USA > Pennsylvania > The German Pietists of provincial Pennsylvania : 1694-1708 > Part 11
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Kelpius, in a letter written to Deichmann in 1699, refer- ring to Peter Schäffer, writes: "His heart yearned toward his own nationality,-the Swedes and Finns, as well as toward the Indians. All three had an interest for him, and he felt that he could do good among them. We parted in
187 Acrelius, New Sweden, p. 316.
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" Gloria Dei."
love, and left the doors open so that he could return to us at any time in case that he did not receive the reception he anticipated among his own kindred."> 188
Another interesting incident toward the close of the century was the final parting of Henry Bernhard Köster from his former associates prior to his return to the Father- land in the winter of 1699. Although he had been sepa- rated from his former friends for over five years, and had
" GLORIA DEI," A.D. 1895.
run a somewhat eccentric course, a certain bond of sym- pathy and friendship had always been maintained between the leaders. So when Köster finally determined to embark for the Fatherland the parting between the men was sad for all, and he went on his way not only with the good wishes of every one of his former companions, but was followed by their blessings and prayers for liis safe journey.
The first year of the new century (according to their
188 Kelpius MS. Journal, p. 29-30.
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
reckoning) was crowned by two happy events, both bright spots in the history of the Community. One was the con- secration of the Swedish Lutheran Church at Wicacoa ; the other the arrival of Daniel Falkner and a number of accessions to their number from Europe. Among the number was Justus Falkner, a brother of Daniel, and who was destined to become an important figure in the religious history of Pennsylvania.
The consecration of the Swedish Lutheran Church at Wicacoa took place on the first Sunday after Trinity, July 2, 1700. The building, 60 x 30 feet and 20 feet to the square, had been completed far enough to warrant its use for public worship. The event was made the occasion for a festival that extended over three days. It was opened on Saturday, July 1, with a jollification or kirchweih, held after the manner of the Fatherland. On Sunday the consecra- tion services took place. Pastor Biörck preached the sermon from the text 2 Sam., viii, 29,189 and christened the church "Gloria Dei" (Gud's Ahra's Huus or Gottes Ehre). Upon this festive occasion a great crowd was present, not only of Swedes and Gerinans, but English as well. The latter were so numerous that Pastor Biörck was forced to repeat his Swedish sermon in English at the close of the services.
Prominent among the great assemblage were the Theo- sophical brethren from the Wissahickon, who not only furnished instrumental music for the occasion, but acted as choristers as well, chanting the dedicatory Psalmns and re- sponses ; while the three resident pastors, Rudmann as Vice-Bishop or Provost, Biörck as Celebrant, and Aurén as
189 "Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee : for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it : and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever."
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The Frankfort Land Company.
assistant, all robed in surplice and chasuble, conducted the consecration services. A nach kirchweih on Monday con- cluded the festival.
The other event referred to was the return of the emis- sary who had been sent to Europe, and had remained there in the interest of the Community for over two years. Great was the joy of the brethren and the rejoicing at the Taber- nacle on the August day which marked the return of Daniel Falkner and his companions from the Fatherland who had accompanied him to the New World so that the mystic number of perfection would once more be complete and the circle unbroken. Manuscript and tradition are both silent as to the exact date of Falkner's return : even the names of his companions remain unknown, with the ex- ception of his brother Justus, a candidat theologic who had studied at Halle, Johann Jawert, Johann Hendrick Sprogel, and Arnold Storch.
When Daniel Falkner returned to America he came for- tified with documents from the Frankfort Land Company, dated at Frankfort-on-Mayn, January 24, 1700, which sup- planted Pastorius as their agent, and named himself with Jawert and Kelpius in his place, thereby making him virtu- ally the dictator of the German Township. He also had a power of attorney, dated April 23, 1700 (11. s.), from Benja- min Furley, who was William Penn's trusted agent in Rotterdam, to act for him in Pennsylvania. This was subsequently reinforced by an autograph order from Penn to his secretary,190 ordering him to prepare land warrants for Falkner and his brother.
A certified copy of the power of attorney from the Frank- fort Company has lately been discovered among a number of old Pastorius papers in Germantown.
