USA > Pennsylvania > The German Pietists of provincial Pennsylvania : 1694-1708 > Part 19
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The breach between the Orthodox Friends and the Keithians gradually widened toward the time of Yearly Meeting ; but the tact of the Friends prevented the seceders from making themselves heard or disturbing their annual gathering. In the next year (1696), however, when the meeting was to be held at Burlington, New Jersey, some of the more aggressive among the Keithians devised a scheme to make themselves heard. There were six in the party, among whom were Thomas Rutter, Thomas Bowyer, and William Davis. 277 As the time approached they called on Köster, and invited him to accompany them, but without unfolding their plan of action. They merely told him that, as Burlington was in West Jersey and was a Protestant town and not under Quaker supremacy, they could there refute the Quakers assembled without fear of arrest as disturbers of public worship.
According to Köster's account, the Keithian party, on the 23d day of September, 1696, took their English Bibles, and another book with which they expected to refute the Quakers, and journeyed to Burlington.
Arriving at the place where the Yearly Meeting was being held, they found the gathering anything but a peace- ful one. Even as they were attempting to enter, they were met by a number of Friends who were in the act of expell-
277 For sketch of William Davis see page 164.
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
ing from the building an old Keithian, a Scotchman by the name of George Hutchison.278 The latter then told the party that the meeting had refused to hear him, and as he had presisted, had finally expelled him.
Davis and Rutter now unfolded their plan to Köster, requesting him to act as spokesman. This he refused, stating that the Quakers would accord to him the same treatinent as to the luckless Scotchman, and that if they did, he would not submit so tamely.
The Keithians, however, called his attention to a sentence in a book by Edward Burrough, wherein he states that according to the rules of discipline, any one, when moved by the Spirit, can go into a meeting and refute the speaker.
Four contemporaneous accounts of what followed have come down to us. The first is in Köster's own printed narrative of what took place. The others are : the MSS. of Phineas Pemberton, who was present; the epistle sent by the meeting to the governing body of London ; and an entry in the ininutes of the ministering Friends. They all agree in the salient points.
Köster's narrative is perhaps the most reliable, on account of his extraordinary memory. But as a matter of history, Pemberton's account is also printed, thus presenting both sides of this controversy, the effects of which proved so widespread and portentous.
Köster, in his account, states that as he still hesitated to enter the meeting, the Keithians asked him how they could best controvert the doctrine of a spiritual Christ. He answered that they must take a clear and convincing verse from the Scriptures. While he was speaking he recalled
278 George Hutchison (also spelled Hutcheson and Hutchinson) died in 1698, and on the ninth of the third month was buried in the Friends' ground at Fourth and Arch Streets .- Friends' Records.
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The Demand of the Keithians.
two verses in the Epistle to the Hebrews, viz., chap. vii, 27, and ix, 26. There you have, said he, in the word, " him- self," the smooth pebble to throw at the forehead of your Goliah. They then all entreated him to do the speaking, as the Lord had inspired him with both texts, and would certainly support him. Kös- ter still refused, and argued that they were all older and of more standing in the community than himself. Even- tually, however, he was forced to accede to their wishes.
So they went into the building and mingled with the people. The meeting, continues Köster, was almost 4000 strong,279 and about thirty Quaker preachers were upon the raised benches.
279 This must be an error. The old meeting-house at Burlington, built in 1683, was a haxagonal structure, or, as the original draft in the Friends' records state, " a six square building of Forty feet square fromn out to out," for which Francis Collings, the builder, received {190. A brick addition of 30 feet was subsequently (1696) added to this structure, but under no circumstances could a building of this size have held anything like that number of people. A sketch of this old meeting-house, the scene of the Köster episode, is here reproduced ; it is copied from an original painting which is still extant.
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
The six Keithians stood around him, so that the people could not crowd on him when he began to speak. Their plan was first to read a quotation from the Quaker book, and then ask three times for an audience. Then the Ger- man was to make the address.
