USA > Pennsylvania > The Reformed Church in Pennsylvania : part IX of A narrative and critical history, prepared at the request of the Pennsylvania-German Society > Part 12
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155 After the withdrawal of Schlatter and Rubel the congregation was served for about a year by the Rev. William Stoy. On his removal the Rev. J. C. Steiner was called a second time and was much more successful than he had been in his former pastorate. After his death, in 1762, the church fell into the hands of an independent minister, the Rev. Frederick Rothenbühler, a native of Switzerland, who did not conduct himself well. When he was discharged he organized an independent congregation, which built a church on Fourth Street, below New, called St. George's. As the congregation was unable to pay for this building it was sold in 1770 to the Methodists. It is said to have been the earliest organization of the Methodist Church in Phila- delphia.
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Charity Schools.
cally concluded. In 1755 he for the last time attended a meeting of the Coetus.
Schlatter became the first Superintendent of Public Schools in Pennsylvania. He undertook the work with his usual energy, but the difficulties which confronted him were insuperable. The management of the schools was placed in the hands of trustees representing the colonial gentry, and when they rode about in their coaches to visit the schools they certainly did not do much to conciliate the recipients of their bounty. The purpose of the charity was admirable, but its administration had all the offen- sive peculiarites of British officialism during the colonial period.
The Germans, on the other hand, were well aware of what had been said and written about them in England, and were prejudiced against the work from its beginning. Their opposition was increased by the articles of Christo- pher Saur in his influential paper, intimating among other things that the purpose of the movement was to prepare the way for the establishment of the Church of England. Saur seems even to have gone so far as to invite Zubly-a Re- formed minister in South Carolina-to assume the di- rection of a rival movement for the establishment of schools on a purely German basis. In some places the people held meetings in which they expressed their in- dignation at being made the recipients of a " foreign charity."
That Schlatter should have succeeded in establishing charity schools in the face of such opposition, is, to say the least, remarkable. It is true, however, that he was for some time earnestly supported by the Lutheran and Re- formed ministers, and that the opposition to the movement in these denominations was much less decided than it was
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in the minor sects. It was probably in recognition of this aid that according to the report of the trustees for 1758 gratuities were paid to six Lutheran ministers, " employed as catechists " and to twelve " Calvinist " ministers.
Schlatter began to organize schools in Feb., 1755, and in five months seven had been established. These were situated at New Providence, Upper Salford, Reading, Tulpehocken, Vincent, Chester County, Easton and Lan- caster. The work was, therefore, successful, though in the face of much opposition. It is, however, to be noted that in the same year Stoy wrote a letter to Holland, in which he asserted that " nothing was to be hoped from the charity schools "; that they were " all English and polit- ical," and that " the trustees were religious separatists."
The schools gradually increased in number, though they were by no means pure charities, as the communities which desired schools were required to contribute liberally to their support. According to a report made by Provost Smith in 1760 schools were then kept up at the following places :
New Providence in Philadelphia County, 50 boys.
Upper Dublin 48
Northampton in Bucks County,. 60
Lancaster in Lancaster County, 65
York in York County,
66
New Hanover in Berks (?) County, 45
Reading in Berks County, . 36
Vincent in Chester County,
45
Presbyterian school, where are educated
for the Holy Ministry 156 25 young men.
156 We are unable to locate this Presbyterian school. The date is too late for the Log College at Neshaminy. Can it refer to the academy which was founded in 1751 by the Rev. Dr. Robert Smith at Pequea, Lancaster County ?
I7I
Schlatter's Arms.
Long before this time Schlatter had, however, withdrawn from his position as Superintendent of Charity Schools. Unable to resist the flood of opposition which had been invoked against him, he resigned his office in 1756, and in 1757 became a chaplain in the Royal American regi- ment of infantry. As such he was present at the taking of Louisbourg. It is also pretty certain that he accom-
Michael Jeblatter
panied Bouquet's expedition to Pittsburg. During the Revolution he boldly took the side of Congress, and this rendered him especially obnoxious to the British, especially as he was still nominally a chaplain in their army. His house was sacked and much of his property destroyed. The portrait which is reproduced in the present volume
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The Reformed Church in America.
was cut from its frame by his daughter Rachel, and thus escaped destruction.
