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A  History 

of 

The  Moravian  Church 


m 


New  York  City 

By  ..., 

HARRY  EMILIUS  STOCKER,  Ph.D. 

Author  "History  of  the  Moravian  Mission  Among  the  Indians 

on  the  White  River  in  Indiana,"  "Moravian  Customs 

and  Other  Matters  of  Interest,"  etc. 


NEW  YORK  CITY 
1022 

y 


THE  NEW  Vu^?. 

PUBUC  LiBRAHV 


^A 


ASTOP.  LENOX    f\ND 
riLDEN  foundation: 


Copyright,  1922,  by 
HARRY  EMILIUS  STOCKER 


CONTENTS 

CKAPTEB  PAQB 

Foreword 7 

I.  The  Rise  of  the  Moravian  Church 0 

II.  The  Moravian  Church  Resuscitated 16 

|III.  Why  the  Moravians  Came  to  America 24 

IV.  Moravian  Pioneers  in  New  York  City 31 

V.  The    Moravians   Form    an    Undenominational 

J  Soctety 42 

.VI.  Systematic  Moravian  Home  Mission  Work 49 

VII.  The    Organization    of    the    First    Moravian 

Church 71 

VIII.  The  Congregation  before  the  American  Revo- 
lution      87 

IX.  The  Congregation  During  the  Revolutionary 

j  War 119 

JX.  Progress  of  the  Work  in  Spite  of  Hindrances  146 

XI.  The  Pastorate  of  Christopher  Godfrey  Peter  166 

XII.  In  the  Dawn  of  the  Nineteenth  Century 188 

XIII.  The  Congregation  Outgrows  Its  Quarters.  . . .  202 

XIV.  The  Consecration  of  the  New  Church 214 

XV.  Sixteen  Years  in  the  Second  Church  on  Fulton 

Street 221 

XVI.  The  Church  in  Houston  Street 246 

XVII.  The  Homeless  Years  of  the  Congregation 275 

XVIII.  The  Church  at  Lexington  Avenue  and  Thir- 
tieth Street 288 

XIX.  Fhdits  of  Moravian  Labors  in  New  York  . . .   360 

APPENDIXES 

A.  Points  of  Interest 367 

B.  Ministers,  Evangelists  and  Pa.stors 371 

IC.  The  Communicant  Membership  of  the  Congre- 
gation     375 

Index 381 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAOE 

The  First  Moravian  Church,  Lexington  Avenue  and 

Thirtieth  Street Frontispiece 

The  Second  Church  on  Fulton  Street 214 

The  Houston  Street  Church 246 


FOREWORD 

The  year  nineteen  hundred   and  twenty-two   is 
especially  important  because  it  marks  the  two  hun- 
dredth anniversary  of  the  Renewal  of  the  Unitas 
Fratrum,  or  Unity  of  the  Brethren,  now  generally 
known  as  the  Moravian  Church.     The  renewal  of 
this  ancient  Protestant  Church  meant  a  great  deal 
to  the  world  in  general  and  to  the  Christian  Church 
in  particular.     Some  of  the  most  glowing  pages  in 
church   history  have  been   written   by   Moravians. 
The  record  of  their  early  achievements  is  not  unlike 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.    At  a  time  when  the  greater 
part  of  the  Christian  Church  lay  in  the  cold  grip  of 
a  rationalistic   formalism  which   had  little  or   no 
concern  for  the  welfare  of  anybody,  the  hearts  of 
the  people  of  Herrnhut  were  on  fire  for  God.    Their 
one  passion  was  Christ,  and  to  make  Him  known 
their  greatest  desire.    Therefore  they  went  anywhere 
and  everywhere,  preaching  the  gospel.    In  due  time 
the  Church  spread  to  Great  Britain,  North  America, 
and  other  lands.     In  America  the  conversion  of  the 
Indians  engaged  the  zealous  attention  of  the  Mo- 
ravians for  many  years.    At  the  same  time,  they  car- 
ried on  extensive  evangelistic  labors  among  the  many 
white  people  who  were  without  church  affiliation. 
It  Js  natural,  therefore,  that  their  hearts  should  be 
directed  to  the  religious  needs  of  the  metropolis. 
Here  they  began  their  labors  at  an  early  day,  and 

7 


8  FOREWORD 

eventually  planted   a  churcli  which  exists  at  the 
present  time. 

Altho  frequent  references  are  made  to  the 
work  of  this  church  in  various  historical  writings, 
no  one  has  ever  written  a  history  of  the  Moravian 
Church  in  New  York  City.  Believing  that  this  mat- 
ter was  too  long  deferred,  the  Elders  and  Trustees 
of  the  First  Church  fraternally  requested  the  present 
pastor  to  bring  to  light  the  valuable  information 
locked  up  in  the  abundant  manuscripts  and  records 
preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  congregation.  Not 
without  a  feeling  of  unworthiness  for  so  important 
a  task,  the  pastor  began  his  labor  of  love,  and  now, 
after  two  years  of  careful  research,  this  volume, 
entitled  ^^A  History  of  the  Moravian  Church  in 
New  York  City,''  is  given  to  the  public.  The  principal 
sources  of  information  contained  in  the  history  are 
the  diaries,  records,  and  numerous  papers  found 
in  the  archives  of  the  congregation.  The  Provincial 
Archives  in  Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania,  were  also  laid 
under  contribution.  Additional  information  was 
found  in  various  books  by  Moravian  authors,  in 
numerous  histories  of  New  York,  and  in  other  litera- 
ture bearing  on  the  subject.  If  this  history  shall 
add  to  the  appreciation  of  the  value  of  Moravian 
labors  in  New  York  City  and  elsewhere,  and  inspire 
a  deeper  love  for  the  Moravian  Church,  the  writer 
will  feel  amply  rewarded  for  his  labors. 

Harry  E.  Stocker. 

New  York  City, 
June,  1922. 


CHAPTER  I 
THE  EISE  OF  THE  MORAVIAN  CHURCH 

The  Moravian  Church  dates  back  to  the  fifteenth 
century.  In  the  beginning  it  was  known  as  the 
"Unitas  Fratrum,"  or  "The  Unity  of  the  Brethren," 
which  is  still  the  ofiQcial  title  of  the  Church.  After  a 
time  it  was  commonly  spoken  of  as  "The  Brethren's 
Church."  This  name  is  frequently  employed  at  the 
present  time.  In  history  the  members  of  this  Church 
are  known  as  "The  Brethren,"  or  "Moravians,"  the 
latter  designation  coming  into  use  in  the  first  quar- 
ter of  the  eighteenth  century. 

The  apostle  of  the  Brethren  was  John  Hus,  the 
Bohemian  Reformer,  who  was  burnt  alive  as  a  heretic 
on  July  6,  1415,  the  forty-third  anniversary  of  his 
birth.  As  the  result  of  this  act  of  Roman  Catholic 
violence,  Bohemia  was  plunged  into  what  is  known 
as  the  Hussite  War.  For  twenty  years  the  country 
was  bathed  in  blood.  At  first  the  Hussites  were  ar- 
rayed against  the  Catholics,  but  soon  they  became 
divided  among  themselves.  In  the  bitter  strife  the 
principles  for  which  Hus  had  given  his  life  were 
often  forgotten  by  those  who  claimed  to  be  his  fol- 
lowers, and  before  long  Hussite  was  contending 
against  Hussite.  One  faction  sought  to  restore  to 
the  laity  the  cup  in  the  Lord's  Supper.  For  this 
reason  its  adherents  were  calle<l  the  Calixtines  or 
Utraquists.     Another  faction   demanded   a   general 

9 


10      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

reformation  of  the  Church.  Its  adherents  called 
themselves  Taborites,  taking  their  name  from  Mount 
Tabor,  a  hill  near  Prague  where  they  had  their  camp. 
These  two  factions  locked  horns,  and  eventually  the 
Utraquists  triumphed.  The  victors  in  the  struggle 
came  to  terms  with  the  Catholics,  and  the  pope 
acknowledged  the  Utraquist  Church  as  the  National 
Church  of  Bohemia. 

As  the  result  of  this  long  conflict  the  Bohemians 
were  permitted  to  partake  of  the  wine  in  the  Holy 
Communion,  which  was  practically  the  only  advan- 
tage gained.  The  Utraquist  Church  was  in  reality 
a  Catholic  Church,  and  before  long  the  old-time  cor- 
ruption prevailed.  It  seemed  as  if  Hus  had  died  in 
vain.  But  this  was  not  the  case.  Fires  kindled  by 
the  martyr  were  still  burning  in  some  hearts  loyal 
to  the  truth.  Here  and  there  devout  men  could  be 
found  who  held  to  his  teaching.  They  loved  the 
Bible,  strove  to  live  righteous  lives,  and  during  the 
war  refused  to  take  up  arms.  These  were  the  real 
Hussites.  Those  in  Prague  were  naturally  drawn 
together,  and  gradually  a  free  religious  society  came 
into  being  to  which  others  of  like  mind  were  at- 
tracted. It  had  for  its  object  private  edification  and 
the  general  reformation  of  the  Church.  This  society 
repeatedly  requested  John  Rokyzan,  the  head  of  the 
Utraquist  Church  and  an  eloquent  preacher,  to  take 
the  lead  in  the  reform  movement.  The  members  were 
attracted  to  him  because  about  the  year  1450  he 
preached  against  the  corruptions  of  the  Church,  and 
strongly  exhorted  the  people  to  return  to  the  princi- 
ples advocated  by  Hus. 


RISE  OF  THE  MORAVIAN  CHURCH       11 

Rokyzan's  actions  spoke  louder  than  his  words. 
After  halting  some  time  between  his  convictions  and 
self-interest,  he  flatly  refused  to  head  the  desired 
reform  movement.  Turning  from  him  in  disgust, 
the  awakened  now  looked  for  a  leader  among  their 
own  number,  and  this  time  they  were  not  disap- 
pointed. In  Gregory,  commonly  spoken  of  as 
Gregory  the  Patriarchy  they  found  the  one  whom 
God  had  raised  up  for  the  purpose.  He  was  an  elo- 
quent speaker  and  able  writer,  and  above  all  a  man 
of  blameless  character.  In  time  he  founded  an  inde- 
pendent society.  In  1456  he  heard  of  the  barony 
of  Lititz  on  the  north-east  border  of  Bohemia.  This 
estate  was  the  private  property  of  George  Podiebrad, 
the  Regent  of  Bohemia.  On  the  estate  were  three 
thinly  populated  villages,  Zamburg,  Kunwald,  and 
Lititz.  With  the  permission  of  the  Regent,  Gregory 
and  his  followers  began  their  first  settlement  at 
Kunwald.  In  1457  they  met  in  a  solemn  convocation, 
drew  up  and  adopted  principles  of  doctrine  and 
practice,  and  constituted  themselves  into  a  regularly 
organized  association  under  the  name  of  "The  Breth- 
ren and  Sisters  of  the  Law  of  Christ."  Later  this 
name  was  changed  to  "Brethren,"  and  afterwards 
to  "Unitas  Fratrum,"  or  "Unity  of  the  Brethren." 
Therefore  the  Brethren's  Church  was  founded  in 
1457,  or  four  hundred  and  sixty-five  years  ago. 
Tradition  has  it  that  the  organization  of  the  Church 
took  place  on  March  the  first. 

Like-minded  people  from  every  walk  of  life  joined 
the  Brethren,  and  the  infant  Church  rapidly  grew 
in  numbers.    After  four  years  of  peace  the  Brethren 


12      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

were  assailed  by  the  first  storm  of  persecution.  The 
King  had  heard  that  they  were  dangerous  conspira- 
tors and  guilty  of  heresy,  therefore  he  gave  strict 
orders  that  all  his  subjects  had  to  belong  either  to 
the  Utraquist  or  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  He 
also  ordered  all  priests  who  conducted  the  Holy 
Communion  after  the  manner  of  the  Brethren  to  be 
put  to  death.  As  a  result  many  of  the  Brethren  suf- 
fered martyrdom.  But  in  spite  of  persecution  their 
number  increased.  In  1464  the  Brethren  separated 
themselves  completely  from  the  National  Church, 
and  three  years  later  established  a  ministry  of  their 
own.  Hitherto  they  had  been  served  by  Michael 
Bradacius  and  other  ministers  who  had  originally 
belonged  to  the  Utraquist  Church.  That  they  might 
secure  a  ministry  whose  validity  neither  the  Utra- 
quists  nor  the  Romanists  could  question,  the  Breth- 
ren sent  three  candidates  for  ordination  to  Stephen, 
a  Bishop  of  the  Waldensian  Church,  living  on  the 
confines  of  Bohemia  and  Austria,  who  consecrated 
them  bishops,  and  from  that  day  to  this  there  has 
been  no  break  in  the  episcopal  succession  of  the 
Brethren's  Church. 

By  the  time  that  Martin  Luther  nailed  his  theses  to 
the  door  of  the  Wittenberg  Cathedral,  the  Evangelical 
or  Protestant  Church  of  the  Brethren  had  grown 
influential.  It  had  at  least  two  hundred  thousand 
members  and  over  four  hundred  parishes  in  Bohemia 
and  Moravia.  The  Brethren  made  the  Bible  their 
only  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  taught  the  great 
doctrine  of  justification  by  faith,  and  in  every  way 
sought  to  advance  the  cause  of  evangelical  religion. 


RISE  OF  THE  MORAVIAN  CHURCH       13 

To  this  end  they  not  only  preached  the  gospel,  but 
established  schools  and  made  extensive  use  of  the 
printing-press.  Among  other  things  they  published 
a  confession  of  faith,  numerous  pamphlets  and 
treatises,  and  portions  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  as 
well  as  a  hymn-book  which  was  the  first  to  be  put 
into  the  hands  of  the  people  by  any  Church.  A  copy 
of  the  first  edition  of  this  hymnal  published  in  1501 
is  preserved  in  the  library  of  the  modern  University 
of  Prague.  The  Brethren  were  Reformers  before 
the  Reformation,  and  as  such  Luther  himself  ac- 
knowledged them  after  he  became  acquainted  with 
their  principles.  In  turn  the  Brethren  regarded 
Luther  as  a  champion  sent  by  God.  Although  there 
were  points  on  which  he  and  the  Brethren  could  not 
agree,  on  the  whole,  the  relations  between  them  were 
friendly  and  mutually  beneficial.  The  same  holds 
true  of  the  Brethren's  intercourse  with  other  Re- 
formers of  the  sixteenth  century.  While  they  bene- 
fited in  a  doctrinal  way,  others  learned  much  from 
the  discipline  of  the  Brethren.  Martin  Bucer  said, 
"The  Brethren  alone  in  all  the  world  combine  a 
wholesome  discipline  with  a  pure  faith." 

In  1546  the  Protestant  princes  of  Germany,  headed 
by  Frederick,  the  Elector  of  Saxony,  formed  what 
is  known  as  the  Smalcald  League  against  Emperor 
Charles  the  Fifth.  When  war  broke  out  between  the 
Catholics  and  Protestants,  Ferdinand,  King  of  Bo- 
hemia, called  upon  his  subjects  to  take  up  arms  in 
behalf  of  the  Emperor,  his  Catholic  brother.  The 
Brethren  were  in  a  dilemma  out  of  which  there  was 
only  one  way.     They  refused   to  serve  their  King 


14      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

and  gave  what  support  they  could  to  the  Elector  of 
Saxony.  The  Protestants  were  defeated,  and  Fer- 
dinand proceeded  to  wreak  vengeance  upon  his  re- 
bellious subjects.  He  determined  to  stamp  out  the 
Brethren's  Church.  In  1548  an  edict  was  issued, 
commanding  all  persons  living  on  royal  estates  to 
unite  with  the  Utraquist  or  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  or  leave  the  country  within  six  weeks.  Fer- 
dinand had  no  thought  that  the  Brethren  would 
choose  the  latter  course.  He  did  not  know  them. 
A  large  number  of  them  left  the  country  and  even- 
tually settled  in  East  Prussia,  where  they  were  per- 
secuted by  certain  bigoted  Lutherans.  After  a  time 
they  sought  refuge  in  Poland,  whither  the  Breth- 
ren's Church  had  previously  extended  its  operations. 
The  King  of  Poland  leaned  toward  the  Protestant 
faith,  and  many  of  his  subjects  hated  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  Therefore  the  Brethren  found  a 
fertile  field  for  disseminating  gospel  truths.  In 
less  than  six  years  they  had  about  forty  churches  in 
this  country.  A  century  after  the  founding  of  the 
Brethren's  Church  it  consisted  of  three  confederated 
provinces,  the  Bohemian,  the  Moravian,  and  the 
Polish. 

Ferdinand  was  succeeded  by  Maximilian  II,  a  lib- 
eral-minded monarch,  in  whose  reign  the  Brethren 
flourished.  Under  Maximilian's  successor,  the 
Unitas  Fratrum  became  a  legally  recognized  Church 
of  the  land.  Before  very  many  years,  however, 
storms  of  persecution  swept  over  the  Brethren,  and 
their  Church  all  but  perished.  In  1620  Ferdinand  II 
ascended  the  throne,  and  inaugurated  the  Counter- 


RISE  OF  THE  MORAVIAN  CHURCH      15 

Reformation,  which  had  for  its  purpose  the  crushing 
out  of  evangelical  religion  in  Bohemia  and  Moravia. 
In  1627  this  end  was  practically  accomplished,  and 
only  a  few  of  the  Brethren  remained  in  the  land  of 
their  fathers,  the  majority  having  been  driven  into 
exile,  with  only  what  is  known  as  '^The  Hidden  Seed" 
left  behind.  The  Brethren  in  Poland  held  together 
about  twenty-five  years  longer,  when  they  too  were 
scattered  abroad.  In  1656  war  broke  out  between 
the  Protestant  King  of  Sweden  and  the  Catholic 
monarch  of  Poland.  The  latter  was  successful,  there- 
fore the  Brethren,  who  had  sided  with  the  Swedish 
King,  had  to  flee,  and  their  Church  in  Poland  also 
came  to  an  end.  But  in  the  providence  of  God  the 
Brethren's  Church  had  not  perished  altogether.  It 
was  destined  to  be  revived. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  MORAVIAN  CHURCH  RESUSCITATED 

Many  of  the  Brethren  lost  their  lives  during  the 
Counter-Reformation,  others  fled  from  the  country, 
while  some  of  them  remained  in  their  native  land. 
The  majority  of  those  who  remained  behind  con- 
tinued to  be  true  to  the  faith  of  their  fathers. 
Altho  the  coming  generation  was  less  fervid  in  evan- 
gelical zeal,  there  were  those  among  the  descendants 
of  the  Brethren  who  never  lost  hope  that  some  day 
the  Church  would  be  revived.  This  was  especially 
the  case  in  Moravia.  Among  the  number  was  George 
Jaeschke  of  Sehlen.  Before  his  death  in  1707,  he 
told  his  son  and  grandsons  that  the  time  for  the  re- 
newal of  the  Church  was  near  at  hand,  and  exhorted 
them  to  make  any  sacrifices  necessary  to  hasten  the 
event,  not  hesitating  to  leave  their  home  and  native 
land  should  the  occasion  demand  it.  Fifteen  years 
later  his  prophecy  began  to  be  fulfilled. 

In  His  own  good  time  and  manner  the  Lord 
brought  about  the  resuscitation  of  the  Brethren's 
Church.  Strange  to  say,  two  of  the  principal  instru- 
ments in  His  hand  to  bring  it  about  had  no  con- 
nection with  the  Brethren  at  the  time.  One  of  them 
was  Count  Nicholas  Lewis  von  Zinzendorf,  the 
other.  Christian  David.  It  is  important  to  know 
something  of  the  way  in  which  God  prepared  these 

16 


MORAVIAN  CHURCH  RESUSCITATED    17 

men  to  become  the  instruments  of  His  purpose. 
Born  in  Dresden  on  May  26,  1700,  Zinzendorf  spent 
his  childhood  in  the  old  Saxon  Castle  of  Gross  Hen- 
nersdorf,  located  about  ten  miles  from  the  Bohemian 
border.  This  was  the  home  of  his  grandmother,  a 
woman  of  strong  Christian  character,  to  whose 
charge  he  was  committed  when  he  was  about  two 
years  of  age,  his  father  having  died  and  his  mother 
married  again.  In  his  fourth  year  he  began  to  seek 
God  earnestly,  and  at  this  early  age  determined  to 
become  a  true  servant  of  Jesus  Christ.  As  a  child 
he  delighted  in  conducting  prayer-meetings  in  his 
private  room,  and  in  preaching  to  his  friends. 

When  he  was  ten  years  old  Zinzendorf  went  to 
Halle,  where  he  founded  among  the  boys  the  famous 
''Order  of  the  Mustard  Seed/^  which  had  the  three- 
fold purpose  of  being  kind  to  all  men,  of  being  loyal 
to  Christ,  and  of  sending  the  gospel  to  the  heathen. 
After  finishing  the  course  at  Halle  he  went  to  the 
University  of  Wittenberg,  where  he  likewise  exerted 
a  profound  religious  influence  among  the  students. 
Several  years  after  his  graduation  from  the  uni- 
versity he  married  Countess  Erdmuth  Dorothea 
Reuss.  From  his  youth  Zinzendorf  desired  to  enter 
the  Christian  ministry,  but  when  he  first  tried  to 
carry  out  his  purpose,  his  grandmother  objected  so 
strongly  that  he  submitted  to  her  wishes  and  entered 
the  service  of  the  State.  But  at  no  time  did  he  cease 
to  labor  for  Christ.  His  Christian  efforts  always 
took  a  practical  turn.  Purchasing  from  his  grand- 
mother the  small  estate  of  Berthelsdorf,  he  decided 
to  establish  a  Christian  village,  and  to  this  end  in- 


18      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

stalled,  on  August  30,  1722,  his  friend,  John  Andrew 
Rothe,  as  the  village  pastor. 

In  this  way  the  Lord  prepared  a  refuge  for  the  bur- 
dened Brethren  of  Bohemia  and  Moravia.  At  the 
same  time  he  prepared  the  leader  who  was  destined 
to  bring  the  Brethren  to  their  new  home.  Christian 
David  became  the  link  between  the  refugees  and 
their  refuge.  Born  of  Catholic  parents,  on  Decem- 
ber 31,  1690,  at  Senftleben,  Moravia,  he  early  became 
a  seeker  after  the  truth.  It  was  not  until  he  had 
reached  his  majority,  however,  that  he  found  Christ 
as  his  Saviour.  His  conversion  took  place  while  in 
Germany.  Glowing  with  enthusiasm  he  returned  to 
his  native  land,  where  he  went  about  preaching  the 
gospel,  the  common  people  hearing  him  gladly.  As 
a  result  of  his  preaching  there  was  a  Protestant 
awakening,  and  many  of  the  descendants  of  the 
Brethren  were  fired  with  a  new  hope.  But  no  sooner 
did  the  Protestants  show  signs  of  activity  when  the 
spirit  of  persecution  manifested  itself.  Christian 
David  became  convinced  that  Moravia  was  not  a 
place  where  Protestants  could  hope  to  enjoy  reli- 
gious freedom,  therefore  he  sought  out  Count  Zinzen- 
dorf,  of  whom  he  had  heard,  and  asked  for  permission 
to  bring  his  persecuted  countrymen  to  his  estate. 
Having  received  the  desired  permission,  he  hastened 
back  to  Moravia  with  the  glad  tidings.  When  Au- 
gustin  and  Jacob  Neisser  of  Sehlen  heard  that  a 
refuge  had  been  found,  they  cried,  "This  is  God^s 
doing;  it  is  His  call.''  The  very  next  day  the  two 
brothers,  their  wives  and  children,  together  with 
Michael  Jaeschke  and  a  young  girl,  set  out  under 


MORAVIAN  CHURCH  RESUSCITATED     19 

cover  of  night  for  Berthelsdorf.  On  June  8,  1722, 
they  arrived,  weary  and  footsore,  at  their  destina- 
tion. Other  refugees  followed  later,  and  in  due  time 
the  Moravian  emigrants  established  the  settlement 
of  Herrnhut,  about  a  mile  from  Berthelsdorf. 

The  Herrnhut  settlers  were  not  all  descendants  of 
the  Ancient  Brethren.  Others  who  desired  religious 
freedom  were  attracted  to  the  new  settlement  from 
the  immediate  vicinity  and  other  parts  of  Germany. 
For  this  reason  there  was  a  variety  of  religious  sen- 
timents in  the  community,  which  disturbed  the  peace 
of  the  settlers.  The  descendants  of  the  Ancient 
Brethren  desired  the  resuscitation  of  their  Church. 
They  insisted  that  the  discipline  of  the  Brethren 
should  be  preserved,  and  in  the  end  their  views  pre- 
vailed. On  May  12,  1727,  forty-two  statutes  called 
'^The  Brotherly  Agreement  of  the  Brethren  from 
Bohemia  and  Moravia^  and  sundry  other  Brethren 
at  Herrnhut,  to  walk  according  to  apostolic  rul&^ 
were  publicly  adopted  by  all  the  inhabitants  of 
Herrnhut.  Not  long  after  this  important  event  a 
copy  of  the  constitution  and  order  of  the  Ancient 
Brethren's  Church  prepared  by  Bishop  John  Amos 
Comenius  under  the  title  of  "Ratio  Disci  pi  ince'^  fell 
into  the  hands  of  Count  Zinzendorf,  who  was  aston- 
ished to  find  that  the  statutes  of  Herrnhut  were  in 
substantial  agreement  with  the  newly  found  docu- 
ment. When  he  shared  his  discovery  with  the  Breth- 
ren, they  were  greatly  impresseil.  Even  those  who 
previously  had  no  thought  of  separation  from  the 
State  Church  now  began  to  think  seriously  that  the 
Lord  might  have  in  mind  the  resuscitation  of  the 


20      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Unitas  Fratrum  thru  the  Herrnhut  congregation. 
On  August  Thirteenth  the  Brethren  experienced  a 
veritable  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  connection 
with  the  celebration  of  the  Holy  Communion  at 
Berthelsdorf.  This  day  is  known  as  "The  Spiritual 
Birthday  of  the  Renewed  Brethren's  Church.'^  It 
must  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  the  Renewed 
Church  sprung  into  existence  in  a  day.  The  resusci- 
tation was  brought  about  by  a  gradual  process,  and 
not  without  considerable  opposition. 

This  opposition  came  from  within  and  without 
the  congregation.  Herrnhut  was  an  integral  part 
of  the  Lutheran  parish  of  Berthelsdorf,  and  not  all 
were  convinced  that  a  separation  should  be  effected. 
Zinzendorf  himself  was  at  this  time  an  ardent  Lu- 
theran, and  nothing  was  further  from  his  mind  than 
the  thought  of  establishing  a  new  Church.  His  pur- 
pose was  to  make  the  congregation  of  Herrnhut  "a 
church  within  the  church,''  laboring  as  a  branch  of 
the  State  Church  for  a  deepening  of  spiritual  life 
among  Christians,  and  particularly  for  the  spread 
of  the  gospel  among  the  heathen.  This  conscien- 
tious opposition  on  his  part  had  to  be  overcome. 
The  opposition  from  without  was  far  more  serious. 
Much  of  it  was  caused  by  the  Brethren's  connection 
with  Zinzendorf,  who  long  before  Herrnhut  was 
founded  had  won  the  unmerited  hatred  of  those  who 
were  jealous  of  his  influence.  He  had  bitter  enemies 
among  the  university  professors  and  Protestant 
clergy,  who  attacked  him  and  what  he  did  whenever 
they  could.  Therefore  the  Herrnhut  settlement 
aroused  opposition  from  the  beginning.    Naturally 


MORAVIAN  CHURCH  RESUSCITATED    21 

the  enemies  of  Zinzendorf  also  became  the  enemies 
of  the  Brethren.  Persecution  was  the  inevitable  re- 
sult. Itinerant  Brethren  travelled  far  and  wide  in 
Europe,  witnessing  for  the  gospel,  and  by  the  year 
1730  fifty-six  of  them  had  already  borne  chains  for 
Christ's  sake.  About  this  time  Zinzendorf's  enemies 
formally  accused  him  before  the  Saxon  Court  of 
being  a  dangerous  man,  and  the  Austrian  Govern- 
ment made  the  charge  that  he  was  enticing  its  sub- 
jects to  settle  on  his  estate.  An  official  investigation 
of  these  charges  proved  them  false.  But  the  enemies 
of  the  Count  were  not  discouraged.  They  sought  to 
have  him  imprisoned,  and  failing  in  this  they  laid 
their  lines  to  bring  about  his  banishment.  This  at- 
tempt was  successful.  In  1735  a  certain  baron  com- 
plained that  Herrnhut  had  such  strong  religious 
attractions  for  his  people  that  many  of  them  had 
practically  become  vassals  of  Zinzendorf.  The 
Saxon  Government  gave  the  Count  no  opportunity 
to  defend  himself  against  this  foolish  charge,  and 
on  March  20,  173G,-  he  was  banished.  When  Zinzen- 
dorf, who  \^as  in  Holland  at  the  time,  heard  of  the 
edict  directed  against  him,  he  calmly  replied,  "It  does 
not  matter  at  all.  In  any  case  I  would  not  have  been 
able  to  live  at  Herrnhut  for  the  next  ten  years,  be- 
cause I  intend  to  move  about  from  place  to  place 
in  the  interests  of  the  work  of  the  Lord."  His  ban- 
ishment, instead  of  working  mischief,  therefore 
helped  to  spread  the  Moravian  Church  thruout  the 
world. 

Like  Zinzondorf   the   Brethren   were   tireless  in 
fheir  zenl  to  spread  the  gospel  at  home  and  abroad. 


22      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

^'Christ  and  Him  Crucified''  was  the  center  and  the 
circumference  of  their  religion,  and  they  believed 
that  their  chief  business  in  life  was  to  make  Him 
known  to  others.  Evangelists  of  the  Brethren  went 
forth  from  Herrnhut  to  Denmark,  Silesia,  Hungary, 
Austria,  Moravia,  England,  and  other  lands,  any- 
where and  everywhere  preaching  the  gospel  with 
tongues  of  fire.  At  the  University  of  Jena  they  made 
a  deep  impression  upon  the  student  body.  As  a  re- 
sult a  Brethren's  Association  was  formed  among 
the  awakened  students.  Many  members  of  this  as- 
sociation later  entered  the  Moravian  ministry. 
Among  the  number  was  Augustus  Gottlieb  Spangen- 
berg,  who  became  the  father  of  the  Moravian  Church 
in  America.  The  thoughts  of  the  Brethren  turned 
early  to  the  heathen,  and  in  1732  the  first  foreign 
missionaries  left  Herrnhut  for  work  among  the  ne- 
groes in  the  West  Indies.  Five  months  later  other 
Brethren  went  to  Greenland  to  labor  among  the 
Eskimos.  These  early  Moravian  missionaries  were 
the  pioneers  in  the  modem  missionary  movement  of 
the  Christian  Church.  It  was  in  connection  with 
their  missionary  activities  that  the  necessity  of  an 
ordained  ministry  of  their  own  became  apparent. 
The  missionaries  had  to  be  qualified  to  administer 
the  sacraments  and  to  perform  other  ministerial 
functions. 

At  this  time  two  bishops  of  the  Ancient  Breth- 
ren's Church  still  survived.  They  were  Daniel 
Jablonsky,  Court  Preacher  to  the  King  of  Prussia, 
and  Christian  Sitkovius,  Superintendent  of  the 
United  Churches  of  Poland.    When  Jablonsky,  who 


MORAVIAN  CHURCH  RESUSCITATED  2 


was  the  grandson  of  Bishop  John  Amos  Comenius, 
heard  of  Herrnhut,  he  rejoiced  greatly,  and  when 
the  proper  time  came  he  and  Sitkovius  were  glad  to 
transfer  the  ancient  episcopate  to  the  new  organiza- 
tion of  the  Brethren.  Therefore  David  Nitschmann, 
one  of  the  first  elders  of  Herrnhut  and  one  of  the 
first  missionaries  to  the  heathen,  w^as  sent  to  Berlin 
where,  on  March  13,  1735,  Bishop  Jablonsky,  with 
the  written  concurrence  of  Bishop  Sitkovius,  who 
was  unable  to  be  present  in  person,  consecrated  him 
a  bishop  of  the  Renewed  Brethren's  Church.  Thus 
the  Renewed  Church  was  fully  organized  and  pre- 
pared to  take  its  place  in  the  world  as  an  independent 
ecclesiastical  body.  In  the  course  of  the  following 
years  the  Church  was  recognized  by  the  governments 
of  Prussia  and  Saxony,  and  by  the  Parliament  of 
Great  Britain,  as  well  as  by  all  other  countries  to 
which  it  spread. 


CHAPTER  III 

WHY  THE  MORAVIANS  CAME  TO  AMERICA 

As  early  as  the  year  1727  the  thoughts  of  the 
Brethren  turned  to  America.    They  longed  to  preach 
the  gospel  to  the  Indians  and  to  the  spiritually  desti- 
tute German  settlers  in  Pennsylvania.    At  the  same 
time,  conditions  in  Germany  were  such  as  to  make 
it  uncertain  whether  the  Herrnhut  settlement  would 
be  allowed  to  remain.     Therefore  they  thought  of 
America  as  a  possible  refuge  in  case  of  exile.    That 
their  fears  were  not  groundless  is  evident  from  the 
fact  that  more  than  once  the  threat  was  made  that 
Herrnhut  would  be  crushed.    Altho  this  threat  was 
never  carried  out,  the  Brethren  realized  the  pre- 
cariousness  of  their  situation,  when  in  1733  a  royal 
edict  compelled  a  colony  of  Schwenkfeldian  Chris- 
tians, who  had  been  under  the  protection  of  Zinzen- 
dorf  for  eight  years,  to  leave  Saxony.    Some  of  these 
exiles  left  for  Pennsylvania  several  months  after  the 
edict  was  issued.     In  the  subsequent  year  others 
followed  under  the  leadership  of  George  Boehnisch, 
one  of  the  Moravian  Brethren.     On  September  22, 
1734,  they  landed  in  Philadelphia.    Therefore  Boeh- 
nisch was  the  first  Moravian  to  set  foot  on  Amer- 
ican soil.     He  spent  some  years  in  Pennsylvania, 
laboring  with  his  hands  and  witnessing  for  Christ. 

When  the  Schwenkfeldian  refugees  on  his  estate 
were  compelled  to  leave  Saxony,  Count  Zinzendorf 

24 


MORAVIAN  COLONY  IN  GEORGIA        25 

secured  for  them  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Georgia. 
They  started  out  for  this  place,  but  in  passing  thru 
Holland  thej  were  persuaded  to  go  to  Pennsylvania 
instead.  Fearing  they  too  might  suffer  banishment, 
the  Moravians  thought  it  the  part  of  wisdom  to  pro- 
vide a  place  of  refuge  before  this  fate  should  befall 
them.  Therefore  they  gladly  accepted  the  proposi- 
tion of  the  Trustees  of  Georgia  to  have  a  Moravian 
colony  settle  on  their  domain.  Two  tracts  of  land 
were  granted  them,  one  where  the  city  of  Savannah 
now  stands,  and  the  other  a  short  distance  up  the 
river.  On  March  22,  1735,  Spangenberg  and  nine 
other  Moravians  arrived  at  Savannah.  While  these 
men  were  of  the  best  type  of  colonists,  the  prime 
reason  why  they  came  to  America  was  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  the  Indians.  Soon  after  their  arrival, 
they  established  a  school  for  Indian  children.  About 
a  year  later  Bishop  David  Nitschmann  brought  over 
twenty  additional  Moravians.  Among  their  com- 
panions on  the  voyage  were  John  Wesley  and  his 
brother  Charles.  The  former  by  his  own  confession 
learned  by  this  and  later  intercourse  with  the  Mo- 
ravians the  secret  of  a  personal  assurance  of  salva- 
tion. 

On  March  10,  173G,  Bishop  Nitschmann  organized 
the  colony  into  a  regular  Moravian  congregation. 
Anton  Seiffert  was  ordained  to  the  ministrv,  and  in- 
stalled  as  pastor  of  the  congregation.  This  ordina- 
tion is  unquestionably  the  first  performed  by  a 
bishop  of  the  Christian  Church  in  the  English  col- 
onies of  North  America.  Spangenberg,  having  boon 
a    minister    of    the    Lutheran    Church    before    he 


26      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

joined  the  Moravians,  was  ordained  a  presbyter  on 
the  same  day.  Five  days  later  he  left  for  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  was  commissioned  to  look  after  the 
Schwenkfelders,  in  whom  Zinzendorf  was  still  in- 
terested, and  to  take  the  place  of  George  Boehnisch, 
who  returned  to  Europe  in  the  following  year.  Soon 
after  his  arrival  in  Pennsylvania  he  was  joined  by 
Bishop  Nitschmann,  in  whose  company  he  visited 
many  people  of  various  religious  persuasions  in 
widely  scattered  neighborhoods.  On  June  23,  1736, 
Bishop  Nitschmann  left  for  Europe,  and  Spangen- 
berg  sailed  for  St.  Thomas,  where  he  visited  the  mis- 
sion-field, returning  to  Pennsylvania  late  in  Novem- 
ber of  the  same  year. 

The  existence  of  the  colony  in  Georgia  was  not 
destined  to  be  long.  Altho  the  Brethren  labored 
with  enthusiasm  among  the  Indians  and  white  peo- 
ple, their  efforts  were  not  crowned  with  much  success. 
As  early  as  the  year  1737  they  suffered  from  the 
hostility  of  the  Savannah  authorities  because  they 
refused  to  join  the  militia,  having  been  exempted 
from  military  duties  by  the  Trustees  of  the  colony  of 
Georgia.  In  February  of  that  year  they  sent  George 
Neisser  to  Spangenberg  in  Pennsylvania  with  the 
request  that  he  should  bring  their  grievances  to  the 
attention  of  the  Trustees.  Spangenberg  immediately 
wrote  to  the  Trustees,  and  sailed  at  the  earliest  op- 
portunity for  Savannah,  where  he  arrived  in  mid- 
summer. In  response  to  his  letter  the  exemption  of 
the  Moravians  from  bearing  arms  was  renewed,  and 
the  magistrates  at  Savannah  were  severely  repri- 
manded for  violating  the  previous  agreement.     In 


MORAVIAN  COLONY  IN  GEORGIA        27 

September,  Spangenberg,  after  counselling  with  the 
Brethren,  returned  to  Pennsylvania.  On  October  15, 
1738,  Peter  Boehler,  formerly  a  professor  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Jena  and  now  a  Moravian  minister,  ar- 
rived at  Savannah.  He  was  twenty-six  years  of  age 
at  the  time.  Earlier  in  the  year  he  had  been  or- 
dained to  the  ministry  by  Zinzendorf,  who  on  May 
20,  1737,  was  consecrated  a  bishop  of  the  Moravian 
Church.  Boehler  was  accompanied  to  America  by 
George  Schulius,  who  was  converted  by  the  first 
sermon  which  Boehler  preached  at  Herrnhut.  Boeh- 
ler had  been  asked  to  assume  the  pastorate  of  the 
congregation  at  Savannah,  and  to  establish  a  mis- 
sion among  the  slaves  in  South  Carolina,  about 
twenty  miles  away.  Schulius  became  his  assistant. 
The  negro  mission  was  located  at  the  German  set- 
tlement of  Purysburg.  On  Sundays  Boehler  preached 
to  the  Gennans,  and  on  week-days  he  and  his  as- 
sistant labored  among  the  negroes  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. After  a  year  both  became  sick,  and  Schulius 
died.  For  various  reasons  the  Savannah  congrega- 
tion did  not  flourish.  A  number  of  the  members 
died,  some  returned  to  Europe,  while  others  emi- 
grated to  Pennsylvania.  The  membership  dwindled 
from  thirty  to  twelve  persons,  and  when  war  broke 
out  between  the  P^uglish  and  Spaniards  of  Florida 
Territory  the  congregation  came  to  an  end  alto- 
gether. At  that  time  the  Moravians  were  non-com- 
batants, and  when  they  refused  to  take  up  arms 
against  the  Spaniards  who  tiireatened  to  invade 
Georgia,  they  became  decidedly  un[)opular.  Boehler 
felt  it  his  duty  to  give  up  his  work  at   Purysburg, 


28      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

and  to  give  his  whole  attention  to  his  Brethren  at 
Savannah.  Only  five  men,  one  woman,  and  a  boy 
comprised  the  congregation  at  the  time.  Therefore 
it  was  decided  to  disband  and  go  to  Pennsylvania. 
Altho  the  early  Moravians  were  unsuccessful  in  the 
South,  they  made  a  number  of  converts  or  friends 
who  later  followed  them  to  the  North,  where  they 
became  eminently  useful  members  of  the  Moravian 
Church.  Among  this  number  was  James  Burn  side, 
who  became  a  successful  lay-evangelist.  In  1745 
he  married  Mary  Wendower,  one  of  the  first  Mo- 
ravian converts  in  New  York  City. 

After  the  Moravians  had  become  convinced  that 
nothing  would  be  gained  by  remaining  longer  in 
Georgia,  they  sent  John  Boehner  to  Pennsylvania 
to  ascertain  how  those  of  their  number  who  had  pre- 
viously gone  there  were  getting  along,  and  to  secure 
a  temporary  location  for  the  rest  of  them.  This  was 
in  January,  1740,  the  same  month  in  which  George 
Whitefield,  the  famous  evangelist,  made  his  second 
visit  to  Savannah.  When  he  returned  to  Philadelphia 
in  April  he  brought  Boehler  and  the  remaining  Mo- 
ravian colonists  with  him  in  his  sloop.  That  their 
labors  were  not  wholly  in  vain  is  evident  from  the 
fact  that  the  Trustees  of  Georgia  declared  to  the 
British  Government  that  ^^the  Moravians  had  done 
the  government  great  service  in  labor  and  other  mat- 
ters, equal  and  superior  to  the  service  they  could  have 
done  as  militia."  The  arrivals  from  Georgia  were 
advised  by  those  who  had  preceded  them  to  Penn- 
sylvania to  give  up  their  evangelizing  and  coloniz- 
ing scheme  and  settle  at  Germantown,  where  they 


TRANSFER  TO  PENNSYLVANIA  29 

themselves  had  located.  To  this  the  Moravian  new- 
comers would  not  consent.  They  had  come  to  Amer- 
ica, not  to  advance  their  own  interests,  but  to  propa- 
gate the  gospel,  and  nothing  could  deter  them  from 
their  high  purpose.  They  believed  that  the  Lord 
had  led  them  to  Pennsylvania,  and  that  He  would 
also  point  the  way  to  the  work  which  He  had  in  mind 
for  them.    And  their  faith  was  not  in  vain. 

During  the  voyage  from  Savannah  to  Philadelphia 
WTiitefield  expressed  his  determination  to  establish 
"a  negro  school  in  Pennsylvania  where  he  proposed 
to  take  up  land  in  order  to  settle  a  town  for  the  re- 
ception of  such  English  friends  whose  heart  God 
should  incline  to  come  and  settle  there."  To  this 
end  he  purchased  on  May  3  five  thousand  acres  of 
land  for  2,200  pounds.  This  tract  comprised  ap- 
proximately w^hat  is  now  Upper  Nazareth  Township 
in  Northampton  County,  Pennsylvania.  Whitefield 
proposed  that  Boehler  should  superintend  the  erec- 
tion of  the  proposed  school-house,  employing  the  Mo- 
ravians to  do  the  work.  This  proposition  was  ac- 
cepted, and  the  ^^Whitefield  House''  at  Nazareth  still 
stands  as  a  monument  to  the  thoroness  of  Moravian 
manual  labor.  Whitefield  gave  the  name  Nazareth 
to  the  village  in  which  the  negro  school  was  to  be 
located.  In  November,  1740,  Boehler  went  to  Phila- 
delphia to  render  a  report  of  his  labors  as  building 
superintendent.  He  was  greatly  surprised  to  find 
that  Whitefield  was  decidedly  unfriendly.  The  great 
evangelist  was  fully  persuaded  in  his  own  mind  that 
some  souls  are  predestined  to  be  saved,  while  others 
are  predestined  to  be  danmed,  a  view  shared  by  many 


30       MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

ministers  in  New  York,  New  Jersey,  and  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

Then  as  now  the  Moravians  believed  that  grace  is 
offered  to  all,  that  God  desires  all  to  accept  it,  and 
that  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  may  be  resisted.  It 
was  this  position  taken  by  the  Moravians  that  fur- 
nished the  ground  for  Whitefield's  unfriendliness 
toward  them.  He  debated  the  matter  with  the  schol- 
arly Boehler,  and  when  he  found  that  he  could 
neither  silence  nor  convince  his  opponent,  he  lost 
his  temper  and  declared  that  the  Moravians  had  to 
leave  his  land  at  once.  Altho  winter  made  such 
summary  expulsion  impossible,  the  Moravians  began 
to  look  about  immediately  for  a  suitable  location,  and 
eventually  purchased  five  hundred  acres  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Lehigh  River  and  Monocacy  Creek,  about 
ten  miles  from  Nazareth,  where  they  founded  Beth- 
lehem. Here  in  the  spring  of  1741  the  first  house 
was  built.  In  the  summer  of  the  same  year  Spangen- 
berg  purchased  in  England  the  Whitefield  tract  for 
the  Moravians,  and  eventually  Nazareth  became  a 
Moravian  settlement.  At  the  close  of  the  preceding 
year  there  were  just  thirty-one  Moravians  in  the 
American  colonies.  In  accordance  with  the  plan 
formed  by  the  Brethren  in  1727  Bethlehem  became 
the  central  settlement.  From  this  center  schools  for 
neglected  children  were  established,  extensive  mis- 
sionary activities  among  the  Indians  carried  on,  and 
itinerant  evangelists  sent  forth  to  preach  the  gospel 
to  spiritually  destitute  Germans  and  others.  In  ac- 
cordance with  a  resolution  of  the  synod  held  at  Beth- 
lehem in  1743,  the  visits  of  the  Moravian  evangelists 
were  extended  to  New  York  and  New  England. 


CHAPTER  IV 
MORAVIAN  PIONEERS  IN  NEW  YORK  CITY 

For  a  long  time  the  province  of  New  York  made 
little  or  no  progress.  This  slow  growth  was  due  in 
part  to  England's  unwise  policy  of  banishing  crimi- 
nals to  the  colony.  Honest  immigrants  had  no  de- 
sire to  settle  in  a  land  to  which  the  mother-country 
sent  its  outcasts,  therefore  they  usually  chose  to  go 
elsewhere.  The  province  had  other  disadvantages. 
It  was  a  frontier  colony.  In  the  northern  and  west- 
ern part  the  French  and  Indians  drove  the  farmers 
into  the  safer  settlements  of  New  Jersey.  But  the 
chief  obstacle  to  growth  was  its  lack  of  self-govern- 
ment. The  people  suffered  much  from  the  tyranny 
and  misrule  of  men  who  were  wholly  unfit  to  have 
the  rule  over  them.  The  majority  of  the  Governors 
were  impecunious  adventurers  sent  to  America  to 
retrieve  their  fortunes  in  any  way  they  saw  fit.  They 
participated  in  gigantic  land  frauds  and  in  at  least 
one  instance  shared  in  the  profits  of  piracy.  It  is 
therefore  not  surprising  that  the  growth  of  the  prov- 
ince was  slow. 

The  growth  of  New  York  City  was  no  more  rapid 
than  that  of  the  province.  For  the  first  century  of 
its  history  the  annual  increase  in  population  was  no 
more  than  about  one  hundred  and  fifty.  At  the  time 
the  Moravians  went  to  Georgia,  the  city  had  less 
than   8,000   inhabitants,   all   of   whom    lived   on    the 

31 


32      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

southern  part  of  the  island  between  Cortlandt  Street 
and  Whitehall.  As  yet  the  city  showed  no  sign  of 
the  wealth  and  culture  which  were  to  characterize  it 
in  a  later  day.  The  private  houses  were  for  the  most 
part  plain.  The  streets  were  paved  with  cobble- 
stones, if  paved  at  all.  Lanterns  distributed  here 
and  there  illuminated  the  city  at  night.  Broadway, 
extending  nearly  to  what  is  now  the  southern  bound- 
ary of  Central  Park,  was  famous  as  a  drive.  The 
water  of  the  city  was  impure  and  brackish.  There 
were  no  sewers  or  sanitary  arrangements,  and  the 
docks  were  foul  and  filthy.  Under  these  unfavorable 
conditions  disease  raged  constantly.  White  and 
negro  slaves  filled  the  streets.  There  was  an  active 
slave-market  at  the  foot  of  Wall  Street,  and  the 
newspapers  were  filled  with  offers  of  reward  for 
runaway  slaves.  Labor  was  held  in  disgrace,  and 
nobody  worked  if  he  could  help  it.  If  a  Negro  re- 
volted he  was  burned  alive.  Pirates  openly  divided 
their  spoils  with  the  wealthy  merchants,  and  slavers 
disposed  of  the  men  and  women  whom  they  caught 
in  Africa  and  brought  here.  Luxury  and  vice  went 
hand  in  hand.  Gross  ignorance  was  all  but  univer- 
sal. There  were  no  good  schools,  and  a  large  per- 
centage of  the  people  could  neither  read  nor  write. 

The  state  of  religion  presented  a  picture  not  less 
dark.  Altho  no  city  needed  the  ministrations  of 
the  Christian  Church  more  than  New  York  in  the 
first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the  Church  no- 
where encountered  greater  difficulties  than  here. 
At  a  time  when  all  the  churches  at  work  in  the  city 
should  have  been  united  in  a  vigorous  campaign 


RELIGIOUS  INTOLERANCE  33 

against  the  moral  darkness  of  the  people,  they  were 
hopelessly  divided,  looking  with  suspicion  upon,  and 
actually  fighting,  one  another.  Religious  toleration 
was  unknown.  In  1707,  a  Presbyterian  clergyman 
was  arrested  and  compelled  to  pay  a  heavy  fine  for 
no  other  offence  than  that  of  preaching  in  a  private 
house,  and  baptizing  an  infant.  Two  years  later  a 
Baptist  minister  was  imprisoned  three  months  for 
being  so  bold  as  to  preach  in  the  city  without  per- 
mission from  the  authorities.  Altho  never  enforced, 
a  law  was  passed  forbidding  a  Catholic  priest,  under 
pain  of  death,  to  enter  the  city  voluntarily.  It  was 
an  age  of  intolerance,  and  in  New  York  this  intoler- 
ance was  all  the  greater  because  of  the  intense  bitter- 
ness stirred  up  by  the  over-bearing  conduct  of  the 
English  rulers  and  churchmen.  The  Episcopalians 
claimed  that  theirs  was  the  Established  Church,  and 
as  such  entitled  to  the  support  of  the  State.  They 
went  so  far  as  to  claim  that  the  Episcopal  minister 
alone  had  the  right  to  perform  the  marriage  cere- 
mony. Manhattan  having  been  settled  by  the  Dutch, 
the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  was  naturally  the  first 
to  begin  work  on  the  island.  In  1626  a  congregation 
was  organized,  and  sixteen  years  later  a  stone  church 
was  erected  at  Bowling  Green  on  the  south-east 
corner  of  the  fort,  near  what  is  now  the  Aquarium. 
This  edifice  was  taken  over  by  the  Episcopalians  and 
named  "King's  Chax)el"  in  1664,  when  Manhattan 
was  surrendered  to  the  English.  The  Lutherans  were 
here  before  the  English  conquest,  but  it  was  not  until 
1702  that  they  erected  their  first  church,  a  small 
building  on  the  corner  of  Rector  Street  and  Broad- 


34      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

way.  After  a  long  struggle  the  Presbyterians  at 
last  gained  the  recognition  of  the  authorities.  For 
a  time  they  worshipped  in  City  Hall,  but  in  1719 
they  were  able  to  open  their  first  church  on  Wall 
Street,  near  Broadway.  The  Baptists  suffered  even 
more  violent  persecutions  than  the  Presbyterians. 
In  the  beginning  they  immersed  their  converts  at 
midnight  to  avoid  trouble.  About  1725  they  erected 
their  first  church  in  the  city.  Then  as  now  there 
were  Jews  in  New  York.  They  were  long  denied 
the  privilege  of  worship,  but  in  1706  they  are  sup- 
posed to  have  erected  their  first  synagogue.  Such 
were  the  conditions,  and  these  were  the  Churches  at 
work  in  the  city  when  the  Moravians  first  planted 
foot  on  Manhattan. 

In  every  time  and  place,  no  matter  how  great  the 
general  corruption  in  Church  or  State,  there  have 
always  been  some  who  refused  to  allow  themselves 
to  sink  to  the  low  level  of  those  about  them.  And 
those  of  like  mind  are  usually  attracted  to  one  an- 
other. Altho  conditions  in  New  York  were  anything 
but  conducive  to  the  promotion  of  godliness,  there 
were  in  the  Churches  many  earnest  Christians  who 
bent  all  their  energies  toward  advancing  the  cause 
of  Christ.  They  refused  to  be  drawn  into  the  bitter 
controversies  engendered  by  the  intense  sectarianism 
of  the  day,  and  sought  fellowship  with  one  another 
for  mutual  edification.  Among  this  number  was 
John  Jacob  Boemper,  who  had  come  to  New  York 
with  his  family  in  1726  from  Herborn  in  the  Duchy 
of  Nassau,  where  he  was  at  one  time  the  treasurer 
of  the  famous    college,    imperial    steward,    Burgo- 


NEW  YORK  AGENT  OF  MORAVIANS   35 

master  of  the  city,  and  an  Elder  of  the  Reformed 
Church.  This  good  man  had  two  sons,  Abraham  and 
Ludwig,  His  hospitable  home  was  always  open  to 
pious  people  of  all  creeds  until  1743,  when  he  went 
to  his  eternal  reward.  He  was  known,  far  and  wide, 
as  the  friend  of  all  children  of  God,  whatever  their 
church  affiliation.  At  his  house  not  only  Christians 
who  came  from  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey  and  else- 
where were  freely  entertained,  but  the  awakened  of 
the  city  frequently  met  for  prayer  and  edification. 

When  the  Moravians  settled  in  Georgia,  they 
found  it  necessary  to  turn  to  the  North  for 
some  of  their  provisions.  Soon  after  their  ar- 
rival in  America  they  were  visited  by  John  Reg- 
nier,  who  had  come  from  Switzerland  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  became  a  Seventh  Day  Adventist. 
In  July,  1735,  he  left  Pennsylvania  for  the  Mo- 
ravian settlement  in  Georgia,  making  the  journey  of 
six  hundred  miles  on  foot.  Three  vears  later  he 
went  to  Europe  and  joined  the  Moravian  Church  at 
Herrnhaag.  After  a  service  of  five  years  as  mis- 
sionary in  Surinam  he  returned  to  Pennsylvania. 
Leaving  the  Church  of  his  adoption,  he  became  a 
violent  enemy  and  detractor  of  the  Moravians  in 
New  York  and  elsewhere.  It  was  this  man  who  ad- 
vised the  Moravian  settlers  in  Georgia  to  communi- 
cate with  John  Jacob  Boemper.  Therefore  they 
wrote  him  a  letter,  asking  whether  he  would  be 
willing  to  serve  as  their  agent  in  the  metropolis. 
Boemper  cheerfully  placed  himself  at  their  service. 
In  tliis  way  the  Moravians  made  their  first  acquain- 
tance   in    New    York.      When    Spangenberg   passed 


36       MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

thru  the  city,  in  March,  1736,  on  his  way  from 
Georgia  to  Pennsylvania  he  had  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  Boemper  personally,  and  of  being  hospitably 
entertained  at  his  house,  sharing  on  the  first  night 
the  bed  of  twenty-two-year-old  Ludwig,  whom  *'he 
impressed  greatly  by  speaking  to  him  of  Christ,  and 
asking  him  if  he  loved  the  Saviour.'^  Spangenberg 
was  the  first  representative  of  the  Moravian  Church 
to  visit  New  York.  A  similar  occasion  brought 
Bishop  David  Nitschmann  to  Boemper's  home  a 
month  later.  Both  Spangenberg  and  Nitschmann 
made  the  acquaintance  of  other  truth-loving  people 
in  the  city.  Among  the  number  was  Thomas  Noble, 
a  highly  esteemed  merchant,  who  as  an  earnest  ad- 
vocate of  vital  religion  became  deeply  interested  in 
the  Moravians  when  he  learned  of  their  work.  They 
also  met  Henry  Van  Vleck,  a  member  of  an  old 
Dutch  family,  who  was  in  Noble's  employ.  This 
man  was  destined  to  become  the  ancestor  of  five 
generations  of  Moravian  ministers.  On  June  23, 
1736,  Nitschmann  sailed  for  Europe,  and  Spangen- 
berg made  an  official  visit  to  the  island  of  St. 
Thomas,  sailing  from  New  York  in  August  and  re- 
turning to  Pennsylvania  in  the  latter  part  of  Novem- 
ber. The  former  took  with  him  a  little  Negro  boy 
named  Jupiter  whom  he  had  purchased  in  New  York. 
Prior  to  setting  sail  for  their  respective  destina- 
tions both  these  Moravian  clergymen  became  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  various  Christians  of  dis- 
tinction. Besides  Boemper  and  Noble,  these  acquain- 
tances were  Peter  Goelet,  a  French  Huguenot,  at 
whose  house  one  of  the  first  services  conducted  by 


FIRST  MORAVIANS  IN  NEW  YORK       37 

Moravian  evangelists  in  New  York  was  held,  Richard 
Waldron,  Joris  Brinkerhoff,  Samuel  Pells,  Jan  Van 
Pelt,  Cornelius  Parant,  and  Peter  Venema,  of  the  city, 
and  Timothy  Horsfield,  a  sturdy  Englishman,  and 
later  a  most  valuable  member  of  the  Bethlehem  con- 
gregation, whose  farm  across  the  East  River,  where 
is  now  the  oldest  part  of  Brooklyn,  was  at  one  time 
the  seat  of  a  Moravian  school,  and  Jacques  Cortel- 
you,  a  Dutch  resident  of  Staten  Island.  Among 
the  number  was  also  Nicholas  Garrison,  a  Staten 
Island  sea  captain  with  whom  Spangenberg  sailed 
from  St.  Thomas  to  New  York.  All  of  these  men 
subsequently  rendered  valuable  service  to  the  Mo- 
ravian colonies  and  missions,  and  the  majority  even- 
tually entered  into  full  connection  with  the  Moravian 
Church.  At  this  time  Spangenberg  also  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Gilbert  Tennent,  a  noted  Presby-. 
terian  minister,  and  of  Theodore  Jacob  Fryling- 
hausen,  a  Dutch  Reformed  minister  on  the  Raritan. 
In  1740  Frederick  Martin,  a  successful  Moravian 
missionary  in  the  West  Indies  whose  health  was  im- 
paired by  his  strenuous  toil,  with  its  attendant  hard- 
ships, found  it  necessary  to  rest  from  his  hibors  for 
a  season.  In  May  he  sailed  with  Captain  Nicholas 
Garrison  to  New  York,  where  he  became  acquainted 
with  several  friends  of  the  Moravians  in  tlie  city 
before  leaving  for  Pennsylvania,  whither  he  went 
with  the  twofold  object  of  recuperating  his  health 
and  of  meeting  Count  Zinzendorf,  who,  however, 
was  not  there,  having  been  cnnipellofl  to  change  his 
plans.  Martin  visited  anion;^  the  Moravian  Breth- 
ren from  Georgia,  wlio  had  settled  in  ( Jerniantown, 


38      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

near  Philadelphia.  After  four  weeks'  vacation  he 
returned  to  New  York,  where  he  had  to  wait  a  month 
for  a  vessel  bound  for  the  island  of  St.  Thomas.  Dur- 
ing his  sojourn  he  was  hospitably  entertained  at  the 
house  of  Thomas  Noble.  On  July  21,  Christian 
Henry  Ranch,  the  first  Moravian  missionary  to  the 
Northern  Indians,  arrived  in  New  York  from  Europe. 
He  had  with  him  letters  of  introduction  to  John 
Jacob  Boemper.  Expecting  his  arrival,  Martin  met 
him  on  the  dock,  and  brought  him  to  Thomas  Noble's 
house.  Like  Spangenberg  and  Nitschmann  three 
years  previous,  these  devout  Moravian  brethren  con- 
ducted private  meetings  for  prayer,  conference,  and 
testimony  at  the  homes  of  Boemper,  Noble  and  others, 
and  visited  diligently  among  the  friends  of  Moravians 
resident  in  the  city  and  its  environs. 

Altho  the  godly  walk  and  conversation  of  Martin 
and  Ranch  made  a  deep  impression  upon  those  with 
whom  they  came  into  intimate  contact,  their  un- 
selfish labors  were  not  wholly  unattended  by  op- 
position. About  this  time  the  Dutch  Pastoral  Letter 
of  the  Amsterdam  Classis  reached  New  York,  and 
created  a  great  stir  against  the  Moravians,  altho 
there  were  only  a  very  few  of  them  in  America  at 
the  time.  In  this  letter  the  Moravians  in  general  and 
Count  Zinzendorf  in  particular  were  branded  as 
perverters  of  the  faith.  It  was  the  culmination  of 
bitter  attacks  against  the  Moravian  Church  made 
by  various  pastors  and  university  professors  in 
Utrecht  and  elsewhere.  The  pastoral  letter  was  is- 
sued by  a  certain  Dr.  Kulenkamp  over  the  protest 
of  other  members  of  the  Classis.     It  declared  that 


THE  MOKAVIANS  SLANDEKED  39 

Zinzendorf  and  his  associates  were  mere  sentimental 
mystics,  neither  good  Lutherans  nor  good  Reformed 
Christians,  and  that  they  must  in  no  way  be  identi- 
fied with  the  Ancient  Brethren  of  Bohemia  and  Mo- 
ravia, who  were  worthy  of  all  honor  and  esteem. 
These  baseless  slanders  wrought  a  great  deal  of  mis- 
chief both  in  Europe  and  America.  Freely  circu- 
lated in  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  and  elsewhere, 
many  people  were  led  to  believe  that  the  simple- 
hearted  Moravians  were  a  menace  to  true  religion 
and  the  common  welfare.  For  years  these  senseless 
persecutions  continued,  and  from  pulpit  and  press 
powerful  invectives  were  hurled  at  the  unoffending 
Moravians,  whose  sole  purpose  it  was  not  to  make 
"Moravians,"  or  to  win  members  for  their  Church, 
but  to  preach  the  unadulterated  gospel  of  Christ  to 
all  men  and  so  win  souls  for  the  Lamb  that  was  slain. 
Even  so  good  a  man  as  the  Rev.  John  Brainerd,  a 
brother  of  David  Brainerd,  the  distinguished  mis- 
sionary to  the  Indians,  misled  for  a  time,  once  de- 
clared, "If  what  Gilbert  Tennent  has  written  about 
the  Moravians  is  true,  I  would  rather  see  the  Indians 
remain  heathen  than  become  Moravians." 

It  was  therefore  no  small  fire  that  the  pastoral 
letter  of  the  Amsterdam  Classis  kindled.  No  sooner 
had  the  slanderous  missive  reached  New  York  when 
the  Dutch  Reformed  ministers,  notably  Boel  and 
Du  Bois,  began  to  denounce  the  Moravians  in  most 
violent  terms.  The  Presbyterians  in  the  city  and 
thi'uout  the  country  were  no  less  virulent  in  their 
attacks.  Thomas  Noble,  rigid  Presbyterian  that  he 
was,  became  prejudiced  against  the  Moravians,  and 


40      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

the  love  of  other  friends  in  New  York  cooled  con- 
siderably. For  a  time  few  would  have  anything  to 
do  with  them.  Among  those  who  refused  to  be 
prejudiced  against  the  Moravians  were  John  Jacob 
Boemper  and  his  family,  Mary,  the  wife  of  Thomas 
Noble,  and  Eleanor  Gregg,  Mrs.  Noble's  maid. 
Meanwhile  the  ^^ Account  of  Herrnliut'^  by  Isaac  Le- 
Long  of  Amsterdam  was  published.  When  this  his- 
tory of  the  Renewed  Brethren's  Church  reached  New 
York,  Mary  Noble  opened  a  correspondence  with 
Le  Long.  She  requested  him  to  send  her  everything 
he  might  be  led  to  publish  in  regard  to  the  Mo- 
ravians, whom  she  and  Eleanor  Gregg  esteemed 
highly  as  true  children  of  God,  having  been  strongly 
attracted  to  them  from  the  beginning. 

On  August  16,  1740,  twenty-two-year-old  Ranch 
began  his  labors  among  the  Mohican  Indians  at 
Shekomeko,*  their  village,  in  Dutchess  County,  lo- 
cated about  half-way  between  New  York  and  Albany. 
The  account  of  his  first  contact  with  the  Indians 
reads  like  a  romance.  Meeting  two  wretchedly 
drunken  Indians  in  the  city,  he  accompanied  them  to 
Shekomeko,  where  he  offered  to  become  the  teacher 
of  their  tribe.  Speaking  in  the  Dutch  language,  with 
which  the  Indians  were  acquainted,  he  told  the  sav- 
ages about  Jesus  and  His  love.  At  first  they  laughed 
him  to  scorn ;  but  he  was  not  dismayed.  With  still 
greater  earnestness  he  pointed  them  to  the  Saviour, 
and  at  last  his  hearers  were  moved  to  tears.  Their 
unbelief  and  indifference  vanished.    Wasamapah,  the 


•Shekomeko   was    twenty    miles    northeast    of    Rhinebeck,    or    two    miles 
south   of   the  village   of   Pine   Plains. 


MORAVIAN  INDIAN  MISSION  41 

Chief,  familiarly  known  in  history  as  "Tschoop," 
has  left  an  eloquent  description  of  this  meeting  with 
Ranch.  "Once  upon  a  time/*  he  says,  "a  minister 
tried  to  persuade  us  that  there  is  a  God.  'Do  you 
imagine,'  we  said,  'that  this  is  news  to  us?  Return 
whence  you  came,  we  have  no  need  of  your  teaching.' 
Then  another  man  came  who  tried  to  teach  us  not 
to  steal,  drink,  or  lie.  We  told  him,  'You  fool,  do  you 
think  we  are  unacquainted  with  what  you  are  try- 
ing to  tell  us  ?  Go  and  teach  your  white  people  these 
things,  for  who  drinks  and  steals  and  lies  more  than 
they?'  After  a  time  Christian  Henry  Ranch  came 
into  my  tent  and  among  other  things  said,  'The  Lord 
in  Heaven  desires  me  to  tell  you  that  He  became 
man  and  shed  His  blood  to  make  you  happy  and  to 
save  you  from  your  misery.'  When  he  was  finished 
he  quietly  laid  down  near  my  bow  and  arrow,  and 
soon  slept  as  peacefully  as  a  child.  I  said  to  myself, 
'What  sort  of  man  is  this?  I  could  kill  him  on  the 
spot,  and  yet  he  is  positively  without  fear.'  I  could 
not  forget  his  words.  Even  in  my  dreams  I  saw 
Christ's  blood  shed  for  me.  Thus  by  God's  grace  an 
awakening  began  among  my  people."  Tschoop  be- 
came an  earnest  Christian  and  served  four  years  as 
an  evangelist  among  his  own  people,  when  he  was 
called  to  his  eternal  home. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  MORAVIANS  FORM  AN   UNDENOMINA- 
TIONAL SOCIETY 

Soon  after  Whitefield's  theological  argument  with 
Peter  Boehler  which  ended  in  the  petulant  expulsion 
of  the  Moravians  from  the  Nazareth  tract  in  the 
forks  of  the  Delaware,  Boehler  received  a  call  to 
Europe  to  undertake  important  duties  in  England. 
On  Christmas  Eve  in  1740  he  enjoyed  a  farewell 
love  feast  with  the  little  band  of  Nazareth  Mo- 
ravians, corncake  and  "rye-coffee"  being  served. 
This  was  undoubtedly  the  first  Christmas  service 
held  in  the  Forks  of  the  Delaware.  After  the  love 
feast  Boehler  celebrated  the  Holy  Communion,  which 
was  the  first  Moravian  celebration  of  the  sacrament 
in  Pennsylvania.  Three  days  later  he  left  for  Phila- 
delphia, where  he  visited  some  friends,  after  which, 
accompanied  by  Bishop  Nitschmann,  he  proceeded 
to  New  York.  While  waiting  for  the  ship  which  was 
to  take  him  to  Europe,  he  and  Nitschmann  visited 
the  friends  of  the  Moravians,  and  attended  their  re- 
ligious meetings.  These  meetings  consisted  of  Scrip- 
ture reading,  prayer,  singing,  a  discourse,  and  an 
offering  for  the  poor.  They  were  held  on  Sunday 
afternoon  after  the  regular  services  in  the  churches, 
and  on  Thursday  of  each  week.  After  a  meeting 
at  the  house  of  Peter  Goelet,  Jane  Boelen,  a  relative 
of  the  host,  asked  Boehler  if  he  would  be  willing  to 

42 


UNDENOMINATIONAL  SOCIETY  43 

conduct  a  meeting  for  them.  He  promptly  accepted 
the  invitation,  saying  he  was  always  ready  to  preach 
the  gospel.  Therefore  Boehler  had  charge  of  the 
next  meeting.  He  delivered  an  impressive  discourse 
based  on  Psalm  89 :  15-16,  "Blessed  is  the  people  that 
know  the  joyful  sound :  they  shall  walk,  O  Lord,  in 
the  light  of  thy  countenance.  In  thy  name  shall  they 
rejoice  all  the  day,  and  in  thy  righteousness  shall  they 
be  exalted."  Thomas  Noble  was  an  attentive  hearer, 
and  by  his  own  confession  was  deeply  moved  by  the 
glowing  discourse.  By  his  side  sat  a  Presbyterian 
minister  who  had  come  to  criticize,  but  found  no 
occasion  to  find  fault.  This  was  the  first  Moravian 
sermon  preached  in  New  York  City. 

The  impression  made  upon  these  good  people  by 
the  devout  and  scholarly  Boehler  was  deepened  at 
subsequent  meetings,  and  on  January  28,  1741,  he 
organized  at  their  request  an  undenominational  so- 
ciety to  which  Moravian  evangelists  from  Bethlehem 
were  to  minister  as  circumstances  would  permit. 
The  members  of  this  society  retained  their  former 
church  connections,  but  met  statedly  for  prayer  and 
mutual  edification.  The  original  membership  con- 
sisted of  nine  persons.  They  were  Thomas  Noble, 
Mary  Noble  his  wife,  Ismajah  Burnet  the  wife  of 
George  Burnet,  Jane  Boelen  the  wife  of  Henry  Boe- 
len,  Martha  Bryant,  Eleanor  Gregg,  Elizabeth  Hume 
a  widow,  William  Edmonds,  and  Mary  Wendower 
the  wife  of  Hercules  Wendower.  By  the  laying  on 
of  hands  Thomas  Noble  and  William  Edmonds  were 
set  apart  as  the  spiritual  leaders  of  the  society.  A 
system  of  visitation  was  also  inaugurated.     After 


U      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

the  organization  had  been  effected,  Boehler  preached 
an  earnest  sermon  based  on  Acts  20:  28-29,  "Take 
heed  therefore  unto  yourselves,  and  to  all  the  flock, 
over  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you  overseers, 
to  feed  the  church  of  God,  which  he  hath  purchased 
with  his  own  blood.  For  I  know  this,  that  after 
my  departing  shall  grievous  wolves  enter  in  among 
you,  not  sparing  the  flock."  On  the  following  day 
he  took  affectionate  leave  of  his  friends,  and  set  sail 
for  Europe.  Bishop  Nitschmann  returned  to  Penn- 
sylvania, reaching  Nazareth  on  February  the  fourth. 
On  November  30,  1741,  Count  Zinzendorf  arrived 
in  New  York  from  England  on  the  ship  '^London,' 
commanded  by  Captain  William  Bryant.  He  was 
accompanied  by  his  daughter  Benigna  a  girl  of  six- 
teen years,  Rosina  the  wife  of  Bishop  Nitschmann, 
John  Jacob  Mueller  his  private  secretary  and  a  por- 
trait painter,  Abraham  Meinung  and  his  wife  Judith, 
David  Bruce  a  Scotch  Moravian,  and  John  Henry 
Mueller  a  printer,  who  was  merely  a  fellow-passenger, 
Bruce  w^as  the  first  British  Moravian  missionary  in 
America.  He  was  also  the  first  regularly  appointed 
evangelist  of  the  Moravian  Church  who  labored  in 
and  about  New  York  City.  Mueller  the  printer 
joined  the  Moravian  Church  in  1742,  and  became  a 
widely  known  newspaper  publisher  in  Philadelphia. 
His  newspaper  was  the  first  to  announce  the  signing 
of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  The  watch- 
word* for  the  day  on  which  Zinzendorf  for  the  first 

•The  original  members  of  the  Renewed  Church  felt  the  need  of  having 
a  Scripture  text  as  a  guide  for  their  daily  devotions  and  conduct.  To 
supply  this  need  Count  Zinzendorf  selected  a  suitable  text  for  each  day. 
This  text  was  called  "watch  word."     In  1732  a  series  of  "watch  words" 


ZINZENDORF'S  FIRST  VISIT  45 

time  set  foot  on  North  American  soil  was  Jeremiah 
51 :36,  "Behold,  I  will  plead  thy  cause."  Strength- 
ened by  this  peculiarly  appropriate  promise,  he  and 
his  daughter  Benigna,  and  Rosina  Nitschmann  went 
to  the  house  of  Jacques  Cortelyou  on  Staten  Island, 
where  they  were  warmly  welcomed  by  this  godly  man 
and  his  good  wife  Jacomyntje.  On  the  following  day 
Cortelyou  and  his  wife  escorted  the  newcomers  to 
Timothy  Horsfield's  home  on  Long  Island,  directly 
opposite  New  York,  where  they  were  hospitably  en- 
tertained. It  was  quite  late  in  the  evening  when 
they  arrived  at  Horsfield's  house.  However,  Her- 
cules Wendower  and  his  wife  Mary  determined  to 
extend  their  welcome  to  the  visiting  Moravians  that 
night,  if  possible.  But  it  was  eleven  o'clock,  and  be- 
cause of  the  lateness  of  the  hour  they  were  unable 
to  secure  a  boat  to  take  them  across  the  East  River. 
Next  day  Zinzendorf  and  his  companions  crossed 
the  river  and  immediately  went  to  the  home  of 
Thomas  Noble,  to  whom  the  Count  had  written  a  let- 
ter, announcing  his  arrival,  while  the  "London^'  was 
detained  for  a  time  by  a  calm  in  the  Narrows.  Mary 
Noble  at  once  sent  word  to  Mrs.  Wendower  that  the 
expected  guests  had  arrived,  and  the  good  woman  im- 
mediately came  to  welcome  the  newcomers.  To  her 
great  delight  Mrs.  Noble  invited  her  to  dine  with 
Ihein.  Captain  William  Bryant  of  the  London  was 
also  a  diuuer-guest.    Bryant  was  a  Presbyterian  and 


WHH  printed  In  advance  for  the  whole  year.  After  Zlntcndorf's  death  In 
1760  two  texts  of  Scripture  were  Delected,  the  "xoaich  ycord"  b^'lug  taken 
from  the  Old  TeHtament,  and  the  "doctrlnHl"  text  from  the  New 
Testament.  Such  texts  are  puhllHhed  annually  In  a  Uttlo  Tolume  popu- 
larly known  as  "The  Morarlan  Text  Book."  or  simply.    "The  Text   Book." 