It was the custom at the Yearly Meetings for the Friends to preach in succession. A number had already spoken ; and as one ceased, before another could commence, one of the six Keithians (William Davis) addressed the meeting thus : "We beg of you, Friends, that you will permit us to edify you from the Scriptures." The Quaker, however, whose turn it was to speak continued to talk. As he fin- ished, the Keithian again raised his voice : "We beg of you, Friends, once again that we may edify you with some quotations from the Scriptures." Again the request was ignored, and the next Friend in turn commenced his address. He was not interrupted, but when he had done they immediately arose once more, and said : " We beg of you, Friends, for the third and last time that you may hearken unto us. If you heed us not, we will make our- selves lieard." The Friends, however, paid no attention to the request, and the speaker next in order commenced to preach. Then one of the six Keithians stood upon a bench, and read in a clear voice the words from the Quaker disci- pline : that, according to their own laws, they were bound to listen unto them.
Hereupon Köster stepped out, and began to speak. The Friend who was preaching had a weak voice; Köster, on the contrary, had a strong and penetrating one, which he now exercised to its fullest extent.
The volume of sound from the robust German completely drowned the weak voice of the Public Friend, who was forced to desist. Immediately all the preachers in the
271
Exhortation of Köster.
gallery stood up, and thereby thought to silence the fearless Teuton, but he was not to be frightened. His address opened with this introduction : "We have begged you thrice for a hearing, and did not wish to interrupt any speakers. But as you would not have it otherwise, so now we shall make ourselves heard.
"I raise my voice against you in the full conviction of the Word of God, to refute from the Holy Scriptures your blasphemous doctrine, which is worse than that of the heathen 'of America, namely the doctrine of your spiritual Jesus, and that whatever was human in Jesus was dispersed among the clouds during liis ascension into Heaven." He thereupon called their attention to the two quotations from tlie Epistle to the Hebrews : "For this lie did once for all wlien he offered up himself " (vii, 27); and, "now once at the end of the ages hath he been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself," (ix, 26). Köster pointed out to them that He who inade the offering and the sacri- fice was the entire Jesus ; that the Diety could not have become a sacrifice without humanity ; and that since this Jesus has once offered Himself, therefore His humanity must be imperisliable.
This testimony lasted about half an hour. Finally he closed with these words : "Now to-day has the light of the Scriptures appeared in the second American darkness, and its strength you shall learn, not only here in Burlington, but in all the Colonies. I stand prepared to give you an account either in writing or orally of my words, and you shall learn that you must flee before these two quotations of Scripture."
With these words as a parting admonition, Köster with his party left the meeting. The Friends immediately spread the report that a number of lunatics had come to
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
the meeting, and had jabbered much that no one could understand. This proceeding induced the Keithians to ask Köster to furnish an account of the affair, which he did and it was printed with his consent.
The full title of this curious work is: "History of the " Protestation, done in the publick yearly meating of the "Quakers at Burlingtown in the year 1696, by the witness "of two remarkable passages, Hebr. vii. 27, and viiii. 26, "aginst the false doctrine of the Quakers, whereby they "revile the blessed human nature of Jesus Christ and its suf- " fering, resurrection, ascension, rule over the church and his " coming again and the doctrine of the holy sacraments, " depending thereupon. Printed and sold by Williamn Brad- " ford at the Bible in New York 1696."
The Friends' side of the controversy is thus told by Phineas Pemberton, who was present as clerk of the Meeting : 280
"No sooner had George Hutchinson done and left us, but up steps divers Germans and Others, who Indeed were very Fierce & Violent Opposers, the Chiefest of them was one of those called Pietists, his name Henry Barnard Coster, whom Friends in London as we hear assisted in their Comeing here which (if True) they are very Ungrateful, and Forgetful of their Kindnesses Received, For divers of them have given Friends here much Exercise & Trouble but especially at this Meeting, where they brought divers Friends Books with them, some of E. B. Some of W. P's & the Clamour that they made against us was, that 'We deny the Lord Jesus Christ & they were there to Prove it out of these Books but Friends thought it not fit to gratify their Jangling Restless Spirits but Continued their Testi-
280 Verbatim transcript from epistle sent by the Yearly Meeting at Bur- lington to the Yearly Meeting at London, 7mno. 23, 1696, O. S.
THE "PENNY-POT" HOUSE AND LANDING (VIDE PP. 274-77)
FROM AN OLD SKETCH IN THE PHILADELPHIA LIBRARY.