Schlatter was married to Maria Henrika, eldest daughter of Henry Schleydorn, who was one of the most eminent members of the Lutheran Church in Philadelphia. Schlatter had nine children, of whom six were living at the time of
SCHLATTER'S HOME ON CHESTNUT HILL.
his death. Two of his sons served in the Revolutionary army, and died in consequence of the sufferings then en- dured.157 He spent his declining years on a farm at Chest- nut Hill, which he called Sweetland. Mühlenberg repre- . sents him as genial and hospitable. He preached occasion-
157 Harbaugh gives an account of his descendants, as they were known at the time of the publication of his " Life of Schlatter."
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Schlatter's Later Years.
ally, but took no active part in the affairs of the Church. He solemnized a great many marriages ; and we have seen a number of certificates from his hands, all of which are sealed with his coat of arms. His later years were peace- ful; but he evidently regarded himself as a broken man, and made no effort to regain the position he had once occupied. He died October 31, 1790, and was buried in Philadelphia in the Reformed church-yard, which is now Franklin Square.
Concerning the charity schools we may add that their promotors seem to have lost interest in them, and the " Society for the Promotion of the Knowledge of God among the Germans" soon ceased to exist. It is now known that not only the interest of the fund but a part, at least, of the principal was expended, and from extant records we conclude that appropriations were made for purposes very different from the original intention of the charity.
As far as the Germans are concerned, Harbaugh and others are inclined to praise them for their " manliness and sense of honor" for refusing to be pauperized ; but we would rather agree with our old friend Dr. Seidensticker in saying : " It might have been better for them and their children if they had put their pride into their pocket and gratefully accepted the gifts which were so freely offered."
For Schlatter's inactive years we have no apology to offer ; but his earlier services to the Church and State de- serve to be gratefully remembered. The hero who saves his country by holding a pass in the day of battle may fail to manifest the wisdom of a statesman in times of peace ; but a grateful people will not forget his deeds, and his name will shine in unfading splendor. Schlatter's public career hardly lasted more than a decade; but it teaches
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The Reformed Church in America.
lessons which the Church can never ignore. Whatever may be said of his faults and failures-and they were many-his life will remain a brilliant example of the power of consecrated energy.
CHAPTER XI.
EARLY YEARS OF THE COETUS, 1747-1770.
Rules of Order-Death of Boehm-Tempelman's Proclamation-Emi- nent Ministers-Holland Stipend.
C HE first meeting of SIG the Coetus, 1747, was mainly occupied by the reading of Schlatter's BIB SAGT reports and the general observation of the field. LACRA At the next convention, in 1748, an attempt was made to lay down rules for the guidance of the ministry. Some of these rules, though well meant, SEAL OF THE COETUS. were not easily applied, and were probably never universally observed. Members of one congregation were not to be permitted to receive communion in another without presenting a certificate. No fees were to be accepted for baptisms; and if a minister administered the sacrament outside of his charge he was to report it immediately to the regular pastor, to be
(175)
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entered on the records of the Church. The fee for solem- nizing a marriage was to be 7 shillings and 6 pence ; and when the parties did not belong to the charge of the offi- ciating minister this fee was to be sent to their pastor. For preaching a funeral sermon the minister was to be paid a fee of seven shillings. No person was to be rec- ognized as a member of a church who did not contri- bute annually to its support.
Boehm's " Kirchenordnung " was read and adopted and the author agreed to publish it for the use of the Church.
As far as Coetus was concerned it was resolved that each minister should present an annual report; and that but one delegate elder should be admitted from each charge.
