USA > Pennsylvania > The history of Pennsylvania : from its discovery by Europeans, to the Declaration of Independence in 1776 > Part 50
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56
If praise be due to the political changes introduced by Penn, his modification of the criminal law claims our highest regard. The merit of originality is his: the merit of practi- cally demonstrating, that the laws can convert any thing into punishment, by making it infamous; and that the certainty, and not the severity, of punishment, is the best corrective of crime, is undeniably his; and this, if there were nothing else to recommend him, exhibits such profundity of thought, justness and comprehensiveness of political knowledge, as must class the proprietary in the highest rank of philosophers and public benefactors.
567
HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
By the establishment of religious toleration, all offences against religion were stricken from the statute book, unless cursing, swearing, and blasphemy be so denominated. But these were offences against public decorum, and as such were punishable.
By the first laws of the province, the murderer alone was punished by death; and even towards him the severity of the English law was modified. By the former the whole of his lands and goods were confiscated, whilst by the latter, one- half was suffered to pass to his wife and children. With equal wisdom and humanity, all forfeitures for self-murder and deodands, in cases of homicide, were abolished. "Robbery, burglary, arson, rape, the crime against nature, forgery, levy- ing war against the governor, conspiring his death, and other crimes, deemed so heinous in many countries, and for which so many thousands have been executed in Britain, were de- clared to be no longer capital." Imprisonment at hard labour for a term apportioned to the offence, stripes, fines, and for- feitures, were the punishments inflicted on these offences.
As these laws were experimental, they were temporarily enacted. But proving efficacious, they were permanently adopted, and transmitted to the privy council in England. So wide a departure from the English law was immediately condemned and rejected. But the provincial assembly, per- severing in their design, and re-enacting their bills, the coun- cil at length acquiesced, since these laws continued in force until 1718. At that period a total change of criminal juris- prudence was effected, which, if ascribable to the cause assign- ed, adds another to the thousand instances of disregard which religious enthusiasm has shown for the most important tem- poral benefits.
The administration of the government had, from the set- tlement of the province, been conducted under the solemnity of an affirmation, instead of an oath, notwithstanding the frequent repeals in England of the provincial laws on this subject. The pertinacity of the province on this head, with her refusal to adopt the English statutes in other cases, gave great offence, which was heightened by the misrepresenta-
t
e y r's 1, e a e
e Y t d e
f
1
t
568
HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
tions of her disputes with her governors; and, together with Penn's contemplated surrender of the government to the crown, induced the fear that the whole frame of the govern- ment was in jeopardy. The feeble Gookin, extending to the province the act of 1 Geo. I. prohibiting an affirmation in cases of qualification for office, or in criminal suits, unhinged its whole polity. The administration of justice was suspended, and two atrocious murderers remained in prison three years without trial. On the accession of Keith, they were convicted and executed, under the old forms of procedure. Loud com- plaints were made to the crown in regard to this case, and the assembly, panic-struck, became apprehensive of the loss of the privilege of affirmation, and that punishment would be inflicted for the trial and execution of subjects, contrary to the provisions of the statute. Governor Keith suggested that the best mode of propitiating their sovereign, would be, the adoption of the laws of the parent state, " the sum and result of the experience of ages:" to which the assembly lent too favourable an ear. The law of 1718 was enacted; high trea- son, including all the treasons which respect the coin, petit- treason, murder, robbery, burglary, rape, &c. &c., mali- cious maiming, manslaughter, by stabbing, witchcraft, con- juration, and arson, were declared capital on the first, and all other felonies, larceny excepted, on the second conviction. The English law, respecting bastard-children, was extended in its rigour, and the courts authorized to award execution forthwith. To this list, were added, at subsequent periods, counterfeiting, and uttering counterfeit bills of credit, and counterfeiting any current gold and silver coin. By the act of 1718, that system of provincial criminal law was settled, which continued in force until the revolution. That auspicious event, restoring to Pennsylvania unfettered power of legisla- tion, the reform of the criminal law became one of the most prominent objects of her wishes, and was enjoined by the constitution of 1776.
