USA > South Carolina > History of the German settlements and of the Lutheran church in North and South Carolina : from the earliest period of the colonization of the Dutch, German, and Swiss settlers to the close of the first half of the present century > Part 12
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"October 9th. To-day I received the original copy of a letter dictated by Jacob Weber in prison before his death, for the benefit of his children, which reads as follows:
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"'Jacob Weber's Confession.
"' April 16th, 1761, being imprisoned and ironed, it occurred to me and the jailor to transmit to my beloved children a sketch of my mournful life. I, Jacob Weber, was born in Switzerland, in Canton Zurich, in the county of Knomauer, in the parish of Stifferschweil, and was raised and educated in the Reformed Church. In the fourteenth year of my age I journeyed with my brother to South Carolina, leaving my parents ; and soon after my arrival I lost my brother by death. Thus I was forsaken of man, and without father or mother. But God had compassion on me amid much trouble and sorrow. He planted the fear of the Lord in my heart, so that I had more pleasure in the Lord, in godliness, and the Word of God, than in the world. I was often troubled about my sal- vation when I reflected how strict an account God would require, that I must enter into judgment, and know not how it would result. Although God drew me with his grace, I found also the re- verse in my corrupt nature, which was excited with the love of the world, viz., of riches, honors, and an easy life.
""'Mankind love a social life, and as the Lord drew me back in many wonderful ways, I came, therefore, nearer to him; notwithstanding I always attended to my religious services and prayer, but with a heart cold and averted from God. Through such exercises of the heart I arrived at a knowl- edge of my sins, and learned how awfully the
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human race had fallen from God, and how low all maukind, without exception, are sunken in de- pravity. As soon as I experienced this, I earnestly besought God day and night for forgiveness, for the Holy Spirit, for a pure heart, and for saving faith, and I felt the necessity of retirement to re- strain my thoughts, and to prevent the Divine work from being hindered in me. In this retire- ment I forgot the turmoil of the world. In this light I regarded all vain desires and thoughts and all human works as by nature damnable in the sight of God. Fear and sorrow now seized upon my poor soul, and I thought, what shall I do to be saved? It was shown me that nothing would suffice but being born again of water and of the Spirit. Realizing that I could not be saved in any other way, I prayed still more earnestly, and it was shown me still more plainly by the Holy Ghost in my heart how sinful I was (Rom. 7), so that I stood there before the judgment of God; but the judgment of God became manifest in me, so that I judged myself, and confessed that I had deserved a thousand-fold to be cast from the pres- ence of God, and wondered that the forbearance of the Lord had not long since hurled me, poor and condemned wretch, into the lowest pit of de- struction; and then too, I saw the whole world lay in sin. Feeling myself so lost, I cast myself en- tirely upon the mercy of God to lead me according to his holy will and pleasure, whether unto life or death, if he would only be gracious unto my poor
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soul for Christ's sake, and pardon my sin, and purify my heart from all uncleanness. Thus I lay at the feet of Jesus with all my heart in submis- sion, sighing and praying night and day for his grace, and so continued for several days, until I had passed from death unto life. Then Jesus re- vealed himself unto my soul. Then there was great joy in heaven over me, a returning sinner. Then all my sins were forgiven me, and I was full of the Holy Ghost, and rejoiced with a joy un- speakably great. This occurred, or I experienced this joy, A.D. 1756, in the month of May. This grace caused me to despise the joy of the world, and to disregard its reproach, and kept me, thence- forth, continually with my surety, Jesus, amid many temptations not now to be mentioned, until finally I found rest for my soul. This peace and communion with God I possessed about two years, under every burden of affliction, for I had the grace to enable me, under all circumstances, to submit my will to the mercy of God. Through the grace which was in me I could govern tem- poral goods without danger to my soul. Upon this followed the great misery and awful fall into sin, already, alas! too well known. The devil bringing me into a greater temptation and fall than was ever known, of which Peter Schmidt was the origin and instrument. After this, by the provi- dence of God, I was captured and cast into prison, that I might recover my reason, come to a knowl- edge of my great sins, and confess them before God,
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that thus it might awaken great wretchedness in my soul, humble me before God and man, yea, beneath all creatures, yea, that I might account myself as the poorest worm. I often thought each and every person too good to speak to me, and interest himself in me. Nevertheless I sought cordially the forgiveness of my sins in the blood of the Lamb of God, my Redeemer, who loved me and died for all my sins, and for his righteousness' sake arose, all which I heartily believe, because I experience again the witness of the Holy Spirit, which testifies unto my spirit that I am a child of God. And now, my children, beloved in the Lord, I must leave this world, and, perhaps, behold your face no more in this life. I commend you, therefore, to the protection and mercy of God ! Pray without ceasing, learn and read; injure no one willingly and wilfully while you live; labor industriously and faithfully according to your ability; then, if we should meet no more in this world, we may hope to meet each other in heaven, in the world to come; which may the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, grant to you for the sake of the crucified Jesus, Amen. Such cunning and celerity does Satan possess as to cause so great a schism and injury even among the children of God, and to lead them astray, and make them fall so suddenly against their knowledge and consent. May God preserve all persons from so great a fall, and trample Satan under foot, for Christ's sake, Amen. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and all persons, Amen. And I beseech
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all persons who have been injured by me to for- give me, for Christ's sake.
