preaching at many points in Philadelphia County. He was born in Philadelphia in 1752, his father being an elder of the Reformed Church on Race Street. Dr. Weyberg educated him, and in 1770 he began service as a catechist, preaching at Tohicon, Indianfield, and Great Swamp. In 1773 he was given charge of several churches in Philadelphia, Bucks, and Northampton Counties.

The Trappe Reformed Church at Providence, in Montgomery County, now St. Luke's, was in existence at a very early date, and the log house used for a church was in nse until 1835. For October, 1746, Mr. Schlatter's journal contained the following :

" When, on the 18th, I returned to Providence, I preached there in a barn, since the poor congregation there has not been able to build a church. When I had made them known my commission they obligated themselves to raise a salary of fifteen pounds aonually in money or grain, or one bundred Holland guilders for the support of a pastor."

Rev. John Philip Leidlich took charge in 1748, and continued as pastor until his death, Jan. 4, 1784. The earliest tombstone in the burying-ground attached to this church chronicles the death of Evalt, who de- parted this life March 16, 1760, aged sixty-nine years. In Scull's map of Pennsylvania, published in 1770, this church is marked as "the Dutch meeting." The most common names upon the tombstones in the burying-ground of St. Luke's are Paul, Reed, Shenkle, Netz, Buckwalter, Hillborn, Casey, Ricknor, Dar- inger, Smith, Dull, Francis, Wiland, Schneider, Ese- lin, Shore, Tyson, Thomas, Spear, Everhart, Garber, Izenburg, Longabough, Koons, Espenship, Wanner, Hanger, Shade, Beidler, and Stauffer.

There was also a Reformed Church in Allemingle township, Philadelphia County, in 1746. Rev. John Brandmiller was sent there to preach in that year. Mr. Schlatter visited it in 1747. A congregation was in existence at Manatawny, or Oley, in 1746. Mr. Schlatter records a visit there in the autumn of that year, in company with Mr. Weiss. In 1748 he was with Rev. Mr. Bartholemacus and Rev. Mr. Hoch- rentiner, at the same place. Both congregations were kept up for many years.

One of the important points occupied by the Re- formed Church as early as 1728 was Germantown, and here the Moravian, Lutheran, Mennonite, and Reformed Congregations made that remarkable effort to unite nnder a common church union. It was char- acterized by a liberality, sincerity, and Christianity superior to trammels of creed, and no rightful church history of America can avoid admiring mention of this seemingly futile but really wise and fruitful movement.

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The Reformed Church in Germantown was begun interregnum of nearly ten years without a settled pastor followed. In 1772, and until January, 1776, Rev. John Conrad Albert Helfenstein, a native of Moszbach, and theological graduate at Heidelberg, was minister of this church. by John Bechtel, who arrived in 1726, and held ser- vices twice daily at his house. In 1733 they built a small church, and made Bechtel their pastor. He was licensed by the authorities in Heidelberg, but not at that time ordained. The latter ceremony was The congregation in Philadelphia was organized by Rev. Mr. Weiss in 1732. The consistory of the church at that time was composed of Jacob Diemer, Michael Hillegas, Peter Hillegas, Joost Schmidt, Heinrich Weller, Jacob Siegel, and William Rohrich. performed at Germantown, April 18, 1742, by Rev. David Nitschman, a bishop of the Moravian Church. This ordination was not regular ; but Bechtel was now willing to join in a movement for the union of all the Germans in Pennsylvania. A convention of delegates was called in January, 1742, in Mr. Bechtel's church, and they resolved to form themselves into a Christian Union, which "allowed ministers, congregations, and members to remain in their former ecclesiastical eon- nections, and, subordinately to this unity, to control their own affairs. It was to be a unity in the spirit." Nitschman was strongly in favor of this movement, and Bechtel was charmed with his eloquence and doctrines. The Rev. John Philip Boehm, however, opposed the whole movement, and wrote a pamphlet against it. It was replied to by George Neisser, schoolmaster in Bethlehem. Bechtel endeavored to . establish the German Reformed congregations upon the basis of the articles of the Synod of Bern, estab- lished in 1532. Boehm, Weiss, Dorsitus, and Goet- schiey opposed the schism. Bechtel adhered. The Germantown Church did not approve of the heresy, and on the 9th of February, 1744, Rev. Mr. Bechtel was dismissed by the congregation which he had established and to which he had preached sixteen years. Rev. Mr. Boehm took charge of the congre- gation, preaching also at Philadelphia and Whit- paine, and was aided by Rev. Mr. Weiss, and others. When Rev. Michael Schlatter arrived, in 1746, it was resolved that the church in Germantown should nnite with that of Philadelphia, and Mr. Schlatter served FIRST REFORMED CHURCH. both congregations. He preached his first sermon at In 1734 the German Lutheran and Reformed Churches rented of William Allen a barn on Arch Street, near Fifth. By the agreement made between these congregations, in force when Zinzendorf came Germantown, Sept. 18, 1746, from Joshua xxiv. 14, 15. Sixty men pledged themselves to pay twenty-five pounds annually for the support of a minister. In 1747 Mr. Boehm withdrew from the Germantown to Pennsylvania, the Lutherans, having a minister Church, and on the 15th of February installed Mr. Schlatter as permanent pastor.

