USA > Pennsylvania > The German Pietists of provincial Pennsylvania : 1694-1708 > Part 20
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" Att a Meeting of Ministering ffriends held att Burling- ton at ye House of Sam1 Jennings ye 5 of ye 4 Mo. 1697.
" Where after some time spent in a Silent retiremt before ye Lord & divers good Testimonies from friends did in a Weighty & Orderly manner proceed to business, where ye
Friends betrayed a tendency, always present among them, to deny his- torical Christianity. Thus we read that Dennis Hollister, a Bristol Bap- tist, said at a church meeting, after he had become a Quaker, that the Bible was the plague of England .- Records of the Broadmead Church, p. 4.1, London, 18.47. From the original MS. of Soc., xvii.]
289 A photographic fac-simile of this unique book, made by the present writer, is in the library of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
A Unique Imprint.
281
Henry Bernhard Kofer, William Davis, Thomas Rutter & Thomas Borger, FOUR Boafting Difputers Of this World briefly REBUKED,
And Answered according to their Folly, which they themselves have manifested in a late Pamphlet, entiteled, Advice for all Pro- fofors and Writers.
Frances Daniel Paflorius.
Printed and Sold by William Bradford at the Bible in New York, 1697.
TITLE OF PASTORIUS' "REBUKE."
36
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
first thing that occurr'd was a small Manuscript from Fran : Dan11 Pastoras presented to this meeting in Answer to a vile Pamphlet under the Names of H. B. C., W. D., T. R., T. B. wch said answer was by him Submitted to Judgemt of ye sd Meeting to be made Public or otherwise as they should judge meet ; who upon a Serious perusal of it did Judge it Servicable to be printed, & accordingly Thos. Ducket & Nicho : Walln are to acquaint him wth it, only ye Meeting desires he would Explain those two ffrds that Concerning some comming into ye Meeting & Smoaking Tobbacco there to ye disturbing of ffriends,290 the sd two ffriends are also to let him know yt friends will defray ye Charge of ye Press on ye acctt aforesaid." [Verbatim extract from minutes of Ministering Friends].
The following quotation from this " Rebuke" will convey an idea of the tenor of the work :
"They tell how they entered the 22d day of September, 1696, into our yearly Meeting at Burlington, and there lifted up their Voices like trumpets, and broke our friends' voices in the air, &c.
" That at such a time and place (we being Assembled not to quarrel with any Brawlers, but to worship the living God in Spirit and in Truth, waiting for the enjoyment of his Comfortable presence) H. B. Köster, with some not much unlike unto himself, came into our Meeting- House, and there as Trumpets of an uncertain sound, were blown by the Prince of the Power of the Air, who ruleth and operateth in the Children of Unbelief, we do not deny.
"Neither is the Impudency of these our Adversaries a
290 This matter seems to have been eliminated, as it does not appear in the book.
283
An Outcome of the Controversy.
New thing unto us; For several others before them, acted likewise by him, who made bold to appear in the midst of the Sons of God when they came to present themselves before the Lord, Job 1-6, entered into Friends Meeting Houses, and by their ill-behaviour and disorderly inter- ruptings, attempted to disturb the People religiously therein gathered.
" With these troublesome inen of Belial, H. B. K., W. D., T. R., T. B., and the rest of their Fraternity, in whose behalf they have signed their Pamphlet, may some cut their own shame as (among us) they will. We, measurably quickened with Christ, are set down in a safe and heavenly hiding place, viz :- his powerfull Name, having that satis- factory assurance, that there the Enemy and his wicked instruments cannot approach nor hurt us, Praises to the Lord our God forever."
An immediate outcome of this controversy was that a number of German Quakers petitioned Pastorious in his official capacity, as the head of the settlement of German Township, to suppress or disperse the whole community of Mystics and Pietists within the bounds of his bailwick. Pastorius, however, skillfully evaded this dilemma by stating that he would refer the whole matter for adjucation to the Proprietor on his arrival, which was then shortly expected. He also admonished the petitioners in the meantime to exercise patience, forbearance, and with meekness to main- tain unity.291
He gave vent to his own feelings in a piece of poetry founded on I Cor. xi, 16: "But if any mnan seemeth to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God."