46      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

a  controversialist,  therefore  he  soon  launched  into 
a  discussion  of  disputed  points  in  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures. Zinzendorf  sought  to  evade  a  discussion  of 
this  sort  by  turning  the  conversation  upon  themes 
more  appropriate  for  the  occasion.  Thomas  Noble 
altho  a  good  man  was  not  without  prejudice  against 
the  Moravians  at  that  time,  therefore  he  was  all 
the  more  ready  to  take  offence.  Misunderstanding 
the  attitude  which  Zinzendorf  took  as  a  Christian 
gentleman  and  guest  in  his  house,  Noble  was  not 
only  offended,  but  actually  doubted  whether  Zin- 
zendorf was  really  a  servant  of  Christ.  As  a  result 
he  was  not  at  all  sure  w^hether  it  would  be  wise  for 
him  to  associate  with  the  nobleman.  His  wife,  how- 
ever, had  no  such  doubts  or  scruples.  She  was  a 
warm  friend  of  the  Moravians,  and  such  she  re- 
mained to  the  end. 

Count  Zinzendorfs  visit  on  Manhattan,  altho  it 
lasted  only  four  days,  created  a  great  stir  in  New 
York  for  various  reasons.  His  coming  to  America 
had  been  announced  far  and  wide  and  all  sorts  of 
extravagant  notions  concerning  him  prevailed.  The 
curious  minded  were  anxious  to  see  a  nobleman  of 
high  rank  and  ancient  family  who  had  voluntarily 
retired  from  the  Saxon  Court  to  engage  in  religious 
work,  even  taking  religious  orders,  and  one  upon 
whom  so  much  praise  and  censure  had  been  heaped 
by  different  men  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  The 
enemies  of  Zinzendorf,  however,  had  no  curiosity 
about  him.  Influenced  by  the  malicious  pastoral  let- 
ter of  the  Amsterdam  Classis  and  by  a  vicious  sec- 
tarian spirit  in  their  hearts,  they  imagined  they 


ZINZENDORF'S  FIRST  VISIT  47 

knew  him.  Such  were  prepared  to  fight  him  at  every 
turn  as  a  man  who  was  at  once  a  dangerous  adven- 
turer and  a  menace  to  Church  and  State.  In  their 
blind  and  unjustifiable  hatred  of  this  good  man  they 
maligned  both  him  and  his  fellow-Moravians,  even 
going  so  far  as  to  charge  them  with  being  Papists 
in  disguise  and  emissaries  of  the  French.  On  the 
other  handj  many  earnest  souls  in  New  York  and  the 
adjacent  Provinces  desired  more  Christian  relations 
between  the  different  Churches,  and  above  all  in- 
creased efforts  to  bring  about  the  conversion  of  the 
ungodly  whom  the  senseless  sectarianism  of  the  day 
not  only  left  unreached,  but  greatly  injured.  It  was 
therefore  no  easy  task  that  Zinzendorf  and  the  early 
Moravians  assumed  in  New  York  and  elsewhere. 

Before  Zinzendorf  left  for  Pennsylvania  he  was 
very  active  in  his  endeavors  to  effect  a  closer  union 
in  New  York  between  those  who  had  been  drawn  to- 
gether in  the  Lord,  and  who  felt  a  peculiar  attach- 
ment for  the  Moravians.  Their  longing  for  the  gospel 
of  Christ  was  genuine,  and  Zinzendorf  resolved  to 
organize  them  permanently,  or  to  resuscitate  the 
organization  which  had  been  effected  by  Peter  Boeh- 
lor  the  previous  winter,  but  which  had  fallen  into 
jjartial  decadence.  With  this  purpose  in  mind  he 
ai)p()inted  Jacques  Cortelyou  and  Mary  Wendower 
as  ''Elders^'  of  the  awakened  souls  to  labor  faith- 
Inlly  among  them  according  to  the  spiritual  state  of 
each  one.  Cortelyou  was  commissioned  to  come  over 
to  the  city  from  Staten  Island  once  a  week  to  conduct 
a  conference  at  which  those  interested  were  to  de- 
liberate together  on   the  condition  of  the  little  so- 


48      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

ciety,  and  to  assist  one  another  with  mutual  counsel 
and  advice.  Those  who  were  especially  interested  in 
the  welfare  of  the  Society  were  Jacques  Cortelyou 
and  his  wife,  Richard  Waldron,  Mary  Wendower, 
Jane  Boelen,  and  Martha  Bryant.  On  December  6, 
1741,  the  day  after  the  re-organization  of  the  Society, 
Zinzendorf  and  his  company  left  for  Philadelphia 
where,  after  brief  stops  on  the  way,  he  arrived  four 
days  later.  The  fellowship  thus  fostered  in  New 
York  led  to  a  decided  call  for  distinctive  Moravian 
labors  in  the  metropolis. 


CHAPTER  VI 

SYSTEMATIC     MORAVIAN     HOME     MISSION 
WORK  BEGUN  IN  NEW  YORK 

Pursuant  to  a  colonization  policy  inaugurated  by 
Zinzendorf  in  1734,  a  colony  of  fifty-six  Moravians 
under  the  leadership  of  George  Piesch,  an  assistant 
of  Spangenberg,  left  England  on  March  19,  1742, 
for  Pennsylvania.  This  colony  was  organized  for 
the  voyage  into  a  Sea  Congregation  with  formal 
rules  and  regulations.  Peter  Boehler  was  the  chap- 
lain or  pastor.  The  voyage  was  made  in  the  snow 
'^Catherine-'  commanded  by  Captain  Thomas  Glad- 
man,  who  was  at  this  time  intimately  associated  with 
the  Moravians  in  England,  and  later  identified  him- 
self fully  with  the  Moravian  Church.  After  a  stormy 
passage  the  Catherine  landed  on  May  23  at  New 
London,  Conn.,  where  some  repairs  had  to  be  made 
to  the  snow.  Three  days  later  twenty-four  men  of 
the  colony  boarded  a  sloop  bound  for  New  York. 
Fearing  they  might  be  impressed  by  a  British  war- 
ship, seven  Englishmen  in  the  party  went  ashore 
near  New  Greenwich  and  travelled  the  remaining 
<listance  to  New  York  on  foot.  Bv  the  close  of  the 
30th  day  of  May  all  the  members  of  the  colony  were 
re-united  on  their  own  vessel  lying  at  anchor  in  the 
port  of  New  York. 

Almost  as  much  excitement  attended  the  coming 
of  the  Catherine  as  that  created  by  the  arrival  of 

49 


50       MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Zinzendorf  in  the  preceding  year.  The  enemies  of 
the  Moravians  were  sure  that  the  snow  harbored  a 
new  company  of  dangerous  conspirators  against  the 
King  and  the  Protestant  religion.  Some  Germans 
in  the  city,  thinking  perhaps  they  might  find  re- 
demptioners,  or  poor  people  whom  they  could  buy  for 
a  small  sum  by  paying  the  Captain  the  money  for 
their  passage,  were  greatly  surprised  to  learn  that 
the  Moravians  belonged  to  a  decidedly  superior 
class,  and  could  not  be  purchased.  But  not  all  New 
York  people  were  hostile  to  the  colony.  There  were 
those  who  boarded  the  vessel  to  extend  a  warm  Chris- 
tian welcome  to  the  newcomers.  Among  this  num- 
ber were  Mary  Noble  and  Mary  Wendower  with  her 
husband.  These  enjoyed  a  never-to-be-forgotten  love 
feast  with  their  Moravian  friends.  Thomas  Noble, 
however,  had  no  desire  to  see  the  Moravians,  thinking 
he  had  seen  quite  enough  of  their  kind.  That  he 
might  avoid  a  meeting  with  them  he  left  the  city 
early  in  the  morning  for  Long  Island  without  telling 
his  wife  where  he  was  going.  Returning  home  in  a 
ferry-boat,  his  wife  caught  sight  of  him  as  he  passed 
the  Catherine^  and  womanlike  called  to  him  and 
asked  him  to  come  on  board.  He  reluctantly  re- 
sponded to  her  request,  and  joined  his  wife  just  as 
Peter  Boehler  was  preaching  a  stirring  sermon  on 
the  text  for  the  day.  The  sermon  fitted  Noble  so  well 
that  he  insisted  both  text  and  sermon  were  inten- 
tionally directed  against  him,  thereby  proving  how 
a  guilty  conscience  inspires  all  sorts  of  vain  imagin- 
ing. When  Boehler's  New  York  friends  requested 
him  to  conduct  an  evening  meeting  for  them  in  the 


FIRST  SEA  CONGREGATION  51 

city,  Noble  objected  on  the  ground  that  it  would  give 
rise  to  offence.  Hercules  Wendower,  seconded  by 
his  good  wife,  took  him  roundly  to  task  for  trying  to 
block  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  by  a  true  servant 
of  the  Lord.  Noble  withdrew  his  objections,  being 
silenced,  but  not  convinced,  and  Boehler  conducted 
the  desired  meeting.  On  the  following  day,  which 
was  May  31,  the  Catherine  set  sail  for  Philadelphia, 
where  it  arrived  a  week  later.  There  were  at  this 
time  one  hundred  and  twenty  Moravians  in  America. 
The  working  force  of  the  Moravians  was  greatly 
strengthened  by  the  coming  of  the  Sea  Congregation. 
Zinzendorf  having  perfected  the  organization  of  the 
Moravian  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  and  many  of  the 
newcomers  being  eminently  fitted  for  evangelistic 
labors,  it  was  now  possible  for  the  Moravians  to  ex- 
tend their  activities  by  entering  inviting  fields  which 
they  had  hitherto  been  unable  to  occupy.  Persuaded 
that  the  Lord  had  work  for  them  in  New  York,  ar- 
rangements were  made  in  the  summer  of  1742  to  con- 
stitute New  York  and  vicinity  a  permanent  field  for 
systematic  home  mission  work.  Encouraged  by  some 
members  of  the  undenominational  society,  it  was 
decided  to  make  New  York  City  a  regular  preaching 
center  for  the  mixed  multitude  sadly  in  need  of  gos- 
pel ministrations.  It  was  also  thought  some  service 
might  be  rendered  the  German  Lutherans  in  the  city, 
who  at  the  time  were  not  receiving  proper  care  and 
attention.  These  however  had  been  prejudiced  by 
the  current  misrepresentations,  and  Moravian  effort 
in  their  behalf  proved  of  no  avail.  In  Sei)tember, 
1742,  David  Bruce  made  the  beginning  of  systematic 


52       MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Moravian  home  mission  work  in  New  York.  He  was 
the  first  regularly  appointed  Moravian  evangelist 
who  labored  here.  The  next  workers  sent  to  this 
vicinity  were  Henry  Aimers  and  his  wife  Anna  Ro- 
sin a,  who  in  January  of  the  following  year  began 
their  labors  as  teachers  and  evangelists  on  Long 
Island  and  8taten  Island.  George  Neisser  of  Beth- 
lehem also  labored  in  New  York  for  a  short  time  in 
January.  The  evangelists  were  unordained  men. 
This  lay  activity  consisted  of  visiting  among  the  peo- 
ple, preaching  the  gospel  in  private  houses  or  meet- 
ings, dispensing  spiritual  food  among  those  hunger- 
ing after  righteousness,  fostering  the  undenomina- 
tional society  under  Moravian  care,  the  opening  of 
religious  schools  for  children,  and  mission  work 
among  the  Negroes  in  the  community,  especially  on 
Staten  Island.  They  had  no  thought  of  proselyting, 
or  of  making  Moravians  of  those  whom  they  served. 
Their  one  purpose  was  to  exalt  Christ  and  to  win 
souls  for  Him.  These  evangelists  received  no  com- 
pensation from  those  among  whom  they  labored, 
their  frugal  support  being  provided  by  tlieir  breth- 
ren in  the  settlement  congregations,  principally  the 
one  at  Bethlehem. 

On  January  13,  1743,  Zinzendorf  arrived  in  New 
York  on  his  way  to  Europe.  A  small  company  of 
Moravians,  who  had  spent  some  time  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, was  also  in  the  city.  Some  of  this  number 
were  to  accompany  Zinzendorf,  while  others  were 
bound  for  St.  Thomas  in  the  West  Indies  to  engage 
in  mission  work.  Upon  his  arrival,  Zinzendorf  first 
visited  Captain  Nicholas  Garrison  on  Staten  Island, 


AN  IMPORTANT  CONFERENCE     53 

having  made  the  acquaintance  of  this  experienced 
Christian  seaman  in  1739  while  in  the  West  Indies. 
Garrison  was  already  interested  in  the  Moravians, 
and  later  became  an  efficient  member  of  the  Mo- 
ravian Church,  rendering  important  services  in  many 
ways.  The  object  of  Zinzendorf  s  visit  was  to  engage 
Garrison  to  bring  over  from  Europe  another  Mo- 
ravian colony  which  was  to  be  larger  than  the  First 
Sea  Congregation.  Garrison  regarded  it  as  a  Chris- 
tian duty  to  accompany  the  Count  to  Europe  and 
take  charge  of  the  proposed  enterprise.  Zinzendorf 
also  held  an  important  conference  with  the  Mo- 
ravian Brethren  who  were  in  New  York  at  the  time. 
Peter  Boehler  was  among  the  number.  Plans  were 
formulated  for  the  further  prosecution  of  the  work 
of  the  Church  in  Pennsylvania  and  New  York.  The 
mission  in  the  West  Indies  also  received  attention. 
Valentine  Loehans,  a  missionary  of  St.  Thomas,  had 
come  to  New  York  some  weeks  previous  to  this  meet- 
ing, and,  while  waiting  for  a  ship  bound  for  the  West 
Indies,  engaged  in  evangelistic  work  among  the  Ne- 
groes in  and  about  New  York  City.  On  January  8 
this  faithful  servant  of  the  Lord  died  unexpectedly 
on  Staten  Island,  elohn  Brucker,  a  member  of  the 
Sea  Congregation,  who  had  been  appointed  to  ac- 
company the  West  Indian  missionaries  as  a  lay  as- 
sistant, was  now  ordained  to  the  ministry  by  Zinzen- 
dorf to  supply  the  vacancy  occasioned  by  Loehan's 
death.  On  January  20  Zinzendorf  and  his  company 
with  Captain  Garrison  and  his  daughter  set  sail  for 
London,  wlicre  Hiey  nrrived  nearly  a  month  later. 
As  Ihc  activities  of  the  Moravians  increased  the 


54:   MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

attacks  of  their  enemies  became  more  virulent.  Pul- 
pit and  press  were  bitterly  arrayed  against  the 
Brethren.  Hostile  ministers  made  the  Moravians 
the  subject  of  their  diatribes  and  forgot  to  preach 
the  gospel.  At  the  time  of  Zinzendorf  s  departure 
for  Europe  Gilbert  Tennent  came  from  Philadelphia 
for  one  of  his  periodic  visits  in  New  York.  He 
preached  violently  against  what  he  termed  "the 
damnable  doctrines  of  the  Moravians,'^  and  read  to 
the  people  the  slanderous  tracts  which  he  and  other 
clergymen  had  published.  In  these  tracts  the  Mo- 
ravians w^ere  called  "locusts  out  of  the  bottomless 
pit,"  "foxes  who  spoil  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord,"  and 
"heretics  which  the  devil  has  sent  in  these  last  times 
to  delude  the  earth."  At  a  public  meeting  where 
Tennent  read  one  of  these  tracts  he  concluded  by  say- 
ing, "I  have  nothing  further  to  offer."  Jane  Boelen, 
an  ardent  friend  of  the  godly  Moravians,  cried  out 
in  disgust,  "Feel  in  your  pocket,  you  might  have  over- 
looked something  after  all."  The  people  were  thoroly 
weary  of  his  senseless  tirades,  and  took  him  to 
task  for  not  preaching  the  gospel.  The  Presbyterian 
and  Dutch  Reformed  clergy  fanatically  determined 
to  stamp  out  the  preaching  and  work  of  the  Mo- 
ravians. At  their  instigation  measures  were  enacted 
against  the  Brethren  first  by  the  city  authorities, 
and  next  by  those  of  the  Province.  One  evening  in 
January,  1743,  Peter  Boehler  was  called  before  the 
City  Council  for  no  other  offense  than  that  of  preach- 
ing the  gospel  in  a  private  house,  and  John  Cruger 
the  Mayor  ordered  him  to  leave  the  city  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning.    When  Boehler  asked  why  he  was 


BOEHLER  FORBIDDEN  TO  PREACH      55 

forbidden  to  remain  in  the  city,  the  Mayor  harshly 
replied,  ''Because  you  are  a  vagabond."  At  the 
house  of  a  friend  Boehler  wrote  a  Latin  letter  in  his 
defense,  and  sent  it  to  the  Mayor,  who  was  greatly 
impressed  by  the  scholarly  document.  But  Boehler 
left  the  city  and  went  to  the  home  of  Timothy  Hors- 
field  on  Long  Island.  A  number  of  friends  brought 
the  matter  of  his  expulsion  to  the  attention  of  James 
Alexander,  a  lawyer,  who  told  them  that  any  twelve 
persons  could  give  a  minister  an  appointment  which 
would  qualify  him  to  conduct  preaching  services. 
He  advised  them  to  give  Boehler  such  an  appoint- 
ment. This  advice  was  acted  upon  at  once.  Among 
those  who  took  the  required  action  were  Thomas 
Noble,  Hercules  Wendower,  Richard  Waldron,  Joris 
Brinkerhoff,  Jan  Van  Pelt,  Jacobus  Montague,  and 
William  Edmonds.  Boehler  then  returned  to  the 
city  and  resumed  his  preaching. 

Altho  authorized  to  preach,  it  was  not  without 
danger  that  Boehler  carried  out  his  mission.  Ten- 
nent,  Boel,  Du  Bois  and  other  narrow-minded  clergy- 
men had  so  prejudiced  the  people  against  the  Mo- 
ravians that  it  was  unsafe  for  the  Brethren  and  their 
friends  to  be  seen  in  the  streets  of  the  city.  In  some 
instances  they  were  actually  stoned.  That  such 
prejudice  and  persecution  should  have  existed  in 
New  York  for  years  seems  almost  unbelievable  in 
our  day  of  cordial  relations  between  the  various  de- 
nominations working  side  by  side  as  one  in  the  Lord. 
It  is  equally  surprising  that  a  man  of  Teuuent's 
caliber  and  consecration  should  have  been  so  misled 
as  to  stoop  to  the  level  of  vilifying  and  spying  upon 


56      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

the  Moravians,  whose  sole  purpose  it  was  to  exalt 
among  the  people  the  very  Saviour  whom  he  preached 
with  such  wonderful  results.  In  1743  he  delegated 
a  man  from  New  Jersey,  Fisher  by  name,  to  go  to 
the  home  of  Thomas  Noble  and  persuade  him  to  have 
nothing  further  to  do  with  the  Moravians.  While 
this  man  was  with  Noble  a  package  of  letters  from 
Georgia  addressed  to  the  Brethren  at  Bethlehem  ar- 
rived. By  no  means  sure  that  the  Moravians  were 
not  what  their  enemies  represented  them  to  be,  he 
was  curious  to  know  what  these  letters  contained. 
Christian  Henry  Ranch,  who  happened  to  be  in  the 
city  at  the  time,  gave  him  permission  to  open  the 
package.  The  letters  contained  therein  were  written 
by  James  Burnside  and  John  Brownfield  of  Savan- 
nah. The  writers  gave  glowing  testimony  to  the 
grace  and  power  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  which 
they  experienced,  and  Noble  could  not  help  but  feel 
that  the  Brethren  were  the  children  of  God.  Even 
Fisher  had  to  admit  that  God  was  with  these  people. 
Notwithstanding  the  persecutions  suffered  by  the 
Moravians,  the  little  Society  organized  by  Boehler 
on  January  26,  1741,  and  resuscitated  by  Zinzendorf 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  same  year,  flourished  in  a 
quiet  way  and  exerted  its  influence  for  good.  Thomas 
Noble  did  a  great  deal  for  the  Society.  Altho  at 
times  greatly  prejudiced  against  the  Moravians,  his 
prejudice  was  always  against  his  will,  and  never  of 
his  own  making.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  from  his  youth,  well  informed 
in  matters  of  doctrine,  and  on  intimate  terms  with 
fellow  Presbyterians  renowned  for  their  holiness, 


FIRST  MORAVIAN  CONVERT  57 

with  whom  he  carried  on  a  stated  correspondence. 
But  he  was  first  of  all  a  devout  Christian.  Noble 
in  heart  as  well  as  in  name,  he  unselfishly  placed 
himself  and  his  means  at  the  disposal  of  the  Lord 
for  the  advancement  of  His  cause.  About  the  same 
time  that  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  Moravians, 
he  also  became  acquainted  with  the  Rev.  George 
Whitefield,  the  English  evangelist.  His  Christian 
life  was  greatly  strengthened  by  both  these  contacts. 
Gilbert  Tennent  was  his  intimate  friend,  and  one 
whom  he  held  in  high  esteem.  That  an  earnest- 
minded  and  conscientious  man  like  Noble  should  be 
confused  at  times,  not  knowing  whether  he  should 
believe  what  his  Presbyterian  friends  said  of  the 
Brethren,  or  follow  the  dictates  of  his  own  heart 
and  hold  to  them,  can  be  readily  understood.  His 
wife,  who  was  not  only  a  devout  Christian  but  a 
woman  of  rare  common  sense,  by  her  wise  counsel 
helped  him  to  overcome  in  his  own  heart  the  preju- 
dice which  the  enemies  of  the  Brethren  stirred  up. 
In  the  summer  of  1742  he  visited  the  congregation 
at  Bethlehem  for  the  first  time.  This  visit  greatly 
strengthened  his  regard  for  the  Brethren,  altho  as 
a  rigid  Presbyterian  he  took  some  oft'ense  at  their 
music.  For  four  yeai*s  the  Society  organized  in  New 
York  by  the  Moravians  regularly  met  at  his  house. 
Here  David  Bruce  preached  his  first  sermon  in  the 
city.  Eleanor  Orcgg,  Noble's  housekeeper  and  the 
caretaker  of  his  children,  was  the  first  person  in 
New  York  to  identify  herself  with  the  Moravian 
Church.  In  August,  1743,  she  went  to  Bethlehem, 
where  she  was  received  into  the  congregation.     In 


58      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

September  of  the  same  year  she  became  the  bride  of 
Hector  Grambold,  a  Welshman  and  member  of  the 
First  Sea  Congregation.  Both  entered  the  household 
of  Thomas  Noble.  They  were  appointed  by  the 
Church  authorities  at  Bethlehem  to  labor  in  con- 
junction with  Noble  among  the  awakened  persons 
who  were  associated  together,  she  especially  among 
the  unmarried  women.  They  served  in  this  capacity 
from  November,  1743,  to  June,  1745. 

On  November  26,  1743,  the  Little  Strength,  which 
brought  the  Second  Sea  Congregation  from  Europe, 
anchored  off  Staten  Island,  not  far  from  Nicholas 
Garrison's  home.  Garrison,  who  was  now  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Moravian  Church,  not  only  commanded  the 
vessel,  but  served  as  an  Elder  of  the  Congregation. 
His  crew  consisted  of  fifteen  men  and  boys,  all  being 
Moravians  with  the  exception  of  one  man  and  two 
boys.  Besides  the  crew  the  colony  numbered  one 
hundred  and  eleven  persons.  On  the  morning  after 
the  arrival  of  the  Little  Strength,  Henry  Aimers, 
the  Moravian  Evangelist  on  Staten  Island,  went 
on  board  with  his  wife  to  welcome  the  newcomers. 
After  the  greetings  were  over  Garrison  handed  him 
a  package  of  letters  from  Spangenberg  and  George 
Neisser  for  the  Brethren  at  Bethlehem,  and  Aimers 
immediately  set  out  for  Pennsylvania  to  announce 
the  arrival  of  the  colony  and  to  deliver  the  letters 
in  his  care.  On  the  same  day  the  vessel  docked  in 
New  York.  Hector  Gambold  and  Thomas  Noble 
with  other  friends  in  the  city  went  on  board  and 
welcomed  the  newly  arrived  Brethren.  Later  sev- 
eral leaders  of  the  colony  accompanied  Noble  to  his 


SECOND  SEA  CONGREGATION  59 

home,  where  plans  were  made  for  the  journey  of  the 
Sea  Congregation  to  Bethlehem.  The  colonists  cov- 
ered the  greater  part  of  the  distance  on  foot.  Their 
luggage  was  taken  to  Brunswick  by  water,  whence 
it  was  conveyed  to  its  destination  by  wagons  sent 
for  the  purpose  from  Bethlehem. 

Meanwhile  the  adversaries  of  the  Moravians  were 
untiring  in  their  efforts  to  suppress  them.  The  suc- 
cess of  Moravian  missions  among  the  Indians  re- 
cruited the  forces  of  the  enemy.  Finding  that  the 
progress  of  the  gospel  seriously  affected  the  liquor 
traffic  in  the  Indian  country,  unscrupulous  white 
traders  assiduously  circulated  the  report  that  the 
Moravians  were  Papists  in  disguise  and  secret  emis- 
saries of  the  French.  This  was  a  master-stroke  of 
the  enemy.  It  was  delivered  at  a  time  of  unrest 
and  apprehension.  Kang  George's  War  was  im- 
minent. It  was  an  open  secret  that  the  French  were 
leaving  no  stone  unturned  to  enlist  the  Indians  to 
fight  on  their  side.  Therefore  feeling  against  the 
Moravians  ran  high.  They  were  called  before  the 
authorities  to  clear  themselves  of  the  charge  pre- 
ferred against  them  by  swearing  allegiance  to  the 
King.  They  expressed  their  willingness  solemnly  to 
affirm  what  was  demanded  of  them,  but  begged  to 
be  excused  from  taking  an  oath  on  the  ground  that 
this  was  contrary  to  their  religious  convictions.  Al- 
tho  their  request  could  not  be  denied,  the  position 
they  took  in  the  matter  intensified  the  hostile  sus- 
picion harbored  against  thcMii.  In  August,  1744, 
Gottlob  Buettner,  Joachim  Senseman  and  Joseph 
Shaw,  missionaries  among  the  Indians  at  Shekomeko, 


60      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

were  arraigned  before  a  magistrate,  by  the  minister 
at  Rhinebeck,  on  the  charge  of  propagating  Popery 
and  French  interests  among  the  savages.  Buettner, 
in  the  name  of  the  Brethren,  proved  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  the  magistrate  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  fur- 
nished the  sole  ground  of  their  teaching  and  the 
basis  of  their  labors  among  the  heathen.  They  were 
promptly  discharged,  and  the  accusing  minister  was 
sharply  reprimanded  for  his  slanderous  charge 
against  the  Brethren.  However,  the  prosperous  In- 
dian Mission  was  in  danger,  therefore  Bishop  Nitsch- 
mann  sailed  for  Europe  on  March  24,  1744,  for  the 
purpose  of  negotiating  with  the  British  Government 
for  the  protection  of  the  mission.  He  took  with  him 
Samuel  and  Mary,  a  Christian  Indian  couple  joined 
in  marriage  by  Peter  Boehler  at  Bethlehem  on  Feb- 
ruary IG.  On  May  1  the  Little  Strength  was  cap- 
tured by  a  Spanish  privateer.  Nitschmann  and  the 
other  passengers  on  board  finally  reached  their  desti- 
nation, but  the  vessel  itself  was  never  recovered. 

The  troubles  of  the  Moravians  were  now  fairly  be- 
gun. In  September,  1744,  chiefly  at  the  instigation 
of  the  Presbyterian  and  Dutch  Reformed  ministers, 
the  Assembly  of  New  York  formally  took  up  the 
cudgels  against  them.  It  was  decided  to  frame  an 
Act  which  should  banish  the  Moravians  from  the 
Province.  Many  members  of  the  Assembly  were 
strongly  opposed  to  a  measure  of  this  kind.  When 
some  one  asked  what  the  title  of  the  proposed  Act 
should  be.  Judge  Thomas  Jones,  an  intimate  friend 
of  Thomas  Noble,  said,  "Call  it  the  Persecution  Act." 
George  Thomas,  another  member  of  the  Assembly, 


THE  MORAVIANS  PERSECUTED    61 

also  protested  against  the  silly  and  unjust  measure. 
When  the  question  was  debated  as  to  what  punish- 
ment should  be  meted  out  to  the  Moravians  in  case 
they  insisted  upon  continuing  their  work  and  preach- 
ing, Assemblyman  Richard  Stillwell  cried,  "Hang 
them  as  your  fathers  hanged  the  Quakers."  On 
September  13  the  measure  was  passed,  and  eight 
days  later  it  received  the  endorsement  of  Governor 
Clinton.  It  was  entitled  ^^An  Act  for  securing  His 
Majesty's  Government  of  New  York:'  Swearing 
allegiance  to  the  King  was  made  obligatory. 

Among  other  things  this  measure  contained  the 
following  enactments:  "Every  vagrant  preacher, 
Moravian  or  disguised  Papist,  that  shall  preach  with- 
out taking  such  oaths  or  obtaining  such  license,  as 
aforesaid,  shall  forfeit  the  sum  of  40  pounds,  with 
six  months'  imprisonment  without  bail  or  main- 
prize,  and  for  the  second  offense  shall  be  obliged  to 
leave  the  colony ;  and  if  they  do  not  leave  the  colony 
or  shall  return,  they  shall  suffer  such  punishment 
as  shall  be  inflicted  by  the  Justices  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  not  extending  to  life  or  limb."  '^Every  va- 
grant preacher,  Moravian  or  disguised  Papist  or  any 
other  person  presuming  to  reside  among  and  teach 
the  Indians  under  the  pretense  of  bringing  them 
over  to  the  Christian  faith,  without  such  license  as 
aforesaid,  shall  be  taken  up  and  treated  as  a  person 
taking  upon  him  to  seduce  the  Indians  from  His 
Majesty's  interest,  and  shall  suffer  such  punishment 
as  shall  be  inflicted  by  the  rlustices  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  not  extending  to  life  and  limb."  That  this 
Act  was  directly  aimed  against  the  Moravians,  and 


62      MOKAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

inspired  by  the  Dutch  Reformed  and  Presbyterian 
clergy  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  it  made  explicit 
provision  "that  nothing  in  this  Act  contained  shall  be 
construed  to  oblige  the  ministers  of  the  Dutch  and 
French  Protestant  Reformed  Churches,  the  Presby- 
terian ministers,  ministers  of  the  Kirk  of  Scotland, 
the  Lutherans,  the  Congregational  ministers,  the 
Quakers  and  the  Anabaptists  to  obtain  certificates 
for  their  several  places  of  public  worship  already 
erected  or  that  shall  be  hereafter  erected  within  this 
colony,  anything  in  this  Act  to  the  contrary  not- 
withstanding/^ 

On  October  25  of  the  same  year  in  which  these 
drastic  measures  were  taken  against  the  Moravians, 
Spangenberg  arrived  in  New  York.  He  was  now  a 
bishop  of  the  Church,  having  received  episcopal  con- 
secration on  July  26,  1744,  shortly  before  he  left 
Germany.  With  him  came  Nicholas  Garrison, 
George  Neisser,  Christian  Froehlich,  and  two  Mo- 
ravian ministers,  Abraham  Reincke  and  Andrew 
Horn,  with  their  wives.  Bishop  Spangenberg  did  his 
utmost  to  relieve  the  distressing  situation  which 
he  found  here,  but  all  his  efforts  were  in  vain.  In 
December  the  provincial  authorities  high-handedly 
closed  the  Mission  Chapel  at  Shekomeko,  and  Mo- 
ravian Mission  work  among  the  Indians  in  New 
York  had  to  be  abandoned.  Eventually  the  Chris- 
tian Indians  followed  their  teachers  elsewhere,  lo- 
cating first  at  Friedenshuetten,  an  improvised  In- 
dian village  at  Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania,  and  later 
at  Gnadenhuetten,  where  Mahoning  Creek  empties 
its  waters  into  the  Lehigh  River.    Meanwhile  Mo- 


LAUNCHING  THE  IRENE  63 

ravian  colonists  continued  to  arrive  in  America. 
Soon  after  the  loss  of  the  Little  Strength  it  was  de- 
cided to  have  a  ship  built,  and  placed  under  the  com- 
mand of  Captain  Garrison  for  the  purpose  of  trans- 
porting colonists  destined  for  Pennsylvania.  The 
contract  was  given  to  John  Van  Deventer,  a  ship- 
builder of  Staten  Island,  who  had  his  yard  near  the 
present  Port  Richmond.  Work  on  the  ship  was 
commenced  in  the  beginning  of  1745,  and  by  Feb- 
ruary 7  Captain  Garrison  was  able  to  report  that 
good  progress  had  been  made.  But  for  various 
reasons  the  work  of  construction  was  delayed,  and 
it  was  not  until  May  29,  1748,  that  the  good  ship, 
which  was  christened  the  Irene,  could  be  launched. 
Thomas  Noble  acted  as  the  financial  agent  of  the 
enterprise  until  his  death  in  1746,  when  Timothy 
Horsfield  took  his  place.  But  Noble's  interest  in 
the  undertaking  extended  beyond  the  time  of  his 
death.  He  left  a  legacy  of  1,082  pounds  to  be  ap- 
plied toward  the  building  expenses,  which  made  it 
possible  to  launch  the  /rewe  altho  constructed  at  a 
cost  of  1,800  pounds,  free  from  debt.  On  September 
4  she  left  New  York  on  the  first  of  her  fourteen 
voyages  across  the  sea  with  twenty-nine  persons  on 
board,  and  Captain  Garrison  in  command.  Among 
the  crew  were  William  Edmonds,  and  Jean  aud  Ja- 
cobus, Jr.,  the  sons  of  Jacobus  Van  der  Bilt  of 
Staten  Island.  The  Irene  was  captured  by  a  French 
privateer  oft'  Cape  Breton,  on  November  30,  1757, 
aud  sunk  on  January  12,  1758. 

In  the  middle  of  March,  1745,  the  Society  fostered 
by  the  Moravians  in  New  York  lost  one  of  its  most 


84      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

influential  members  by  the  death  of  Mary,  the  es- 
teemed wife  of  Thomas  Noble.  Her  maiden  name 
was  Bayard.  She  was  of  Dutch  descent  and  a  de- 
vout Christian  from  her  youth.  The  open  wicked- 
ness of  the  city  and  the  indifference  of  the  Churches 
in  the  face  of  it  gave  her  great  concern.  The  meet- 
ings of  the  awakened  persons  who  were  drawn  to- 
gether by  their  oneness  of  heart  were  to  her  as  a 
rock  in  a  weary  land.  She  earnestly  longed  for  the 
dawn  of  a  better  day.  When  she  became  acquainted 
with  the  Moravians  and  their  labors  she  regarded 
them  as  heralds  of  the  morning.  Therefore  she  was 
drawn  to  them  from  the  beginning.  A  close  student 
of  their  doctrines,  history,  and  missionary  labors, 
she  recognized  them  as  true  children  of  God,  and  no 
amount  of  slander  could  change  her  high  regard  for 
them  in  the  least.  One  of  the  first  to  join  the  Society 
organized  by  Peter  Boehler,  she  remained  an  active 
member  until  her  death.  Seconding  her  husband  in 
every  good  work  and  inspiring  him  to  undertake 
many  of  which  he  himself  might  not  have  thought, 
her  hospitable  home  was  always  open  to  Christians 
of  all  creeds,  with  a  special  welcome  for  the  Mo- 
ravian Brethren  whom  she  dearly  loved.  The  de- 
parture of  this  Christian  woman  of  refinement 
brought  an  ache,  not  only  to  her  immediate  family, 
but  to  a  large  circle  of  friends  to  whom  her  life  was 
a  benediction.  But  no  one  missed  her  as  keenly  as 
her  honest-minded  and  conscientious  husband.  Lack- 
ing a  mother's  care,  he  decided  that  it  would  be  best 
for  his  children  to  be  under  the  direct  charge  of  the 
Brethren.    Therefore  he  commissioned  Hector  Gam- 


DEATH  OF  THOMAS  NOBLE  65 

bold  and  his  wife  to  take  Thomas,  Jr.,  Isaac,  James, 
Sarah,  and  Mary  to  Bethlehem  and  put  them  in 
the  Moravian  school.  He  visited  them  frequently, 
and  on  one  of  these  visits  he  died.  On  April  2,  1746, 
which  was  the  Saturday  before  Palm  Sunday, 
Thomas  Noble  went  to  his  eternal  reward,  and 
as  a  result  the  Moravian  Church  was  very  much  the 
poorer.  The  following  epitaph  fittingly  crowned  his 
finished  career: 

"Beneath  this  earth  a  child  of  Grace 
Named  Thomas  Noble  lies  interred ; 
Faithful  and  active  in  his  place. 
Beloved  in  life,  in  death  revered. 

"A  willing  servant  of  the  Cross, 

From  whence  his  peace  and  pardon  came ; 
The  world's  best  gains  to  him  were  loss, 
He  loved  his  Lord  and  bore  His  shame. 

"O  dearest  Reader,  think  how  he 
Rejoices  now,  and  views  the  Lamb ! 
Indeed  this  Grace  for  you  and  me 
Is  purchased  on  the  Cross'  Stem." 

Unmindful  of  their  danger  David  Zeisberger  and 
Frederick  Post  went  to  the  Mohawk  Valley  to  per- 
fect themselves  in  the  Mohawk  language.  The  An- 
glican minister  at  Albany,  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Barclay,  altho  later  a  valued  friend  of  the  Mo- 
ravians, on  February  23,  1745,  had  Captain  Ruther- 
ford arrest  these  missionaries  as  emissaries  of  the 
French.  They  were  taken  to  New  York  City  and 
imprisoned  in  City  Hall.  They  were  examined  by 
the  Court  and  declared  innocent  of  any  wrong-doing. 


66      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

But  they  were  not  discharged  because  they  refused 
to  take  an  oath.    Perhaps  the  authorities  desired  the 
prisoners  to  leave  of  their  own  accord  so  that  a  new 
charge  might  be  preferred   against  them,   for  the 
prison-doors  were  frequently  left  wide  open.     But 
Zeisberger  and  Post  were  law-abiding  and  waited 
for  a  legal  discharge.     During  their  imprisonment 
they  were  daily  visited  by  Thomas   Noble,   Mary 
Wendower  and  other  friends  of  the  Brethren.    The 
jailer  had  given  them  strict  orders  not  to  bring  the 
prisoners  any  food,  but  this  did  not  bar  these  friends 
from  drinking  tea  with  them.     Such  sympathetic 
ministrations  as  these  good  people  were  allowed  to 
offer  greatly  comforted  the  hearts  of  the  mission- 
aries.   They  were  in  prison  seven  weeks  when  Gover- 
nor  Thomas  of  Pennsylvania  interposed   in   their 
behalf.    At  the  time  of  their  release  from  prison  the 
costs  amounted  to  more  than  six  pounds  and  ten 
shillings.     Noble  and   Mary  Wendower   expressed 
their  desire  to  pay  the  costs,  but  the  authorities 
would  not  permit  them  to  do  so  because  the  mission- 
aries had  been  imprisoned  on  a  false  charge. 

The  Moravian  Brethren  believed  that  the  Lord  had 
called  them  to  labor  in  New  York,  and  they  were 
determined  that  the  machinations  of  man  should  not 
drive  them  from  their  God-given  task.  That  they 
might  be  unhampered  in  their  activities  they  re- 
solved to  make  use,  if  possible,  of  what  seemed  a 
favorable  clause  in  the  Act  of  the  New  York  As- 
sembly directed  against  them.  This  clause  contained 
the  provision,  "Unless  permitted  or  licensed  by  the 
Governor."     Therefore  a  delegation   consisting  of 


MORAVIAN  PREACHING  BARRED        67 

Bishop  Spangenberg,  John  Okely  and  John  Pyrlaeus 
waited  upon  Governor  Clinton  and  respectfully 
begged  him  to  grant  the  Moravians  permission  to 
preach  in  the  City  and  Province.  This  request  was 
denied.  Undaunted  by  the  rebuff  they  changed  the 
character  of  their  religious  meetings,  instituting  a 
sort  of  catechetical  system.  For  example,  some  pas- 
sage of  Scripture  was  selected  and  read,  whereupon 
those  present  were  invited  to  ask  questions  bearing 
upon  it,  which  were  then  answered  by  the  leader  of 
the  meeting  or  some  other  member  of  the  Society. 
In  the  first  meeting  of  this  kind  William  Edmonds 
was  asked  to  read  I.  Corinthians  3 :1-10,  after  which 
questions  w^ere  asked  and  answers  given. 

In  1744  the  Society  consisted  of  the  following  per- 
sons: James  Arden,  a  joiner;  Jacques  Cortelyou, 
an  Elder  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  living  on 
Long  Island,  and  his  wife  Jacomyntje,  m.n.  Pett, 
also  a  member  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church ;  Wil- 
liam Edmonds,  who  removed  to  Bethlehem  in  1749, 
and  his  wife  Rebecca,  m.n.  Beavois ;  Abraham  Floren- 
tine, a  shoemaker;  John  Hopson,  a  butcher  on  Long 
Island,  who  was  received  into  the  Moravian  con- 
gregation at  Bethlehem  in  1748;  Timothy  Horsfield, 
also  a  butcher  on  Long  Island,  who  removed  to  Beth- 
lehem in  1749,  and  his  wife  Mary,  m.n.  Doughty; 
John  Kingston,  a  blacksmith  and  shop-keeper,  and 
a  member  of  the  Anglican  Church ;  Judith  Bra  shier, 
m.n.  Gosheries;  Elizabeth  Hume,  a  widow  who  in 
October,  1745,  married  John  Okely  of  Bethlehem; 
Martha  Bryant,  who  married  the  Rev.  Lawrence  Ny- 
berg  in  1748  and  went  with  her  husband  to  Europe 


68      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

two  years  later;  Ismajali  Burnet,  m.n.  Thomas,  and 
wife  of  George  Burnet ;  Jane  Boelen,  m.n.  Waldron, 
and  wife  of  Henry  Boelen,  a  silversmith ;  Mary  Mon- 
tagile,  m.n.  Pell ;  Thomas  Noble  and  his  wife  Mary ; 
Elsie,  the  daughter  of  Alice  Wyton,  a  widow;  De- 
borah Smith,  m.n.  Pell,  a  widow  and  sister  of  Mary 
Montague ;  Mary  Wendower,  m.n.  Peterse,  the  widow 
of  Hercules  Wendower  who  died  in  1743,  and  one  of 
the  first  adherents  of  the  Moravians  in  New  York. 
In  1745  Mrs.  Wendower  removed  to  Bethlehem, 
where  in  August  of  the  same  year  she  married  James 
Burnside.  After  her  second  husband's  death  in  1755 
she  returned  to  New  York  City  where  in  1774  she 
herself  died.  Other  members  were  Jacobus  Mon- 
tague, a  shopkeeper;  Joseph  Shaefer,  and  Hendrick 
Van  Vleck,  a  member  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church. 
In  December,  1748,  Van  Vleck  was  received  into  the 
Bethlehem  congregation,  and  became  the  agent  of  the 
Moravian  Church  in  New  York.  In  1774  he  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  Bethlehem  where  he  died 
on  July  25,  1785.  Three  sons  and  one  daughter  sur- 
vived him.  Jacob,  the  oldest  son,  was  consecrated 
a  Bishop  of  the  Moravian  Church  in  1815,  and  died 
at  Bethlehem  sixteen  years  later.  William  Henry, 
Jacob's  son,  was  likewise  consecrated  a  Bishop  of 
the  Church  in  1836.  In  1853  he  died  at  Bethlehem. 
In  1881  Henry  J.  Van  Vleck,  a  great  grandson  of 
Hendrick,  was  also  consecrated  a  Moravian  Bishop. 
Taylor  Van  Vleck,  a  grandson  of  the  last  named 
Bishop  of  this  famous  family,  entered  the  Moravian 
ministry  in  1912,  and  is  now  a  successful  Moravian 
missionary  in  the  West  Indies. 


MORAVIAN  DIVISION  OF  LABOR        69 

In  June,  1742,  there  were  one  hundred  and  twenty 
persons  at  Bethlehem.  This  company  was  divided 
into  what  was  known  as  the  Pilgrim  CQjigregation 
and  the  Home  Congregation.  Those  in  the  first  di- 
vision devoted  themselves  to  evangelistic  work  among 
the  Indians  and  white  people,  and  to  educational 
activities  among  children  for  whom  by  the  year  1746 
at  least  fifteen  schools  had  been  established.  The 
second  division  carried  on  the  work  at  home,  and 
provided  means  for  the  support  of  the  Pilgrims. 
Frequently  transfers  from  one  division  to  the  other 
were  made,  some  being  among  the  Pilgrims  for  a 
time  and  then  for  a  season  with  the  Home  Congrega- 
tion. The  Pilgrims  were  also  known  as  Itinerants 
or  Evangelists.  They  reported  at  headquarters 
from  time  to  time  and  received  appointments  to  other 
fields  of  labor.  This  explains  why  there  were  so 
many  different  itinerants  in  New  York  City  and  its 
environs  in  the  short  period  between  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Undenominational  Society  and  that  of 
the  Congregation,  some  laboring  here  only  a  few 
weeks  at  a  time.  The  ministers  and  lay-evangelists 
who  labored  here  before  the  organization  of  the 
congregation  were  the  following: 

Augustus  Gottlieb  Spangenberg,  March,   17.*>(>. 
David  Nitschmann,  Ai)ril,  17»'^6. 
Frederick  Martin,  June,  1739  and  July,  1740. 
Christian  Henry  Kauch,  July,  1740,  and  occasional!}' 

later  on. 
Peter  Boehlor,  January,  1741,  and  later. 
Count  Zinzendorf,  December,  1741,  and  later. 


70       MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

David  Bruce,  September,  1742,  and  afterwards  at 
irregular  intervals. 

Henry  Aimers,  January,  1743,  to  April,  1745. 

George  Neisser,  January,  1743 ;  March  to  June,  1746 ; 
March  to  June,  1748. 

Hector  Gambold,  November,  1743,  to  June,  1745; 
June,  1746,  to  Februarys,  1747;  September,  1747, 
to  February,  1748. 

Owen  Rice,  September,  1745. 

James  Burnside,  September,  1745. 

Jacob  Vetter,  September,  1745,  to  January,  1746. 

John  Wade,  February,  1747,  to  August,  1747. 

Christian  Froehlich,  February,  1747,  to  August,  1747. 

Valentine  Loehans,  December,  1742,  to  January  8, 
1743. 

Valentine  Haidt,  June,  1748,  to  July,  1748. 

James  Greening,  June,  1748,  to  March,  1750. 

Richard  Utley,  1747  to  1748. 

John  Doehling,  1748  to  1750  laboring  as  an  evan- 
gelist and  teaching  school  on  Long  Island. 

Jacob  Rogers,  1749-1750  here  and  up  the  Hudson. 

In  this  list  of  Moravian  laborers  in  New  York, 
Spangenberg,  Nitschmann,  Martin,  Ranch,  Boehler, 
Zinzendorf  and  Loehans  were  ordained  ministers, 
the  others  being  lay-evangelists  at  the  time.  Some 
of  the  latter  like  Neisser,  Rice,  Gambold,  Vetter, 
Haidt,  Greening  and  Rogers  were  ordained  later. 
Altho  faithful  and  useful  evangelists  David  Bruce, 
James  Burnside,  Christian  Froehlich  and  John 
Doehling  were  never  received  into  the  ordained  min- 
istry of  the  Church. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  FIRST 
MORAVIAN  CHURCH 

Altho  the  early  Moravians  in  America  had  many 
bitter  enemies  thru  no  fault  of  their  own,  they  also 
had  numerous  friends  of  which  some  were  influential 
in  high  places.     Among  their  friends  was  General 
James  Oglethorpe,  the   philanthropic  founder   and 
Governor  of  Georgia.     This  friendship  had  no  or- 
dinary foundation.     When  Zinzendorf  was  in  Eng- 
land in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1737,  he  took  steps 
to  revive  the  famous  Order  of  the  Grain  of  Mustard 
Seed  founded  by  him  as  a  boy  at  Halle,  and  Ogle- 
thorpe, together  with  other  influential  Englishmen, 
became  a  member.    The  friend  of  Zinzendorf,  he  also 
became  the  friend  of  the  Moravian  Brethren.     He 
was  on  the  same  ship  which  brought  the  Moravian 
colony  to  Georgia.    As  earnest  Christians  and  good 
colonists  they  won  the  everlasting  regard  and  es- 
teem of  this  good  man,  little  thinking  that  he  would 
some  day  become  a  defender  of  their  rights.    In  Gov- 
ernor Thomas  of  Pennsylvania  the  Moravians  found 
another  good  friend.    The  following  events  show  how 
both  these  men  proved  not  only  their  friendship,  but 
their  broadminded  statesmanship  at  a  critical  stage 
in  Moravian  history. 

In  1740  the  British  Parlianiont  passed  a  general 
Act  for  all  the  American  Colonies  providing  that 

71 


72      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

"all  persons  residing  in  his  Majesty's  Colonies  in 
America  for  seven  years,  without  being  absent  from 
the  said  Colonies  for  a  longer  time  than  two  months, 
shall  upon  taking  the  proper  oaths  be  deemed  his 
Majesty's  natural-born  subjects."  Quakers  were  ex- 
cused from  taking  the  required  oath  by  a  previous 
Act  of  Parliament.  Three  years  later  the  Assembly 
of  Pennsylvania  passed  an  Act  providing  for  a  simi- 
lar exemption  of  "such  foreign  Protestants  as  do 
conscientiously  scruple  the  taking  of  any  oath."  The 
Governor  wanted  the  religious  bodies  specified,  but 
then  as  now  the  politicians  were  afraid  of  losing 
votes,  for  they  knew  that  if  the  Moravians  should  be 
mentioned  there  would  be  trouble;  therefore  they 
refused  the  Governor's  request.  Proprietor  Thomas 
Penn  took  the  position  that  whether  or  not  the  Mo- 
ravians were  specified  in  this  Act  they  had  been 
particularly  in  the  mind  of  those  who  framed  it. 
That  full  justice  might  be  done  the  Moravians 
Thomas  Penn  and  General  Oglethorpe  went  to  Eng- 
land in  1747  and  moved  in  the  House  of  Commons 
"that  a  clause  be  inserted  in  the  Act  of  1740  in  favor 
of  the  Moravians  or  United  Brethren,  exempting 
them  from  the  taking  of  an  oath."  This  motion  pre- 
vailed, and  was  embodied  in  a  new  Act  which  took 
effect  on  December  25, 1747.  Moravians  of  to-day  no 
longer  seek  exemption  from  taking  oath  or  bearing 
arms,  even  as  in  those  early  days  many  of  the  Breth- 
ren as  individuals  had  no  conscientious  scruples  on 
this  score.  At  that  time,  however,  it  was  deemed 
desirable  to  take  some  such  position  as  a  Church, 
not  only  on  conscientious  grounds,  but  so  that  the 


MORAVIAN  CHURCH  RECOGNIZED       73 

progress  of  tlie  gospel  which  it  proclaimed  might 
not  be  hindered. 

Altho  deeply  grateful  for  the  privileges  which 
they  now  enjoyed,  the  Moravians  realized  the  neces- 
sity of  having  their  Church  officially  recognized  by 
the  British  Government.  To  achieve  this  end  six 
leading  men  of  the  Church  were  appointed  as 
Deputies  on  December  13, 1748,  to  carry  on  the  neces- 
sary negotiations.  On  New  Yearns  Day,  1749,  these 
deputies  landed  in  England.  They  carefully  framed 
a  petition  which  was  brought  to  the  attention  of 
Parliament.  England  was  anxious  to  have  the  larg- 
est possible  number  of  desirable  settlers  in  her  col- 
onies, therefore  it  was  most  opportune  for  the  appeal 
of  the  Brethren  that  Captain  Garrison  arrived  in 
London  with  the  Irene  while  this  matter  was  under 
discussion.  On  board  the  Irene  was  the  ''Third  Sea 
Congregation/'  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
Moravian  colonists  bound  for  Pennsylvania. 

On  February  20,  1749,  General  Oglethorpe  pre- 
sented a  resolution  in  the  House  of  Commons  pledg- 
ing the  House  to  encourage  the  Moravian  Brethren 
to  settle  in  the  Colonies.  This  resolution  was 
adopted  with  but  one  dissenting  vote.  The  House 
then  appointed  a  Committee  of  Inquiry  consisting 
of  more  than  forty  members  with  Oglethorpe  as 
chairman.  The  petition  of  the  Deputies  of  the  Mo- 
ravian Church  was  referred  to  this  Committee.  On 
March  14  Oglethorpe  reported  it  to  the  House  of 
Commons,  and  in  the  name  of  the  Committee  recom- 
mended that  it  be  granted.  The  claims  made  by  the 
Brethren   in    their  petition   were  substantiated   by 


74      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

one  hundred  and  thirty-five  documents.  After  con- 
siderable discussion  an  Act  of  Parliament  was  passed 
on  May  12,  1749,  recognizing  the  Unitas  Fratrum  or 
Moravian  Church  as  an  ancient  Protestant  Episco- 
pal Church  with  doctrines  differing  in  no  essential 
point  from  the  Thirty-nine  Articles  of  the  Church  of 
England,  and  conferring  upon  it  as  such  distinct 
rights  and  privileges  in  all  British  dominions.  By 
this  Act  the  Moravians  were  also  exempted  from 
taking  oath  and  from  military  duty,  the  British  Gov- 
ernment accepting  affirmation  and  assessment  of 
money  in  lieu  of  these  obligations.  The  practical 
value  of  this  Act  cannot  be  overestimated.  By  it  the 
Moravian  Church  was  established  thruout  Great 
Britain  and  all  its  possessions. 

The  significance  of  these  important  events  was 
nowhere  appreciated  more  than  in  New  York.  Those 
who  had  at  heart  the  interests  of  the  Brethren  in  the 
city  felt  it  desirable  to  organize  a  regular  Moravian 
congregation.  At  this  time  the  church  authorities 
in  Europe  decided  that  Bishop  John  de  Watteville 
should  make  a  tour  of  inspection  among  the  Indian 
Missions  and  in  the  West  Indies.  In  the  third  week 
of  September,  1748,  de  Watteville,  the  son-in-law  of 
Zinzendorf,  with  his  wife,  the  Countess  Benigna, 
and  five  young  women,  landed  in  New  York.  John 
Wade,  the  Moravian  Evangelist,  welcomed  the  dis- 
tinguished arrivals  and  conducted  them  to  Bethle- 
hem. Returning  from  his  visit  to  the  Indian  Mis- 
sions, de  Watteville  spent  some  time  in  New  York  in 
December,  1748.  This  time  he  was  not  merely 
passing  thru  the  city,  but  had  come  for  the  purpose 


CONGREGATION  ORGANIZED  75 

of  organizing  a  Moravian  congregation  as  directed 
by  the  first  distinctively  Moravian  synod  convened  at 
Bethleliem  on  October  13.  Notwithstanding  bitter 
persecution  the  Society  organized  by  Boehler 
flourished.  By  the  spring  of  1748  it  had  at  least 
fifty  members  in  the  city  and  its  environs.  At  this 
time  an  ineffectual  effort  was  made  to  secure  the  use 
of  a  Lutheran  or  Reformed  church  for  stated  public 
Moravian  services.  When  this  effort  failed,  a  hall 
was  rented  for  meetings  and  rooms  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  ministers  and  lay-workers.  In  this  hall 
both  English  and  German  preaching  services  were 
held  on  Sunday  and  private  worship  on  several  eve- 
nings of  the  week. 

On  March  26,  1748,  a  farewell  love-feast  was  held 
in  honor  of  Abraham  Boemper,  who  was  about  to 
remove  to  Bethlehem.  On  this  occasion  a  list  of 
^'souls  gone  to  the  congregation  from  New  York, 
Long  Island  and  Staten  Island"  was  read.  This  list 
contains  the  names  of  adults  and  children,  for  in 
accordance  with  the  rules  of  the  Moravian  Church 
all  baptized  children  under  thirteen  years  of  age  are 
received  with  their  parents.  In  case  only  one  of  the 
parents  joins  the  Church  the  same  rule  holds  unless 
it  is  the  expressed  wish  of  the  parents  that  their 
children  shall  not  be  so  received.  Those  who  went 
to  the  Bethlehem  congregation  from  New  York  be- 
fore the  year  1748,  according  to  the  list  mentioned, 
were  the  following:  Jupiter,  the  Negro  boy  who 
went  to  Europe  with  Bishop  Nitschmann  in  173G; 
Eleanor  Gregg,  who  later  became  the  wife  of  Hector 
Gambold ;  Anna  Oerter,  Gertrude  Schneider,  L^'dia 


76      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Montagne,  Elizabeth  Brasher,  Mary  Bumside,  Ger- 
trude Peterson,  Rebecca  Montague,  Abraham  Mon- 
tague, Martha  Bryant-Neiberg,  Martha  Bueninger, 
Elizabeth  Okely,  Anna  Burnet,  Thomas  Noble,  Jr., 
Isaac  Noble,  James  Noble,  Sarah  Noble,  Mary  Noble, 
James  Arden,  Elizabeth  Arden,  John  Arden  and 
his  wife,  Andrew  the  Negro,  John  and  Mary  Kings- 
ton, Christian  Boemper,  William  Burnet,  Hannah 
Gatehouse,  Corydon  the  Indian,  Thomas  and  John 
Campbell,  Abraham  Boemper,  Joseph  Boelen,  Joseph 
Kingston,  thirty-five  in  all.  Those  from  Long  Island 
who  went  to  the  Bethlehem  congregation  were  Tim- 
othy and  Elizabeth  Horsfield,  Israel  Horsfield,  Molly 
Watters,  Peter  Peterson,  John  Hopson,  John  Ed- 
monds, Mary  Edmonds,  Thomas  a  Negro,  Anthony 
a  Negro,  Rebecca  a  Negro  girl,  Caesar  a  Negro  boy, 
Mary  Edmonds,  Elizabeth  Cornell,  or  fourteen  in  all. 
Those  who  went  from  Staten  Island  were  Nicholas 
Garrison  and  his  wife  and  children,  Nicholas,  Jr., 
John,  Lambert,  Benjamin  and  Susanna;  Sigorius, 
two  little  children  whose  names  are  not  given,  and 
Anna  Van  der  Bilt,  or  eleven  in  all.  Therefore  the 
total  number  of  persons  who  had  identified  them- 
selves with  the  Bethlehem  congregation  was  sixty. 
On  December  27,  1748,  Bishop  de  Watteville  organ- 
ized the  first  Moravian  congregation  in  New  York 
City.  Among  the  charter  members  were  Hendrick 
Van  Vleck  and  his  wife  Jane ;  John  Kingston,  Isma- 
jah  Burnet,  Janet  Boelen,  William  Cornwall,  and 
Timothy  Horsfield  and  his  wife  Mary.  James  Green- 
ing, who  with  his  wife  Elizabeth  labored  in  New 
York  from  June,  1748,  to  March,  1750,  assumed  the 


CONGREGATION  ORGANIZED  77 

pastoral  oversight  of  the  congregation.  In  May  of 
the  following  year  the  Act  of  the  British  Parliament 
settled  the  future  status  of  the  congregation. 

On  the  day  this  Act  was  passed  the  Third  Sea  Con- 
gregation whose  presence  in  London  had  given  added 
impulse  to  the  measure,  landed  in  New  York.  The 
arrival  of  these  colonists  attracted  a  great  deal  of 
attention.  In  the  weekly  issue  of  the  New  York 
Gazette  this  statement  appears :  "We  hear  that  the 
snow  Irene,  Capt.  Garrison,  is  arrived  at  Sandy 
Hook,  from  London,  with  upwards  of  one  hundred 
passengers  on  board,  of  the  Moravian  Brethren." 
The  Moravians  and  their  friends  in  the  city  wel- 
comed the  newcomers  as  the  other  Sea  Congregations 
had  been  welcomed  by  them,  but  the  most  important 
event  of  the  year  was  the  announcement  of  the  Act 
passed  by  the  British  Parliament  in  May.  On 
October  6  Bishop  de  Watteville  and  the  Countess 
Benigna,  with  Bishop  Nitschmann  and  his  wife,  and 
a  number  of  others  left  Bethlehem  for  New  York  to 
return  to  Europe.  On  October  12  de  Watteville  com- 
pleted the  organization  of  the  New  York  congrega- 
tion. On  this  occasion  the  Holy  Communion  was 
celebrated  for  the  first  time  in  New  York  according 
to  the  ritual  of  the  Moravian  Church,  forty-six  com- 
municants partaking.  Owen  Rice,  having  been  or- 
dained a  Deacon  of  the  Moravian  Church  in  1748, 
became  the  first  settled  pastor  of  the  congregation. 
On  May  12,  1749,  he  entered  upon  his  duties,  serving 
in  this  capacity  until  June  10,  1754,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Europe,  where  he  served  various  congrega- 
tions in  England  and  Ireland  until  his  death  thirty- 


78      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

one  years  later.  In  1744  the  sacrament  of  Baptism 
was  administered  for  the  first  time  in  New  York  by 
a  Moravian  minister.  On  April  25  the  Rev.  Gottlob 
Buettner  baptized  eight-year-old  James,  the  infant 
son  of  James  and  Mary  Montagne,  in  the  presence  of 
the  parents,  and  Thomas  Noble,  Hector  Gambold, 
Mary  Noble,  Elizabeth  Hume,  Mary  Wendower,  Jane 
Boelen,  Martha  Bryant,  and  Eleanor  Gregg.  On 
October  20  of  the  same  year  the  Rev.  John  C.  Pyr- 
laeus  baptized  James,  the  infant  son  of  Thomas  and 
Mary  Noble.  The  first  Moravian  marriage  ceremony 
in  New  York  was  performed  by  the  Rev.  Owen  Rice 
on  January  12,  1751,  the  contracting  parties  being 
Jacob  Reed  and  the  widow  Jane  Taylor,  m.n.  Min- 
thorne. 

Regularly  organized  and  having  a  resident  pastor, 
the  work  of  the  congregation  could  be  more  vigor- 
ously prosecuted.  Three  stated  meetings  were  held 
on  Sunday,  a  preaching  service  in  the  morning  at 
ten  and  in  the  afternoon  at  three  o'clock,  and  a 
meeting  for  communicant  members  of  the  congrega- 
tion at  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening.  The  evening 
meeting  was  liturgical  in  character.  The  pastor  and 
his  assistant,  together  with  their  wives  and  such 
other  workers  in  the  congregation  as  they  chose  to 
invite  from  time  to  time,  enjoyed  a  love  feast  every 
Sunday.  In  connection  with  the  love  feast  they 
talked  over  matters  pertaining  to  the  spiritual  in- 
terests of  individual  members  who  especially  needed 
attention.  There  was  also  a  brief  meeting  on  Sun- 
day afternoons  known  as  '^Yiertel  Stunden."  This 
type  of  meeting  came  down  from  the  time  when  in 


CONGREGATIONAL  MEETINGS  79 

1727  Zinzendorf  delivered  a  brief  address  to  mar- 
ried people,  or  young  men,  or  young  women,  or  chil- 
dren, as  the  case  might  be,  especially  adapting  his 
words  to  the  class  of  members  before  him.  A  weekly 
meeting  of  the  congregation  was  conducted  on 
Wednesday  evening.  The  Society  aflQliated  with  the 
congregation  had  its  meetings  on  Monday  and  Friday 
evenings.  In  common  with  other  Moravian  congre- 
gations of  that  period  the  New  York  church  intro- 
duced at  an  early  time  the  Gemeintag,  a  monthly 
congregational  festival  at  which  reports  of  Moravian 
labors  in  general,  or  letters  from  Christian  friends 
or  church  leaders,  or  from  missionaries  in  various 
fields,  were  read.  The  services  of  this  day  fostered 
the  missionary  spirit.  The  congregation  also  em- 
ployed the  '^Hourly  Intercession,'^  which  was  insti- 
tuted at  Herrnhut  in  1727  at  a  time  when  the  congre- 
gation was  threatened  with  danger.  The  congrega- 
tion in  New  York  was  divided  into  prayer-bands, 
each  band  being  charged  to  pray  during  a  specified 
hour.  In  this  way  every  hour  of  the  day  and  night 
was  filled  with  the  intercession  of  the  Brethren  at 
the  throne  of  Grace.  A  list  giving  the  names  and 
liours  of  such  intercessors  in  the  congregation  in 
October,  1756,  is  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the 
First  Moravian  Church  of  New  York  City. 

The  Holy  Communion  was  celebrated  every  eight 
weeks,  the  Society  members  partaking  of  the  Sacra- 
ment less  frequently  than  members  of  the  congrega- 
tion. A  congregational  love  feast  was  held  every 
three  months,  and  as  many  times  in  addition  as 
special  occasions  demandetl.     The  records  contain 


80      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

the  following  interesting  statement:  "There  must 
be  a  watch  always  at  our  house-door  at  the  time  of 
our  private  meetings,  for  it  is  against  the  law  to 
lock  a  door.  The  brethren  of  the  congregation  and 
trustworthy  members  of  the  society  take  turns."  It 
was  the  duty  of  the  pastor,  or  of  some  one  delegated 
by  him,  to  keep  a  church  diary,  a  copy  of  which  had 
to  be  sent  to  the  authorities  at  Bethlehem  every 
month.  This  requirement  likewise  obtained  in  other 
Moravian  congregations.  As  a  result  a  tradition 
arose  in  some  quarters  that  every  Moravian  minister 
had  to  submit  to  the  Church  authorities  at  Bethle- 
hem for  approval  a  copy  of  every  sermon  he  preached. 
This  tradition  still  obtained  in  the  boyhood  days  of 
the  writer  of  this  history.  There  was  no  rule  of  this 
sort  at  any  time.  However,  every  Moravian  pastor 
is  required  to  keep  a  diary  of  the  church  which  he 
has  in  charge,  and  to  submit  an  annual  report  con- 
taining a  statement,  properly  signed  by  the  Elders 
and  Trustees,  showing  the  congregation's  member- 
ship, financial  condition,  contributions  to  missions 
and  benevolences,  and  other  matters  of  interest.  In 
the  early  days  of  the  New  York  congregation  there 
were  elders  and  eldresses,  and  these,  together  with 
other  members  charged  with  the  performance  of  cer- 
tain tasks,  were  known  as  '' Helpers,"  and  collectively 
as  the  ^'Helpers*  Conference."  This  conference 
usually  met  before  or  after  the  weekly  meeting  of  the 
congregation  on  Wednesday  evening.  In  1754  the 
conference  consisted  of  Henry  Van  Vleck,  John 
Kingston,  Ismajah  Burnet,  Jane  Boelen,  William 
Nixon,   and   Esther  Froehlich.     One  of  the  early 


BOYS'  SCHOOL  ON  LONG  ISLAND   81 

diarists  of  the  congregation  writes:  '^In  funeral  ser- 
mons we  say  nothing  of  the  departed  but  speak  to  the 
living/'  which  is  a  custom  in  accordance  with  the 
best  traditions  of  the  Moravian  Church.  The  Mo- 
ravian minister  never  deals  in  empty  praise  of  the 
dead,  nor  does  he  pass  judgment  upon  them.  It  is 
customary  to  read  a  brief  biography  of  the  departed 
at  the  funeral  service.  The  early  Moravians  wore 
no  mourning  attire  or  emblems.  They  considered  it 
inconsistent  with  their  belief  that  Christian  believ- 
ers depart  to  be  with  Christ  in  the  place  of  supreme 
bliss.  Altho  the  former  rule  against  the  wearing  of 
mourning  apparel  was  abrogated  years  ago,  the  Mo- 
ravian view  of  death  remains  unchanged.  Therefore 
an  outward  show  of  mourning,  especially  if  elaborate, 
is  regarded  as  contrary  to  the  best  traditions  of  the 
Church. 

In  the  spring  of  1750  Jasper  Payne,  the  pastor's 
assistant,  and  James  Greening,  an  itinerant  evange- 
list, opened  a  Boys'  School  in  the  Long  Island  house 
of  Timothy  Horsfield,  which  he  placed  at  the  dis- 
posal of  the  Moravians  when  on  November  8,  1749, 
he  removed  to  Bethlehem.  John  Doehling,  a  former 
Jena  University  student,  was  the  teacher  of  the 
school.  In  December,  1750,  the  school  was  removed 
to  "a  house  near  the  ferry."  Subsequent  to  the  year 
1749,  the  Horsfield  house  was  the  seat  of  an  ''Econ- 
omy/^ or  "Family,'"  composed  of  Moravian  men  and 
women  laboring  for  the  spread  of  the  gospel,  or  in 
the  interests  of  education.  From  this  center  the 
itinerants  went  forth  to  their  labors  in  the  city,  on 
the  neighboring  islands,  and  in  various  parts  of  New 


82      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

York  and  New  England.  Meanwhile  the  congrega- 
tion was  worshipping  in  the  Hall  rented  for  the 
purpose.  Feeling  that  they  needed  a  church,  the 
members  purchased  for  300  pounds  in  New  York 
currency  two  lots,  each  25  x  100  feet,  on  the  south 
side  of  Fair,  now  Fulton  Street,  between  William 
and  Nassau  Streets.  This  purchase  was  effected  in 
the  year  1751.  The  Trustees  of  the  congregation  at 
the  time  w^ere  Owen  Rice,  John  Brownfield,  Henry 
Van  Vleck,  and  John  Kingston.  The  money  for  the 
lots  and  building  purposes  was  raised  by  subscrip- 
tion. Those  who  contributed  to  this  cause  were  Elsie 
Wyton,  Judith  Brasher,  John  Kingston,  James  Ar- 
den,  Jacob  Reed,  Jacques  Montague,  Hendrick 
Boelen,  Hester  Pell,  Thomas  Pears,  Abraham  Boem- 
per.  Bishop  Spangenberg  "in  the  name  of  the  United 
Brethren,'^  Catherine  Van  Vleck,  Sarah  Van  Vleck, 
Timothy  Horsfield,  Rudolphus  Van  Dyck  and  Eliza- 
beth Cofton.  An  extant  list  of  subscribers  toward 
the  erection  of  a  dwelling  house  for  the  pastor  con- 
tains the  following  names :  Henry  Van  Vleck,  John 
Kingston,  Jacques  Montague,  Hendrick  Boelen, 
Thomas  Pears,  Jos.  Spangenberg  "in  the  name  of 
the  United  Brethren,"  Direk  Schuyler,  Catherine 
Van  Vleck,  Sarah  Van  Vleck,  and  Cornelia  Tiebout. 
On  June  5,  1751,  workmen  broke  ground  for  the 
edifice,  and  eleven  days  later  the  cornerstone  of  the 
first  Moravian  church  in  New  York  City  was  for- 
mally laid  by  the  pastor,  the  Rev.  Owen  Rice.  The 
cheering  watchword  for  the  day  was  "They  shall  not 
build,  and  another  inhabit."— Isaiah  65:  22.  This 
event  gave  great  promise  for  the  future,  and  the  con- 


FIRST  CHUKCH  CONSECRATED  83 

gregation  rejoiced  greatly.  The  building  operations 
were  under  the  supervision  of  James  Arden,  a  car- 
penter and  member  of  the  church.  Work  on  the 
building,  which  was  of  brick,  had  to  be  suspended 
when  winter  set  in.  But  favorable  weather  per- 
mitted the  workmen  to  resume  their  operations  on 
February  17,  1752,  and  by  the  middle  of  June  the 
edifice  was  finished.  On  Sunday,  June  18,  just  one 
year  after  the  laying  of  the  cornerstone,  the  church 
was  consecrated  by  Bishop  Spangenberg,  assisted 
by  the  jjastor,  Owen  Rice,  and  Jacob  Rogers.  The 
service  was  opened  by  singing  the  hymn,  "May  Jesus' 
l)lood  and  righteousness,  fill  and  adorn  this  hal- 
lowed place."  Bishop  Spangenberg  delivered  an 
impressive  German  sermon  based  on  I.  Corinthians 
2:  2,  "I  determined  not  to  know  anything  among 
you,  save  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified."  At  the 
afternoon  service  the  pastor,  the  Rev.  Owen  Rice, 
preached  in  English  from  the  text,  "The  hour  com- 
eth,  and  now  is  when  the  true  worshippers  shall  wor- 
ship the  Father  in  spirit  and  in  truth :  for  the  Father 
seeketh  such  to  worship  him." — John  4:  23.  After 
the  sermon  the  Holy  Communion  was  celebrated, 
Bishop  Spangenberg  presiding.  The  services  of  the 
day  were  well  attended.  Among  those  present  were 
a  number  of  Bethlehem  people.  Some  of  the  trom- 
l)one  players  of  the  Bethlehem  congregation  assisted 
in  rendering  the  instrumental  music  of  the  occasion. 
On  the  following  Tuesday  the  Rev.  Jacob  Rogers 
prc*ached  at  a  service  held  in  the  little  church. 