III. As every species of religion was protected in Penn- sylvania, her inhabitants were soon distinguished for the variety of their creeds. The province became the asylum of
m of
1
569
HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
many persons, whose peculiar opinions rendered them impatient of, or obnoxious to, their native governments. Here were found Quakers, episcopalians, lutherans, Roman catholics, presby- terians, independents, and German calvinists; the Moravians and Schwenckfelders, and sects less numerous, and now almost forgotten; and here also the Jew, loaded with con- tumely in every country of Europe, found safety and respect; for here even against him the sword of persecution had no edge.
A very short notice will suffice for those sects, who, from their numbers, and communion with general society, are known to all. But it will be proper to describe more fully those whose peculiar faith and practice have rendered them subjects of curiosity.
We have seen, that at the time of the grants to Penn, seve- ral christian churches were established in the province and territories. The Dutch had one at New Castle, but of what denomination we are not told. The Swedish Lutherans had three: one at Christina, another at Tinicum, and a third at Wicocoa; to which they subsequently added one at King- sessing, and another at Merion; but of all these, the church erected in Southwark in 1700 alone remained in 1776. The Lutherans, however, rapidly increased by the influx of the Germans; they had two churches in Philadelphia, and seve- ral others in the counties of Lancaster, Berks, and Northamp- ton.
The Quakers had meetings at Chester, Kensington, and the falls of the Delaware. Their yearly meeting was first holden in America, at Burlington, on the twenty-eighth of Septem- ber, 1681, and between the years 1684 and 1761 it held its annual sessions alternately at that city, and at Philadelphia; but in the latter year it was permanently fixed at the latter place. The Quakers settled principally in the counties of Philadelphia, Chester, and Bucks; and at one period, formed a large majority of those counties, but were soon far out- numbered by other sects. In 1770 they had between sixty and seventy houses for divine worship.
The episcopalians became early numerous in the province, 72
A
t
d
d
be to at
It
ich the rn- he in ed ed, ars ed
.
570
HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA,
and were strengthened by the seceders from the Quakers, under Keith, most of whom joined the national church. Whilst the political power was entirely in the hands of the Quakers, the churchmen were jealous and discontented, and! transmitted very unfavourable representations of the policy of their rulers to the crown. But when the executive power was exercised by lieutenant-governors of the established church, and the offices, on the recommendation of the pro- prietaries, were distributed in full proportion among them, they became reconciled, and ardently attached to the consti- tution of the province. Christ church was founded in 1710, enlarged in 1727 and 1731, and completed, by the erection of the steeple, in 1753; St. Peter's was built in 1761; and sub- sequently St. Paul's was erected by the friends and admirers of a certain Mr. M'Clanaghan ; the two former were conjoin- ed by one act of incorporation. Episcopal churches were also erected in other parts of the province; but neither the pastors nor their congregations were distinguished by zeal in making converts, and their churches were sustained chiefly by the accession of members from England, and the progress of natural increase.
The protestants of every denomination held the Roman catholic communion in abhorrence; and the penal laws of England forbade the public exercise of that religion. So enthralling was this prejudice, that even the liberal spirit of William Penn reluctantly received papists into his province. The minutes of the provincial council show, that such danger was apprehended from their missionaries, that their imprison- ment was deemed necessary to the public safety. . Previously to the year 1733, few catholics resided in Philadelphia, and these held their meetings for religious worship in a private dwelling, and were occasionally visited by missionaries from Maryland. At that time a small chapel was erected in the city, and dedicated to St. Joseph, and a pastor was duly ap- pointed to officiate therein. The public celebration of mass caused much agitation in the provincial council, and governor Gordon proposed to suppress it, as contrary to the stat. 11 and 12 William III. The catholics claimed protection under
a
571
HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
ers, he provincial charter, and the council referring the subject o their superiors at home, the governor wisely resolved to suffer them to worship in peace. The German emigrants dded greatly to their number, and before 1776 another cha- bel was erected at Lancaster.