THE PIETISTS OF PROVINCIAL PENNSYLVANIA.
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Keithian vs. Orthodox.
mnonys over their heads Raising their Voices & Speaking Two or Three or more sometimes together, but the Lords Power Weighed & Chained them down & they left us. After which we had in the Close of our Meeting a Sweet & Quiet time in which Friends were much Solaced & United in the Love and Life of Truth."
The above, continues Rathelf, is not the only thing that Köster and the Keithians undertook against the Orthodox Quakers. The heart of the foriner and the courage of the latter were strengthened by these various occurrences.
The Quakers now began a new line of attack, and accused the Keithians of being people who failed to prac- tice what they preached. The charge was that while they continued to advocate the Holy Baptism and the Eucharist, they failed to administer either rite.
" However," continues Rathelf, "the Quakers failed to consider that George Keith was a Briton,281 and had natur-
281 George Keith was born about 1639 in Scotland, probably in Aber- deenshire. He was educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen, where he graduated M. A., 1653-7. He was designed for the Presbyterian ministry, but it is uncertain whether he was ever ordained. About 1662 lie adopted the tenets of the Quakers and promulgated their doctrines, and exercised an important influence by providing Barclay with illustrative material for lıis great " Apology." Keith suffered several terms of imprisonment for his conscience sake, after which he, together with Penn, Barclay and Furly, made the memorable tour through Holland and Germany ; Furly acting as interpreter for the party. Returning to England he was again imprisoned.
In 1682 he emigrated to East Jersey, where he was appointed surveyor- general. Shortly after Penn's arrival he came to Pennsylvania, and engaged extensively in writing and propagating the sentiments of the Quakers. In 1689 he taught school in Philadelphia. His career here was a turbulent one, and ended in the so-called Keithian schism and the establishment of the "Christian" Quakers, who afterwards became Sab- batlı-keepers, or Sabbatarians. Keith returned to Europe early in 1694, and set up a separate Meeting in London ; lie subsequently took orders in the Episcopal Church, and returned to America as a missionary in 1702 ;
35
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
ally been imbued with English ideas regarding the neces- sity of priestly ordination ; that without such, none could administer either ordinance,"
Our Köster, however, was a Lutheran, and had entirely different conception respecting priestly ordination. He believed that in cases of emergency, where no ordained priest was to be found, any Christian was justified and had the right, when it was required of him, to baptize and administer the Holy Eucharist.
To remove the above aspersion and refute the charges of the Quakers, Köster resolved to publicly baptize such of the Keithians as were born within the Quaker fold, and had therefore not been baptized. The Keithians, in con- sidering this matter, concluded to conform to the Scripture text as nearly as possible, and asked that the ordinance be administered in the Apostolic manner, by immersion, to such of their number as presented themselves.
The place selected for this public profession of faith was the river Delaware, just above the city.282 However, as the time approached, there were only a few men who remained steadfast and were willing to offer themselves as living examples of their convictions in the face of the ridicule of their Quaker relatives and neighbors.
returning to England in 1704 he was offered the rectory and charge of Edburton in Sussex, which he thankfully accepted, although the situa- tion was one of comparative seclusion. He left no opportunity pass to enter the lists against the Quakers. He served his cure until about 1711, when his bodily strength began to fail and he became bedridden. He died on the 27th of March, 1716, and was buried within the chancel of the church at Edburton. Strange to say his remains, like those of his two co-workers in Pennsylvania, Evans and Club, rest in an unmarked grave. Even the precise spot cannot at the present time be traced. There is a stone of Sussex marble within the chancel at Edburton which it is supposed was placed there to protect his grave.
282 The city of Philadelphia then extended only from South or Cedar Street to Vine Street on the north. The district above Vine Street was known as Liberty Lands.
275
Public Baptism by Köster.
The spot selected was the sandy beach, just above the " Penny Pothouse " landing. This was a little north of the present Vine Street, which was then the extreme northern boundary of the city. Just above the inn there was a ship-yard upon the shore, and several sheds offered shelter for the uses of both priest and postulant.
When the day and hour arrived, according to Rathelf, " the Quakers were present in large numbers, long before the appointed hour, to see if any of the seceders would remain steadfast; what they would do and have to say ; and which of the leading Keithians would fail to appear at the last moment."