The most important action of the Coetus of 1748 was the adoption of a resolution requiring the members to sub- scribe to the Heidelberg Catechism and the Articles of the Synod of Dort, 1618-'19. Rieger refused to sub- scribe, stating in writing that he " felt certain scruples con- cerning the articles of the Synod of Dort on the subject of predestination in sensu Calvini, and desired to refer the matter to the synods as a casum conscientia." In the accompanying coetal letter it is said that Rieger had sub- sequently authorized Schlatter to affix his name, but it was too late-the document had already been forwarded. This he no doubt did for the purpose of preventing the appearance of schism. That the other members were sincerely attached to the decrees of Dort we do not doubt, but it is to be noted that only members of Coetus were required to subscribe to them.
On this occasion the letter to Holland was written by John Philip Boehm, who styles himself " the earliest bur- den-bearer in all Pennsylvania, now pastor of only two recently-founded and still weak congregations." He con-
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Death of Boehm.
tinued, however, to perform missionary labor to the end of his life. His death occurred suddenly at the house of his eldest son,158 April 29, 1749, after he had on the previous day administered the communion to the congregation at Egypt. As there was no Reformed minister within reach- ing distance, the funeral services were conducted by Michael Kolb, a Mennonite. A memorial sermon was
.4.20
-
HOUSE IN WHICH JOHN PHILIP BOEHM DIED.
preached in Germantown on the succeeding Sunday by Schlatter, who seems to have done full justice to the memory of his eminent predecessor.
158 The house in which Boehm died is still standing in Hellertown, North- ampton County. For a photograph of the building we are indebted to Mr. James A. Boehm, who is a descendant of John Philip Boehm in the eighth gen- eration.
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In 1749 the Coetus received on. probation John Conrad Wirtz, of Saucon, and Conrad Tempelman, of Swatara, and requested permission to ordain them.159 It was a graceful act, for both men were devout and had done ex- cellent work. Before a reply could be obtained from Hol- land, Wirtz removed to New Jersey and was there ordained by the Presbyterians, but he ended his life in the Reformed Church as pastor at York, Pa. Tempelman and Jonathan Du Bois-the Dutch pastor at Neshaminy-were, how- ever, ordained at Lancaster in 1752.
Tempelman, to whom we referred in connection with the founding of the Church in Lancaster County, was now laboring in the Lebanon Valley. He is known to have preached at Swatara before 1748, and Harbaugh says that baptisms were recorded by him in the church-book at Jonestown as early as 1745. He also preached at Quito- pahilla, Donegal and other places. A proclamation issued by him at the laying of the corner stone of the first church at Muehlbach, in 1751, is still in existence.160 The follow- ing is a translation :
"GLORY TO GOD ALONE !
" Grace and peace from God the father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and from the precious Comforter, the Holy Spirit. God hath had mercy upon us for the salvation of our souls, and hath suffered His dearest Son to come into this world that He might save us from this present evil world, according to the will of God our father. To Him be glory for ever and ever.
"In the year of the blessed birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Anno 1751, the 15th of July.
159 Rupp's "History of Berks and Lebanon Counties," p. 444.
160 For a copy of this document the author is indebted to the present pas- tor, the Rev. Adam J. Bachman, of Schaefferstown.
THE REFORMED CHURCH IN PENNSYLVANIA.
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TEMPELMAN'S PROCLAMATION.
179
Tempelman's Proclamation.