Now  that  the  congregation  had  a  suitable  house 
of  worship,  it  was  next  deci«led  to  provide  a  com- 


84      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

fortable  home  for  the  pastor.  On  July  1,  1752,  work 
was  commenced  on  the  parsonage,  and  before  the 
close  of  the  year  it  was  ready  for  occupancy.  The 
building  was  of  brick  and  three  stories  in  height.  It 
was  located  on  the  lot  adjoining  the  church,  and  like 
the  church  fronted  on  Fair  (Fulton)  Street.  It  was 
first  occupied  by  Owen  Rice  and  his  wife,  who  had 
previously  found  quarters  in  the  home  of  William 
Nixon  on  Long  Island.  The  congregation  now  had  a 
church  and  parsonage,  but  no  place  for  the  burial  of 
the  dead.  Therefore  a  plot  of  ground  was  obtained  for 
this  purpose  in  the  year  1754  "a  little  way  out  of 
town."  This  grave-yard  was  located  at  what  is  now 
the  corner  of  Mott  and  Pell  Streets.  Daniel  Waldron, 
a  married  man  aged  41  years,  was  the  first  person 
to  be  buried  here.  The  interment  occurred  on  March 
23,  1754.  The  church  register  mentions  six  other 
deaths  previous  to  that  of  Waldron,  but  it  does  not 
state  where  the  remains  were  buried.  In  1760  a 
piece  of  ground,  22  x  70  feet,  adjoining  the  church- 
lot,  was  purchased  and  used  as  a  burial-place.  On 
August  27  of  the  same  year  the  body  of  Elizabeth 
Susanna  Pontenier,  a  child,  was  here  laid  to  rest  as 
the  first  seed  of  this  God's  Acre. 

In  1754  an  indebtedness  of  two  thousand  dollars 
rested  on  the  church-property.  Earnest  efforts  were 
made  to  liquidate  the  debt.  Every  three  months  an 
offering  was  taken  to  pay  the  accrued  interest.  At 
this  time  the  congregation  consisted  of  the  following 
members :  James  Arden  and  his  wife  Ursula ;  John 
Cargill;  William  Cornwall  and  his  wife  Charity; 
John  Doehling;  Daniel  Fueter  and  his  wife  Cather- 


MEMBERSHIP  OF  THE  CHURCH  85 

ine;  John  Kingston;  a  man  named  Kuiper;  Daniel 
Mueller  and  his  wife  Mary;  James  Montagile  and 
his  wife  Mary;  William  Nixon  and  his  wife  Re- 
becca; Peter  Petersen   and  his  wife  Sarah;  Jacob 
Reed   and  his   wife   Jane;   Jane   Boelen;    Ismajah 
Burnet;  Elizabeth  Inyard,  a  sister  of  Nicholas  Gar- 
rison; Mary  Hinchman;  Jarvis  Roebuck;  a  person 
named     Smith ;     Jacobus     Vanderbilt ;     Jan     Van 
Deusen ;  Henry  Van  Vleck ;  William  Burnet ;  John 
Gr.  Feldhausen ;  Christoph  Feldhausen ;  a  man  named 
Fritz;    Loreuz    Kielbrunn;    Abraham    Montague; 
Susan  Roebuck;  Nieltje  Van  der  Bilt;  Trijutje  Van 
Deusen;    Jane    Van    Vleck;    Margareta    Anthony; 
Jane  Haley;  Esther  Pell;  Sarah  Waldron;  Judith 
Brasher;  Susan  Berger;  Elizabeth  Cofton;  Deborah 
Smith;  Matje  Van  Dyck;  and  Alice  Wyton.     The 
congregation  had  the  following  adherents :  Hendrick 
Boelen;    Ludwig  Boemper;   John   Bowie;   Jacques 
Cortellj'ou;  Abraham  Florentine;  Thomas  Lapper; 
Francis  Hendrickse;  a  man  named  Marteuse;  Wil- 
liam Pearson ;  Samuel  Pell ;  a  man  named  Puntenier ; 
John  Rinney;  Dirck  Schuyler;  James  Swan;  Cor- 
nells Tiebout;  John  Van  De  Venter;  Jacobus  Van 
der  Bilt,  Jr. ;  a  married  woman  named  Anderson ; 
Margaret  Campbell;   Gerritje  Boemper;   Catherine 
Connor;  Jacomyntje  Cortellyou ;  Elsje  Florentine;  a 
married   woman   named   Hagen ;    Rachel  Kingston; 
Charity  Hendrickse;  a  married  woman  named  Mar- 
teuse; Mary  Pearson  ;  Mary  Pell ;  Martha  Puntenier; 
a  married  woman  named  Schout;  another  married 
woman  named  Schuyler;  Matje  Tiebout;  Lysbet  Van 
Deventer;  three  married  women  respectively  named 


86      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Van  Der  Bilt,  Van  Dyck,  and  Van  Home,  the  record 
not  stating  their  husbands'  names;  the  following 
widows,  Cornelia  Allen;  Eva  Cummings;  Gritje 
Helmes;  Catherine  Hones;  a  woman  named  Kings- 
ton; Trautje  Minthorne;  Susan  Sommers;  and  the 
following  unmarried  women,  Hannah  Allen;  Mary 
Allen;  Catherine  Allen;  Hannah  Bond;  Janetje 
Boelen;  Mary  Ketcham;  Elizabeth  Sommers;  Sarah 
and  Catherine  Van  Vleck. — Jasper  Payne  was  the 
school  teacher  of  the  congregation  from  May  6,  1750, 
to  September  1,  1754,  as  well  as  the  assistant  of  the 
pastor.  During  this  period  he  also  carried  on  evan- 
gelistic work  on  the  neighboring  islands.  For  the 
greater  part  of  the  year  1752  Owen  Rice  was  also 
assisted  by  Hector  Gambold  and  his  wife. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  CONGREGATION  BEFORE  THE 
AMERICAN  REVOLUTION 

Having  closed  his  pastorate  on  June  10,  1754, 
Owen  Rice  left  with  his  wife  for  Bethlehem,  where 
they  spent  several  months,  engaging  in  such  labors 
as  a  visiting  minister  could  render.  There  were  no 
drones  among  the  Moravians.  Unless  a  man  was 
actually  incapacitated  by  sickness  or  some  other 
cause  certain  work  was  delegated  to  him.  And  a 
visitor  in  a  Moravian  community  was  glad  to  avail 
himself  of  any  opportunity  to  be  of  service,  as  evi- 
denced by  the  indefatigable  efforts  put  forth  by  the 
Moravian  pioneers  in  New  York,  altho  some  of  them 
were  here  only  a  short  time.  On  August  24  Rice  and 
his  wife  returned  to  the  city,  where  they  waited  for 
a  vessel  to  take  them  to  London.  Not  able  to  sail 
before  October  10  he  preached  frequently  to  the 
congregation,  and  at  the  homes  of  members  and  ad- 
herents of  the  church  on  the  neighboring  islands. 
He  also  visited  extensively  among  the  people.  He 
took  formal  leave  of  the  congregation  at  a  farewell 
love  feast,  but  a  large  number  of  friends  had  their 
last  affectionate  word  with  him  and  his  wife  on 
board  the  iSfea  Nymph,  which  bore  them  to  Europe. 

Rice  was  succeeded  as  pastor  of  the  congregation 
by  Abraham  Reinke,  a  native  of  Stockholm,  Sweden, 
who  became  acquainted  with  the  Moravians  while 

87 


88   MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

a  student  in  the  University  of  Jena.  In  1738  he 
identiiSied  himself  with  the  Moravian  Church.  In 
July,  1744,  he  was  joined  in  marriage  to  Susan  Stock- 
berg  of  Summoer,  Norway,  and  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year  he  and  his  bride  accompanied  Bishop 
Spangenberg  to  America,  where  he  was  active  in 
gospel  labors  in  various  fields  until  he  became  pastor 
of  the  New  York  church.  His  pastorate  was  short, 
lasting  only  from  June  10  to  October  28,  when  fail- 
ing health  compelled  him  to  retire  to  Bethlehem, 
where  he  died  six  years  later.  That  he  was  success- 
ful in  his  labors  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  the 
members  of  the  congregation  petitioned  the  authori- 
ties of  the  Church  at  Bethlehem  to  send  him  back 
as  soon  as  his  health  and  strength  should  allow.  The 
petition  contained  the  following  tribute  to  him: 
"The  members  of  the  congregation  are  satisfied  with 
his  preaching,  and  especially  with  his  walk  and  con- 
versation, which  have  exercised  a  great  influence  for 
good."  Jasper  Payne  and  others  were  associated 
with  Reinke  in  his  New  York  labors.  The  official 
diary  covering  his  pastorate  contains  a  number  of 
interesting  items.  It  records  the  death  of  the  Rev. 
Henricus  Boel,  the  Dutch  Reformed  minister  who  for 
fifteen  years  bitterly  attacked  the  Moravians  in 
season  and  out  of  season.  Having  been  reinforced 
by  new  supplies  of  material  directed  against  the 
Brethren,  he  launched  his  last  attack  against  them 
on  Sunday,  June  23,  1754.  Warning  his  hearers 
against  "the  deceitful  Moravians,"  he  ended  his  dia- 
tribe by  saying  that  he  would  further  reveal  their 
maliciousness  on  the  following  Sunday.    Before  the 


WHITEFIELD  TAKEN  FOR  MORAVIAN   89 

echo  of  his  words  had  died  away,  he  was  stricken 
with  paralysis,  which  brought  about  his  death  a  few 
days  later,  and  on  the  following  Sunday  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Ritzma  preached  his  funeral  sermon. 

In  July  Whitefield  visited  New  York  and  as  usual 
preached  to  large  congregations.  It  is  evident  that 
this  good  man  was  not  without  a  jealous  vein,  which 
no  doubt  prompted  some  of  the  harsh  things  he  di- 
rected against  the  Moravians  by  tongue  and  pen. 
In  a  letter  to  his  friend  Van  Home,  who  became  a 
member  of  the  Moravian  Church  after  his  conversion 
under  Whitefield's  preaching,  the  evangelist  ex- 
pressed his  great  displeasure  that  he  and  others 
should  have  allowed  their  love  to  grow  cold  toward 
him  "because  he  used  his  voice  against  certain  peo- 
ple.'* At  the  time  of  this  visit,  however,  Whitefield 
seemed  to  feel  more  kindly  disposed  toward  the  Mo- 
ravians. He  preached  so  much  about  the  Saviour  and 
His  power  to  heal  that  some  of  his  hearers  who  were 
not  acquainted  with  him,  took  for  granted  that  he 
must  be  a  Moravian.  It  was  reported  that  he  would 
not  allow  any  one  to  say  a  word  against  the  Breth- 
ren, even  expressing  regret  that  he  himself  had  ever 
raised  his  voice  against  them,  and  exhorting  his 
hearers  "to  cleave  to  the  Saviour  whom  the  Mo- 
ravians preached."  The  Baptists  of  that  day  were 
not  so  kindly  disposed.  They  left  no  stone  unturned 
in  their  efforts  to  attract  the  adherents  of  the  Breth 
ren  to  the  Baptist  Church,  declaring  that  the 
Moravians  were  in  error,  giving  as  the  principal 
ground  of  this  contention  the  fact  that  "the  Mo 
ravians  honor  the  Son  more  than   they  honor  the 


90      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Father."  In  pleasing  contrast  to  such  petty  sectari- 
anism is  the  record  of  July  20,  in  which  this  surpris- 
ing statement  occurs :  "Brother  Payne  and  Brother 
Reinke  visited  the  Jews  in  their  synagogue,  who  re- 
ceived them  very  kindly  and  courteously,  and  they 
could  pray  very  heartily  (presumably  in  secret)  for 
the  poor  Jews  that  the  veil  of  Moses  might  soon 
burst  open." 

Altho  the  Moravian  Church  was  winning  its  way 
and  gaining  friends  among  all  classes  of  people, 
its  members  and  adherents  continued  to  meet  with 
opposition  from  certain  quarters.  Some  found  fault 
with  them  on  doctrinal  grounds,  while  others  were 
opposed  to  them  because  they  refused  to  take  up 
arms.  Some  professed  to  take  great  offense  because 
the  Brethren  were  supposed  to  believe  in  transub- 
stantiation.  When  confronted  with  this  alleged  be- 
lief Reinke  declared  that  the  position  of  the  Mo- 
ravian Church  on  this  point  was  well  expressed  in 
the  words  of  Queen  Elizabeth  of  England  when  she 
said  in  regard  to  the  Lord's  Supper:  '^He  was  the 
Word  and  spake  it;  He  was  the  Bread  and  brake  it. 
And  what  His  Wo7^d  doth  make  it,  that  I  believe,  and 
take  it."  It  is  a  sign  of  the  times  that  there  should 
have  been  opposition  to  the  Moravians  on  such 
grounds.  Their  one  aim  was  to  preach  the  gospel 
to  the  unsaved.  They  desired  to  win  converts  for 
Christ  and  then  minister  to  them  in  a  purely  unde- 
nominational way.  Nothing  was  further  from  their 
mind  than  the  thought  of  proselyting.  They  never 
under  any  circumstances  asked  any  one  to  join  the 
Moravian  Church.    Wisely  or  unwisely,  they  actually 


A  STRANGE  RUMOR  91 

discouraged  people  from  becoming  Moravians. 
Those  who  became  members  of  their  Church  did  so 
of  their  own  volition,  and  absolutely  without  any 
solicitation  on  the  part  of  the  Brethren.  Any  one 
who  sincerely  loved  the  Saviour  and  desired  to  en- 
joy Moravian  ministrations  could  join  the  Society 
afifiliated  with  the  congregation.  No  effort  was  made 
to  get  the  Society  members  to  leave  their  respective 
Churches.  While  on  an  official  visit  in  the  city  in 
1754  Peter  Boehler  said  at  a  meeting  of  the  Society : 
^^We  wish  that  all  our  society  members  would  con- 
tinue in  their  respective  churches  as  a  salt,  and 
have  their  children  baptized  by  their  pastor,  and 
partake  of  the  Holy  Communion  in  their  particular 
Church.  It  is  not  our  way  to  draw  people  from  the 
Churches  in  which  they  were  brought  up,  and  we 
earnestly  wish  that  the  ministers  of  other  denomi- 
nations would  be  friendly  to  us,  for  in  this  way  they 
would  not  lose  so  many  members.  The  baptism  of 
children,  excepting  those  whose  parents  are  mem- 
bers of  our  Church,  is  not  approved  by  our  Synod." 
The  imminence  of  the  French  and  Indian  War 
naturally  aroused  opposition  to  the  Moravians.  In 
August,  1754,  a  rumor  was  current  that  the  Mo- 
ravians had  a  secret  way  to  Ohio  so  as  to  render 
assistance  to  the  French.  It  was  reported  that  two 
lights  had  been  seen  on  the  Moravian  church  steeple, 
^^which  made  the  Lamb  upon  the  flag  appear  very 
plainly  and  brightly."  This  was  supposed  to  be 
some  signal  to  the  French.  When  some  one  re- 
peated this  silly  rumor  to  William  Burnet  he  said, 
"This  story  can  proceed  from  no  one  else  than  the 


92      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Devil,  because  it  is  a  lie,  and  he  is  a  liar  from  the 
beginning."  But  the  populace  and  petty  officials 
are  not  readily  impressed  by  a  mere  statement  of 
the  truth.  They  choose  rather  to  believe  silly  fables. 
For  this  reason  the  New  York  Moravians  suffered 
considerable  trouble  at  a  time  when  a  burning  ha- 
tred of  the  Indians  consumed  most  of  the  colonists. 
They  proved  themselves  loyal  citizens  in  every  way. 
Not  all  had  scruples  about  taking  up  arms,  and 
some  of  the  Brethren  did  stated  duty  at  the  fort, 
while  others  cheerfully  paid  the  fine  involved  by  the 
Act  of  Parliament  which  exempted  such  Moravians 
as  had  conscientious  scruples  against  taking  up  arms. 
Several  Moravian  delegations  appealed  to  the  Gover- 
nor for  protection,  and  His  Excellency  always  as- 
sured them  that  their  petition  would  be  granted. 
But  even  he  could  not  shield  them  from  all  trouble 
and  annoyance.  The  Moravians  were  the  friends 
of  the  Indians,  and  the  Indians  were  the  allies  of  the 
French,  therefore  the  masses,  who  never  weigh  mat- 
ters carefully,  could  not  escape  what  they  considered 
the  logical  conclusion,  that  the  Moravians  must  be 
the  enemy  of  the  English. 

For  a  time  it  looked  as  if  there  would  be  a  neigh- 
boring Moravian  congregation  established  in  the 
Province.  In  the  spring  of  1754  a  New  York  Land 
Company,  in  which  Cornells  Tiebout,  a  member  of 
the  society  affiliated  with  the  congregation,  was 
deeply  interested,  tried  to  induce  the  authorities  at 
Bethlehem  to  found  a  Moravian  settlement  in  Ulster 
County.  This  company  offered  to  give  outright  to 
the  Church  four  thousand  acres  of  land  provided  the 


NEW  SETTLEMENT  PLANNED  93 

authorities  would  agree  to  purchase  at  a  reasonable 
figure  an  additional  tract  of  seven  thousand  acres. 
A  Moravian  delegation  inspected  the  land,  and  ren- 
dered a  favorable  report,  recommending,  however, 
further  investigation.  On  May  2, 1754,  Bishop  David 
Nitschmann  and  David  Zeisberger  left  Bethlehem  to 
select  the  site  for  the  new  settlement,  which  was  to 
be  named  Zauchtenthal  after  the  village  in  Moravia 
w^hich  had  been  the  home  of  Nitschmann  before  his 
emigration  to  Herrnhut.  The  negotiations  with  the 
Land  Company  resulted  in  mutually  satisfactory 
terms  of  agreement,  deeds  for  the  transfer  of  the 
land  were  prepared  and  lay  ready  to  be  signed. 
Elaborate  plans  were  made  for  the  settlement. 
Bishop  Nitschmann  agreeing  to  take  up  his  residence 
there.  The  church  authorities  decided  to  make  a 
final  investigation,  looking  at  the  project  from  every 
imaginable  angle.  As  a  result  of  this  investiga- 
tion it  became  evident  that  after  all  the  land  was  not 
of  sufficient  adaptability  to  meet  the  various  needs 
of  the  proposed  settlement.  Therefore  the  church  au- 
thorities withdrew  their  agreement  with  the  Land 
Company,  and  the  matter  was  dropped.  Another 
tract  of  land  was  offered  in  the  same  region  in  the 
following  year,  but  this  offer  could  not  be  accepted 
either. 

Meanwhile  the  work  in  the  city  and  on  the  neigh- 
boring islands  was  prosecuted  with  vigor.  On  April 
15  the  working  force  of  the  congregation  was 
strengthened  by  the  arrival  on  the  Irene  of  Daniel 
Fueter  and  his  wife  Catherine,  who  decided  to  locate 
in  New  York.    Among  the  arrivals  was  John  Valen- 


94:   MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

tine  Haidt,  a  minister  and  distinguished  oil-painter, 
who  three  years  later  served  the  congregation  for  a 
brief  period  as  its  pastor.  Other  members  of  the 
company  were  Bishop  Spangenberg,  Bishop  Nitsch- 
mann,  the  Rev.  John  Ettwein  with  his  wife  and 
child,  the  Rev.  Francis  Lembke,  the  Rev.  Christian 
Benzien  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  and  David 
and  Regina  Heckewelder  with  their  children,  John, 
David,  Christian,  and  Mary.  The  impulse  which  the 
touch  of  these  Brethren  and  others,  who  arrived  in 
the  city  from  time  to  time,  gave  to  the  local  congre- 
gation cannot  be  overestimated.  It  made  a  favorable 
impression  on  the  community,  and  did  much  toward 
increasing  the  standing  of  the  Moravian  Church  in 
New  York.  The  periodic  visits  of  itinerants  and 
missionaries  passing  thru  the  city  on  their  way  to 
nearby  or  distant  fields  of  labor  also  helped  to  keep 
the  altar  fires  burning.  One  cannot  come  into  con- 
tact with  those  who  are  fired  with  zeal  for  the  spread 
of  the  gospel  without  having  one's  own  heart  warmed 
and  fired  with  prayerful  interest  in  the  Lord's  work. 
That  education  is  the  handmaid  of  religion  is  a 
principle  which  the  Moravian  Church  has  recognized 
from  the  beginning.  At  a  time  when  in  this  country 
educational  advantages  for  children  were  either  ex- 
ceedingly limited  or  conspicuous  by  their  absence 
altogether,  the  Moravians  not  only  gathered  the 
young  for  religious  instruction  adapted  to  their 
needs,  but  established  schools  wherever  they  founded 
a  settlement  or  congregation,  or  merely  a  preaching- 
place.  The  itinerants  or  evangelists  were  teachers 
as  well  as  preachers.    Not  long  after  the  Moravians 


ORGANIZATION  OF  A  SCHOOL  95 

came  to  New  York  efforts  were  made  to  teach  the 
children  of  the  colonists  on  Staten  Island  and  Long 
Island.  In  the  city  the  training  of  the  youth  was 
for  some  time  individual  in  character.  On  July  9, 
1754,  Peter  Boehler  while  on  an  official  visit  in  New 
York  conducted  the  first  children's  meeting  of  the 
congregation.  There  were  fourteen  boys  and  five 
girls  in  attendance.  After  the  meeting  he  met  with 
those  parents  who  had  expressed  a  desire  to  send 
their  children  to  the  school  about  to  be  opened,  and 
imparted  to  them  the  following  information:  (1) 
The  school  would  open  on  the  following  Tuesday 
with  Jasper  Payne  as  teacher,  the  pastor  taking  his 
place  when  the  teacher  was  compelled  to  be  absent. 

(2)  That  the  children  might  not  become  too  tired 
and  the  teacher  might  have  time  for  visiting  among 
the  people,  the  school  sessions  would  be  held  from 
9:30  a.m.  to  11:30  a.m.,  and  from  1  p.m.  to  3  p.m. 

(3)  In  case  of  misbehavior  the  children  would  not 
be  whipped,  such  punishment  being  contrary  to 
Moravian  custom,  but  sent  home,  where  they  had 
to  remain  until   they   repented  of  their  misdeeds. 

(4)  The  subjects  taught  would  be  spelling,  reading, 
writing,  and  arithmetic.  (5)  John  Kingston  would 
receive  the  school  money.  (G)  The  parents  were  ex- 
pected to  keep  their  children,  when  not  in  school, 
oft"  the  street  as  much  as  possible.  On  July  IG,  the 
appointed  day,  Jasper  Payne  opened  the  school  with 
five  boys.  The  pupils  wei*e  Peter  Van  Deusen,  John 
Minthorn,  Lewis  Fueter,  Daniel  Fueter,  and  Samuel 
Pell.  About  a  week  later  Benjamin  Burger  and 
John  Kingston,  Jr.,  were  likewise  enrolled.    By  the 


96      MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

end  of  the  year  the  enrollment  was  eleven.  The  lit- 
tle girls  of  the  congregation  received  instruction 
under  different  auspices.  They  were  in  charge  of 
two  young  unmarried  women  or  "school-mistresses." 
When  Reinke  laid  down  his  ofiSce  as  pastor  of  the 
congregation  on  October  28,  1754,  he  was  succeeded 
by  Albrecht  Ludolf  Russmeyer,  who  served  tem- 
porarily in  this  capacity,  closing  his  labors  here  on 
January  10  of  the  succeeding  year.  He  was  assisted 
by  Richard  Utley,  who  came  on  the  field  on  February 
9,  1754,  serving  principally  on  the  islands,  and  leav- 
ing on  June  30,  1755.  In  November  of  Russmeyer's 
pastorate  the  Irene  arrived  with  another  colony  from 
abroad,  and  with  it  came  William  Pearson  and  his 
wife  Mary,  former  members  of  the  Fetter  Lane  So- 
ciety in  London.  They  located  in  New  York  and 
became  members  of  the  congregation.  At  ten  o'clock 
on  New  Year's  Eve  all  the  members  of  the  church  and 
some  members  of  the  society  attended  a  service  con- 
ducted by  Bishop  Boehler.  When  the  clock  struck 
the  hour  of  midnight  the  earnest  discourse  of  the 
preacher  was  interrupted  by  the  joyful  peal  of  the 
organ  and  the  exultant  notes  of  the  flutes,  and  the 
congregation  joined  in  singing  a  hymn  of  thanks- 
giving and  praise,  after  which  Boehler  led  in  fervent 
prayer,  unmindful  of  the  great  noise  and  shooting 
outside  in  the  city  streets.  At  the  love  feast  on  New 
Year's  Day  eight  new  members  were  added  to  the 
society.  They  were  John  Hertel,  Robert  Richardson, 
a  man  named  Becker,  Mary  de  Whyte,  Abraham 
Florentine,  Aletta  Florentine,  Lena  Wey,  and  Rosina 
Brown.    During  the  preceding  year  the  congregation 


NAMES  OF  PASTORS  97 

lost  five  members  by  death,  and  twelve  children  were 
baptized. 

There  were  such  frequent  changes  in  the  minis- 
terial staff  of  this  period  that  it  may  be  well  to  give 
here  the  names  of  the  ministers  who  served  the  con- 
gregation from  the  beginning  of  the  year  1755  to  the 
time  of  the  American  Revolution.  Richard  Utley 
assisted  Reinke  and  later  Russmeyer,  by  laboring 
on  Staten  Island  and  Long  Island,  and  also  by  fre- 
quently preaching  in  English  in  the  city.  He  con- 
tinued his  labors  about  six  months  after  Russmeyer 
left.  On  March  (5,  1755,  Henry  Ferdinand  Beck, 
won  for  the  Moravian  Church  when  the  Brethren 
carried  on  their  labors  in  Georgia,  and  in  1754  or- 
dained to  the  ministry  at  Bethlehem,  took  Jasper 
Payne's  place,  and  preached  in  Grerman  after  Russ- 
meyer left  New  York.  He  remained  here  until 
April  10,  1757.  On  July  4,  1755,  Jacob  Rogers  be- 
came Head  Pastor  of  the  congregation,  taking  Ut- 
ley's  place  as  English  preacher  in  the  city,  and  re- 
maining here  until  June  23,  1757.  From  March  4  to 
April  10,  1750,  Jasper  Payne  was  here  for  the  sec- 
ond time,  laboring  for  the  most  part  on  the  neigh- 
boring islands.  From  May  10  to  June  80,  1757,  John 
Valentine  Haidt  took  Beck's  place,  preaching  in  both 
English  and  German.  On  June  23,  1757,  Thomas 
Yarrell  succeeded  Jacob  Rogers  as  Head  Pastor,  and 
continued  in  this  capacity  until  October  12,  1766, 
when  he  in  turn  was  succeeded  by  George  Neisser, 
who  served  the  congregation  until  January  6,  1775. 
His  successor  was  Oswald  Gustav  Shewkirk,  who 
was  the  pastor  of  the  congregation  during  the  trying 


98      MOKAVIAN  CHUKCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

period  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  closing  his  pas- 
torate on  November  13,   1783. 

At  the  request  of  Bishop  Boehler,  John  Kingston 
and  Henry  Van  Vleck,  in  February,  1755,  waited  on 
the  Governor  of  New  York  for  the  purpose  of  de- 
livering to  him  a  message  and  two  pamphlets  as 
decided  upon  by  the  Synod  held  at  Swatara,  in  Penn- 
sylvania, a  short  time  before.    On  the  way  to  the  Gov- 
ernor's mansion  they  were  met  by  His  Excellency, 
who  was  about  to  attend  a  meeting  of  the  City  Coun- 
cil.    He  graciously  stopped,  and  the  brethren  de- 
livered the  Synod's  message,  which  made  acknowl- 
edgment of  "the  quietness,  peace,   and  liberty  the 
Brethren   enjoyed   under  His   Honor's   administra- 
tion," and  expressed  "humble  thanks  for  the  same," 
and  "the  hope  that  the  same  might  continue."     It 
further  declared  that  "Synod  had  thought  it  proper 
to  present  to  His  Honor  two  pamphlets  lately  pub- 
lished   in    England    concerning    the    controversies 
against  the  Brethren,  which  if  His  Honor  would  be 
pleased  to  read,  it  might  be  a  satisfaction  to  him." 
The  Governor  accepted  the  pamphlets  and  promised 
to  read  them,  saying,  "I  believe  the  Brethren  are 
honest  and  good  people,  and  I  will  do  for  them  what 
is  just  and  right,  only  I  would  like  them  to  bear  arms 
and  fight  in  defense  of  this  fine  Province  in  case  of 
invasion."    The  brethren  assured  him  that  the  Mo- 
ravians would  gladly   contribute  toward   such  ex- 
penses according  to  their  ability,  and  that  those  of 
their  number  who   had   no   conscientious   scruples 
about  taking  up  arms  would  not  be  hindered  from 
fighting.     To  which   His   Honor  replied,   "I   know 


AN  EVENTFUL  YEAR  99 

that  it  is  a  principle  of  your  Church  not  to  fight,  and 
those  of  your  number  who  refuse  to  bear  arms  on 
conscientious  grounds  have  the  benefit  of  the  Act 
which  exempts  non-combatants."  Petty  officials  were 
less  thoughtful.  In  May,  1755,  James  Arden  and 
William  Pearson,  members  of  the  congregation,  were 
arrested  by  a  certain  Captain  Van  Wyck  for  not 
complying  with  the  Militia  Act  requiring  duty  at  the 
Fort,  and  in  punishment  for  their  alleged  wrong- 
doing some  of  their  household  effects  were  taken. 
In  a  case  like  this  the  Act  of  Parliament  exempting 
the  Moravians  from  military  duty  directed  the  in- 
jured party  or  parties  to  apply  to  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace  for  redress.  Arden  and  Pearson  exercised  this 
right  and  received  satisfaction. 

The  year  1755  was  an  eventful  one  for  Moravians 
everywhere.  The  war-cloud  was  constantly  growing 
darker.  The  movements  of  the  Indians  were  closely 
watched,  as  were  those  of  the  Moravians,  who  were 
suspected  of  being  in  sympathy  with  the  French  and 
their  savage  allies.  When  David  Zeisberger  visited 
Onondago,  the  chief  town  of  the  Iroquois  League, 
in  June,  the  Governor  of  New  York  expressed  his 
displeasure.  In  a  conversation  with  Cornells  Tie- 
bout  he  asked,  "What  is  Zeisberger  doing  among  the 
Indians  at  this  time?"  When  told  that  the  mis- 
sionary labored  in  the  interests  of  the  gospel  and 
endeavored  to  keep  the  Christian  Indians  from  join- 
ing the  hostile  savages,  the  Governor  said,  "At  any 
other  time  I  would  have  no  objections  to  his  preach- 
ing to  the  Indians,  but  in  these  days  of  unrest  I  am 
not  in  favor  of  it."     He  added  that  he  would  send 


^■ICd 


100    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

for  Zeisberger  at  once,  promising  he  would  take 
good  care  of  him.  He  did  not  explain  what  he  meant 
by  "taking  good  care  of  him."  Neither  was  it  neces- 
sary, because  Zeisberger  was  not  taken  at  all.  The 
New  York  Moravians  experienced  considerable 
trouble,  but  their  troubles  were  not  to  be  compared 
with  those  of  their  brethren  in  Pennsylvania.  On 
December  1,  1755,  they  were  startled  to  read  in  The 
Gazette  and  The  Mercury,  the  weekly  city  news- 
papers, the  melancholy  account  of  the  destruction 
of  Gnadenhuetten  on  the  Mahoning  and  the  massa- 
cre of  the  missionaries  at  that  place.  They  had  heard 
so  often  that  Bethlehem  had  been  laid  in  ashes,  only 
to  learn  afterwards  that  no  such  calamitous  blow  had 
fallen,  that  they  cherished  the  hope  that  this  latest 
report  of  disaster  would  likewise  turn  out  to  be 
groundless.  Four  days  later,  however,  David  Zeis- 
berger came  to  the  city  with  letters  and  reports  to 
be  sent  to  Europe,  and  confirmed  the  newspaper  ac- 
count of  the  massacre.  Zeisberger  was  in  a  position 
to  give  a  graphic  description  because  he  had  been 
near  when  the  destruction  was  wrought  by  the  sav- 
ages. On  November  24  he  mounted  a  horse  at  Beth- 
lehem and  started  out  with  a  message  for  the  Gnaden- 
huetten  missionaries  thirty  miles  up  the  river.  As 
the  shadows  of  evening  began  to  fall  he  drew  near 
the  Mission  Station.  He  heard  a  number  of  gunshots, 
but  suspected  nothing,  this  being  a  sound  frequently 
heard  since  the  militia  was  roaming  about  in  the 
woods.  Suddenly  fearful  cries  of  anguish  rent  the 
air,  and  the  flames  of  the  burning  mission  buildings 
burst  on  his  sight.     From  those  who  escaped  the 


THE  GNADENHUETTEN  MASSACRE    101 

murderous  hand  of  the  savages  he  learned  the  sad 
details  of  the  massacre. 

There  were  fifteen  adults  and  one  infant-girl  at 
the  station.  These  were  Joachim  Senseman  and 
his  wife,  George  Christian  Fabricius,  Joseph  Sturgis, 
George  Schweigert,  George  Partsch  and  his  wife/ 
Gottlieb  Anders  and  his  wife  and  baby  Johanna, 
Martin  Nitschmann  and  his  wife,  John  Lesley,  Mar- 
tin Presser,  John  Gattermeyer,  and  Peter  Worbas. 
Most  of  them  were  gathered  about  the  table  for  the 
frugal  evening  meal  when  the  savages  made  their 
treacherous  attack.  Some  of  the  missionaries  be- 
came the  prey  of  Indian  bullets,  while  others  in  ter- 
ror ran  to  an  upper  room  and  barricaded  the  door. 
When  the  savages  found  that  they  could  not  carry 
out  their  murderous  intent  with  tomahawk  and  bul- 
let they  set  fire  to  the  mission-house.  Senseman 
and  Partsch  not  being  with  the  others  in  the  build- 
ing, and  realizing  that  they  were  powerless  to  ett'ect 
a  rescue  of  their  companions,  fled  into  the  woods. 
Gloating  over  the  fiendish  work  of  their  hands,  the 
Indians  were  off  their  guard  for  a  brief  moment, 
giving  Sturgis  and  Susanna  Partsch  time  to  leap 
from  the  garret  window  and  escape.  Fabricius  fol- 
lowed their  example,  but  he  was  not  so  fortunate. 
Scalped,  mutilated  and  riddled  with  bullets,  his 
body,  watched  over  by  his  faithful  dog,  was  found 
next  day.  Mrs.  Senseman,  Gottlieb  Anders  with 
his  wife  and  baby,  and  George  Schwoigert  perished 
in  the  flames.  Martin  Nitschmann,  Lesley,  Gatter- 
meyer and  Presser  were  shot,  while  Worbas,  who 
was  in  another  building  when  the  attack  was  made. 


102     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

escaped.  Susanna  Nitschmann  was  also  hit  by  a 
bullet  and  fell.  At  first  it  was  supposed  she  had 
perished  in  the  flames,  but  it  was  learned  later  that 
a  worse  fate  had  befallen  her.  She  was  taken  cap- 
tive by  the  savages  and  carried  off.  Later  some 
Christian  Indians  came  across  her,  but  she  was  in 
a  dazed  condition  of  melancholy,  recognizing  no  one 
until  death  mercifully  brought  about  her  release. 
This  is  the  sad  account  which  the  New  York  Mo- 
ravians heard  from  the  lips  of  Zeisberger.  The  news- 
paper accounts  of  the  massacre  caused  a  wave  of 
sympathy  for  the  Brethren  to  sweep  over  the  city, 
and  a  deeper  interest  in  the  Lord's  work  manifested 
itself  among  the  Brethren  themselves,  with  the  result 
that  the  work  of  the  congregation  took  on  new  life. 

Altho  the  congregation  made  progress  from  the 
beginning,  it  was  hampered  in  the  early  years  of  its 
existence  by  the  frequent  changes  in  the  personnel 
of  workers.  The  people  were  barely  acquainted 
with  a  minister  when  he  was  removed  to  some  other 
field  of  labor,  and  another  took  his  place  in  New 
York.  This  unfortunate  state  of  affairs  continued 
until  the  middle  of  the  year  1757,  when  Thomas  Yar- 
rell  began  his  fruitful  pastorate,  extending  over 
a  period  of  more  than  eight  years.  He  and  his  wife 
Ann,  m.n.  Hopson,  were  English  members  of  the 
First  Sea  Congregation,  which  arrived  in  America 
in  May,  1742.  After  serving  some  years  as  a  lay- 
evangelist,  he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  in  1755 
and  placed  in  charge  of  the  Moravian  work  in  New- 
port, Rhode  Island.  A  man  of  pleasing  personality 
and  an  eloquent  preacher,  he  attracted  not  only  the 


FOKMER  CHURCH  CUSTOMS  103 

people  under  his  pastoral  care,  but  many  others  to 
the  services  held  in  the  little  Fair  Street  church. 
Chief  Justice  Jones  of  the  Jerseys  was  a  frequent 
attendant,  and  became  a  personal  friend  of  the  pas- 
tor. Another  adherent  of  the  congregation  during 
the  first  part  of  Yarrell's  pastorate  was  John  Gott- 
lob  Klemm,  the  famous  organ-builder,  who  was  oc- 
cupied at  his  handicraft  in  New  York  for  a  time. 
He  was  formerly  a  teacher  of  boys  at  Herrnhut,  but 
becoming  estranged  from  Zinzendorf  he  emigrated 
to  Pennsylvania  with  a  company  of  Schwenkf elders 
in  1735,  and  became  a  Separatist.  In  September, 
1757,  he  wrote  to  Bethlehem  asking  permission  to 
settle  down  and  spend  the  remainder  of  his  life 
among  the  Brethren.  Receiving  a  favorable  reply 
to  his  letter,  he  left  New  York  on  November  17, 
arriving  at  his  destination  eight  days  later. 

The  diary  of  the  congregation  during  Yarrell's 
pastorate  and  that  of  others  contains  references  to 
a  number  of  customs  and  events  which  may  be  of 
interest  to  Moravians  of  to-day.  Whatever  their 
station  in  life,  the  followers  of  Christ  are  knit  to- 
gether by  a  common  bond  of  union,  being  members 
of  one  bodv  whose  Head  is  Christ.  In  token  of  this 
spiritual  union  with  the  Lord  and  one  another  as 
fellow-believers,  Moravians  extend  the  right-hand  of 
fellowship  at  the  celebration  of  the  Holy  Communion. 
The  right-hand  of  fellowship  takes  the  place  of  the 
''Kiss  of  Peace"  which  was  formerly  employed  in 
the  Moravian  Church  between  members  of  the  same 
sex.  This  custom,  which  came  down  from  the  oarlv 
Christian  Church,   obtained   in   fhe  New  York   con 


104    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

gregation  for  many  years.  The  pedelavium,  or  foot- 
washing  in  imitation  of  Christ's  example  recorded 
in  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  St.  John's  Gospel,  was 
observed  in  connection  with  the  Maundy  Thursday 
Communion,  the  several  divisions  or  choirs  of  the 
congregation  and  the  sexes  being  apart.  This  prac- 
tice was  never  very  popular,  and  soon  began  to  wane 
until  it  was  abrogated  altogether.  The  celebration 
of  a  birthday  anniversary  with  a  love  feast  either  for 
the  whole  congregation  or  for  a  number  of  friends 
was  a  more  pleasing  and  popular  custom.  So,  too, 
was  the  gathering  of  the  members  in  the  church 
before  sunrise  on  Easter  Morning  for  the  celebration 
of  Christ's  resurrection,  a  custom  which  still  obtains 
in  many  Moravian  congregations  of  the  present  day. 
In  common  with  other  homes  of  loyal  citizens  the 
Moravian  parsonage  was  always  illuminated  in 
honor  of  some  notable  event,  as  for  example,  the 
birthday  anniversary  of  the  King,  or  the  fall  of  some 
fortification  of  the  enemy  in  time  of  war.  This  il- 
lumination was  effected  by  hanging  a  lantern  out- 
side the  windows.  Until  the  year  1761  the  streets 
of  the  city  were  lighted  at  night  by  suspending  lan- 
terns from  windows.  When  this  system  was  defi- 
nitely abandoned  public  lamps  and  lamp-posts  were 
erected  and  lighted  at  the  public  expense.  Under 
date  of  November  20,  1757,  the  diary  contains  the 
following  interesting  record:  "Bishop  Spangenberg 
celebrated  the  Festival  of  the  Holy  Ghost  for  the 
first  time  in  New  York."  Other  Churches  in  the  city 
also  celebrated  the  Festival.  Why  this  celebration 
took  place  at  that  time  of  the  year  is  not  stated. 


IRENE  SEIZED  BY  PRIVATEER        105 

On  the  same  day  that  the  congregation  was  thus 
peacefully  engaged  the  Irene  under  the  command  of 
Captain  Jacobsen  sailed  out  of  New  York  harbor  on 
her  fourteenth  and  last  voyage.  The  well-wishing 
Brethren  in  the  city  little  dreamed  that  they  were 
looking  upon  the  good  ship  for  the  last  time.  Two 
days  later  it  was  captured  by  a  French  privateer  and 
plundered.  Those  on  board  were  taken  prisoners. 
A  crew  of  inexperienced  French  sailors  took  charge 
of  the  Irene.  After  cruising  about  until  January 
12,  1758,  the  robbers  conceived  the  notion  that  they 
would  like  to  attend  mass  in  one  of  the  churches  at 
Louisburg.  This  desire  was  as  strong  as  it  was 
unwise.  To  undertake  to  make  a  landing  in  the 
dense  fog  which  prevailed  was  foolhardy  in  the  ex- 
treme. Andrew  Schoute,  a  veteran  sailor,  and  one 
of  the  Moravian  prisoners  on  board,  told  the  Cap- 
tain that  the  thick  fog  made  it  impossible  to  land 
in  safety.  His  warning  was  unheeded  with  the  re- 
sult that  in  a  short  time  the  ship  crashed  against 
the  rocks,  and  the  men  barely  escaped  with  their 
lives.  Schoute  was  held  a  prisoner  at  Louisburg 
until  the  city  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  English,  when 
he  was  released.  On  September  20,  1758,  he  came 
*'as  one  risen  from  the  dead"  to  his  brethren  in  New 
York.  Before  leaving  for  Bethlehem  he  attended 
one  of  their  meetings,  at  which  he  related  his  har- 
rowing experiences  and  adventures.  About  this 
time  a  letter  from  London  contained  the  announce- 
ment that  two  of  the  sailors  on  the  former  church- 
ship  had  died  in  captivity,  and  that  Jacobsen  and 
two  others   were  still   prisoners   in    France.     Even- 


106    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

tually  these  prisoners  were  released,  and  on  Septem- 
ber 15,  1759,  Jacobsen  landed  in  New  York,  where 
he  was  joyfully  welcomed  by  his  friends. 

The  congregation  made  steady  progress  under 
YarrelPs  able  leadership.  The  membership  increased 
and  the  attendance  at  the  preaching-services  became 
so  large  that  the  seating  capacity  of  the  church  au- 
ditorium was  no  longer  sufficient  to  accommodate 
all  who  desired  to  attend.  More  room  was  provided 
by  enlarging  the  galleries.  On  July  19,  1760,  these 
alterations  were  completed.  In  the  spring  of  the 
same  year,  as  previously  stated,  an  additional  lot  ad- 
joining the  church-property  was  purchased  and  set 
aside  as  a  grave-yard.  The  pastor's  wife  was  no  less 
active  than  her  husband.  She  was  indefatigable  in 
her  ministrations  among  the  girls  and  women  of  the 
congregation,  but  as  the  work  increased  it  was  found 
necessary  to  provide  her  with  an  assistant.  On 
October  18,  1760,  Elizabeth  Ronner  was  sent  from 
Bethlehem  to  render  the  needed  assistance.  The 
widows  of  the  congregation,  numbering  eighteen  at 
the  time,  were  placed  under  her  particular  care. 
Two  years  later  another  assistant  was  added  to 
the  corps  of  workers.  At  this  time  Hannah  Sperbach 
took  charge  of  the  work  among  the  single  women. 
Both  these  assistants  rendered  efficient  service  in 
the  congregation,  the  former  for  nearly  a  decade,  and 
the  latter  about  eight  years.  On  August  16,  1770, 
both  returned  to  Bethlehem. 

After  the  loss  of  the  Irene  Captain  Jacobsen  made 
several  voyages  with  the  brig  Concord^  which  he 
brought  over  from  Europe  after  his  release  from  cap- 


THE  HOPE  SUCCEEDS  THE  IRENE     107 

tivity.  Under  date  of  June  14,  1760,  the  diary  states, 
"To-day  Captain  Jacobsen  arrived  from  London  in 
the  brig  Concord,  and  Brother  Schubert  came  with 
him  as  a  passenger."  This  was  the  last  voyage  of 
the  Concord  in  the  interests  of  the  Church.  When 
the  records  next  make  mention  of  Captain  Jacobsen 
it  is  stated  that  he  arrived  in  New  York  with  the 
new  ship  called  ^'Hope,''  which  was  built  at  New 
Haven.  Connecticut.  This  was  on  December  9,  1760. 
"The  Hope  was  plantation  built,  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  tons  burden,  and  carrying  four  cannon 
and  a  crew  of  thirteen  men."  It  was  registered  in 
New  York  by  Jacobsen  and  Henry  Van  Vleck,  there- 
fore it  would  seem  as  if  these  two  men  were  joint- 
owners  of  the  vessel.  However,  the  Hope  rendered 
services  to  the  Moravian  Church  similar  to  those  of 
the  Irene.  This  good  ship  made  ten  voyages  across 
the  Atlantic,  conveying  many  Moravians  to  and  from 
Europe,  after  which  it  was  sold  in  New  York.  On 
January  17,  1761,  the  day  on  which  George  III  was 
proclaimed  King  in  New  York,  Captain  Jacobsen 
set  sail  for  South  Carolina,  but  meeting  with  ice 
and  contrary  winds  he  had  to  return.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  the  19th  he  started  out  again,  and  on  February 
24  Henry  Van  Vleck  received  a  letter  saying,  "The 
Hope  is  a  good  sailor,  and  expects  to  sail  from 
Charleston  under  convoy  by  the  20th  instant."  On 
May  27  word  was  received  in  New  York  that  the 
Hope  had  arrived  safely  at  Portsmouth,  England, 
after  a  passage  of  thirty-one  days.  On  October  19 
it  returne<l  to  New  York  with  fifty  Moravians  on 
board.     Among  the  number  were  Bishop  Nathanael 


108    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Seidel,  who  returned  to  America  to  become  the  suc- 
cessor of  Bishop  Spangenberg  as  President  of  the 
Executive  Board,  which  had  its  headquarters  at  Beth- 
lehem, and  the  Rev.  Frederick  von  Marschall,  who 
had  been  chosen  General  Superintendent  of  the  Mo- 
ravian Church  in  North  Carolina.  They  were  ac- 
companied by  their  wives.  The  day  after  their  ar- 
rival the  whole  company  was  entertained  at  dinner 
in  the  assembly-room  connected  with  the  parsonage, 
Cornells  Tiebout,  a  member  of  the  Society,  defray- 
ing the  expenses.  The  married  people  and  the  single 
women  lodged  in  the  parsonage,  while  the  single 
men  spent  the  night  on  board  the  Hope.  On  the 
following  morning,  the  Seidels,  Marschalls  and  a 
number  of  single  men  left  for  Bethlehem  by  way  of 
Staten  Island.  On  the  two  succeeding  days  the 
others  left  for  the  same  place  by  way  of  New  Bruns- 
wick. 

With  the  growth  of  the  work  in  the  city  it  became 
increasingly  diflScult  for  the  pastor  to  look  after 
the  needs  of  the  members  living  on  Staten  Island, 
and  they  in  turn  found  it  impossible  to  attend  the 
meetings  in  the  church  as  often  as  they  wished  on 
account  of  the  distance.  Therefore  it  was  decided 
to  ask  the  Church  authorities  to  appoint  a  minister 
to  take  charge  of  the  Staten  Island  portion  of  the 
membership.  The  letter  containing  this  request 
was  signed  by  the  following  persons:  Richard 
Connor,  Stephen  Martino,  Jr.,  Tunis  Egbert,  Jacob 
Vanderbilt,  Aaron  Cortelyou,  Matthias  Enyard, 
John  Beatty,  Cornelius  Cortelyou,  Cornelius  Van- 
derbilt,   Cornelius   Van   Deventer,    Mary    Stillwell, 


CHURCH  BUILT  AT  NEW  DORP        109 

Cornelius  Martino,  and  Peter  Perine.  This  petition 
was  granted.  On  March  2, 1763,  plans  for  the  church 
on  Staten  Island  were  submitted  to  Yarrell,  and 
three  weeks  later  Henry  Van  Vleck  and  Jacob  Mon- 
tany  accompanied  the  pastor  to  the  Island  for  the 
purpose  of  selecting,  in  conjunction  with  the  local 
residents  especially  interested,  a  favorable  site  for 
the  church.  The  hill  upon  which  the  present  New 
Dorp  Moravian  Church  stands  marks  the  location 
chosen  as  the  site  of  the  first  church-building.  Be- 
fore the  brethren  from  the  city  returned  home, 
Richard  Connor,  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  Cornelius 
Van  Deventer  and  Cornelius  Cortelyou  were  dele- 
gated to  serve  as  Building  Committee,  the  last  named 
being  appointed  Treasurer.  No  time  was  lost  in 
beginning  operations,  and  on  June  7  of  the  same 
year  the  Rev.  Thomas  Yarrell  laid  the  cornerstone 
of  the  first  Moravian  Church  erected  on  Staten  Is- 
land. His  text  for  the  occasion  was  Isaiah  28:  16, 
"Thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  Behold,  I  lay  in  Zion  for 
a  foundation  a  stone,  a  tried  stone,  a  precious  corner- 
stone, a  sure  foundation."  On  August  3  the  Rev. 
Hector  Gambold  arrived  in  New  York  from  Bethle- 
hem to  take  charge  of  the  work  on  Staten  Island. 
On  December  6  of  the  same  year  Yarrell  consecrated 
the  new  church,  and  preached  from  the  text,  "We 
preach  Christ  and  Him  crucified." — I.  Corinthians 
1 :  23.  The  little  flock  remained  in  connection  with 
the  New  York  congregation  for  some  years  longer. 
The  first  stewards  were  appointed  on  September  14, 
1766,  when  also  rules  and  regulations  were  adopted. 
But  it  was  not  until  May  18,  1788,  that  a  complete 


110     MOKAVIAN  CHUKCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

orgaaization  of  the  congregation  was  effected.  Up 
to  that  time  the  communicants  of  Staten  Island  par- 
took of  the  Lord's  Supper  in  the  New  York  church 
unless  hindered  as  indicated  in  the  following  record 
of  January  8,  1775:  'The  Staten  Island  brethren 
and  sisters  of  our  Communion,  namely  Hector  and 
Eleanor  Gambold,  James  and  Catherine  Colon, 
Christian  Jacobsen,  Catherine  Connor,  and  Elizabeth 
Inyard,  on  account  of  the  inclemency  of  the  weather, 
celebrated  the  Sacrament  in  the  place  of  their  abode." 
The  first  Board  of  Elders  was  elected  on  May  18, 
1788,  and  consisted  of  the  following  persons :  Rich- 
ard Connor,  Sr.,  Edward  Beatty,  Lewis  Ryers,  John 
Dorset  and  James  Colon. 

On  October  12,  1765,  Yarrell  closed  his  pastorate 
in  New  York,  remaining  in  the  city,  however,  ten 
days  longer  for  the  purpose  of  acquainting  his  suc- 
cessor, the  Rev.  Greorge  Neisser,  with  the  work  to 
which  he  had  been  called.  Altho  Neisser  was  no 
stranger  to  some  of  the  older  people  in  the  con- 
gregation, having  labored  in  the  city  for  three  periods 
of  brief  duration  before  the  church  was  organized, 
he  was  confronted  with  much  that  was  new  to  him. 
During  YarrelPs  pastorate  there  had  been  an  en- 
couraging increase  in  membership,  there  being,  at 
the  close  of  the  year  1764,  under  the  care  of  the 
Brethren  273  souls,  of  which  83  were  communicants, 
36  non-communicants,  84  society  members,  and  70 
children.  Yarrell  was  very  popular  with  the  people 
among  whom  he  labored  for  eight  years  and  three 
months,  therefore  they  were  very  sorry  to  see  him 
leave.     A  petition  signed  by  the  leading  members 


NEISSER  SUCCEEDS  YARRELL         111 

and  a  number  of  letters  from  private  individuals 
were  sent  to  the  authorities  at  Bethlehem  earnestly 
requesting  that  he  be  allowed  to  remain  as  the  pas- 
tor of  the  congregation.  All  these  efforts  were  in 
vain.  His  wife  had  been  in  ill-health  for  some  time, 
having  frequently  sought  to  recuperate  her  strength 
on  Long  Island  without  avail,  and  no  doubt  the 
state  of  her  health  had  something  to  do  with  Yar- 
rell's  removal.  On  October  18  Neisser  and  his  wife 
Theodora  were  formally  introduced  to  the  people 
at  a  love  feast  of  the  Society.  On  the  following 
Sunday  he  preached  his  introductory  sermon  based 
on  Deuteronomy  33:  3,  ''Yea,  he  loved  the  people; 
all  his  saints  are  in  thy  hand:  and  they  sat  down 
at  thy  feet;  every  one  shall  receive  of  thy  words." 
In  the  afternoon  Yarrell  preached  his  farewell  ser- 
mon. His  text  was  Song  of  Solomon  5 :  9,  "What  is 
thy  beloved  more  than  another  beloved?"  Two  days 
later  he  and  his  wife  left  for  Bethlehem  for  a  much 
needed  rest.  Later  they  returned  to  England,  where 
they  served  several  congregations. 

When  Neisser  began  his  pastoral  labors  the  Mo- 
ravian Church  was  well  known  in  New  York.  It 
enjoyed  the  respect  and  confidence  of  people  gener- 
ally. Friendly  relations  existed  between  it  and  the 
Dutch  Reformed  and  Presbyterian  Churches  as  well 
as  the  Anglican  clergy  and  other  denominations  rep- 
resented in  the  city.  That  the  relations  between 
the  Moravians  and  the  Anglican  Church  were 
cordial  is  evident  from  the  following  record  in  the 
diary  under  date  of  October  29,  17G5:  "The  Rev. 
John  Ogilvie,   the  Anglican  Church  minister,    (ap- 


112     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

pointed  assistant  minister  in  Trinity  Church  the 
year  before)  paid  Brother  Neisser  a  visit,  and  sig- 
nified that  as  the  parents  of  Mrs.  Susanna  Clemm 
insisted  upon  her  staying  with  them  to  help  the 
family  they  had  signified  that  they  would  not  hinder 
her  in  the  least  from  attending  our  public,  private, 
and  choir  meetings  in  case  she  would  stay  with  her 
parents,  which  they  thought  was  her  filial  duty. 
He  was  also  pleased  to  declare  with  what  caution 
and  circumspection  he  proceeded  in  admitting  Roe- 
bucks to  the  communion  of  the  Church  of  England." 
This  extract  speaks  for  itself,  and  needs  no  comment. 
November  1,  1765,  was  an  eventful  day  in  the  city, 
but  fortunately  none  of  the  Moravians  had  a  share 
in  the  wild  excesses  of  the  mob,  however  much  they 
may  have  resented  the  action  of  the  British  Govern- 
ment which  brought  them  about.  This  being  the  day 
appointed  for  the  Stamp  Act  to  go  into  effect,  the 
Sons  of  Liberty,  a  secret  organization  numbering 
several  thousands,  marched  to  the  Fort  and  de- 
manded the  stamps  w^hich  had  been  sent  there.  When 
their  request  was  refused  they  proceeded  to  erect 
a  gibbet,  made  an  effigy  of  Dr.  Cadwallader  Colden, 
the  unpopular  Lieutenant  Governor,  and  suspended 
it  from  the  cross-piece.  After  a  time  the  image  was 
taken  down  and  carried  together  with  the  gibbet  in  a 
torch-light  procession  to  the  gates  of  the  Fort.  Here 
a  part  of  the  wooden  fence  enclosing  Bowling  Green 
was  torn  down  for  the  bon-fire  into  which  "the  effigy, 
Colden's  coach,  a  single  horse-chair,  two  sleighs, 
and  several  light  vehicles  were  cast  and  consumed." 
Other  acts  of  violence  showed  the  temper  of  the 


MORAVIANS  ADDRESS  GOVERNOR     113 

populace.  All  English  products  or  merchandise  were 
taboo,  and  this  more  than  anything  else,  perhaps, 
caused  Sir  Henry  Moore,  the  newly  appointed  Gov- 
ernor, to  realize  upon  his  arrival  in  the  city  on 
November  13  that  discretion  was  the  better  part  of 
valor,  and  the  hated  Stamp  Act  was  not  enforced. 
About  a  month  later  the  Rev.  George  Neisser,  Henry 
Van  Vleck,  Captain  Jacobsen  and  John  Doehling 
waited  upon  the  Governor  and  placed  in  his  hands 
a  written  address  from  the  Moravian  Church  in  New 
York,  containing  best  wishes,  assurances  of  faith- 
ful support,  a  respectful  request  that  he  grant  the 
Church  his  favor  and  protection,  and  other  matters 
which  a  document  of  this  kind  usually  included. 
His  Honor  received  the  deputies  most  graciously  and 
assured  them  he  would  be  pleased  to  show  their 
Church  the  favor  which  it  merited.  His  answer  was 
in  written  form,  and  was  afterwards  published  in 
the  New  York  Gazette. 

On  November  19,  1765,  the  Hope  arrived  in  New 
York  after  a  passage  of  eight  weeks.  Among  the 
passengers  were  Bishop  David  Nitschmann,  Jr., 
sometimes  styled  "the  Syndic/'  and  his  wife, 
and  the  Rev.  Joseph  Neisser  and  his  wife.  They 
were  entertained  at  dinner  in  the  home  of  Henry 
Van  Vleck,  and  in  the  afternoon  came  to  the  par- 
sonage. Nitschmann  was  a  member  of  the  General 
Board  of  Syndics  and  was  sent  by  his  Board  to  make 
a  thoro  investigation  of  Moravian  affairs  in  Amer- 
ica, as  well  as  to  explain  the  enactments  of  the  recent 
General  Synod.  On  November  24  the  congregation 
celebrated  a   love  feast  in  honor  of  the  European 


114     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

visitors,  at  which  Bishop  Nitschmann  gave  a  simple 
account  of  conditions  in  the  congregations  abroad 
and  of  the  Synod  held  the  year  before.  This  Synod 
was  especially  important  because  it  was  the  first 
convened  after  1760,  the  year  of  Zinzendorf  s  death. 
As  long  as  Zinzendorf  lived  the  government  of  the 
Church  in  a  great  measure  depended  upon  him.  It 
was  therefore  necessary  for  the  Synod  of  1764  which 
met  at  Marienborn  to  work  out  some  definite  plan 
for  the  adjustment  of  the  affairs  of  the  Church.  It 
was  decided  to  frame  a  Constitution  on  the  basis  of 
a  theocratic  republic,  in  accordance  with  which  the 
Moravian  Church  was  regarded  as  a  Unity  in  all  its 
parts,  and  governed  by  a  General  Synod.  The  ex- 
ecutive administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  Church 
was  committed  to  a  Board  elected  by  Synod  and 
known  as  The  Directory,  which  in  1769  took  the  title 
of  the  ''Unity' s  Elders'  Conference''  Subordinate 
boards  were  appointed  to  superintend  the  work  of 
the  Church  in  America  and  Great  Britain.  There- 
fore the  visit  of  Bishop  Nitschmann  was  marked 
with  more  than  ordinary  interest,  and  the  New  York 
congregation  realized  the  significance  of  what  he 
had  to  say.  Nitschmann  remained  in  America  until 
September,  1766,  visiting  during  his  stay  most  of  the 
congregations  as  well  as  the  Indian  Missions. 

Soon  after  Neisser  assumed  the  pastorate  of  the 
congregation  George  Seneff,  who  had  come  from 
Europe  on  the  Irene  in  1755,  became  the  teacher  of 
the  school  conducted  for  the  children  of  members. 
In  accordance  with  a  resolution  passed  by  the  Pro- 
vincial Synod  of  1766  the  children  received  weekly 


FRUITFUL  PASTORAL  LABORS    115 

catechetical  instruction.  At  this  time  the  combined 
membership  of  the  Society  and  Congregation  num- 
bered 345  souls,  ninety  of  this  number  being  children. 
The  consecrated  labors  of  Neisser  and  his  helpmeet 
bore  rich  fruit.  Altho  faithfully  attending  to  his 
pastoral  duties,  he  also  found  time  for  labors  with 
his  pen.  In  addition  to  the  diary  kept  by  him  Neis- 
ser  left  a  number  of  carefully  prepared  membership 
lists,  and  a  wealth  of  material  bearing  upon  the 
early  history  of  Moravian  labors  in  New  York,  for 
which  future  generations  owe  him  a  lasting  debt  of 
gratitude.  His  task  as  pastor  of  the  congregation 
was  not  an  easy  one.  Altho  he  kept  the  members 
together  and  faithfully  advanced  the  best  interests  of 
the  Church,  it  was  not  without  much  prayerful  labor 
that  this  end  was  accomplished.  At  this  time  the 
Methodists  were  very  active  in  making  proselytes, 
and  by  their  uncharitable  activities  succeeded  in 
persuading  a  few  of  the  Moravians  to  join  their  com- 
munion. That  there  were  other  distracting  circum- 
stances is  evident  from  the  following  item  of  in- 
terest taken  from  the  records  of  the  year  1770 :  "As 
a  matter  of  thankfulness  it  is  to  be  remarked  that 
in  an  uproar  which  took  place  in  this  city  in  January 
between  the  inhabitants  and  soldiery  the  God  of 
Peace  kept  the  members  of  the  Brethren's  flock  not 
only  from  being  drawn  into  it,  but  preserved  their 
hearts  and  minds  in  Christ  Jesus.''  This  conflict 
took  place  on  January  18.  It  is  known  as  the  ^^Bat- 
tie  of  Qolden  Hill/'  in  which  a  number  of  citizens 
were  severely  wounded  and  one  killed.  It  may  be 
said  that  in  the  revolutionary  struggle  the  first  blood 


116     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

was  shed  in  New  York.  Golden  Hill  was  the  name 
applied  to  John  Street,  where  formerly  golden  wheat 
was  supposed  to  have  grown. 

Believing  that  some  people  wall  be  interested  to 
know  the  names  of  the  members  constituting  the  con- 
gregation in  1774,  the  following  list  is  here  inserted  : 
Communicant  Members:  Henry  and  Jane  Van  Vleck, 
Jacob  and  Jane  Reed,  William  and  Mary  Pearson, 
John  and  Mary  Doehling,  Abraham  and  Anne  Wil- 
son, Francis  and  Mary  Conrad,  Lawrence  and  Judith 
Killbrunn,  John  and  Elenora  Van  Vleck,  Abraham 
and  Aletta  Florentine,  William  and  Rebecca  Nixon, 
Daniel  and  Vrow^tje  Van  Vleck,  Daniel  and  Agnes 
Jacot,  George  and  Mary  Seneff,  Peter  and  Anne 
Clement  Durand,  August  and  Philippa  Christina 
Steur,  James  and  Catherine  Colon;  Married  Men: 
John  Cargill,  Robert  Thomas,  Edward  Eastman, 
Christian  Jacobsen;  Married  Women:  Mary  Mar- 
comb,  Jane  Welsh,  Margaret  Schmidt,  Jane  a  Ne- 
gress, Margaret  Boemper,  Jane  Bouquet,  Anne  King, 
Eva  Ross,  Margaret  Campbell,  Catherine  Cornwall, 
Catherine  Ward,  Gertje  Knickerbocker,  Anne  a  Ne- 
gress, Hannah  Giles,  Catherine  Connor;  Widows: 
Elizabeth  Runcey,  Elizabeth  Banvard,  Mary  Pell, 
Jane  Boelen,  Mary  Van  Dyck,  Anne  Bowie,  Catherine 
Hugonoit,  Hannah  Mann,  Jane  Pearse,  Mary  a  Ne- 
gress, Isabella  Lepper,  Jane  Groves,  Hilah  Waldron, 
Teuntje  Waldron,  Elizabeth  McMenomy,  Charity 
Henry,  Mary  Barbara  Zoeller,  Sarah  Everett,  Nieltje 
Peterson,  Elizabeth  Inyard,  Christina  Skuyler  a  Ne- 
gress; Single  Women:  Esther  Pell,  Helena  Nuss- 
baum,  Catherine  Boelen,  Elenora  Burgher,  Rosina 


A  LIST  OF  MEMBERS  117 

Brown,  Elizabeth  Van  Deursen,  Henrietta  Anton; 
Non-Communicants:  Samuel  and  Catherine  Van 
Vleck,  John  and  Elizabeth  Faulkner,  Philip  and 
Mary  Sykes,  Abraham  and  Elizabeth  Van  Vleck, 
Isaac  Van  Vleck,  Judith  Eastman,  Tenetje  Cargill, 
Sabina  Allen,  Phoebe  McLean,  Johanna  Flora  Bowie, 
Margaret  Cornwall,  Margaret  Steur,  Catherine 
Elizabeth  Zoeller^  Rachel  Kingston,  Elizabeth  Bond, 
Jane  Waters,  Rebecca  a  Negress,  Joseph  a  Negro. 
Memhers  of  the  Society:  Stephen  and  Mary  Allen, 
David  and  Anne  Burgher,  William  and  Matje  Pear- 
son, John  and  Sarah  Campbell,  John  and  Gertrude 
Weyly;  Married  Men:  Ludwig  Boemper,  Abraham 
Knickerbocker,  Benjamin  Ross,  James  Giles,  Mon- 
son  Ward,  Thomas  Price,  and  Thomas  Welsh ;  Mar- 
ried Women:  Catherine  Wessels,  America  a  Ne- 
gress, Agnes  Hamilton,  Mary  Minthorn,  Margaret 
Van  Vleck;  Widows:  Catherine  a  Negress,  and 
Elizabeth  Sleght;  Single  Men:  James  Mann,  Sam- 
uel Zoeller,  Peter  Conrad,  Matthew  Sleght,  Jacob 
Reed,  Michael  Zoeller,  Anthony  Dodain,  Abraham 
Bueninger,  John  Waldron,  Daniel  Bowie,  Thomas 
Reed,  and  John  Pierce;  Older  Boys:  Daniel  Waldron, 
James  Christopher  Durand,  John  Reed,  John  Seneff, 
Abraham  Knickerbocker,  John  Wilson,  Thomas  Flor- 
entine, and  John  Faulkner;  Single  Women:  Eliza- 
abeth  Van  Vleck,  Anne  Bowie,  Jane  Waldron,  Cath- 
erine Banvard,  Catherine  Embury,  Mary  Peai*son, 
Susanna  Pearson,  Anne  Doehling,  Mary  Cargill, 
Anne  Florentine,  Elizabeth  Wessels,  Margaret  Lynn, 
Margaret  Morcomb,  Mary  Conrad,  Jane  Cargill, 
Mary  Banvard,  Catherine  Van  Vleck,  Jane  Banvard, 


118    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Anne  Oargill,  Margaret  Sippener,  Margaret  Camp- 
bell, Jane  Sneed,  Mary  Welsh,  Margaret  Fleming, 
Elizabeth  King,  and  Mary  Cargill;  Little  Boys: 
Richard  Wessels,  William  Allen,  Kerkem  Groves, 
John  Thomas,  Thomas  Wilson,  Peter  Embury, 
Abraham  Ward,  George  Faulkner,  Abraham  Thomas, 
Stephen  Allen,  Stephen  John  Allen,  Daniel  Banvard, 
Nicholas  Burgher,  Thomas  Campbell,  Isaac  Seneff, 
David  Burgher,  David  Jacot,  James  Wilson,  Abra- 
ham Diemer,  Jacob  Seneff,  Isaac  Ward,  James 
Campbell,  William  Price,  Henry  Van  Vleck,  John 
Allen,  Lawrence  Van  Vleck,  and  John  Van  Vleck; 
Little  Girls:  Mary  Doehling,  Mary  Seneff,  Phoebe 
Cargill,  Elizabeth  Seneff,  Judith  Durand,  Jane 
Steward,  Cornelia  Giles,  Jane  Wyley,  Jane  Waters, 
Sarah  Campbell,  Margaret  Pearson,  Mary  Allen, 
Elenora  Van  Vleck,  Catherine  Wyley,  Jane  Camp- 
bell, Rachel  Seneff,  Catherine  Jacot,  Jane  Van  Vleck, 
Mary  Wyley,  Jemima  Campbell. 

Having  served  the  congregation  for  a  little  over 
nine  years,  George  Neisser  received  a  call  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia,  and  in 
January,  1775,  he  and  his  wife  closed  their  labors 
in  New  York,  the  Rev.  Oswald  Gustav  Shewkirk  be- 
coming his  successor. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE   CONGREGATION  DURING  THE 
REVOLUTIONARY  WAR 

When  Shewkirk  arrived  in  New  York  on  January 
12,  1775,  to  take  charge  of  the  congregation,  the  most 
northerly  street  on  the  west  side  of  Broadway  was 
Reade  Street,  and  on  the  east  side  Catherine  Street. 
The  city  had  about  twenty-five  thousand  inhabitants. 
More  than  two  hundred  souls  comprized  the  mem- 
bership of  the  congregation.  Altho  this  number  was 
destined  to  dwindle  to  fifty-seven,  of  which  only 
twenty-seven  were  communicants,  this  decrease  was 
not  due  to  inefficiency  on  the  part  of  the  pastor. 
Such  were  the  exigencies  of  the  times  that  it  would 
not  have  been  surprising  if  the  congregation  had 
been  blotted  out  entirely.  A  few  facts  concerning 
the  man  who  was  the  pastor  at  this  critical  period 
will  be  of  interest.  Originally  his  name  was  Schau- 
kirch,  which  English-speaking  people  found  difficult 
to  pronounce  correctly.  Such  called  him  Shaukirk 
or  Shewkirk,  and  eventually  the  owner  of  the  name 
adopted  the  latter  spelling  and  became  known  as 
Shewkirk.  He  was  bom  at  Stettin,  Prussia.  After 
spending  some  time  in  England,  he  emigrated  to 
America  in  1774,  where  he  married  Mrs.  Herr,  a 
widow  of  Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania.  At  the  close  of 
his  pastorate  in  New  York  he  received  a  call  to  the 
Danish  West  Indies.     In  1785  he  was  consecrated  a 

119 


120    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Bishop  of  the  Moravian  Church.  He  died  in  1805  at 
Herrnhut,  Saxony.  Shewkirk  was  not  only  an  ear- 
nest Christian  worker,  but  a  man  of  exceptional  at- 
tainments. His  diary  of  the  revolutionary  period, 
which  is  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  First  Mo- 
ravian Church  of  New  York  City,  is  one  of  the  most 
complete  chronicles  of  conditions  and  events  in  the 
city  to  be  found  anywhere. 

Altho  a  man  of  unquestioned  ability,  Shewkirk 
failed  to  discern  the  times.  This  was  due  not  so 
much  to  any  error  of  judgment  as  to  the  fact  that 
his  residence  in  America  was  of  such  short  duration. 
Having  recently  come  from  England,  it  is  perhaps 
natural  that  he  should  have  been  an  ardent  royalist, 
espousing  the  cause  of  the  mother  country  rather 
than  that  of  the  colonists  in  their  struggle  for  free- 
dom. That  a  breach  should  occur  between  him  and 
some  members  of  the  congregation  whose  sympathies 
were  wholly  with  the  patriots  was  inevitable.  At 
the  same  time,  his  sound  common  sense  would  not 
allow  him  to  antagonize  needlessly  those  who  en- 
tertained views  different  from  his  own,  and  even 
during  the  American  occupation  of  the  city  both  he 
and  the  congregation  remained  unmolested.  While 
many  of  his  members  moved  to  the  country  or  fled 
the  city  in  times  of  special  danger,  Shewkirk  stood 
bravely  at  his  difficult  post,  faithfully  maintained 
the  services  in  his  church  at  times  when  all  other 
churches  were  closed,  and  ministered  impartially  to 
the  sick  and  suffering  among  civilians  and  soldiers, 
to  British  and  American  alike,  without  obtruding 
his  opinions  anywhere.     During  the  occupation  of 


SHEWKIRK  EFFECTS  CHANGES        121 

the  city  by  the  British  the  little  Moravian  Church 
on  Fulton  Street  was  the  only  church  not  taken  to 
serve  as  hospital  or  barracks,  "because  the  com- 
manding officer  observed  that  for  some  weeks  of 
the  greatest  demoralization  it  was  the  only  church 
in  which  divine  services  were  regularly  conducted.'' 
Preaching  his  introductory  sermon  from  Matthew 
11 :  28-30,  on  Sunday,  January  15,  1775,  Shewkirk 
took  hold  of  the  work  with  a  strong  and  capable 
hand.  Despite  many  adverse  conditions  and  dis- 
turbances in  the  city  the  congregation  showed  signs 
of  growth  during  the  first  year  of  his  pastorate.  The 
Church  Council,  which  had  not  functioned  for  a 
number  of  years,  was  restored  and  a  meeting  for  the 
transaction  of  business  held  once  a  month.  A  new 
seating  arrangement,  whereby  the  men  sat  on  one 
side  of  the  church  and  the  women  on  the  other,  was 
proposed  and  put  into  effect.  A  children's  meeting 
after  the  Sunday  morning  service  was  instituted. 
The  pastor's  salary,  which  had  hitherto  depended 
upon  the  uncertainty  of  a  stated  offering,  was  defi- 
nitely fixed  at  one  pound  and  seven  shillings  a  week, 
and  raised  by  popular  subscription.  A  more  satis- 
factory arrangement  for  raising  money  for  foreign 
missions  was  likewise  effected.  But  it  was  not  a 
time  for  fruitful  church-work.  Tom  by  rival  fac- 
tions, the  city  was  in  constant  commotion,  and  the 
War,  not  religion,  was  the  theme  uppermost  in  the 
minds  of  all.  When  news  of  the  Battle  of  Lexington 
reached  New  York,  the  people  went  wild  with  ex- 
citement. Soldiers  were  enlisted,  the  port  closed, 
citizens  seized  the  keys  of  the  Custom  House,  and 


122    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

for  a  week  business  was  at  a  standstill.  Some  of 
the  people  fled  to  the  country.  In  the  face  of  a  com- 
mon danger  the  inhabitants  were  drawn  together, 
and  all  agreed  to  unite  for  the  common  defense.  On 
May  1  a  General  Committee  was  chosen  for  the  ad- 
ministration of  local  affairs.  The  citizens  were 
urged  to  perfect  themselves  in  military  discipline, 
and  to  provide  themselves  with  arms  and  ammu- 
nition. 