190 Minute book " G," Penna. Archives, 2 Series, Vol. xix, p. 244.
19
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
In addition to the above, Falkner brought a deed of gift for 4000 acres of land, being a part of the 25000 acres belonging to the original German purchasers.191 This indenture was executed by Catherine Elizabeth Schutz, widow of Johann Jacob Schutz, and was intended for charitable uses, to be ad- ministered by the Theoso- phical Fraternity.
A result of the change in attorneyship became ap- parent at the next town election (1701), when Dan- iel Falkner was elected vogt or bailiff; Johann Ja- wert, recorder; and Justus Falkner, one of three bur- gesses. 192
A PHALLIC EMBLEM.
The return of Falkner to the Community and the addition to their number infused fresh courage into the hearts of the leaders, who now felt inore sanguine than ever of the ultimate success of their experimental enterprise in the " Wilderness" of the Western World.
191 The original purchasers were Jacob Van de Walle, Daniel Behagel, Johann William Peterson, John Jacob Schutz, and Caspar Menan, who acquired 14,000 acres of land from William Penn, and on April 2, 1683, gave a letter of attorney to Francis Daniel Pastorius to administer the same. 192 Gerichtsbuch von Germantown. See also Collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, November, 1852.
The German township was erected into a borough by virtue of a patent granted by William Penn, dated London, August 12, 1689. This docu- inent was recorded at Philadelphia 13th 3d month, 1691. It gave to the corporation the right to have and use a common seal and hold a court of record every six weeks for hearing all civil causes according to the laws of the Province. The separate government of Germantown began August, 1691, and terminated in December, 1706, being fifteen years.
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THE CLOSE OF THE FIRST DECADE.
P ITH the advent of LOVE the new century the Fraternity on the Ridge received numer- ous accessions from different parts of the Old World, in- PEACE · dependent of such as ac- RUTH N companied Daniel Falkner 01 Promi- upon his return. nent among the number was Conrad Matthäi, from Swit- GREAT SEAL OF THE PROVINCE (REVERSE.) zerland, and Dr. Christopher Witt, from Wiltshire, England.13 Another interesting incident that belongs to this period is the intercourse between William Penn and the Theosophical Brotherhood during the former's second visit to the Province. There can be but little doubt that during the proprietary's stay in
LUX E TENEBRIS,-from an old Pietistical book.
193 Another account connects Dr. Witt with the celebrated Dutch family of that name. According to the Ephrata MSS., Gottlieb Van der Looft and Frederick Casselberg joined the Community about the same time.
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The Pictists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
America, from November 28, 1699, to October 2, 1701, there must have been frequent visits to Germantown to attend the meetings held by both German and English Friends, and that upon such occasions the peculiar institu- tion on the Wissahickon was not overlooked by him. This argument is strengthened by the fact that long before Penn returned to America Kelpius had been accused of Quaker- ism, and his followers had been publicly charged witli having embraced the tenets of the Society of Friends,-a charge which was apparently justified by the fact that they refused to administer either baptism or the eucharist, 194 except in rare cases.
A direct evidence of this peculiar feature of the Kelpius party is to be found in the reports made to Halle by Rev. Heinrich Melclioir Mühlenberg. In reply to a communi- cation from Halle respecting the survivors, if there were any, of the original party of Pietists and the particulars of their sojourn here, he states: "So far as I could gather from acquaintances and old residents, it seems to me that most of these former candidates (theological students) cared little or nothing for the holy sacraments of baptism and the eucharist as instituted by the Holy Spirit and recorded by the prophets, evangelists, and apostles. So much of the Holy Writ was a dead letter to them ; but, on the contrary, they busied themselves greatly with the Theosophical Sophia, speculations, etc., and at the same time practised alchemy." 195
194 In Germany they were, on account of this peculiarity, called sacra- ments-verächter, or despisers of the sacrament. See Civitatis Erffurtensis, pp. 1065-1069.
The non-observance of the sacrament became one of the chief causes for contention between Köster and Kelpius after their arrival in America, and did much to widen the breach that was forined by the course Köster pursued during the Keithian controversy.
195 Halle Reports, original edition, p. 1265.
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William Penn.
It is not to be supposed from the above statement that the Theosophical students, pious and ascetic as they were, and who had left home, friends, and plenty to banish then- selves here in the wilderness, were opposed to the two sacred ordinances. The fact was they merely objected to their abuse by too frequent and unauthorized administration.