Their first meeting-house was in Germantown oppo- site the market-house. The front half was first built, and the back part was added in 1762. It had an an- cient shingle-roofed steeple, after the Dutch manner, and was surmounted by a well-finished iron cock, being the Dutch sign of a church. It was a low, elongated stone building with its adjunct additions and bare beams to the gallery, and high and narrow pulpit and sounding-board.

From 1752 to 1755 Rev. John Steiner preached there, and then moved to Frederick, Md. Between 1755 to 1758 there was no regular supply. In the latter year Rev. John Alsentz, who had been a year in Philadelphia, took charge of the Germantown Church, remaining there about four years. Another

(Rev. Valentine Kraft), were to have the use of the barn three-fourths of the time. Zinzendorf sent a I letter to Boehm, desiring to speak before the Re- formed. The latter replied that the Lutherans might do as they chose, but he could not preach before the Reformed. When Mr. Schlatter arrived, in 1746, the congregation at Philadelphia had already commenced a new stone church, which he saw in its unfinished condition on the 17th of September. Ou the next day he preached, "in the old half-fallen church in Philadelphia," from Isaiah xlviii. 17, 18. On the 6th of December, 1747, he preached for the first time in the uncompleted new church at Philadelphia, because the old church was not large enough to contain one- half of the people who desired to attend worship. On the 14th of July, 1748, the church was still un- finished, and Mr. Schlatter loaned the congregation

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sixty pounds, or four hundred and six Dutch guilders, out of moneys held by him in trust for religious uses, for the purpose of finishing it. Peter Kalm, the Swe- dish traveler, who visited Pennsylvania in 1748, says of this building,-

" The old German Reformed Church is built In the northwest part of the town, and looks like the church in the Ladugoord field, near Stock- helm. It is not as yet finished, though for several years together the congregation has kept up divine service in it."

This building must have had a very quaint appear- ance. It was of stone, and was hexagonal in form. It is referred to sometimes, in old advertisements, as " the six-square Dutch Church." Its location was on the south side of Sassafras Street (or Race), east of Fourth, still occupied by the same congregation.

The church appeared prosperous, but in 1749 a dangerous schism took place, caused by the arrival of Rev. John Conrad Steiner, of Canton Zurich, Switzer- land, an eloquent preacher. The Coetus, or Council, desired to put him in charge of the Lancaster Church, but he probably had other ambitions, for, remaining in Philadelphia and preaching occasionally, he gained a large party in Schlatter's church, and strife followed. Schlatter then made up his mind to withdraw, and he selected as the text for his farewell sermon Christ's lamentation over Jerusalem. But, overcome by his feelings, he paused, and read Matthew x. 14. He then left the church. A vote was taken at Philadel- phia and Germantown as to whom the congregations preferred. It stood in Philadelphia for Steiner 140, Schlatter 110. Harbaugh's "Life of Schlatter" says that this vote was fraudulent, as the congregation had not for some years much exceeded the latter number.

Steiner's friends then appointed the 14th of Jan- uary, 1750, for his introductory sermon. But the ad- vocates of Schlatter were early in the church, and he was in the pulpit. Civil officers were present and preserved order. The church officers were appointed by Schlatter, and there was no disturbance. Steiner made another attempt to preach on the 28th of Jan- uary. Of this Mr. Harbaugh says, --

"Steiner went to the church for that purpose before the time on that day, under conduct of twenty-four men, and entered the pulpit. When Mr. Schlatter arrived many had collected in and around the church, ex- pecting a tumult, but a number of civil officers were present. Mr. Schlatter calmly requested Mr. Steiner, in the name of God, to come out of his pulpit, which, however, he refused to do, and made an effort to commence the services. Confusion and controversy ensued, which con- tinued for about two hours, though without violence. The result was a mutual agreement that neither party should hold service there till the question as to who had the proper claim to the church was settled."

Peter Kalm, on the contrary, declares that there was violence on this occasion. He says,-

"In the year 1750 another clergy man of the Reformed Church arrived, and, by his artful behavior, so insinuated luniself into the favor of tho Rev. Mr. Slaughter's [Schlatter's] congregation that the latter lost most half of his audience. The two clergymen then disputed for several Sundays together about the pulpit; uny, people relate that the new- comer mounted the juilpit on a Saturday, and stayed in it all night. The old one being thus excluded, the two parties in the audience made themselves the subject both of the laughter and scorn of the whole town, by benting and bruising each other nad committing other excesses."