There were also many friends and adherents of the candi- dates present, together with numbers of avowed church- men-Swedes, Germans, and a few of Köster's former con- panions.
The day proved mild and serene. The populace upon the beach in their various costumes; the broad expanse of water in the foreground, with the building brig upon the stocks; the primeval oaks and pines for a background,- all tended to forin a pleasing picture. The chief interest, however, centered in the figure of the enthusiastic German evangelist, as he stood upon some elevation, surrounded by his postulants. Tall and erect, robed in a long black gown, and with a fearless and flashing eye, he opened the services in the name of the Trinity, and made a stirring supplica- tion in English showing the necessity for baptisin, and giving his reasons why he at that time felt justified in administering the Holy Ordinance after the manner of the Apostles and early Christians. After his address was finished, he demanded a public profession of faith from each of the nine candidates.
He then, to make the ceremony still more impressive,
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The Pictists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
after the manner of the Lutheran Church, and according to the Prayer Book of Edward VI, pronounced the exor- cismn of " the Devil and the seductive spirit of Quakerisin " [der Teufel und Quacker Irrgeist]. This was delivered with all the power of the Gerinan evangelist :
"I command thee, unclean spirit, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, that thou come out, and depart from these thy servants, whom our Lord Jesus Christ hath vouchsafed to call to His Holy Baptismn, to be made members of His body, and of His holy congre- gation. Therefore, thou cursed spirit, remember thy sen- tence ; remember thy judgement ; remember the day to be at hand wherein thou shalt burn in fire everlasting, prepared for thee and thy angels, and presume not hereafter to ex- ercise any tyranny towards these persons whom Christ hath bought with His precious blood, and by His Holy Baptisın calleth to be of His flock."
When this impressive exorcismn was concluded, the party to be baptized, with Köster at their head, formed a proces- sion, and walked down to the river's edge and into the stream, until they were about waist-deep in the water. After a short invocation they were immersed one after the other in the name of the Holy Trinity, and were finally dismissed with the command in Matthew xxviii, 19: "Go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." 253
Thus ended the first public administration of the Script- ural ordinance of Baptism within the Province of Penn- sylvania. Köster himself declares that he never afterwards administered it in America.
The Keitliians were now inore anxious than ever to have Köster as their regular pastor. But this he refused, on
283 Text according to the Greek original.
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The Sabbatarian Congregation.
account of their tendencies toward the Sabbatarian and Anabaptist doctrines. They then selected their teachers from among the number baptized by the German evangelist, who, however, administered the Holy Communion to such as demanded it. 284
The only names that have come down to us as having been among this party of couverts are : William Davis, Thomas Rutter, Thomas Peart and Thomas Bowyer. The other five are unknown. This sinall party formed the nucleus for two Sabbatarian congre- gations, viz., the church at Oxford 285 which chose William Davis for pastor; and the First Church of Philadel- phia, which chose Thomas Rutter. The latter congregation kept charge of the Keithian meeting-house 286 which had been erected some years previous on Second Street, a little north of where Christ Church was afterwards built. Ed- wards, in his " Materials," referring to this church states : " Another society of Keithian Quakers who kept together (after Keith's departure) was that of Philadelphia, where they builded a meeting-house in 1692. *
* Nine persons united in communion on June 12, 1698, having Thomas Rutter to their minister. They increased and continued
284 Rathelf page 501.
285 See page 164, ibid.
286 The only direct official record relating to this building that has come down to us is the correspondence of the Rev. Thomas Clayton in connec- tion with his attempt to bring back the Keithians into the fold of the Church, and at the same time to recover the land and buildings held by them for the uses of Christ Church. A copy of this correspondence may be found among Morgan Edwards' "Materials."
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
together for nine years. But some removing to the country (Thomas Rutter 287 among the number) and the unbaptized Keithians falling off, the society in a manner broke up in 1707 ; for then the few that remained invited the regular Baptists to join them, and were incorporated with them."
The course of Köster, together with the publication of his pamphlet on the Burlington controversy, excited the ire of Pastorius, who sided with the Orthodox Friends, and lost no time in denouncing the German enthusiast as well as his converts.