Unfortunately, thus far the writer's researches have failed to find any documentary mention of an intercourse between William Penn and the Germans in the Province during his second visit, except the statement in Watson's Annals (Vol. ii, p. 23) that Penn preached in Germantown upon two occasions,-once in a low house, built of framework and filled in with bricks, which formerly stood upon the site of Dr. George Bensell's house (110W 5458 Germantown Avenue); and another time in the original Schumacher house, built in 1686, which was still standing in Watson's day. A picture of this interesting landmark has fortunately been preserved. 196
However, by a tradition which has been current in an old Pennsylvania family for generations, we learn that there
196 Mr. T. H. Shoemaker kindly furnishes the following particulars respecting this old landmark :
" The Shoemaker house was located on Lot No. 8. Gerhardt Hendrick Isaac Shoemaker married his daughter ; hence it became known as the Shoemaker house. The house was situated in the meadow, about where Wingohocking station is on the Reading Road. Shoemaker's Lane ran back to it, say a half mile from Germantown Avenue. According to a letter written by Watson to S. M. Shoemaker, it was built in 1682. But I think this an error of memory : the date was more probably a year or two later. The house was taken down in 1846 ; but close to the railroad at Shoemaker's Lane stands an old stone house known as the 'Rock House,' because it is built on a large rock which stands some twelve or fifteen feet above the meadow. This house was most likely a tenant- house, and tradition says it was from this rock that Penn preached to the people who assembled below in the meadow. I do not know of any other places Penn preached in. It has been said he was present when one of the houses was raised : I think Johnson's old one, but am not sure."
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
was an estrangement between Penn and Kelpius, as the latter is said to have questioned the religious sincerity of the proprietary on the ground of his being a slaveholder, who persisted not only in holding human beings in bond- age, but also sanctioned the traffic in their bodies.197
Kelpius in a subsequent letter to Professor Fabritius, his old preceptor at Altdorf and who was now at the University of Helmstadt, intimates rather strongly that Penn and the leading Quakers at that time were mere Christians by word of mouth, Maul-Christen. 198 An allusion is also made to Penn's second visit to the Province, and relates an incident where he was refuted by the Indians, at which meeting Kelpius seems to have been present. He states that during Penn's visit in 1701 he went to an Indian festivity or kintika,199 and there took occasion to preachi to the Indians about belief in the God of the heavens and the earth. The Indians, after listening to him with great patience, answered him : " You ask us to believe on the great Creator and Ruler of heaven and earth, and yet you yourself do not believe nor trust Him, for you have taken the land unto yourself which we and our friends occupied in common. You scheme night and day how you may preserve it so that none can take it from you. Yea, you even scheme beyond your life and parcel it out between your children,- this manor for one child, that manor for another. We believe on God the Creator and Ruler of heaven and earth. He maintains the sun ; He maintained our fathers for so many, many moons. He maintains us, and we believe
197 " William Penn in America," by W. J. Buck, p. 379 et seq.
198 MS. Journal, p. 84. See photographic facsimile, Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
199 Probably at Pennsbury, Penn's country residence in Bucks County. John Richardson, in his Journal, makes mention of such an assemblage in 1701.
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A Curious Legend.
and are sure that He will also protect our children as well as ourselves. And so long as we have this faith we trust in Him, and never bequeath a foot of ground." Our manu- script unfortunately fails to record Penn's reply to the astute Indian, or even to hint at the outcome of the discussion.
William Penn's second visit to the Province was evi- dently not a welcome one either to his own partisans or to the so-called " hot church party." But little mention of Penn or his actions is made in any of the literature or private journals of the day. Thomas Story's Journal, which is so full as to the year 1699, is almost silent for the next two years, or the period when Penn lived in Pennsyl- vania. During this sojourn he spent his time, when not travelling in the Province, between his mansion, known as the "Slate-roof house" in Philadelphia, and his country place at Pennsbury on the Delaware. It was in the " Slate- roof house" that Penn's son John was born a month after his arrival. The founder's life in America during this visit, according to an old Friend's journal, must have been any- thing but enviable on account of the political dissensions, as well as the objections made by his wife and daughter to taking up a permanent residence in the Province, to which must be added his impecuniosity and the pressing demands of his creditors.