It was agreed to leave the whole controversy to six men, five of whom should be Quakers and one an Episcopalian. John Smith, of the Society of Friends, was one of these arbitrators. Both parties bound themselves in the sum of two thousand pounds to stand by the award. It was given on the 6th of March in favor of Mr. Schlatter. Four days later, with one hundred and twenty of his adherents, he held worship in the church, and they were not further disturbed. The regular church was much injured by the dissension. Steiner had a large party, and, being very energetic, the old organization became disheart- ened and weakened. Schlatter himself wearied, and probably by his own request, at the end of 1750, the Coetus appointed him to visit Europe. On Christmas day the Lord's Supper was administered by Schlatter for the last time, and on the 5th of February, 1751, he set sail from New Castle. Steiner had then oue hundred and seventy adherents, and they determined to build him a house, which would also answer for a church. It was placed at a little distance from the old one. Steiner's congregation engaged him "for a year only." Thus, in 1751, there were two German Reformed congregations in Philadelphia, a city that could then scarcely support one.

The history of these rival congregations for the next few years is interesting. Steiner only stayed in charge of his church till 1752, when he thought it advisable to remove to Germantown, and Rev. Mr. Rubel took charge. Rubel was high-tempered, and caused much disturbance. Meanwhile the parent church had been supplied during Schlatter's absence in Europe by Rev. Samuel Luther, who had been a school-teacher in 1749, and by other Reformed Church ministers. In 1752, Mr. Schlatter returned, and again took charge of his old congregation. In 1755 the Coetus advo- cated the simultaneous withdrawal of Rubel from the new church and Schlatter from the old one, so that the weak and disputing congregations could be united under a new minister, and this was accomplished the same year, both ministers preaching their farewell sermons, and, after some irregular supplies, Rev. Wil- liam Stoy, of Tulpehocken, Berks Co., a Westphalian by birth, and ordained by the Amsterdam Classis, was placed in charge for one year. Though an able man, he occasioned much talk by marrying, as was thought, below his station, and by persuading the young lady to break a previous engagement, so he did nothing to heal the dissensions still rife, and retired at the end of twelve months. During part of 1758, Rev. John G. Alsentz acted as pastor, and was suc- ceeded by other "temporary supplies" until 1763, in which year Rev. Caspar Dietrich Weyberg, a Swiss clergyman, who had been preaching at Easton, Pa., for a year, received a call. He begau his duties November 13th, and was able, by his tact and zeal, to entirely heal the wounds which had been so painful for over thirteen years. The Philadelphia congregation thus united contained over two hun-

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dred heads of families, and thenceforward prospered greatly.

The first cemetery of the Reformed Church was a lot of ground on the Northeast (now Franklin) Square. The patent the church claimed under was issued Dec. 14, 1763, by John Penn. The first warrant granted to Philip Boehm and Jacob Seigel, dated Jnne 1, 1741, from Thomas Penn, and notes of several payments and surveys previous to 1763 are in existence. The tract was between Sixth and Seventh Streets, south of Vine, and measured three hundred and six feet north and south by one hundred and fifty feet in width. The sum of £189 0s. 7d. was the last payment for the above-described piece of land. There was a long struggle over this property, the city claiming that the grant to the church by the Penns was illegal, and that the Penns did not own the property on the square.

The controversy was revived from time to time by action of Councils, and to the church it was a con- tinual worriment. The city had ordered suit to be brought against the congregation before the year 1800. But in February, 1801, City Councils passed a resolution directing that the suit should be discon- tinned on condition, first, that the congregation would yield possession of all the square in which interments had not been made; second, that the congregation should accept a lease from the corporation of that part of the lot in which interments had been made, bnt for which the church had no patent; third, that the congregation should not erect buildings on that portion of the lot for which it had a patent, and that length of possession should be no bar to the city's rights.

A lease was signed on the 28th of September, 1801, which gave to the congregation peaceable possession for fifteen years, and for some time nothing more was done in relation to the controversy. In the antumn of 1816 the congregation asked for a renewal of the lease for ninety-nine years. It was refused, but a short lease was granted.

In May, 1818, a resolution was before Councils di- recting that the Northeast Public Square should be closed to burials after the 15th of June, but both branches could not be brought to pass it. In October a committee was appointed to settle with the German Reformed congregation. In April, 1821, Councils passed a resolution, absolute in its terms, which or- dered the German Reformed congregation to remove from the square. The controversy remained in this condition, the church still holding possession of the lot, until the Supreme Court's decision favorable to the city. It was found that the five public squares -Centre, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, South- west-were granted to the city of Philadelphia for public uses by William Penn, under the charter of 1701, and were, in fact, dedicated to that use by the original plan of the city, 1682-83. The uses of the inclosure seem to have been forgotten for many years.