291 Ephrata MSS.
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
Die Fehler meiner Brüder
[The errors of my Brethern
Sind Mir zwar ganz zuwieder
Are to mie indeed wholly repugnant.
Doch wegen eines worts
However, for a single word
Ilır zeugniss zu vernichten
Their testimony to destroy,
Und freventlich zu richten
And wickedly to judge,
Find Ich nicht meines Orts.
I do not find within my duty.]
It was during this period of intense religious excitement that Köster wrote his " De Resurrectione Imperii," noticed at length in a previous chapter (pp. 88-92). One of the favorite methods of the German enthusiast was to close his exhortations with a quotation from the celebrated revival hymn of Nicholai : " Wachet auf : rufft uns die Stimme der Wachter, sehr hoch auf der Zinne," already mentioned 011 page 92 of this work.292
Another important result of this peculiar religious condi- tion of the Province was to forin a closer union among the thirty odd English churchinen in the city and vicinity. 293
The leading spirit among this embryo congregation was Colonel Robert Quarry who, with the encouragement re- ceived from Governor Francis Nicholson of Maryland, in the latter part of the year 1696, commenced the erection of a substantial brick building 201 for church purposes upon
292 There is a beautiful translation of this hymn by Miss Winkworth, in universal use : " Awake ! Awake ! for the night is flying."
293 The names attached to this memorable petition were,- Francis Jones, Jasper Yeates, Willm Grant,
Jarvis Bywater, Thos Briscoll,
Fard'do Dowarthy, Enoch Hubord, Thos Walter, Thomas Craven,
George Fisher,
Jolını Harrison,
Thos Curtis, John Willson,
Antli'y Blany, Edwd Smout,
Joshua Carpenter, Sain. Holt,
Edw. Bury,
Jeremiah Price,
Jeremialı Hunt, Jolını Sibley,
Robert Gilliam, Jolın Gibbs,
Jolın Moore,
John Herris.
Historical collections of the Colonial
294 Col. Quarry to Gov. Nicholson. Church (Pennsylvania), p. 6-7.
Samı Peres,
Darby Greene, Thomas Harris,
Charles Sober, Wm Dyre,
Robt Quarry, Robt Snead, Addam Birch, Thos Stapleford,
John White, Geo. Thompson,
€
285
Rev. Thomas Bray.
the lot on Second Street, which had been secured by Joshua Carpenter late in the previous year.
Reports of these disturbances and the unsettled condi- tion of religious affairs in the great Quaker Province soon spread over the adjoining colonies in an aggravated form, and became known in England, where they attracted the attention of the Metropolitan of Canterbury, and of the Bishop of London.
The subject was at once referred to the Rev. Thomas Bray,295 who had but lately been appointed commissary, and had been especially charged by the Archbishop of Canter- bury to prepare a report upon the state of the Church in the various colonies. It was at his instance, and upon the representations of Bishop Compton of London, that eventually Rev. Thomas Clayton was appointed a stipend of £50 a year, and ordered to prepare for a journey to Philadelphia, where he arrived some time during the first half of the year 1698.
295 The Rev. Thomas Bray, D. D., was a native of Marston, Shropshire, educated at Hart-Hall, Oxford. He was patronized by Lord Digby and by Bishop Compton, by whom he was sent out as commissary to settle the church affairs of Maryland and Virginia. He behaved in this employ- ment with all that zeal and disinterestedness which characterizes the true Christian, he instituted libraries in several parts of America for the information of the missionaries employed in preaching the Gospel, and every method was pursued to render the conversion of negroes and pagans to the Gospel easy and certain.