" Through the Grace and Providence of God and in ac- cordance with an unanimous meeting of the honorable Evangelical Reformed congregation at Müllbach in the township of Heidelberg, in Lancaster County or district, and with the unanimous consent of the Evangelical Re- formed congregation, it hath taken place : That the afore- said Evangelical Reformed congregation hath resolved, with the blessing of God, to build a stone church for themselves and their children and children's children and their de- scendants ; and hath made the beginning thereunto on the aforesaid day by laying the corner and foundation-stone. The ground or place on which this church is erected is on the land of the respectable George Müller, where, for himself and his heirs, he hath presented and transferred an acre or field of land to the Evangelical Reformed and Evan- gelical Lutheran congregations for a church, school house and burial place, and hath for himself and heirs renounced all rights to the same to the aforesaid congregations ; the gift having been accepted by the honorable Evangelical Reformed congregation at Müllbach with sincere pleasure and heartfelt gratitude. This acre of land is granted to both the Evangelical Reformed and Evangelical Lutheran congregations, and retains its justice and equity, as the deed or agreement indicates. Forasmuch, however, as the aforesaid George Müller hath in his deed or agreement inserted the proviso that if the Evangelical Lutherans should decline to assist in the building a union church, and no church building had previously been erected on the ground, the Evangelical Lutherans could have no right nor claim to the church to be erected ; they have a claim only to the school house and burial place, and have no right to inter- fere in any business which the Reformed may transact under their own roof. The building of this Evangelical
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The Reformed Church in America.
Reformed stone church on the aforesaid place or acre of land must therefore be in no wise interfered with nor pre- vented, but rather enlarged and advanced to the honor of God and the glory of His name. 161
"The aforesaid Evangelical Reformed church is built for the Evangelical Reformed alone, and no other religion, whatever name it may bear, shall have or can have any right or share or pretence to this church ; and on the con- trary it cannot have the least claim to the same ; wherefore these two engrossed documents have been deposited in the corner stone and preserved for the constant information of our descendants.
" For further information there are deposited in thecorner stone the Holy Bible of the Old and New Testament, and the Heidelberg Catechism, on which documents this re- ligion stands and is founded. Also, there are deposited as symbols, bread, wine and water.
" And forasmuch as these articles describe the locality and rights of the church, two equivalent documents have been prepared, the one to be deposited in the corner stone and the other preserved among the records of the church. And this has been announced and published before a large and respectable assembly, and subsequently depos- ited in this place and locality; and the same has been ordered and subscribed by the present teacher and the elders and deacons of this Evangelical Reformed Church. The building committee appointed by the congregation for the erection of this church were Adam Stumpf, Martin Heckendorn, Jost Hoffman, and Adam Bolmann. The master-mason was Conrad Rättenauer.
161 The evident misunderstanding between the two congregations was sub- sequently removed, and Muehlbach became at an early date a Union church, as it remains to this day.
18I
John Jacob Wissler.
" The present teacher and preacher is CONRAD TEMPEL- MAN. Present elders and deacons, Alexander Schaeffer, Heinrich Zöller, Hans Adam Stumpf."
Like most official documents of its times the above " proc- lamation " is somewhat diffuse, but it is worthy of preser- vation as casting some light on an otherwise obscure period. " Father Tempelman," as he was affectionately called, sub- sequently became blind, but preached occasionally at his own house. The little cottage in which he lived, near Corn- wall, is still standing, and a recently erected chapel in the neighborhood bears his name. Wappen von malbeim He died about 1761, but the exact date appears not to have been discovered.
Of the six ministers whom Schlatter brought to America John Jacob Wissler was the first to finish his career. He was born at Dillenburg February 23, 1727, and died, near Allentown, in the summer of 1754, in his twenty-eighth year. Having been in 1752 assigned to the Egypt charge he held this frontier post for two years, and then died after an illness of two months. That he was accurate and pains- taking is evident from the care with which he kept the records of his ministry.162 He also entered in the Egypt church-book certain memoranda which, strictly speaking,
162 The writer is in possession of a beautiful manuscript volume of 200 pages written by him in Latin while he was a student. The title-page bears the fol- lowing inscription : Haec Parabolarum Explicatio spectat ad me Johannem Jacobum Wisseler, Dillenburg d. 12ten Januarii, 1747.
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The Reformed Church in America.
belong to the history of neighboring congregations. Of these the following may serve as an example :
" N. B .- Anna Margaret Heilman, on the 22d of April, 1753, presented to the congregation at the Jordan a beau- tiful white altar-cloth. May God reward this praiseworthy, Christian work with the most abundant blessings."