At the revolution, the presbyterians, including the Dutch and German calvinists, formed the most numerous sect in the province, several of the back counties being chiefly peopled by them. Large numbers flowed in from the north of Ireland, and their church grew rapidly by the zeal and industry of 0, its pastors. They were distinguished by courage and perseverance, in maintaining their religious tenets, in de- fending their possessions against the Indians, and in the destruction of the savage enemy. On the important question of changing the proprietary for a royal government, they were strenuous in their opposition to Franklin and the Quak- ers, and were ardent whigs in the revolution. The germ of this society, which has sent its roots into all parts of the state, and whose branches threaten to overshadow all other deno- minations, was small indeed. In 1695, a few independents, with some baptists, assembled in a small frame warehouse, at the corner of Chesnut and Second streets, where they attend- ed the ministry of the reverend John Watts, a baptist minis- ter. In 1698 they were sufficiently numerous to call a minister of their own faith, the reverend Jedediah Andrews, from New England. In 1704 they purchased a lot on Market street, and erected a house for public worship, which they enlarged in 1729, when they adopted the presbyterian form of government. A part of this church, in 1742, followed Mr. Whitfield, and occupied the house built for that eloquent preacher. In 1750 they founded the second presbyterian church, and at the commencement of the revo- lutionary war they had four houses for divine worship in the city, and many others throughout the province.
In 1684, a Mr. Dongan, from Rhode Island, gathered a church of baptists, at Cold Spring, above Bristol, in the county of Bucks In 1686, some persons of the same faith came from Radnorshire, in Wales, and Killarney, in
y 8
[
f
of b- rs re e
m, ti-
ich. the and icy ver led
572
HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
Ireland, and seated themselves on the Pennypack creek, ter miles north-east of Philadelphia, where they established church, over which Elias Keach, an English youth, baptized and ordained by Mr. Dongan, was chosen pastor. In 1687. Mr. John Watts, from the county of Kent, England, wall baptized at Pennypack, and in 1698 assumed the charge of : church at Philadelphia, composed of nine persons only, and meeting in the building occupied in common with the inde pendents. But being expelled by their associates from thi: house, they assembled statedly for worship at a brew. house* in the city, until the year 1707, when, by invi tation from some Keithian seceders, they removed to : house on the site of their present place of worship, ir Second, near Mulberry street. The dunkards and meno. nists, maintaining the rite of baptism by immersion, are classed with the general society of baptists in Pennsylva. nia. But we shall find it most convenient to treat of them separately. The English baptists in 1770 were estimated at six hundred and fifty families, and three thousand two hun. dred and fifty-two persons, divided into eighteen congrega. tions, occupying as many meeting houses.
The menonists were a sect of German baptists, who, like most sectarians, trace their faith to a remote origin, deriving it from the christian church in Thessalonia, in the time of the apostles. They take their name from Menno Simon, of the Netherlands, a leader of their sect in the sixteenth century. They denied the unlawfulness of oaths, and the use of arms in war; adopted a peculiar plainness and form of dress, ap- pointed their ministers out of the general body without pre- vious instruction, held love feasts, and washed each others' feet as a religious ceremony. . From their own accounts they were much persecuted in Germany, and professing a religious practice, similar to that adopted by the zealots of Munster, they probably partook of the merited odium which pursued those fanatics. They, however, disclaim and condemn the wild and criminal extravagance of that people. Although they had purchased toleration for their faith, and exemption from oaths and military service in Germany, they were sub- * Of Anthony Morris, near the Drawbridge.
0
jec
573
HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
jected to many oppressions, which led them to seek elsewhere full enjoyment of civil and religious liberty. From the writings and discourses of William Penn during his German travels, they obtained a knowledge of Pennsylvania. Some of them removed to the province in 1698, others in 1706, 1709, and 1711. Their report induced many to follow them in 1717. Their first settlements were at Germantown, where they built a meeting and school house, in 1708. At this place many of their descendants are still found, but their chief set- tlements are in Lancaster, and the neighbouring counties. In 1770 their number was estimated at 4050 persons, and their places of worship at forty-two. They are a sober, in- dustrious, economical, and moral people.