"' Written or dictated by
"' JACOB WAEBER. "'April 16th, 1761.'"'
Dr. Hazelius' account of this tragic affair is as follows:
"It was about this time that a number of our (German) people, living on the banks of the Saluda River, in South Carolina, being destitute of minis- terial instruction, agreed to assemble from time to time for singing, prayer, the reading of the Scrip- tures, and mutual edification. This was as it should be, but the enemy soon sowed tares among the wheat, by introducing spiritual pride among the small flock. One man, by the name of Wea- ver, personated Christ, another the Holy Spirit, a certain woman, the wife of Weaver, the Virgin Mary, and one poor fellow was doomed to repre- sent Satan. The curiosity of the people became highly excited by the strange proceedings on Sa- luda River, in the neighborhood of what is now called Younginer's Ferry. Excess followed excess, until at length Weaver, representing either Christ or God, ordered, in virtue of his dignity, that Satan should be chained in a subterranean hole, and finally that he should be destroyed. For this purpose they met, placed the unfortunate man in a bed, covered him with pillows, on which some seated themselves, while others stamped with their feet on the bed until the life of the man had be-
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come extinct. The corpse was then taken out of bed, and thrown into a burning pile of wood, to be consumed to ashes. The perpetrators of this crime were taken to Charleston and tried. Wea- ver was found guilty, and suffered the penalty of the law on the gallows. His wife was pardoned."
The Rev. Christian Theus furnished Dr. Muhlen- berg with a more detailed description of this sect of Weberites, as he was well acquainted with their doings, having lived about twenty-five miles from the place where the murder occurred. At a cer- tain time he came unexpectedly into their meeting, and found Jacob Weber contending that he was God, and the said Peter Schmidt insisting that he himself was Christ, and that the unconverted mem- bers must be healed through his stripes.
Pastor Theus opposing such blasphemy, the leaders became enraged, and threatened his life, and counselled with their rabble whether to drown or hang him. He escaped, however, from their hands, fled to the river, and fortunately found a negro with his canoe at the shore, sprang into it, was conveyed across, and thus saved his life.
All traces of this abominable heresy have long since been obliterated ; neither are there even any descendants of Jacob Weber and Peter Schmidt to be found in the Saluda Fork. To what region of country they emigrated, or what was their sub- sequent history, is not known. The object of his- tory in preserving the record of such deeds is that it might serve as a warning to all not to depart from the truth as revealed in God's word, even in
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their religion. The Bible is given as a " lamp to our feet and a light to our path," and the promise is there that the wayfaring man, though a fool, need not err therein; but whosoever despises the re- vealed light will soon glide into very grievous and dangerous errors. Sincerity is no proof of the purity of faith, and no guide to man's actions. That Weber was sincere, his confession, which he made with eternity in view, fully proves; notwithstand- ing his sincerity, so great was his deception in spiritual things, that he became guilty of the most horrid blasphemy and of the greatest crime known to the law.