On  June  25  Washington,  who  had  been  recently 
appointed  commander-in-chief  of  the  American 
Army,  arrived  in  the  city  on  his  way  to  New  England, 
and  received  an  enthusiastic  welcome.  It  was  Sun- 
day, but  few  people  attended  church  that  day.  The 
Moravian  services  were  poorly  attended,  but  those 
who  were  present  remained  to  the  end.  This  was 
not  the  case  in  one  church,  where  the  people,  hearing 
the  noise  of  welcome  outside,  all  withdrew,  leaving 
the  oflSciating  minister  alone  in  the  sanctuary.  It 
may  be  taken  for  granted  that  the  clergyman  like- 
wise hastened  to  join  the  crowd  outside  after  his 
last  hearer  had  forsaken  him.  A  great  disturbance 
occurred  in  the  city  on  the  night  of  August  24,  when 
the  militia  took  away  the  cannons  from  the  battery. 
Captain  Vandeput  of  the  Asia,  a  man  of  war  lying 
at  anchor  in  the  harbor,  watched  these  movements, 
and  at  midnight  opened  fire,  which  was  promptly 
returned  by  the  militia.  Some  were  wounded  on 
both  sides,  and  a  British  sailor  killed.  Twenty-one 
cannons  were  removed  by  the  militia.  On  the  follow- 
ing day  many  of  the  people,  four  Moravian  families 
among  the  number,  moved  to  the  country.    So  many 


DISTURBANCES  IN  THE  CITY  123 

fled  from  the  city  that  some  of  the  streets  with  the 
houses  in  them  shut  up,  looked  as  if  they  had  been 
visited  by  the  plague.  All  men  between  sixteen  and 
fifty  years  of  age  were  now  divided  into  ward  com- 
panies. This  arrangement  caused  George  Seneff, 
the  teacher  of  the  Moravian  school,  to  remove  with 
his  wife  and  seven  children  to  Philadelphia.  William 
Nixon  and  his  wife  left  for  Bethlehem,  where  thev 
made  their  future  home.  Not  all  the  Moravians 
were  non-combatants,  as  evident  from  the  fact  that 
some  of  the  younger  men  took  up  arms  in  defense 
of  American  liberty.  Among  the  number  was  a 
son  of  John  Cargill,  who  narrowly  escaped  being 
shot  to  death  by  accident,  a  member  of  his  company 
carelessly  forgetting  to  remove  the  shot  from  his 
gun  before  going  to  the  drilling-ground.  Many  of 
the  Moravians  found  a  refuge  at  Second  River,  a 
creek  near  Newark.  When  the  excitement  died 
down  the  refugees  usually  came  to  the  city  on  busi- 
ness. In  the  beginning  of  December  a  Lancaster 
Moravian  named  Dickert  visited  New  York  and 
brought  with  him  a  letter  from  the  Rev.  Christian 
Krogstrup  containing  the  information  that  on 
November  25,  "the  saw  and  corn  mill  at  Lititz  to- 
gether with  a  quantity  of  grain  had  burned,  entail- 
ing a  loss  of  about  two  thousand  pounds."  At  the 
close  of  the  year  1775  Shewkirk  made  the  following 
record  in  the  diary:  "In  our  private  and  public 
meetings  we  have  enjoyed  our  Saviour's  nearness  in 
a  peculiar  manner.  We  trust  the  testimony  of  Jesus' 
redemption  has  not  been  heard  in  vain  by  the  stran 
gers.    That  we  have  been  able  to  keep  our  meetings 


124     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEY  YORK 

without  disturbance  in  these  troublous  times,  we 
acknowledge  as  a  particular  favor  with  bowed 
hearts."  At  this  time  the  membership  of  the  con- 
gregation numbered  160,  of  which  66  were  com- 
municants, 20  non-communicants,  36  society  mem- 
bers, and  38  children. 

As  time  went  on  matters  grew  worse  in  the  city. 
When  in  February,  1776,  General  Charles  Lee  "ar- 
rived with  his  troop,  the  inhabitants  began  to  move 
away  in  a  surprising  manner.''  At  this  time  forty 
Moravian  families  left  the  city.  The  Sunday  fol- 
lowing was  a  gloomy  day.  The  streets  were  full 
of  carts  laden  with  the  household  effects  of  people 
moving  to  the  country.  American  soldiers  took 
away  all  the  guns  from  the  battery  and  Fort  George. 
In  some  of  the  churches  there  were  no  services  at 
all,  and  in  others  hardly  any  people.  Shewkirk 
preached  in  the  morning  and  afternoon,  ''and  both 
times  had  more  people  than  he  expected  under  the 
circumstances."  On  March  13  a  packet  arrived 
from  England  and  brought  a  large  number  of  letters. 
However,  it  was  not  without  difficulty  that  they  were 
brought  on  shore.  The  City  Postmaster  would  not 
allow  them  to  be  delivered  for  fear  they  might  be 
seized  without  the  postage  being  paid.  Only  those 
who  took  a  solemn  oath  not  to  reveal  what  was  going 
on  in  the  city  were  permitted  to  board  the  packet 
to  get  the  mail.  Shewkirk  received  a  package  from 
England  post-free.  It  became  mixed  in  somehow 
with  certain  government  despatches,  therefore  it  was 
delivered  at  the  parsonage  by  a  messenger  in  the 
King's  sendee  who  had  come  over  as  a  passenger. 


UNPLEASANT  EXPERIENCES  125 

Some  of  the  members  of  the  congregation  had  un- 
pleasant experiences.  Mrs.  Killburn  and  Mrs.  Hi- 
lah  Waldron  had  soldiers  quartered  in  their  houses 
for  a  time,  and  both  properties  were  considerably 
damaged  by  the  unwelcome  guests.  On  Sunday  eve- 
ning, March  14,  Francis  Conrad,  a  shop-keeper,  was 
sitting  quietly  in  his  home  with  his  wife  and  family 
when  several  soldiers  came  and  asked  him  to  sell 
them  certain  articles.  Not  having  in  stock  what 
they  wanted  all  left  with  the  exception  of  one,  w^ho 
stole  upstairs  without  being  detected.  When  later 
in  the  evening  the  daughter  of  the  house  went  to 
lock  the  back-door  the  ruffian  came  down  and  blew 
out  her  candle.  Her  call  for  help  attracted  the  par- 
ents to  the  scene.  The  soldier  struck  the  mother  a 
hard  blow  in  the  face,  tore  the  pocket  off  her  dr-ess, 
and  snatching  Conrad's  cap  from  his  head  dashed  to 
the  street,  whither  the  shopkeeper  followed  him  in 
great  haste.  Here  he  was  confronted  by  another 
soldier,  who  joined  his  comrade  in  beating  the  old 
man  unmercifully,  and  then  both  fled  into  the  niglit. 
Not  all  the  soldiers  in  the  city,  however,  were  of  this 
type,  for  many  of  them  attended  the  Moravian  serv- 
ices and  listened  attentively  to  the  message  from  the 
pulpit.  Whether  the  Conrads  were  Tories  and  in 
some  way  gave  offense  to  the  soldiers  is  not  known. 
It  is  quite  possible  that  they  were.  In  that  event 
the  rough  treatment  they  received  wtuild  be  ex- 
I)huned.  It  was  a  time  when  a  British  sympathizer 
had  to  weigh  his  words  very  carefully.  Several 
weeks  after  the  affair  at  Conrad's  a  number  of  Tories 
were   draggcnl    thru    the   streets.      Each    one    had   a 


126     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

lighted  candle  forced  into  his  hand,  or  pushed  into 
his  face.  Many  were  severely  burned.  Others  were 
stripped  of  their  clothes,  carried  about  on  sharp 
rails,  and  otherwise  abused.  The  mob-spirit  was  at 
its  height,  and  General  Putnam  and  his  men  had  all 
they  could  do  to  quell  the  riot  and  disperse  the  mob. 
Troops  came  pouring  into  the  city,  and  on  June  18 
members  of  the  ward-companies  were  drafted  as 
soldiers  in  the  American  Army.  Robert  Thomas 
and  Abraham  Van  Vleck  were  among  those  drafted. 
It  was  possible  for  a  drafted  man  to  hire  another  to 
act  as  his  substitute.  All  these  events  caused  another 
exodus  from  the  city.  The  shop-goods  and  household 
effects  of  some  of  the  Moravians  were  seized  by  a 
man  of  war  as  they  were  being  transported  to  Paulus 
Hook,  now  Jersey  City,  but  were  later  restored  to 
their  owners. 

On  July  9,  in  the  open  space  where  City  Hall 
now  stands,  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
was  read  to  the  soldiers  in  New  York  by  order 
of  Washington,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  same 
day  the  gilded  and  equestrian  statue  of  King 
George  III  was  torn  from  its  pedestal  in 
Bowling  Green  and  taken  to  Litchfield,  Connec- 
ticut, where  the  lead  was  turned  into  patriotic  bul- 
lets. Three  days  later  the  English  fleet  began  to 
arrive  in  the  harbor.  Two  ships  sailing  up  the  North 
River  when  even  with  Trinity  Church  fired  upon 
the  city  and  killed  six  men,  who  were  later  buried 
in  one  grave  in  Bowling  Green.  "The  smoke  of  the 
firing  drew  over  Fulton  Street  like  a  cloud,  and  the 
air  was  filled  with  the  odor  of  powder."    At  noon 


ARREST  AND  ACQUITTAL  127 

on  July  18  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was 
read  before  the  general  public  at  City  Hall,  then 
located  at  the  head  of  Broad  Street,  and  the  Coat  of 
Arms  of  the  King  burned.  Two  days  later  Admiral 
Howe  sent  a  deputy  to  General  Washington  to  ar- 
range, if  possible,  terms  of  peace.  The  interview 
took  place  in  a  house  at  the  foot  of  Broadway.  When 
the  British  deputy  left  Washington  and  his  staff  he 
said :  *'Sir  and  Gentlemen,  let  it  be  remembered  that 
the  King  has  made  the  first  overture  for  peace.  If 
it  be  rejected,  you  must  take  the  consequences."  Feel- 
ing against  the  British  and  their  sympathizers  ran 
high,  and  about  this  time  John  Wilson  and  his  son, 
members  of  the  Moravian  congregation,  were  ar- 
rested on  the  charge  of  being  dangerous  persons  who 
had  done  much  mischief  by  speaking  against  the 
American  cause.  The  charge  could  not  be  proved, 
and  the  case  was  dismissed.  Many  Tories  were  com- 
pelled to  leave  the  city  at  this  time. 

During  the  first  week  of  August  Shewkirk  brought 
the  comforts  of  religion  to  a  number  of  sick  soldiers 
at  the  camp  on  the  East  River,  which  was  not  far 
from  the  parsonage,  and  officiated  at  the  burial  of 
Ensign  Evans  of  Connecticut.  On  August  21  there 
was  a  heavy  thunderstorm  in  the  evening.  Referring 
to  the  storm  Shewkirk  writes:  "It  lasted  for  sev- 
eral hours,  till  after  10  o'clock;  an  uncommon  dis- 
play of  lightning;  one  hard  clap  of  thunder  after 
the  other;  heavy  rain  at  times  accompanied  by  a 
storm  like  a  hurricane.  The  oldest  inhabitants  can 
hardly  remember  such  a  tempest.  It  was  worse 
than  the  one  twenty  years  ago  when  lightning  struck 


128     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Trinity  Church.  It  was  an  awful  scene.  Three  of- 
ficers were  killed  in  one  of  the  camps;  also  one  of 
the  New  England  soldiers  in  a  house  on  the  square. 
Several  others  were  hurt,  and  the  mast  of  one  of  the 
row  gallies  mashed  to  pieces."  On  Thursday  and 
Friday  of  the  same  week  the  British,  twenty  thou- 
sand strong,  or  nearly  five  to  one  of  the  Americans^ 
landed  on  the  southwestern  shore  of  Long  Island. 
On  August  27,  the  day  on  which  the  Battle  of  Long 
Island  began,  a  few  members  of  the  little  Moravian 
congregation  met  in  their  church  on  Fulton  Street 
for  a  fast  and  prayer-day  service  appointed  by  the 
Provincial  authorities.  Shewkirk's  discourse  was 
based  on  Jeremiah  48:  17-18.  While  the  prayers  of 
the  faithful  little  band  ascended  to  the  God  of  Peace 
the  boom  of  heavy  guns  was  heard  in  the  distance. 
The  result  of  this  battle  is  well  known.  Before  leav- 
ing the  city  the  Americans  removed  all  their  sick, 
as  well  as  their  stores  and  ammunition.  ^'They  like- 
wise took  the  bells  of  all  the  churches  and  carried 
them  away."  A  large  portion  of  the  American  forces 
deserted  in  companies  and  squadrons  to  the  enemy. 
On  September  15  the  British  took  full  possession  of 
the  city.  The  diary  for  the  day  contains  the  follow- 
ing account:  "Soon  in  the  morning  when  the  tide 
served,  more  ships  passed  up  the  North  River  and 
East  River.  Tho  what  was  still  in  town  of  the 
American  troops  got  away  as  fast  as  they  could, 
they  fired  again  on  the  ships,  as  they  did  likewise 
from  Paulus  Hook  (Jersey  City),  which  caused  a 
cannonading  that  shook  the  houses;  the  sound  of  it 
was  terrible.    One  large  ball,  supposed  to  have  come 


AFTEE  BATTLE  OF  LONG  ISLAND      129 

from  Paulus  Hook,  flew  against  the  North  Church, 
just  opposite  the  Moravian  Chapel,  broke,  and  a  part 
of  it  went  back  into  a  neighboring  cellar  kitchen, 
badly  frightening  a  Negro  woman  who  came  running 
over  to  the  kitchen  of  the  chapel-house,  where  the 
Syphers'  family  had  found  shelter,  as  they  lived 
near  the  Fort,  where  the  houses  were  most  exposed 
to  the  firing.  After  some  time  the  firing  ceased,  and 
at  the  usual  time  we  had  the  forenoon's  preaching 
in  all  stillness;  the  only  service  kept  in  the  city.  By 
this  time  the  King's  troops  had  landed  on  Manhat- 
tan Island.  There  was  some  slaughter  and  the 
Americans  were  forced  to  retreat  towards  Harlem. 
In  the  afternoon  at  three  o'clock  the  congregational 
meeting  was  held,  but  the  evening  preaching  was 
omitted." 

On  the  following  day  the  houses  of  those  who 
had  taken  part  in  the  rebellion  were  marked  as  for- 
feited. Among  the  number  were  those  of  Mrs.  Kill- 
burn,  Mrs.  Hilah  Waldron,  Mrs.  Bouquet,  Isaac  Van 
Vleck  and  other  Moravians.  The  royalist  pastor 
'^afterwards  wrote  to  Grovernor  Tryon,  congratulat- 
ing him  on  the  late  happy  event,  and  at  the  same 
time  interceded  in  behalf  of  the  two  widows'  houses." 
On  the  following  day  the  city  was  fairly  quiet.  Pris- 
oners in  large  numbers  were  constantly  brought  in 
and  lodged  in  the  North  Dutch  Reformed  Church  on 
William  Street,  and  in  the  Middle  Dutch  Reformed 
Church,  which  stood  on  the  site  where  the  Post 
Office  was  later  located.  The  horror  of  those  British 
prisons  cannot  be  described.  In  the  former  edifice 
eight  hundred  men  were  incarcerated,  and  in  the 


130     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

latter  three  thousand.     They  were  without  fuel  or 
bedding  in  the  coldest  winter  weather.     There  was 
not  a  pane  of  glass  in  the  windows.    Whatever  food 
the  prisoners  received  was  of  the  poorest  quality. 
Thousands   died   from   cold   and    starvation.     For 
weeks  the  '^dead-cart"  visited  those  prisons  daily 
to  collect  from  eight  to  a  dozen  corpses,  which  were 
taken  to  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  where  they  were 
dumped  into  ditches  with  no  more  ceremony  than 
if  they  had  been  the  carcasses  of  animals.     Mean- 
while, the  British  officers  and   their  wives  fared 
sumptuously  every  day.     On  September  21,  about 
an  hour  after  midnight,  the  whole  city  was  thrown 
into  confusion  by  a  fire  which  broke  out  in  a  low 
dram-shop  occupied  by  fallen  men  and  women  near 
Whitehall  Slip.    The  fire  was  undoubtedly  of  incen- 
diary origin,  as  soon  after  flames  were  seen  bursting 
from   widely  separated  buildings.     Ordinarily   the 
alarm  would  have  been  sounded  by  the  ringing  of 
bells,  but  the  bells  had  been  carried  off  by  the  Amer- 
ican soldiers.     The  fire  company  being  broken  up 
and  the  fire  engines  out  of  commission,  no  organized 
effort  could  be  made  to  fight  the  flames.    In  a  few 
notable  instances  a  bucket  brigade  rendered  valuable 
service.    A  stiff  wind  rapidly  spread  the  conflagra- 
tion, whose  fury  was  not  spent  until  a  thousand 
buildings,  or  one-fourth  of  the  city,  had  been  de- 
stroyed.   Trinity  Church  was  reduced  to  ashes,  en- 
tailing a  loss  of  twenty-five  thousand  pounds.    The 
Moravian  church  was  at  no  time  in  danger,  altho 
a  building  near-by  caught  fire.     Shewkirk  ordered 
the  ladders  of  the  congregation  to  be  taken  to  the 


FIRE  ADDS  TO  HORRORS  OP  WAR      131 

scene,  water  was  carried  in  buckets  to  the  roof,  and 
after  a  time  the  flames  were  extinguished.  Some  of 
the  Moravians  suffered  considerable  loss  from  the 
fire.  Widow  Killbrunn  lost  two  houses.  Pell  three, 
Jacobsen  one,  and  Widow  Zoeller  her  home.  Lepper, 
Eastman  and  others  lost  part  of  their  goods.  After 
the  fire  about  two  hundred  people  were  arrested  as 
incendiaries,  but  proof  was  lacking  in  each  case, 
therefore  all  were  dismissed. 

By  the  month  of  November  thousands  of  prisoners 
had  been  brought  to  the  city  and  quartered  in 
churches  and  other  public  buildings.  The  Dutch 
Reformed  and  Presbyterian  as  well  as  the  French 
and  Baptist  churches  were  already  used  as  barracks 
or  hospitals,  and  for  a  time  it  seemed  as  if  the  turn 
of  the  Moravian  church  would  come  next.  About 
eleven  o'clock  on  Monday  morning,  November  18, 
two  British  officers  and  several  other  men  came  to 
see  the  church  and  house  connected  with  it.  Shew- 
kirk  showed  them  about  with  rapidly  beating  heart, 
fearing  the  worst  had  come.  One  of  the  officers  in- 
quired whether  services  were  regularly  conducted 
in  the  church,  and  receiving  an  affirmative  reply  he 
said,  "Then  it  would  be  a  pity  to  take  it."  Mean- 
while, iinother  officer  made  a  thoro  investigation  of 
the  pi'emises.  When  they  were  gone  the  pastor  im- 
mediately set  out  to  interview  General  Robertson, 
the  Commanding  General,  and  also  Governor  Tryon. 
Unfortunately  the  fonm^r  was  not  at  headquarters, 
and  altho  the  latter  receive<l  him  courtiM)usly  he  as- 
siire<l  him  that  as  Governor  he  could  do  nothing  in 
the  matter  because  all  power  was  now  lodged  in  the 


132    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

army.  But  he  offered  to  write  a  few  lines  to  the 
General,  recommending  a  favorable  consideration 
of  Shewkirk's  request  to  leave  the  Moravian  church 
unmolested.  That  day  two  thousand  or  more  pris- 
oners taken  after  the  fall  of  Fort  Washington  were 
brought  to  the  city.  About  four  o'clock  Shewkirk 
saw  the  street  in  front  of  the  parsonage  filled  with 
soldiers.  A  sergeant  came  to  the  door  and  said :  "Is 
this  the  Moravian  meeting-house?"  Upon  hearing 
that  it  was,  he  declared  that  he  had  been  ordered  to 
quarter  four  hundred  prisoners  in  it.  After  ex- 
amining the  church  the  Major  in  command  of  the 
prisoners  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  building  was 
too  small  for  the  purpose  they  had  in  mind.  Never- 
theless, immediate  steps  were  taken  to  remove  all 
the  portable  furniture  to  make  room  for  the  accom- 
modation of  the  prisoners.  Meanwhile,  the  Major 
sent  word  to  the  Deputy  Barrack  Master,  who  was  a 
Jew,  asking  what  should  be  done.  This  man  sent 
word  that  no  mistake  had  been  made,  and  that  the 
prisoners  should  be  quartered  in  the  chapel.  The 
Major  was  not  yet  satisfied.  He  decided  to  see 
General  Robertson  in  regard  to  the  matter.  When 
he  returned  he  informed  Shewkirk  that  they  w^ould 
trouble  him  no  longer,  and  the  prisoners  were  forth- 
with taken  to  the  North  Church. 

On  Sunday  afternoon,  December  1,  a  number  of 
officers  came  to  the  parsonage  seeking  quarters  for 
themselves.  They  assured  Shewkirk  that  they  would 
not  interfere  with  the  services  in  the  church.  One 
of  them  actually  selected  a  room  for  himself,  and 
demanded  that  it  be  cleared  that  very  afternoon. 


SHEWKIRK  AVERTS  A  DANGER       133 

After  they  were  gone  Shewkirk  went  to  General 
Robertson  and  asked  him  whether  the  action  of  the 
ofiScers  had  his  sanction.  The  General  received  him 
kindly  and  assured  him  that  he  knew  nothing  at  all 
of  the  matter,  adding  that  he  had  no  intention  of  dis- 
turbing any  church  in  which  services  were  con- 
ducted. The  officers  did  not  return  to  the  parsonage. 
On  the  following  day  the  city  papers  contained  a 
proclamation  of  the  King  which  declared  that  all 
who  had  rebelled  against  his  authority  might  return 
to  the  city  without  fear  of  punishment  or  forfeiture 
of  property,  provided  they  were  willing  to  take  the 
oath  of  allegiance  to  His  Majesty.  A  great  many 
people  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity  to  re- 
turn to  their  homes.  Evidently  Shewkirk's  unwel- 
come visitors  of  the  day  before  knew  of  the  royal 
proclamation  and  the  influx  it  would  occasion,  and 
for  this  reason  had  tried  to  get  settled  before  the 
people  would  return  in  any  great  numbers.  At  all 
events,  the  proclamation  made  it  less  easy  for  the 
military  men  to  take  houses  at  will.  The  pastor's 
wife  was  among  those  who  returned  to  the  city  at 
this  time.  The  streets  were  not  altogether  safe  in 
the  day-time,  much  less  at  night,  holdups  and  rob- 
beries being  common  occurrences,  therefore  the  con- 
gregation had  its  last  service  of  the  year  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  on  December  the  thirty-first. 
Under  date  of  January  14,  1777,  the  diary  contains 
the  following  record  :  "Upon  the  request  of  General 
Howe  for  the  loan  of  our  benches  for  the  entertain- 
ment on  the  QucHin's  birthday  anniversaiy  several 
wagon-loads   were   taken  away   to-day."     Six   days 


134    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

later  the  diarist  mentions  the  fact  that  "the  loaves 
of  bread  are  larger,"  and  doubtless  this  happy  cir- 
cumstance gave  the  inhabitants  greater  satisfaction 
than  the  recent  birthday  celebration  could  afford. 
That  sectarianism  was  little  in  evidence  at  this  time 
is  indicated  by  the  presence  of  a  large  number  of 
clergymen  who  attended  the  funeral  service  of  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  Auchmuchty,  the  late  Rector  of 
Trinity  Church,  on  March  4,  1777.  The  Moravian 
pastor  was  one  of  the  pall-bearers.  On  June  4  the 
front  of  the  Moravian  parsonage  was  illuminated 
with  forty-eight  candles,  which  "made  a  fine  sight  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  beholders,"  the  occasion  being 
the  celebration  of  the  King's  birthday.  When  noisy 
tenants  next  to  the  church  disturbed  the  services,  the 
Moravian  trustees  overcame  the  difficulty  by  renting 
the  building  for  twelve  pounds  a  year  and  ousting 
the  trouble-makers.  The  summer  of  1777  was  very 
unhealthful,  and  as  a  result  a  great  many  people, 
especially  children,  died.  There  were  seven  or  eight 
burials  every  day,  and  once  seventeen.  At  the  close 
of  the  year  the  pastor  made  this  record:  "The  un- 
happy circumstances  and  calamities  of  the  country 
have  continued.  We  acknowledge  it  a  singular 
mercy  of  the  Lord  that  we  have  been  undisturbed 
in  our  public  and  private  congregational  courses. 
No  attempt  was  made  to  lodge  any  person  in 
either  parsonage  or  chapel.  We  are  deeply  grate- 
ful to  our  dear  brethren  in  London  for  so  faithfully 
interesting  themselves  in  our  welfare,  having  in- 
terceded in  our  behalf  and  securing  government 
protection  for  us.     This  shows  what  it  means  to 


AN  OFFICIAL  VISITATION  135 

belong  to  a  Unity.    We  have  also  had  less  sickness 
than  many  others.     Some  of  our  members  have  re- 
turned to  the  city,  but  not  as  many  as  we  expected." 
Altho  it  was  impossible  to  carry  on  an  extensive 
correspondence  between  Europe  and  America,  the 
authorities  of  the  Moravian  Church  in  Germany  were 
sufficiently  informed  in  regard  to  the  circumstances 
of  their  American  brethren  to  fill  their  hearts  with 
deep  concern.    It  was  therefore  decided  to  send  one 
of  their  number  to  America  to  give  to  the  congre- 
gations the  needed  official  instructions  and  to  in- 
stitute such  measures  as  the  times  required.    Bishop 
John  Frederick  Reichel  was  entrusted  with  this  im- 
portant commission.     He  was  accompanied  by  his 
wife  and  a  number  of  other  persons.    Among  these 
was  the  Rev.  Frederick  William  von  Marschall,  one 
of  the  delegates  to  the  General  Synod  of  1775,  who 
with  others  had  been  delayed  in  Europe  by  the  war, 
and  was  now  returning  to  Salem,  North  Carolina, 
with  his  wife  and  daughter.    Others  in  the  party  were 
Anna  Dorothea  de  Watteville,  daughter  of  Bishop 
John  de  Watteville  and  grand-daughter  of  Count 
Zinzendorf,  who  came  to  be  the  bride  of  the  Rev.  John 
Christian    Alexander    de    Schweinitz;    Jacob    Van 
VIeck,  the  son  of  Hendrick  Van  Vleck,  the  New  York 
merchant,  who  had  been  taking  a  course  in  the  Theo- 
logical  Seminary  at  Barby  in   Saxony;   Siegmund 
Leschinsky,  who  became  connected  with  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Single  Brethren's  House  at  Bethlehem ; 
John  Jacob  Swihola,  who  became  the  pastor  of  the 
Emmaus  congregation,  serving  in  this  capacity  dur- 
ing the  latter  part  of  the  American  Revolution ;  and 


136    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Dr.  Christian  Frederick  Kampmann,  who  was  sent 
to  be  the  physician  at  Hope,  New  Jersey.  On 
October  9,  1778,  this  company  arrived  in  London, 
where  royal  passports  were  procured,  as  well  as  let- 
ters of  introduction  to  Benjamin  Franklin  from  his 
friends  Bishop  Spangenberg  and  Mr.  James  Hutton. 
On  Christmas  Day  they  set  sail  on  the  good  ship 
Hannah.  They  arrived  in  New  York  on  March  26, 
1779.  Shewkirk  welcomed  "the  pilgrims"  and  con- 
ducted them  to  the  chapel-house,  where  tea  was 
served,  and  a  short  service  conducted  by  Bishop 
Reichel.  On  the  following  day,  which  was  Saturday, 
numerous  letters  were  written,  and  "after  the  rest  of 
the  Sabbath  Day  the  pilgrim-sisters  began  a  great 
wash  which  took  up  some  days."  On  Maundy  Thurs- 
day forty-one  persons  partook  of  the  Holy  Com- 
munion, there  being  thirty-one  communicant  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation  in  the  city  at  the  time.  At 
the  Great  Sabbath  love  feast  Jacob  Van  Vleck  played 
the  organ,  accompanied  by  John  Swihola  on  the 
violin,  while  the  pilgrim  sisters  sang  "  ^Most  Holy 
Lord  and  God,'  and  some  other  selections  in  a  very 
sweet  manner."  After  a  sojourn  of  three  weeks, 
less  one  day,  the  pilgrims  left  for  Bethlehem.  The 
Custom  House  official  examined  the  baggage  at  the 
chapel-house.  "He  trusted  the  honesty  of  the  com- 
pany, and  opened  nothing.  Half  a  guinea  was  given 
to  him."  Jacob  Vanderbilt's  flag-boat  carried  the 
company  and  the  baggage  to  Elizabeth  Town  for 
ten  dollars. 

Two  papers  preserved  in  the  Bethlehem  Archives 
are  of  interest  in  this  connection.    They  show  how 


PASSING  AMERICAN  LINES  137 

the  pilgrims  were  able  to  pass  thru  the  American 
lines  and  also  the  good  services  rendered  by  the 
patriot  Brother  Henry  Van  Vleck.  He  was  sent  to 
Philadelphia  by  the  Bethlehem  authorities  to  inter- 
view Joseph  Reed,  a  member  of  the  Continental  Con- 
gress and  President  of  the  Pennsylvania  Supreme 
Executive  Council,  who  readily  furnished  the  fol- 
lowing letters: 

Philadelphia,  April  8th,  1779. 
Sir. 

The  bearer  hereof,  Mr.  Van  Vleck,  has  applied  to 
me  in  behalf  of  a  Mr.  Marschall,  his  Lady  and  2 
daughters,  (one  and  de  Watteville's  daughter)  the 
Revd.  Mr.  Reichel  and  his  Lady,  Mr.  Jacob  Van 
Vleck,  Mr.  Campman  and  Messrs.  Leshinsky  and 
Swihola,  all  of  the  Society  of  Moravians.  These 
persons  are  now  at  New  York  and  are  desirous  to 
proceed  to  their  Friends  at  Bethlehem,  for  which 
they  have  my  free  Consent  and  Permission  so  far 
as  the  same  may  be  consistent  with  your  convenience 
and  the  good  of  the  Service.  If  therefore  there  is  no 
difficulty  on  that  Account,  you  will  be  so  obliging 
as  to  favour  their  Views  by  permitting  them,  their 
Servants  and  necessary  Baggage  to  pass  the  Lines. 

I  am  with  much  Regard 

Your  most  humble  Serv't 

Jos.  Reed. 
To  Brigadier  General  Maxwell 
Command'g  Officer 
at 
Elizabeth  Town. 


138     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Unfortunately  the  address  is  torn  off  the  following 
letter,  but  it  is  supposed  to  have  been  directed  to  the 
Commander-in-Chief : 

Dear  Sir. 

The  Bearer  hereof,  Mr.  Van  Vleck  is  a  respectable 
Member  of  the  Moravian  Society  and  a  Gentleman 
of  amiable  Character.  Some  Concerns  of  the  So- 
ciety as  well  as  of  a  private  Nature  may  make  it 
necessary  for  him  to  wait  upon  your  Excellency.  If 
so  I  beg  Leave  to  recommend  him  to  your  favorable 
Notice,  being  assured  he  has  no  desires  but  what 
are  perfectly  xronsistent  with  the  Interests  of  Amer- 
ica.   I  am  with  the  greatest  Respect  and  Regard 

Dear  Sir 

Your  most  obedient  and 

very  humble  Serv't 
Jos.  Reed. 
Philadia  April  9th  1779. 

With  these  letters  in  their  possession  the  "pil- 
grims" reached  Bethlehem  on  April  17,  having  met 
with  no  diflaculties  on  the  way.  That  the  British 
authorities  knew  where  the  sympathies  of  Van  Vleck 
lay  is  evident  from  the  following  record  in  the  diary 
of  the  congregation :  "Tuesday,  July  16. — Br.  Henry 
Van  Vleck  has  been  on  Staten  Island  a  fortnight, 
but  can  get  no  permit  to  come  to  town,  and  now 
has  been  ordered  by  General  Jones,  the  Com- 
mandant, to  leave  the  Island,  and  go  back  to  Penn- 
sylvania." Van  Vleck,  however,  was  not  easily 
frightened,  for  it  was  not  until  July  9  that  Shew- 


BRITISH  SINS  CONDEMNED  139 

kirk  was  able  to  make  the  following  record:  "Br. 
Henry  Van  Vleck  went  at  last.  He  left  for  Beth- 
lehem yesterday,  and  well  it  is.  There  has  been  so 
much  ado  by  writing  and  going  to  and  fro  of  various 
persons  during  his  stay  on  Staten  Island  that  one 
had  reason  to  be  apprehensive  it  might  give  alarm. 
When  he  came  to  Elizabeth  Town  the  things  he  had 
from  here  were  to  a  considerable  extent  taken  away.'' 
Altho  Shewkirk  was  a  royalist  he  was  first  of  all 
an  earnest  Christian  gentleman  who  condemned  the 
sins  of  the  British  no  less  than  those  of  the  Amer- 
icans. On  Thursday,  August  19,  he  made  the  follow- 
ing record:  "Early  this  morning  before  daybreak 
the  rebels  made  an  attack  on  Paulus  Hook.  The 
reports  of  the  effect  vary,  but  they  have  again  taken 
some  of  our  people  prisoners.  Another  instance  of 
the  great  carelessness  and  security  on  our  side,  when 
on  the  other  hand  the  military  gentlemen  amuse 
themselves  with  trifles  and  diversions.  Lately  the 
walk  before  the  ruins  of  Trinity  Church  and  its 
grave-yard  has  been  railed  in,  painted  green,  benches 
placed  there,  and  many  lamps  fixed  in  the  trees,  for 
the  gentlemen  and  ladies  to  walk  and  sit  there  in 
the  evening  with  a  band  of  music,  while  the  Com- 
mandant is  there,  etc.  A  sentry  is  placed  there 
that  none  of  the  common  people  may  walk  there.  A 
paltry  affair!  A  house  opposite  is  adapted  to  ac- 
commodate the  ladies  or  officers'  women,  while  many 
honest  people,  both  of  the  inhabitants  and  refugees, 
cannot  get  a  house  of  lodging  to  live  in  and  to  get 
their  living.  Such  things  make  one  sigh  to  the 
Lord  that  He  would  have  mercy  on  this  land,  and 


140    MOEAVIAN  CHUKCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

make  an  end  of  these  calamities  and  the  many  in- 
iquitous practices.  Murders  have  been  perpetrated 
again  lately;  but  they  are  quashed.  Isaac  Noble, 
the  only  surviving  son  of  the  well-known  Thomas 
Noble  of  this  city,  a  blessed  beginner  and  promoter 
of  our  Saviour's  work  here  in  the  hands  of  the  Breth- 
ren, who  was  a  commissary  of  stores,  and  lived 
some  miles  out  of  town  near  Turtle  Bay,  hath  been 
lately  murdered  while  he  was  returning  from  a  visit 
to  one  of  his  friends." 

Altho  the  exigencies  of  the  times  made  it  impos- 
sible to  increase  the  membership  of  the  congregation 
to  any  great  extent,  Shewkirk  made  good  use  of  the 
abundant  opportunities  for  Christian  service.  He 
was  favorably  known  among  the  inhabitants  as  well 
as  among  the  soldiers  quartered  in  the  city,  and  was 
frequently  called  upon  to  minister  to  the  sick,  and 
to  perform  other  ministerial  functions  among  people 
not  in  connection  with  the  congregation.  A  great 
many  strangers  attended  the  preaching  services. 
Among  the  number  were  some  Hessian  soldiers  who 
formerly  belonged  to  the  Diaspora*  of  the  Moravians 
in  Germany.  From  time  to  time  a  room  in  the  chapel- 
house  was  rented  to  various  oflScers  of  the  British 
Army.  During  the  fall  of  1779  there  was  much  sick- 
ness in  the  city  and  on  the  islands,  Shewkirk  being 
a  victim.  He  suffered  from  pleurisy,  and  for  a  time 
it  was  thought  he  would  not  recover.  A  French  doc- 
tor  named   Fisgard  attended   him,    ^'bleeding   him 

♦The  Diaspora  of  the  Moravian  Church  is  the  name  given  to  about 
70,000  awaliened  souls  scattered  throughout  the  Protestant  Churches  of 
Europe.  These  Christians  are  served  by  Moravian  ministers,  but  retain 
their  membership  in  the  State  Gburcb. 


SICKNESS  AND  SUFFERING  141 

twice,  applying  a  blister-plaster,  and  giving  such 
treatment  in  general  as  was  customary  in  that  day." 
Not  only  the  members  of  the  congregation  but  a  great 
many  other  people  showed  a  deep  interest  in  his 
welfare,  and  when  he  recovered  there  was  general 
rejoicing.  If  Shewkirk  had  died  the  Moravian 
church  would  have  undoubtedly  met  the  fate  of  other 
churches  in  the  city. 

During  January  and  February  of  the  year  1780 
intensely  cold  weather  prevailed.  "The  oldest  in- 
habitants declared  that  they  had  experienced  nothing 
like  it  since  the  year  1740.''  Wood  was  scarce  and 
many  people  froze  to  death.  According  to  the  diary 
the  East  River  was  frozen  over,  enabling  people  in 
some  places  to  cross  over  to  Long  Island  on  the  ice. 
During  the  first  week  in  February  sleighs  came  over 
the  ice  from  Staten  Island  to  the  city,  which  was 
unusual  to  say  the  least.  While  the  city  was  shiver- 
ing from  the  cold  the  Hannah  in  command  of  Cap- 
tain Watson  was  driven  hither  and  thither  on  the 
boisterous  waves  of  the  sea.  On  board  were  the 
following  Moravians :  the  Rev.  John  Andrew  Hue- 
bener  and  his  wife;  David  Zeisberger,  Jr.,  and  his 
wife;  John  Michael  Kern,  the  widow  Barbara  Mar- 
tens, and  Jeppe  Nielsen.  The  Hannah  sailed  from 
Portsmouth  the  latter  part  of  October.  The  passage 
as  far  as  Newfoundland  was  comparatively  smooth. 
After  leaving  there,  however,  storms  and  contrary 
winds  were  encountered,  and  for  nine  or  ten  dreary 
weeks  the  ship  was  driven  about  along  the  coast. 
The  passengers  suffered  greatly  from  sea-sickness. 
Finally  the  drinking-water  gave  out  and  the  pro- 


142     MORAVIAK  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

visions  were  all  gone,  but  before  the  worst  came  a 
favorable  wind  drove  the  ship  into  New  York  har- 
bor, where  on  February  27  the  passengers  landed 
after  being  on  the  water  for  eighteen  weeks.  Soon 
after  their  arrival  "the  pilgrims"  put  forth  the 
necessary  efforts  to  secure  the  proper  passes,  but 
it  was  not  until  March  26  that  they  were  able  to 
leave  for  Bethlehem,  where  they  arrived  safely  sev- 
eral days  later. 

An  outstanding  event  of  the  year  1781  was  the 
visit  of  Bishop  John  Frederick  Reichel,  who  with  his 
wife,  the  ten-year-old  Christian  Frederick  de 
Schweinitz,  Miss  Anna  Yarrell,  and  John  Francis 
Oberlin  with  his  wife,  arrived  in  New  York  on  Au- 
gust 10,  from  Bethlehem,  which  they  had  left  four 
days  before.  The  Henrietta,  on  which  they  sailed 
for  Europe,  had  to  wait  a  long  time  for  a  convoy, 
and  consequently  was  unable  to  leave  port  until 
December  8.  During  the  intervening  months  Bishop 
Reichel  visited  all  the  members  of  the  congregation 
in  the  city  and  on  Staten  Island,  held  private  in- 
terviews with  the  membership,  preached  frequently, 
acquainted  the  congregation  with  the  results  of  the 
last  General  Synod,  and  presented  to  the  congrega- 
tion the  system  of  rules  and  regulations  for  the  con- 
duct of  the  Christian  life  known  as  the  "Brotherly 
Agreement/'*  On  November  4  this  Agreement  was 
formally  adopted  by  the  congregation.  Bishop 
Reichel's  visit  greatly  strengthened  the  church  in 
New  York. 


•The  system  of  rules  and  regulations  adopted  by  the  Moravian  Church 
for  the  conduct  of  the  Christian  Life  of  its  membership. 


MURDER  OF  CAPTAIN  JACOBSEN      143 

On  January  19,  1782,  the  congregation  sustained 
a  great  loss  by  the  shocking  death  of  Christian  Ja- 
cobsen  of  Staten  Island,  who  had  rendered  invalu- 
able services  to  the  Moravian  Church  as  Captain  of 
the  Irene  and  its  successors,  as  well  as  in  numerous 
other  ways.  After  nightfall  of  the  fateful  day  three 
armed  men  waylaid  his  Negro  servant,  stripped  him 
of  his  clothing,  and  commanded  him  to  get  for  them 
the  money  which  they  alleged  Jacobsen  had  secreted 
in  his  cellar.  Reaching  the  house  about  half-past 
ten  o'clock  one  of  the  bandits  followed  the  Negro 
into  the  cellar,  another  stood  guard  at  the  street- 
door,  while  the  third  went  into  the  kitchen.  Jacob- 
sen  was  in  bed,  but  hearing  a  noise  he  quickly  dressed 
himself  and  hastened  to  the  kitchen,  where  one  of 
the  bandits  shot  him  down  in  cold  blood,  the  ball 
entering  his  chest  and  passing  out  thru  his  back. 
Three  hours  later  he  breathed  his  last.  The  report 
of  the  pistol  brought  the  Rev.  Hector  Gambold  and 
other  neighbors  to  the  scene  of  murder,  but  the  mur- 
derer and  his  accomplices  had  fled.  They  were  never 
brought  to  justice.  The  motive  of  their  crime  was 
clearly  robbery.  The  widow  of  the  victim  was  incon- 
solable in  her  grief.  She  bitterly  lamented  that  "her 
good  husband  should  have  been  struck  down  by  the 
agents  of  Satan.''  Captain  Jacobsen  was  univer- 
sally beloved,  and  his  neighbors  united  in  saying 
that  they  had  lost  one  of  their  best  friends.  The 
funeral  services  three  days  later  were  attended  by  a 
large  number  of  people. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1782  Shewkirk  wrote: 
"This  year  has  been  in  many  respects  the  hardest 


144    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

since  I  began  my  pastorate  in  New  York."    And  the 
following  year  was  no  better.     Business  was  at  a 
standstill,  and  the  prices  asked  for  foodstuffs  and 
other  necessities  were  exorbitant.    It  may  be  some 
consolation  to  present-day  inhabitants  of  New  York 
to  know  that  their  fathers  in  the  Revolutionary  War 
period  passed  thru  even  worse  experiences  than  they. 
Shewkirk  informs  us  that  '^the  rents  of  houses  in  the 
city  were  raised  in   an  extravagant  manner,  one 
member  of  the  congregation  in  looking  about  for  a 
house  being  asked  twenty-five  pounds  a  month  for  a 
single  room.''     Wood  sold  at  thirty-two  dollars  a 
cord.     A  new  fence  was  badly  needed  around  the 
Fresh  Water  burial-ground  of  the  congregation,  but 
on  account  of  the  great  scarcity  of  fuel  the  building 
of  the  fence  was  postponed  for  fear  it  might  be  torn 
down  and  burned.    After  the  Provisional  Treaty  of 
Peace  was  signed  at  Paris  in  November,  1782,  and  a 
cessation  of  hostilities  declared  by  Washington  in 
January,  1783,  business  troubles  increased.    Falling 
prices  brought  about  the  usual   crop   of  business 
failures.     Shewkirk  undoubtedly  expressed  the  sen- 
timents of  all  who  had  suffered  at  the  hands  of  the 
heartless  profiteer  who  had  preyed  upon  the  helpless 
inhabitants,  when  he  wrote,  "Flour,  rum,  molasses, 
coffee  and  other  commodities  sold  at  auction  have 
fallen  in  price  surprisingly,  which  is  proof  that  the 
deamess  of  many  articles  has  been  artificial.    Some 
men  will  now  meet  with  great  losses,  and  that  de- 
servedly, for  their  avarice,  forestalling,  and  extor- 
tion."    Under  the  circumstances  the  congregation 
found  it  extremely  difficult  to  make  ends  meet.  How- 


CHUECH  RECEIVES  LEGACIES         145 

ever,  matters  were  helped  by  legacies  left  by  the 
deceased  Catherine  Boelen  and  John  Feldhouse,  who 
had  been  faithful  members  of  the  congregation.  In 
this  way  the  trustees  were  able  not  only  to  make 
the  necessary  repairs  on  the  church-property,  but  to 
liquidate  the  debt  resting  upon  the  congregation.  At 
least,  they  imagined  they  could  make  the  needed 
repairs.  However,  when  one  half  of  the  church-roof 
had  been  newly  shingled,  it  was  found  that  the 
money  set  aside  for  repairs  was  all  gone,  therefore 
the  other  half  had  to  be  left  for  a  later  day.  On 
April  8,  1783,  the  King's  Proclamation  concerning 
the  cessation  of  hostilities  was  read  at  City  Hall, 
and  in  the  following  months  many  of  the  members 
of  the  congregation  returned  to  the  city.  Some 
members,  however,  were  permanently  lost  to  the 
Moravian  Church.  The  fortunate  turn  of  political 
events  brought  no  happiness  to  the  staunch  royalist 
pastor.  Evidently  he  had  no  desire  to  witness  the 
evacuation  of  the  city  by  the  British,  for  he  and  his 
wife  went  to  Bethlehem  eight  days  before  Washing- 
ton and  his  troops  marched  into  New  York  to  take 
possession  of  it.  Altho  Shewkirk  returned  after  an 
absence  of  two  weeks  and  assisted  in  the  work  of 
the  church  for  several  months,  he  really  closed  his 
pastorate  on  November  13,  four  days  before  he  went 
to  Bethlehem,  when  the  Rev.  Albrecht  Russmeyer,  a 
former  pastor,  took  temporary  charge  of  the  work, 
serving  in  this  capacity  until  the  latter  part  of  April 
of  the  following  year,  when  he  in  turn  was  succeeded 
by  the  Rev.  James  Birkby,  who  had  recently  arrived 
from  the  Danish  West  Indies,  where  he  and  his  ^ife 
had  served  as  missionaiies. 


CHAPTER  X 

PROGRESS  OF  THE  WORK  IN  SPITE  OF 

HINDRANCES 

Moravian  labors  in  New  York  from  the  year  1736 
to  the  close  of  the  American  Revolution  were  not 
unsuccessful.  Under  the  most  adverse  conditions 
the  Moravian  ministers,  evangelists  and  their  co- 
workers zealously  ministered  to  the  religious  needs 
of  all  classes  of  people,  including  Negro  slaves,  and 
hundreds  of  souls  were  won  for  Christ.  But  the 
statistics  of  the  congregation  were  at  no  time  en- 
couraging. The  actual  enrollment  never  exceeded 
the  three  hundred  mark,  and  for  the  most  part  fell 
below  it.  The  religious  indifference  and  unsettled 
conditions  of  the  times  naturally  militated  against 
any  phenomenal  church-growth.  These  things,  how- 
ever, do  not  wholly  explain  the  small  membership. 
The  root  of  the  matter  lay  in  the  policy  pursued  by 
the  Moravian  Church  during  the  first  century  or 
more  of  its  activities  in  America.  The  Moravian 
minister  had  no  thought  of  winning  members  for 
his  Church.  He  was  charged  by  the  authorities  to 
lead  souls  to  Christ  and  provide  for  them  spiritual 
nurture.  If  any  of  his  converts  could  lay  claim  to 
the  remotest  church-connection,  it  was  his  business 
to  keep  them  from  joining  the  Moravian  Church.* 

•The  Moravians  of  this  period  regarded  their  Church  as  being  "a  Church 
within  the  Church/*  whose  special  duty  it  was  to  labor  for  the  spread  of 
the  gospel. 

146 


PURSUING  A  WRONG  POLICY  147 

They  were  urged  to  remain  in  their  respective 
Churches  as  a  salt,  to  have  their  children  baptized 
by  their  pastor,  and  to  partake  of  the  Holy  Com- 
munion in  their  particular  Church.  Any  one  not 
connected  with  the  Society  of  the  congregation  had 
to  receive  special  permission  to  attend  even  the  So- 
ciety meetings.  It  was  extremely  difficult  to  be- 
come a  member  of  the  congregation,  and  even  those 
who  succeeded  in  being  admitted  had  to  be  exceed- 
ingly careful  of  their  conduct  because  the  slightest 
impropriety  on  their  part  would  bring  about  their 
exclusion.  Naturally  the  membership  remained 
small.  •)^-^\ 

Had  the  seat  of  church  government  been  in  Amer- 
ica, a  different  policy  might  have  been  pursued  after 
the  Revolutionary  War.  But  it  was  in  Germany, 
where  conditions  were  altogether  different.  In  1782 
a  General  Synod  was  held  at  Berthelsdorf,  Saxony, 
and  altho  no  deputy  from  America  was  present, 
American  affairs  were  considered  and  various  enact- 
ments relating  to  them  resulted.  At  the  time  when 
the  American  Colonies  had  thrown  off  the  yoke  of 
foreign  rule  and  were  about  to  set  up  a  free  and 
independent  nation,  American  Moravians  were 
stripped  of  what  little  power  in  governing  their  af- 
fairs they  previously  possessed,  and  their  congre- 
gations and  stations  placed  under  the  immediate 
control  of  the  Unity's  Elders'  Conference  in  Ger- 
many. A  feature  of  this  policy  was  the  abandon- 
ment of  church  extension,  and  the  growth  of  those 
congregations  already  in  existence  was  restricted  by 
the  system  of  making  admission  to  membership  sub- 


148     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

ject  to  the  lot,  and  by  imposing  upon  them  such 
regulations  as  to  make  it  almost  impossible  for  any 
one  to  become  a  member  of  the  Moravian  Church.  A 
record  covering  a  long  period  of  years  and  contain- 
ing the  names  of  candidates  for  confirmation  and 
reception  into  the  congregation  is  preserved  in  the 
Archives  of  the  First  Moravian  Church  of  New 
York  City.  These  persons  had  expressed  their  de- 
sire to  join  the  congregation,  for  in  those  days  no 
Moravian  minister  was  allowed  to  ask  anybody  to 
become  a  member  of  the  Church.  Many  on  the  list 
mentioned  were  never  received  because  the  lot  nega- 
tived their  reception. 

It  was  decided  that  "in  no  sense  shall  the  Societies 
of  awakened  persons  affiliated  with  the  Church  as 
the  fruit  of  the  former  extensive  itinerations  be  re- 
garded as  preparatory  to  the  organization  of  congre- 
gations, and  that  membership  in  these  societies  shall 
not  imply  communicant  membership  or  preparation 
for  it."  In  regard  to  Society  members  it  was  de- 
clared that  these  people  had  been  grouped  into  so- 
cieties "because  their  attachment  to  the  Brethren 
had  caused  their  exclusion  from  the  communions  of 
which  they  had  been  formerly  adherents.  Our 
Brethren  have  therefore  refrained  from  administer- 
ing the  sacraments  among  them."  The  unfortunate 
part  of  it  all  is  the  fact  that  the  times  and  conditions 
demanded  that  Christians  should  organize  and  found 
churches  everywhere.  This  exotic  policy  was  not 
wholly  abandoned  until  the  year  1856,  which  ex- 
plains not  only  the  slow  growth  of  the  congregation 
in  New  York,  but  the  comparatively  small  member- 


WAR'S  AFTERMATH  149 

ship  of  the  Moravian  Church  at  the  present  time. 
During  the  last  half  century  or  more  Moravian 
Church  growth  has  been  quite  satisfactory,  and  in 
proportion  to  membership  fully  equal  to  that  of 
other  denominations. 

It  was  no  easy  task  that  lay  before  the  Kev.  James 
Birkby  when  he  assumed  the  pastorate  of  the  New 
York  church.  During  the  war  the  membership  was 
divided  into  more  or  less  outspoken  loyalists  and 
patriots,  and  naturally  these  divisive  elements  did 
not  disappear  as  soon  as  the  struggle  was  over.  The 
congregation  had  dwindled  away  until  only  a  hand- 
ful remained,  and  many  of  the  remnant  had  cooled 
considerably  in  their  ardor  for  the  cause  of  Christ, 
while  some  were  wholly  indifferent  to  religion. 
This  spirit  of  indifference  was  especially  found 
among  the  young  people,  who  had  imbibed  much  of 
the  free  and  easy  and  even  ungodly  spirit  of  the 
times.  Some  of  the  young  men  had  been  in  the  army, 
and  ordinarily  a  soldier's  life  does  not  tend  to  make 
a  man  religious.  The  bloodshed  and  cruelties  of 
war  usually  have  a  reverse  effect.  Prices  were  ex- 
orbitant and  labor  exceedingly  scarce,  therefore  it 
was  not  an  uncommon  thing  to  find  people  in  prison 
for  debt,  a  lot  shared  by  some  of  the  Moravians.  Not- 
withstanding these  and  numerous  other  difficulties 
which  he  had  to  face,  Birkby  entered  upon  his  labors 
with  enthusiasm,  and  by  bis  consecrated  tact  and 
ceaseless  activities  did  iiuicli  toward  counteracting 
the  injurious  cllects  of  war  and  its  aftermath.  At 
the  evening  service  on  April  24,  1784,  he  preache«i 
his  introductoiy  sonnoii  from  the  text,  ''Repent  ye 


150     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

therefore,  and  be  converted  that  your  sins  may  be 
blotted  out." — Acts  3 :  19.  Russmeyer,  his  predeces- 
sor, with  his  wife,  left  for  Bethlehem  two  days  later. 
In  May  the  Rev.  Hector  Grambold,  who  had  been  in 
charge  of  the  Staten  Island  work  since  1763,  had  to 
relinquish  his  labors  on  account  of  broken  health.  He 
retired  to  Bethlehem,  which  laid  the  added  burden 
of  this  part  of  the  field  on  Birkby's  shoulders  for 
some  months.  He  was  relieved  of  this  burden  on 
September  21,  when  the  Rev.  Edward  Thorpe  took 
charge  of  the  Staten  Island  congregation.  Thorpe 
served  in  this  capacity  for  three  years,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  the  Rev.  John  Frederick  Moehring. 

Altho  Birkby^s  work  lay  for  the  most  part  along 
spiritual  lines,  other  duties  sometimes  required  his 
attention.  He  had  barely  arrived  on  the  field  when 
some  of  the  members  voiced  their  suspicion  that  the 
owner  of  the  lot  adjoining  the  burial-ground  had 
reset  the  line-fence  to  his  advantage.  The  church- 
lot  was  therefore  properly  surveyed,  which  revealed 
the  fact  that  the  ungodly  neighbor  had  appropriated 
more  than  eight  feet  of  Moravian  ground.  The  fence 
was  set  back  where  it  belonged.  By  necessary  re- 
pairs and  improvements  the  church-property  was 
made  as  attractive  as  the  slender  means  of  the  con- 
gregation permitted,  and  by  the  earnest  preaching 
of  the  gospel  many  strangers  were  attracted  to  the 
services.  Ambassadors  and  members  of  Congress 
were  frequent  attendants.  Following  the  custom  of 
the  day  the  pastor  kept  the  membership  informed  of 
the  events  that  transpired  in  other  congregations  and 
on  the  mission-field.     Gradually  the  church  recov- 


MOB  STORMS  CITY  HOSPITAL  151 

ered  from  the  effects  of  war  and  grew  in  grace  as  well 
as  in  numbers.  Church-music  was  improved  by  a 
band  of  singers  which  met  statedly  for  "choir-prac- 
tice." As  the  old-time  love  for  Christ  deepened,  the 
members  became  interested  in  the  religious  welfare 
of  their  neighbors.  An  unsuccessful  attempt  was 
made  to  establish  a  preaching-place  at  New  Vytrick, 
Long  Island,  nine  miles  from  Brooklyn.  Birkby 
preached  statedly  at  the  Poor  House.  In  1787  a 
school-house  was  built  by  the  congregation  on  the 
lot  adjoining  the  church  at  a  cost  of  about  fifteen 
hundred  dollars. 

On  April  14,  1788,  David  Burger,  a  member  of  the 
congregation,  was  shot  during  a  riot  in  the  city.  It 
had  been  rumored  for  some  time  that  dead  bodies 
had  been  stolen  from  various  grave-yards  by  doctors 
and  medical  students.  On  Sunday  morning,  April 
13,  some  adventurous  boys  finding  a  ladder  left  by 
workmen  the  day  before,  placed  it  at  the  side  of  the 
city  hospital  on  Broadway,  between  Duane  and  An- 
thony Streets,  climbed  up  and  looked  in  at  a  window 
to  ascertain  what  was  going  on  inside.  They  were 
horrified  to  see  a  young  medical  student  busily  en- 
gaged in  dissecting  a  dead  body.  The  boys  went 
down  the  ladder  much  faster  than  they  had  ascended, 
and  as  their  gruesome  tale  spread,  excitement  ran 
high,  and  soon  a  mob  was  storming  the  hospital. 
Doors  were  battered  down  and  large  quantities  of 
bones  and  other  parts  of  the  human  body  discovered. 
The  doctors  fled  to  the  jail,  where  they  were  pro- 
tected by  the  militia.  The  mob  swore  vengeance  on 
all  doctors  in  the  city.     After  raging  all  day,  the 


152    MOKAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

excitement  died  down,  and  it  was  thought  the  matter 
had  ended.  But  on  the  following  morning  a  larger 
mob  appeared  on  the  scene.  The  rioters  stormed  the 
jail,  threatening  to  drag  out  the  medical  men  and 
hang  them.  Governor  Clinton,  Mayor  Duane,  and 
other  prominent  citizens,  including  Alexander  Ham- 
ilton, vainly  tried  to  appease  the  fury  of  the  mob. 
Then  the  soldiers  were  ordered  to  fire  upon  the  riot- 
ers. As  a  result  five  persons  were  killed  and  seven 
or  eight  badly  wounded,  among  the  latter  being 
David  Burger  who,  according  to  the  diary,  "hap- 
pened to  pass  the  prison  when  the  firing  began.  He 
was  shot  in  nine  different  places,  and  brought  to  his 
home  by  two  men.  However,  the  timely  assistance 
of  a  surgeon  saved  his  life."  A  number  of  arrests 
were  made,  but  in  the  event  the  rioters  were  par- 
doned. "It  was  said  that  three  cart-loads  of  parts 
of  dead  bodies  were  taken  from  the  hospital  and 
buried  in  the  Trinity  burial-ground."  Dame  Rumor 
was  evidently  running  true  to  form.  Either  the  re- 
port grossly  exaggerated  matters,  or  the  carts  were 
very  small.  It  was  not  until  January  3,  1791,  when 
eighteen  patients  were  admitted,  that  the  building 
was  used  for  general  hospital  purposes. 

New  York  was  one  of  the  last  States  in  the  Union 
to  ratify  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
adopted  in  1787  by  the  Constitutional  Convention, 
which  was  held  in  Philadelphia.  On  June  17,  1788, 
the  New  York  Convention  met  for  the  discussion  of 
ratification.  The  leading  advocates  of  the  measure 
were  Alexander  Hamilton,  John  Jay,  and  Chancellor 
Livingston,   while   the   opposition   was   headed   by 


CONSTITUTION  RATIFIED  153 

George  Clinton,  the  War  Governor  of  New  York, 
Melancthon  Smith,  Robert  Yates,  and  John  Lansing. 
Altho  the  great  constitutional  battle  was  still  raging, 
New  York  City  celebrated  the  adoption  of  the  Con- 
stitution on  July  23,  the  appointed  day.  It  was  a 
gala  time.  Public  places  and  private  residences  were 
fittingly  decorated  in  honor  of  the  occasion  and  all 
classes  of  citizens,  including  many  members  of  the 
Moravian  Church,  joined  the  Federal  procession, 
which  formed  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning.  "The 
various  branches  of  business  had  their  colors  and 
mottoes  as  grand  as  they  could  invent."  A  ship  on 
wheels  representing  the  ''Ship  of  State"  was  drawn 
thru  the  streets  of  the  city  by  ten  white  horses.  Alex- 
ander Hamilton's  name  was  painted  in  large  letters 
on  the  platform  upon  which  the  ship  rested.  The 
clergymen  of  the  city  marched  with  the  rest,  and 
joined  in  the  dinner  given  on  the  "Federal  green  a 
little  out  of  the  city."  The  Moravian  pastor  was 
indisposed  and  therefore  could  not  take  part  in  the 
great  event.  Three  days  later  ratification  was  finally 
carried  by  the  New  York  Convention.  The  victory 
of  the  great  constitutional  battle  was  signalized  by 
the  ringing  of  bells  and  the  firing  of  cannon,  which 
continued  until  long  after  midnight.  Sleep  was  at  a 
premium  that  night,  but  the  majority  of  inhabi- 
tants enjoyed  the  noise  and  only  the  few  were  dis- 
turbed. 

Altho  the  authorities  of  the  Moravian  Church  wore 
keenly  interested  in  the  birth  and  (loveh)pinout  of 
the  Nation,  oth<M-  matters  weighed  lieavily  on  their 
hearts.    In  1771  the  (irand  Council  of  the  Delawaros 


154    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

put  at  the  disposal  of  the  Moravian  Church  a  large 
tract  of  laud  in  the  Tuscarawas  Valley  in  Ohio.  In 
due  time  Indian  mission-stations  were  established 
here  which  received  the  names  Schoenbrunn, 
Gnadenhuetten,  Lichtenau  and  Salem.  The  work 
flourished  greatly  until  the  Revolutionary  War 
broke  out.  Both  the  Americans  and  British  looked 
upon  the  mission  with  suspicion,  the  former  because 
they  unjustly  believed  the  stations  harbored  Indians 
in  British  pay  and  served  as  the  rendezvous  of  raid- 
ers ;  the  latter  because  they  ascribed  to  the  influence 
of  the  Moravian  Indians  the  only  restraint  which 
prevented  large  masses  of  Delawares  from  enlisting 
in  the  English  army.  The  suspicions  of  both  parties 
were  unfounded,  because  the  Christian  Indians  had 
no  share  whatever  in  the  war.  While  their  heathen 
brethren  were  on  the  war-path,  they  zealously  pur- 
sued the  arts  of  peace.  On  August  10,  1781,  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  Indians  and  white  soldiers  under  the 
command  of  British  oflScers  appeared  at  Salem.  This 
number  was  soon  increased  to  three  hundred.  Both 
the  missionaries  and  their  charges  were  made  prison- 
ers and  the  mission-houses  plundered.  The  prison- 
ers were  marched  into  the  wilderness,  where  they 
were  deserted  by  their  captors.  Soon  after  the  mis- 
sionaries were  summoned  to  Detroit  for  trial  as 
American  spies.  They  responded  to  the  summons, 
and  after  a  thoro  examination  they  were  acquitted 
of  the  charge.  Meanwhile,  the  refugees  in  the  wilder- 
ness faced  starvation.  Naturally  their  thoughts 
turned  to  their  homes,  where  they  had  left  five  thou- 
sand bushels  of  unharvested  corn  when  they  were 


GNADENHUETTEN  MASSACRE  155 

dragged  away.  One  hundred  and  fifty  Christian  In- 
dians obtained  permission  from  the  neighboring  sav- 
ages to  return  to  their  plundered  settlements  for  the 
purpose  of  gathering  what  they  could  find  of  their 
harvests.  They  found  an  abundant  supply,  and  on 
March  7,  1782,  they  were  prepared  to  return  to  their 
brethren  in  the  wilderness.  Just  then  a  company  of 
American  soldiers  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Williamson  appeared  on  the  scene.  The  Christian 
Indians  voluntarily  placed  themselves  under  Wil- 
liamson's protection,  and  on  the  following  day,  like 
a  bolt  from  a  clear  sky,  they  were  massacred  in  cold 
blood  by  the  soldiers.  Twenty-nine  men,  twenty- 
seven  women,  and  thirty-four  children  lost  their  lives. 
The  others  of  the  foraging  party  escaped  into  the 
wilderness.  Such  was  the  Gnadenhuetten  massacre 
in  Ohio. 

Soon  after  peace  had  been  declared  the  Moravian 
authorities  addressed  a  petition  to  Congress  asking 
for  an  indemnity  for  the  flourishing  mission  settle- 
ments which  had  been  destroyed  by  the  American 
soldiers.  On  May  19,  1785,  Congress  passed  an  Act 
"reserving  the  sites  of  these  settlements  together 
with  as  much  land  as  Thomas  Hutchins,  the  Geog- 
rapher of  the  United  States,  might  see  fit,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  Christian  Indians  and  their  children 
forever."  Twelve  thousand  acres  of  land  were  even- 
tually set  apart  by  the  Government  as  indemnifica- 
tion for  the  ruin  of  the  missions  in  the  Tuscarawas 
Valley.  On  July  12,  1788,  James  Birkby  had  an  in- 
terview with  the  Geographer  General  concern! n*::  the 
congressional  grant,  and  a   month   later  Hutchins 


156     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

called  at  the  Moravian  parsonage  saying  he  would 
soon  leave  for  the  west  to  make  the  survey.  However, 
the  Geographer  died  the  following  year,  which  to- 
gether with  the  distracted  state  of  the  Indian  coun- 
try delayed  the  completion  of  the  survey.  It  was 
not  until  the  year  1796  that  the  grant  was  confirmed 
and  turned  over  in  trust  to  the  Society  for  Propa- 
gating the  Gospel  among  the  Heathen.  Two  years 
later  the  patent  was  duly  signed  by  the  President  of 
the  United  States.  Bishop  John  Ettwein  and  the 
Rev.  John  Heckewelder  were  largely  instrumental 
in  bringing  the  negotiations  to  a  satisfactory  con- 
clusion. Birkby,  the  local  pastor,  likewise  played  a 
prominent  part. 

Altho  Moravian  brethren  continued  to  arrive 
in  America  from  Europe  after  the  Revolutionary 
War,  there  were  no  large  colonies  as  in  earlier  years. 
They  usually  arrived  in  smaller  or  larger  companies, 
never  exceeding  fifteen  at  one  time.  Those  who  came 
were  as  a  rule  single  men.  Very  few  unmarried 
women  arrived.  The  diary  mentions  five  Moravian 
men  who  landed  in  the  city  on  September  29,  1788, 
having  made  the  passage  from  Amsterdam  on  the 
brig  Nymphy  commanded  by  Captain  Palmer.  The 
party  consisted  of  John  Frederick  Frueauff,  Charles 
von  Forstier,  Gottlieb  Masslich,  Christian  Peisert 
and  Henry  Landmann.  The  members  of  the  congre- 
gation gave  the  pilgrims  a  warm  welcome.  They 
had  to  secure  a  permit  at  the  Custom  House  to  have 
their  baggage  transferred  to  the  boat  which  carried 
them  to  Elizabethtown.  They  left  for  Bethlehem  on 
October  3  under  the  guidance  of  John  Campbell,  a 


PRESIDENT-ELECT  ARRIVES  157 

member  of  the  congregation,  who  volunteered  to  con- 
duct them  to  their  destination. 

The  year  1789  was  a  memorable  one.  With- 
out waiting  for  North  Carolina  and  Rhode 
Island  to  come  to  their  senses  the  eleven  States 
already  in  the  Union  proceeded  to  organize  the 
Government  under  the  Constitution.  On  the  first 
Wednesday  in  January  Presidential  electors  were 
chosen,  and  on  the  first  Wednesday  in  February 
George  Washington,  the  Father  of  his  Country, 
was  elected  President,  and  John  Adams  of  Massa- 
chusetts Vice  President  of  the  United  States. 
March  4  had  been  set  for  the  inauguration,  but  the 
members  of  Congress  were  so  slow  in  coming  to- 
gether that  a  quorum  of  both  Houses  could  not  be 
obtained  for  a  number  of  weeks.  Therefore  the  in- 
auguration proceedings  had  to  be  postponed.  The 
churches  in  the  city  made  preparations  for  the  great 
event.  On  April  20  the  Rev.  Dr.  Livingstone,  pastor 
of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church,  called  at  the  Mo- 
ravian parsonage  to  acquaint  the  pastor  that  all 
the  denominations  would  meet  in  their  respective 
houses  of  worship  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  of 
the  day  when  Washington  would  take  the  oath  of 
office,  for  the  purpose  of  offering  special  prayer  in 
behalf  of  the  Nation,  the  President,  and  the  Vice 
President.  In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  at  four 
o'clock,  Adams  arrived  in  the  city.  Three  days  later 
Washington  came  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
A  large  crowd  of  people  were  at  the  dock  to  see  the 
President-elect  come  on  shore.  In  the  evening  all 
the  public  buildings  and  homes,  including  the  Mo- 


158     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

ravian  parsonage,  were  brilliantly  illuminated.  On 
April  30,  the  day  of  inauguration,  the  Moravian  con- 
gregation together  with  other  city  churches  had  a 
prayer  service  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning.  At 
noon  the  President-elect  took  his  place  on  the  bal- 
cony of  Federal  Hall,  on  the  corner  of  Wall  and  Nas- 
sau Streets,  and  in  full  sight  of  the  assembled  multi- 
tude laid  his  right  hand  on  the  open  Bible  while 
repeating  the  constitutional  oath  of  office,  after 
which  he  reverently  kissed  the  page.  Chancellor  Liv- 
ingston turned  down  the  corner  of  the  page  toward 
the  words  of  Genesis  49 :  24,  the  passage  which  reads, 
"His  bow  abode  in  strength,  and  the  arms  of  his 
hands  were  made  strong  by  the  hands  of  the  mighty 
God  of  Jacob."  After  this  solemn  ceremony  a  great 
shout  went  up  from  thousands  of  throats:  '^Long 
live  George  Washington,  President  of  the  United 
States/^  amid  the  ringing  of  bells  and  the  firing  of 
cannon.  When  he  had  delivered  his  inaugural  ad- 
dress in  the  Senate  Chamber,  the  President  and 
others  proceeded  to  St.  Paul's  Chapel  on  Broadway, 
where  Bishop  Provost,  the  Chaplain  of  the  Senate, 
conducted  a  brief  service.  Before  Congress  ad- 
journed a  resolution  requesting  the  President  to 
issue  a  proclamation  recommending  the  people  of 
the  United  States  to  observe  a  day  of  thanksgiving 
and  prayer  in  recognition  of  the  successful  organ- 
ization of  the  new  Government,  was  unanimously 
passed.  The  most  brilliant  fireworks  that  the  city 
had  ever  witnessed  were  displayed  in  the  evening. 
The  President  took  up  his  residence  in  a  house  on 
the  corner  of  Cherry  and  Pearl  Streets,  or  where  is 


WASHINGTON  AND  MORAVIANS       159 

now  Franklin  Square.  A  huge  abutment  at  the  up- 
per end  of  the  slope  of  Brooklyn  Bridge  covers  the 
spot  where  the  Presidential  mansion  stood. 

Washington  entertained  a  kindly  regard  for  the 
Moravians,  and  they  in  turn  were  deeply  interested 
in  all  that  concerned  his  welfare.  This  friendship 
had  its  origin  in  the  gracious  services  rendered  by 
the  Moravians  to  the  sick  and  wounded  during  the 
Revolution.  From  December  3,  1776,  to  March  27, 
1777,  and  from  September,  1777,  to  June,  1778,  the 
General  Hospital  of  the  American  Army  was  at 
Bethlehem.  From  December  19,  1777,  to  August 
28,  1778,  the  Lititz  congregation  rendered  similar 
services.  From  August,  1777,  to  March,  1778,  Hes- 
sian prisoners  of  war  were  harbored  in  the  Moravian 
Church  at  Hebron,  Pennsylvania.  In  the  Bethlehem 
hospital  Bishop  John  Ettwein  served  as  volunteer 
chaplain.  These  and  other  services  rendered  by  Mo- 
ravians were  deeply  appreciated  by  General  Wash- 
ington. In  the  Summer  of  1782  he  visited  Bethle- 
hem. Concerning  that  visit  the  diary  of  the  Bethle- 
hem congregation  gives  the  following  account: 
"July  25, 1782. — Quite  unexpectedly  and  very  quietly 
His  Excellency,  General  Washington  arrived  here, 
accompanied  by  his  aids  de  camp,  but  without  escort. 
Brother  Ettwein  and  other  brethren  immediately 
went  to  pay  their  respects  to  him.  After  partaking 
of  a  meal,  he  inspected  the  choir-houses  (Brethren's 
House,  Sisters'  House  and  Widows'  House)  and 
other  points  of  interest  in  the  place,  and  attended 
the  evening  service,  at  which  Brother  Ettwein  de- 
livered a  discourse  in  Englisli  on  the  text:    'In  all 


160    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

things  approving  ourselves  as  the  ministers  of  God.' 
— II  Cor.  6 :  4.  The  choir  rendered  some  fine  music 
both  at  the  beginning  and  at  the  close.  The  General 
manifested  much  friendliness,  and  the  pleasure  and 
satisfaction  which  the  visit  afforded  him  were  clearly 
to  be  inferred  from  his  utterances."  He  spent  the 
night  at  the  Sun  Inn,  and  "at  a  very  early  hour  of 
the  following  morning  he  proceeded  on  his  journey 
by  way  of  Easton.  Brother  Ettwein,  who  had  ex- 
pected to  go  to  Hope,  New  Jersey,  accompanied  him 
to  the  first-named  place,  and  then  rode  on  ahead  to 
make  some  preparation  for  his  entertainment  at 
Hope,  where  he  dined  later  and  looked  about  the 
place  with  pleasure." 