In the year of Wissler's death the Coetus made a gift of £Io to his widow, and there were subsequent appropria- tions to the same purpose.
Theodore Frankenfeld (1727-1756) was another mem- ber of Schlatter's little band whose life was brief. He was assigned to Frederick, Maryland, and served that congregation about three years, also preaching at Cona- cocheague (near Clearspring) and at Conewago. As his name disappears from the records in 1756 he probably died in that year. The minutes of Coetus are at this point de- fective and we are left in ignorance of the particulars of his decease.
John Waldschmidt (1724-1786) was a devout man, but was not regarded as very energetic. Assigned to the Muddy Creek charge in Lancaster County, he never seems to have left that region, though he sometimes supplied dis- tant congregations. In 1763 he preached at Berne and Cacusi (Hain's church). The minutes for 1760 state that the people are satisfied with Waldschmidt's preaching, and desire more pastoral visitation.
Philip William Otterbein (1726-1813) was even in these early days the most eminent of "Schlatter's company." His career is, however, so interesting in its later develop- ments that we have made it the subject of a subsequent chapter.
Henry William Stoy (pronounced Sto-e) was for some years very active in the affairs of the Coetus. He was born
183
Stoy's Marriage.
March 14, 1726, at Herborn, and was educated at the uni- versity of that place. When he arrived in America he was assigned to Tulpehocken and remained pastor there from 1752 to 1755; then he was transferred to Philadelphia. Here it is said he might have done well enough if it had not been for his marriage with Maria Elizabeth Maus, " a stocking weaver's daughter." There does not seem to have been anything against the character of the girl, but people had in those days very decided ideas concerning social position, and the church in Philadelphia refused to recognize her socially as their pastor's wife. The coetal report for 1760 says: "There were complaints about Stoy's marriage ; but it was solemnized in the house of his father-in-law, in the presence of Otterbein, Leydich and DuBois." A marriage that was solemnized in the presence of three ministers had certainly an abundance of official approval.
Stoy became pastor in Lancaster in 1758 and remained there until 1763. In his report for 1758 he says the con- gregation consisted of one hundred families ; he had bap- tized 100 children; there were 40 cathechumens and 60 scholars in the day-school. The congregation was evi- dently flourishing.
For several years Stoy served as clerk of Coetus. As the " Fathers" refused to receive German communi- cations, and Stoy was not sufficiently familiar with Dutch, he wrote long letters in Latin. In these letters there is a manifest effort to employ a Ciceronian style, but the only result is that it becomes pompous and inflated. The way in which he criticises the conduct of other ministers is absolutely dreadful. When he says that " most of the new ministers are unreliable" we are inclined to be amused, for he was probably the most unreliable of them all.
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The Reformed Church in America.
In 1763 Stoy went to Europe, and was present at the meeting of the Classis of Amsterdam on May 3 of that year. Proposing to study medicine he was matriculated at Leyden, but pursued his studies mostly under the direction of Professor Hoffman, of Herborn.
On his return to America in 1767, Stoy appears at first to have proposed to devote himself entirely to his medical practice. It has been generally supposed on the author- ity of Harbaugh that he was for many years pastor of Tabor church, Lebanon, but recent researches 163 have proved this to be a mistake, though it is known that he preached there occasionally by way of supply. He became pastor of the Host church, and probably preached at differ- ent times in a somewhat loose and irregular manner in churches in Berks and Lebanon Counties. Greatly to his surprise the Coetus refused to recognize him as a mem- ber, and he began to oppose it bitterly. He wrote to Hol- land to secure the influence of " the Fathers"; and these requested the Coetus to reinstate him. For once, how- ever, the Coetus was inflexible. In the minutes for 1769 the following action appears : " Stoy has complained against us. We have not admitted him to Coetus since his return for three reasons :
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