This narrative also demonstrates the value of an evangelical, educated and faithful ministry of the Gospel, an institution which has been divinely appointed, through whose ministrations God is pleased to bless mankind and keep them in the . way of truth and peace. In such occurrences as these, the infidel is rebuked in his opposition to the preaching of the Gospel; man soon degenerates and becomes capable of committing all manner of ex- cesses, where he is not restrained by the influence of the Gospel. In this locality, where the Weber- ites had their origin, and about that period of time, A.D. 1758, according to the import of Weber's confession, the Gospel was but seldom preached, and the effects of such neglect soon manifested themselves ; the people generally gave a loose rein to their passions, rioted in their wantonness, and actually believed that in doing so they were ren- dering service to God. If in the commencement
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of this settlement the people would have been blessed with the faithful labors of an evangelical and intelligent pastor, doubtless such extravagance in religion and morals never would have been manifested there, as is sufficiently proved by the condition of those settlements where religious ad- vantages were enjoyed; so likewise, where the young are well trained and indoctrinated, depart- ures from the principles of a pure faith and cor- rect morals are not likely to occur. Occasional ministrations of the word and the sacraments are not sufficient in any community ; orthodox churches should be established in reach of every family, and a pastor should labor continually among his people, both at the fireside and upon the pulpit, if he ex- pects to accomplish permanent good, for it appears that the want of such constant ministrations had a serious effect upon this community, at the time these criminal occurrences took place.
Section 6. History of St. John's Lutheran Church, Charleston, South Carolina, to the close of the Revolutionary War.
At the period of time when the first Lutheran Church in Charleston was established, so far as the records now extant appear to indicate, there was no longer a single Lutheran congregation nor Lutheran minister in the Province of South Caro- lina. The Rev. John Giessendanner, of Orange- burg, having become discouraged, and dreading further annoyance from such straggling preachers
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as Zauberbühler, connected himself and his con- gregation with the established Church of England in 1749; and the Rev. Christian Theus labored as a German Reformed minister in Saxe-Gotha Township, near the Congaree River.
The early records of the Charleston Lutheran Church are mainly derived from the journal of Rev. H. M. Muhlenberg, D.D., who labored in Pennsylvania, and who was sent, A.D. 1774, by the "Society for Propagating the Gospel " on a second visit to the South to adjust certain difficul- ties, which had arisen in the congregation at Eben- ezer, Georgia; and on his way thither he spent some time in Charleston, and took notes of the principal occurrences in the Lutheran Church in that city, as well as of the German churches gen- erally, located in South Carolina. Dr. Muhlen- berg's journal was translated and published in the Evangelical Review in 1850, by a descendant of his, the Rev. J. W. Richards, D.D., then Lu- theran pastor at Easton, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Ramsay, in the second volume of his " History of South Carolina," reprinted edition, p. 23, states : "Their first minister, the Rev. Mr. Luft, arrived in 1752." How much credit is to be given to this statement, the writer is not prepared to say; but it appears singular that Dr. Muhlenberg, who ex- amined the records of this Lutheran Church in Charleston thirty-four years before Ramsay, and associated freely with its members for five weeks, arranging their church affairs, should not have mentioned the Rev. Mr. Luft's name in his jour-
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nal. However, if the Rev. Mr. Luft was the first pastor of this people, they certainly had no house of worship of their own at the time, and very prob- ably no regularly organized congregation, for even Ramsay states : "In the year 1759 they began to build a house of worship themselves," and that event took place during Rev. Friederichs' minis- try in Charleston.
Rev. John George Friederichs arrived in Char- leston, South Carolina, about the year 1755 or 6, and gathered the Germans residing there into a congregation, which he afterwards served for sev- eral years ; he may, therefore, justly be regarded as the founder of the first Lutheran Church in Charleston. The elders of the French (Huguenot) congregation kindly offered and granted the use of their church for divine service to our German brethren, when not needed for their own worship; they likewise extended the right of sepulture to the Germans in their own graveyard, all of which was accepted with gratitude.