Upon his return to London he published several papers relating to the state of the Church in America. The most important of which were the " Memorial of the state of the Church in America." "The acts of his visitation in Maryland." "A circular letter to the Clergy in that Province."
The publication of these papers caused much excitement among thie Quakers in London, and an attempt was made to answer and refute the statements of Dr. Bray in a quarto of some fifty pages. This was entitled, "Remarks on Dr. Bray's Memorial, &c., London, 1701." A copy of which may be found in the Philadelphia Library.
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
In the meantime the congregation in Philadelphia was occasionally served by Köster, and in his absence, for at least a part of the time, a Mr. I. Arrowsmith, taught the church been started by the When the new cler Pennsylvania he, superiors, at once for 'the purpose him an ex the situ
prayers were read by a schoolmaster who school which had congregation.296 gyman arrived in at the desire of liis sought out Köster of obtaining fromll act knowledge of ation. To retur11 to the Ger- count. 297 mail ac "The minis-
ter, who
was na-
med 'Tho ton,298 was
mas Clay- to under- He settled i11
take the task. Philadelphia. The of the English con meagre, and consis
commencement gregation was very
ted of hardly twenty DR. HENRY COMPTON, LORD BISHOP OF LONDON, members. 299 But 1675-1713. they kept on in- creasing. Our Herr Köster went about with the pastor and instructed him in the refutation of the teachings of the
Beside the money subscribed by individuals or corporations, Dr. Bray contributed the whole of his small fortune to the support of his liberal plans, better gratified in the promotion of public happiness than in the possession of private wealth. To liis great exertions many of the societies in London owe their institution ; especially that for the Reformation of Poor Proselytes, that for the Reformation of Manners, and last, but not least, that for the Propogation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
This good man, whose life was devoted to benevolent purposes and who deservedly received the thanks of both King and Parliament, died in 1730, aged seventy-three years.
287
Dedication of Christ Church.
Quakers. Clayton was a young man, and willingly and cheerfully took the advice of a man who had often dealt with such people; and thus one by one the Keithians were drawn back into the fold of the Church."
Thus it will be seen that the German evangelist, in addi- tion to instituting the Orthodox Lutheran services among the Germans, was instrumental in starting two English Sabbatarian congregations, as well as being prominent, if not the chief factor, in establishing the oldest Episcopal one within the State. Thanks to the efforts of Henrich Bernhard Köster, the German Pietist, the Rev. Thomas Clayton, upon his arrival in Pennsylvania, found a sub- stantial church-building almost ready for consecration and the well-organized nucleus of a congregation.
One of the first visible results of the labors of the new clergyman, coached as he was by the German Theosophist, was the organization of a regularly constituted vestry, and the completion and solemn dedication to its pious uses of the plain brick structure on North Second Street. An old document states : "Though humble in its size and archi-
296 " Perry's Historical Collections," vol. ii, pp. 7 and 15.
297 Rathelf, p. 501.
298 Rev. Thomas Clayton, a young clergyinan of the Church of England, was the first minister of that faith who was regularly sent out to Pennsyl- vania.
Shortly after Dr. Bray's appointment as commissary in 1696, the peculiar situation in Pennsylvania became known in England. Urgent appeals for clergy were also received from South Carolina at the same time.
It was, however, not until the year 1698, that two men were selected for these missions, Thomas Clayton and Samuel Marsliall, the latter was selected for Charleston. Both, as an old record states, "as pious and happy in their conduct as could have been found." They both started on their journey togetlier. Clayton's career in Philadelphia was a short one, as it was terminated in the year after his arrival (1699) by the yellow fever.
299 Such as lived within the city limits.
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
tecture, it was a goodly structure for a city then in its infancy."