In  the  year  1787  the  old  Missionary  Society  or- 
ganized in  1745  was  resuscitated  at  Bethlehem  under 
the  title  of  ^'Tlie  Society  for  Propagating  the  Gos- 
pel among  the  Heathen/^  This  organization,  which 
is  still  in  existence  and  in  flourishing  condition,  is 
the  oldest  missionary  organization  in  America.  Its 
re-organization  gave  occasion  to  renewed  communi- 
cations between  the  Moravians  and  Washington. 
Bishop  Ettwein  wrote  him  a  letter  and  enclosed  a 
copy  of  the  constitution  and  rules  of  the  Society, 
together  with  a  treatise  of  his  own  on  Indian  Tradi- 
tions, Languages  and  Customs.  Under  date  of  May 
2,  1788,  Washington  wrote  the  following  letter  in 
acknowledgment  of  the  receipt  of  these  documents : 

"Dear  Sir, 

I  have  received  your  obliging  letter  of  the  28th  of 
March,  inclosing  a  copy  of  some  remarks  on  the 


WASHINGTON  AND  MORAVIANS       161 

customs,  languages  &c  of  the  Indians,  and  a  printed 
pamphlet  containing  the  stated  rules  of  a  Society 
for  Propagating  the  Gospel  among  the  Heathen,  for 
which  tokens  of  polite  attention  and  kind  remem- 
brance I  must  beg  you  to  accept  my  best  thanks. 

So  far  as  I  am  able  of  judging,  the  principles  upon 
which  the  Society  is  founded,  and  the  rules  laid 
down  for  its  government,  appear  to  be  well  calcu- 
lated to  promote  so  laudable  and  arduous  an  under- 
taking; and  you  wiU  permit  me  to  add  that  if  an 
event  so  long  and  so  ardently  desired  as  that  of  con- 
verting the  Indians  to  Christianity  and  consequently 
to  civilization  can  be  effected,  the  Society  at  Bethle- 
hem bids  fair  to  bear  a  very  considerable  part  in  it. 
With  sentiments  of  esteem 

I  am  your  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

George  Washington." 

On  July  10,  1789,  the  Directors  of  the  Society  for 
Propagating  the  Gospel  among  the  Heathen  framed 
the  following  congratulatory  address  and  sent  it 
to  the  Rev.  James  Birkby,  the  pastor  of  the  New  York 
Moravian  Church,  charging  him  to  deliver  it  into 
the  hands  of  Washington: 

"To  His  Excellency  George  Washington,  President 
of  the  United  States  of  America. 

The  Address  of  the  Directors  of  the  Society  of 
the  United  Brethren  (Moravians)  for  Propagating 
the  Gospel  among  the  Heathen. 

Sir, 
The  Directors  for  the  Society  of  the  United  Breth- 


162    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

ren  for  Propagating  the  Gospel  among  the  Heathen 
do  in  the  name  of  the  Society  and  in  the  name  of  all 
the  Brethren's  Congregations  in  these  United  States 
most  heartily  congratulate  you  on  your  being  ap- 
pointed President  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

Filled  with  gratitude  towards  God  and  our 
Saviour,  unto  whose  goodness  and  kind  interposition 
we  ascribe  this  great  and  joyous  event,  we  rely  on 
His  mercy  and  on  the  influence  of  His  good  Spirit 
when  we  expect  that  your  administration  will  prove 
salutary  and  a  blessing  to  that  Nation  whose  unani- 
mous voice  has  called  you  to  preside  over  it. 

We  embrace  this  opportunity  to  present  to  you  a 
small  treatise  which  contains  ^An  Account  of  the 
Manner  in  which  the  Protestant  Church  of  the 
Unitas  Fratrum  or  United  Brethren  preach  the 
Gospel  and  carry  on  their  mission  among  the 
Heathen.' 

Permit  us  at  the  same  time  to  recommend  in  a 
particular  manner  the  Brethren's  Mission  among 
the  Indians  in  the  territory  of  the  United  States 
which  is  at  present  at  Petquotting  on  Lake  Erie 
and  in  a  very  dangerous  situation,  to  your  kind  no- 
tice and  protection,  and  to  lay  before  you  the  ardent 
wish  and  anxious  desire  we  have  of  seeing  the  light 
of  the  glorious  Gospel  spread  more  and  more  over 
this  country  and  great  multitudes  of  poor  benighted 
heathen  brought  by  it  to  the  saving  knowledge  of 
Christ  our  Saviour  Who  gave  himself  a  ransom  for 
all  and  Who  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved  and  to 
come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth. 

We  fervently  pray  the  Lord  to  strengthen  your 


WASHINGTON  AND  MORAVIANS       163 

health,  to  support  you  daily  by  His  Divine  assistance, 
and  to  be  Himself  your  Shield  and  great  Reward. 

Signed  in  behalf  of  the  Society  of  the  United  Breth- 
ren for  Propagating  the  Gospel  among  the  Heathen 
and  in  behalf  of  all  the  Brethren's  Congregations 
in  the  United  States. 

John  Andrew  Huebener, 
Han  Christian  v.  Schweinitz, 
Frederick  Peter, 
Charles  Gotthold  Reichel, 
Paul  Muenster, 
David  Zeisberger. 
Bethlehem,  July  10,  1789." 

In  response  to  this  communication  the  following 
letter  in  Washington's  own  hand  was  received  on 
August  20,  1789,  at  Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania : 

"To  the  Directors  of  the  Society  of  the  United 
Brethren  for  Propagating  the  Gospel  among  the 
Heathen. 

I  received  with  satisfaction  the  congratulations 
of  your  Society,  and  of  the  Brethren's  Congregations 
in  the  United  States  of  America.  You  may  be  per- 
suaded that  the  approbation  and  good  wishes  of 
such  a  peaceable  and  virtuous  comiiuiiiity  cannot 
be  indifterent  to  me.  You  will  also  be  pleased  to 
receive  my  thanks  for  the  Treatise  which  you  pre- 
sent, and  to  be  assured  of  my  patronage  in  your 
laudable  undertakings. 

In  proportion  as  the  General  Government  of  the 
United  States  shall  acquire  strength  through  dura- 


164    MOEAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

tion,  it  is  probable  they  may  have  it  in  their  power 
to  extend  a  salutary  influence  to  the  Aborigines  in 
the  extremities  of  their  Territory.  In  the  meantime 
it  will  be  a  desirable  thing  for  the  protection  of  the 
Union  to  co-operate  as  far  as  the  circumstances  may 
conveniently  admit,  with  the  disinterested  endeavors 
of  your  Society  to  civilize  and  Christianize  the  sav- 
ages of  the  wilderness. 

Under  these  impressions,  I  pray  Almighty  God  to 
have  you  always  in  His  holy  keeping. 
G.  Washington." 

After  the  excitement  which  attended  the  inau- 
guration of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  New 
York  City  once  more  settled  down  to  routine  busi- 
ness, and  the  little  Moravian  congregation  continued 
the  even  tenor  of  its  way.  From  time  to  time  the 
membership  suffered  from  such  diseases  as  small- 
pox and  influenza.  The  ravages  of  the  former  had 
been  considerably  checked,  even  then,  by  inoculation 
or  vaccination.  Quite  a  number  of  the  New  York 
Moravian  boys  and  girls  attended  the  Church  schools 
at  Nazareth  and  Bethlehem.  There  are  frequent 
references  in  the  diary  of  the  congregation  covering 
this  period,  to  parents  who  wanted  to  place  their 
boys  in  Nazareth  Hall  and  their  girls  in  the  Young 
Ladies'  Seminary  at  Bethlehem,  but  the  pastor  had 
to  inform  them  that  the  schools  were  full,  and  for 
the  time  being  no  new  students  could  be  entered. 
After  a  pastorate  of  over  nine  years  during  which 
the  communicant  membership  doubled  itself,  the 
Rev.  James  Birkby  was  transferred  to  Staten  Island, 


PASTORAL  CHANGE  165 

where  in  the  latter  part  of  October,  1793,  he  entered 
upon  his  new  labors.  The  Rev.  Christopher  Godfrey 
Peter,  who  had  come  to  America  from  Europe  two 
years  before,  succeeded  him  in  the  pastorate  of  the 
New  York  church.  The  new  pastor  preached  his  in- 
troductory sermon  on  Sunday  afternoon,  October  the 
twentieth. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  PASTORATE  OF  CHRISTOPHER 
GODFREY  PETER 

Christopher  Godfrey  Peter  was  an  exceptional 
man.  He  was  a  good  student,  an  excellent  speaker, 
and  an  ideal  pastor.  Combining  these  qualifications 
with  rare  common  sense  and  a  kindly  disposition, 
he  was  an  influential  factor  in  the  congregation  and 
in  the  city  at  large.  He  was  the  friend  of  everybody 
and  everybody  was  his  friend.  Being  on  terms  of 
the  most  intimate  friendship  with  all  the  clergymen 
of  the  city,  these  men  were  frequent  visitors  at  the 
parsonage,  while  he  was  often  the  honored  guest  in 
their  homes.  The  most  cordial  relations  existed  be- 
tween the  churches.  All  the  bigotry  and  sectarian- 
ism of  a  former  day  had  died  away.  The  ministers 
and  laymen  of  the  various  churches  met  frequently 
for  the  purpose  of  planning  united  efforts  for  the 
advancement  of  the  cause  of  Christ  in  the  city  and 
throughout  the  country,  and  Peter  was  always 
among  the  number,  his  word  counting  as  much  as 
that  of  the  most  distinguished  person  in  the  assem- 
bly. Several  times  he  dined  with  the  Mayor,  at  an- 
other time  he  was  the  dinner-guest  of  the  Governor 
of  the  State,  when  His  Excellency  entertained  the 
members  of  the  Assembly,  and  once  he  and  his  wife 
took  tea  with  the  Governor  and  his  Lady  in  their 
palatial  residence.     All  these  honors  had  no  power 

166 


PETER  VISITS  A  PRISONER  167 

of  spoiling  this  unassuming  servant  of  the  Lord. 
They  rather  stimulated  than  hindered  his  untiring 
activities  among  his  own  people. 

The  homes  of  the  members  were  faithfully  visited 
and  always  brightened  by  his  presence.  He  had  the 
courage  of  his  convictions,  but  he  showed  his  con- 
victions in  such  a  kindly  spirit  that  no  one  was 
antagonized  even  tho  of  a  different  mind.  The  most 
contagious  disease  had  no  terrors  for  him.  He  felt 
that  the  sick  needed  him  and  any  services  he  could 
render  were  freely  placed  at  their  disposal.  His 
brotherly  heart  went  out  to  those  in  distress  whether 
they  were  members  of  his  flock  or  not.  When  a  cer- 
tain John  Young  shot  down  in  cold  blood  Robert 
Berwick,  the  deputy  sheriff,  Peter  made  use  of  the 
first  opportunity  to  visit  the  murderer  as  he  lay  in 
the  dungeon  with  both  legs  securely  chained  to  the 
floor.  Sight  of  the  prisoner  filled  his  heart  with 
unbounded  compassion.  Excusing  himself  to  Young 
that  he  as  a  perfect  stranger  should  visit  him,  and 
giving  as  his  only  plea  the  great  pity  he  felt  for  the 
prisoner,  and  an  earnest  desire  to  do  something  that 
might  afford  him  comfort,  the  heart  of  the  criminal 
was  touched  at  once,  and  he  immediately  stretched 
forth  his  hand  in  friendly  greeting,  assuring  the 
good  man  he  was  only  too  glad  he  had  taken  the 
trouble  to  look  him  up.  But  Peter  had  come  to  save 
as  well  as  to  comfort  the  unfortunate  young  man. 
"Sir,"  he  said,  "excuse  me  for  asking  a  very  per- 
sonal question.  Your  time  is  short.  How  do  you 
feel  at  the  thought  that  you  must  soon  appear  be- 
fore your  Maker  to  give  an  account  of  the  deeds  done 


168    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

in  the  body?"  The  young  man  replied,  "I  am  pre- 
paring for  the  awful  event  as  fast  as  I  can.  But 
I  would  be  so  glad  if  you  would  pray  for  me."  And 
Peter  prayed  as  he  had  never  prayed  before.  The 
heart  of  the  prisoner  was  deeply  touched,  and  with 
tears  in  his  eyes  he  begged  his  visitor  to  call  again 
at  an  early  day.  Peter  was  only  too  glad  to  accept 
the  invitation,  and  in  the  event,  there  is  reason  to 
believe,  "a  brand  was  plucked  from  the  burning." 

Under  Peter's  fostering  care  the  congregation 
flourished.  Members  and  friends  attended  the 
church  services  in  large  numbers.  At  a  certain  love 
feast  two  hundred  and  sixty  buns  had  been  provided, 
but  this  provision  proved  inadequate,  and  forty  per- 
sons remained  unserved.  On  special  occasions  not 
all  who  desired  to  attend  the  services  could  be  ac- 
commodated. Had  the  regulations  governing  ad- 
mission to  church  membership  been  less  strin- 
gent the  numerical  growth  of  the  congregation 
would  have  been  unprecedented.  As  it  was,  many 
souls  were  added  to  the  membership  during  Peter's 
four  years'  pastorate,  and  when  he  laid  down  his 
labors  there  were  over  two  hundred  people  under  the 
care  of  the  church.  In  addition  to  his  pastoral  labors 
Peter  conducted  a  school  for  the  children  of  the  con- 
gregation in  a  building  rented  from  the  Dutch  Re- 
formed Church.  This  building  was  known  as  "the 
school-house."  For  nearly  four  years  he  was  alone 
in  his  school  labors.  Toward  the  end  of  his  career, 
when  failing  strength  made  it  impossible  to  do  jus- 
tice to  the  work,  he  associated  with  himself  a  young 
assistant  in  the  person  of  James  Perine,  of  whom 


THE  SHADOW  OF  DEATH  169 

he  spoke  in  the  highest  terms  of  praise.  During  the 
year  1797  Peter  was  frequently  incapacitated  by  ill- 
ness, and  once  while  on  a  brief  visit  at  Bethlehem, 
whither  he  had  gone  to  attend  the  annual  meeting 
of  the  Society  for  Propagating  the  Gospel  among 
the  Heathen,  he  was  suddenly  taken  with  a  hemor- 
rhage, which,  however,  was  checked  by  calling  to  his 
aid  timely  medical  assistance.  After  returning  to 
New  York  he  took  up  his  work  with  old-time  vigor, 
but  as  the  weeks  passed  and  the  condition  of  his 
health  became  more  and  more  precarious,  he  asked 
the  Church  authorities  to  send  him  an  assistant.  In 
answer  to  this  request  the  Kev.  Benjamin  Mortimer 
of  Nazareth,  Pennsylvania,  was  sent  to  New  York, 
but  when  he  arrived,  on  November  3,  Christopher 
Godfrey  Peter  had  already  laid  down  his  earthly 
labors  to  join  the  Church  Triumphant. 

On  October  21  Peter  asked  his  physician  for  per- 
mission to  conduct  one  or  two  services,  but  his  condi- 
tion was  such  that  his  request  could  not  be  granted. 
Weak  as  he  was  he  faithfully  kept  up  the  church 
diary  to  the  end.  On  October  23  he  wrote,  "Brother 
Peter  began  a  new  medicine  strongly  recommended. 
The  doctor  said,  'One  cannot  but  give  it  a  fair  trial.' 
Sister  Wjidc  arrived  from  Bethlehem  to  assist  Sis- 
ter Peter."  On  October  25  the  record  states  that 
"Brother  Pet(»r  had  an  agreeable  visit  from  the  Kev. 
Dr.  Stanford,  and  the  preceding  day  Irom  the  Kev. 
Dr.  McKnight."  Two  days  later  he  inserted  in  the 
diary  the  words  whicli  were  destined  to  be  his  last: 
^'Brother  Hii-kby  arrived  with  us  to  ofticiatt*  for 
Brother    Peter    next    Sunday."     On    that    very   day 


170     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

the  faithful  pastor  had  gone  to  the  school-house,  but 
his  strength  was  unequal  to  the  task,  and  he  had  to 
dismiss  the  children.  When  he  came  home  he  went 
to  bed,  and  two  days  later  at  a  quarter  past  ten 
o'clock  in  the  evening  the  greatly  beloved  man  of 
God  took  an  affectionate  leave  of  his  faithful  wife 
and  two  little  children,  Joseph  and  Sally  Ann,  then 
peacefully  fell  asleep  in  the  arms  of  the  Saviour 
whom  he  had  served  so  faithfully  and  well. 

The  funeral  services  were  conducted  on  October 
31  at  half-past  four  in  the  afternoon,  the  Rev.  James 
Birkby  officiating.  All  the  members  of  the  congre- 
gation and  a  large  circle  of  friends  were  in  at- 
tendance. Nine  clergymen  of  other  Churches  were 
present  to  show  their  love  and  esteem  for  their  de- 
parted friend  and  brother.  The  text  of  the  funeral 
sermon  was  John  12 :  26, — ^'AVhere  I  am  there  shall 
also  my  servant  be."  On  November  5  the  Rev.  Dr. 
John  Stanford,  the  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church, 
conducted  a  memorial  service  in  honor  of  the  late 
Moravian  pastor.  His  text  was,  "For  he  was  a 
good  man." — Acts  11:  24.  Dr.  Stanford  delivered 
a  well  deserved  eulogy  and  in  closing  said,  "I  and 
all  the  ministers  in  the  city,  as  well  as  every  mem- 
ber of  my  church  and  of  the  Moravian  congregation, 
may  well  follow  the  example  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Peter 
in  piety  and  in  true  Christian  benevolence."  He 
also  added  this  tribute  to  the  Church  of  the  departed 
brother:  "I  love  the  Moravian  Church  because  its 
members  seem  to  love  the  Saviour  with  all  their 
heart."  This  service  was  likewise  largely  attended. 
Under  date  of  November  23  the  following  item  of 


NOTED  SOCIETY  ORGANIZED  171 

interest  is  recorded  in  the  diary:  "Dr.  Stanford 
sent  us  for  revision  some  records  of  the  life  and 
character  of  the  late  Brother  Peter,  which  he  in- 
tends to  publish  in  the  next  volume  of  his  Pocket 
Library." 

The  diary  of  Peter's  pastorate  contains  many 
matters  of  interest.  These  will  be  given  in  their 
chronological  order.  On  January  20,  1794,  the  Rev. 
John  Stanford,  D.D.,  the  Baptist  minister  previously 
mentioned,  presented  to  Peter  a  plan  for  a  "Society 
for  Propagating  Christian  Knowledge  among  the 
Poor"  which  he  had  drawn  up.  The  object  of  the  pro- 
posed society  was  to  render  support  to  the  poor  in 
general,  to  missionaries  among  the  Indians,  and  to 
establish  schools  on  the  frontier.  In  the  evening 
Peter  and  Henry  Tenbrook,  a  prominent  member  of 
the  congregation,  attended  a  meeting  at  the  home  of 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Linn,  a  Presbyterian  minister.  The 
proposed  Society  for  the  support  of  the  poor  was 
discussed,  and  a  committee  appointed  consisting  of 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Stanford,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Benjamin  Moore, 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Linn,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mason,  the  Rev. 
Christopher  G.  Peter,  and  Judge  Ogelvie.  After 
this  committee  had  met  several  times,  it  was  decided 
to  call  a  more  general  meeting  of  those  interested 
in  the  project.  This  meeting  was  held  on  April  4 
at  City  llall.  On  May  1  the  following  constitution 
was  unanimously  adopted  by  fifteen  clergymen  and 
ten  laymen : 

"We  whose  names  are  hereunto  annexed  deeply 
sensible  of  the  importance  of  promoting  Christian 
knowledge  and  piety  among  the  poor  and  instructing 


172     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

children  in  the  interior  and  frontier  parts  of  the 
State  in  useful  learning  do  hereby  form  and  con- 
stitute ourselves  into  a  social  union,  that  under  the 
blessing  of  Almighty  God,  we  may  be  instrumental 
in  the  accomplishment  of  these  benevolent  purposes. 
The  object  of  this  institution  is  to  distribute  the 
Holy  Scriptures  and  other  religious  books  among 
the  poor,  to  assist  missionaries  in  diffusing  gospel 
knowledge,  and  to  give  such  countenance  and  assist- 
ance to  schools  which  may  be  established  in  the  re- 
mote parts  of  the  State  as  circumstances  will  permit. 
The  accomplishments  of  these  objects,  it  is  hoped, 
will  have  a  happy  tendency  to  lay  a  foundation  of 
useful  knowledge,  virtue  and  happiness  among 
those  who  are  now  destitute  of  the  means  of  instruc- 
tion, and  thus  to  benefit  the  community  and  advance 
the  interests  of  the  blessed  Redeemer's  Kingdom. 
With  these  views  and  hoping  for  the  divine  blessing 
on  our  endeavors,  we  adopt  the  following  as  the 
fundamental  ARTICLES  OF  THE  SOCIETY : 

I.  The  Name  of  the  Society  shall  be  ^The  New 
York  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knoioledge 
and  Piety/ 

II.  A  President,  Vice  President,  Treasurer  and 
Secretary  shall  be  annually  elected  by  ballot.  The 
President,  or  in  his  absence  the  Vice  President,  shall 
preside  at  the  meetings  of  the  Society,  as  well  as 
of  the  Standing  Committee.  In  case  of  the  absence 
of  both,  a  chairman  shall  be  chosen  who  shall  preside 
pro  tempore. 

III.  Persons  of  all  Christian  denominations  may 
be  elected  members  of  this  Society,  and  those  whose 


CONSTITUTION  OF  SOCIETY  173 

place  of  residence  may  render  it  inconvenient  to 
attend  the  meetings  of  the  Society,  may  be  consid- 
ered as  Honorary  Members,  they  being  subject  to 
the  terms  prescribed  in  the  next  article.  The  mem- 
bers shall  be  elected  by  ballot. 

IV.  Each  person  upon  becoming  a  member  shall 
pay  a  sum  of  not  less  than  Two  Dollars  and  Fifty 
Cents  every  quarter  towards  the  fund  of  the  Society, 
and  the  members  may  solicit  and  receive  annual  sub- 
scriptions or  occasional  benefactions  from  the  benev- 
olent and  well-disposed. 

V.  The  Society  shall  meet  once  every  quarter,  viz. 
on  the  first  Friday  in  June,  September,  December, 
and  March,  and  at  such  other  times  as  the  Standing 
Committee  hereafter  named  shall  judge  necessary. 
Fifteen  members  shall  form  a  Quorum  and  the  meet- 
ing shall  be  opened  and  closed  with  prayer  by  the 
President. 

VI.  The  four  officers  mentioned  in  the  second 
Article  and  five  other  members  of  the  Society  to  be 
called  assistants,  and  who  are  to  be  elected  at  the 
same  time  and  in  the  same  manner,  shall  constitute 
a  Standing  Committee,  which  shall  have  the  sole 
power  of  proposing  persons  to  the  Society  for  mem- 
bership, and  shall  have  it  in  charge  to  execute  all 
the  laws  and  resolves  of  the  Society,  and  shall  render 
an  account  of  all  their  transactions  and  expenditures 
at  each  quarterly  meeting  of  the  Society.  Five  of 
them  shall  be  sufficient  in  number  to  proceed  to  busi- 
ness. The  minutes  and  books  of  the  Committee  shall 
be  open  to  I  he  inspection  of  all  the  members  of  the 
Society. 


174    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

VII.  The  intention  of  this  Institution  in  regard 
to  the  distribution  of  books  is  to  procure  and  dis- 
perse among  the  poor  such  tracts  as  tend  to  incul- 
cate the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  the  depravity 
and  condemnation  of  mankind  by  original  and  actual 
sin ;  their  recovery  by  the  meritorious  life,  sufferings 
and  death  of  the  adorable  Redeemer,  the  sanctifica- 
tion  of  the  soul  by  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
the  blessings  and  eflScacy  of  the  Sacraments  of  the 
Christian  Church,  the  necessity  of  holiness  of  heart 
and  practice,  the  certainty  of  a  future  state  of  eter- 
nal happiness  or  misery,  and  such  other  subjects  as 
have  a  tendency  to  deter  from  vice,  to  improve  the 
morals  and  to  conduct  to  the  true  knowledge  of  the 
glorious  gospel  of  Christ.  The  books  may  be  in  Eng- 
lish, German,  Low  Dutch,  or  French  as  the  Society 
may  judge  most  expedient  for  promoting  its  benevo- 
lent purposes.  No  books  are  to  be  distributed  which 
are  of  a  controversial  nature,  or  which  breathe  the 
spirit  of  party. 

VIII.  The  Standing  Committee  shall  have  the 
sole  power  of  proposing  books  to  the  Society  for  their 
approbation  and  shall  provide  and  distribute  them 
agreeably  to  the  Directors  of  the  Society. 

IX.  In  each  of  the  books  which  shall  be  distributed 
by  the  Society  shall  be  inserted:  ^Tlie  Gift  of  the 
New  York  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowl- 
edge and  Piety/ 

X.  The  foregoing  Articles  shall  be  considered  un- 
alterable unless  in  the  following  manner:  A  pro- 
posal for  an  alteration  shall  be  introduced  in  writing 
at  a  quarterly  meeting  of  the  Society  and  shall  lie 


OFFICIAL  CORRESPONDENCE  175 

over  for  consideration  to  the  next  quarterly  meet- 
ing, and  if  it  be  then  approved  it  shall  be  adopted 
and  ratified." 

The  above  copy  of  the  constitution  of  The  New 
York  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge 
and  Piety  is  found  in  the  diary  of  the  congregation, 
and  is  here  inserted  because  of  the  part  which  the 
Moravian  Church  in  New  York  had  both  in  the 
formation  and  promotion  of  this  one  of  the  earliest 
inter-denoniinational  organizations  for  tract  dis- 
tribution in  America.  Peter  was  a  member  of  the 
Standing  Committee  of  the  Society.  On  August  5, 
1795,  this  committee  drafted  and  sent  to  the  Di- 
rectors of  the  Society  for  Propagating  the  Gospel 
among  the  Heathen  the  following  letter:  "Last 
year  a  Society  was  formed  under  the  title  of  'The 
New  York  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowl- 
edge and  Piety.'  The  object  of  the  Society  will  be 
seen  by  the  copy  of  the  constitution  herewith  trans- 
mitted. We  have  made  a  small  beginning  to  accom- 
plish the  design  of  the  Society  and  its  benevolent 
views.  We  have  distributed  12  dozen  of  Bibles  and 
1,000  copies  of  Dr.  Watt's  Divine  Songs  for  Chil- 
dren, and  we  have  in  the  press  and  nearly  ready  for 
delivery,  'Doddridge's  Rise  and  Progress  of  Religion 
in  the  Soul.' 

''The  opening  of  a  correspondence  with  Societies 
of  a  similar  nature  was  thought  conducive  to  the 
furtherance  of  our  purposes,  and  for  this  reason  we 
take  the  liberty  by  appointment  of  the  Society  to 
commence  a  correspondence  with  your  incorporated 
Society    for    Propagating    the    (Jospel    among    the 


176    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Heathen.  You  will  therefore  please  communicate 
this  letter  and  our  intention  to  your  Society  at  the 
next  general  meeting. 

"We  hope  that  such  a  correspondence  will  be  at- 
tended with  the  most  salutary  consequences.  It 
will  remove  prejudices.  It  will  more  closely  unite 
those  of  different  denominations,  nevertheless  of  one 
mind  relative  to  the  leading  and  saving  doctrines  of 
the  Gospel;  yea,  establish  true  Christian  love,  fel- 
lowship, and  peace. 

"From  such  a  correspondence  another  advantage 
will  accrue  to  us.  We  shall  be  informed  by  you 
concerning  that  great  and  important  work  of  the 
Lord,  your  Missions  among  the  Heathen,  in  various 
parts  of  the  world;  especially  we  shall  receive  in- 
formation concerning  your  Mission  among  the  In- 
dians in  North  America.  Some  of  us  have  read  with 
pleasure  and  edification  the  affecting  story  of  the 
same  lately  published  in  London. 

"We  praise  and  adore  the  Lord  with  you  for  what 
He  hath  hitherto  done  thru  your  instrumentality, 
imploring  Him  to  increase  the  number  of  faithful 
servants  who  may  proclaim  His  Gospel  at  the  ends 
of  the  earth.  May  He  crown  your  endeavors  with 
success,  that  many  thousands  of  lost  and  undone 
sinners  may  be  saved,  and  that  the  glorious  prophecy 
may  be  speedily  accomplished:  'He  shall  see  of  the 
travail  of  His  soul,  and  shall  be  satisfied.' 

"We  commend  ourselves  and  our  Society  to  your 
kind  remembrance  and  prayer  before  the  Lord,  and 
will  be  happy  on  every  occasion  to  cooperate  with 
you  in  the  good  work  in  which  you  are  engaged.    In 


CONGREGATION  INCORPORATED       177 

the  name  of  the  Committee  of  the  New  York  Society 
for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge  and  Piety,  we 
are,  Your  affectionate  brethren  in  Christ." 

In  answer  to  this  communication  the  Society  for 
Propagating  the  Gospel  sent  a  cordial  reply.  Stated 
letters  passed  between  the  two  Societies  to  the  mu- 
tual benefit  and  satisfaction  of  both. 

On  April  4,  1794,  the  congregation  elected  a  Board 
of  Trustees  in  accordance  with  an  Act  recently 
passed  by  the  State  Assembly.  The  certificate  of 
the  election  was  delivered  to  the  civil  authorities  and 
duly  recorded  on  April  18.  Both  the  certificate  and 
the  record  are  herewith  given : 

"We  the  subscribers  duly  nominated  and  elected 
by  the  members  of  the  United  Brethren's  Church  in 
the  City  of  New  York  to  hold  an  election  for  trustees 
of  the  said  Church  and  to  be  the  returning  officers  of 
the  said  election  do  hereby  certify  that  pursuant  to 
the  Act  entitled,  'An  Act  to  enable  all  the  Religious 
denominations  in  this  State  to  appoint  Trustees 
who  shall  be  a  Body  Corporate  for  the  purpose  of 
taking  care  of  the  Temporalities  of  their  respective 
Congregations  and  for  other  purposes  therein  men- 
tioned,' the  members  of  the  said  Church  assembled 
and  met  at  their  usual  place  of  public  worship  and 
then  and  there  duly  elected  by  a  plurality  of  voices 
the  following  persons  to  serve  as  Trustees  for  the 
said  Church,  to  wit,  John  Campbell,  Henry  Ten- 
brook,  Abraham  Wilson  and  Abraham  Bininger. 
And  we  do  further  certify  that  it  was  then  and  there 
unanimously  agreed  that  the  said  persons  so  elected 
and  their  successors  in  office  shall  forever  be  styled 


178     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

and  named  the  Trustees  of  the  Corporation  of  the 
United  Brethren's  Church  in  the  City  of  New  York. 
In  witness  whereof  we  have  hereunto  set  our  hands 
and  seals  the  fifth  day  of  April  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  one  thousand  and  seven  hundred  and  ninety- 
four. 

Dan.  Bowie  (L.S.) 

Frederick  Devoue  (L.S.)" 

"Be  it  remembered  that  on  the  seventh  day  of 
April  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  One  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  ninety-four,  before  me,  John  Sloss 
Hobart,  one  of  the  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
the  State  of  New  York,  came  the  within  named 
Daniel  Bowie  and  Frederick  Devoue  and  acknowl- 
edged that  they  signed  and  sealed  the  within  written 
certificate  for  the  uses  therein  mentioned  wherefore 
I  do  allow  it  to  be  recorded. 

Jno.  Sloss  Hobart." 

When  this  matter  was  reported  to  the  Helpers' 
Conference  at  Bethlehem,  the  Conference  informed 
the  congregation  that  what  had  been  done  was  un- 
necessary because  the  title  to  the  church-property 
had  been  previously  vested  in  the  Society  for  Propa- 
gating the  Gospel  among  the  Heathen  at  the  direc- 
tion of  the  authorities  of  the  Church  at  Bethlehem 
and  with  the  consent  of  the  congregation.  The  mem- 
bers raised  no  objections  to  this  view,  and  so  mat- 
ters rested  until  seven  years  later.  (Vid.  next  chap- 
ter.) 

During  the  war  between  England  and  France  the 
sympathies  of  some  of  the  members  of  the  congrega- 


CHURCH  INCREASES  INCOME  179 

tion  who  were  of  French  descent  were  with  the  lat- 
ter. Under  date  of  March  12,  1794,  Peter  made 
this  record  in  the  diary :  "We  were  pained  to  hear 
that  some  of  our  people  had  joined  the  French  in 
expressing  their  joy  over  the  recapture  of  Toulon. 
They  marched  hand  in  hand  with  the  French  in  a 
procession  thru  the  city,  and  later  dined  with  them." 
There  were  others  in  the  country  who  watched  the 
struggle  with  keen  interest,  and  it  was  with  diflSculty 
that  the  administration  kept  the  United  States  out 
of  the  conflict.  About  this  time  the  outlook  was  ex- 
ceedingly gloomy.  Active  preparations  were  made 
for  war.  Governor's  Island  was  strongly  fortified, 
troops  raised,  and  an  embargo  placed  on  all  foreign 
navigation.  Business  was  at  a  standstill,  and  high 
prices  prevailed.  Under  the  circumstances  the  con- 
gregation decided  to  increase  its  financial  resources 
by  leasing  part  of  the  ground  connected  with  the 
burial-place  at  Fresh  Water  Pond.  A  number  of 
members  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity  and 
erected  dwellings  on  the  newly-laid  out  lots.  Among 
them  were  the  Brethren  Simonson  and  Moses  Egbert. 
The  committee  authorized  by  the  Directors  of  the 
Society  for  Propagating  the  Gospel  to  grant  leases 
consisted  of  the  pastor,  Henry  Tenbrook  and  John 
Campbell.  The  ground  was  leased  for  a  term  of 
twenty-one  years  with  the  understanding  that  after 
the  expiration  of  this  time  the  leases  might  be  re- 
newed, or  the  congregation  would  pay  a  reasonable 
sum  for  the  houses  and  other  improvements  on  the 
lots.  Simonsen's  lot  was  42  feet  in  front  and  27  feet, 
4  inches  in  the  rear,  and  Egbert's  25  feet  in  front 


180     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

and  27  feet  in  the  rear.  In  case  the  leases  should 
not  be  renewed  the  congregation  agreed  to  pay  Si- 
monson  |25  for  the  first  term  of  seven  years,  |60  for 
the  second,  and  |90  for  the  last  seven  years,  and 
Egbert  $15  for  the  first  term  of  seven  years,  |40  for 
the  second,  and  |60  for  the  third  period.  Before 
building  operations  began  the  whole  burial-ground 
was  surveyed,  and  it  was  found  ^'that  towards 
Bayard's  Lane  our  neighbor  had  encroached  upon  us 
about  six  or  seven  feet."  This  plot  of  ground  lay  at 
the  corner  of  Mott  and  Pell  Streets,  and  is  now  cov- 
ered by  what  is  known  as  Chinatown,  where  property 
owned  by  the  congregation  was  a  source  of  revenue 
for  many  years. 

It  seems  strange  to  Moravians  of  the  present  day, 
when  communicant  members  of  other  denominations 
are  at  all  times  welcome  to  participate  in  the  Com- 
munion of  a  Moravian  congregation,  to  learn  that 
Dr.  John  Stanford,  the  devout  Baptist  minister  who 
"loved  the  Moravians,"  had  to  have  special  permis- 
sion from  the  Church  authorities  at  Bethlehem  to  be 
a  spectator  at  the  celebration  of  the  Maundy  Thurs- 
day Communion  in  the  church  of  New  York.  Such 
were  the  regulations  at  that  time.  It  was  no  un- 
common occurrence  for  clergymen  of  some  of  the 
leading  city  churches  to  attend  Moravian  services 
on  special  occasions.  This  was  largely  the  result  of 
their  deep  interest  in  the  work  of  the  Moravian 
Church  at  large  and  its  extensive  mission-work.  It 
was  generally  agreed  among  ministers  of  other  de- 
nominations that  the  Moravian  Church  stood  first 
and   foremost  in   proclaiming   the   Gospel   to   the 


TRIBUTE  TO  MORAVIAN  LABORS      181 

heathen,  consequently  they  were  eager  to  learn  all 
they  could  of  the  results  achieved  by  the  Brethren 
on  the  mission-field  and  elsewhere.  Peter  had  fre- 
quent calls  for  mission  histories,  congregational  re- 
ports, copies  of  the  Church  Constitution,  and  even 
the  Church  hymn-book.  These  were  studied  with 
the  hope  of  learning  the  secret  of  Moravian  success. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  John  C.  Kunze,  at  the  time  professor 
of  Oriental  languages  in  Columbia  University,  wrote 
the  following  interesting  letter  to  the  Moravian  pas- 
tor after  reading  a  report  of  a  Ministers'  Conference 
held  at  Herrnhut: 

"Respected  Brother  in  Christ :  In  the  presence  of 
our  common  Lord  whom  I  serve  with  gladness  of 
heart  since  He  graciously  called  me  in  1763  when 
He  demanded  and  conquered  my  heart,  I  hereby  tes- 
tify that  the  writings  which  I  now  thankfully  re- 
turn, contain  the  same  sentiments  I  have,  and  that 
I  know  of  no  writings,  besides  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
which  afford  me  so  much  delight  and  edification  as 
these  and  others  of  that  kind.  I  am  convinced  that 
the  truth  is  followed  by  those  dear  Brethren  whose 
thoughts  are  contained  in  these  leiives,  and  which 
the  elected,  chosen,  and  faithful  servants  of  God, 
thus  assembled,  have  supported  in  their  conferences. 
I  beg  for  the  future  to  be  again  honored  with  such 
communications.  They  excite  my  soul  to  the  praise 
of  my  glorious  Saviour.  Whatever  is  handed  me 
from  the  Brethren  1  read  with  an  ardent  desire  of 
my  soul.  For  these  many  years  I  have  been  con- 
vinced that  tlM»  most  effective  means  to  edify  and 
strengthen  souls  is  by  cominunicating  spiritual  ex- 


182    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

periences  to  one  another,  for  He  who  opens  the 
hearts,  works  by  them  such  resolutions  as  these: 
'I  will  follow  the  same  example,  or  some  such  con- 
viction ;  thus  it  is  with  me.'  I  am  very  much  pained 
about  it  that  in  the  Church  in  which  my  Great  Shep- 
herd and  Head  does  not  let  me  labor  without  bless- 
ing, the  reading  of  such  historical  accounts  of  the 
leading  of  other  souls,  is  not  practicable,  nor  to  be 
imitated.  I  shall  not  omit  to  testify  by  a  letter  to 
the  Ministers'  Conference  that  I  am  of  one  mind 
with  them.  May  the  blessing  of  the  Lord  rest  upon 
the  whole  institution  and  particularly  its  earnest 
activity  to  acquaint  those  with  their  salvation  who 
before  did  not  know  that  a  Saviour  was  given  to  the 
world. — John  Christoph  Kunze."  The  original  let- 
ter was  in  German  and  translated  as  here  given  by 
the  recipient.  The  diary  states  that  "the  Rev.  Dr. 
Rodgers  of  the  Presbyterian  Chui^ch  perused  the 
'History  of  the  Moravian  Mission  among  the  In- 
dians,' and  expressed  his  satisfaction  with  tears." 
Surely  a  great  change  had  been  wrought  since  the 
day  when  the  Moravians  in  New  York  were  stoned 
and  persecuted. 

In  the  "Annual  Register  of  the  Baptist  Churches 
for  the  year  1793"  appeared  numerous  extracts  from 
the  '^Periodical  Accounts  of  Moravian  Missions/' 
and  also  a  letter  written  by  Christian  Ignatius  La 
Trobe  of  the  Moravian  Church  in  England  in  re- 
sponse to  the  request  of  the  Baptist  editor.  The  an- 
swers of  La  Trobe  to  two  questions  included  in  this 
request  deserve  a  place  in  this  connection.  The  first 
question  was,  ''What  qualifications  are  especially 


MISSIONARY  QUALIFICATIONS         183 

requisite  in  missionaries?''     La  Trobe  wrote,  "To 
this  question  we  Moravian  Brethren  should  answer 
simply  thus :    The  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  their 
hearts  by  the  Holy  Ghost.    From  love  and  gratitude 
to  Him  who  hath  purchased  them  with  His  own  blood 
they  should  be  truly  and  wholly  devoted   to  His 
service,  assured  that  in  life  and  in  death  they  are 
the  Lord's  forever.    They  should  be  void  of  self-love, 
self-seeking,  self-complacency,  and  the  whole  poison- 
ous system  of  self;  conscious  of  numberless  wants 
and  infirmities,  but  by  experience  acquainted  with 
the  saving  power  of  Jesus,  and  the  sanctifying  merits 
of  His  precious  Atonement ;  filled  with  love  to  their 
fellow-men   as   being   bought   with   an   inestimable 
price,   consequently,   precious  in   the  sight  of  the 
Saviour,  however  depraved  and  corrupted,  and  how- 
ever despicable  in  the  sight  of  men;  shunning  no 
danger,  no  trials,  no  persecution,  when  engaged  in 
the  cause  of  the  Saviour,  always   hoping,   always 
believing;  unweariedly  following  the  poor  straying 
sheep ;  and  even  without  prospects,  relying  upon  the 
gracious  promise  that  the  Word  of  the  Lord  shall  not 
return  unto  Him  void,  but  shall  accomplish  that 
which  He  pleases  in  due  time  and  prosper  in  the 
thing  whereunto  He  has  sent  it.    Those  of  our  mis- 
sionaries whose  labors  the  Lord  has  blessed  have  had 
these  qualifications.     A  true  Christian  has  always 
those  accomplishments  that  he  needs;   he  is  kind, 
courteous,  gentle,  peaceable,  and  full  of  good  will. 

"In  the  second  place,  ^Whut  advice  should  he  given 
to  the  missionaries?'  When  the  Brethren  first  went 
among  the  heathen  they  were  advised  that  they  must 


184    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

first  enter  upon  an  explanation  of  the  greatness, 
justice,  omnipresence,  and  love  of  God;  of  the  hein- 
ousness  of  sin,  and  the  like.  But  they  soon  found 
that  to  know  nothing  among  them  save  Jesus  and 
Him  crucified  was  the  right  way.  The  Word  of  the 
Cross  proved  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  and 
every  other  good  thing  followed.  The  minds  of  the 
converts  were  by  degrees  open  to  all  other  religious 
subjects.  Therefore  our  advice  is  as  to  doctrine, 
that  they  should  preach  the  Crucified  Jesus;  that 
they  look  more  for  real  conversion  of  heart  in  the 
few  committed  unto  their  care  than  for  numbers; 
that  they  carefully  and  kindly  maintain  discipline, 
excluding  transgressors,  yet  not  forsaking  them,  but 
endeavoring  by  God's  grace  to  lead  them  gently 
back  into  the  right  way;  that  they  are  continually 
watchful  to  prevent  hurt  to  the  souls  of  men;  that 
they  become  acquainted  with  every  individual  and 
baptize  none  but  those  in  whom  a  change  of  heart  is 
visible.  That  as  to  external  support  they  be  satis- 
fied with  whatever  Providence  may  appoint  and  fru- 
gally manage  their  housekeeping.  The  Lord  be 
praised  who  has  hitherto  given  us  such  persons  for 
our  missions." 

Under  date  of  September  16,  1794,  the  diary  con- 
tains the  following  record:  "To-day  there  is  great 
alarm  about  the  yellow  fever  prevailing  in  the  city, 
having  been  brought  here  by  a  vessel  which  came 
from  the  West  Indies."  With  the  coming  of  cooler 
weather  the  fever  abated,  but  broke  out  again  with 
great  virulence  during  the  following  summer  and 
raged  until  late  in  October.    This  time  the  epidemic 


YELLOW  FEVER  EPIDEMIC  185 

claimed  a  toll  of  726  lives  in  the  city.  Many  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation  suffered  from  the  fever,  and 
two  died  as  the  result  of  it.  Services  for  prayer  and 
humiliation  were  held  in  all  the  churches.  As  many 
as  thirty-one  persons  died  in  one  day,  and  Peter 
mentions  that  one  whole  family,  with  the  exception 
of  a  little  baby,  was  wiped  out  by  the  terrible 
scourge.  "In  many  places  in  the  city  they  burned 
tar  in  the  night."  For  a  month  Philadelphia  stopped 
all  intercourse  with  the  city,  not  however  before  the 
good  people  of  the  City  of  Brotherly  Love  had  sent 
thru  their  Mayor,  Matthew  Clarkson,  the  handsome 
sum  of  seven  thousand  dollars  to  aid  the  metropolis 
in  its  distress.  With  the  coming  of  the  fall  rains  and 
cooler  weather  the  fever  abated,  but  only  to  break 
out  with  increasing  virulence  during  the  succeeding 
years.  Many  of  the  city  ministers  became  victims 
of  the  disease.  Altho  he  fearlessly  visited  among 
the  fever-stricken  members  of  the  congi-egation,  Peter 
escaped. 

The  city  at  this  time  suffered  not  only  from  disease, 
but  from  many  destructive  fires.  On  December  3, 
1795,  the  little  Moravian  church  was  in  danger  of 
being  destroyed.  Peter  writes,  "In  the  morning 
about  8  o'clock  a  fire  suddenly  broke  out  in  the  shop 
of  our  neighbor,  John  Gilmore.  In  the  beginning  it 
appeared  quite  against  us.  The  fence  between  him 
and  us  was  immediately  in  flames ;  so  was  the  school- 
house,  and  the  house  of  Sr.  Reed.  The  church  was 
in  greatest  danger.  Several  times  the  building 
caught  fire.  Bui  the  engine  conslMntly  playing  a 
stream  of  water  upon  it  succeeded  in  saving  it  from 


186     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

destruction.  Eleven  houses  were  burned  in  about 
two  hours.  The  exertions  of  our  fellow-citizens  on 
this  occasion  were  extraordinary.  Br.  and  Sr.  Peter 
moved  everything  into  the  front  part  of  the  house; 
little  Joseph  Peter  lay  very  sick  with  the  measles. 
Our  fence  around  the  burial-ground  was  torn  down 
as  well  as  the  little  hen-house."  The  cost  of  repairing 
the  damages  done  to  the  church-property  amounted 
to  nearly  one  thousand  dollars,  toward  which 
amount  the  Nazareth  congregation  contributed  over 
one  hundred  dollars.  There  were  so  many  destruc- 
tive fires  during  this  period  that  a  fire-plot  was  sus- 
pected. The  city  authorities  offered  a  reward  of 
$500  for  the  discovery  of  the  incendiaries,  and  the 
inhabitants  took  turns  in  keeping  a  watch  at  night. 
Several  other  matters  relating  to  Peter's  pastorate 
deserve  mention.  The  little  text-books  for  1796 
reached  the  congregation  in  a  roundabout  manner. 
The  ship  Joy,  in  which  they  were  sent  from  England, 
when  thirty  hours'  sail  from  its  destination  was 
caught  in  a  storm  and  driven  to  the  island  of  An- 
tigua, where  it  finally  landed  in  a  disabled  condition. 
On  March  5,  1796,  Peter  received  a  letter  from  Mis- 
sionary Ishirpe  in  Antigua  saying  that  on  January 
27  a  text-book  and  a  Moravian  tune-book  had  been 
offered  him  for  sale  by  a  merchant  who  told  him  that 
he  had  others  on  hand,  if  more  were  desired.  In  the 
event  it  was  learned  that  the  Joy  had  been  obliged 
to  put  in  at  St.  Johns,  where  it  was  condemned  and 
her  cargo  sold.  The  merchant  in  question  had  pur- 
chased the  case  of  books  directed  to  John  Schropp 
of  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  for  eight  dollars.    Ishirpe  paid 


DROUGHT  CAUSES  SUFFERING        187 

the  merchant  ten  dollars  and  shipped  the  books  to 
New  York,  where  they  arrived  on  March  5.  Peter 
states,  "We  received  the  box  of  books  this  afternoon 
without  any  custom  house  expense,  the  Captain  hav- 
ing put  in  at  New  Haven,  where  the  authorities  de- 
clared them  free  from  duty  because  they  were  books 
of  divinity."  About  this  time  Henry  Tenbrook,  a 
member  of  the  congregation,  presented  the  church 
with  two  lots  in  the  Bowery.  In  August,  1795,  a 
great  many  people  died  as  the  result  of  the  intense 
heat  which  prevailed  in  the  city.  One  day  the  ther- 
mometer registered  124  degrees  in  the  sun.  The 
diary  also  contains  an  interesting  reference  to  a 
drought  of  seven  weeks  in  the  fall  of  the  following 
year.  Under  date  of  December  6  Peter  writes,  "We 
had  a  refreshing  rain.  There  was  hardly  anybody 
in  the  city  supplied  with  rain-water.  Most  inhabi- 
tants had  heen  obliged  to  purchase  sea-water  for 
washing.  In  the  country  the  people  hardly  remem- 
ber a  drier  season.  They  have  to  fetch  water  a  dis- 
tance of  from  fourteen  to  twenty  miles." 


CHAPTER  XII 

IN  THE   DAWN  OF  THE  NINETEENTH 

CENTURY 

After  Peter's  death  in  October,  1797,  the  Rev. 
James  Birkby,  assisted  by  Benjamin  Mortimer, 
served  the  congregation  as  well  as  the  Staten  Island 
church  until  December  10,  when  he  became  for  the 
second  time  the  regular  pastor,  the  Rev.  Frederick 
Moehring  succeeding  him  on  Staten  Island.  On 
December  12  Mrs.  Peter  and  her  children,  accom- 
panied by  Brother  Mortimer,  left  for  Bethlehem, 
where  she  made  her  future  home.  Birkby's  pastorate 
was  destined  to  be  short  and  full  of  trouble.  In 
August,  1798,  another  epidemic  of  yellow  fever  laid 
its  fatal  grip  upon  the  city,  bringing  business  to  a 
standstill,  closing  the  schools  and  most  of  the 
churches,  and  leaving  more  than  a  thousand  deaths 
in  its  wake.  At  the  appearance  of  the  terrible 
scourge  a  large  proportion  of  the  inhabitants,  in- 
cluding all  but  nine  members  of  the  congregation, 
fled  to  the  country.  Polly,  the  daughter  of  Isaac 
Van  Vleck,  died  of  the  disease.  Washington  Square, 
which  had  been  purchased  by  the  City  in  1796  as  a 
burial-place  for  the  poor,  became  a  potter's  field  in- 
deed. However,  not  only  strangers  and  poor  people 
by  the  hundreds,  but  many  persons  of  distinction 
were  buried  within  its  limits.  By  the  end  of  October 
the  plague  had  spent  itself  and  those  who  had  taken 
refuge  in  the  country  began  to  return  to  the  city, 

188 


DEATH  OF  PASTOR'S  WIFE  189 

among  the  number  being  "the  merchants  whose  fall 
goods  had  arrived  from  Europe,  and  demanded  at- 
tention." On  the  whole,  the  congregation  was 
graciously  preserved  from  the  disease,  and  on  Novem- 
ber 14  Birkby  conducted  a  solemn  service  of  thanks- 
giving and  praise  for  the  preservation  of  his  flock. 

During  the  following  summer  and  fall  there  was 
a  recurrence  of  the  disease,  and  as  a  result  another 
extensive  exodus  from  the  city  took  place.  For- 
tunately the  attack  this  time  was  milder  in  charac- 
ter, and  the  deaths  fewer  than  in  the  preceding  year. 
Feeling  that  he  could  not  endure  the  strain  of 
another  siege  as  severe  as  the  former  one  had  been, 
Birkby  registered  an  earnest  prayer  that  the  disease 
might  not  be  permitted  to  repeat  its  dreadful  rav- 
ages, concluding  in  his  heart  that,  if  the  worst  came, 
he,  too,  would  have  to  leave  the  city.  His  fears  were 
not  realized,  and  on  Sunday  morning,  October  6, 
he  entered  his  pulpit  with  a  heart  full  of  faith  and 
gratitude,  and  preached  an  earnest  sermon  from 
the  text,  "The  memory  of  the  just  is  blessed." — 
Proverbs  10 :  7.  He  had  no  thought  that  even  then 
death  was  casting  its  somber  shadow  over  his  own 
home.  Next  morning  at  eight  o'clock  his  wife  had 
a  stroke  of  apoplexy  which  rendered  her  speechless, 
and  in  the  afternoon  between  four  and  five  o'clock 
she  quietly  passed  away.  The  earnest  hope  of  the 
husband  that  her  speech  might  return,  if  only  for 
one  word  of  farewell,  was  not  realized,  but  he  com- 
forted himself  with  the  thought,  "The  Lord  gave, 
and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away,"  and  humbly  sub- 
mitted himself  to  the  divine  will. 


190    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

A  messenger  was  immediately  sent  to  the  pastor 
of  the  Staten  Island  congregation,  asking  him  to 
oflSciate  at  the  funeral  on  the  following  day.  Moeh- 
ring  hastened  to  the  city  as  soon  as  possible,  but 
arrived  a  short  time  after  the  hour  set  for  the  serv- 
ice. Fearing  that  his  colleague  might  have  been 
prevented  from  coming  at  all,  Birkby  asked  Dr. 
Kunze,  who  was  present,  to  take  charge  of  the  serv- 
ice. However,  before  the  liturgy  was  concluded 
Moehring  appeared,  and  preached  a  comforting  ser- 
mon from  the  text,  ^'There  remaineth  a  rest  for  the 
people  of  God."  Bishop  Provost  of  the  Episcopal 
Church  was  present  at  the  service.  The  deceased 
was  fifty-six  years  of  age  when  she  was  called  away. 
Being  unable  to  find  any  one  to  take  his  place,  the 
bereaved  pastor  had  to  conduct  the  services  himself 
on  the  following  Sunday.  But  he  found  it  impossible 
to  continue  single-handed  the  labors  in  which  his 
faithful  helpmeet  had  so  loyally  supported  him, 
therefore  he  announced  to  the  congregation  on 
November  10  that  he  would  retire,  at  least  tem- 
porarily, and  that  the  Rev.  John  Meder  of  Phila- 
delphia would  succeed  him  in  the  work.  On  Decem- 
ber 18  Meder  and  his  wife  arrived  in  New  York, 
and  on  the  following  Sunday  morning  Birkby 
preached  his  farewell  sermon  from  II  Thessalonians 
3 :  5  in  the  presence  of  a  large  and  sympathetic  con- 
gregation. Next  morning,  accompanied  by  his  niece, 
Miss  Hannah  Fearnley,  and  Henry  Tenbrook,  he 
left  for  Bethlehem,  where  on  April  10,  1803,  he 
closed  his  earthly  labors. 

Meder's  pastorate  was  likewise  short.    On  Decern- 


A  NOTABLE  CELEBRATION  191 

ber  22,  1799,  he  preached  his  introductory  sermon, 
and  on  February  7,  1802,  he  announced  to  the  con- 
gregation that  he  had  accepted  a  call  to  become  the 
pastor  of  the  church  at  Lititz,  Pennsylvania.  Two 
important  events,  however,  transpired  during  his 
brief  stay  in  New  York.  One  was  the  fiftieth  anni- 
versary of  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the 
church,  and  the  other  was  the  receipt  of  certain 
monies  from  the  State  for  school  purposes.  The 
former  took  place  on  June  IG,  1801.  The  church  had 
been  previously  repaired  and  painted  and  the  walls 
of  the  auditorium  white-washed  for  the  occasion. 
The  festival  speaker  was  the  Rev.  Charles  Gotthold 
Reichel  of  Nazareth,  Pa.,  a  member  of  the  General 
Helpers'  Conference.  All  the  services  of  the  day 
were  largely  attended  by  members  and  friends.  The 
Staten  Island  congregation  joined  in  the  celebration. 
At  the  afternoon  love  feast  a  letter  of  felicitation 
from  the  Rev.  Jacob  Van  Vleck,  a  child  of  the  con- 
gregation, was  read.  The  historical  address  de- 
livered by  the  pastor  showed  that  during  the  half 
century  four  hundred  and  sixty-two  adults  and  chil- 
dren had  been  baptized,  two  hundred  and  sixteen 
persons  received  into  the  congregation,  and  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-seven  admitted  to  the  Holy  Com- 
munion. Forty-two  marriages  had  taken  place,  and 
since  1754  two  huiidre<l  and  eighty-two  bodies  had 
been  interred  in  the  grave  yards  of  the  congregation. 
(These  statistics  do  not  include  the  period  of  Mo- 
ravian labors  in  tlit*  city  j)ri()i-  to  the  laying  of  the 
corner-stone.)  Thre(»  persons  wlio  liad  !)een  present 
at  the  hiying  of  the  corner-stone  were  privih'ged  to 


192     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

attend  the  jubilee  services.  They  were  Jane  Reed, 
Ann  Bowie,  and  Vroutje  Van  Vleck.  Hilah  Wilson, 
another  witness  of  the  corner-stone  laying,  had  like- 
wise looked  forward  to  the  anniversary,  but  died 
unexpectedly  only  three  days  before  the  cele- 
bration. 

On  April  8,  1801,  the  State  Legislature  passed  the 
following  Act :  "Be  it  enacted  by  the  people  of  the 
State  of  New  York  represented  in  Senate  and  As- 
sembly, that  the  Mayor,  Aldermen  and  Commonality 
of  the  City  of  New  York,  in  Common  Council  con- 
vened, be  and  are  hereby  directed,  on  or  before  the 
first  of  August  next,  to  pay  to  the  vestry  of  the  Epis- 
copal Church,  the  vestry  of  Christ  Church,  the  trus- 
tees of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  the  ministers, 
elders  and  deacons  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church, 
the  trustees  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the 
trustees  of  the  Scotch  Presbyterian  Church,  belong- 
ing to  the  Associate  Reformed  Synod,  and  to  the 
trustees  of  the  African  School,  and  to  the  trustees 
of  the  United  German  Lutheran  Church,  the  trustees 
of  the  German  Reformed  Churches,  the  trustees  of 
the  First  Baptist  Church  in  the  City  of  New  York, 
and  to  the  trustees  of  the  United  Brethren  or  Mora- 
vian Church,  each  one  eleventh  part  of  all  the  money 
which  remains  in  their  hands,  which  they  have  re- 
ceived by  virtue  of  the  Act  entitled  'An  Act  for  the 
Encouragement  of  Schools,'  passed  the  9th  day  of 
April,  1795,  and  the  Act  entitled  'An  Act  to  raise  a 
Sum  of  Money  for  the  use  of  this  State  by  tax  and  for 
the  further  support  of  Government,'  passed  the  3rd 
day  of  April,  1799. 


CHURCHES  GET  STATE  MONEY        193 

"And  be  it  further  enacted,  that  it  shall  be  the 
duty  of  the  vestry,  trustees  and  minister,  elders  and 
deacons  of  the  aforesaid,  to  put  at  interest  on  real 
security,  the  whole  amount  of  the  respective  shares 
which  shall  by  them  respectively  be  received  and  the 
said  vestry,  trustees  and  minister,  elders  and  dea- 
cons, shall  annually  expend  in  the  instruction  of 
poor  children  in  the  most  useful  branches  of  common 
education,  the  whole  of  the  annual  interest  which 
shall  accrue  on  their  respective  shares;  and  shall 
on  the  second  Tuesday  of  July  in  every  year  make 
return  to  the  Common  Council  aforesaid,  stating  in 
writing  the  amount  and  manner  in  which  they  have 
disposed  thereof,  and  how  they  have  applied  the 
income  thereof,  and  such  of  the  said  vestry,  trustees 
and  minister,  elders  and  deacons,  who  shall  not  ap- 
ply such  income  as  herein  before  directed,  or  who 
shall  fail  in  complying  with  the  other  injunctions  of 
this  Act,  shall  forfeit  to  the  said  Common  Council 
such  share  or  shares  as  by  them  shall  have  been  so 
received,  and  on  refusal  to  return  the  same,  it  shall 
be  the  duty  of  the  said  Common  Council  to  sue  for 
and  recover  such  share  or  shares  as  shall  so  become 
forfeited,  in  any  Court  having  cognizance  thereof, 
and  the  said  Common  Council  are  hereby  directed 
to  divide  the  amount  so  recovered  among  the  other 
Free  Schools  in  the  said  City,  in  equal  proportions. 

"And  be  it  enacted,  that  the  fifth  section  of  the 
Act  entitled  'An  Act  for  the  Encouragement  of 
Schools,'  passed  the  9th  day  of  April,  1795,  and  the 
Act  entitled  *Au  Act  further  to  amend  the  Act  en- 
titled  An   Act  for  the   Encouragement  of   Schools 


194     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

passed  the  10th  day  of  March,  1797,  be  and  the  same 
are  hereby  repealed." 

A  Church  entrusted  with  money  from  the  State 
could  carry  out  the  purpose  of  this  Act  either  by 
establishing  its  own  free  school  for  poor  children, 
or  by  uniting  with  another  Church  in  an  enterprise 
of  this  sort,  or  by  placing  poor  children  under  its 
care  in  some  school  conveniently  located  near  their 
home,  and  paying  for  their  instruction.     The  Mo- 
ravian  congregation   adopted   the   plan   mentioned 
last,  the  poor  children  for  which  it  was  responsible 
being  too  widely  scattered  to  be  gathered  in  a  school 
of  their  own.    Furthermore,  the  money  allotted  by 
the  State  was  insufficient  to  cover  the  cost  of  a 
school  of  this  kind,  and  the  congregation  had  no 
available  funds  to  make  up  the  difference.    It  will 
be  remembered  that  after  the  congregation  was  in- 
corporated in  1794  the  Bethlehem  church  authorities 
declared  it  unnecessary  because  the  title  to  the  New 
York  church-property  was  vested  in  the  Society  for 
Propagating  the  Gospel  among  the  Heathen.     Ac- 
cepting this  decision,  the  congregation  apparently 
made  no  effort  to  exercise  the  rights  and  privileges 
of  a  corporate  body.    It  was  compelled  to  do  so,  how- 
ever, when  this  matter  of  receiving  school  money 
from  the  State  presented  itself.    Therefore  Church 
Council,  on  August  5,  1801,  duly  elected,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  laws  of  the  State,  Henry  Tenbrook, 
Frederick  Devoue,  Abraham  Bininger,  Philip  Sykes, 
Leopold  Beck,  and  Bernhard  Symerson  Trustees  of 
the  church.    Henry  Tenbrook  was  elected  Treasurer 
of  the  congregation.    At  this  time  also  a  seal  for  the 


SEAL  OF  CHUKCH  COKPORATION      195 

corporation   was   chosen.     It   contains   two   hands 
joined,  signifying  union  or  united,  a  dove,  and  the 
words,  ^'United  Brethren's  Church  in  New  York,'' 
The  following  certificate  was  prepared  by  the  trus- 
tees :    "At  a  meeting  of  the  Trustees  of  the  United 
Brethren's  Church  in  New  York,  otherwise  known 
by  the  name  Moravian  Church,  the  21st  day  of  Au- 
gust, 1801,  it  was  ordered  that  Henry  Tenbrook, 
the  treasurer  of  this  corporation,  be  and  hereby  is 
authorized  to  receive  from  the  treasurer  of  the  City 
of  New  York  the  sum  of  |1,565.77,  being  the  propor- 
tion of  money  directed  to  be  paid  pursuant  to  an 
Act  of  the  Legislature  of  this  State  entitled  ^An  Act 
directing  Certain  Monies  to  be  applied  to  the  use 
of  free  schools  in  the  City  of  New  York,'  passed  the 
8th  day  of  April,  1801."     Provided  with  this  au- 
thority Henry  Tenbrook  called  at  the  office  of  the 
City  Treasurer  on  August  24  and  received  the  money 
allotted  to  the  congregation.    This  money  was  prop- 
erly invested  and  the  interest  applied  toward  the 
education  of  deserving  poor  children  in  the  congre- 
gation.    The  interest  was  more  than  sufficient  to 
supply  the  need  because  the  State  Legislature  in 
appropriating  more  money  to  the  Churches  in  July, 
1814,  omitted  the  grant  to  the  Moravian  Church  on 
the  ground  that  "the  congregation  maintained  no 
particular  school  and  spent  no  more  annually  than 
the  yearly  interest  accruing  from  the  grant  already 
made."     The  deeds  to  the  church-property  were  in 
the  hands  of  the  Directors  of  the  Society  for  Propa- 
gating the  Gospel  among  the  Heathen  until  October 
1,  1816,  when,  at  the  request  of  the  Trustees,  they 


196     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

were  turned  over  to  the  congregation  by  the  Rev. 
Charles  G.  Reichel. 

Altho  Meder  announced  the  acceptance  of  his  call 
to  the  Lititz  pastorate  in  February,  he  remained  in 
charge  of  the  New  York  congregation  until  Septem- 
ber 26,  1802,  when  he  preached  his  farewell  sermon. 
The  Rev.  John  Holmes  of  Yorkshire,  England,  had 
been  announced  as  his  successor,  but  for  some  reason 
the  original  plan  was  not  carried  out,  and  the  Rev. 
James  Bardill,  formerly  a  missionary  on  the  island 
of  Antigua,  succeeded  him.  The  new  pastor  preached 
his  introductory  sermon  on  the  same  day  that  Meder 
delivered  his  farewell  discourse.  His  text  was  Luke 
16:  17,  "Come,  for  all  things  are  now  ready.''  In 
the  latter  part  of  November  the  following  single 
brethren  from  Germany  passed  thru  the  city  on 
their  way  to  Bethlehem:  Charles  Gotthold  Blech, 
John  G.  Fuchs,  Frederick  Kaske,  Hans  Peterson, 
and  Martin  Hanson.  In  spring  of  the  following  year 
the  Rev.  Frederick  Moehring  received  the  call  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  Schoeneck  congregation,  near 
Nazareth,  Pa.  He  was  succeeded  on  Staten  Island 
by  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Brown. 

In  July,  1803,  the  city  authorities  ordered  the  con- 
gregation to  level  off  the  hill  on  which  the  Fresh 
Water  burial-ground  lay.  To  meet  the  expense  in- 
volved by  this  operation  the  trustees  decided  to  lay 
out  four  more  building-lots  fronting  on  Mott  Street. 
Under  the  direction  of  Bernhard  Symerson  the  bodies 
that  had  been  interred  in  that  part  of  the  burial- 
ground  were  carefully  removed  and  "buried  near  the 
gate  to  the  ground.''    In  the  same  month  yellow  fever 


YELLOW  FEVER  EPIDEMIC  197 

again  broke  out,  and  a  great  many  people,  including 
a  number  of  Moravian  families,  went  to  the  country. 
The  first  case  was  announced  July  20.  All  the  Dutch 
Reformed  ministers  left  the  city  during  the  epidemic. 
For  a  time  the  Moravian  Church  was  the  only  one 
open  for  public  worship,  altho  the  services  were  at- 
tended by  more  strangers  than  members.  On  Sun- 
day, September  4,  Mr.  Conrad,  the  school-master  and 
organist  of  the  German  Reformed  Church,  presided 
at  the  organ.  There  was  little  work  to  be  had  in  the 
city,  and  not  much  to  eat,  therefore  the  distress 
among  the  poor  was  indescribable.  On  October  25 
Bardill  officiated  at  a  burial  in  St.  Paul's  church- 
yard because  no  Episcopal  clergyman  was  in  the 
city  at  the  time.  "From  July  29  to  October  26  there 
were  596  deaths  from  yellow  fever,  of  which  365 
were  males  and  231  females."  The  entire  toll  ex- 
acted by  the  epidemic  was  more  than  eight  hundred. 
On  October  27  a  stable  in  Dutch  Street,  which  was 
only  twenty  feet  from  the  Moravian  property,  burned 
to  the  ground.  Fortunately  there  was  no  wind  and 
the  heroic  labors  of  the  fire-company  kept  the  flames 
from  spreading.  On  December  21  the  churches  of 
the  city  observed  a  day  of  prayer  and  thanksgiving. 
At  the  close  of  the  year  1803  the  total  membership 
of  the  congregation  numbered  one  hundred  and  sev- 
enty souls. 

The  diary  for  1804  records  a  number  of  matters  of 
general  interest.  Among  these  was  the  incori)oni- 
tion  of  the  Society  forPropaj^ating  the  Gospel  among 
the  Heathen  in  accordance  witli  the  hiws  of  the  State 
of  New  York,  the  Kev.  Jacob  Van  Vleck  and  the  Rev. 


198     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Andrew  Benade  bringing  it  about  at  Albany  in  the 
month  of  February.  On  May  7,  at  one  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  the  Bardill  family,  together  with  many 
others  in  the  city,  were  disturbed  in  their  sleep  by 
a  severe  earthquake  shock.  At  three  o'clock  they 
were  awakened  again,  this  time  by  the  fire-alarm. 
^'The  State  prison  about  two  miles  out  of  town  had 
been  set  on  fire  by  the  prisoners  after  they  had  con- 
fined the  prison-keepers.  The  bells  were  rung  for  sev- 
eral hours.  The  fire  consumed  a  considerable  part 
of  the  building,  and  a  number  of  prisoners  made  their 
escape.  The  militia  was  called  to  the  scene."  On 
May  12  there  was  great  rejoicing  in  the  city  over  the 
Louisiana  Purchase.  The  firing  of  cannon,  ringing 
of  bells,  parades  headed  by  bands  of  musicians,  and 
speech-making  marked  the  celebration.  A  less  cheer- 
ful event  is  recorded  on  July  12  and  14.  The  record 
states,  "At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  General 
Alexander  Hamilton  died  of  a  wound  received  yes- 
terday in  a  duel  with  Colonel  Aaron  Burr  (at  Wee- 
hawken,  N.  J.)  on  which  account  the  church-bells 
kept  tolling  the  greater  part  of  to-day,  and  also 
on  the  14th  from  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  until 
almost  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  On  the  latter 
day,  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  commenced  the 
funeral  procession*  of  the  late  General  Hamilton, 
attended  by  uncommon  military  honors,  and  by  all 
societies  and  classes  of  citizens,  with  great  solemnity, 
and  lasted  until  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
Brother  Bardill  having  been  invited,  as  were  all 


•Hamilton's  home  was  on  Washington   Heights,   and  his  body  was  laid 
to  rest  in  the  Trinity  grave  yard. 


NOTABLE  EVENTS  199 

the  clergy  of  the  dififerent  denominations,  attended 
the  same  in  company  with  about  thirty  clergymen." 
On  August  1  Bardill  records  that  twenty-four  Osage 
Indian  Chiefs  visited  the  city,  and  "in  honor  of  the 
event  the  volunteer  companies  and  artillery  dis- 
played military  tactics." 

On  November  7,  1805,  Bardill  was  succeeded  by 
the  Rev.  John  Molther,  who  served  the  congregation 
as  pastor  until  the  latter  part  of  December,  1812. 
Under  date  of  June  2,  1807,  the  diary  contains  the 
information  that  "the  little  church-steeple  which  had 
become  leaky  and  otherwise  out  of  repair  was  taken 
down,  and  the  roof  of  the  church  provided  with  a 
sufficient  number  of  scuttles  for  the  purpose  of  ad- 
mitting light  and  air."    An  event  of  greater  impor- 
tance took  place  in  fall  of  the  same  year.    On  October 
2  the  Moravian  College  and  Theological  Seminary, 
now  located  in  Bethlehem,  was  founded  at  Nazareth, 
Pa.    Altho  Molther  undoubtedly  did  his  best,  a  se- 
ries of  misunderstandings  for  which  both  parties 
concerned  were  equally  to  blame,  made  his  pastorate 
one  that  was  not  altogether  happy.    One  day  he  had 
an  unenviable  experience  that  was  clearly  beyond  his 
control,  but  for  which  some  of  the  members  never 
wholly  forgave   him.     Crossing   North  River   in   a 
sail-boat,  he  went  to  Weehawken  to  make  a  call  on 
some  friends.     Altho  he  started  on  the  homeward 
way  in  good  time,  contrary  winds  drove  his  boat 
far  from  its  course  when  in  the  middle  of  the  river. 
As  a  result  of  this  trick  of  the  wind  he  was  unable 
to  reach  the  parsonage  before  nine  o'clock  in  the 
evening.    On  any  ordinary  evening  this  would  have 


200    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

been  a  matter  of  small  importance.  But  this  was  not 
an  ordinary  evening.  At  seven  o'clock  the  communi- 
cants of  the  congregation  solemnly  gathered  in 
church  for  the  service  preparatory  to  the  Holy  Com- 
munion, which  was  to  be  celebrated  on  the  following 
Sunday.  They  waited  over  an  hour  for  the  minister 
to  make  his  appearance,  and  then  went  home.  As 
a  result  the  Communion  service  was  postponed  a 
month. 