"Rev. Friederichs labored hard, and, together with the elders and wardens, exerted himself so as to procure a place in the town for a German Lu- theran church and graveyard. He was acquainted among the English and beloved by them, and col- lected among them towards the erection of a house of worship. He desired the church to be built of brick, which would have been best, but several elders and members outvoted him, and caused it to be built of wood." The enterprise so far suc- ceeded as to have the corner-stone of the new edi-
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fice laid on the 17th of December, 1759. Soon after this event, Rev. Friederichs resigned, and took charge of several congregations in the coun- try, locating himself in Amelia Township, Orange- burg District, South Carolina.
After the removal of Rev. J. G. Friederichs the congregation secured the services of a Rev. Mr. Wartman, who was a highly educated divine, and is said to have been an animated preacher, yet his usefulness was very much injured, on account of his having been possessed of a very fiery and chol- eric disposition, which unhappy temperament had been the cause of his short stay in several congre- gations in Pennsylvania and Virginia, where he had frequently exposed his temper, and exhausted both himself and his people. This was also the reason of his short stay in Charleston, where he might have been exceedingly useful, as he was possessed of the other necessary qualifications of a pastor, had he been enabled to control his un- happy disposition. He remained but two years and then took up his residence in the country.
The fourth pastor of this congregation was the Rev. John Nicholas Martin, a self-taught man, who is said to have been ordained by the Salz- burg pastors in Georgia, and who enjoyed the reputation of having been a sensible and indus- trious laborer in Christ's vineyard. He took charge of St. John's Church, November 24th, 1763, and served it for three years and three months; during his ministry the new church edi- fice was completed, which had been in course of
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construction over four years, and was dedicated on the 24th of June, 1764, John the Baptist's day. The officiating clergymen on this occasion were Rev. J. G. Friederichs, the founder of this congre- gation, and the Rev. J. N. Martin, the pastor in charge. The dedication sermon was preached from the text, Luke 1: 68-70: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and re- deemed his people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began." This church was a small wooden building, situated in the rear of where the present church stands, and "was an antiquated building of a peculiar con- struction, resembling some of the old churches in the rural districts of Germany ;" a representation of it is still preserved, "suspended in the vestry- room of the present church; and for uniqueness of architecture, as well as for its value as a relic of the past, excites no little notice."
During the ministry of Rev. Martin in this con- gregation, a large number of worthy Germans organized themselves into a "German Benevolent Society," now known as the "German Friendly Society," which appears to have been in a most flourishing condition from its commencement to the present time. Rev. Dr. Muhlenberg gives a glowing description of this praiseworthy society, and informs us, that it was founded January 15th, 1766, and had increased in a little more than eight years to "upwards of eighty members, living in
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the town and country, of whom upwards of fifty are still living." During those years their funded capital had accumulated to £400 sterling, the in- terest of which is to be "applied for the relief of every such poor member, or of his widow and or- phans, as shall have been connected seven years with the Society, and have paid their contribu- tions. This commendable Society is, in a measure, the flower and crown of the German nation in this place."
By special invitation of the "heads of this So- ciety," and escorted to their place of meeting by the Vice-President and Treasurer, Rev. Dr. Muh- lenberg dined with the members, and thus became acquainted with the most influential Germans in the place. He speaks also very highly of their manner of conducting the business of this Society, and gives the names of the members present at that meeting.
Early in the year 1767, Rev. J. N. Martin took leave of this congregation, and labored in the Fork of the Saluda and Broad Rivers, where it is known that he still labored some seven years later, in 1774, as his name is incidentally mentioned in that connection in Dr. M.'s journal, and the pre- sumption is, that he became the Lutheran pastor of the congregations in the Fork soon after his de- parture from Charleston.
The elders and wardens of St. John's Church now applied to Rev. Dr. Wachsell, in London, be- seeching him to send them a regular teacher and pastor, and obtained through his instrumentality
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the Rev. John Severin Hahnbaum, to whom a call was extended on the 28th of January, 1767. He arrived with his family, and took charge of the church on the 12th of June of the same year ; unfortunately, however, he was either in infirm health when he arrived in Charleston, or the cli- mate there disagreed with him, for he was often indisposed, and lived only a few years. During the first year of his ministry, "the following per- sons were the elders or vestrymen of the church : Messrs. Johannes Swint, Melchior Werley, Philip Mensing, Abraham Speidel, Martin Mül- ler, J. Shutterling, Jacob Breidell, John Kirchner, and Michael Kalteisen. One year later four war- deus were elected, viz., Messrs. Joseph Kimmel, Henry Lindauer, Godman, and Jury.