The dunkards, tunkers, or dumplers, are another species of German baptists, now almost extinct. Their religion was more mystical, and their practice more ascetic and fanatic, than of any other sect in the province. The word " tunker," from which their other names are derived, means a baptizer by immersion. With the Quakers and menonists, they refuse to swear, or bear arms. They trace their origin to the bap- tism of John, and admit no other confession of faith than the New Testament. They adopt the eucharist, which they ad- minister at night, in imitation of our Saviour, washing, at the same time, one another's feet, agreeably to his example and command. They convene on the first day of the week for public worship; but those at Ephrata kept the Jewish sab- bath. They wore their beards long, and dressed in plain and coarse garments, of an ancient fashion.
This sect commenced in Germany in 1705, and consisted prin- cipally of German Calvinists, whose aberrations obtained for them the name of ' pietists,' and a considerable share of persecu- tion. They collected at Swarzenan, in the county of Witgen- stein, where they were allowed, for a season, to meet without interruption. Here, under the guidance of Alexander Mack, a miller, of Schriesheim, a society originally of eight persons was formed, who adopted the rite of baptism by immersion. Their number increasing, and their enthusiasm meeting with reproof, they removed to Creyfield, in the dutchy of Cleves
i 0
vi
de bi
d ze 87 wa f
574
HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
whence a company of eight or ten, still under the direction of Mack, who devoted his property to the common use of the society, proceeded to Pennsylvania in 1719, and seated them- selves at Germantown. Their church here grew rapidly, receiving members from the inhabitants along the Wissahic- con, and from Lancaster county. In 1723, the members in Germantown and its vicinity formed themselves into a com- munity, under Peter Beeker, who was chosen official bap- tizer; and who also, in the succeeding year, collected the scattered brethren in Lancaster county into a distinct society, near Pequa creek.
At the head of this last association, one Conrad Beissel, who assumed the name of Friedsam Gottrecht, anglice Peaceable Godright, had sufficient art to place himself. By his influence the observance of the seventh day of the week was adopted in 1728, when the members separated themselves from all fellowship with the rest of the tunkers, and were re-baptized by Beissel, or "gave to the old baptists their baptism back again." Soon after, a society in opposition to Beissel was formed, near the Conestoga creek. That leader becoming more ascetic, adopted the life of a recluse, and re- tired to a cottage which had been erected by a solitary, named Emilech. But learning that discord and strife had arisen in the community, he summoned the members before him, by a formal citation, on the fourth of September, 1732. Their conference resulted in the determination of the unmarried brethren, to erect for themselves a cottage near to Beissel's, and a dwelling for the sisters. Several revivals of enthusiasm among the tunkers, at Falconer's swamp, on the banks of the Schuylkill, at Tulpehocken and Germantown, increased the huts around Beissel. The sisterhood obtained considerable accessions, but two sisters only continued steadfast in their renunciation of marriage. The zealots gave to their new habitations the names of Zohar, Hebron, Massa and Cades, and that of Kedar to a meeting house which they built for the celebration of love feasts. This being transformed into a " sister convent," another meeting house was erected; and, in
Z
575
HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
ion 738, a house was built for the brethren, and called Zion, and . the he whole settlement received the name of Ephrata ..
m- Thus a solitary life was changed into a conventical one. ly, Zion, now called a " kloster," or convent, was put under mo- hastic rule, and the brethren adopted a habit similar to that in of the capuchins. Onesimus was appointed prior, and Beis- n- sel assumed the title of "father." But these changes were hot unopposed: some individuals preferred-their former soli- tude; and others condemned Beissel's presumption in appro- priating to himself the style of "father." Hildebrand and Sangmeister, distinguished members, were among the mal- contents. The latter retired to a solitude in Virginia, where he commenced a narrative in German of his own life and religious experience, with an historical notice of the Ephrata institution.