[There is no proof whatever for the statement that Christ Church was a wooden structure, and as small as is repre- sented by the same authority. The foundation for this tale, which has been repeated over and over again in print, is but the incoherent mutterings of an old negro, "Black Alice," who was then (1802) over a century old, and no doubt confused in her mind the first Keithian meeting- house, which was built of frame and located in the imme- diate vicinity, with Christ Church. Gabriel Thomas, in his account of 1698, says that the Church of England built a very fine church in Philadelphia, etc.
Then in the old cash book of the congregation, under date of May 11, 1711, there is an entry or charge for 37,000 bricks for an addition to the church, and at the same time a charge for "pulling down the gable-end and cleaning the bricks." It is hardly probable that so many thousands of bricks would be used in enlarging a wooden church of such sinall dimensions as quoted by Watson in liis "Annals."]
Christ Church was the name applied upon that occasion to both church and congregation. The name of the church and its associations have became historic, not only in the annals of our State but of the whole nation.
Köster, continued to preach and exhort in both English and German, but now spent much of his time in retirement and study upon his little farm in Plymouth,300 where he
300 The location of the Tabernacle of the rival Community known as "Irenia " or the House of Peace, is somewhat obscure, all of the German accounts state that it was at Plymouthi, and one or two writers state par- ticularly that it was beyond the jurisdiction of Pastorius. It was proba- bly on part of Thomas Fairman's land in that vicinity.
Pastorius in his " Rebuke " calls it " a plantation near Germantown." Vide p. 87, Supra. Rathelf, p. 487.
THE PIETISTS OF PROVINCIAL PENNSYLVANIA.
CHRIST CHURCH, PHILADELPHIA. PRIOR TO THE REVOLUTION.
OR AL IN THE COLLECTION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
THE PIETISTS OF PROVINCIAL PENNSYLVANIA.
UP.SACHSE1895
INTERIOR VIEW OF CHRIST CHURCH PRIOR TO THE REVOLUTION. COMPLETED 1745.
FROM A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE ORIGINAL SKETCH.
289
Rev. Evan Evans.
also taught children and gave spiritual instruction to adults. During the long winter nights he wrote several theological works, one of which has been noticed at length in a pre- vious chapter. 301 He also composed a number of hymns, which were printed upon his return to Europe. 302
As the time passed the epidemic of yellow fever spread over the land in 1699, numbering among its victims the Rev. Thomas Clayton. 303
Shortly after the death of Clayton, Evan Evans arrived from England. He had been sent to Pennsylvania by the Bishop of London, with special reference to the Welsh Quakers who, it was understood, had also became restive under the Quaker rule. Evans at once resumed charge of the Church affairs in the Province.
Köster, in viewing the situation, now felt that the term of his usefulness among the English colonists was about completed, unless he absolutely joined the Sabbatarian movement, which embraced such of the Keithians as had not returned to the Church of England. This he refused to do, for it would have necessitated a sacrifice of his Lutli- eran principles : he therefore conceived a desire to return to his native land. As one of the members of the original Community, who had married, intended also to return, Köster was persuaded to accompany him. His troubles, however, were not yet at an end. In December, 1699, the little party started for Virginia, where they were to take passage on a tobacco ship for England. Köster left all the arrangements for the voyage to his companion who, lie
301 Page 88, Supra.
Some of these hymns were incorporated by Gottfried Arnold in the 302
" Poetische Samlung," Ratione meditationes hermeneuticea.
303 Rev. Thomas Clayton died at Sassafras, Maryland, where he had gone to escape the scourge, and at the same time consult with some of the Maryland clergy on the state of the Church.
37
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
states, was an "eccentric character with but little sense, and subject to sudden impulses."
The vessel in which the passage was secured was an old one, besides being heavily laden. To make matters worse, the captain suffered from rheumatism in his feet and was often helpless. The weather was stormy, it being mid- winter. To crown all, Köster had given his money, the proceeds from the sale of his property, to his companion for safe-keeping, and the latter attempted to exchange the cur- rency for specie. But the broker, "a wicked Scotchinan," handed him in return the amount in Spanish dollars, which proved to be copper silver-plated counterfeits.