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"In 1768 the Hon. John Paul Grimpke pre- sented the church with a silver plate of the weight of one pound, which was appropriated by the council for gathering the collections every Sunday. So also did Capt. Alexander Gillon, who had re- cently arrived from Germany, present to the church a pair of beautiful candlesticks, which were ordered to be placed on each side of the pulpit. He had also collected, whilst in Germany, £275 currency for the benefit of the church, which he offered to pay over, but the council requested him to retain it in his possession, and pay it out for the repairs and improvements of a house re- cently purchased by the congregation."
This fact, in connection with the additional one, that no charge was to be made to the pastor for
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house-rent, and the statement of Dr. Muhlenberg, indicate that the congregation possessed a par- sonage at that time, which was rented out for the good of the church, when not in use by the pastor.
"In 1769 the officers made a contract with Mr. Speisseggir for a new organ, but no statement is given as to its cost."
A short time previous to Rev. Hahnbaum's death, a certain Master of Arts, Mr. Frederick Daser, who was yet very young, arrived in Char- leston from the Duchy of Würtemberg, without credentials, without clothes or money, his trunk containing said articles, according to his declara- tion, having been stolen from him in Holland. A good-hearted elder of this congregation had com- passion on him, paid his passage-money, and pro- cured him respectable clothing suitable to his pro- fession.
Pastor Hahnbaum having been sick a long time received this Artis Magister, with the consent of the vestry, as his vicar. He examined him, had him ordained, and afterwards also installed through two elders, and married him on his sick-bed, be- fore his decease, to one of his own daughters, be- sides giving him the necessary books and skeletons of sermons.
After the death of Rev. Hahnbaum, which oc- curred February 10th, 1770, the vestry gave Mag- ister Daser a conditional call for one year, with the hope that through "prayer, study, and tempta- tion " (oratione, meditatione et tentatione), which
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was Luther's celebrated recipe for the making of a preacher, a theologian might yet be formed of him; but his young wife likewise conducted her- self in a manner unbecoming a pastor's wife, be- sides being ignorant of housewifery, and destitute of the true ornament of a woman-1 Pet. 3:4; and he himself was light of body, light in spirit, and heavy in self-will and inordinate passions and affections ; consequently, the fruits of such dispo- sitions soon manifested themselves. The year having now expired, and having no other alterna- tive, the congregation contracted with him to serve them three years longer.
The following account of this transaction, as gathered from the church records of this congre- gation by Mr. Jacob F. Schirmer, does not exactly agree with what is related above by Dr. Muhlen- berg, but may, therefore, because taken from the records of the church, be all the more correct :
" The congregation appointed a committee to wait upon the pastor, and inquire upon what terms and what length of time he would be willing to serve them, and whether he would promise to be faithful, industrious, and conscientious in his walk and conversation, and to serve the flock as a faith- ful shepherd. Such questions, propounded to Rev. Daser after he had labored one year as pastor of that church, do not argue much in his favor, and yet the committee at the next meeting reported that the congregation appear to be perfectly satis- fied with Pastor Daser, and that he on his part promises to discharge his duties faithfully, but he
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thought it unbecoming to enter into a regular contract between pastor and people, but was will- ing to serve them for three years at a quarterly payment of £500 currency. This was submitted to the congregation, and they finally agreed to engage Mr. Daser for two years, and that he re- ceive £420 currency quarterly, still reserving to themselves the right, that if his conduct did not meet with their approbation, they were at liberty to discharge him, by giving him three months' notice. This arrangement was first objected to by the minister, but he finally agreed to it, and signed the agreement. He now requested his people to present him with a gown, which was accordingly ordered, and was made by Mr. Tim- rod.
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