During  the  early  part  of  1812  the  trustees  made 
strong  efforts  to  have  the  Directors  of  the  Society 
for  Propagating  the  Gospel  among  the  Heathen  turn 
over  to  them  the  deeds  of  the  congregation.  The 
Bethlehem  authorities  saw  fit  to  decline  the  request. 
Molther  was  the  correspondent  of  the  Trustees  and 
in  the  event  differences  arose  between  him  and  the 
members  of  the  General  Helpers'  Conference.  As  a 
result,  the  congregation  was  notified  in  April  that 
the  Rev.  Benjamin  Mortimer,  Missionary  among  the 
Indians  at  Goshen,  Ohio,  had  been  appointed  pastor, 
and  would  assume  his  duties  as  soon  as  a  successor 
could  take  charge  of  the  Indian  labors.  It  was  fur- 
ther announced  that  Nathaniel  Brown  of  Staten 
Island  would  serve  both  congregations  until  the  ar- 
rival of  Mortimer.  The  trustees  wrote  to  Bethlehem 
expressing  their  willingness  to  welcome  the  newly 
appointed  pastor  when  he  arrived,  but  they  would 
not  consent  to  have  Molther,  for  whom  they  had  the 
highest  regard,  leave  before  his  successor  came  on 
the  field.  The  authorities  raised  no  objection  to  this 
plan,  and  Molther  remained  in  charge  of  the  con- 
gregation until  the  latter  part  of  December,  when 


MOLTHER  LEAVES  THE  CHURCH      201 

Mortimer  with  his  wife,  Bithia  Warner-Mortimer, 
and  three  children,  arrived  in  the  city.  The  trustees 
paid  Molther's  salary  to  the  close  of  the  year. 
Molther  and  his  family  left  the  Moravian  Church. 
He  later  took  charge  of  a  Lutheran  congregation 
near  Troy,  New  York. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  CONGREGATION  OUTGROWS  ITS 

QUARTERS 

Mortimer  delivered  his  first  public  discourse  as 
pastor  of  the  congregation  in  connection  with  the 
Christmas  Eve  celebration,  thereby  beginning  a  pas- 
torate extending  over  a  period  of  more  than  sixteen 
years ;  therefore  very  much  longer  than  that  of  any 
of  his  predecessors.  Under  his  able  leadership  the 
congregation  increased  in  numbers  and  in  influence. 
Altho  the  people  especially  committed  to  his  charge 
received  his  first  attention,  Mortimer's  influence  ex- 
tended far  beyond  the  narrow  confines  of  his  parish. 
His  field  was  the  world.  Like  Zinzendorf  his  one 
passion  was  Christ.  This  passion  led  him  in  his 
younger  days  to  labor  for  the  conversion  of  the  In- 
dians, and  after  he  became  pastor  of  the  congrega- 
tion his  zeal  for  the  evangelization  of  the  world  was 
not  less  great.  His  enthusiasm  for  Christian  mis- 
sions at  home  and  abroad  was  caught  in  a  greater 
or  lesser  degree  by  the  congregation  as  well  as  by 
friends  whose  interest  he  enlisted.  During  his  pas- 
torate the  congregation  contributed  |8,657.13  for 
missions  and  other  benevolences.  Since  the  year 
1771  half-yearly  missionary  meetings  had  helped  to 
foster  the  missionary  spirit  among  the  members. 
Under  the  inspiring  leadership  of  Mortimer  these 
semi-annual  gatherings  greatly  increased  in  useful- 

202 


INTEREST  IN  MISSIONS  203 

ness.  Friends  of  the  Moravians  attended  them  in 
large  numbers.  These  meetings  were  announced  in 
the  city  newspapers,  the  first  notice  appearing  in 
May,  1819.  The  diarist  expresses  the  opinion  that 
this  was  the  first  time  a  Moravian  missionary  service 
and  offering  were  brought  to  the  attention  of  the 
public  either  in  America  or  Europe  by  means  of  a 
newspaper  notice.  Be  that  as  it  may,  it  paid  to  ad- 
vertise, as  it  always  does.  When  the  Missionary 
Intelligencer^  the  first  official  periodical  published 
by  the  Moravian  Church  in  America,  made  its  ap- 
pearance in  January,  1822,  the  congregation  gave  it 
a  warm  welcome,  and  in  less  than  two  years  it  had 
five  hundred  and  thirty  subscribers  in  New  York 
City.  The  Rev.  William  Henry  Van  Vleck  was  the 
first  editor  of  this  periodical. 

Some  time  before  Mortimer  took  charge  of  the 
congregation  the  trustees  sought  to  insure  a  more 
punctual  attendance  at  the  monthly  board  meetings 
by  passing  a  resolution  requiring  a  dilatory  member 
to  pay  a  certain  fine.  A  record  of  these  fines  pre- 
served in  the  archives  shows  that  the  treasury  was 
enriched  by  no  inconsiderable  sum.  It  is  quite  likely 
that  this  unique  regulation  gave  rise  to  misunder- 
standing, at  all  events  it  was  discontinued  on  Febru- 
ary 2,  1813,  by  action  of  the  board.  Under  date  of 
May  25,  1814,  the  diary  contains  the  following  in- 
teresting record:  "In  the  afternoon  Brother  Mor- 
timer visited  by  request  the  New  York  Free  School 
No.  1  to  open  the  usual  weekly  catechisation  of  the 
scholars,  about  six  hundred  in  nnnil)or,  by  a  public 
prayer.     In  this  excellent  institution  about  twenty 


204    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

different  ladies  of  the  Christian  denominations  serve 
gratis  every  Tuesday  afternoon.  They  instruct  the 
children  in  the  catechism  of  the  Churches  to  which 
they  belong,  previous  to  which  some  clergyman  to 
whom  they  have  applied  for  the  purpose,  leads  in 
prayer.  This  plan  of  instruction  was  introduced  by 
the  pious  widow  of  the  late  well-known  General  Al- 
exander Hamilton,  who  also  herself  assists  thereat. 
The  school  is  conducted  according  to  the  Lancaster 
system  by  a  Mrs.  Smith  from  England."  In  1814 
the  church-property  was  insured  in  the  Washington 
Mutual  Assurance  Company  for  $8,000.  This  was 
the  first  time  that  the  church  and  parsonage  were 
covered  by  fire  insurance.  In  May,  1815,  a  new  or- 
gan purchased  from  John  Geib,  the  organ-builder 
of  New  York,  for  nine  hundred  dollars,  was  installed 
in  the  church.  The  money  was  raised  by  subscrip- 
tion. Those  who  contributed  to  the  organ  fund  were 
Abraham  Bininger,  John  Dash,  Daniel  Bowie,  Henry 
Tenbrook,  William  Cargill,  Michael  Miller,  Robert 
McMenomy,  David  Jacot,  David  Cargill,  Isaac  Van 
Vleck,  Henry  Peters,  and  Josiah  Sturges.  The  old 
organ  was  sold  to  the  Staten  Island  congregation 
for  one  hundred  dollars.  In  the  latter  part  of  the 
same  year  Fulton  Street  was  widened  by  the  city 
authorities,  and  the  congregation  assessed  |171.50 
as  its  share  of  the  expense. 

On  August  31,  1815,  a  fire  consumed  all  the  build- 
ings on  the  six  lots  of  the  congregation  in  Mott 
Street.  In  August  of  the  following  year  it  was  de- 
cided that  "the  tombstones  in  our  burial-ground  are 
in  the  future  not  to  exceed  eighteen  inches  in  height." 


SUNDAY  SCHOOL  ORGANIZED  205 

According  to  regulations  previously  adopted  a  grave- 
stone was  not  to  exceed  five  feet  in  length  and  two 
feet  in  width,  while  graves  had  to  be  seven  feet  six 
inches  in  depth.  Later  the  depth  was  increased  by 
six  inches.  It  is  a  rule  of  the  Moravian  Church  to 
this  day  to  maintain  simplicity  and  uniformity  of 
the  gravestones  and  of  the  inscriptions  as  far  as 
possible.  The  object  of  this  is  to  show  that  all  be- 
lievers are  on  an  equality  before  the  Lord.  In 
October,  1816,  the  burial-place  in  Mott  Street  was 
closed,  and  the  ground  laid  out  in  lots,  which  were 
leased.  The  bodies  were  removed  to  the  plot  in 
Orchard  Street  which  was  then  used  for  burial  pur- 
poses. The  first  Sunday  School  of  the  congregation 
was  organized  on  April  14,  1816.  This  school  was 
for  girls,  and  the  teachers  were  young  women.  The 
superintendent  was  Miss  Elizabeth  Harrison.  The 
girls'  Sunday  School  had  its  first  session  on  April  21. 
A  Boys'  Sunday  School  was  next  organized.  This 
school  was  conducted  by  young  men,  and  had  its 
first  session  on  May  19.  The  first  Superintendent 
was  Henry  Tenbrook.  The  total  enrollment  of  Sun- 
day School  scholars  was  forty.  In  October  of  the 
same  year  the  women  of  the  congregation  organized 
a  society  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  needy  chil- 
dren, belonging  to  the  Sunday  Schools,  with  cloth- 
ing. 

Declining  health  compelled  Henry  Tenbrook  to 
hand  in  his  resignation  as  the  treasurer  of  the  con- 
gregation. He  had  filled  this  important  ollice  with 
great  fidelity  for  twenty-eight  years.  John  B.  Dash 
became  his  successor,  entering  upon  his  duties  on 


206     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

January  1,  1817.  He  served  in  this  capacity  until 
the  day  of  his  death  four  years  later,  when  his  son 
Daniel  was  elected  to  take  his  place.  In  the  summer 
of  1819  the  church  was  closed  for  a  month  on  ac- 
count of  another  epidemic  of  yellow  fever.  To  es- 
cape the  disease  many  of  the  members  went  to  the 
country,  and  the  pastor  and  his  family  lived  in  the 
congregation-house  of  the  Staten  Island  Church. 
Three  years  later  there  was  a  more  violent  recurrence 
of  the  disease.  This  time  Charles  Mortimer,  a  son 
of  the  pastor,  was  stricken  with  it.  Altho  brought 
to  the  point  of  death,  he  fortunately  recovered.  The 
diary  states,  ^'According  to  a  laudable  custom 
Brother  Mortimer  sent  written  requests  to  various 
ministers  in  the  city,  asking  their  congregations  to 
unite  with  his  son  in  returning  thanks  to  Almighty 
God  for  his  recovery  from  the  yellow  fever."  Upon 
the  advice  of  the  physician  the  Mortimer  family  went 
to  Staten  Island  to  get  away  from  the  pestilence,  as 
it  was  constantly  spreading.  The  churches,  includ- 
ing the  Moravian,  were  closed  for  twelve  weeks. 
Some  of  the  members  were  stricken  with  fever,  but 
all  recovered.  In  1823  Miss  Charlotte  Mortimer, 
the  oldest  daughter  of  the  pastor,  opened  a  private 
school  in  the  parsonage  by  permission  of  the  board 
of  trustees.  This  school  turned  out  to  be  very  suc- 
cessful, but  unfortunately  it  had  to  be  given  up 
after  five  years,  because  the  teacher  broke  down  in 
health.  Many  of  the  pupils  had  been  won  for  the 
Christian  life. 

Under  date  of  January  5,  1821,  the  diary  contains 
the  following  record  of  more  than  ordinary  interest : 


BURIAL  OF  AN  ESKIMO  CHILD        207 

"Brother  Mortimer  made  the  unexpected  discovery 
of  an  Eskimo  family  of  three  persons  who  are 
at  present  exhibited  here  as  a  show  for  money.  The 
man  left  some  years  ago  the  Moravian  Mission  Sta- 
tion at  Hopedale,  Labrador,  where  he  had  lived 
about  six  years.  He  had  been  taught  by  the  mis- 
sionaries to  read  and  write  in  his  own  language, 
but  could  not  read  English.  He  was  well  acquainted 
with  all  the  Moravian  settlements  in  Labrador,  and 
mentioned  by  name  his  teachers  and  the  baptized 
Eskimos  with  whom  he  was  formerly  associated." 
The  Eskimo  child  was  sickly  and  died.  It  was  buried 
in  the  Lutheran  grave-yard  on  February  19,  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Schaefer,  assisted  by  the  Moravian  minister, 
officiating.  A  committee,  of  which  Mortimer  was  a 
member,  was  appointed  by  the  Mayor  to  make  ar- 
rangements to  have  the  Eskimos  sent  back  to  Labra- 
dor, but  the  well-meant  effort  had  to  be  abandoned 
because  the  man  and  woman  had  contracted  evil 
habits,  and  absolutely  refused  to  be  deported. 

It  is  a  pleasing  fact  that  the  New  York  congrega- 
tion has  always  been  ready  to  render  assistance  to 
other  churches  soliciting  funds  for  building-enter- 
prizes,  or  to  congregations  in  distress  at  home  or 
abroad.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  a  matter  of  record 
that  the  congregation  has  at  no  time  asked  the  as- 
sistance of  other  churches  in  any  building  enterprize 
of  its  own.  When  in  August,  182:^,  two-thirds  of 
the  Moravian  settlement  at  Sarepta,  located  a  thou- 
sand miles  southeast  of  St.  Petersburg,  now  known 
as  Petrograd,  was  destroyed  by  tire,  and  more  than 
three  hundred  people  were  rendered  homeless,  the 


208     MOKAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

congregation  in  New  York,  under  Mortimer's  lead- 
ership, was  instrumental  in  raising  more  than  one 
thousand  dollars  for  the  sufferers  in  distant  Russia. 
This  spirit  of  helpfulness  is  characteristic  of  the 
congregation  to-day. 

November  4,  1825,  was  observed  as  a  holiday  in 
New  York  City  and  thruout  the  State.  The  occasion 
was  the  completion  of  the  Erie  Canal,  connecting 
the  Hudson  River  with  Lake  Erie  at  Buffalo.  The 
canal  is  three  hundred  and  sixty-three  miles  in 
length.  It  was  begun  in  1817  and  completed  eight 
years  later  at  a  cost  of  |7,602,000.  The  first  boat 
from  Buffalo  arrived  in  New  York  City  on  Novem- 
ber 4.  ^'Brother  Mortimer  accepted  the  invitation 
given  by  the  City  authorities  to  all  the  clergy  of  the 
city  to  accompany  them  on  the  steamboat  Washing- 
ton to  Sandy  Hook.  Governor  Clinton  and  many  of 
the  most  distinguished  men  in  the  State  were  on  the 
boat.  The  display  of  decorated  steamboats  and 
other  vessels  at  this  celebration  was  grand  beyond 
description." 

In  the  fall  of  1826  the  old  wood-burner  in  the 
church  was  replaced  by  a  stove  for  burning  Schuyl- 
kill coal.  But  more  was  needed  than  a  new  stove 
to  meet  the  demands  of  the  growing  congregation. 
The  pastor  and  people  had  seen  for  some  time  that 
a  new  church  was  necessary,  and  finally  on  February 
28,  1828,  the  trustees  decided  to  erect  a  new  church 
and  parsonage  whenever  a  sufficient  sum  of  money 
should  be  subscribed  for  the  purpose.  One  Sunday 
morning  in  December  of  the  same  year  Mortimer 
made  the  following  announcement  to  the  congrega- 


NEW  CHURCH  AND  PARSONAGE       209 

tion :  "I  have  been  requested  by  the  trustees  of  the 
church  to  inform  the  congregation  that  by  a  resolu- 
tion passed  by  them  on  the  fifth  of  December  they 
have  in  contemplation  the  erection  of  a  new  house 
for  the  residence  of  the  minister  on  the  vacant  lot 
in  Dutch  Street.  As  soon  as  this  building  is  ready 
for  occupancy,  they  will  proceed  to  build  a  church  in 
place  of  the  old  one.  They  trust  that  the  members 
will  heartily  unite  with  them  in  the  undertaking, 
and  respectfully  solicit  the  aid  of  all  those  who  are 
interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  Moravian  Church. 
The  committee  appointed  to  call  on  the  members  for 
subscriptions  consists  of  Michael  Miller,  Daniel  B. 
Dash,  and  Michael  Van  Beuren." 

The  response  to  the  appeal  for  subscriptions  was 
so  hearty  that  before  the  close  of  the  year  the  con- 
tract for  the  parsonage  was  given  to  Banvard  and 
Hollinsead  for  |3,100,  and  by  the  first  part  of  the 
following  July  the  house  was  ready  for  occupancy. 
But  Mortimer  and  his  family  did  not  move  into  it. 
A  letter,  dated  April  25,  1829,  from  the  General 
Helpers'  Conference  announced  to  the  trustees  and 
congregation  that  the  Rev.  William  Henry  Van 
Vleck,  pastor  of  the  Nazareth  congregation,  had 
been  appointed  to  the  pastorate  of  the  New  York 
church.  This  announcement  came  as  a  complete 
surprise  to  the  congregation.  In  those  days  pastoral 
changes  were  brought  about  by  the  central  authority 
at  Bethlehem  without  consultation  with  either  the 
minister  or  congregation  concerned,  a  method  no 
longer  pursued  save  in  the  appointment  of  a  pastor 
to   a   home   mission   church.     The   appointment  of 


210     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Mortimer's  successor  came  so  unexpectedly  that  the 
trustees  were  constrained  to  spread  on  their  minutes 
the  following  record :  "The  trustees  cannot  refrain 
from  noting  in  tliese  minutes  that  nothing  was  ever 
urged  on  their  part,  or  even  proposed,  to  bring  about 
a  pastoral  change.  It  was  altogether  a  circumstance 
emanating  from  the  Head  of  the  Church,  and  di- 
rected by  Him  who  orders  all  things  in  wisdom. 
Brother  Mortimer  retires  from  his  long  and  useful 
service  in  our  little  congregation  with  the  unanimous 
good-will  and  best  wishes  of  all  his  pastoral  flock." 
On  June  28  Mortimer  preached  his  last  sermon  as 
pastor  of  the  congregation,  and  two  days  later  he 
and  his  family  removed  from  the  old  parsonage, 
104  Fulton  Street,  to  the  house  at  53  Charlton  Street, 
"being  unable  to  accept  the  friendly  offer  of  the 
General  Helpers'  Conference  to  go  to  Nazareth,  Pa." 
The  total  membership  of  the  congregation  was  at 
this  time  215,  of  which  47  were  communicants,  81 
non-communicants  and  society  members,  and  87 
children.  When  the  Rev.  Dr.  Schaefer  of  St.  James^ 
Lutheran  Church  passed  away  Mortimer  filled  the 
pulpit  of  that  church  for  a  time. 

Reference  has  been  made  to  the  newspaper  no- 
tices announcing  the  semi-annual  missionary  meet- 
ings and  offerings.  The  notice  for  the  meeting  on 
April  27,  1828,  evidently  attracted  the  attention  of 
people  who  were  more  interested  in  the  offering  than 
in  the  service.  At  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  after 
the  meeting,  there  was  a  loud  rap  at  the  parsonage 
door.  Opening  his  chamber  window  Mortimer  saw 
in  the  moonlight  four  men  who  were  standing  on 


MISSIONARY  OFFERING  IN  DANGER  211 

the  porch-steps.     One  of  them  told  the  pastor  that 
Daniel  Jacot,  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  congregation, 
was  at  the  point  of  death  in  his  home  on  Greenwich 
Street,  and  that  the  pastor's  presence  was  desired 
at  once.    The  men  offered  to  wait  for  Mortimer  and 
go  with  him  to  the  Jacot  house,  but  this  offer  was 
graciously  declined,  the  good  pastor  not  wishing  to 
put  anybody  to  trouble  on  his  account.     When  he 
reached  the  home  of  the  man  supposed  to  be  lying 
at  death's  door,  he' found  the  whole  family  sleeping 
peacefully,  and  Jacot  not  sick  at  all.    Mortimer  was 
not  the  victim  of  a  mere  hoax.    It  was  the  consensus 
of  opinion  of  those  who  heard  of  the  occurrence  that 
the  men  were  robbers  who  had  come  to  the  parson- 
age for  the  generous  mission  offering  taken  in  church 
tlie  evening  before,  thinking  that  when  the  pastor 
came  out  of  the  house  they  would  overpower  him, 
and  then  take  possession  of  the  money  in  question. 
Fortunately  the  rapping  at  the  parsonage  door  also 
awakened  some  of  the  nearby  neighbors,  who,  hear- 
ing the  noise,  opened  their  windows  to  see  what  it 
was  all  about.    This  neighborly  curiosity  in  the  dead 
of  niglit  undoubtedly  frightened  the  robbers  away. 
Under  date  of  November  27,  1828,  the  diary  states 
that  "in  the  evening  Brother  and  Sister  Mortimer 
were  taken  to  the  house  of  our  friend,  Robert  Mc- 
Meiioiny,  in  Doniinick   Street,  where  Brother  Mor- 
timer and  the  Very  Reverend  Doctor  Power  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  c^ch  separately,  according 
to  the  wishes  of  the  bridegroom  and  the  bride  and 
their  respective  relations,  married   the  single  man 
»Io!iU  Cronlv,  a  Human  Catholic,  to  the  single  woman 


212     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Eliza  Loskiel  Benade  McMenomy.     Each  minister 
was  to  perform  the  marriage  ceremony  strictly  ac- 
cording to  the  usages  of  his  own  Church,  which  they 
did,  and  as  it  happened  without  seeing  each  other." 
On  January  1,  1829,  Mortimer  writes :    "This  morn- 
ing we  had  the  usual  New  Year's  Day  service.    This 
was  followed  by  the  election  of  trustees.    There  was 
no  other  service  to-day,  the  time  being  devoted  as 
usual  to  the  visiting  of  friends  to  wish  one  another 
a  happy  new  year.     Altho  the  weather  was  rainy, 
all  the  principal  streets  of  the  city  were  for  some 
time  crowded  with  persons  who  were  on  this  errand. 
It  is  believed  by  many  that  this  ancient  custom  of 
paying  visits  on  New  Year's  Day  is  in  no  large  city 
in  this  country  so  generally  observed  as  here.    Some 
after  attending  divine  services  in  the  morning  spend 
the  entire  remainder  of  the  day  in  making  New 
Year's  visits,  as  they  are  called,  whereby  some  im- 
portance is  attached  to  the  visits  being  made  on  just 
that  day  in  preference  to  any  other.  Females  usually 
remain  at  home  in  order  that  they  may  receive  their 
friends.    The  same  is  true  of  men  in  public  stations. 
Ministers  of  the  gospel  have  many  callers  on  this 
day  from  members  of  the  congregation,  and  other 
friends.    On  their  part  it  is  expected  that  they,  if 
possible,  return  all  these  visits  before  the  end  of 
January.    In  our  congregation  it  was  formerly  the 
custom  to  have  a  love  feast  on  this  day,  but  for 
many  years  past  this  has  been,  by  the  general  desire 
of  our  brethren  and  sisters,  discontinued,  as  it  was 
found  to  be  attended  with  various  inconveniences." 
Mortimer  regularly  paid  the  Mayor  of  the  city  a  call 


CALLING  ON  NEW  YEAR'S  DAY        213 

on  New  Year's  Day  to  extend  to  His  Honor  the  com- 
pliments of  the  season.  On  January  11,  1814,  he 
called  on  another  distinguished  person.  The  diary 
states,  ^'Brother  Mortimer  waited  upon  Commodore 
Perry  of  the  United  States  Navy  to  return  thanks 
for  his  kindness  to  our  missionaries  at  Fairfield,  in 
Upper  Canada,  recently,  and  had  an  agreeable  and 
satisfactory  conversation  with  him.  This  distin- 
guished officer  has  a  particular  regard  for  the  Mo- 
ravians." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  CONSECRATION  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH 

William  Henry  Van  Vleck  and  his  wife  Anna 
Eliza  Kampmann  Van  Vleck,  together  with  their 
little  son  Henry  Jacob,  left  Nazareth  on  July  1, 
1829,  and  arrived  in  New  York  two  days  later. 
They  were  cordially  welcomed  by  the  trustees  and 
members  of  the  congregation,  and  took  up  their 
residence  in  the  old  parsonage  until  July  13,  when 
they  removed  to  the  new  minister's  house  in  Dutch 
Street.  At  the  morning  service  on  July  5  Daniel 
B.  Dash,  a  trustee,  read  the  letter  of  introduction 
sent  by  the  General  Helpers'  Conference,  after  which 
Van  Vleck  preached  his  introductory  sermon  from 
the  text,  "I  determined  not  to  know  anything  among 
you  save  Jesus  Christ  and  him  crucified."  At  first 
the  trustees  planned  to  remodel  the  church,  but  after 
a  thoro  examination  of  the  building  it  became  ap- 
parent that  it  would  be  best  to  raze  it  to  the  ground 
and  erect  a  new  church  on  the  site  of  the  old.  Ban- 
vard  and  Hollinsead  received  the  contract.  They 
agreed  to  erect  a  brick  building  with  white  marble 
front,  forty  by  seventy  feet  in  dimension,  for  |6,000 
and  the  material  from  the  old  church.  On  July  26 
the  last  service  was  held  in  the  little  church  which 
had  been  a  veritable  house  of  prayer  for  seventy- 
seven  years,  and  on  the  following  day  the  organ  and 

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THE  NEW  YORK 

PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


ASTOR,  Lr_.^^X  AND 
TrLDEf^  FOUNDATIONS 


CORNER-STONE  LAYING  215 

portable  furniture  were  removed  to  the  new  parson- 
age and  workmen  began  to  demolish  the  building. 

The  session  room  of  the  Murray  Street  Presby- 
terian Church  at  38  Chapel  Street  had  been  secured 
by  the  congregation  as  a  temporary  place  of  worship. 
Here  the  first  service  was  held  on  Sunday  morning, 
August  2,  the  Rev.  Charles  Van  Vleck,  of  Newport, 
R.  I.,  who  was  visiting  his  brother,  the  pastor, 
preaching  the  sermon.  The  evening  service  was  con- 
ducted by  the  pastor.  In  an  incredibly  short  time 
the  old  church  was  demolished  and  the  ground-work 
of  the  new  completed.  On  August  13  the  corner- 
stone was  laid  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  John  Daniel  Anders, 
President  of  the  General  Helpers'  Conference.  The 
corner-stone  of  the  old  church  not  being  found  in 
time,  a  block  of  brown  sandstone  was  prepared  with 
a  cavity  to  receive  the  leaden  box  in  which  certain 
documents  were  placed.  At  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  the  trustees  met  at  the  parsonage  and  in 
their  presence  there  were  deposited  in  the  leaden  box 
an  English  Bible  printed  in  New  York  in  1829,  an 
English  Moravian  Hymn  Book,  a  copy  of  the  ^'Epit- 
ome of  Christian  Doctrine,"  the  Statutes  of  the 
Brethren's  Unity,  an  English  text-book  for  the  cur- 
rent year,  a  document  setting  forth  the  transactions 
of  the  day  elegantly  engrossed  on  parchment,  and 
finally  some  newspapers  containing  the  announce- 
ments relative  to  the  occasion  ;  also  a  few  coins.  The 
box  was  then  closed  and  soldered. 

At  five  o'clock  Bishop  Anders,  accompanied  by 
Brother  Van  Vleck,  the  Rev.  (Jeorge  A.  Hartman  of 
the  Staten  Island  congregation,  and  the  Trustees, 


216    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

repaired  to  the  ground,  where  a  large  congregation 
had  assembled.  Ministers  of  other  denominations 
had  been  invited,  but  were  unable  to  be  present. 
The  hymn,  "As  long  as  Jesus  Lord  remains,"  had 
been  printed  on  leaflets  for  the  occasion.  After  the 
singing  of  this  hymn  Bishop  Anders  prayed  a  part 
of  the  church  litany.  The  pastor  then  delivered  a 
brief  address,  which  was  followed  by  the  reading  of 
the  Moravian  Confession  of  Faith  in  the  Easter 
Morning  litany,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hartman.  The  of- 
ficiating ministers  then  took  their  station  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  wall,  where  the  stone  had 
been  placed,  and,  having  put  the  leaden  box  into  the 
cavity.  Bishop  Anders  said,  "In  this  faith  we  now 
lay  this  corner-stone  of  a  new  church  of  the  United 
Brethren  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  A  layer  of  Roman  cement 
was  then  spread  over  the  surface  of  the  lower  stone 
and  Bishop  Anders,  assisted  by  the  pastor,  laid  it 
upon  the  upper  slab.  He  then  gave  three  strokes 
on  the  top  with  a  hammer  and  pronounced  the  words, 
"Other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that  is  laid, 
which  is  Jesus  Christ,"  in  which  he  was  followed  by 
the  Brethren  Van  Vleck  and  Hartman.  After  a 
hymn  by  the  congregation  and  a  prayer  by  the  pas- 
tor, the  doxology  was  sung,  and  the  service  closed 
with  the  benediction.  When  the  old  corner-stone 
was  later  found  and  opened  it  was  discovered  that 
the  cavity  contained  nothing  but  two  pieces  of  wood 
embedded  in  dust,  this  being  the  only  thing  remain- 
ing of  the  case  in  which  the  records  had  been  placed 
seventy-eight  years  before.    The  old  stone  was  placed 


CONSECRATION  OF  NEW  CHURCH      217 

at  the  southeast  corner  of  the  new  church,  a  short 
distance  above  the  ground,  and  distinguished  by 
an  appropriate  inscription. 

The  work  on  the  new  building  was  prosecuted  with 
vigor,  and  by  Sunday,  November  22,  the  church  was 
ready  to  be  consecrated.  The  following  Moravian 
ministers  were  present  at  the  consecration  services : 
Bishop  Anders,  and  the  Rev.  Louis  David  de 
Schweinitz,  of  Bethlehem;  the  Rev.  Peter  Wolle  of 
Philadelphia;  the  Rev.  Charles  Van  Vleck  of  New- 
port, R.  I.,  and  the  Rev.  George  Hartman  of  Staten 
Island.  The  choir,  augmented  by  singers  from 
nearby  churches,  had  been  trained  for  the  occasion 
by  Jacob  Bininger,  the  organist,  and  a  musician 
named  Dyer.  The  weather  was  ideal  and  all  the 
services  on  the  day  of  consecration  were  largely  at- 
tended. At  the  morning  service  Bishop  Anders 
solemnly  dedicated  the  new  church  to  the  worship 
of  the  Triune  God,  after  which  the  Rev.  Louis  de 
Schweinitz  preached  the  sermon  from  Exodus  20 :  24, 
^'In  all  places  where  I  record  my  name,  I  will  come 
unto  thee,  and  I  will  bless  thee.''  The  Rev.  Charles 
Van  Vleck  and  the  Rev.  Peter  Wolle  preached  in 
the  afternoon  and  evening  respectively.  The  choir 
rendered  six  different  selections  during  the  day.  At 
the  close  of  the  evening  service  the  pastor  baptizerl 
little  Jane  Moore  Ballantine  and  David  Cargill 
Sturges.  Strange  to  say,  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Mor- 
timer, the  former  pastor,  had  no  part  assigned  to 
him  in  the  services  of  the  day,  altho  he  faithfully  at- 
tended them  all.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Milnor  of  St.  George's 
Episcopal  Church,  and  the  Rev.  William  Brigham 


218    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

of  the  American  Bible  Society,  attended  the  evening 
service.  The  offering  for  the  day  amounted  to  one 
hundred  and  thirty  dollars. 

Originally  it  was  planned  to  connect  the  church 
and  parsonage  with  a  closed  passage-way.  At  the 
suggestion  of  the  contractors  this  connection  was 
made  to  consist  of  an  intermediate  room,  which  was 
used  for  Sunday  School  and  other  purposes.  On 
Monday  evening,  November  23,  at  seven  o'clock,  this 
room  was  formally  opened  with  appropriate  services, 
the  Rev.  Louis  de  Schweinitz  preaching  the  sermon. 
At  an  expense  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  dollars  gas 
lighting  might  have  been  introduced,  but  evidently 
the  congregation  felt  that  for  the  time  being  enough 
money  had  been  spent,  because  the  old  chandelier 
was  placed  in  position,  and  the  auditorium  illumi- 
nated with  spermaceti  candles.  The  total  cost  of  the 
parsonage  and  church  amounted  to  |9,808.11.  Those 
who  subscribed  to  this  fund  were  the  following  per- 
sons :  Hannah  Bowie,  Michael  Van  Beuren,  Michael 
Miller,  Ann  C.  Dash,  Daniel  B.  Dash,  Anthony  Ar- 
noux,  Abraham  Cargill,  Daniel  Galsner,  Lucretia 
Brasier,  Henry  Tenbrook,  Benjamin  Mortimer,  Jr., 
David  Jacot,  Sarah  Halligan,  Agnes  Clark,  Abraham 
Bininger,  Jacob  Bininger,  Richard  Varick,  John  J. 
Astor,  Daniel  McCormick,  Nancy  Jay,  Maria  Banyer, 
Nathaniel  Smith,  Stephen  Allen,  John  Low,  Frances 
Taylor,  Richard  Taylor,  Peter  Embury,  Mrs.  Lewis, 
Abraham  Van  Nest,  George  Lorillard,  Peter  Loril- 
lard,  L.  Baum,  Hannah  Moore,  four  unnamed  friends, 
Philip  Embury,  William  Briggs,  Rebecca  Bokee, 
Jane  Moore,  Hilah  Bokee,  and  John  Sharit.    Abra- 


CHURCH  MEMBERSHIP  219 

ham  Bininger,  Michael  Van  Beuren,  Daniel  Dash 
and  Hannah  Bowie  each  gave  a  thousand  dollars  to 
the  building-fund,  the  other  subscriptions  ranging 
all  the  way  from  five  dollars  to  five  hundred  dollars. 
At  the  time  of  the  consecration  of  the  new  church 
the   congregation  consisted  of   the  following   com- 
municant  and    society    members:      Benjamin    and 
Bithia  Mortimer,  53  Charlton  Street;  Daniel  and 
Elizabeth  Banvard,  68  Center  Street;  Abraham  and 
Catherine   Bininger,   164  William   Street;   Michael 
and  Catherine  Miller,  104  Duane  Street;  Jacob  and 
Harriet  Bininger,  83  Chambers  Street;  John  and 
Frances  Sharit,  318  Washington  Street ;  Daniel  and 
Anzonetta  Dash,  Laight  and  Varick  Streets;  John 
and    Susan    Diemer,    Chapel   and   Duane    Streets 
Daniel  and  Maria  Banvard,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  tem 
porarily;  Andrew  and  Catherine  Runels,  Fishkill 
William  and  Abigail  Cargill,   124  Nassau   Street 
Michael  and  Ann  Van  Beuren,  127  Bleecker  Street 
Josiah  and  Rebecca  Sturges,  219  Fulton  Street ;  Ben 
jamin  and  Eliza  Mortimer,  Jr.,  307  Pearl   Street 
William    and    Margaret    Hollinsead,    130    Wooster 
Street;  Abraham  and  Matilda  Cargill,  232  Water 
Street;  Anthony  and  Gertrude  Arnoux,  Varick  and 
North  Moore;  David  and  Eleanor  Beck,  306  (Jrand 
Street;    William    and    Eliza    Beck,    96    Rivington 
Street;   Amos  and  Theodosia   Rooke,  28   Downing 
Street;  Issachar  and  Mary  Ann  Cozzens,  Jr.,  An- 
thony Street  and  Broadway;  John  and   Margaret 
Graham,    180   Greenwich   Street;   Henry   and  Jane 
Sturges,  21    Whilohall   Street;   Abraham   and    Ann 
Asten,  101  Duane  Street;  Charles  and  Mary  Mor- 


220     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

timer,  109  Fulton  Street ;  Esau  and  Agnes  Drayton, 
Third  Avenue;  John  and  Mary  Burns,  Duane  and 
Caroline  Streets;  William  and  Mary  Beattie,  172 
Reid  Street;  William  and  Eliza  Briggs,  86  Bayard 
Street;  Christian  Daniel  and  Juliana  Lilliendahl, 
34  Maiden  Lane;  William  Henry  and  Anna  Eliza 
Van  Vleck,  14  Dutch  Street;  David  Jacot,  Green- 
wich and  Harrison  Streets;  Moses  Egbert,  Staten 
Island;  George  Miller,  136  Duane  Street;  John  M. 
Hoeber,  Fourth  Avenue  and  Mercer  Street ;  Elizabeth 
Lane,  118  Barrow  Street;  Hester  Leonard,  503 
Broadway;  Agnes  Clark,  122  Liberty  Street;  Re- 
becca Booth,  83  Tillery  Street,  Brooklyn;  Hannah 
Moore,  151  Wooster  Street;  Jane  Ayres,  177 
Laurens  Street;  Helen  Ballentine,  142  Sullivan 
Street;  Susanna  Galsner,  233  William  Street;  Ju- 
liana Lawrence,  Newtfen,  Long  Island;  Henry  Ten- 
brook,  144  Grand  Street;  Philip  Sykes,  37  Orchard 
Street ;  John  William  Petri,  10th  Street  and  Avenue 
D ;  Jane  Moore,  46  John  Street ;  Hannah  Bowie,  217 
Fulton  Street;  Rebecca  Mead,  68  Center  Street; 
Frances  Taylor,  365  Water  Street ;  Mary  Ann  Lock- 
wood,  162  William  Street;  Elizabeth  Colon,  123 
Orchard  Street;  and  Sarah  Halligan,  217  Fulton 
Street.  These  names  and  addresses  are  given  for 
the  purpose  of  showing  who  belonged  to  the  con- 
gregation and  where  the  members  lived  at  that  time. 
The  sexton  of  the  church  bore  the  distinguished  name 
of  Peter  Stuyvesant.  At  this  time  the  city  had  about 
200,000  inhabitants. 


CHAPTER  XV 

SIXTEEN  YEARS  IN  THE  SECOND  CHURCH 
ON  FULTON  STREET 

The  erection  of  a  new  church  is  an  event  of  far- 
reaching  importance  in  any  congregation.  Altho 
God  delights  to  reveal  Himself  in  any  place  where 
His  people  worship  Him  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  He 
can  take  no  pleasure  in  an  out-of -repair  or  tumble- 
down church,  if  the  membership  is  financially  able 
to  make  the  needed  repairs,  or  to  replace  the  old 
building  with  a  new  one.  Any  church  edifice  that 
is  a  fitting  expression  of  devotion  to  God  exerts  a 
reflex  influence  on  those  who  have  a  share  in  its 
erection.  It  tends  to  deepen  interest  in  the  things 
for  which  the  Church  stands.  The  building  of  a 
church  has  also  a  unifying  effect.  Concentrating  on 
a  common  purpose  and  directing  their  efforts  toward 
the  accomplishment  of  a  common  end,  the  members 
are  closely  united  and  become  a  strong  working- 
force.  Having  worked  together  for  months  in  a 
cause  to  which  they  contributed  of  their  energies 
and  means,  they  are  prepared  to  unite  with  en- 
tluisiasm  in  other  church  activities.  As  a  rule, 
therefore,  a  new  church  signalizes  the  dawn  of  a 
new  era.  This  was  true  of  the  congregation  when 
the  new  church  was  erected  in  Fulton  Street.  There- 
fore William  Henry  Van  Vleck  began  his  pastorate 
at  an  opportune  time.     Building  on  the  foundation 

221 


222     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

laid  by  his  immefliate  predecessor  and  others  before 
him,  he  carried  the  work  forward  with  vigor. 

Before  he  had  been  on  the  field  two  months  Van 
Vleck  organized  weekly  Bible  Classes  for  men  and 
women,  which  increased  in  popularity  as  the  years 
passed.  "The  young  people  were  placed  under  a 
competent  music  teacher  for  instruction  in  singing 
the  stately  church-tunes."  For  the  accommodation 
of  strangers  who  attended  the  public  services, 
thirty  new  hymn-books  were  procured  from  Bethle- 
hem, the  members  in  those  days  bringing  their  own 
hymnals  to  church.  Evidently  the  Sunday  School 
mentioned  in  Mortimer's  diary  failed  to  secure  a 
foothold.  At  all  events,  a  new  school  was  organ- 
ized on  May  9,  1830.  Miss  Anna  Lockwood  was 
elected  Superintendent  of  the  Girls,  and  Jacob 
Bininger  Superintendent  of  the  Boys.  On  May  20 
rules  and  regulations  were  adopted,  and  a  resolu- 
tion unanimously  passed  to  join  the  New  York 
Sunday  School  Union.  The  Sunday  School  had  its 
first  session  on  May  23  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
There  were  present  six  male  teachers  and  seventeen 
boys,  and  nine  female  teachers  and  twenty-three 
girls.  Several  representatives  of  the  New  York 
Sunday  School  Union  were  also  in  attendance.  The 
teachers  met  each  week  for  the  study  of  the  lesson 
under  the  direction  of  the  pastor.  At  the  first  an- 
niversary of  the  Sunday  School  John  Lidger,  one 
of  the  scholars,  delivered  the  address  of  welcome. 
Bishop  Anders,  who  had  been  invited  for  the  oc- 
casion, responding.  Two  days  later  the  school  joined 
in  the  anniversary  exercises  of  the  New  York  Sunday 


VISIT  TO  CAMDEN  VALLEY  223 

School  Union,  held  in  the  chapel  of  St.  George's  Epis- 
copal Church,  to  which  the  teachers  and  scholars 
marched  in  a  body,  the  pastor.  Bishop  Anders,  and 
the  Trustees  of  the  congregation  heading  the  pro- 
cession. The  teachers  were  addressed  by  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Milnor,  and  the  scholars  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mc- 
Ilvaine.  Van  Vleck  led  in  j)rayer,  and  Bishop  An- 
ders closed  the  exercises  with  the  benediction. 

In  September,  1830,  the  General  Helpers'  Con- 
ference requested  Van  Vleck  to  make  a  tour  of  in- 
vestigation to  Camden  Valley,  in  Washington 
County,  almost  on  the  border-line  of  Vermont,  and 
between  forty  and  fifty  miles  north-east  of  Albany. 
It  was  here  that  Abraham  Bueninger  had  settled 
in  1770  after  retiring  from  the  mission-field.  Some 
of  his  descendants  had  emigrated  to  New  York  City, 
where  they  became  prominent  members  of  the  Mo- 
ravian congregation.  Others  remained  in  the  val- 
ley, and  from  these  and  a  number  of  Moravian 
settlers  from  England  the  request  came  to  the 
authorities  at  Bethlehem  for  the  services  of  a  Mo- 
ravian minister.  Jacob  Bininger  (Bueninger)  of 
the  New  York  church  accompanied  Van  Vleck  to 
Camden  Valley.  On  September  19  two  services 
were  conducted  in  the  Camden  School  House,  and  at 
the  request  of  "the  few  communicants  from  England 
the  Holy  Communion  was  administered  at  Van 
Vleck's  lodgings."  In  June  of  the  following  year 
Van  Vleck  again  visited  Camden  Valley,  this  time 
"preaching  at  eight  different  places  to  an  eagerly 
listening  people."  A  year  later  it  was  decided  to 
grant  the  people's  request  for  a  resident  minister, 


224    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

and  on  August  30  the  General  Helpers'  Conference 
called  Charles  A.  Bleck,  formerly  a  teacher  in  the 
Theological  Seminary  at  Nazareth,  and  at  the  time 
assistant  minister  of  the  New  York  congregation, 
to  take  charge  of  the  Camden  Valley  work.  Mar- 
ried in  October  to  Miss  Sophia  Louisa  Krause  of 
Bethlehem,  Bleck  and  his  bride  commenced  their 
labors  in  Washington  County  on  November  30.  He 
preached  statedly  at  Camden  Valley,  as  well  as  at 
Sandgate  in  Vermont  and  at  ^'The  Mills"  on  the 
Battenkill,  two  neighboring  communities.  After  a 
time  a  congregation  was  formally  organized,  and  on 
September  29,  1834,  a  church  consecrated  by  Bishop 
Anders.  In  a  short  time  the  number  of  stated  hear- 
ers had  grown  to  one  hundred  and  thirty.  "The  peo- 
ple were  poor,  the  conditions  for  agriculture  unfavor- 
able, and  very  diversified  religious  views  were  rep- 
resented in  the  sparse  community."  For  this  reason, 
the  undertaking  did  not  prove  a  permanent  success, 
and  after  some  years  it  had  to  be  abandoned. 

On  January  16,  1830,  the  congregation  suffered 
the  loss  of  one  of  its  most  highly  respected  members 
by  the  death  of  Henry  Tenbrook,  who  had  served 
the  church  in  various  ways  for  a  long  term  of  years. 
He  was  a  successful  business-man,  but  took  no 
pleasure  in  merely  accumulating  money.  To  him 
money  was  only  the  means  to  an  end.  His  generous 
heart  constantly  went  out  to  those  in  need,  and  un- 
known to  his  most  intimate  friends  many  needy  per- 
sons received  at  his  hand  the  required  assistance. 
He  was  deeply  interested  in  Moravian  Missions,  as 
well  as  in  the  work  of  the  local  church.    The  Orchard 


DEATH  OF  HENRY  TENBROOK    225 

Street  burial-ground,  in  which  his  body  was  laid  on 
January  18,  was  his  gift  to  the  congregation.  To- 
gether with  others  he  had  long  felt  the  need  of  hav- 
ing the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  congregation  in 
printed  form,  but  it  was  not  until  the  spring  of  the 
year  in  which  he  died  that  five  hundred  copies,  in- 
cluding the  Brotherly  Agreement,  were  printed  and 
circulated  among  the  membership. 

Like  his  predecessor  Van  Vleck  enjoyed  the  friend- 
ship of  the  leading  ministers  in  the  city,  and  took 
an  active  interest  in  the  various  interdenominational 
movements  of  his  day.     On  May  13,  1830,  he  was 
elected  a  life-member  and  director  of  the  American 
Bible  Society  thru  the  generosity  of  Arthur  Tappan, 
Esquire,  who  unknown  to  Van  Vleck  contributed  the 
necessary   money   to    make    this   election   possible. 
That  the  most  cordial  relations  existed  between  Mo- 
ravian ministers  and  clergymen  of  other  denomina- 
tions is  evident  from  the  following  record  given  in 
the  diary  under  date  of  March  15,  1831 :    "Brother 
Van  Vleck  was  invited  to  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Schaefer,  pastor  of  St.  James'  Lutheran  Church,  who 
was  nearing  his  end.     By  special  request  Brother 
Benjamin   Mortimer   administered   the   Holy   Com- 
munion to  the  dying  man  and  several  members  and 
friends  of  the  family."    Van  Vleck  was  frequently 
called  upon  to  preach  and  deliver  missionary  ad- 
dresses in  other  churches  in  the  city  and  elsewhere, 
and  he  in  turn  had  some  of  the  ablest  divines  in  his 
pulpit  at    the  time   of   the   half-yearly   missionary 
meetin^^s.     During  the  first  half  of  the  year  1831 
there  was  "unusual  interest  in  religion  not  only  in 


226    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

the  congregation,  but  in  the  city  and  other  parts  of 
the  country  as  well."  On  July  3  of  the  same  year 
the  death  of  a  Moravian  minister  occurred  in  which 
both  the  pastor  and  congregation  had  an  affectionate 
and  sympathetic  interest.  This  minister  was  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Jacob  Van  Vleck,  a  child  of  the  congrega- 
tion and  father  of  the  pastor.  Jacob  Van  Vleck  had 
the  distinction  of  being  the  first  American-born  Mo- 
ravian to  be  consecrated  a  Bishop  of  the  Moravian 
Church. 

On  Sunday,  September  11,  1831,  the  pastor  suf- 
fered an  attack  of  bilious  fever  which  brought  him 
to  the  brink  of  the  grave.  Realizing  that  it  would 
be  a  long  time  before  Van  Vleck  could  resume  his 
labors,  the  trustees  wrote  to  the  General  Helpers' 
Conference,  asking  for  the  services  of  Charles  A. 
Bleck,  a  teacher  in  the  Theological  Seminary,  as 
long  as  the  pastor  was  incapacitated.  Bleck  arrived 
in  New  York  on  September  22  and  on  the  following 
Sunday  took  charge  of  the  work.  By  October  30 
Van  Vleck  had  sufficiently  recovered  from  his  sick- 
ness to  travel,  and  upon  the  advice  of  his  physician, 
Dr.  H.  McLean,  went  to  Bethlehem  to  recuperate. 
On  Sunday,  November  20,  the  church  was  closed, 
Bleck  having  gone  to  Bethlehem,  where  he  was  or- 
dained a  deacon  of  the  Moravian  Church  by  Bishop 
John  Daniel  Anders.  On  December  1  Van  Vleck  re- 
turned to  the  city,  but  being  unable  to  resume  his 
pastoral  duties,  Bleck  was  appointed  assistant  pas- 
tor of  the  congregation.  He  held  this  position  about 
one  year  before  leaving  for  his  labors  in  Camden 
Valley.    At  the  end  of  1831  the  total  membership  of 


CHOLERA  EPIDEMIC  227 

the  congregation  was  two  hundred  and  thirty-three, 
of  which  number  sixty-three  were  communicants. 

In  August,  1831,  a  severe  tornado  swept  over  the 
island  of  Barbadoes,  leaving  the  Moravian  Mission 
stations  in  ruins.  The  church  at  Sharon  was  com- 
pletely wrecked  and  the  mission-house  seriously 
damaged.  At  Mount  Tabor  both  the  church  and 
mission-house  were  completely  destroyed,  the  mis- 
sionaries barely  escaping  with  their  lives.  When 
the  disastrous  news  reached  Europe  and  America, 
steps  were  immediately  taken  to  raise  the  needed 
money  for  the  rebuilding  of  the  stations.  The  con- 
gregation in  New  York  City  contributed  over  three 
hundred  dollars  for  this  purpose.  Van  Vleck  pre- 
sented an  appeal  for  help  in  various  city  churches 
and  elsewhere,  meeting  everywhere  with  a  liberal 
response.  A  struggling  little  African  Congrega- 
tional church  at  New  Haven,  Connecticut,  showed 
its  sympathetic  interest  by  sending  without  solicita- 
tion, the  sum  of  five  dollars.  While  the  Barbadoes 
disaster  was  still  fresh  in  memory  danger  threat- 
ened nearer  at  hand.  What  this  danger  was  is  re- 
vealed by  the  following  record  in  the  diary :  "That 
destructive  disease,  the  cholera,  which  has  com- 
mitted such  awful  ravages  in  Asia  and  Europe,  hav- 
ing recently  made  its  appearance  in  Canada  and 
causing  great  alarm  in  this  city,  on  June  24  (1832) 
a  prayer  was  inserted  in  our  litany  relative  to  this 
subject  of  painful  apprehension."  elune  2G  was  ob- 
served by  the  churches  as  a  day  of  humiliation  and 
prayer.  About  fifteen  Moravian  families  moved  to 
the  country.    By  the  middle  of  July  the  disease  was 


228    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

widespread.  On  the  16th  it  was  officially  reported 
that  more  than  one  hundred  deaths  had  occurred 
within  twenty-four  hours.  Some  members  of  the 
congregation  became  victims  of  the  disease,  and 
Mrs.  Frances  Sharit  and  John  Matthew  Hoeber,  a 
son  of  the  late  Rev.  Nicholas  Hoeber  of  Nazareth, 
Pa.,  died  from  the  effects  of  it. 

While  many  ministers  left  the  city  during  the 
epidemic.  Van  Vleck  faithfully  remained  at  his  post, 
and  diligently  brought  the  consolations  of  religion  to 
his  sick  people.  An  offering  was  taken  by  the  con- 
gregation for  the  benefit  of  needy  members  afflicted 
with  the  disease.  August  3  was  observed  by  the 
churches  as  a  day  of  humiliation  and  prayer.  By 
the  end  of  this  month  the  Moravian  families  who  had 
gone  to  the  country  began  to  return  to  the  city.  Be- 
fore the  cholera  had  spent  itself  it  claimed  a  toll  of 
three  thousand  five  hundred  and  thirteen  lives.  In 
spite  of  the  interruption  to  church-work  as  a  result 
of  the  epidemic,  seventeen  new  members  were  added 
to  the  list  of  communicants,  bringing  the  total  com- 
municant membership  to  seventy-five.  On  December 
10  a  Female  Missionary  Society  was  organized  "for 
the  purpose  of  fostering  missionary  enthusiasm  and 
of  aiding  in  the  support  of  mission-work."  The  first 
regular  meeting  of  the  Society  was  held  on  January 
3, 1833,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  On  March 
19  the  Society  had  "a  little  exhibition  and  sale  of 
fancy  articles  made  by  the  members.  The  proceeds 
were  sent  to  Jamaica  for  the  benefit  of  the  new  mis- 
sion station  at  Malvern  called  New  Bethlehem." 
As  a  rule,  the  annual  sale  of  the  Society  was  held  on 


HOME  MISSION  SOCIETY  229 

Thanksgiving  Day.  By  the  year  1843,  when  this 
organization  was  still  in  existence,  it  had  con- 
tributed more  than  fifteen  hundred  dollars  to  mis- 
sions. Van  Vleck  was  a  missionary  pastor,  and 
many  of  his  members  caught  his  enthusiasm.  Other 
Churches  were  likewise  interested  in  Moravian  Mis- 
sions. One  day  the  Rev.  Dr.  Jacob  Brodhead,  pas- 
tor of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church,  called  at  the 
parsonage  and  left  in  Van  Vleck's  hands  the  neat 
sum  of  fifty  dollars,  which  the  ladies  of  his  congre- 
gation had  contributed  for  the  benefit  of  Moravian 
Missions. 

In  June,  1833,  certain  Germans  in  the  city  re- 
quested the  Moravian  pastor  to  preach  for  them  oc- 
casionally. This  request  was  granted  as  the  time 
and  strength  of  Van  Vleck  permitted.  The  enormous 
influx  of  Germans  and  the  inadequacy  of  German 
Church  provisions  in  the  city  attracted  much  atten- 
tion at  this  time.  The  impositions  practised  upon 
the  poor  and  ignorant  among  the  German  immi- 
grants called  forth  the  assistance  of  benevolent 
people,  which  resulted  on  August  15,  1836,  in  the 
organization  of  ''The  Strangers'  Friendly  Society  of 
New  York/'  of  which  Van  Vleck  was  a  member.  The 
first  consideration  of  this  matter  led  to  the  idea  of 
forming  a  Home  Mission  Society  in  tlie  congregation. 
On  August  13,  1833,  an  organization  of  this  kind 
was  effected  under  the  title,  ''The  Home  Mission  So- 
ciety of  the  United  Brethren's  Church  of  New  York." 
The  main  purpose  of  the  Society  was  '^to  suj)pleniont 
(he  aid  given  to  ininislers  in  needy  diarges  and 
struggling  n(;w  work  by  the  central  snstentation  at 


230    MOKAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania."  When  the  constitution 
was  adopted  it  was  immediately  signed  by  fifty  per- 
sons as  life  members  or  annual  subscribers.  Before 
the  close  of  the  year  the  Treasurer  was  able  to  send 
six  hundred  dollars  to  Bethlehem.  For  eleven  years 
the  Home  Mission  Society  rendered  valuable  assist- 
ance to  the  Church  at  large  and  to  the  congregation 
of  which  it  was  a  part.  After  that  time  it  disbanded, 
at  least  discontinued  its  activities,  but  not  from  any 
lack  of  interest,  as  the  following  record  taken  from 
the  minutes  of  the  Board  of  Managers  conclusively 
proves :  "Resolved,  That  the  Home  Mission  Society 
suspends  its  collections  until  the  members  are  in- 
formed by  their  agent  at  Bethlehem  that  there  is 
need  of  further  aid  and  support  from  them,  the 
amount  of  funds  in  the  hands  of  the  Society's  agent 
at  the  commencement  of  the  year  1843  being  Fifteen 
Hundred  Dollars." 

In  1834  the  cholera  reappeared  and  carried  off 
nearly  one  thousand  persons.  This  time,  however, 
none  of  the  Moravians  became  victims  of  the  disease. 
Nevertheless,  the  congregation  lost  during  the  year 
two  of  its  most  distinguished  members.  On  April 
10  death  claimed  Abraham  Bininger,  a  son  of  the 
Moravian  missionary  of  that  name.  His  age  was 
eighty-four  years,  two  months,  and  twelve  days. 
Born  at  Bethlehem,  he  received  his  early  education 
at  that  place.  When  fourteen  years  old  he  removed 
with  his  parents  to  New  York  City,  and  later  to 
Camden  Valley,  N.  Y.  In  1779  he  united  with  the 
New  York  congregation,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
he  was  one  of  the   oldest  members.     He  was   an 


DEATH  CLAIMS  TWO  MEMBERS       231 

earnest  Christian  and  a  life-long  patron  of  Mora- 
vian Missions.  Mrs.  Isabel  Hoffmire,  a  highly  es- 
teemed member  of  the  First  Church,  is  a  lineal 
descendant,  on  her  father's  side,  of  the  distinguished 
Bininger  (Bueninger)  family.  A  death  mourned  by 
even  a  greater  number  of  people  was  that  of  the  Rev. 
Benjamin  Mortimer,  whose  long  pastorate  and  resi- 
dence in  the  city  endeared  him  to  a  large  circle  of 
friends  in  the  congregation  and  other  churches.  He 
passed  away  on  November  10  after  much  suffering 
caused  by  an  intestinal  disease.  Altho  of  English 
parentage,  he  was  born  at  Glamorgan,  in  the  county 
of  Antrim,  Ireland,  where  his  father  was  at  the  time 
the  pastor  of  the  Moravian  congregation.  He  re- 
ceived his  early  education  at  Fulneck,  England. 
After  leaving  school  he  became  the  private  secretary 
of  a  Bedford  gentleman,  in  which  capacity  he  served 
seven  years.  In  1791  he  was  called  to  America, 
where  he  became  a  teacher  at  Nazareth  Hall.  Dur- 
ing his  early  teaching  days  he  was  ordained  a  dea- 
con of  the  Moravian  Church.  In  1798  he  accepted  a 
call  to  service  as  a  missionary  among  the  Indians, 
locating  in  the  following  year  at  Goshen,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  fourteen  years,  when  he  became 
the  pastor  of  the  New  York  congregation.  His  age 
was  sixty-six  years,  eleven  months,  and  two  weeks. 
His  funeral  was  attended  by  many  prominent  citi- 
zens, including  most  of  the  clergy  of  the  city. 

The  diarv  for  the  vear  ISIU  records  that  "several 
mem!)erH  of  tlie  congregation  and  a  valued  friend  of 
the  church  contributed  I  wo  hundred  and  fifty  dol- 
lars towarrl  the  support  of  ;i  inissionary  in  the  north 


232     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

of  France,  from  whom  an  interesting  report  in  the 
French  language  was  received."  Mention  is  also 
made  of  the  fact  that  the  Sunday  School  superin- 
tendents and  teachers  began  to  hold  prayer-meetings 
on  the  second  Monday  evening  of  every  month  to  im- 
plore a  blessing  upon  their  labors  and  the  cause  of 
Christ  in  general.  The  young  people  of  the  congre- 
gation organized  a  ^'Sacred  Music  Society'^  for  the 
purpose  of  learning  to  sing  in  four  parts  the  church 
tunes  and  anthems.  At  the  close  of  the  year  the 
communicant  membership  numbered  eighty-six. 

Before  dawn  on  August  12, 1835,  a  destructive  fire 
broke  out  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  church.  The 
church  and  parsonage,  as  well  as  the  North  Dutch 
Reformed  Church  and  the  house  of  the  American 
Bible  Society  across  the  street,  were  threatened  with 
destruction.  Fortunately  the  flames  were  extin- 
guished before  much  damage  was  done  to  the  church- 
property.  However,  the  new  organ  recently  pur- 
chased from  Hall  and  Erben  of  New  York  was  com- 
pletely destroyed.  Another  organ  was  built  at  an 
expense  of  |1,750,  and  consecrated  on  Sunday,  Sep- 
tember 6.  The  old  organ  was  disposed  of  in  part 
payment  for  five  hundred  dollars.  On  December  16 
a  disastrous  fire  swept  over  the  first  ward  east  of 
Broadway,  below  Wall  Street,  destroying  six  hun- 
dred and  forty-eight  of  the  most  valuable  stores,  the 
Merchants^  Exchange,  and  the  South  Dutch  Re- 
formed Church ;  in  short,  property  valued  at  more 
than  118,000,000.  In  this  calamity  not  a  few  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation  suffered  great  loss. 

In  1835  Van  Vleck  was  frequently  absent  from 


INTEREST  IN  MISSIONS  233 

his  pulpit.  After  Eastertide  he  went  to  Boston  and 
Providence,  with  the  sanction  of  the  General  Help- 
ers' Conference,  for  the  purpose  of  presenting  the 
cause  of  Moravian  Missions.  He  preached  in  various 
Episcopal  and  Orthodox  Congregational  Churches, 
and  collected  nearly  fifteen  hundred  dollars  for  mis- 
sions. In  the  meantime,  his  own  pulpit  was  ac- 
ceptably filled  by  ministers  of  other  churches.  The 
half-yearly  missionary  sermons  were  preached  by 
distinguished  clergymen  of  other  denominations,  and 
large  offerings  were  taken.  At  the  monthly  mission- 
ary meetings  interesting  letters  from  missionaries  on 
the  field  were  read,  and  once  the  congregation  was 
addressed  by  a  Cherokee  Indian  who  had  been  edu- 
cated in  a  Moravian  Mission  School.  The  Provincial 
Synod  of  1835  commended  the  Home  Mission  Society 
of  the  New  York  congregation  for  its  splendid 
achievements,  and  urged  other  congregations  to  fol- 
low its  example.  In  fall  of  the  same  year  Nazareth 
Hall  celebrated  its  fiftieth  anniversary.  At  that 
time  eleven  boys  of  the  New  York  church  were  en- 
rolled in  the  school,  and  five  girls  attended  the 
Young  Ladies'  Seminary  at  Bethlehem.  Both  insti- 
tutions were  in  a  flourishing  condition.  At  the  close 
of  the  year  the  congregation  had  ninety-four  com- 
municants, of  which  ^'eighteen  lived  out  of  town, 
and  nine  in  the  city  were  unable  to  attend  because 
of  physical  infirmities,  distance  from  the  church,  and 
other  causes."  There  were  twenty-five  male  and 
sixty-nine  female  communicants.  The  total  member- 
ship numbered  two  hundred  and  forty-two  souls. 
Originally  the  church  was  forty  feet  wide  and  sev- 


234    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

enty  feet  deep.  By  an  Act  of  the  City  Council  passed 
in  1836  for  the  widening  of  Fulton  Street,  it  became 
necessary  either  to  move  the  church  back  from  the 
street  or  to  take  off  from  it  a  sufficient  portion  to  al- 
low the  required  width  of  the  street.  The  latter  plan 
was  adopted.  In  June  of  the  same  year  the  altera- 
tions were  commenced  whereby  eight  feet  were  cut 
off  from  the  front  of  the  church.  The  corner-stone 
laid  on  August  13,  1829,  was  placed  in  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  new  front,  on  June  25,  in  the 
presence  of  the  pastor  and  Abraham  Cargill.  While 
these  alterations  were  in  progress  the  congregation 
worshipped  in  the  Consistory  Room  of  the  Dutch 
Reformed  Church  on  the  corner  of  Nassau  and  Ann 
Streets,  which  had  been  kindly  offered  for  the  pur- 
pose. At  the  last  service  held  there,  on  September 
11,  the  pastor,  suffering  from  throat  trouble,  was 
unable  to  do  more  than  pray  the  litany.  Therefore 
the  Rev.  Joseph  Cooke,  Assistant  Rector  of  St. 
George's  Episcopal  Church,  preached  the  sermon. 
An  Episcopalian  clergyman  preaching  the  sermon 
at  a  Moravian  service  in  a  Reformed  Church  was  a 
pleasing  example  of  the  friendly  relations  which  ex- 
isted between  ministers  of  the  different  ecclesiastical 
persuasions  in  the  city.  On  May  1  of  the  same  year 
the  Rev.  Dr.  De  Witt  of  the  Reformed  Church 
preached  the  half-yearly  missionary  sermon.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Forrest  of  the  Associate  Reformed  (Scotch) 
Church  in  Delaware  County,  New  York,  the  Rev. 
Prof.  Schmucker,  a  Lutheran  clergyman  of  Gettys- 
burg, Pa.,  the  Rev.  Joshua  Leavitt  of  the  ''New  York 
Evangelist"  and  the  Hon.  Samuel  Hubbard  of  Bos- 


CHURCH  REMOVAL  CONSIDERED      235 

ton  took  part  in  the  service.  The  Rev.  Jacob  Zorn, 
of  Jamaica,  W.  I.,  was  also  present  and  gave  an  in- 
teresting description  of  his  work,  to  which  his  dis- 
tinguished hearers  listened  with  rapt  attention.  The 
church  was  filled  to  overflowing.  ^'The  offering  for 
the  occasion  amounted  to  three  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars,  including  a  bank-note  of  one  hundred  dol- 
lars, and  another  of  fifty  dollars."  The  alterations 
at  the  church  were  completed  by  the  middle  of  Sep- 
tember, and  on  the  eighteenth  of  the  month  the 
building  was  formally  re-opened  for  divine  worship. 
The  seating  capacity  of  the  church  was  as  large  as 
before.  During  the  summer  months  the  Moravian 
and  Reformed  Sunday  Schools  had  held  joint  ses- 
sions. 

When  the  new  church  on  Fulton  Street  was  built 
on  the  site  of  the  old,  the  members  did  not  realize 
how  rapidly  the  aggressive  growth  of  business  would 
crowd  churches  as  well  as  dwelling-houses  out  of  the 
neighborhood.  Because  of  the  increasingly  unde- 
sirable surroundings,  and  the  removing  of  one  family 
after  the  other  to  upper  parts  in  the  city,  it  became 
evident  that  sooner  or  later  the  church  would  have 
to  be  located  farther  up-town  so  as  to  be  more  easily 
accessible  to  the  majority  of  the  members  and  to 
strangers  who  might  be  attracted  to  the  services. 
As  early  as  July  12,  1836,  the  following  minute  was 
adopted  by  the  Board  of  Trustees:  "As  it  may  be- 
come more  and  more  desirable  to  locate  our  place  of 
worship  in  the  upper  part  of  the  city,  Brother  Mi- 
chael Miller  and  Brother  Abraham  Cargill  were  ap- 
pointed a   Committee  to  keep   ffiis  object  in  view, 


236     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

and  if  an  opportunity  should  offer  for  the  purchase 
of  a  suitable  lot,  to  report  to  the  Board." 

After  a  successful  pastorate  of  seven  years  and 
three  months,  Van  Vleck  accepted  a  call  to  Salem, 
North  Carolina.  On  November  13,  1836,  he  preached 
his  farewell  sermon  from  Acts  20 :  32,  and  announced 
that  his  successor  would  be  the  Rev.  Charles  Freder- 
ick Kluge,  at  the  time  Principal  of  Linden  Hall 
Seminary  for  Girls,  and  temporary  pastor  of  the 
Lititz  congregation.  On  November  20  Van  Vleck 
was  consecrated  a  Bishop  of  the  Moravian  Church. 
At  Salem  he  was  not  only  pastor  of  the  congregation 
but  also  President  of  the  Provincial  Helpers'  Con- 
ference of  what  was  then  known  as  the  North  Caro- 
lina District.  On  December  2  Kluge  arrived  in  the 
city,  and  on  the  following  Sunday  preached  his  in- 
troductory sermon.  Under  the  leadership  of  his 
predecessor  the  communicant  membership  had  more 
than  doubled  itself.  Kluge  found  two  hundred  and 
sixty-nine  members,  of  which  one  hundred  and  six 
were  communicants.  Altho  his  pastorate  did  not 
cover  quite  two  years,  the  congregation  made  a 
worth-while  contribution  to  the  mission-field  during 
his  brief  stay.  In  1837  William  Prince,  the  efficient 
Superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School,  and  his  wife 
Sophronia  left  for  Jamaica,  where  they  entered  the 
mission  service  of  the  Church.  The  congregation 
felt  the  effects  of  the  financial  panic  of  1837.  It 
caused  not  only  a  falling  off  in  contributions,  but 
the  removal  of  an  unusually  large  number  of  mem- 
bers to  other  places. 

Having  been  appointed  warden  of  the  Nazareth 


NEW  SEATING  ARRANGEMENT        237 

congregation,  Kluge  preached  his  farewell  sermon 
on  October  7,  1838,  and  left  for  his  future  labors 
three  days  later.  He  was  succeeded  in  New  York  by 
the  Rev.  Charles  A.  Bleck  of  Camden  Valley,  N.  Y., 
who  began  his  pastorate  on  October  28.  In  the  brief 
interim  between  pastorates  the  Rev.  John  C.  Brig- 
ham,  D.D.,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  American 
Bible  Society,  filled  the  pulpit.  "In  1839  no  less  than 
four  church  buildings  in  the  city  were  destroyed  by 
fire."  In  1840  on  the  occasion  of  an  official  visit  of 
Bishop  Andrew  Benade,  a  member  of  the  Provincial 
Helpers'  Conference,  the  subject  of  the  removal  of 
the  church  was  again  discussed  at  a  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  but  no  definite  action  was  taken. 
At  this  time,  too,  the  question  was  laid  before  Bishop 
Benade  whether  it  would  be  permissible  to  make  a 
change  in  the  usual  mode  of  sittings  in  church,  so 
that  all  the  members  of  a  family  might  occupy  the 
same  pew.  Benade  referred  the  question  to  the 
Provincial  Helpers'  Conference.  In  October  the 
Conference  replied  there  would  be  no  objection  on 
their  part  if  the  congregation  desired  to  make  the 
change.  Meanwhile  the  matter  had  been  referred  to 
the  congregation.  Some  of  the  members  were 
strongly  opposed  to  the  innovation,  feeling  sure  that 
a  procedure  of  this  kind  would  bring  harm  to  the 
church.  Therefore  the  change  was  not  effected  at 
this  time.  By  a  majority  vote  of  the  membership  in 
April,  1845,  the  change  was  at  last  brought  about, 
but  not  without  strong  opposition  on  the  part  of 
some.  Fifty-seven  were  in  favor  of  the  change,  and 
forty-nine  against  it. 


238     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

In  1841  it  was  decided  to  have  special  services  at 
a  convenient  place  for  those  who  had  removed  to  the 
upper  part  of  the  city,  and  others  who  might  be  dis- 
posed to  attend.  A  room  at  the  Lyceum,  a  hall  in 
the  Bowery  and  the  chapel  of  the  University  were 
successively  inspected,  and  the  last  named  was 
finally  chosen.  The  first  of  these  subsidiary  services 
was  held  on  October  3,  1841,  Bishop  Andrew  Benade 
of  Bethlehem  officiating.  His  son  William,  a  teacher 
at  Nazareth  Hall,  was  officially  appointed  to  take 
charge  of  this  work.  It  was  hoped  that  the  project 
would  be  successful  and  render  the  removal  of  the 
church  in  Fulton  Street  unnecessary,  at  least  for 
the  time  being.  After  giving  the  matter  a  year's 
trial,  however,  it  was  found  best  to  abandon  it.  The 
cause  of  the  failure  of  the  mission  was  partly  finan- 
cial, many  of  the  down-town  members  strongly  op- 
posing the  project  on  the  ground  that  the  trustees 
had  no  right  to  use  for  it  money  raised  by  the  mem- 
bership for  the  expenses  of  the  congregation.  After 
the  novelty  of  these  subsidiary  services  had  worn 
off  they  were  poorly  attended,  and  this  was  the  main 
reason  why  they  were  given  up. 

Having  accepted  a  call  to  Salem,  North  Carolina, 
Charles  A.  Bleck  preached  his  farewell  sermon  on 
September  18,  1842,  and  soon  after  left  with  his 
family  for  the  South.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev. 
David  Bigler,  of  Philadelphia.  The  congregation 
had  reached  a  critical  stage  in  its  history,  but  for- 
tunately Bigler  was  gifted  with  exceptional  wisdom 
and  tact,  and  under  his  strong  leadership  matters 
were  adjusted  and  brought  to  a  satisfactory  con- 


REMOVAL  OF  THE  CHURCH     239 

elusion.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  on 
September  7,  1843,  the  removal  of  the  church  to  a 
more  central  location  was  once  more  discussed,  and 
it  was  unanimously  decided  to  get  the  sense  of  the 
whole  congregation  on  the  subject.  It  was  an- 
nounced from  the  pulpit  that  the  members  should 
record  their  opinion  for  or  against  the  measure  in 
books  left  at  the  parsonage.  On  September  22  the 
trustees  met  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  re- 
sult of  the  vote.  It  was  found  that  of  the  number 
entitled  to  vote  eighty-five  had  registered  their 
opinion,  sixty  expressing  themselves  in  favor  of  re- 
moval of  the  church,  and  twenty-five  voting  against 
it.  The  result  of  the  vote  was  announced  to  the  con- 
gregation on  the  following  Sunday  morning.  Twelve 
members  living  in  Brooklyn  had  previously  sent  in 
a  formal  protest  against  the  removal  of  the  church. 
However,  the  majority  had  spoken,  and  in  accord- 
ance with  their  voice  the  Board  of  Trustees  ap- 
pointed Michael  Miller  and  Abraham  Clark  a  com- 
mittee to  select  a  suitable  location  for  a  new  church 
and  parsonage,  and  to  report. 

In  January,  1844,  Clark  reported  for  the  commit- 
tee that  suitable  ground  could  be  obtained  on  the 
.south-west  corner  of  Houston  and  Mott  Streets.  Sev- 
eral other  places  were  likewise  mentioned,  but  the 
board  finally  approved  the  one  first  named.  On  Feb- 
ruary 12  three  lots  were  purchased  for  the  sum  of 
112,750.  On  March  G  the  property  on  Fulton  Street 
and  Dutch  Street  was  put  up  at  auction  in  the  Mer- 
chants' Exchange,  bnt  the  bids  ran  too  low,  therefore 
it  was  withdrawn.     In  July  estimates  for  the  pro- 


240    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

posed  church  and  parsonage  were  received  from  five 
different  contractors,  and  on  the  11th  the  contract 
was  awarded  to  Merrill  and  White  for  |17,700.  On 
July  15  ground  was  broken  for  the  foundation  of 
the  church.  It  was  necessary  to  dig  down  thirteen 
feet  to  find  a  solid  foundation.  On  July  22  a  work- 
man began  digging  for  the  corner-stone  of  the  old 
church,  the  intention  being  to  place  it  under  the  new 
building,  and  on  the  24th  it  was  found  at  a  depth  of 
seven  feet  below  the  curb.  The  contents  of  the  box 
inside  the  stone  were  found  in  a  state  of  perfect 
preservation.  The  corner-stone  of  the  church  built 
in  1751  was  likewise  removed.  It  was  the  original 
intention  to  use  the  stone  laid  in  1829,  but  the 
mason  who  tried  to  enlarge  the  cavity  sufficiently  to 
accommodate  the  additional  documents  to  be  placed 
into  it,  had  the  misfortune  of  breaking  it,  therefore 
a  new  stone  had  to  be  provided.  However,  the  two 
old  ones  were  likewise  put  in  the  foundation. 