One of the most curious legends in connection with the Tabernacle in the forest is the following tale, recorded in the Ephrata manuscripts, which partakes somewhat of the supernatural : It was the seventh anniversary of the landing in Philadelphia,-a day which was always kept in remein- brance, as it not only marked the date of the Mystics' arrival in Pennsylvania, but it was St. John's eve as well. Greater preparations than usual had been made for its celebration, because it was the seventh,-the number of the seals on the
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
book, the vials of wratlı, the trumpets of the Apocalypse, and the union of the Square and the Triad. The old legend tells us that all preparations for lighting the inystic fires upon the hills at nightfall were completed, when just about twilight, "whilst engaged in their accustomed ser- vices or ceremonies in commemoration of their arrival, which they observed with solemnity, a white, obscure, moving body in the air attracted their attention, which, as it approached, assumed the form and mien of an angel. It receded into the shadows of the forest, again immediate as the fairest of
It may easily be this aërial apparition phical ascetics, the the hopes and fears within their hearts. the cause of it, to long been upon a ner if at last the forerun had come. The man " They fell upon their binger of good tidings, ished while the devo ing their God for the de the mysterious form vanish tion and aların filled the hearts cation, however, were continued without intermission until the hour near midnight, when the mystic fires were lighted. High rose the bright flame, until its reflection illuminated the symbol that surmounted the Tabernacle. Weird was the scene as the incantations were chanted, and the blazing embers scattered down the rugged hillsides, sparkling in the dark shadows of the hemlock and the pine.
and appeared ly before thein the lovely." imagined what effect had upon the Theoso- cominotion it raised, and that were engendered Whatever may have been their minds, which had so vous strain, it seemed as ner of the great Deliverer uscript goes on to say : knees to welcome the har- but, alas, the spirit van- ted brethren were prais- liverance at hand." As ed a degree of consterna- of all. Prayer and invo-
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Andreas Sandel.
After the ceremony was over the whole party returned to the saal, where they " continued wakeful in prayer and fervent supplication during the whole night without any further disclosures."
The legend further states that when at last the morning dawned " the luminary of the skies appeared above the hills and shed her cheerful rays to renovate the energies of the laboring man; but the gloom of darkness hung upon the waiting hermits."
The next night was anxiously awaited by the watchers, who confidently expected the reappearance of the fair mis- sionary to mankind, but it brought no intelligence.
On the third evening, while all were assembled at prayer in the saal, the apparition again appeared. All at once fell upon their knees ; but their prayers, instead of availing, always repelled the fair delieverer. After this the appari- tion did not reappear.200 The manuscript further mentions that after this episode " Kelpius and his brethren remained at the 'Laurea,' 201 wearing out the thread of life in retire- ment and patient waiting for the final drama they were to enact in the wilderness."
That the belief in the supernatural in the early days of our Commonwealth was not confined alone to the Germans in the Province is shown by the following interesting story in the diary of Pastor Andreas Sandel. The family was an English one and were members of the Church of Eng- land :
"January 12 .- A dreadful thing happened in Phila-
200 It is further stated that the probable reason for the non-return of the apparition was a confession made to Kelpius by one of the hermits that he had committed some crime in Europe prior to coming to America.
201 " Laurea." This term appears only in the Ephrata MS. It evidently has some reference to "Laurentium," a classic grove in the Aventine Hills.
20
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
delphia to the wife of a butcher. She and her husband quarreled in the evening. He asked her to make the bed. She said she would not. When she had refused for a while, lie said he would turn her out of the house. She said, did he do it she would break the window-panes, invoking the devil to come for her if she did not. The husband led her out. Then she became at her. wit's end because of her invocation. Finally, she broke some of the window-panes, and through the kitchen inade her way up into the attic, bringing with her a candle, and lay down on the bed greatly disturbed on account of her promise. She then heard somebody coming up the stairs, but saw no one. Shortly afterwards she again heard a noise as if a person were coming up stairs, but could not see any one. This lasted for about half an hour. Becoming more and more agi- tated, fearing that her awful invocation was about to be realized, she went down to her husband, telling him of her anguish, and asking him to aid her. In lying down on a bench near the hearth she perceived a darkish human face looking at her with its mouth wide open and making horrid grimaces with gnashing teeth. Then she became thoroughly terrified, and asked her husband to read to her. Turning to the 21st Psalın, he read it to her, and then the face was not seen by her any more.