By act of Feb. 19, 1800, the Legislature granted to the German Reformed congregation for a burial-place and charity school one-half of the lot bonnded south by Mulberry, east by Schuylkill Sixth [Seventeenth ], north by Cherry, and west by Schuylkill Fifth [ Eigh- teenth], being two hundred and eighty-eight feet in length north and south, and one hundred and ninety- eight feet broad on Arch Street. The grant was sought by the church in consequence of the difficulty which existed in reference to the use of the burial-ground in Northeast Square.

In 1762 a new church was organized in Philadel- phia, and proved an unfortunate enterprise. Its first evidence of existence was given July 30th, when John Gamber, Johan Stillwagen, Barnhardt Lau- werswyler, Christopher Gellan, William Clampfer, elders; Caspar Geyer, Adam Eckert, Philip Boehm, George Wack, George Justus, and Jacob Schreiner, deacons, all representing a congregation in Philadel- phia, signed a call to the Rev. Mr. Rothenbuhler, of Berne, Switzerland, then preaching at New York. He was ordained in 1752, and came to America in 1760 or 1761.

In the spring of 1763 he began preaching in Phila- delphia, and soon made application for admittance to the Coetus, but was refused because said to be intem- perate. He remained with the congregation, which received the name of St. George's. They purchased a lot on Fourth Street below Story (now called New Street), and prepared for the erection of a large church building, but they got heavily into debt. The next year Benjamin Franklin sent a letter to Jonathan Williams, of Boston, by Mr. Rothenbuhler, in which that gentleman was recommended to the charitable of that city, his object being to make col- lections for the purpose of paying the debt of St. George's. This scheme failed. Rothenbubler died Ang. 9, 1766. The church became disorganized; the heavy ground-rent presscd severely, and several of the members, who had made themselves personally responsible for the debts, were in a bad sitnation. Lednum's " Rise of Methodism" states that some of these parties were sent to jail for the debts they had contracted, and when their acquaintances inquired of them, as they looked through the prison windows, " For what were you put in jail?" They answered, " For building a church." To go to jail for the pious deed of building a church became a proverb in the city of Brotherly Love. In January, 1769, they peti- tioned the Legislature to pass an act allowing them to sell the church, pay their debts, and distribute the balance, if any remained, among the first con- tributors. This act was passed Feb. 18, 1769. The ground had been taken up in 1763 by John Frick, Jacob Rothe, John Haugh, Conrad Alster, Valentine Kern, Lawrence Bomberger, Sigmond llagelganns, Peter Teiss, Robert Shearer, John Scheh, Christian Rothe, and Joseph Job, upon ground-rent of Dr. Shippen. The too-expensive building was in size fifty-

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five by eighty-five feet. The church was sold June 12, 1770, to William Branson Hockley for seven hundred pounds. Two days afterward he transferred it to Miles Pennington, a Methodist, for six hundred and fifty pounds, and it has since been known as the Methodist Episcopal Church of St. George.

In 1769 the Frankford Street Reformed Church, now the Frankford Presbyterian, was organized chiefly by Swiss from Basle. The following names appear in the first congregation : Rudolph Neff, Jacob Neff, George Kaster, Sr., George Kaster, Jr., Frederick Kaster, Rudolph Mower, Gerick Judy, Peter Mood, Samuel Neswinger, Jacob Myer, Jacob Lelelly, Martin Laty, Henry Rohrer. To these were afterward added,- Jacob Zebley, Jacob Oneyer, Rudolph Skutes, Leon Hardfrolliek, Jacob Schmidt, David Bleub, Fred- erick Sheibly, Leonhardt Kaufman, and Ulrich Neff. A lot was purchased on a street now called Church Street, running from Frankford to Paul Street, from Henry Paul, by deed to Henry Rohrer, dated Feb. 16, 1769. The latter conveyed the property on the 12th of October to the congregation. April 23, 1770, John Finney transferred to them a Jot on which a par- sonage was afterward erected. The first church was built on the southeasterly part of the lot. There were no pews, but benches were used. The work was commenced in April, 1770; the corner-stone was laid on May 4th by Rev. Frederick Foehring, and the church was dedicated November 11th. This church cost £382 138. 63d., and by the 13th of February, 1771, £375 5s. 9d. had been collected from members and others, and the persons authorized to receive subscriptions were discharged. Rev. Mr. Foebring was in charge of this church probably until the Revo- lution. Rev. John Christian Stalschmidt supplied the pulpit in August, 1770.

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History of Philadelphia, 1609-1884, Part 130

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co. Number of Pages: 992

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898. cn; Westcott, Thompson, 1820-1888, joint author
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, Pa. : L. H. Everts & Co.
Number of Pages: 992