On  August  13,  1844,  at  two-thirty  in  the  afternoon 
the  Trustees  met  at  the  parsonage  with  Bishop  An- 
drew Benade  and  the  Brethren  David  Bigler  and 
Henry  G.  Clauder,  the  latter  being  pastor  of  the 
Staten  Island  congregation,  and  the  pastor  placed 
into  the  leaden  box  provided  for  the  purpose  the 
following  articles :  The  box  taken  out  of  the  corner- 
stone of  the  Fulton  Street  church,  with  its  original 
contents,  having  the  following  inscription  on  it, 
"This  box  was  placed  in  the  corner-stone  of  the 
church  in  Fulton  Street  August  13,  1829;  taken  up 
July  24th  and  placed  in  this  one  August  13,  1844 ;"  a 
document  engrossed  on  parchment  setting  forth  the 


COKNER-STONE  LAYING  241 

transactions  of  the  day;  a  copy  of  the  document 
which  was  placed  in  the  corner-stone  of  the  first 
church  of  the  Brethren,  laid  in  1751 ;  a  copy  of  the 
city  directory;  a  hymn-book  of  the  latest  edition;  a 
text-book  for  1844 ;  a  communion  hymn-book ;  a  copy 
of  the  hymn  prepared  for  the  occasion  and  printed 
on  parchment;  three  religious  periodicals,  namely, 
''The  New  York  Observer,"  "The  Christian  Intel- 
ligencer," and  "The  Sunday  School  Journal;"  three 
newspapers,  "The  Courier  and  Inquirer,"  "The  Com- 
mercial Advertiser,"  and  "The  Morning  Express." 
These  documents  having  been  placed  in  the  metal 
box,  it  was  closed  and  soldered  by  a  man  employed 
by  Abraham  Cargill,  assisted  by  Valentine  Car- 
gill. 

The  Trustees  then  repaired  to  the  ground,  the 
clergymen  following  in  a  carriage.  Between  three  and 
four  hundred  people  had  gathered  for  the  occasion, 
among  the  number  being  the  Rev.  Dr.  De  Witt  of 
the  Dutch  Reformed  Church.  The  service  was 
opened  with  the  following  hymn  composed  for  the 
occasion  by  Abraham  Bininger  Clark,  one  of  the 
trustees : 

"Thou  Triune  God,  to  Thee  we  raise 
Both  heart  and  voice  to  offer  praise 
For  all  thy  gifts,  which  ever  flow 
In  streams  of  love  on  us  below. 

"And  now  another  boon  we  pray, — 
A  blessing,  Lord,  we  crave  this  day 
Upon  this  church,  but  now  begun, 
To  rest  upon  this  corner-stone. 


242     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

"  'Tis  on  Thy  Word,  great  God,  we  build, — 
That  Living  Rock,  which  ne'er  shall  yield; 
To  that  in  faith  we'll  ever  cleave. 
While  life  and  breath  our  bosoms  heave. 

*'Our  covenants,  Lord,  we  would  renew. 
The  old  paths  we  would  pursue. 
Thy  walk  on  earth  we'd  imitate, 
Our  ways  to  Thine  would  elevate. 

"Here  staunch  the  wounds  which  sin  has  riven, 
And  raise  the  drooping  soul  to  Heaven ; 
Here  let  Thy  glory  radiant  shine, 
And  set  on  all  Thy  seal  divine. 

"To  God,  the  Father,  and  the  Son, 
And  Holy  Spirit,  three  in  One, 
Be  honor,  praise,  and  glory  given. 
By  all  on  earth  and  all  in  Heaven." 

A  portion  of  the  church  litany  was  then  prayed, 
and  another  hymn  sung.  After  an  address  by  Bishop 
Benade,  the  pastor  read  a  list  of  the  contents  of  both 
boxes.  Then  the  Confession  of  Faith  contained  in 
the  Easter  Morning  litany  was  repeated,  after  which 
Bishop  Benade  said,  "In  this  faith  we  now  proceed 
to  lay  this  corner-stone."  The  pastor  having  placed 
the  box  in  the  cavity  of  the  stone,  the  Bishop  added 
the  words,  "In  the  name  of  God,  the  Father,  and  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost."  A  workman  spread  ce- 
ment over  the  stone  and  placed  a  covering  slab  upon 
it.  The  Bishop  then  struck  the  stone  three  times 
with  a  wooden  hammer,  saying,  "Other  foundation 
can  no  man  lay  than  that  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus 
Christ,"  in  which  he  was  followed  by  the  Brethren 


CORNER-STONE  LAYING  243 

Bigler  and  Clauder.  The  congregation  then  joined 
in  the  hymn  sung  at  the  corner-stone  laying  of  the 
Fulton  Street  church  in  1829,  after  which  the  pastor 
led  in  prayer  and  Bishop  Benade  pronounced  the 
benediction.  The  following  record  appears  in  the 
diary:  "The  new  corner-stone  was  placed  in  the 
foundation  on  the  northwest  corner  of  the  church 
about  three  feet  below  the  curb.  Being  embedded  in 
the  foundation,  it  is  not  perceptible  from  without. 
But  on  digging  two  and  one  half  feet  below  the  curb 
and  breaking  out  about  six  inches  in  the  corner  of 
the  foundation  it  will  be  seen.'^  Why  this  strange 
thing  was  done,  the  records  do  not  explain. 

On  December  8,  1844,  workmen  began  to  take  up 
the  bodies  in  the  old  graveyard  back  of  the  Fulton 
Street  church,  and  by  the  18th  they  had  secured  the 
remains  of  thirty  persons,  which  were  placed  in 
tightly  sealed  boxes  and  deposited  in  the  vault  under 
the  new  church.  On  January  15,  1845,  the  Fulton 
Street  church-property,  together  with  that  in  Dutch 
Street,  was  sold  for  |29,750  in  the  Merchants'  Ex- 
change by  Wilkins  and  Rollins,  auctioneers.  The 
church  and  lot  brought  |24,200,  and  the  parsonage 
and  lot  |5,550.  On  February  9  the  last  service  was 
held  in  the  old  church.  On  the  following  day  the 
organ,  pulpit,  communion  table,  pews  and  other 
articles  were  removed  from  the  church,  and  the 
demolition  of  the  building  began.  On  February  23 
the  first  service  was  held  in  the  lecture  room  of  the 
Houston  Street  church.  On  the  preceding  Sunday 
the  pastor  conducted  a  morning  and  evening  service 
for  the  Brooklyn  members  at  the  homes  of  the  Breth 


244    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

ren  Robert  Prince  and  Thomas  Harvey  respectively. 
Both  services  were  well  attended.  Altho  the  Brook- 
lyn Moravians  had  been  strongly  opposed  to  the 
removal  of  the  church  to  a  place  still  farther  away 
from  their  homes,  they  remained  faithful  to  the  con- 
gregation and  attended,  the  services  in  the  new 
church  as  regularly  as  distance  allowed. 

It  is  recorded  that  on  March  9  a  very  heavy  rain 
caused  nearly  half  the  yard  back  of  the  old  parson- 
age to  slide  down  into  the  cellar  dug  on  the  site  of 
the  old  church  for  new  buildings.  Props  had  to  be 
placed  inside  as  well  as  outside  the  parsonage,  which 
added  inconvenience  to  danger.  Bigler  and  his 
family  had  to  take  refuge  temporarily  in  the  home 
of  George  Miller,  a  member  of  the  congregation. 
From  March  13  to  19  the  Biglers  were  engaged 
in  removing  their  household  effects  from  the  old  to 
the  new  parsonage,  522  Houston  Street.  After  much 
delay  and  considerable  misunderstanding  with  the 
contractors  the  new  church  was  at  last  finished,  and 
on  Sunday,  June  29,  1845,  it  was  consecrated  by 
Bishop  Andrew  Benade.  There  were  three  services 
during  the  day,  and  all  were  largely  attended.  The 
Rev.  Peter  Wolle  of  Lititz  preached  in  the  morning, 
and  the  Rev.  George  F.  Bahnsen  of  Lancaster  in  the 
evening.  The  afternoon  sermon  was  delivered  by  the 
Rev.  Emanuel  Rondthaler  of  Philadelphia.  The 
front  of  the  church  on  Houston  Street  was  fifty-eight 
feet,  and  the  side  on  Mott  Street  seventy-five  feet. 
The  body  of  the  building  was  of  brick,  while  the 
foundation  walls  were  of  highland  granite.  The  out- 
side woodwork  was  painted  a  granite  color  and  the 


CONSECRATION  OF  CHURCH  245 

inside  white,  while  the  doors  to  the  church  and  at 
the  entrance  to  the  basement  were  done  in  imitation 
oak.  The  parsonage  also  fronted  on  Houston  Street. 
It  was  twenty-four  feet  in  width  and  forty  feet  in 
length.  The  front  and  the  steps  of  the  house  were 
of  brownstone,  while  the  other  walls  were  of  granite. 
The  Board  of  Trustees,  consisting  of  Christian  D. 
W.  Lilliendahl,  George  Miller,  Abraham  Clark,  Al- 
fred Beatty  and  John  Addoms,  constituted  the 
Building  Committee. 

The  names  of  the  contributors  to  the  building- 
fund  are  the  following:  Hannah  Bowie,  Abraham 
Bininger,  Michael  Van  Beuren,  Jacob  Bininger, 
Daniel  B.  Dash,  Michael  Miller,  Ann  C.  Dash,  David 
Jacot,  Daniel  Gassner,  Anthony  Arnoux,  Peter  Em- 
bury, Henry  Tenbrook,  Jr.,  Nathaniel  Smith, 
Stephen  Allen,  Abraham  Cargill,  Mrs.  Lewis,  Mrs. 
Abraham  Clark,  William  Briggs,  Rebecca  Bokee, 
George  Lorillard,  Peter  Lorillard,  L.  Baum,  Han- 
nah Moore,  Sarah  Halligan,  Lucretia  A.  Brasier,  Mr. 
Van  Ness,  Philip  Embury,  D.  McCormick,  M.  Petrie, 
John  J.  Astor,  Richard  Varick,  Nancy  Jay,  Mrs. 
Banyer,  Benjamin  Mortimer,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Taylor,  C.  D. 
W.  Lilliendahl,  George  Miller,  Abraham  Clark,  Al- 
fred Beatty  and  John  Addoms.  With  the  removal 
of  the  church  to  Houston  Street  a  new  era  began  in 
the  history  of  the  congregation.  At  this  time  the 
city  had  about  400,000  inhabitants. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
THE  CHURCH  IN  HOUSTON  STREET 

The  history  of  the  Houston  Street  church  covers  a 
period  of  twenty  years.  The  first  decade  of  this 
period  constituted  the  most  prosperous  years,  the 
membership  growing  before  the  close  of  David  Big- 
ler's  pastorate  in  1855  to  the  maximum  of  its  record. 
The  popular  semi-annual  missionary  meetings  of  the 
congregation  continued  to  hold  the  interest  of  many 
people  outside  the  Moravian  Church.  Among  the 
noted  preachers  on  these  occasions  were  men  like 
Dr.  Knox,  Dr.  Alexander,  Dr.  Muhlenberg,  Dr. 
Tyng,  and  other  leading  representatives  of  various 
denominations.  The  Moravian  pastor  was  con- 
tinually called  upon  to  represent  his  Church  and  its 
Missions  at  large  meetings  in  other  places,  and  to 
participate  in  the  famous  gatherings  of  various  or- 
ganizations at  the  Broadway  Tabernacle  and  else- 
where. During  these  fruitful  years  the  congregation 
not  only  grew  in  influence  and  in  numbers,  but  it 
was  privileged  to  see  a  number  of  congregations  come 
into  existence  under  its  fostering  care. 

Altho  no  one  could  doubt  the  wisdom  of  removing 
the  church  from  its  undesirable  surroundings  in 
Fulton  Street  to  a  more  favorable  locality  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  city  where  most  of  the  members 
had  taken  up  their  residence,  this  removal  took  the 
church  still  farther  away  from  the  Brooklyn  mem- 

246 


TIIK 


lOUSTON    STRF.KT    CHURCH 


THE 


iVk^f 


-SS',*-"-' 


MEETINGS  IN  BROOKLYN  247 

bers,  and  naturally  they  objected  quite  strenuously 
to  the  move.  For  a  time  it  looked  as  if  this  op- 
position would  crystallize  into  enmity,  but  Bigler 
knew  how  to  throw  oil  upon  the  troubled  waters, 
and  under  his  wise  leadership  matters  were  amicably 
adjusted.  In  the  fall  of  1843  he  began  cottage  prayer- 
meetings  in  Brooklyn  with  the  hope  that  in  this  way 
these  members  might  be  retained  in  the  Moravian 
Church  and  would  eventually  become  the  nucleus  of 
a  separate  congregation.  Some  of  those  most  inti- 
mately concerned  entertained  the  same  hope.  When 
Bishop  Benade  was  in  New  York  for  the  corner-stone 
laying  of  the  Houston  Street  church,  the  Brooklyn 
members  informed  him  of  their  desire  to  have  a 
church  of  their  own.  However,  no  official  action  was 
taken  at  that  time.  Altho  they  retained  their  mem- 
bership in  the  congregation  and  attended  the  Sunday 
services  as  faithfully  as  circumstances  permitted, 
they  never  for  a  moment  lost  sight  of  their  pur- 
pose. 

On  January  19,  1846,  they  started  a  building-fund. 
Mrs.  Wichelhausen  circulated  a  subscription-list, 
and  in  one  day  secured  the  encouraging  sum  of 
twelve  hundred  dollars  in  pledges.  This  amount  was 
increased  by  two  hundred  dollars  before  the  week 
was  ended.  On  February  4  the  Brooklyn  women  or- 
ganized themselves  into  a  society  for  the  purpose  of 
raising  money  for  the  building-fund.  It  was  forth- 
with decided  to  have  a  fair  and  festival  as  soon  as 
possible.  In  September  the  lots  on  Jay  Street,  where 
the  present  church  and  parsoiijige  stand,  were  pur- 
chased for  |3,000.    On  Thanksgiving  Day  the  women 


248    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

had  their  fair  and  festival,  and  before  the  end  of  the 
month  the  first  installment  of  one  thousand  dollars 
was  paid  on  the  amount  owed  for  the  lots.  The  last 
payments  were  made  in  August,  1848.  While  no 
stone  was  left  unturned  to  raise  money  by  fairs  and 
collections  among  themselves,  they  also  appealed  to 
the  congregations  in  the  Province  for  aid.  Mrs. 
John  Davenport  and  Mrs.  Emilius  Marx  went  to 
Philadelphia  and  presented  the  cause.  In  the  fall 
of  1847  the  Brooklyn  Moravians  received  permission 
to  hold  their  week-day  and  Sunday  evening  meet- 
ings in  the  lecture  room  of  St.  Ann's  Episcopal 
Church,  of  which  Dr.  Cutler  was  the  rector.  This 
was  their  meeting-place  until  Passion  Week  of  the 
following  year,  after  which  they  resumed  their  meet- 
ings in  private  houses,  principally  at  those  of  Robert 
Prince  and  Mrs.  John  Davenport. 

To  increase  the  revenue  of  the  earnest  little  flock 
it  was  decided  to  build  two  dwelling  houses  on  the 
front  of  the  Jay  Street  lots,  leaving  a  space  of  ten 
feet  in  width  between  the  buildings  for  a  passage- 
way leading  to  the  church,  which  they  proposed  to 
erect  in  the  rear.  At  this  time  the  congregation  of 
which  they  were  still  a  part  showed  its  financial 
interest  by  contributing  thru  its  Home  Missionary 
Society  the  sum  of  six  hundred  dollars.  Having  se- 
cured a  school-room  on  Clinton  Street  at  a  rental  of 
ten  dollars  a  month,  regular  services  were  held  on 
Sunday  evenings.  The  first  service  in  the  school- 
room was  conducted  on  February  13,  1852,  John  F. 
Warman,  formerly  a  missionary  in  Surinam  and  at 
the  time  a  member  of  the  New  York  congregation  in 


SUNDAY  SCHOOL  IN  BROOKLYN       249 

the  employ  of  the  American  Tract  Society,  officiat- 
ing. Bigler  held  the  Friday  evening  meetings  for 
the  Brooklyn  members  as  hitherto.  At  this  time  a 
Sunday  School  was  organized  with  Robert  Prince 
as  Superintendent.  This  happy  arrangement  was 
somewhat  interfered  with  in  March  of  the  following 
year  when  Warman  with  his  family  removed  to  a 
little  farm  which  he  had  purchased  near  Paterson, 
N.  J.  Some  time  before  his  removal  the  room  on 
Clinton  Street  was  given  up,  and  the  meetings  of 
the  little  flock  were  held  at  the  homes  of  the  people 
until  October,  1852,  when  they  were  transferred  to 
the  Mission  Sunday  School  room  on  Concord  Street, 
near  Hudson.  For  several  months  Warman  was  in- 
capacitated by  illness,  and  Bigler  took  his  place 
whenever  possible. 

Meanwhile  a  plot  of  ground,  100  feet  square,  had 
been  purchased  on  Schermerhorn  Street,  one  hun- 
dred feet  east  of  Nevins  Street,  for  |4,400,  with  the 
idea  of  erecting  a  church  in  this  rapidly  growing 
section  of  the  city.  At  this  time  it  was  reported  that 
the  Rev.  J,  F.  Schroeder,  D.D.,  Rector  of  St.  Thomas 
Episcopal  Church,  Bridge  and  Willoughby  Streets, 
found  his  church  too  small  to  accommodate  the  con- 
gregation and  would  like  to  sell  the  property.  On 
September  21, 1852,  a  meeting  was  called  at  the  home 
of  Robert  Prince  to  consider  the  advisability  of  buy- 
ing this  church.  It  was  decided  to  make  the  pur- 
chase, provided  the  church  could  be  had  for  |5,000, 
as  had  been  reported,  and  the  two  lots  fronting  on 
Jay  Street  would  be  accepted  in  part  payment. 
When  Dr.  Schroeder  was  interviewed  he  informed 


250    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

the  Moravians  that  the  vestry  asked  |7,000  for  the 
church,  including  the  organ,  or  |6,500  without  the 
organ.  It  was  impossible  to  pay  this  price,  and  the 
matter  was  dropped.  At  a  meeting,  "probably  the 
most  solemn  ever  held  in  Brooklyn  among  our  peo- 
ple," conducted  by  Bigler  on  October  25,  it  was 
decided  by  the  Lot  to  build  a  church  on  the  Jay 
Street  plot  of  ground.  Having  only  one  thousand 
dollars  on  hand  toward  the  project,  Bigler  went  to 
Bethlehem,  where  he  was  successful  in  securing  a 
loan  of  |5,000  at  six  per  cent. 

On  March  11,  1853,  the  Brooklyn  congregation 
was  organized  at  the  home  of  Robert  Prince.  It  was 
a  stormy  evening,  and  only  the  Brethren  David  Big- 
ler, John  Warman,  Robert  Prince,  Thomas  Harvey, 
Emilius  Marx,  and  Joseph  Roworth,  besides  two 
stated  hearers  and  contributors,  John  Davenport 
and  Daniel  Tryon,  were  present.  The  trustees 
elected  were  Robert  Prince,  Thomas  Harvey,  and 
Emilius  Marx.  On  April  5  a  certificate  of  this  elec- 
tion was  acknowledged  before  a  commissioner  and 
recorded  by  the  County  Clerk  with  a  view  to  the 
incorporation  of  the  congregation.  The  infant  con- 
gregation consisted  of  thirty-three  members,  includ- 
ing children.  On  May  16  Robert  Prince  was  au- 
thorized by  the  Board  of  Trustees  to  sell  to  the  Cen- 
tral Presbyterian  Church  for  five  thousand  dollars 
the  lots  owned  by  the  congregation  on  Schermerhorn 
Street.  This  deal  was  consummated  and  the  Presby- 
terian Church  paid  down  |1,000  in  cash,  giving  a 
mortgage  on  the  ground  amounting  to  |4,000.  The 
incorporation  of  the  congregation  was  effected  on 


CHURCH  IN  BROOKLYN  251 

August  29  under  the  title  of  "The  United  Brethren's 
Church  in  the  City  of  Brooklyn." 

On  November  29  the  contract  for  a  church  to  be 
erected  on  Jay  Street,  near  Myrtle  Avenue,  was 
awarded  to  J.  F.  Booth  for  |1,125,  "the  church  to  be 
in  all  respects  like  one  built  for  the  Dutch  Reformed 
Church  in  the  town  of  Flat  Lands,  Long  Lsland." 
The  contract  called  for  a  building  twenty-five  feet 
in  width  and  thirty-six  feet  in  length.  On  May  16, 
1854,  Bigler  informed  the  Trustees  that  the  Rev. 
Joseph  Kummer  had  been  appointed  pastor  of  the 
congregation.  By  July  both  the  church  and  parson- 
age were  ready  for  occupancy.  The  erection  of  the 
parsonage  had  been  begun  as  the  church  was  nearing 
completion.  On  September  4  the  pastor-elect  and 
his  wife  arrived  in  Brooklyn.  The  church  was  con- 
secrated on  Sunday,  September  10,  the  Rt.  Rev. 
John  C.  Jacobson,  President  of  the  Provincial  Board, 
officiating.  Under  date  of  September  10  Bigler  made 
the  following  record  in  the  diary  of  the  mother 
church :  "Alas,  the  day  so  long  wished  for  and  so 
pleasantly  anticipated,  when  the  church  in  Brook- 
lyn was  to  be  consecrated,  was  ushered  in  by  a  most 
violent  northeast  storm.  The  wind  and  rain  set 
in  during  the  course  of  the  night  and  continued 
with  unabated  violence  until  three  o'clock  this  after- 
noon. At  nine-thirty  in  the  morning  we  entered  a 
carriage  and,  accompanied  by  Sister  Bigler  and  fam- 
ily, we  drove  to  Brooklyn.  At  ten  o'clock  not  more 
than  a  dozen  people  had  assembled.  We  waited  until 
eleven  o'clock,  and  by  that  time  the  number  had  in- 
creased to  thirty."    The  pastor  of  the  congregation 


252     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

was  installed  and  the  church  consecrated  at  this 
service,  but  the  services  which  had  been  announced 
for  the  afternoon  and  evening  were  postponed  until 
the  following  Sunday,  when  the  Rev.  Dr.  Richard 
Storrs  of  the  Congregational  Church,  and  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Cutler  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  were  the  princi- 
pal speakers.  Kummer  preached  his  introductory 
sermon  in  the  morning  of  the  second  Sunday  on 
which  the  congregation  worshipped  in  the  new 
church. 

After  serving  the  Brooklyn  congregation  for  four 
years,  Kummer  accepted  a  call  to  Lancaster,  Pa., 
and  Edward  T.  Kluge  became  his  successor.  In  1860 
Kluge  was  succeeded  by  Edwin  E.  Reinke,  who  had 
recently  returned  from  Jamaica.  After  a  six  months' 
pastorate  Reinke  was  called  to  the  congregation  in 
New  York,  and  Herman  A.  Brickenstein  took  his 
place  in  Brooklyn.  Brickenstein  served  in  this  ca- 
pacity four  years,  when  he  removed  to  Bethlehem, 
Pa.,  where  he  became  ^^Secretary  of  Publications." 
He  was  succeeded  in  Brooklyn  by  Isaac  Prince,  who 
in  turn  was  succeeded  on  September  3,  1865,  by  Ed- 
ward Rondthaler,  who  served  the  congregation  eight 
years.  A  month  after  Rondthaler's  arrival  the  par- 
sonage was  damaged  by  a  fire  originating  in  a  third- 
story  bedroom.  Firemen  quickly  extinguished  the 
flames.  The  loss  sustained  was  not  great  and  fully 
covered  by  insurance.  A  fire  on  September  24,  1868, 
was  more  destructive.  On  that  day  a  little  paint- 
shop  on  Myrtle  Avenue,  separated  from  the  parson- 
age by  nothing  more  than  a  carpenter-shop  and 
stable,  burst  into  flames,  and  before  the  fire  had 


SECOND  BROOKLYN  CHURCH  253 

spent  itself  the  parsonage  was  in  ashes  and  the 
church  practically  destroyed.  Plans  for  rebuilding 
were  made  immediately,  and  by  June  4,  1869,  it  was 
possible  to  lay  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  church. 
While  the  building  operations  were  going  on  the  con- 
gregation worshipped  and  conducted  its  Sunday 
School  in  the  Washington  Street  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church.  On  October  15,  1871,  the  new  church 
was  consecrated  by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Amadeus  A.  Reinke, 
the  pastor  of  the  mother  church  in  New  York.  The 
offering  of  the  day  amounted  to  |3,07G.  The  sub- 
stantial brick  church  and  parsonage  built  at  that 
time  have  rendered  good  service  ever  since.  Those 
who  served  the  Brooklyn  congregation  after  Edward 
Rondthaler  are  the  following:  Bishop  Henry  A. 
Shultz,  temporarily  in  1873;  Charles  B.  Shultz, 
1874-1877;  Charles  A.  Ricksecker,  1877-1879;  Wil- 
liam Henry  Rice,  1879-1880 ;  Edward  S.  Wolle,  1880- 
1889;  Clarence  E.  Eberman,  1889-1893;  Albert 
Oerter,  1893-1894;  Clarence  E.  Romig,  1894-1903; 
Paul  M.  Greider,  1903-1913 ;  John  Greenfield,  1914- 
1916;  Walter  E.  Besiegel,  1916-1918;  Francis  E. 
Grunert,  1918  to  the  present  time. 

During  the  years  immediately  preceding  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Brooklyn  congregation  other  im- 
portant events  transpired  in  the  Moravian  Church 
of  New  York.  Altho  one  of  them  may  seem  to  us  a 
minor  matter,  it  was  not  so  considered  by  those  who 
were  called  upon  to  decide  it.  At  the  time  two  cus- 
toms obtained  in  the  Moravian  Church  whicli  have 
long  since  become  obsolete.  One  was  the  "Kiss  of 
Peace"  in  connection  with   the  celebration  of  the 


254    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Holy  Communion,  (Vide  page  103)  and  the  other 
the  wearing  of  little  white  caps  by  the  women.  The 
white  caps  were  a  reminder  of  former  days  when 
Moravian  women  wore  a  uniform  head-dress  called 
"Haube,"  with  ribbons  of  different  colors  distin- 
guishing the  choir  divisions  of  a  congregation. 
These  colors  were  the  following :  Blue  for  married 
women ;  white  for  widows ;  pink  for  single  women ; 
dark-red  for  young  girls ;  and  light-red  for  children. 
In  the  early  days  of  Herrnhut  one  style  of  "Haube" 
was  adopted,  and  even  the  female  members  of  Count 
Zinzendorf's  family  wore  it.  This  custom  of  wear- 
ing nothing  but  the  "Haube"  on  the  head  never  ob- 
tained among  the  Moravian  women  in  New  York. 
They  wore  the  head-dress  in  vogue  except  in  church 
on  Communion  and  several  other  occasions.  Gradu- 
ally this  custom  and  that  of  giving  the  "Kiss  of 
Peace''  became  distasteful  to  the  members  of  the 
congregation,  as  well  as  elsewhere  in  the  Moravian 
Church,  and  various  infractions  of  the  rule  ensued. 
At  last  it  was  decided  to  bring  both  matters  before 
Church  Council.  At  the  meeting  held  on  April  11, 
1849,  remarks  on  "the  refractions  of  our  rules  at 
the  Holy  Communion  by  some  of  the  female  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation  wearing  bonnets"  gave 
rise  to  an  animated  discussion  not  only  on  the  sub- 
ject of  female  head-dress,  but  of  the  Kiss  of  Peace 
as  well.  After  considerable  debate  the  following 
question  was  submitted  to  the  Council :  "Shall  the 
wearing  of  bonnets  by  women  at  the  Holy  Com- 
munion be  left  to  the  discretion  of  the  women?" 
This  question  was  decided  in  the  affirmative  by  a  ma- 


CONSTITUTIONAL  CHANGES  255 

jority  vote.  At  this  meeting  it  was  also  decided  that 
the  right-hand  of  fellowship  should  be  substituted 
for  the  Kiss  of  Peace. 

In  the  summer  of  1848  a  General  Synod  was  held 
at  Herrnhut.  It  was  attended  by  David  Bigler  as 
one  of  the  American  representatives.  During  his 
absence  from  May  2  to  October  17  his  place  in  New 
York  was  taken  by  the  Rev.  Edward  H.  Reichel. 
This  Synod  effected  such  constitutional  changes  as 
to  make  the  government  of  the  American  Province 
practically  autonomous.  The  American  Church  au- 
thorities were  now  unhampered,  and  definite  plans 
were  immediately  formulated  for  the  prosecution  of 
home  mission  work  on  a  scale  hitherto  impossible. 
On  March  31,  1849,  a  Home  Missionary  Society  was 
organized  at  Bethlehem,  Pa.  To  this  Society  the 
Provincial  Synod,  held  in  the  following  June,  com- 
mitted the  general  oversight  of  the  work  of  Church 
Extension.  The  formation  of  auxiliary  societies  in 
the  congregations  was  recommended  by  Synod. 
Therefore  the  Home  Missionary  Society  of  the 
United  Brethren's  Church  in  New  York  was  organ- 
ized on  November  7,  1849.  That  the  members  of 
the  congregation  were  interested  in  Home  Mission 
work  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  pledges  amount- 
ing to  four  hundred  and  sixty  dollars  were  received 
at  the  time  of  organization.  This  amount  was  in- 
creased to  seven  hundred  dollars  before  the  close  of 
the  year.  The  Trustees  of  the  Congregation  consti- 
tuted the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Society. 

The  pioneer  home  missionary  of  the  Moravian 
Church  in  America  was  elohn  Frederick  Fett,  who 


256     MOKAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

was  formerly  active  in  the  Diaspora  circles  of 
Switzerland  and  South  Germany.  In  1848  he  was 
employed  as  a  home  missionary  among  the  Germans 
in  Philadelphia.  After  the  Synod  of  1849  he  was 
called  to  undertake  a  tour  among  the  Germans  in 
Wisconsin  and  Illinois.  In  the  middle  of  October 
he  arrived  in  Milwaukee,  where  he  made  the  acquain- 
tance of  Andrew  M.  Iverson,  a  native  of  Norway, 
who  became  acquainted  with  the  Moravian  Church 
thru  the  Diaspora  in  Europe.  Iverson  was  minis- 
tering to  a  small  congregation  of  Scandinavians  in 
Milwaukee,  and  with  them  had  previously  applied 
to  be  received  into  the  Moravian  Church.  Fett  not 
only  recommended  the  granting  of  this  application, 
but  urged  the  ordination  of  Iverson  to  the  Moravian 
ministry.  He  also  found  a  number  of  Germans  who 
had  been  formerly  connected  with  the  Moravian 
Church  in  Europe,  and  urged  the  church  authorities 
to  send  a  home  missionary  to  Milwaukee  to  organize, 
if  possible,  a  German  congregation  in  the  city  or  its 
environs.  In  June,  1850,  Fett  visited  Green  Bay, 
Wisconsin,  a  town  of  about  two  thousand  inhabi- 
tants, including  a  great  many  unchurched  Germans. 
Here  a  Moravian  congregation  was  organized  on 
October  12,  1851.  Fett  came  to  New  York  City  to 
collect  money  for  the  erection  of  a  church  at  Green 
Bay.  The  New  York  congregation  responded  gen- 
erously to  his  appeal.  Its  contribution  amounted 
to  nearly  seven  hundred  dollars.  Bigler  introduced 
Fett  to  William  B.  As  tor,  who  presented  two  lots 
in  Green  Bay  for  the  church  and  parsonage.  While 
in  New  York  Fett  conducted  a  German  service  in 


HOME  MISSION  ACTIVITIES  257 

the  lecture  room  of  the   Houston   Street   church. 
About  twenty-five  Germans  were  in  attendance. 

Ever  since  the  pastorate  of  Van  Vleck  Moravian 
pastors  in  New  York  had  made  sporadic  efforts  to 
minister  to  the   German  immigrants  in  the   city. 
Many  of  these  Germans  had  learned  to  know  the 
Moravian  Church  in  Europe.     It  was  not  until  the 
fall  of  1851,  however,  that  systematic  efforts  were 
put  forth  by  the  Church.     On  October  1  John  G. 
Kaltenbrunn,  formerly  of  the  Silesian  Diaspora,  to- 
gether with  his  wife  and  two  sons,  arrived  in  the 
city  and  took  up  his  residence  in  rooms  at  134  De- 
lancey  Street.    He  had  been  appointed  by  the  Beth- 
lehem Home  Missionary  Society  to  establish  a  Home 
Mission  among  the   German  immigrants.     Kalten- 
brunn  began  his  labors  by  visiting  and  distributing 
German  tracts  procured  from  the  American  Tract 
Society.    On  October  8  he  was  formally  introduced 
to  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Home  Missionary 
Society  of  the  congregation.     The  Board  pledged 
the  Society  for  three  hundred  dollars  toward  his 
support,  promised  to  pay  the  rent  of  his  house,  and 
voted  him  twenty-five  dollars  to  cover  his  expenses 
after  arriving  in  the  city.     The  Society  also  pur- 
chased furniture  for  him  with  the  understanding 
that  while  he  should  have  the  use  of  it,  the  furniture 
should  be  considered  the  property  of  the  Society. 
The  lecture  room  of  the  church  was  placed  at  his 
disposal  for  German  services  on  Thursday  and  Sun- 
day evenings.     Kalteubninn  preached  his  first  ser- 
mon in  the  city  on  October  16  at  a  service  attended 
by  about  fifteen  Germans. 


258     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

In  January,  1852,  a  little  chapel  was  rented  in 
Houston  Street  for  six  months,  and  a  small  congre- 
gation organized.  The  first  service  in  the  new  place 
of  worship  was  held  on  the  18th  of  the  month.  There 
were  about  thirty  people  present.  Sunday  morning 
and  Sunday  evening  services  were  now  instituted, 
and  plans  made  to  organize  a  German  Sunday 
School.  Before  long  Kaltenbrunn's  eyes  turned  west- 
ward, and  on  February  14  the  Board  of  Managers 
of  the  Home  Missionary  Society  met  to  consider  his 
suggestion  that  the  Society  should  purchase  a  tract 
of  about  three  thousand  acres  of  land  in  Michigan 
for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  congregation  there. 
The  Board  declined  to  act  upon  this  suggestion,  but 
pledged  the  Society  to  contribute  two  hundred  dol- 
lars toward  his  support  for  one  year,  if  he  should 
locate  in  Michigan.  The  Brethren  Abraham  Clark 
and  Bowman  promised  as  individuals  to  provide  the 
money  needed  for  the  purchase  of  a  quarter  section 
of  land  to  be  used  in  part  for  church  and  parson- 
age grounds,  and  in  part  for  farming  by  the 
pastor.  For  some  reason  Kaltenbrunn  was  unable 
to  accept  this  kind  offer,  and  continued  his  labors  in 
the  city  about  a  year  longer.  In  the  meantime  he 
abandoned  his  plan  of  going  to  Michigan.  On  March 
30,  1853,  he  left  for  Watertown,  Wisconsin,  to  select 
a  place  for  his  little  congregation.  During  his  ab- 
sence Ulrich  Guenther,  formerly  of  Neudietendorf, 
Germany,  and  now  a  colporteur  of  the  American 
Tract  Society,  looked  after  the  mission  work  in  New 
York. 

Returning  from  the  west  Kaltenbrunn  reported 


HOME  MISSION  ACTIVITIES  259 

to  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Home  Missionary 
Society  that  he  had  found  a  suitable  location  for 
himself  and  little  flock  a  short  distance  from  Water- 
town,  Wisconsin,  and  that  he  and  his  family,  to- 
gether with  five  German  households,  would  remove 
there  in  May.     The  Board  voted  to  contribute  one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  toward  his  support  for 
one  year,  and  Clark  and  Bowman  promised  to  pur- 
chase forty  acres  for  a  church  and  parsonage.     At 
that  time  land  brought  five  dollars  an  acre  in  Wiscon- 
sin.    In  this  way  the  Ebenezer  congregation,  near 
Watertown,  was  founded.     Kaltenbrunn's  place  as 
home  missionary  in  New  York  was  taken  by  Guen- 
ther,  who  soon  added  to  his  labors  here  an  outpost 
at  Greenville,  N.  J.    He  also  preached  every  Sunday 
afternoon  to  unchurched  Germans  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Hamilton  Ferry  in  Brooklyn.    On  Sunday, 
July  31,  1853,  he  was  ordained  a  deacon  of  the  Mo- 
ravian Church  at  Lititz,  Pa.    In  October  of  the  fol- 
lowing year  he  relinquished  his  labors  in  New  York, 
and  with  the  consent  of  the  Provincial  authorities 
took  charge  of  a  German  congregation  in  Newark, 
N.    J.,     under    the    auspices    of    the    Presbyterian 
Church.    He  was  succeeded  by  John  G.  Praeger,  who 
for  a  year  had  assisted  the  Rev.  Philip  Gapp  in 
Philadelphia,  where  he  was  ordained   to   the  Mo- 
ravian ministry  on  November  5,   1854,   by  Bishop 
Jacobson. 

Praeger  with  his  wife  and  mother  arrived  in  New 
York  two  days  after  his  ordination,  and  on  Sun<lay, 
November  12,  preached  his  introductory  sermon. 
At  this  time  the  little  German  flock  numbered  thirty 


260     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

persons.  At  the  celebration  of  the  Holy  Communion 
on  the  last  day  of  the  year  twelve  new  members  were 
received.  On  March  8,  1855,  a  board  of  trustees, 
consisting  of  the  Brethren  Charles  Bachmann, 
Henry  Wolff,  John  Grayer,  Jacob  Hellriegel  and 
John  Rice,  was  elected.  According  to  the  certifi- 
cate of  election  recorded  on  May  5  the  meeting  was 
held  at  Stanton  and  Essex  Streets.  The  congregation 
was  incorporated  under  the  title  of  ^^The  First  Mis- 
sion Church  and  Congregation  of  the  United  Breth- 
ren's Church  of  the  City  of  New  York/'  John 
Kilian  and  Christian  Jenna  were  the  first  elders 
of  the  congregation.  Praeger  labored  with  marked 
success  until  the  year  1858,  when  he  was  succeeded 
by  Adolph  Pinckert.  Unfortunately  the  work  of  the 
Mission  suffered  a  serious  setback  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Pinckert,  whose  intemperate  habits  brought 
about  his  dismissal  from  the  ministry.  For  a  while 
the  congregation  was  without  a  pastor,  the  Rev. 
Edwin  T.  Sensemann,  of  the  English  (First)  church, 
rendering  it  such  service  as  time  and  his  regular 
labors  permitted.  It  looked  for  a  time  as  if  the 
German  Mission  which  had  started  out  so  success- 
fully might  have  to  be  abandoned.  However,  the 
Home  Missionary  Society  of  the  local  congregation 
and  the  Home  Mission  Board  at  Bethlehem  revived 
the  work,  and  in  the  fall  of  1860  the  Rev.  P.  F.  Rom- 
mel was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Mission  church. 
After  three  years  he  was  succeeded  by  M.  Adam  Erd- 
mann,  who  remained  in  charge  for  five  years.  Altho 
a  good  man,  Erdmann  was  injudicious  in  his  dealings 
with  his  superiors  as  well  as  with  some  of  his  mem- 


..       THE  GERMAN  CONGREGATION         261 

bers.  As  a  result,  he  got  into  serious  difficulties  with 
the  mother  congregation,  and  later  with  the  Provin- 
cial Elders'  Conference,  in  consequence  of  which  he 
left  the  Moravian  Church  altogether,  and  took  up 
work  in  another  Church  in  the  city.  This  unfortunate 
trouble  resulted  in  working  great  detriment  and 
loss  to  the  little  congregation  and  to  the  Moravian 
Church  at  large.  At  this  time  the  Rev.  Dr.  William 
Augustus  Muhlenberg,  a  sincere  friend  of  the  Mo- 
ravians, was  putting  forth  strenuous  efforts  to  in- 
terest different  denominations  to  contribute  suffi- 
cient funds  to  build  a  ^^ Union  Church  to  the  Testi- 
mony of  JesuSy'  which  was  to  be  presented  to  the 
Moravian  Church.  This  project  failed  ^'because  of 
the  recalcitrant  spirit  manifested  by  Adam  Erdmann 
toward  the  Provincial  Elders'  Conference  at  a  time 
when  he  stood  high  in  the  estimation  of  the  clergy 
in  the  city."  The  liberal  contributors  who  responded 
to  Muhlenberg's  appeal  "refused  any  longer  to  aid  a 
Church  which  they  imagined  failed  to  sustain  and 
encourage  its  own  faithful  worker." 

From  January  to  September,  1869,  the  German 
congregation  was  served  by  Gotthold  Neef.  In 
November,  1869,  Theodore  Sondermanu  succeeded 
Neef  and  served  the  congregation  under  great  dif- 
ficulties, yet  faithfully,  for  eiglit  years.  Those  who 
have  since  served  the  church  are  Morris  W.  Leibert, 
1877-1885;  William  H.  Rice,  1885-1892;  J.  Erik  Her- 
mann, 1892-1899;  Theodore  Weingarth,  1899-19()(); 
Conrad  E.  Hermsted,  1900  191.S;  Edward  S.  AVolle, 
19i;{  to  the  present  time.  For  the  first  nineteen 
years  of  its  existence;  the  (Jerman  congregation  had 


262     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

no  permanent  place  of  worship.  The  different  meet- 
ing-places in  these  years  of  wandering  were  on  Hous- 
ton Street,  Orchard  Street,  Rivington  Street,  Elev- 
enth Street  near  Avenue  B,  and  the  corner  of  Avenue 
C  and  Fourth  Street.  During  Sondermann's  pas- 
torate a  house  was  purchased  on  East  Sixth  Street 
from  John  Hirsch  and  his  wife  for  |10,000.  In  this 
building,  636  East  Sixth  Street,  a  small  chapel  was 
consecrated  on  February  19,  1871,  by  the  Rev.  Lewis 
F.  Kampman.  This  remained  the  seat  of  the  congre- 
gation until  1906  when,  on  account  of  the  encroach- 
ments of  Hebrews  and  other  foreign-speaking  people, 
the  property  was  sold  to  a  Hebrew  congregation  for 
118,000.  For  a  short  time  the  congregation  held  its 
services  in  the  Reformed  Hungarian  Church  at  121 
East  Seventh  Street,  after  which  it  removed  to  the 
Bronx,  where  the  trustees  purchased  the  "Church 
of  the  Reformation"  and  parsonage,  at  Jennings 
Street  and  Wilkins  Avenue,  from  the  Lutherans  for 
$25,000,  including  the  organ.  Here  the  congrega- 
tion, now  known  as  the  Second  Moravian  Church  of 
New  York  City,  has  carried  on  its  work  for  the  last 
fifteen  years.  All  the  services  of  this  church  are 
now  conducted  in  the  English  language.  Altho  it 
had  a  clear  field  in  the  beginning,  its  growth  is  now 
retarded  by  circumstances  not  unlike  those  which 
made  its  removal  from  Sixth  Street  a  necessity. 

At  the  close  of  1854  Bigler  made  the  following 
record  in  the  diary:  "An  event  of  interest  and  en- 
couragement, and  connected  with  pleasant  results, 
has  been  the  successful  prosecution  of  the  Home 
Mission  work  and  the  enlargement  of  the  field  of 


THE  FRUITFUL  MOTHER  CHURCH     263 

operations  during  the  last  twelve  months.  Our  own 
immediate  field  in  this  city  is  now  under  successful 
culture  at  the  hands  of  our  zealous  and  faithful  mis- 
sionary, Brother  Praeger.  Out  of  the  numbers  col- 
lected thru  the  agency  of  the  three  missionary  breth- 
ren successively  employed  by  the  Home  Missionary 
Society  of  the  Congregation  three  new  and  regular 
Home  Mission  stations  have  been  opened  and  are 
now  in  encouraging  operation.  These  stations  are 
at  New  Haven,  Connecticut ;  Utica,  New  York,  and  at 
Ebenezer,  near  Watertown,  Wisconsin.  There  is  now 
a  zealous  missionary  at  each  of  these  places.  In  ad- 
dition to  these  a  congregation  numbering  nearly  two 
hundred  persons,  organized  a  few  years  ago  in 
Newark,  N.  J.,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  has  recently  called  to  its  service,  with 
the  sanction  of  the  Provincial  Board,  our  Brother 
Guenther,  who  is  now  laboring  there  with  marked 
success.  Thus  our  little  society  under  the  blessing 
of  God  has  been  directly  instrumental  in  opening  and 
cultivating  four  other  mission-stations  besides  its 
own."  In  the  memorabilia  for  the  year,  he  says: 
^'Another  subject  of  gratulation  is  the  encourage- 
ment which  we  have  received  recently  in  our  Sunday 
School.  Owing  in  part  to  our  location,  the  class  of 
inhabitants  around  us,  and  other  causes  over  which 
we  could  exercise  no  control,  our  Sunday  School  had 
dwindled  down  to  the  small  number  of  thirty-three 
scholars.  So  discouraging  had  it  become  that  the 
idea  of  discontinuing  the  school  altogether  forced 
itself  upon  our  mind.  Within  the  last  two  or  three 
months,  cliieliy  thru  the  agency  of  a  young  man,  a 


264    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

native  of  Greece,  who  is  preparing  himself  for  the 
ministry  at  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  in  this 
city,  our  number  of  scholars  has  increased  to  sixty- 
five,  so  that  we  now  have  eight  classes  and  employ 
eight  teachers."  The  employment  of  a  church- 
worker  was  not  new.  The  congregation  had  done  so 
from  time  to  time  as  far  back  as  the  year  1760. 

On  January  31,  1855,  the  congregation  held  a 
meeting  of  Church  Council  for  the  purpose  of  elect- 
ing delegates  to  the  Provincial  Synod  which  con- 
vened at  Bethlehem  in  May.  The  Brethren  Bigler 
and  Clark  were  chosen  to  represent  the  congrega- 
tion at  this  Synod  after  Church  Council  had  decided 
hy  a  majority  vote  that  the  women  should  he  al- 
lowed to  vote  on  this  or  any  other  matter  relating 
to  the  best  interests  of  the  congregation.  A  com- 
mittee consisting  of  the  Brethren  Bigler,  Bininger, 
Clark,  Van  Pelt,  and  Neidlinger  was  then  appointed 
"to  take  into  consideration  such  instructions  as 
might  be  necessary  to  confide  to  the  delegates  to 
Synod."  This  committee  brought  before  a  subse- 
quent meeting  of  Church  Council  a  number  of  rec- 
ommendations which  were  embodied  in  the  following 
memorial  to  Synod :  "In  view  of  the  present  state, 
the  requirements,  and  the  future  state  of  our  Church 
in  the  United  States,  it  is  the  opinion  of  the  Mora- 
vian congregation  in  New  York  that  the  Church  in 
America  should  undergo  a  radical  change  in  its 
government,  canons,  and  legislative  capacity.  It 
believes  that  the  time  has  come  when  the  Church 
here  should  be  entirely  free  and  independent  of,  and 
untrammeled  by,  any  extraneous  body  in  its  civil 


CHANGES  PROPOSED  265 

and  ecclesiastical  affairs.  It  is  of  the  opinion  that 
no  measure  short  of  this  can  give  to  the  Church  the 
spiritual  life,  vigor,  and  activity  within,  and  place 
it  in  a  proper  condition  to  carry  out  the  intentions 
and  designs  of  our  blessed  Redeemer  and  Saviour  of 
the  world  in  the  work  of  evangelizing  the  people  and 
in  the  extension  of  His  Kingdom  in  this  country. 
^'The  experience  of  a  century  has  fully  shown  that 
a  government  centered  in  the  heart  of  Europe,  where 
the  language,  laws,  customs,  habits,  and  genius  of 
the  people  are  essentially  different  from  those  pre- 
vailing here,  cannot  with  the  most  sincere  intention 
either  understand  or  properly  provide  for  our  wants 
and  exigencies,  and  that  even  were  it  possible  the 
distance  is  too  great  to  act  always,  if  ever,  with  suf- 
ficient promptitude.  It  would  recommend  and  ad- 
vise in  view  of  these  important  considerations  that 
the  Church  in  this  country.  North,  South,  East  and 
West,  unite  in  a  general  convention  at  a  central 
place,  so  that  a  plan  of  government  and  code  of 
laws,  or  constitution,  may  be  formulated  which 
shall  be  adapted  to  the  requirements  of  each  and 
all  quarters  of  the  Church,  and  that,  if  possible,  it 
may  be  unanimously  and  harmoniously  adopted.  It 
would  further  observe  that  whatever  action  be  taken 
is  merely  of  a  preliminary  and  provisional  character 
intended  to  result  in  unity  and  in  the  formation  of 
plans  which  shall  form  a  basis  and  material  for  a 
General  Synod  to  work  out,  elaborate,  and  mature. 
That  the  Church  as  hitherto  constituted  has  proved 
itself  in  many  respects  inefficient,  unwieldy,  and 
not  subservient  to  the  best  interests  of  the  Church, 


266     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

its  unflourishing  condition  being  partly  due  to  this 
cause,  therefore  be  it 

Resolved  First,  That  Synod  consider  if  the  whole 
system  of  church  government  in  this  country  might 
not  with  great  profit  undergo  an  entire  change,  and 
be  it 

Resolved  Second,  That  the  title  of  the  Church  shall 
be  ^The  Moravian  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United 
States  of  America/ 

Resolved  Third,  That  the  Church  be  divided  for  the 
purpose  of  convenience,  economy,  and  sectional  ne- 
cessities into  three  Provinces,  namely,  a  Northern, 
Southern,  and  Western  Province,  each  one  having 
its  separate  government  for  the  conduct  of  its  local 
and  internal  affairs,  over  which  shall  be  placed  a 
Bishop  and  a  Vice  Bishop,  the  choice  of  whom  shall 
be  determined  by  an  election  of  the  congregations 
which  comprize  the  Province. 

Resolved  Fourth,  That  the  spiritual  interests,  wel- 
fare, and  happiness  of  the  Church  be  enhanced  by 
the  elevation  and  promotion  of  the  office  of  a  Bishop, 
so  that  he  may  be  more  actively  and  intimately  em- 
ployed in  the  spiritual  affairs  of  the  Church,  his 
functions  being  no  longer  merely  that  of  ordination, 
but  of  an  overseer  of  the  flock  of  Christ,  a  visitor  and 
promoter  of  love,  unity,  and  uniformity  among  the 
congregations,  who  incites  them  to  do  their  duties  in 
prosecuting  the  cause  and  promoting  the  welfare 
and  extension  of  the  Church. 

Resolved  Fifth,  That  to  promote  and  insure  unity 
of  purpose  and  action  in  the  whole  Church  in  this 
country,  and  for  the  common  good  and  welfare  there 


CHANGES  PROPOSED  267 

shall  be  convened  a  General  Convention  or  Synod  of 
the  Church  as  often  as  circumstances  require,  such 
convention  or  synod  to  be  composed  of  a  suitable 
number  of  ministerial  and  lay  delegates  from  each 
Province  of  the  Church. 

Resolved  Sixth,  That  the  bishops  together  with 
the  vice  bishops  shall  constitute  an  Upper  House 
called  the  House  of  Bishops.  (1)  They  shall  elect 
one  of  their  number  as  President,  who  shall  have 
only  a  casting  vote  in  case  of  a  tie-vote;  (2)  No 
measure  shall  originate  in  the  House  of  Bishops, 
but  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  this  House  to  canvass, 
review,  and  consider  all  measures  passed  by  the 
Lower  House,  and  its  approval  shall  make  them 
laws;  (3)  Should  the  members  of  the  Upper  House 
disagree,  they  shall  return  the  bill  with  written  ob- 
jections; the  same,  however,  shall  become  a  law, 
either  by  coinciding  with  the  House  of  Bishops,  or 
by  a  majority  of  two-thirds  of  the  members  present 
at  a  meeting  of  the  Lower  House. 

Resolved  Seventh,  That,  as  experience  has  shown 
that  the  Lot  may  be  abused  in  its  employment,  its 
use  be  dispensed  with  in  the  future  administration 
of  the  affairs  of  the  government  of  the  Church. 

Resolved  Eighth,  That  the  constitution  and  the 
laws  of  the  Church  be  duly  digested,  codified,  and 
published  in  a  convenient  form  so  that  there  may  be 
no  uncertainty  or  misapprehension  concerning  them. 

Resolved  Ninth,  That  a  standard  form  of  church 
worship  be  agreed  upon,  and  that  it  shall  be  incum- 
bent upon  every  minister  of  a  congregation  to  adopt 
and  use  it. 


268    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Resolved  Tenth,  That  the  English  language  be  the 
acknowledged  tongue  of  the  Church,  and  that  suit- 
able efforts  be  taken  to  use  it  on  all  consistent  and 
practical  occasions.  .  .  . 

Resolved  Eleventh,  That  if  possible  a  weekly 
church  paper  be  established." 

The  memorial  contained  two  additional  resolu- 
tions bearing  upon  the  Theological  Seminary  and  the 
library  connected  with  it.  Altho  Synod  was  un- 
willing to  adopt  a  diocesan  form  of  government,  a 
committee  was  appointed  to  recast  tentatively  the 
constitution  of  the  Church,  so  as  to  meet  American 
requirements.  This  committee,  to  whom  the  me- 
morial of  the  New  York  congregation  was  referred, 
consisted  of  the  following  ministers :  David  Bigler, 
Samuel  Reinke,  Henry  A.  Shultz,  Philip  Goepp,  and 
William  Eberman;  and  the  lay  brethren,  Jacob 
Blickensderfer,  Sr.,  and  Jacob  Blickensderfer,  Jr. 
The  former  title  of  the  Church  was  retained,  but 
such  constitutional  measures  were  adopted  as  to 
provide  for  Provincial  self-government.  Supreme 
authority  was  vested  in  the  Provincial  Synod  com- 
posed of  ministers  and  lay-men,  and  the  executive 
administration  devolved  upon  a  collegiate  confer- 
ence of  ministers  known  as  the  Provincial  Elders' 
Conference,  Resolution  Eleven  of  the  New  York 
congregation  was  adopted  by  Synod,  and  ^^The  Mo- 
ravian"  became  the  official  weekly  church-paper 
with  the  Rev.  Edmund  de  Schweinitz,  then  pastor  of 
the  Philadelphia  church,  its  first  Editor.  The  first 
issue  of  Tlie  Moravian  appeared  on  January  1,  1856. 
Synod  also  effected  a  change  in  the  administration 


SOME  CHANGES  EFFECTED  269 

of  Home  Missions.  The  control  of  them  was  taken 
from  the  Home  Missionary  Society  of  Bethlehem 
and  given  into  the  hands  of  a  Provincial  Home  Mis- 
sion Board.  This  Board  consisted  of  the  Provincial 
Elders'  Conference  and  eight  other  men  elected  by 
Synod.  Those  chosen  were  Charles  F.  Seidel,  Henry 
A.  Shultz,  David  Bigler,  Sylvester  Wolle,  Francis 
Holland,  and  Francis  WoUe,  as  ministerial  repre- 
sentatives, and  the  lay  brethren,  Abraham  Clark,  of 
New  York  City,  and  Frederick  Wilhelm  of  Phila- 
delphia. 

On  August  2,  1855,  Bigler  received  the  call  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  Bethlehem  congregation  to  take  the 
place  of  the  Rev.  Lewis  F.  Kampman,  who  took 
charge  of  the  Lancaster  church.  On  September  5 
the  Trustees  of  the  New  York  congregation  passed  a 
formal  resolution  accepting  the  Rev.  Edwin  T.  Sense- 
man  of  West  Salem,  Illinois,  as  Bigler's  successor. 
On  November  18  the  beloved  pastor,  who  for  more 
than  thirteen  years  had  guided  the  affairs  of  the 
congregation  and  Home  Mission  activities  in  the 
city,  which  resulted  in  a  substantial  increase  in  mem- 
bership and  in  the  organization  of  a  number  of  new 
congregations,  preached  his  farewell  sermon  from 
II  Corinthians  13:  11  to  a  large  circle  of  members 
and  friends  who  were  loath  to  see  him  leave  the 
city.  At  the  farewell  love  feast  in  the  afternoon 
the  lecture  room  of  the  church  was  crowded  with 
members  of  the  congregation  and  Sunday  School, 
and  many  representatives  of  the  Brooklyn  and  Ger- 
man congregations.  During  the  week  Bigler  left 
with  his  family  for  Bethlehem,  and  on  December  6 


270    MOKAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

his  successor,  with  his  sister  Miss  Emma  Senseman, 
arrived  in  New  York  and  took  up  his  residence  at 
the  parsonage,  522  Houston  Street.  On  the  follow- 
ing Sunday  Senseman  was  installed  as  pastor  by 
Bishop  Peter  Wolle,  a  member  of  the  Provincial 
Elders'  Conference,  and  preached  his  introductory 
sermon  from  II  Corinthians  4:  5. 

Senseman  was  a  widower  when  he  came  to  the 
city,  but  his  sister  kept  house  for  him,  therefore 
the  women  of  the  congregation,  desiring  to  make  the 
parsonage  as  comfortable  and  attractive  as  possible, 
held  a  fair  and  festival  on  March  11  and  12,  1856, 
in  several  rooms  of  the  Mercantile  Library  building 
at  Astor  Place  and  Eighth  Street,  for  the  purpose 
of  raising  money  to  refurnish  the  parsonage.  In 
June  of  the  same  year  Christian  Bentel,  a  member 
of  the  congregation,  was  ordained  a  deacon  of  the 
Moravian  Church,  and  in  July  took  charge  of  the 
newly  organized  Home  Mission  at  Olney,  Illinois. 
On  January  5,  1857,  Senseman  was  married  to  Miss 
Sarah  Lueders,  a  teacher  in  the  Young  Ladies'  Sem- 
inary at  Bethlehem,  Bishop  Jacobson  officiating. 
During  the  following  summer  he  attended  the  Gen- 
eral Synod  at  Herrnhut.  In  his  absence  the  pulpit 
was  supplied  by  the  Brethren  Henry  A.  Shultz, 
David  Bigler,  Peter  Wolle,  C.  F.  Seidel,  Edward  T. 
Kluge,  and  Amadeus  Reinke.  Two  noteworthy 
events  of  the  year  1858  are  mentioned  in  the  diary. 
One  is  the  great  religious  revival  which  affected 
nearly  all  branches  of  Protestantism  during  this  and 
the  succeeding  year.  The  work  of  grace  had  its  be- 
ginning at  a  Union  Prayer  Meeting  held  in  January 


WEEK  OF  PRAYER  INSTITUTED       271 

in  the  old  Dutch  Reformed  Church  on  Fulton  Street 
immediately  opposite  the  site  of  the  former  Mo- 
ravian church.  The  revival  spread  thruout  the  coun- 
try and  to  other  parts  of  the  world.  It  was  nowhere 
more  successful  than  in  New  York  City.  Naturally 
the  congregation  felt  its  gracious  influence.  The 
other  event  was  the  successful  laying  of  the  Atlantic 
cable.  On  August  17  complete  connections  of  the 
cable  with  the  receiving  instruments  and  land-wire 
were  made  and  the  following  message  sent  over  the 
wire:  ^'Europe  and  America  are  united  by  tele- 
graph. Glory  to  God  in  the  highest ;  on  earth,  peace 
and  goodwill  towards  men."  Messages  between  the 
Queen  and  President  of  the  United  States,  and  other 
officials  followed.  The  great  event  was  enthusias- 
tically celebrated  in  New  York  as  elsewhere  on  both 
sides  of  the  Atlantic. 

When  reports  of  the  remarkable  religious  awaken- 
ing in  the  United  States  reached  India  the  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  Mission  of  Lodiana  issued  a 
call  for  a  universal  concert  of  prayer  to  be  held  an- 
nually during  the  first  week  of  January.  This  call 
met  with  a  hearty  response,  and  the  Moravian  con- 
gregation in  New  York  joined  other  churches  thru- 
out the  world  in  observing  the  first  Week  of  Prayer 
in  the  year  18G0.  Senseman  was  always  ready  to 
follow  any  good  suggestion  for  the  advancement  of 
the  cause  of  Christ.  He  was  also  prepared  to  under- 
take any  work  to  which  he  believed  himself  called 
by  the  Lord.  Therefore  he  cheerfully  accepted  the 
editorship  of  "The  Moravian/'  beginning  his  editorial 
labors   in   January,   1859.     After  the  dismissal   of 


272     MOKAVIAN  CHUECH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Pinckert  he  likewise  consented  to  look  after  the 
work  of  the  German  Mission  church  until  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  regular  pastor.    In  September,  1860, 
he  accepted  the  call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Staten 
Island   congregation,   and  in  October  he  left   for 
his  new  field  of  labor.    He  was  succeeded  in  the  city 
by  the  Rev.  Edwin  E.  Reinke,  a  great  grandson  of 
Abraham  Reinke,  the  second  settled  pastor  of  the 
congregation.  Reinke  remained  only  a  short  time.  In 
the  summer  of  1862  he  was  transferred  to  Olney,  Il- 
linois, the  Rev.  Joseph  Horsfield  Kummer,  a  great 
grandson  of  Timothy  Horsfield,  who  was  active  in  the 
early  years  of  Moravian  labors  in  New  York  City, 
succeeding  him.    On  August  3  Kummer  preached  his 
introductory  sermon  from  Isaiah  40:  9,  and  then, 
according  to  custom,  the  church  was  closed  for  a 
month.    At  this  time  there  was  no  Sunday  School 
in  the  congregation,  altho  a  mission  school  on  Sun- 
day afternoons  rendered  some  service  in  the  com- 
munity.    On  September  14  Kummer  commenced  a 
morning  Sunday  School  with  nine  scholars  and  four 
teachers.    The  communicant  membership  at  this  time 
numbered  seventy-four. 

The  latest  edition  of  the  Discipline  and  Rules  of  the 
Congregation  having  been  issued  in  1830,  a  new  and 
revised  edition  was  drawn  up  in  accordance  with  the 
recent  constitutional  changes  wrought  in  the  Mo- 
ravian Church  at  large,  and  published  in  neat  and 
attractive  form  in  the  summer  of  1863.  In  July  of 
the  same  year  the  work  of  the  congregation  was 
greatly  disturbed  by  the  excitement  attendant  upon 
the  Draft  Riots.    On  the  approach  of  the  Civil  War 


A  CHILD  MARTYR  273 

many  people  in  the  city  favored  the  South,  and  in 
January,  1861,  Mayor  Wood  proclaimed  secession 
"a  fixed  fact."  He  proposed  that  an  independent 
commonwealth  to  be  called  ''Tri-InsuW  should  be 
formed  out  of  Manhattan,  Long  and  Staten  Islands. 
Altho  the  city  as  a  whole  loyally  supported  the  Union 
during  the  War,  in  July,  1863,  the  Draft  Riots  took 
place.  They  lasted  four  days,  during  which  business 
was  brought  to  a  standstill,  property  worth  more 
than  11,500,000  destroyed,  and  more  than  one  thou- 
sand persons  killed.  Among  the  lives  lost  was  that 
of  little  Joseph  Reed,  a  member  of  the  Sunday  School 
of  the  Episcopal  congregation  then  in  possession  of 
the  church  at  Lexington  Avenue  and  Thirtieth 
Street,  which  was  later  purchased  by  the  Moravians. 
A  memorial  tablet  placed  on  the  north  wall  of  the 
lecture  room  remains  to  this  day.  It  bears  the  fol- 
lowing inscription :  "A  child  martyr,  we  hold  in 
memory  Joseph  Reed,  aged  7  years,  a  scholar  in  the 
infant  class  of  this  school.  Died  from  injuries  re- 
ceived during  the  riot,  July  23,  1863.  'His  child  was 
caught  up  unto  God,  and  to  His  Throne.^  Rev. 
12 :  5." 

In  view  of  the  great  services  which  Brother 
Charles  Augustus  Zoebisch  rendered  the  congrega- 
tion in  later  years  it  may  be  of  interest  to  record  that 
he  was  elected  a  trustee  of  the  church  for  the  first 
time  on  December  23,  1863.  For  the  purpose  of 
stimulating  greater  interest  in  Foreign  Missions  the 
Rev.  Philip  Schaff,  D.D.,  preached  a  missionary  ser- 
mon in  the  Houston  Street  church  on  April  10,  1864. 
In  June  of  the  same  year  an  efi^ort  was  made  to  start 


274    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

a  Sunday  School  at  Williamsburg,  where  a  number 
of  members  of  the  congregation  lived  at  the  time. 
After  a  while  the  project  was  abandoned.  Altho 
the  congregation  made  progress  for  the  first  ten 
years  after  its  removal  from  Fulton  Street,  it  was 
not  long  before  it  became  apparent  that  the  new 
location  of  the  church  was  not  as  desirable  as  first 
supposed.  There  were  a  great  many  Roman  Catho- 
lics in  the  community  and  only  a  few  unchurched 
Protestants.  For  this  reason  the  Sunday  School 
never  flourished.  As  the  better  class  of  citizens  re- 
moved to  more  agreeable  localities,  a  less  desirable 
element  came  into  the  community.  After  a  time  it 
was  not  at  all  pleasant  for  people  to  attend  evening 
meetings  in  the  church.  The  services  were  fre- 
quently disturbed  by  children  and  young  people  in 
the  street  outside.  Once  a  stone  was  hurled  thru  a 
church  window  while  a  service  was  in  progress. 
Complaint  was  made  to  the  police  captain,  who 
promised  to  station  one  of  his  men  outside  the  church 
during  the  hours  of  service.  However,  matters  did 
not  improve  very  much.  It  became  increasingly 
apparent  that  it  would  be  best  to  remove  the  church 
to  another  neighborhood.  On  December  29,  1858, 
Church  Council  earnestly  debated  the  matter  of  re- 
moval, but  there  was  strong  opposition  to  the  pro- 
posed change,  and  consequently  no  definite  action 
was  taken.  At  last  the  situation  became  insuffer- 
able, and  in  August,  1865,  by  a  majority  vote,  the 
property  was  sold  for  |30,000.  The  last  service  in 
the  Houston  Street  church  was  held  on  Sunday, 
September  the  third. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  HOMELESS  YEARS  OF  THE 
CONGREGATION 

It  was  a  great  mistake  for  the  congregation  to 
remain  so  long  in  Houston  Street.  In  the  last  few 
years  at  that  location  there  were  few,  if  any  ac- 
cessions to  the  church,  the  communicant  membership 
dwindled  to  fifty-nine,  the  Sunday  School  had  to  be 
given  up  for  want  of  scholars,  and  in  every  way  the 
work  suffered  greatly  by  delaying  the  removal  of 
the  church  to  a  more  desirable  locality.  The  home- 
less years  which  ensued  after  the  sale  of  the  church- 
property  added  further  to  the  detriment  already 
suffered.  It  is  always  unwise  to  give  up  or  sell  a 
house  before  another  has  been  engaged  or  purchased, 
and  this  was  especially  true  in  this  case.  Before 
the  sale  of  the  church-property  the  Trustees  made 
temporary  provision  for  the  congregation  by  renting 
the  dismal  and  by  no  means  clean  Hall  of  the  College 
of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  on  the  corner  of  Fourth 
Avenue  and  Twenty-third  Street.  On  September 
10  the  first  service  was  held  in  this  place.  The  rental 
was  five  hundred  dollars  a  year  with  the  right  of 
using  the  hall  on  Sunday  morning  and  evening,  and 
on  one  week-day  evening.  When  this  temporary  ar- 
rangement was  made  it  was  thought  a  comparatively 
easy  matter  to  find  a  suitable  church-site  or  building 
as  well  as  a  parsonage.  The  event  belied  the  sup- 
position. 

275 


276    MOKAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Kummer  having  laid  down  his  work,  the  Rev. 
Amadeus  A.  Reinke,  a  brother  of  Edwin  E.  Reinke, 
was  called  to  take  his  place.  On  November  19  he 
preached  his  introductory  sermon.  His  text  was, 
"Brethren,  pray  for  us,  that  the  word  of  the  Lord 
may  have  free  course,  and  be  glorified." — II  Thess. 
3 : 1.  The  newly  appointed  pastor  surely  needed  the 
abundant  prayers  of  his  brethren  under  the  trying 
circumstances  which  attended  the  entrance  upon  his 
labors.  In  spite  of  the  most  earnest  efiforts  put 
forth  by  the  trustees  and  real  estate  agents  whose 
aid  had  been  enlisted,  it  was  impossible  to  find  any- 
where a  house  for  the  minister,  to  say  nothing  of 
securing  a  building  for  a  permanent  church-home. 
The  rents  were  exorbitant,  and  the  price  asked  for 
building-lots  prohibitive.  Brother  Reinke  had  to 
leave  his  family  at  Bethlehem,  Pa.  While  in  the 
city  he  stayed  at  the  homes  of  different  members, 
but  principally  at  the  hospitable  home  of  Brother 
C.  A.  Zoebisch  on  Clinton  Street,  Brooklyn. 

At  last  thru  the  kindness  of  a  friend,  Edward 
Banker,  Sr.,  of  Staten  Island,  he  secured  the  promise 
of  a  house  at  41  West  23rd  Street  at  a  rental  of 
$1,200  a  year,  which  was  exactly  |500  less  than  the 
rent  paid  for  similar  houses  in  the  neighborhood. 
However,  this  house  could  not  be  had  before  the  fol- 
lowing May,  and  that  time  was  still  distant.  In  the 
meantime.  Brother  Reinke  made  serious  efforts  to 
remain  in  the  city  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the 
members  of  the  congregation,  but  for  some  reason, 
principally  financial,  this  was  found  impracticable. 
Naturally  the  enforced  residence  of  the  pastor  out- 


EFFORTS  TO  SECURE  A  CHURCH      277 

side  the  city  proved  detrimental  to  the  work.  Sev- 
eral members  left  the  church  altogether,  while  others 
became  careless  and  indifferent  about  attending 
services.  Surely  the  lot  of  the  conscientious  pastor 
was  not  a  happy  one.  Once  when  a  general  strike 
among  the  cab-drivers  added  to  his  inconvenience 
on  Sunday,  he  and  Brother  Zoebisch  had  to  walk  all 
the  way  from  South  Ferry  to  Twenty-third  Street, 
and  back.  The  exercise  was  no  doubt  beneficial,  but 
rather  vigorous  before  and  after  conducting  a 
preaching  service.  At  length  May  came,  and  by  the 
25th  of  the  month  the  pastor  and  his  family  were 
comfortably  settled  in  their  new  home,  a  two-story 
frame  house  on  West  Twenty-third  Street. 

Efforts  to  secure  a  church  were  vigorously  con- 
tinued, but  without  success.  A  Unitarian  church  at 
Madison  Avenue  and  Twenty-eighth  Street  was  for 
sale,  but  the  price  asked  was  $70,000.  The  French 
Episcopal  church  on  Twenty-second  Street  could 
have  been  purchased  for  |100,000,  but  prices  like 
these  were  beyond  the  means  of  the  congregation, 
and  could  not  be  considered.  Building  lots  were 
sold  at  $15,000  each.  While  the  quest  for 
a  church-home  continued  with  unremitting  zeal, 
the  congregation  made  some  progress.  On  October 
9,  1866,  a  Sunday  School  was  organized  with 
ten  scholars  present.  The  profiteer  was  at  large 
then  as  now,  and  on  March  13,  1867,  the  pastor 
was  notified  that  from  henceforth  his  rent  would 
be  $1,700  a  year.  For  the  time  being  there 
was  nothing  to  do  but  to  pay  it.  The  price  of  real 
estate  was  going  up  by  leaps  and  bounds.    The  rents 


278    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

of  stores  on  Broadway  jumped  from  |10,000  to  |40,- 
000  per  annum.  At  this  time  it  was  decided  to  leave 
the  Hall  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons. 
It  was  daily  used  as  a  lecture-room  for  about  two 
hundred  students,  and  when  the  congregation  met 
for  the  Sunday  services  the  room  was  in  no  desirable 
condition.  The  cabinet  organ  of  the  church  had  to 
be  crated  or  boxed  during  the  week  to  save  it  from 
destruction.  The  hall  had  the  further  drawback  of 
being  removed  from  the  street  by  two  long  flights  of 
stairs,  one  outside  and  the  other  inside  the  building, 
besides  being  in  a  neighborhood  where  three  large 
Methodist,  Episcopal  and  Presbyterian  churches 
were  at  work.  Therefore  the  last  service  was  held 
there  on  May  19,  1867,  the  Rev.  Lewis  P.  Clewell, 
then  on  a  collecting  tour  for  a  church  in  Iowa, 
preaching  the  sermon.  Three  weeks  later  the  con- 
gregation met  in  the  Chapel  of  the  Home  of  the 
Friendless  on  the  north  side  of  Twenty-ninth  Street, 
between  Madison  and  Fourth  Avenue.  The  rental 
of  the  Chapel  was  |700  a  year.  The  children  in  the 
Home  attended  the  Moravian  Sunday  School,  and 
continued  to  do  so  for  some  time  after  the  congre- 
gation had  found  permanent  quarters. 