Köster was hereupon urged to remain in the country at least until spring. But as his companion refused to acquiesce, they embarked on the vessel as originally in- tended. The season and passage proved a stormy one, as was shown by the numerous wrecks that were seen upon the Goodwin Sands, and Koster states that he felt they also would go hence into eternity unless the Almighty would help. Fortunately the storm suddenly abated, and the old ship dropped her anchor safely in the Thames. They arrived in London at the close of January, 1700.
It is hardly necessary for our purpose to trace at length Köster's long and eventful course in Europe. From Lon- don he journeyed to his native land by way of Holland. When in Amsterdam, he published an octavo against the Quakers under the title :
" Aufgeschlossene Prophetia der Hebräer, oder der von anno 1692 an, vom Himmel aus dem Rath der Wachter herabsteigende Bliz und der von a, 1697, 1700, 1703, 1707 an, bis an alle Ende der Himmel und Erden, darauf folg- ende Donner. Amsterdami, 1700. 8 vo."
About the same time he also became interested in Oliger
291
Return to Europe.
Pauli, and in the following year published a pamphlet up- holding that visionary :
" Der Hebreer Schechina, d. i. die persönliche Einwoh- nung der göttlichen Herrlichkeit in dem Messia an Oliger Pauli. Amsterdam, 1701. 800."
From Holland he journeyed to Germany, and in the next year published at Lemgo the Latin thesis he had written in Philadelphia prior to his departure. The full title and description of this curious composition have been given in a previous chapter (page 88).
When Köster heard that the Baron of Amazone, whom he had formerly known in Berlin, was now upper tutor to the Abbess of Hervorden, Charlotte Sophia, a born princess of Curland, he went there to visit his former friend. The Duchess who had a claim upon the ruling Duke of Curland, Ferdinand, asked Köster to act as her ambassador and press the claim. For this purpose he went to Stockholm, where he arrived at the end of the year 1702. Here they directed him to the King, who was then with his army in Poland. Köster found the King the following year in the camp before Thorn, and was so successful in his efforts that the Duke was compelled to pay a part of the money owed. Such a service deserved a reward, but the Abbess was soon after compelled to leave Hervorden and flee to Verden, where she was not in a situation to show herself grateful to him. Köster nevertheless remained with her several years in Verden, and afterwards went to Hamburg, where he acted as tutor for a short time, until the Danish ambassador to England, Baron von Schaak, who was about to leave for that country, took him as tutor to liis sons. He was sent from Hamburg to Copenhagen, and thence to Schiwanholm, where the family resided.
Here lie remained for seven years, and in 1714 he went to
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
Berlin, where he took up his abode with a country curate named Rindfleisch. In 1724 he went to Berleburg, which at that time was a rallying point for religious visionaries and enthusiasts of all kinds.
The Count Casimir von Sayn and Witgenstein, who granted them religious liberty within his domain, was so well pleased with Köster that he asked him to remain at court during his pleasure. Köster now set to work to coin- plete his greatest work, one that he had had in hand for a long time, for he had worked upon it even during his sojourn in America. It was called :
" Schlüssel || der ersten und letzten | Hebräisch Griechisch Teutschen | HARMONIE: || welche nicht nur in einer || Probe von tausend Wörtern | an Bedeutung und Klang eine nahe Verwandtschafft zeiget ; durch welches Mittel man die Hebräischen Wörter eher behalten, und sich vieler \\ ursprung- lichen Wahrheiten errinnern mag, &c. Henrich Bernhard Köster, \\ Jünger der vollständigen Rede des Logu Alpha und Omega. || Berleburg, zu finden bey Johann Jacob Haug. Anno 1724, 8vo., 568 pages."