"Soon afterwards she perceived at the window, the one where she had broken the panes, that someone was standing there with both arms extended through the window. By this her frighit was increased. At last she saw merely a lead coming nearer to her. She could not see where it came through. Her husband then clasped his arms about her, when suddenly such a smell of brimstone was felt that they scarcely could stay in doors. The smell was also per- ceived by others coming in later. The husband saw nothing, but smelled the brimstone odor.
--
I55
Tribute to Pastor Rudman.
"At one o'clock she sent for the minister,202 who came and prayed with her. Upon the next day a great many persons came to her, and in telling it over she was all of a tremble, and liad to fold her hands across lier knees, so violent was she shaking. But see what were the devil's further doings. On the third evening thereafter there came a godless man, and, in passing her house, he sung the most wicked ditties, repeatedly invoking the evil one to take him, and saying he wanted to drink to him, etc. This doubtless was to cause hier and others to continue in the sin of blas- phemy or in the belief that no devil is in existence, etc. This was a few days afterwards told ine by that same woman herself and by two other English ministers,-Mr. Ross and Mr. Smith. " 23
Reference has already been inade of the intercourse be- tween the Mystical Brother- M 1.20 €76-77 hood and the Swedish Lu- 20 101 8 0 theran pastors on the Dela- Anno 1606 13 Marly 7 h 8 3 A.M # 4:30 Hor Or ware. This interesting fact is further illustrated by a Swedish account of a fare- well service or reception adoor given at the Tabernacle €430 on June 15, 1702, to Do- minie Andreas Rudman, 17 22.16 20 1 0451527 2-8Px prior to his leaving the AN OLD GERMANTOWN HOROSCOPE. Province to take charge of the Lutheran congregations in the Valley of the Hudson. 204
202 Rev. George Ross, then temporarily serving at Christ Church.
203 The identity of this Mr. Smith has not been established. No record can be found of a minister of that name in the colonies at that period.
204 Vide, chapter Justus Falkner, supra ibid.
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
Upon this occasion a poem was presented to the retiring pastor, or, as the Swedish account states, "a testimonial as a recognition of his faithful work.205
Rudman der Armen Sweden Hirte Kahm hier ins land zu rechter zeit, Das Irthum auch noch dass Verwirrte, Was allbereit unwissenheit Von Luther's wahrer lehr bey nahe entfernet,
. Das hat Rudmannus nun auch wieder neu gelernet. Ein jedes werk preist seinen meister,
Und wie der Haus herr, so sein lohn : Rudniannus hast die flatter-geister Und predikt Christum Gottes Soli ; Sein leben, lehr und ambt, kan selbst vielmehr erweisen Als meine feder ilin den leser kann an preisen."
With the approach of Midsummer Day, 1704, the first decade of the Theosophic experiment was drawing to a close. Time had made the usual inroads. Notwithstand- ing the example and teachings of the leading spirits, many of the original members, in view of the conditions under which they lived, had fallen in with the allurements of the world. Some followed the example of Biedermann, and married ; others left the Community to gather riches or honors for themselves, while perhaps a few succumbed to the temptations of the wicked world. History and tradi- tion, however, are both silent as to the last.
Then, again, the Community attracted the attention of various adventurers and religious enthusiasts who drifted into the Province, and thoughit to enter the society and use it for their own sinister purposes. A prominent example was the case of Tolstadius, a Swedish adventurer, who for
205 (Vi, Meddela för egendomlighetens skull ett testimonium, som tyskarne i Germantown gifvit honom den 15 juni, 1702, sasom ett erkön- nande of hans trogna arbete. Engeströmska-Sammlung. )
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Civil Affairs.
a time not only deceived Kelpius, but the Swedish pastors at Wicacoa and Christiania as well. It frequently took all of Kelpius's firmness to discourage and eliminate such undesirable aspirants. But these drawbacks had only a temporary effect, for, owing to the numerous accessions from Europe within the last two years of the decade, the mystic number was once again complete or nearly so.
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