The property of the society consisted of about two hun- dred and fifty acres of land. Its labours and profits were in common. Marriage and sexual intercourse were forbidden to the members of the community; but such as were dis- posed to enter into matrimony were permitted to withdraw; taking with them their proportion of the common stock. The sexes dwelt apart. They lived on vegetables solely, and slept on wooden benches, with blocks of wood for pillows, and attended worship four times in the twenty-four hours. This life macerated their bodies, and rendered their complexions pale and bloodless. Their dress consisted of a shirt, trow- sers, and waistcoat, with a long white gown and cowl, of wool in winter, and linen in summer. The dress of the wo- men differed from that of the men in petticoats only: with the cowls of their gowns they covered their faces, when going into public. When walking, they all used a solemn steady pace, keeping straight forward, with their eyes fixed to the ground, not turning to give an answer when asked a ques- tion. On their occasional visits to their friends at German- town, forty or fifty thus strangely accoutred, with sandals on their feet, were seen following each other in Indian file. On the death of Beissel, his authority devolved on one Millar,
:
p-
,
ic-
576
HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
who, wanting the vigorous mind and influence of his prede- cessor, was unable to preserve the society from rapid decay.
All engrossing as religious fanaticism usually is, and at- tractive as it sometimes proves, by its singularities, nature and reason proved too strong for it in Pennsylvania; and the tunker sect has been almost extinguished in the unequal conflict. Ephrata still exists, but the peculiarities of its in- habitants are no more: they marry and are given in mar- riage; eat, drink, and dress, like their neighbours; but are. still remarkable for the simplicity of their manners, and fer- vour of their devotion. Their religious principles are not precisely known: they denied the doctrine of original sin, and the eternity of punishment; and believed that the day of judgment would be a day of light and instruction, when the whole human race would be restored to happiness: conten; tion with arms, or at law, they considered as inconsistent with Christianity. They had no set form of worship, but sang, at their devotions, hymns composed by the brethren, and were distinguished by skill in vocal music. A mystical union in love with God and Christ, they deemed the great object of their life, and the reward of their labours and sufferings, to attain which, self-denial, and withdrawal from the world, were essential. Baptism they adopted, not as an initiation to Chris- tian fellowship, but as a rite, like that of purification in the Mosaic law, to be repeated as often as the believer was defiled by the world. Their sensual affections, driven from their natural channel, were poured forth on this mystical union with the Redeemer. By the unmarried of both sexes, he was considered as an object of more than spiritual love: he was the bride of the one, and the bridegroom of the other: in their songs and hymns, as in those of the Moravians, he was sometimes addressed in the strong, and frequently not most delicate, language of passion. "Some of their writers of spiritual songs possessed well-regulated minds, and a por- tion of poetic spirit. The mysticism of these, created an imaginary world, instead of that which they had abandoned, where they permitted their affections to roam unchecked. The figure or image dearest to passion, was enthroned in
ke an fi
fe
their deem siste cul mu at
577
HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
Their hearts: that was their God, their Lord, their Re- leemer. But the effusions of others were a jargon of incon- istent connexions; turtle-doves and lambs in conjugal union; cultivated fields, on which were sown pearls, and wine, and music; burning hearts united in keeping silence, and singing at the same time songs of joy."* The whole number of tun- kers in Pennsylvania, in 1770, was estimated at four hundred and nineteen families, consisting of two thousand and ninety- five persons. They had four meeting-houses in different parts of the province.
Among the strange religionists of the province, the Swenck- felders must not be overlooked. They derive their name from Caspar Swenckfeld, of Ossing, who was a distinguished teacher at the reformation in the sixteenth century. The sect which he gathered was tolerated by the German empe- rors, in the arch-dukedom of Silesia, especially in the prin- cipalities of Taur and Lignitz, for near two hundred years. But they underwent some persecutions in 1590 and 1650; and, in 1725, were compelled to seek shelter in Upper Lu- satia, in Saxony, under the protection of the senate of Gor- litz, and also of count Zinzendorf. They dwelt unmolested here about eight years; when, this protection being with- drawn, they resolved to seek a permanent establishment in Pennsylvania. Many of them came over in the year 1733, but the greater part in the succeeding year. Like the Quak- ers and menonists, they differed from the major part of the Christian world, in their disuse of oaths, and reprobation of war. They varied from the menonists, in refraining, from conscientious motives, from the sacraments of baptism and the eucharist. They settled chiefly in the county of Berks. They are not numerous, but are an industrious, frugal, and moral people, whose value was justly appreciated by the sa- gacious Frederick of Prussia, who, in vain, by proclamation, in 1742, invited their return to Silesia.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.