An edition of a thousand copies was ordered to be printed at the expense of the Count Casimir, to whom the volume was dedicated, with display type in all the verbose and laudatory style of the period. The only known copy of this interesting work, the title of which is reproduced in fac-simile, and is in the library of the writer, bears the curious endorsement upon the title that the author was a scientist of a peculiar kind; and as no University would call him to a professorship, he signs himself : Professorum Extrac Lingua Orientale Occidentalium per Uni- versa
The main title of the work, "Key of the first and last Hebrew-Greek, German Harmony," sets forth its import,
293
Köster's Greatest Work.
குருife! Det erten und letten Debraifdh) . Brichifch . Seutfden Harmonie:
welche nicht tur in einer robe von tarfend Birtern an Bedeutung und Rlang eine sihe Bermandtfchafft Beiget; Durch todages Mittel man die Sebraifche Borter eher behalten / und lich vidler Urfprunglichen &Sabit sten erinnern mag : fondes auch aus dem Orient durch Den Mund und Durch Die Geber Des Beiftes Gottes und aller D. Gibtaber/ Spotted und Propheten / und atores wahren Dofis / Davide und Gefatal queit Durch Die rechte 6000 Jahre von Der Schöpfung an biegun Henbahrung JEfu Christian Johannes / nuit Der erften lauteren Sibel allein regteret/und weit uber Die Berfallebungen dede baldarfchen Raforetben bes Barcoebbifchen Stern . (rifice! und aller Daraus entstandenen arribamer / Die Beugniffen und Giftenter Martyrer und Kirchen . Echter der ersten 400 Gabrel namentlich der nesono lebendigen Mufgange . Pfeiler certain. abri 290. frub neugeborenen christlichen Duittage . Quele/ ertullet bat ; ancheaber noch in Briefben und Derenland / Egneten/ Vabien/ Armenien/ Cuneo/ Dertien/ Di . Indan / Cartaren/ Wiecovien/ Deolhar und Gervien und ben demvon Thro Raniero Mart feld aufgenommenen Massifoben Patriarchen und top ter von Bbro Rapperl. Ranf Durchleuchtigien Seld . herrn if tavffer und treu erfundenen Raskifchen Ration/ fieben bleibt; lestens auch im Abglang und Abend . Gebein Die cblend Demutter Seutfeblandes / Preuffens / Gacbiens/ Sollante / Engelande/ und Fandreichs / erleuchtet bat : Huế Den Ecbanen des Atertffuns des Mpba und Diegal .Doffen allmächtiges Reich erft Bu erfcheinen fommt in tem Regenbogen der Sarmome feffer Dolefer unt Sprachen / mit Der Kraft Des Hundes feiner Unmündigen / n ourdy er bereit fieber ale 2Bibersprecher mündlich und furglich zu widerlegen / fibre dich safammen . getragen ven Sentid) Bernard Rofter Ffer Sich 604 tak. Junger der wolfantigen Directe Yogu Alvba und Omega, 'n ....... .... mn
Berleburg / 30 finden bey Jobsin Jacob Kaug, Anno 1724.
FAC-SIMILE OF TITLE PAGE (REDUCED), ORIGINAL IN LIBRARY OF THE WRITER.
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The Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania.
as the writer seeks to prove by one thousand examples the existence of a mutual relation between the three languages. In addition, however, he introduces a number of mystical charts and occult problems bearing upon the Trinity, the Incarnation of Christ and the Apocalypse. Regarding the latter, Köster touches upon an entirely new and unique theory,-one that he would here gladly communicate to the world at large, if such were possible. Upon the title page he calls himself "a disciple of the complete counsel [of the ] Logos,-Alpha and Omega."
In the inain he leans toward those who receive the Apo- calypse as a portrayal of the destiny of the church of Christ. Yet in his divisions of the periods and explanation of the scenes described lie differs from all other expounders.
A number of hymns of a mystical character are also introduced in the latter part of the work, showing him, in addition to his other accomplishments, to have been a poet of no mean order. This book was thought worthy of a special mention in the "Bibliotheque raisonnee." The reference will be found upon page 59 of volume xviii. 304
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