These public denunciations brought forth another pam- phlet by Köster, in which Pastorius was severely handled. This pamphlet was issued early in the year 1697, and was publislied in English and German under the following title :
" Advice for all Professors and Writers. By Henry Bern- hard Köster."
" Ein Bericht an alle Bekenner und Schrifftsteller. Von Henrich Bernhard Köster, 1697."
This controversial work, printed by William Bradford in New York, was not only the first high-German book written and printed in America, but also the first work that was issued in America in two languages.
According to Pastorius' "Four Boasting Disputers re- buked," p. 2-3, this pamphlet in the high-Dutch tongue was printed for circulation in Germany. As a matter of
267 Thomas Rutter remained in Philadelphia and vicinity until 1716, when lie removed to the vicinity of Pottstown, where he built a forge and commenced the manufacture of iron, the first that was made in Pennsyl- vania. His lands were outside of the present limits of Pottstown, and his works are supposed by some to be identical with the old Pool Forge, on the Manatawney, about three miles above Pottstown, though it might have stood at the confluence of the Schuylkill and Manatawney, where traces of an old forge formerly existed. Thomas Rutter, after his eventful career, died in 1729.
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First German Book Printed in America.
fact, such copies of the Gerinan edition as were not used among the Germans in Philadelphia and Germantown were circulated in Germany and Holland, while the English edition was distributed broadcast throughout the Province and the adjoining colonies.
In this pamphlet Köster boldly challenges every opposing writer and professor, with the proviso "that none who will not be accounted by them as a vagabond Egyptian, and his answer as a railing pamphlet, must write again, unless he hath first appeared upon the publick Theatre and Stage of the Church and of the world unto a dispute at Philadel- phia, etc."288
288 The following fragmentary quotations are all we have of this inter- esting pamphlet. They were used by Pastorius in his so-called refutation : Page I .- " Brethren in America," "Poor dark devil (meaning Pasto- rius) without a body."
Page 2. - " That the root of Anti-christianity, that is to say, the Deneyal of Jesus in the flesh, is to be found among the Quakers."
Page 3. - "The Councils, and Clergies, and Universities of Babylon." "They tell how they entered the 22d day of September, 1696, into the yearly Meeting at Burlington, and there lifted up their Voices like Trum- pets, and broke our Friends' Voices in the Air."
Page 4 .- " The Babylonian Churches."
" That the Quakers deny Jesus to be properly the Son of God."
"That the Quakers say Christ had offered that which is not himself, but only a Garment," etc.
"That the Quakers deny God in his most high Spirits and Godheads power to be the Father of Christ's body and Mary the Mother."
Page 5. - " That many of the Quakers in preaching and writing revile the Baptism and Supper of Christ, &e. Desiring us to show them by what second degree and message of Christ and his Apostles the union of the Spirit with the outward creatures, or water, bread, wine and the like, has been abrogated."
Page 7 .- " The Babylonian Beasts."
"Quakerian Spirits."
"The true church of Philadelphia or Brotherly love," etc. Page 8 .- " The four chief Quarters of Babylon."
" That the body of Christ is absent from the Saints on earth."
[There is no doubt that many extravagant utterances of the early
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
This was evidently intended by Köster to draw out such of his opponents as had already been engaged in the con- troversy, and induce thein to put their answers in writing. In this scheme he was partially successful, as a number of members of the Yearly Meeting, smarting under the con- tinued attacks of the Keithiians, and aggravated by the charges hurled at them by Köster in his last pamphlet, induced Pastorius to prepare a counter-pamphlet. A fac- simile of title is here reproduced, it reads :
"Henry Bernhard Köster, William Davis, || Thomas Rut- ter & Thomas Bowyer, | Four | Boasting Disputers | of this World briefly | REBUKED | And Answered according to their Folly, || which they themselves have manifested in a | late Pamphlet, entitled, Advice for all Pro- \\ fessors and Writers. || Colophon :- Francis Daniel Pastorius. | Printed and Sold by William Bradford at the | Bible in New York, 1697." 289
That this work was issued with the full knowledge and consent of the Orthodox Friends, is shown by the follow- ing verbatim extract from the minutes of the Ministering Friends. The original is among the archives of the Phila- delphia Yearly Meeting :
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