On  March  11, 1868,  the  pastor  celebrated  his  forty- 
sixth  birthday  anniversary.  This  celebration  was  of 
more  than  ordinary  importance.  The  evening  before 
the  members  gave  him  a  pleasant  surprise,  and  as  a 
mark  of  their  esteem  presented  him  with  a  gold 
watch  worth  two  hundred  dollars.  Among  the  many 
friends  who  came  to  felicitate  the  pastor  on  the  an- 
niversary day  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  William  T.  Sabine, 


THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  MEDIATOR     279 

rector  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  at  Madison  Avenue 
and  Twenty-eighth  Street.  Out  of  the  abundance  of 
the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh,  and  before  long 
Brother  Reinke  told  his  friend  what  a  hardship  it 
was  not  to  have  a  church-home.  Dr.  Sabine  said  the 
'^Church  of  the  Mediator''  at  Lexington  Avenue  and 
Thirtieth  Street  was  for  sale,  and  suggested  that  an 
effort  be  made  to  purchase  it.  This  church  was 
built  by  the  Baptists,  from  whom  it  was  purchased 
by  J.  D.  Wolfe  and  his  sister  to  serve  as  a  home  for 
an  Episcopal  Mission  congregation.  The  mission 
did  not  prove  successful,  and  after  a  time  the  edifice 
was  given  to  the  Episcopal  congregation  served  by 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Stephen  H.  Tyng,  Jr.,  on  condition  that 
Wolfe  must  be  consulted  should  the  congregation  at 
any  time  desire  to  dispose  of  the  property.  The 
Moravian  Trustees  weighed  the  matter  carefully, 
and  finally  authorized  Brother  Reinke  to  send  a 
letter  to  Dr.  Tyng,  offering  |30,000  for  the  church. 
Altho  this  letter  was  mailed  on  April  22,  it  was  not 
answered  until  October  the  fourth. 

It  was  a  long,  weary  wait  for  the  pastor,  but  not 
wholly  unrelieved.  There  were  other  troubles  to 
engage  his  more  immediate  interest  and  attention. 
The  house  in  which  he  lived  having  been  sold,  he 
was  obliged  to  spend  much  of  his  time  tramping 
about  on  the  streets  in  quest  of  another  dwelling- 
place.  After  a  weary  search  he  at  last  found  a  house 
at  147  East  Twenty-seventh  Street  which  rented 
for  |2,000  a  year.  The  price  was  exorbitant,  but 
there  was  no  alternative,  and  so  it  was  paid.  On 
May  1,  1868,  the  pastor  and  his  family  removed  to 


280     MOKAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

the  newly  rented  house,  in  which  the  mother  of  the 
landlord,  being  too  feeble  to  be  moved,  retained  a 
room.  Finally  the  eagerly  awaited  letter  from  Dr. 
Tyng  made  its  appearance.  The  cause  of  the  delay 
was  the  absence  of  Mr.  Wolfe  in  Paris.  The  trus- 
tees were  informed  that  ^'the  price  of  the  Church  of 
the  Mediator  was  |35,000,  and  not  a  dollar  less." 
They  were  not  prepared  to  pay  this  price,  therefore, 
after  some  delay,  a  congregational  meeting  was  held 
on  December  31,  at  which  it  was  decided  to  make 
the  purchase.  After  further  negotiations  with  the 
Episcopalians  the  church  was  at  last  purchased  on 
February  1,  1869,  for  the  sum  of  |35,000,  the  pur- 
chasing price  including  the  organ  and  fixtures.  At 
the  time  of  purchase  the  Episcopal  mission  con- 
gregation worshipping  in  the  church  was  served  by 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Homans.  The  church  was  painted  and 
repaired  at  an  early  day,  and  all  these  expenses  and 
the  purchasing  price  could  be  paid  in  cash,  leaving 
the  congregation  without  a  cent  of  debt.  Two  years 
later  the  congregation  was  offered  |45,000  for  the 
property,  but  the  members  had  been  without  a  regu- 
lar church-home  for  three  years,  seven  months,  and 
fifteen  days,  therefore  this  proposition  was  not  con- 
sidered for  a  moment. 

On  Sunday,  April  18,  1869,  the  congregation  held 
its  first  service  in  the  newly  acquired  church. 
Bishop  David  C.  Bigler,  a  former  pastor,  officiating. 
His  sermon  was  based  on  the  words,  ^^And  yet  there 
is  room."  The  Rev.  Dr.  S.  I.  Prince  also  spoke  at 
the  morning  service.  In  the  afternoon  the  Rev.  A.  R. 
Thompson  preached  an  eloquent  sermon  from  the 


NEW  HOME  OF  CONGREGATION       281 

words,  "Rooted  and  grounded  in  love."  The  Holy 
Communion  was  celebrated  in  the  evening,  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  persons  partaking.  This  number  in- 
cluded communicant  friends  from  other  churches.  At 
this  service  Sarah  Elizabeth  Reinke,  the  daughter  of 
the  pastor,  and  later  the  wife  of  Mr.  Judson  T.  Fran- 
cis, was  admitted  to  the  communicant  membership  of 
the  congregation  by  the  rite  of  confirmation  by  Bishop 
Bigler.  Mrs.  Francis  has  been  a  highly  esteemed 
member  of  the  congregation  ever  since.  At  the  same 
service,  Olivia,  the  wife  of  Henry  Schroeder,  was 
received  from  the  Lutheran  Church  by  the  right  hand 
of  fellowship.  The  choir,  assisted  by  a  Maennerchor, 
under  the  direction  of  Prof.  Henry  Haar,  the  organ- 
ist, rendered  excellent  music  thruout  the  day.  The 
soloist  was  Miss  Rokohl.  Miss  Tillie  Anstatt,  now 
Mrs.  David  B.  Nedwell,  was  a  member  of  the  choir. 
It  was  a  happy  day  for  pastor  and  people,  and  the 
work  of  the  congregation  received  a  new  impulse. 

Altho  the  pastor  was  seriously  handicapped  by 
conditions  beyond  his  control  in  the  homeless  years 
of  the  congregation,  his  earnest  efforts  and  faithful 
visiting  among  the  people  bore  fruit.  When  he 
took  charge  of  the  work  the  membership  was  not 
only  small,  but  more  or  less  disaffected.  Under  his 
consecrated  leadership  the  scattered  forces  were 
brought  together  and  remained  a  unit  thruout  the 
years  of  his  long,  fruitful  pastorate.  Altho  the  bur- 
den of  the  homeless  church  rested  heavily  upon  him, 
he  yet  found  time  to  further  the  interests  of  the  Mo- 
ravian Church  at  large.  When  on  October  18,  1865, 
a  hurricane  left  only  eight  houses  standing  in  Blue- 


282    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

fields,  Nicaragua,  and  these  half  in  ruins,  and  se- 
riously damaged  the  second  ^'Messenger  of  Peace/' 
a  small  schooner  used  in  carrying  on  Moravian  mis- 
sion-work on  the  Moskito  Coast,  where  Brother 
Reinke  had  been  one  of  the  pioneer  missionaries,  he 
used  both  voice  and  pen  to  arouse  interest  and  to 
raise  money  for  the  rehabilitation  of  the  sorely  af- 
flicted mission.  Stirred  by  these  glowing  appeals 
a  third  ^^Messenger  of  Peace"  was  purchased  by 
money  largely  contributed  by  the  young  people  in 
the  American  Moravian  Churches.  Several  Sunday 
Schools  in  the  city  likewise  contributed  to  this  cause. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE  CHURCH  AT  LEXINGTON  AVENUE  AND 

THIRTIETH  STREET 

The  pastorate  of  Brother  Amadeus  A.  Reinke  was 
by  far  the  longest  in  the  history  of  the  congregation. 
It  extended  over  a  period  of  nearly  twenty-three 
years  and  nine  months.  That  these  years  were 
not  marked  by  any  phenomenal  growth  in  mem- 
bership was  not  due  to  any  lack  on  the  part  of  the 
pastor.  His  large  heart,  genial  disposition,  generous 
spirit,  excellent  judgment,  unselfish  service,  sincerity 
of  purpose,  and  whole-hearted  consecration  to  the 
Saviour  whose  cause  it  was  his  sole  purpose  in  life 
to  advance,  made  him  a  man  universally  beloved  by 
the  members  of  the  congregation,  and  by  a  large  cir- 
cle of  friends  in  the  city  and  elsewhere.  In  at  least 
two  instances  the  friendship  of  non-Moravians 
brought  unexpected  financial  returns.  On  December 
12,  1872,  Daniel  Marley,  a  second-hand  furniture 
dealer,  died,  and  when  his  will  was  read  it  was 
learned  that  he  had  left,  as  a  token  of  his  regard 
for  the  pastor,  a  legacy  of  |5,000  to  the  congregation. 
A  certain  Miss  Merritt,  who  altho  she  was  not  a  Mo- 
ravian had  enjoyed  the  sympathetic  ministrations 
of  Brother  Reinke  during  her  last  illness,  willed  him 
personally  the  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars.  No  one 
was  more  surprised  than  the  pastor  when  these  facts 
were  revealed.    When  he  took  charge  of  the  oongre- 

283 


284    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

gation  it  was  in  anything  but  a  flourishing  condi- 
tion. The  church  had  remained  too  long  in  Houston 
Street.  By  staying  there  after  conditions  had  become 
well-nigh  insufferable,  it  seriously  damaged  its 
strength  and  prestige.  This  detriment  was  in- 
creased by  the  homeless  wanderings  after  the  church- 
property  had  been  sold.  It  was  therefore  like  start- 
ing afresh  when  the  little  congregation  began  its 
labors  at  Lexington  Avenue  and  Thirtieth  Street. 
Then  as  now  a  number  of  strong  and  influential 
Churches  ministered  to  the  immediate  community 
with  its  large  percentage  of  Roman  and  Greek  Catho- 
lics. At  the  same  time,  the  membership  of  the  con- 
gregation was  scattered  far  and  wide  thruout  the 
city,  Long  Island,  and  Jersey  City. 

Altho  conditions  were  adverse  to  church-growth, 
Brother  Reinke  had  the  joy  of  receiving  a  goodly 
number  of  people  into  the  congregation  as  the  result 
of  his  earnest  efforts.  According  to  the  records  of 
those  years  church  attendance  was  the  same  as  it  is 
to-day.  The  enrollment  of  the  Sunday  School  fluc- 
tuated, and  was  never  large.  The  members  lived  too 
far  away  from  the  church  to  attend  two  services  on 
the  Lord's  Day,  therefore  no  Sunday  evening  service 
could  be  held  except  on  special  occasions.  A  week- 
day meeting  was  held  on  Friday,  instead  of  Wednes- 
day evenings,  as  is  customary  at  the  present  time. 
Among  the  organizations  in  the  congregation  were 
the  Young  People's  Hope  Society,  and  the  Dorcas 
Sewing  Circle,  both  of  which  rendered  efficient  serv- 
ice. Then  as  now  there  was  a  paid  choir  which  fur- 
nished special  music  at  the  Sunday  morning  service. 


CHURCH  ACTIVITIES  285 

That  the  congregation  was  greatly  attached  to  the 
pastor  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  it  refused  to  let 
him  go  when  in  July,  1875,  he  received  a  call  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  church  at  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania. 
A  special  meeting  of  Church  Council  was  called  at 
which  a  petition  was  drawn  up  and  unanimously 
adopted,  asking  the  Provincial  Elders'  Conference 
to  allow  Brother  Reinke  to  remain  in  New  York. 
This  petition  was  granted.  Perhaps,  the  greatest 
tribute  to  the  efficiency  of  Brother  Reinke's  labors 
is  the  fact  that  the  whole  membership  remained  loyal 
to  the  church  during  the  pastorless  year  following 
his  death,  concerning  which  mention  will  be  made 
later  on. 

It  will  be  of  interest  to  note  a  number  of  events 
that  transpired  during  Brother  Reinke's  pastorate. 
Three  weeks  after  the  opening  service  in  the  church 
on  Lexington  Avenue  the  pastor  left  for  Europe  as 
one  of  the  American  delegates  to  the  General  Synod 
at  Herrnhut.  During  his  absence  Brother  Edward 
Rondthaler  of  the  Brooklyn  church,  together  with 
other  Moravian  ministers,  supplied  the  pulpit. 
When  he  returned  from  Synod  in  September  he  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  the  house  at  256  East 
Thirty-third  Street,  two  doors  from  Second  Avenue, 
which  was  the  only  available  place  to  be  found  at 
the  time.  In  April,  1870,  the  Scripture  mottoes  or 
texts,  which  still  decorate  the  walls  of  the  lecture 
room,  were  made  and  neatly  framed  by  Brother  Wil- 
liam Higgins,  an  Elder  of  the  congregation.  On  Au- 
gust 28  of  the  same  year  Brother  Reinke  was  con- 
secrated a  Bishop  of  the  Moravian  Church  in  the 


286     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Bethlehem  church,  the  Brethren  David  Bigler,  Peter 
Wolle,  John  Jacobson,  Samuel  Reinke,  and  Henry 
Shultz  officiating.  The  humility  of  the  man  is  evi- 
dent from  the  fact  that  he  only  consented  to  be  thus 
honored  after  much  prayer  and  hesitation  inspired 
by  a  feeling  of  unworthiness  to  clothe  so  sacred  an 
office.  Among  the  many  Moravian  ministers  enter- 
tained in  his  hospitable  home  was  the  greatly  be- 
loved Doctor  Augustus  Schultze,  since  gone  to  his 
eternal  reward,  whom  Bishop  Reinke  met  at  Ho- 
boken  Pier  upon  his  arrival  in  this  country  from 
Germany,  on  November  29,  1870,  as  the  newly-ap- 
pointed Professor  in  the  Theological  Seminary  at 
Bethlehem. 

On  May  30,  1871,  Bishop  Reinke  had  an  interview 
with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  Force  Deems,  pastor  of 
the  Church  of  the  Strangers,  in  regard  to  the  con- 
templated purchase  of  the  "Alexander  property" 
near  the  grounds  of  the  New  Dorp  church  on  Staten 
Island.  At  this  time  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  had  in 
mind  to  honor  the  memory  of  his  mother,  who  had 
been  a  member  of  the  New  Dorp  church,  by  erecting 
a  Boarding  School  on  the  property  mentioned.  It 
was  his  intention  to  place  the  proposed  school  under 
the  management  of  the  Moravian  Church.  The  gift 
to  the  Church  was  to  be  made  under  certain  condi- 
tions. These  conditions  the  Moravian  authorities 
were  not  ready  to  meet.  After  a  time  the  negotia- 
tions came  to  an  end,  and  soon  after  Vanderbilt  gave 
$1,000,000  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  for  the 
founding  of  a  co-educational  institution  of  learning 
now  known  as  Vanderbilt  University,  at  Nashville, 


PROPOSED  SCHOOL  AT  KEW  DORP  287 

Tenn.  This  institution  has  subsequently  received 
numerous  gifts  from  members  of  the  Vanderbilt 
family  amounting  to  about  |600,000  in  all.  What- 
ever regrets  present-day  members  of  the  Church 
may  have  that  the  fathers  allowed  an  oppor- 
tunity of  this  kind  to  escape,  it  is  only  just  to  say 
that  they  were  not  altogether  to  blame  that  the  ne- 
gotiations came  to  an  unsuccessful  end.  While  the 
Church  of  the  Strangers  was  undenominational,  Dr. 
Deems  was  originally  a  Methodist  minister.  Bishop 
Reinke  records  that  Deems  had  great  influence 
with  Commodore  Vanderbilt,  first  thru  Mrs. 
Vanderbilt,  who  was  a  Southern  woman,  and 
later  by  the  force  of  his  own  personality.  It 
was  Vanderbilt  who  asked  Dr.  Deems  to  seek  an 
interview  with  Bishop  Reinke  to  ascertain  what 
Moravian  he  thought  would  be  most  competent  to 
place  at  the  head  of  the  proposed  school.  Concern- 
ing this  interview  Bishop  Reinke  says,  ^'While  very 
courteous  in  his  manner,  it  seemed  evident  to  me 
that  Dr.  Deems'  application  to  me  was  forced,  and 
that  he  would  be  willing  to  divert  the  money  in  some 
other  direction."  This  impression  was  deepened  at 
a  later  interview.  The  event  would  indicate  that 
Brother  Reinke's  suspicions  were  not  without  some 
foundation.  The  statement  of  these  facts  is  made 
not  with  any  intention  of  casting  sinister  reflections 
on  Dr.  Deems,  who  was  a  good  man,  but  to  show  that 
the  Moravian  authorities  were  not  altogether  to 
blame  for  not  receiving  the  munificent  Vanderbilt 
gift. 

On  September  7,  1871,  T.  Oliver  Carter  sold  the 


288     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Orchard  Street  property  of  the  congregation  for 
142,500,  for  which  he  received  a  compensation  of  four 
hundred  dollars.  This  ground  had  been  originally 
intended  for  burial  purposes.  The  greater  portion 
of  it,  however,  was  laid  out  in  building-lots  on  which 
houses  were  erected.  At  the  time  of  sale  there  were 
one  hundred  and  one  graves  in  the  section  reserved 
for  burials.  ^'At  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Health 
of  the  Health  Department  of  the  City  of  New  York 
held  on  the  25th  of  October,  1871,  it  was  resolved 
that  a  permit  be  and  is  hereby  granted  to  disinter 
the  dead  bodies  buried  in  the  Moravian  Cemetery  in 
Orchard  Street  and  to  remove  them  from  the  city, 
the  same  to  be  done  after  the  1st  day  of  December 
and  before  the  1st  day  of  February,  1872,  and  under 
the  supervision  of  the  City  Sanitary  Inspector," 
The  disinterment  began  on  December  11  and  by  the 
28th  of  the  month  the  work  was  finished.  Thomas 
Harvey  had  oversight  of  the  labor,  which  was  ren- 
dered especially  difficult  because  of  the  cold  weather 
that  prevailed.  For  several  days  the  thermometer 
registered  14  degrees  above  zero,  and  one  morning 
the  mercury  dropped  to  4  degrees  below.  Some  of 
the  bodies  exhumed  were  claimed  by  relatives  and 
by  them  interred  elsewhere.  The  remaining  bodies 
were  carefully  placed  in  strong  boxes  prepared  for 
the  purpose,  which  together  with  some  grave-stones 
were  then  loaded  on  a  wagon  and  conveyed  to  the 
New  Dorp  Moravian  Cemetery,  where  ground  had 
been  previously  purchased.  The  transfer  was  made 
on  December  30.  The  wagon  containing  the  bodies 
left  Orchard  Street  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning, 


BURIAL-GROUND  ABANDONED         289 

and  an  hour  later  it  was  on  the  Staten  Island  boat. 
It  was  a  cold  and  snowy  winter  day.  The  road  be- 
tween the  Ferry  and  the  cemetery  was  in  bad  con- 
dition. As  a  result  the  horses  gave  out,  and  had  to 
be  replaced  by  a  yoke  of  oxen.  The  twenty -two  boxes 
of  various  sizes  which  contained  the  bodies  were 
buried  in  two  trenches,  the  one  13  feet  long,  4  feet 
wide,  and  6  feet  deep,  or  the  equivalent  of  four  large 
graves,  and  the  other  12  feet  long,  4  feet  wide,  and 
6  feet  deep,  or  the  equivalent  of  two  large  graves, 
and  on  a  lot  of  ground  on  Avenue  West  containing 
150  square  feet.  The  ground  last  mentioned  had  to 
be  prepared  after  the  dead  bodies  had  arrived,  be- 
cause the  boxes  required  more  space  than  at  first 
supposed.  All  this  work  was  done  with  the  utmost 
care  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  relatives 
concerned. 

The  house  in  which  the  pastor  and  his  family 
lived  at  this  time  was  very  unsanitary,  and  on  Sun- 
day, November  12,  it  was  discovered  that  the  pas- 
tor's wife  had  a  virulent  type  of  small-pox.  For 
five  weeks  she  hovered  between  life  and  death.  The 
rest  of  the  family  were  confined  to  the  lower  part 
of  the  house,  while  the  patient  was  placed  in  a  room 
on  the  third  floor,  where  sheets  soaked  with  carbolic 
acid  were  liung  at  the  door.  Brother  Reinke  was 
her  sole  attendant,  no  one  else  being  allowed  to 
come  near  her  room.  It  taxed  his  strength  severely, 
but  he  remained  unflinchingly  by  her  side  until  she 
recovered  sufliciently  to  have  others  render  assist- 
ance. The  disease  left  Mrs.  Reinke  very  weak,  and 
for  more  than  eight  montlis  slie  was  confined  to  the 


290     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

house.  It  became  apparent  that  the  pastor  had  to 
have  another  house.  On  January  24,  1872,  an  inter- 
view was  had  with  Dr.  White,  the  owner  of  the  house 
next  the  church  on  Thirtieth  Street.  This  house  was 
the  parsonage  when  the  Baptists  were  in  possession 
of  the  church.  Dr.  White  had  spoken  of  selling,  and 
the  Trustees  offered  him  |14,500  for  the  building, 
but  he  declined  the  offer,  and  later  declared  that  for 
the  time  being  he  would  not  sell  at  any  price.  The 
quest  for  a  suitable  residence  for  the  pastor  con- 
tinued, and  finally  on  April  16  the  trustees  pur- 
chased the  house  at  112  Lexington  Avenue  from  Mrs. 
Buckman  for  |22,375,  including  mirrors,  gas-fixtures, 
shades,  oil-cloths,  etc.  On  April  29  the  pastor  and 
his  family  removed  from  Thirty-third  Street  to  their 
new  home.  Here  they  lived  until  April  12,  1883, 
when,  at  the  request  of  the  pastor,  the  house 
was  rented  by  the  trustees,  and  Bishop  Reinke  and 
his  wife,  the  son  and  daughter  being  no  longer  at 
home,  removed  to  an  apartment  at  Thirty-sixth 
Street  and  Third  Avenue.  The  old  parsonage  is 
still  in  the  possession  of  the  congregation,  altho  it 
has  not  been  occupied  by  the  pastor  since  Bishop 
Reinke's  day,  with  the  exception  of  ten  years  when 
the  late  Bishop  Leibert  and  his  family  lived  in  it. 
The  property  is  very  valuable,  but  the  house  is  too 
large  for  a  small  family.  It  consists  of  three  stories, 
a  basement  dining-room  and  kitchen,  and  a  sub- 
basement. 

From  February  7  to  April  16,  1876,  Moody  and 
Sankey  held  revival  meetings  in  the  Hippodrome, 
which  was  then  where  is  now  Madison  Square  Gar- 


EVANGELISTIC  MEETINGS  291 

den.  At  the  first  prayer  meeting  in  the  Hippodrome 
Bishop  Reinke  offered  the  opening  prayer.  The  first 
public  meeting  was  held  on  the  following  evening. 
These  revival  meetings  were  profitable  and  far- 
reaching  in  effect.  The  Moravians  were  faithful  in 
their  attendance,  and  the  congregation  derived 
much  spiritual  benefit.  Some  of  the  young  men  of 
the  church  were  ^'workers''  in  the  meetings.  Bishop 
Reinke  writes :  "While  many  souls  were  awakened 
and  thoro  conversions  occurred,  the  really  great 
and  effective  work  accomplished  by  the  evangelists 
was  to  give  the  clergy  and  Christians  generally  more 
'backbone.'  The  earnestness  and  humility  of  Mr. 
Moody  are  worthy  of  all  praise,  while  the  wonderful 
tact  he  displays,  both  in  managing  the  masses  and 
in  leading  the  clergy  associated  with  him,  is  some- 
thing admirable.  The  effect  of  his  sermons  on  the 
unconverted  is  very  marked.''  Friday  afternoon 
meetings  were  held  to  advocate  the  cause  of  temper- 
ance. On  September  24  of  the  same  year  an  upheaval 
of  another  sort  took  place.  At  2 :30  p.  m.  the  great 
explosion  took  place  which  destroyed  Hallet's  Point 
Reef,  connected  with  Hell  Gate  in  the  East  River, 
leaving  a  depth  of  twenty-six  feet  at  low  water  over 
the  site  of  the  reef.  The  three  signal  reports  of  can- 
non, as  well  as  the  explosion,  were  distinctly  heard 
at  the  Moravian  parsonage. 

From  September  29-30,  1875,  a  Moravian  District 
Conference  was  held  in  the  church,  Bishop  Reinke 
acting  as  Chairman.  The  delegates  were  entertained 
at  the  homes  of  members.  On  April  8,  1877,  Robert 
W.  Herbst  was  ordained  to  the  Moravian  ministry  in 


292     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

the  church  by  Bishop  Reinke.  On  Maundy  Thursday 
evening,  April  10,  1879,  Brother  Samuel  J.  Dike, 
who  has  so  efiSciently  served  the  church  for  many 
years  in  an  individual  and  official  capacity,  was  re- 
ceived into  the  congregation  from  the  Congrega- 
tional Church,  by  the  right  hand  of  fellowship.  He 
is  a  graduate  of  Amherst  College,  and  one  of  the  most 
highly  esteemed  members  of  the  congregation. 
When  James  A.  Garfield  died  from  the  effects  of 
the  murderous  bullet  fired  by  Charles  Guiteau  on 
July  2,  1881,  a  memorial  service  was  held  on  Sunday, 
July  25,  in  the  Moravian  Church.  The  text  of  the 
sermon  was,  "Know  ye  not  that  a  prince  and  a  great 
man  in  Israel  is  fallen."  The  impressiveness  of  the 
service  was  increased  by  the  fact  that  the  church  was 
draped  in  mourning  for  the  occasion  by  David  B. 
Nedwell,  whose  willingness  and  ability  were  laid 
under  contribution  for  years  whenever  special 
church  decorations  were  desired. 

On  October  6, 1881,  Miss  Sarah  Elizabeth,  the  only 
daughter  of  the  pastor,  was  joined  in  marriage,  in  the 
church,  to  Judson  T.  Francis,  Bishop  Reinke  officiat- 
ing. Another  marriage  of  more  than  ordinary  im- 
portance was  solemnized  in  the  church  on  Tuesday, 
January  10,  1885,  when  Miss  Carrie  Yost,  "a  most 
worthy  and  devout  member  of  the  congregation,"  be- 
came the  bride  of  the  Rev.  William  H.  Weinland,  one 
of  the  first  Moravian  missionaries  in  Alaska,  the  pas- 
tor performing  the  ceremony  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  The  Brethren  Edward  S.  Wolle,  William 
H.  Vogler  and  Clarence  Eberman  acted  as  ushers. 
On  January  27  Brother  Weinland  gave  an  illus- 


TWO  CHURCH  MARRIAGES  293 

trated  lecture  in  the  church  on  ^'Alaska,"  a  subject 
in  which  he  was  not  only  deeply  interested,  but  one 
with  which  he  was  thoroly  acquainted  because  he 
had  made,  in  company  with  Missionary  A.  Hart- 
mann,  during  the  previous  year,  an  exploratory  visit 
to  that  distant  field.  Brother  Clarence  Eberman 
operated  the  lantern.  There  were  over  two  hundred 
people  at  the  lecture.  The  offering  for  the  Alaska 
Mission  amounted  to  one  hundred  and  thirty-three 
dollars.  On  March  20  the  congregation  tendered 
the  young  missionary  couple  a  farewell  reception, 
and  soon  after  they  left  for  Alaska,  where  they  la- 
bored with  exemplary  fidelity  for  two  years,  when, 
on  account  of  broken  health,  they  had  to  relinquish 
the  work.  Later  they  began  their  labors  among 
the  Indians  in  California,  where  they  have  remained 
ever  since.  No  tongue  or  pen  can  adequately  describe 
the  great,  unselfish  and  self-sacrificing  work  which 
this  consecrated  couple  has  rendered  the  cause  of 
Christ  in  general,  and  the  Moravian  Church  in  par- 
ticular. 

On  July  3,  1885,  the  congregation  lost  a  valuable 
member  by  the  death  of  Sister  Elizabeth  Miller-Ned- 
well.  Bishop  Reinke  says  of  her,  "She  was  a 
truly  good  woman,  humble,  liberal  to  the  cause  of 
Christ,  and  a  very  mother  in  Israel."  Her  husband, 
William  Nedwell,  preceded  her  to  the  eternal  home 
on  November  19,  1879.  His  pastor  left  the  following 
record  of  him :  "A  very  faithful  man,  and  the  most 
diligent  reader  of  the  Bible  I  have  ever  known.  How- 
ever fre(inently  I  might  call  at  his  home,  I  always 
found  him  reading  the  Bible."     Natn rally,  he  had 


294    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

been  greatly  interested  in  the  distribution  of  Bibles 
thruout  the  earth.  Miss  Harriet  Nedwell,  a  daugh- 
ter of  this  worthy  Christian  couple,  is  a  highly  es- 
teemed member  of  the  congregation  at  the  present 
time. 

Under  date  of  October  31,  1885,  the  diary  makes 
reference  to  an  article  which  had  just  appeared  in 
the  New  York  Independent  on  the  subject  of  ^^Mora- 
vian  Hymnology/^  written  by  Professor  Bird  of  Le- 
high Universit}^,  South  Bethlehem,  Pa.  The  writer 
made  the  absurd  statement  that  James  Mont- 
gomery was  not  a  Moravian.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Armi- 
tage,  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  in 
discussing  this  matter  with  Bishop  Reinke  assured 
him  that  he  had  known  Montgomery  personally 
while  living  at  Sheffield,  England,  and  that  he  was 
a  Moravian,  the  contention  of  the  learned  professor 
to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  Armitage  referred 
Bishop  Reinke  to  the  Rev.  Samuel  Beedle,  a  Method- 
ist minister  at  Hull,  Massachusetts,  for  further  in- 
formation on  the  subject.  In  a  letter  to  Brother 
Reinke  dated  November  15,  1885, '  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Beedle  wrote  the  following:  "I  think  I  was  about 
ten  years  old,  which  would  be  in  1821,  when  I  be- 
came a  resident  of  Sheffield,  England,  and  there  I 
first  saw  James  Montgomery,  Esq.  He  was  at  that 
time  Editor  of  one  of  the  Sheffield  papers.  Because 
of  his  excellent  qualities  as  a  Christian  gentleman 
and  his  preeminent  talent  as  a  poet,  he  was  at  that 
time,  and  during  the  rest  of  his  life,  much  respected 
and  exceedingly  popular.  The  people  were  proud  of 
him  as  a  citizen.    He  was  universally  regarded  as  a 


JAMES  MONTGOMERY  295 

catholic-minded  man.    He  seemed  to  love  every  one 
and  everything  that  was  good  and  true. 

^'I  became  a  scholar  in  the  famous  Hill  Sunday 
School,  which  Mr.  Montgomery  often  visited  and 
addressed.  It  was  on  one  of  these  occasions  that  I 
first  saw  and  heard  him,  and  tho  I  remember  nothing 
that  he  said  at  the  time,  yet  as  a  child,  my  memory 
was  impressed  with  the  sweetness  of  his  spirit,  as 
seen  in  his  countenance  and  heard  in  the  affectionate 
words  he  uttered.  ...  I  love  to  think  and  write  of 
him,  and  while  I  write  the  silvery  tones  of  his  voice 
seem  to  be  sounding  in  my  ears.  At  the  great  mis- 
sionary anniversaries  of  the  Wesleyan  Methodist 
Church  in  the  Sheffield  circuit,  Mr.  Montgomery  was 
generally  invited  to  preside  and  speak,  which  he  did 
with  grace  and  dignity.  It  was  generally  under- 
stood by  the  people  in  Sheffield  that  Mr.  Montgomery 
was  a  Moravian.  This  I  often  heard  asserted,  and 
never  heard  disputed.  I  was  greatly  surprized  at 
the  statement  in  your  letter  that  a  writer  in  The 
Independent  had  recently  denied  Montgomery's  con- 
nection with  the  Moravians.  I  could  scarcely  be 
more  surprised  if  some  man,  to  show  his  wonderful 
acuteness,  had  denied  that  General  Washington  was 
the  Commander  of  the  Revolutionary  Army.  .  .  . 
I  remained  in  Sheffield  until  18157,  when  I  came  to 
the  United  States.  .  .  .  My  reminiscences  on  the 
subject  of  your  inquiry  are  mostly  of  a  general  char- 
acter and  will  add  little  to  your  previous  knowledge. 
But,  as  to  his  connection  with  the  Moravian  Church, 
there  can  be  no  doubt.  You  are  at  liberty  to  make 
any  use  you  please  of  tliis  coimnuiiicatiou.     I  have 


296    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

always  been  attached  to  the  Moravian  Church,  as 
Methodist  ministers  generally  are.  .  .  .  Yours  faith- 
fully, Samuel  Beedle." 

On  December  8,  1885,  AVilliam  H.  Vanderbilt  died 
suddenly.  Because  of  the  early  connection  of  his 
ancestors  with  the  Moravian  Church  on  Staten  Is- 
land he  bequeathed  |100,000  to  the  New  Dorp 
congregation.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  know  that  the 
fund  of  the  congregation  at  Lexington  Avenue  and 
Thirtieth  Street  had  grown  by  this  time,  thru  the 
careful  management  of  the  Treasurer,  Brother 
Charles  Augustus  Zoebisch,  to  |89,907.39,  which 
amount  has  been  since  increased.  About  this  time 
Bishop  Reinke  became  greatly  interested  in  a  Chi- 
nese Sunday  School  in  Catherine  Street,  where  he 
went  weekly  for  a  number  of  years  to  teach  a  class. 
The  diary  records  that  the  American  Tract  Society, 
in  addition  to  substantial  financial  assistance  given 
toward  the  publication  of  Moravian  Missionary 
literature,  contributed  annually,  for  at  least  three 
years,  the  sum  of  one  hundred  dollars  to  the  Bo- 
hemian Mission  of  the  Moravian  Church.  After  a 
serious  illness  of  nine  weeks  the  worthy  wife  of  the 
pastor  was  called  to  her  eternal  home  on  April  5, 
1888,  leaving  her  husband  and  family,  as  well  as  the 
congregation,  sorrow-stricken.  "The  cause  of  her 
death  was  double  pneumonia  and  gastritis."  Brother 
William  H.  Rice,  assisted  by  Brother  Edward  S. 
Wolle,  conducted  the  funeral  service,  which  was 
largely  attended  by  members  of  the  congregation 
and  friends  from  the  city,  Brooklyn,  Staten  Island, 
and  elsewhere.    The  interment  took  place  at  Beth- 


THE  SHADOWS  OF  DEATH  297 

lehem,  Pa.  Sister  Reinke  had  been  a  great  help  to 
her  husband  in  his  labors,  and  her  removal  from  his 
side  was  a  severe  blow  to  him.  William  Higgins,  a 
life-long  member  and  an  Elder  of  the  congregation 
for  more  than  twenty  years,  passed  away  on  April 
24  of  the  same  year.  Some  one  said  of  him,  "If  I 
were  permitted  to  engrave  an  epitaph  on  the  tomb- 
stone of  my  beloved  Brother  Higgins,  it  would  con- 
sist of  these  three  words:  ^Faithful  unto  death/ 
He  had  a  simple,  childlike,  unostentatious  faith,  an 
unfaltering  trust  in  God  and  in  His  Christ,  and  this 
faith  made  him  faithful  in  duty.  As  an  Elder  he 
faithfully  served  the  church,  identifying  himself 
closely  with  all  its  interests,  and  anxious  for  its 
spiritual  and  external  prosperity."  Before  the  year 
was  ended  another  prominent  official  of  the  congre- 
gation was  called  away.  This  was  David  Nedwell, 
a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  who  died  on 
December  12,  aged  43  years,  11  months,  and  5  days. 
"All  his  relations  to  the  church  were  characterized 
by  strong  fidelity  to  his  duties.  He  was  an  ardent 
Moravian  as  well  as  a  sincere  and  loyal  disciple  of 
Christ.''  His  widow,  Mrs.  Otilie  Anstatt-Nedwell, 
is  one  of  the  most  loyal  and  efficient  members  of  the 
congregation  at  the  present  time,  as  she  has  been 
from  her  youth. 

At  the  Synod  of  1888  Bishop  Reinke  was  chosen  a 
Provincial  Elder,  and  his  colle^igues  made  him 
Prcsidiint  of  the  newly  elected  Provincial  Elders' 
Conference.  He  continued,  however,  to  reside  in 
New  York  as  the  pastor  of  the  congregation.  Altho 
in  poor  health,  he  decided,  with  the  approval  of  his 


298    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

physician,  to  attend  the  General  Synod  held  at 
Herrnhut  in  1889.  On  May  12  he  preached  his  last 
sermon  to  the  congregation  from  the  text,  "For  who- 
soever shall  do  the  will  of  my  Father  who  is  in 
heaven  is  my  brother  and  sister  and  mother,"  little 
thinking  that  this  would  be  his  final  pulpit  message 
to  his  beloved  people.  In  the  evening  of  the  follow- 
ing day  he  boarded  the  steamer  Eider  and  left  for 
Europe,  after  bidding  farewell  to  a  large  number  of 
his  friends  who  had  come  to  the  pier  to  see  him  off. 
One  of  these  friends  writes:  "How  sorely  we  tried 
to  keep  back  the  tears  at  parting  from  him  because 
of  the  unspoken  fears  that  Ve  should  behold  his 
face  no  more.' "  Arriving  at  Herrnhut,  Bishop 
Reinke  attended  several  sessions  of  Synod,  but 
found  himself  too  weak  to  take  part  in  the  discus- 
sions. After  a  time  he  was  confined  by  sickness 
to  his  room  in  the  home  of  Bishop  Richard  at 
Berthelsdorf,  near  Herrnhut.  When  Synod  ad- 
journed most  of  the  American  delegation  left  Herrn- 
hut, but  Bishop  Reinke  had  to  remain  behind  a  help- 
less invalid,  hoping  against  hope,  however,  that  the 
Lord  would  yet  permit  him  to  return  home  at  the 
appointed  time.  On  July  11  he  dictated  his  last 
words  to  his  loved  ones  in  New  York.  "My  dear 
Children,"  he  said,  "Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled, 
neither  let  it  be  afraid.  Ye  believe  in  God,  believe 
also  in  Christ.  If  it  be  His  will  to  take  me  to  the 
Father's  House,  it  will  be  a  blessed  thing  for  me.  I 
shall  see  Him  whom  my  soul  doth  love;  and  her 
whom  He  took  home  before  me.  But  it  may  be  His 
will,  and  so  I  still  feel,  to  spare  me  yet  a  time,  that 


LAST  WORDS  OF  BISHOP  REINKE     299 

I  may  see  you  and  consult  with  you  once  more,  and 
have  a  happy  reunion  around  the  common  fireside 
and  table.  We  will  leave  that  matter  to  Him  who 
doeth  all  things  well,  and  makes  no  mistakes  in  His 
all-wise  Providence.  I  have  not  a  doubt  nor  a  fear 
in  regard  to  the  future.  My  sins  are  forgiven,  and  I 
am  accepted  in  the  Beloved,  and  therefore  can  feel 
no  possible  condemnation.  His  ways  are  not  our 
ways;  but  all  things,  we  know,  shall  work  together 
for  good  to  them  that  love  God.  Hold  fast  to  the 
truth,  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  Be  not  afraid  to  show  your 
flag.    We  can  trust  Him  for  the  future  for  us  all. 

''My  love  to  everybody  in  the  congregation,  old  and 
young.  May  they  all  hold  fast  to  the  Saviour.  May 
those  who  have  been  indifferent  become  more  loyal 
to  the  Church;  and  may  one  and  all  seek  to  follow 
the  principles  which  I  have  taught  them.  And  now 
farewell,  dear  children.  Be  of  good  cheer,  in  the 
hope,  tho  perhaps  I  dare  not  entertain  it  so  strongly, 
yet  still  in  good  hope,  that  I  shall  see  you  on  earth 
once  more."  This  loving  epistle  was  tremblingly 
signed  by  his  own  hand.  His  hope  of  returning  to 
his  home  in  America  was  not  fulfilled.  When  he 
took  a  turn  for  the  worse  word  was  sent  to  his  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Judson  Francis,  who  immediately  sailed 
for  Europe,  and  by  the  grace  of  (lod  reached  her 
father's  bedside  in  time  to  smooth  his  dying  pillow, 
and  to  speak  the  last  earthly  farewell.  On  Saturday 
evening,  August  10,  I  his  man  of  (Jod  peacefully  fell 
asleep  in  .lesus,  and  on  the  following  Wednesday 
morning  his  remains  were  laid  to  rest  in  the  grave- 
yard on  the  Uutberg  at  llerrnhul.    On  Sunday  after- 


300    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

noon,  October  13,  a  memorial  service  was  held  in 
the  church  at  Lexington  Avenue  and  Thirtieth 
Street,  Brother  William  H.  Rice,  pastor  of  the  Ger- 
man congregation,  presiding.  The  following  minis- 
terial brethren  of  the  Moravian  Church  and  of 
other  denominations  took  part  in  the  service: 
Bishop  J.  Mortimer  Levering  of  Bethlehem,  Pa., 
the  Rev.  E.  N.  Schwarze  of  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  the 
Rev.  William  H.  Vogler  of  New  Dorp,  Staten  Island, 
the  Rev.  Robert  Herbst  of  Graceham,  Maryland,  the 
Rev.  Clarence  E.  Eberman  of  Castleton  Corners, 
Staten  Island,  the  Rev.  Andrew  A.  Smith  of  Brook- 
lyn, the  Rev.  George  L.  Shearer  of  the  American 
Tract  Society,  the  Rev.  H.  B.  Chapin  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Alliance,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  William  T.  Sabine 
of  the  Reformed  Episcopal  Church.  Letters  of  sym- 
pathy and  esteem  were  received  from  the  Rev.  Dr. 
George  U.  Wenner  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Thomas  W.  Chambers  of  the  Dutch  Reformed 
Church,  the  Rev.  Dr.  William  M.  Taylor  of  the 
Broadway  Tabernacle,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  Hall  of 
the  Fifth  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church,  all  of  whom 
expressed  regret  that,  because  of  services  in  their 
own  churches,  it  was  impossible  to  be  present  at 
the  memorial  service.  Brother  Rice  read  a  memorial 
paper  prepared  by  him  at  Bishop  Reinke's  own  re- 
quest in  one  of  his  letters  from  Herrnhut.  Ad- 
dresses were  delivered  by  Bishop  Levering  and  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Sabine.  A  quartet  of  male  and  female 
voices  directed  by  Prof.  Henry  Haar,  the  organist 
of  the  church  for  nearly  thirty  years,  rendered  three 
selections  with  sweet  solemnity.     The  only  floral 


REINKE  MEMORIAL  SERVICE  301 

decoration  was  a  representation  of  the  arched  gate- 
way at  the  entrance  to  the  Hutberg  at  Herrnhut.  In 
the  arch  was  set  the  word  '^Eutherg^' ;  across  the 
closed  gateway  were  the  initials  "A.  A.  R.,"  and  on 
the  base  of  the  whole  design  were  the  words  ^^ Sweet 
Rest"  in  German.  This  beautiful  decoration  was 
immediately  in  front  of  the  pulpit  and  had  a  simple 
setting  of  evergreen  plants.  It  was  sent  as  a  tribute 
of  love  and  esteem  by  the  Sunday  School  and  mem- 
bers of  the  German  congregation. 

Amadeus  Abraham  Reinke  was  born  at  Lancaster, 
Pa.,  on  March  11,  1822.  His  parents  were  the  Rt. 
Rev.  Samuel  Reinke  and  Susan  Theodora  Eyerle- 
Reinke.  After  his  graduation  from  the  Moravian 
Theological  Seminary  in  1841  he  taught  school,  first 
as  Head  Master  of  the  Bethlehem  Parochial  School, 
and  then  at  Nazareth  Hall.  On  March  2,  1844,  he 
was  called  to  enter  mission  service  in  Jamaica,  West 
Indies,  as  a  teacher  in  the  Normal  School  at  Fair- 
field. In  1847  he  made  an  exploratory  visit  to  Blue- 
fields  on  the  Moskito  Coast,  where  a  successful  mis- 
sion was  established.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year 
he  returned  to  the  United  States.  On  March  5, 
1848,  he  was  ordained  a  deacon  of  the  Moravian 
Church  by  Bishop  Peter  Wolle  in  the  church  at 
Lititz,  Pa.  After  his  ordination  he  became  the  as- 
sistant pastor  of  the  congregation  at  Salem,  N.  C. 
On  June  21,  1849,  he  was  joined  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Eleanor  Elizjibeth  Rice  of  Bethlehem,  Pa.  He  then 
became  pastor  of  the  congregation  at  Gracehani, 
Maryland.  After  five  years  of  service  at  that  place 
he  became  pastor  of  the  New  Dorp  congregation  on 


302     MOKAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Staten  Island.  Here  he  labored  for  six  years,  when 
he  was  transferred  to  the  pastorate  of  the  First 
Church  in  Philadelphia.  In  the  fall  of  1865  he  came 
to  New  York  City  to  take  charge  of  the  First  Church, 
then  known  as  the  English  congregation  to  differen- 
tiate it  from  the  German  Mission  church.  During 
his  long  pastorate  of  over  twenty-three  years  in  this 
congregation  he  was  not  only  indefatigable  in  serving 
the  members  of  his  flock,  but  engaged  in  many  other 
labors  for  the  advancement  of  the  cause  of  Christ. 
He  was  a  regular  contributor  to  "The  Moravian'^ 
and  for  years  the  Editor  of  "The  Little  Missionary,'^ 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Managers  of  the 
Evangelical  Alliance  of  the  United  States ;  oflBcially 
connected  with  the  American  Bible  Society,  and  took 
an  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  American  Tract 
Society.  After  attending  a  service  in  the  Hall  of 
the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  a  prominent 
member  of  another  church  expressed  the  conviction 
that  "the  Rev.  Mr.  Reinke  was  one  of  the  best  preach- 
ers in  the  city." 

For  about  one  year  after  the  departure  of  Bishop 
Reinke  the  congregation  was  without  a  pastor.  Dur- 
ing this  time  the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  ministers 
in  New  York  and  by  brethren  from  Bethlehem.  It 
was  a  strong  tribute  to  the  late  pastor's  labors  that 
the  well  trained  membership  kept  up  the  various 
activities  of  the  congregation.  Nevertheless,  the 
congregation  rejoiced  to  hear  that  the  Rev.  Edward 
T.  Kluge,  the  gifted  pastor  of  the  Nazareth  church, 
had  accepted  the  appointment  to  become  the  suc- 
cessor of  Bishop  Reinke.    The  newly  appointed  pas- 


E.  T.  KLUGE  BEGINS  LABORS  303 

tor  arrived  in  the  city  with  his  family  on  April  30, 
1890,  and  took  up  his  residence  at  The  Lexington, 
an  apartment  house  at  126  East  Nineteenth  Street. 
On  Sunday  morning,  May  4,  he  preached  his  intro- 
ductory sermon  to  a  goodly  number  of  members  who 
had  braved  a  rain-storm  to  hear  and  welcome  him. 
An  eloquent  preacher,  a  faithful  pastor,  and  an 
earnest  worker,  the  new  pastor  soon  won  the  hearts 
of  the  membership.  Because  the  members  lived  at 
great  distances  from  the  church,  no  evening  service 
on  Sundays  had  been  attempted  for  years.  Brother 
Kluge  made  strenuous  efforts  to  restore  the  evening 
service,  putting  his  resolution  into  effect  for  the 
first  time  on  October  26,  1890.  The  attendance  was 
quite  encouraging.  It  took  a  very  short  time,  how- 
ever, for  the  novelty  to  wear  off,  and  altho  the  good 
pastor  prayed  earnestly  and  worked  hard  to  arouse 
interest,  the  Sunday  evening  service  was  at  best  a 
losing  proposition,  and  failed  to  elicit  the  support  it 
deserved  on  the  part  of  the  few  members  who  lived 
within  easy  reach  of  the  church.  After  a  time  the 
idea  had  to  be  abandoned.  On  October  26,  1890, 
the  Sunday  School  was  conducted  in  the  morn- 
ing for  the  first  time.  Hitherto  the  sessions 
had  been  held  at  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. During  the  first  week  in  December,  1890, 
tlie  bronze  tablet  bearing  the  inscription,  ''First 
Moravian  Church  of  New  York,  Founded  A.  D, 
i7//<S/'  was  placed  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the 
church-front  on  Lexington  Avenue.  Uitherto  there 
had  been  much  complaint  that  people  had  dilliculty 
in  finrling  the  church.    To  a  certain  extent  this  dif- 


304    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

ficulty  was  obviated  by  the  tablet.  On  Christmas 
Day  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  year 
lighted  wax  tapers  were  distributed  in  connection 
with  the  Christmas  exercises.  The  diary  states, 
"This  was  the  first  time  that  this  pretty  and  very 
significant  Moravian  ceremony  was  held  here  and  all 
appeared  pleased.  Ninety  candles  were  distributed." 
On  March  29,  1891,  another  tablet  giving  the  name 
of  the  church,  pastor,  time  of  services  and  a  cordial 
welcome  to  all  was  placed  on  the  outside  of  the 
church.  The  same  year  the  pastor  started  a  singing 
school  for  the  Sunday  School  scholars,  which  was 
very  successful.  Then  as  in  former  times  and  now, 
the  congregation  felt  the  necessity  of  having  a  lay- 
worker  in  the  community,  and  a  worker  was  em- 
ployed, from  time  to  time,  during  Brother  Kluge's 
pastorate,  with  good  results. 

On  January  29,  1892,  the  first  King's  Daughters' 
Circle  of  the  congregation  was  organized.  The  pas- 
tor's wife  was  the  leader.  On  March  23  of  the  same 
year  the  congregation  lost  one  of  its  most  faithful 
members  by  the  death  of  Mrs.  Charles  A.  Zoebisch, 
maiden  name  Beitel.  She  was  born  at  Schoeneck, 
near  Nazareth,  Pa.,  where  she  was  joined  in  marriage 
to  Brother  Zoebisch  in  1844,  and  came  with  him  to 
New  York  City  three  years  later.  Soon  after  her  ar- 
rival in  the  city  she  identified  herself  with  the  con- 
gregation of  which  "she  was  a  faithful  and  much 
esteemed  member  until  the  time  of  her  departure. 
For  twelve  years  before  her  death  she  was  an  invalid, 
but  always  patient  and  uncomplaining  under  many 
severe  trials."     On  November  20,  1892,  Mrs.  John 


LECTURE  ROOM  RENOVATED  305 

Kilbuck,  who  with  her  husband  was  a  pioneer 
in  the  Alaska  Mission  Field,  delivered  an  inspir- 
ing missionary  address  in  the  church.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1893,  the  lecture  room  was  refurnished,  and 
on  the  9th  of  the  month  this  event  was  marked  by  a 
love  feast.  This  was  the  first  love  feast  celebrated  in 
the  Lexington  Avenue  Church.  The  improvements 
consisted  of  new  chairs,  gas-fixtures,  window-shades, 
a  pulpit,  three  pulpit  chairs,  and  carpet  on  the  plat- 
form. The  King's  Daughters'  Circle  paid  for  the 
pulpit,  pulpit  chairs,  carpet,  and  a  Bible  out  of  the 
proceeds  of  a  concert  given  in  December,  the  trus- 
tees defraying  the  other  expenses.  Brother  Kluge 
presided  at  the  love  feast,  and  Brother  Clarence  E. 
Eberman  of  Brooklyn  delivered  the  address.  Brother 
Erik  Hermann,  pastor  of  the  German  congregation, 
ofl'ered  a  German  prayer.  The  Synod  of  1893  elected 
Brother  Kluge  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Elders' 
Conference,  of  which  body  he  was  chosen  President 
by  his  colleagues.  On  July  23  he  preached  his  fare- 
well sermon,  and  in  the  following  week  removed  with 
his  family  to  Bethlehem,  Pa.  The  pulpit  was  sup- 
plied by  the  Brethren  Henry  Bachman,  Jesse  Blick- 
ensderfer,  and  J.  Taylor  Hamilton  until  October  8, 
when  the  Rev.  Herman  A.  Gerdsen,  the  son-in-law 
and  successor  of  Brother  Kluge,  preached  his  intro- 
ductory sermon  from  Acts  5 :  20. 

Brother  Gerdsen  and  his  wife  took  up  their  resi- 
dence in  The  Lexington  at  12G  East  Nineteenth 
Street.  The  new  pastor  attacked  the  work  with  con- 
secrated zeal,  and  during  his  pastorate  of  ten  years 
and  four  montlis   accomplished   a   great   deal.     He 


306     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

worked  hard  to  make  the  church  more  attractive 
in  outward  appearance  and  to  bring  the  work  of  the 
congregation  to  the  attention  of  a  larger  number  of 
people  in  the  city,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  see- 
ing a  marked  improvement  in  both  respects.  The 
latter  end  was  largely  accomplished  by  making  ex- 
tensive use  of  newspapers  in  advertising  the  church, 
its  services  and  its  activities.  In  the  summer  of 
1894  the  church  was  renovated,  receiving  "a  thoro 
overhauling  from  roof  to  foundation.  The  audi- 
torium was  frescoed  and  the  floor  and  pulpit  plat- 
form re-carpeted."  The  congregation  had  a  paid 
choir  or  quartet  for  a  number  of  years  while  Bishop 
Reinke  was  pastor,  but  during  the  last  years  of  his 
ministry  there  was  none,  from  a  supposed  lack  of 
funds.  Appreciating  the  value  of  good  music  in  a 
church  service.  Brother  Gerdsen  left  no  stone  un- 
turned to  re-instate  a  paid  choir,  and  his  efforts  were 
not  in  vain.  On  February  2,  1896,  a  quartet  con- 
sisting of  Miss  Anna  Haar,  Soprano,  Miss  Myra 
Graff,  Alto,  Mr.  Armbrusher,  Tenor,  and  Richard 
Nitzschke,  Basso,  made  its  initial  appearance.  An 
effort  was  made  to  introduce  a  Sunday  evening  serv- 
ice without  results.  The  annual  custom  of  the 
King's  Daughters  to  entertain  the  Sunday  School 
scholars  and  their  friends  in  the  latter  part  of  June 
was  continued.  The  Sunday  School  picnic,  an  in- 
stitution of  long  standing,  was  held  at  some  distant 
or  nearby  resort  later  in  the  season.  In  October, 
1898,  a  certain  Mr.  Wunderlich  offered  to  give  the 
congregation  two  houses  and  a  lot,  100  x  200  feet, 
for  an  orphanage  in  Brooklyn.     Altho  the  trustees 


THE  SESQUI  CENTENNIAL  307 

considered  the  matter  carefully,  nothing  came  of  it. 
In  this  year  the  congregation  decorated  the  church 
auditorium  for  Christmas  for  the  first  time  since 
its  removal  from  Houston  Street,  the  decorations 
being  confined  hitherto  to  the  lecture  room. 

Moravians  make  a  great  deal  of  Christmas  every 
year,  but  the  Christmas  of  1898  was  of  special  in- 
terest to  the  church  in  New  York  because  it  marked 
the  one  hundred  and  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  or- 
ganization of  the  congregation.  Great  efforts  were 
put  forth  to  make  the  celebration  worthy  of  the 
event,  and  the  fondest  hopes  of  the  hard-working 
pastor  and  his  loyal  people  were  amply  realized. 
The  first  service  of  the  celebration  was  held  on 
Christmas  morning.  Brother  Kluge,  the  only  former 
pastor  living,  had  promised  to  preach  the  sermon 
at  this  service,  but  a  severe  attack  of  sickness  made 
it  impossible  for  him  to  be  present.  Altho  the  peo- 
ple were  disappointed  by  this  unexpected  turn  of 
events,  they  greatly  enjoyed  the  able  sermon  de- 
livered by  the  Rev.  J.  Taylor  Hamilton,  the  Resident 
Professor  of  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Bethlehem. 
At  the  morning  service  four  gifts  as  memorials  to 
departed  friends  were  received  and  dedicated  to 
the  service  of  God.  The  first  was  a  massive  oak 
communion  table  given  by  the  congregation  in  mem- 
ory of  the  late  Bishop  Amadeus  A.  Reinke;  the 
second,  a  beautiful  brass  lectern  from  the  members 
of  the  Wessels  family  in  memory  of  their  father, 
Brother  Gerhard  Wessels,  who  was  a  highly  es- 
teemed member  of  the  church  for  many  years;  the 
third,  a  handsome  pulpit    Bible  from  the   Nedwell 


308    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

family  in  memory  of  William  and  Elizabeth  Nedwell, 
and  their  son  David  Nedwell ;  the  fourth,  a  handsome 
Bible  for  the  lectern  from  Mrs.  Hugh  Pickering 
in  memory  of  her  mother,  Sister  Jane  Ander- 
son. These  beautiful  tributes  of  love  were  greatly 
appreciated  then  as  they  are  at  the  present  time. 
At  the  liturgical  service  in  the  evening  lighted  wax 
tapers  were  distributed  among  those  present,  and 
Prof.  Hamilton  delivered  an  appropriate  address. 
At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  following  day 
the  Christmas  celebration  by  the  Sunday  School 
took  place.  The  last  anniversary  service  was  held 
on  Tuesday  evening.  Ideal  weather  conditions  and 
extensive  newspaper  announcements  helped  to  bring 
together  a  large  number  of  people.  All  the  pastors 
and  many  members  of  the  neighboring  Moravian  con- 
gregations were  in  attendance.  There  were  also 
visitors  from  Bethlehem,  Nazareth,  and  Emaus,  Pa., 
and  Salem,  N.  C.  Bishop  J.  Mortimer  Levering  of 
Bethlehem  delivered  an  impressive  historical  ad- 
dress. A  second  address  was  delivered  by  the  Rev. 
David  Burrell,  D.D.,  pastor  of  the  Marble  Collegiate 
(Dutch  Reformed)  Church.  Special  music  was  ren- 
dered at  all  the  services  connected  with  the  anni- 
versary. The  impressive  celebration  gave  a  new 
impulse  to  the  work  of  the  congregation.  On  April 
27,  1899,  the  pastor  organized  a  Young  People's 
Society  for  "the  advancement  of  the  devotional, 
literary  and  social  attainments  of  our  people,  and 
to  aid  indirectly  the  pastor  in  extending  the  in- 
fluence of  the  church."  This  Society  flourished  for 
many  years,  and  while  in  existence  fully  justified  its 


THE  THIRD  MORAVIAN  CHURCH      309 

organization.     The  meetings  were  held  on  the  first 
and  third  Thursday  of  each  month. 

At  the  dawn  of  the  twentieth  century  there  were 
known  to  be  between  three  hundred  and  four  hun- 
dred West  Indian  Moravians  in  New  York  City. 
Some  of  these  found  their  way  to  the  services  of  the 
First  Church  and  the  Brooklyn  Church.  A  number 
of  them  were  received  into  these  congregations.  On 
November  25,  1900,  Bishop  Edwin  C.  Greider  of 
St.  Thomas,  West  Indies,  who  was  in  the  States  on 
furlough,  conducted  a  service  for  the  colored  breth- 
ren in  the  lecture  room  of  the  First  Church.  Similar 
services  were  subsequently  held  at  the  same  place. 
In  February,  1901,  a  delegation  of  West  Indian  Mo- 
ravians called  at  the  home  of  Dr.  Gerdsen  for  the 
purpose  of  discussing  with  him  the  matter  of  organ- 
izing a  congregation  on  the  West  Side.  Toward 
this  end  the  pastor  of  the  First  Church  had  been 
directing  his  efforts  for  some  time,  therefore  he  as- 
sured the  delegation  that  he  would  do  all  in  his 
power  to  further  the  project.  Among  other  things, 
he  brought  the  matter  to  the  attention  of  his  con- 
gregation, which  showed  its  interest  in  the  work 
among  the  colored  brethren  by  giving  some  financial 
assistance,  and  by  contributing  a  number  of  copies 
of  "The  Office  of  Worship  and  Hymns.''  Dr.  Gerd- 
sen also  enlisted  the  interest  of  the  First  District 
Board,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  and  in  many 
other  ways  contribiiled  to  the  success  of  the  under- 
taking. 

In    the    riicaiilime,    Brother    Victor    (I.    Flinii,    a 
graduate  of  the  'IMieological  Seminary  in  1900,  had 


310     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

become  interested  in  the  project.     While  waiting 
for  a  caU  to  some  Moravian  pastorate,  he  served  as 
"a  visitor"  of  Christ  Presbyterian  Church.    His  work 
required  him  to  look  up  unchurched  families  living 
on  the  West  Side,  and  to  connect  them,  if  possible, 
with  the  Church.    In  this  way  he  was  brought  into 
touch  with  the  Federation  of  Churches,  of  which 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Walter  Laidlaw  was  then  the  efficient 
Secretary.     Thru  the  agency  of  the  Federation  of 
Churches  Brother  Flinn  discovered  a  great  many 
West  Indian  Moravians  whom  he  readily  interested 
in  the  proposed  organization  of  a  congregation.    In 
the  spring  of  1901  it  was  decided  to  secure  a  place 
for  religious  meetings.    After  a  long  search  a  lodge 
room  near  Seventh  Avenue  and  Thirty-fifth  Street 
was  discovered.    It  was  not  very  desirable,  but  the 
best  that  could  be  found.     Dr.  Laidlaw  then  came 
to  the  rescue.     He  told  Brother  Flinn  and  others 
that  the  field  for  their  proposed  activities  was  not 
in  the  neighborhood  of  West  Thirty-fifth  Street,  but 
in  West  Sixty-third  Street,  where  they  would  find 
a  large  number  of  Moravians  from  the  West  Indies. 
Thru  Dr.  Laidlaw's  influence  pleasant  quarters 
were  secured  in  the  building  of  the  Children's  Aid 
Society  at  224  West  Sixty-third  Street,  where  the 
work  was  begun  and  has  centered  ever  since.    At  a 
meeting  of  colored  people  on  Friday  evening.  May 
19,  1901,   twenty-eight   of   them   signed   a   written 
agreement,  pledging  themselves  to  support  to  the 
best  of  their  ability  any  work  that  should  be  estab- 
lished in  their  behalf.    The  first  service  in  the  Chil- 
dren's Aid  Society  building  was  held  on  the  follow- 


THE  THIRD  MORAVIAN  CHURCH       311 

ing  Sunday.  The  text  of  the  sermon  was  especially 
significant,  expressing  as  it  did  the  chief  purpose  of 
the  undertaking.  It  was  this,  "As  we  have  therefore 
opportunity,  let  us  do  good  unto  all  men,  especially 
unto  them  who  are  of  the  household  of  faith." — 
Galatians  6:  10.  The  anniversary  sermon  has  been 
delivered  by  many  noted  ministers,  and  for  at  least 
sixteen  years  after  the  founding  of  the  work  the 
above  text  was  always  employed.  On  August  4  the 
Sunday  School  was  organized.  The  actual  organ- 
ization of  the  congregation  took  place  on  Sunday, 
October  13, 1901.  It  was  effected  by  Bishop  Edmund 
A.  Oerter,  President  of  the  Provincial  Elders'  Con- 
ference, who  ordained  Brother  Flinn  to  the  Mo- 
ravian ministry  on  the  same  day  at  the  morning 
service  in  the  First  Church.  Brother  Flinn  became 
the  pastor  of  the  newly  organized  congregation, 
which  became  known  as  "The  Third  Moravian  Church 
of  New  York  City,"  and  for  more  than  sixteen  years 
the  work  flourished  greatly  under  his  efficient  leader- 
ship. 

Out  of  this  congregation  grew  the  equally  flourish- 
ing congregation  known  as  Beth-Tphillah  or  the 
Fourth  Moravian  Church  of  New  York  City.  This 
church  was  organized  on  July  12,  1008,  and  is  now 
located  at  124  West  13()th  Street.  The  founder  and 
pastor  of  the  congregation  is  the  Rev.  Charles  Mar- 
tin, D.D.,  who  is  a  worlliy  exponent  of  his  race  and 
of  Moravian  Missions  in  tlic  WVst  ln<lies.  Brother 
Flinn  was  succeeded  in  the  pastorate  of  the  Third 
Church  by  Frederick  T.  Trallord,  who  not  only  con- 
tinued the  good  work  of  his  predecessor,  but  by  his 


312     MOKAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

energetic  efforts  succeeded  in  increasing  the  building- 
fund  of  $3,000  or  more  to  about  |15,000.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1921,  Brother  Trafford  was  transferred  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  South  Side  Moravian  Church  at 
Bethlehem,  Pa.,  and  in  the  following  month  the  Rev. 
Paul  T.  Shultz,  pastor  of  the  congregation  at  Staple- 
ton,  S.  I.,  and  formerly  a  missionary  in  the  West 
Indies,  took  charge  of  the  Third  Church.  By  the  in- 
domitable energy  and  wholehearted  consecration  of 
Dr.  Martin  and  his  people  the  Fourth  Church  is  en- 
tirely free  from  debt,  having  been  privileged  on  Sun- 
day, November  6, 1921,  to  burn  a  heavy  mortgage  pre- 
viously cancelled.  The  total  membership  of  the 
Third  Church  is  514,  and  that  of  the  Fourth  Church 
431  souls. 

In  March,  1901,  Dr.  Gerdsen  assumed  in  addition 
to  his  pastoral  duties  the  editorship  of  The  Mora- 
viariy  which  office  he  ably  filled  for  nearly  three  years, 
when  he  resigned  "because  he  felt  that  his  editorial 
work  interfered  too  much  with  his  pastoral  duties." 
In  February,  1901,  by  authority  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  he  rented  an  apartment  in  The  Marie  at 
61-69  East  Eighty-sixth  Street,  to  which  he  removed 
with  his  family  soon  after.  In  1902  the  pipe  organ 
in  the  church  was  rebuilt  at  a  cost  of  six  hundred 
dollars.  Altho  Dr.  Gerdsen  had  reason  to  feel  en- 
couraged over  the  progress  made  by  the  congregation 
in  the  face  of  many  difficulties,  when  the  Provincial 
Elders'  Conference  in  the  fall  of  1903  tendered  him 
a  call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Lancaster  congrega- 
tion, he  followed  this  call  as  coming  from  the  Lord, 
and  on  Sunday,  January  24,  of  the  following  year 


M.  W.  LEIBERT  BEGINS  LABORS       313 

he  preached  his  farewell  sermon  in  New  York.  On 
the  following  Thursday  he  left  for  his  new  field  of 
labor  by  way  of  Nazareth,  where  he  enjoyed  a  brief 
rest.  Altho  Dr.  Gerdsen  left  the  city  more  than 
eighteen  years  ago,  he  is  still  remembered  with  affec- 
tion by  many  members  of  the  congregation. 

The  Rev.  Morris  W.  Leibert,  pastor  of  the  Castle- 
ton  Corners  Church  on  Staten  Island,  and  a  member 
of  the  Provincial  Elders'  Conference,  succeeded  Dr. 
Gerdsen  in  the  pastorate  of  the  First  Church. 
Brother  Leibert  and  his  family  at  first  occupied  the 
apartment  vacated  by  Brother  Gerdsen  and  his  wife. 
On  Sunday,  February  7,  the  new  pastor  preached 
his  introductory  sermon  from  John  17:  21.  On 
Wednesday  of  the  same  week  the  Young  People's 
Society  tendered  the  new  laborers  a  reception  in 
the  lecture  room  of  the  church.  Having  begun  his 
ministry  as  pastor  of  the  German  congregation  on 
Sixth  Street,  Brother  Leibert  was  no  stranger  to  the 
city  or  city-work.  This  experience,  coupled  with  his 
exceptional  ability,  gave  promise  of  the  successful 
pastorate  which  followed.  Appreciating  the  value 
of  printer's  ink,  he  followed  the  example  of  his  pre- 
decessor and  not  only  advertised  the  services  of  the 
church,  but  published  numerous  articles  relating  to 
the  Moravian  Church  and  its  work,  in  the  city  papers. 
No  stone  was  left  unturned  to  stiinuhite  the  growth 
of  the  congregation  and  to  increase  its  efificiency.  As 
the  records  show,  these  efforts  were  not  in  vain. 

The  Sunday  on  wliirh  Brother  Leibert  preached 
his  inti'(Hlnctory  sermon  marked  I  he  dose  of  Mr. 
Otio  draff's  etticient   service  as  cliurch  organist,  a 


314    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

position  held  by  him  for  many  years.  His  successor, 
William  Ostermayer  of  Brooklyn,  entered  upon  his 
duties  on  the  following  Sunday.  In  September  a 
new  board  was  placed  on  the  outside  of  the  church, 
containing  the  additional  or  explanatory  words 
^^Protestant  Episcopal  in  connection  with  the  name 
Moravian  Church.  One  of  the  most  important  events 
of  the  year  was  the  congregation's  contribution  of 
|3,600  towards  the  increase  of  the  Sustentation  Fund 
of  the  Moravian  Church.  Three  thousand  dollars 
of  this  amount  was  contributed  by  the  Zoebisch  fam- 
ily. Anxious  that  the  church  should  render  a  greater 
service  to  the  immediate  community.  Brother  Lei- 
bert,  in  March,  1905,  compiled  from  the  oflQcial 
voting-list  of  the  city  an  accurate  record  of  all  resi- 
dents living  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  church.  In- 
vitations to  attend  the  services  were  later  sent  to 
those  on  the  list  who  were  of  the  Protestant  faith, 
but  "there  was  little,  or  no  response."  In  June, 
1906,  the  pastor  and  his  family  removed  from  East 
Eighty-sixth  Street  to  130  Manhattan  Avenue,  where 
they  resided  for  three  years.  On  Saturday,  May  1, 
1909,  they  removed  to  the  parsonage  at  112  Lexing- 
ton Avenue,  which  had  been  rented  by  the  Trustees 
for  a  period  of  twenty-six  years.  Having  been  con- 
secrated a  bishop  of  the  Moravian  Church  on  Septem- 
ber 13,  1908,  at  the  Provincial  Synod  held  at  Lititz, 
Pa.,  Bishop  Leibert  in  his  episcopal  capacity  at- 
tended the  General  Synod  of  1909  at  Herrnhut.  He 
sailed  for  Europe  on  May  6  and  returned  on  August 
28.  On  November  10  the  Young  People's  Society 
of  the  congregation  was  converted  into  a  Christian 


MEMORIAL  PULPIT  315 

Endeavor  Society,  those  concerned  believing  that  in 
this  way  the  organization  of  the  young  people  might 
be  preserved,  while  at  the  same  time  a  more  dis- 
tinctive religious  purpose  would  be  served.  These 
hopes,  however,  were  not  fulfilled,  and  the  life  of 
the  Christian  Endeavor  Society  was  of  short  dura- 
tion. A  regular  mid-week  service  was  then  insti- 
tuted, which  has  been  continued  with  indifferent 
success  ever  since.  On  Sunday  morning,  November 
21,  the  Second,  Third,  and  Fourth  Churches  united 
with  the  congregation  in  a  union  service,  at  which 
Bishop  R.  Vouillaire  of  the  Surinam  Mission  de- 
livered an  address.  On  the  following  Saturday  the 
handsome  pulpit  in  the  church  was  delivered  and 
placed  in  position.  It  was  the  generous  gift  of  the 
Wessels  family  in  memory  of  their  mother,  and  bears 
the  inscription,  "In  memoriam  Emily  Elizabeth  Rice 
Wessels.— 1834-1909." 

The  old  system  of  soliciting  contributions  for  the 
current  expenses  of  the  congregation  having  lapsed, 
efforts  were  made  in  the  spring  of  1911  to  remedy 
this  weakness.  To  this  end  the  following  circular 
was  sent  to  the  members  by  the  Elders  and  Trustees : 
"It  is  felt  by  many  in  the  congregation  that  we  are 
not  as  active  as  we  ought  to  be.  Our  own  good  and 
the  cause  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  Saviour  and  Master, 
urge  us  to  do  better.  Our  membership  is  widely 
scattered,  and  the  population  of  the  section  of  the 
city  in  which  we  are  located  is  either  of  a  shifting 
character  or  connected  with  otlier  churches.  Yet 
we  should  have  a  stronger  hold  on  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  more  of  its  residents  should  be  in  our 


316     MOKAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

services  and  Sunday  School  than  is  the  case.  All  of 
us  can  render  some  assistance  for  the  increase  of 
our  influence  and  the  improvement  of  our  condition. 
We  are  surrounded  by  men,  women  and  children 
overlooked  and  uncared  for,  who  would  be  helped,  as 
we  would  be  profited,  by  their  attendance  at  our 
worship  and  in  our  school.  The  Church  Council  took 
up  this  matter  some  weeks  ago,  and  decided  that 
every  communicant  or  friend  whom  we  can  reach 
should  contribute  a  certain  amount  each  year  for 
the  specific  purpose  of  engaging  a  visitor  or  mis- 
sionary to  canvass  the  homes  of  the  vicinity,  to  se- 
cure new  scholars,  to  aid  families  in  need  or  trouble, 
and  to  bring  to  all  our  cordial  invitation  to  attend 
our  church  or  to  become  pupils  in  our  Sunday 
School. 

^'The  present  income  of  the  congregation  is  not 
sufiScient  to  permit  of  this  expenditure.  In  order 
to  raise  the  money  required,  and  to  make  it  easy  for 
all  to  give,  envelopes  will  hereafter  be  placed  in  the 
pews.  These  envelopes  may  be  taken  home,  marked 
as  desired,  and  may  be  deposited  with  the  offerings 
in  the  collection  plates,  weekly,  monthly,  or  yearly, 
entirely  at  the  convenience  of  the  giver.  The 
amounts  so  contributed  will  be  regarded  as  dues 
towards  the  support  of  the  church,  and  will  be 
credited  to  the  givers  in  the  accounts  of  the  congre- 
gation. No  one  shall  be  compelled  to  give.  None 
shall  be  asked  to  give  beyond  their  means,  or  in  a 
manner  that  may  be  burdensome  or  distasteful.  By 
giving  in  this  way,  much  or  little,  all  will  have  a  per- 
sonal share  in  doing  the  work  of  our  Church,  and 


APPEAL  TO  THE  MEMBERSHIP        317 

will  at  the  same  time  fulfill  those  financial  obliga- 
tions which  the  law  requires  of  the  voting  members 
of  the  church.  It  is  confidently  believed  that  the 
adoption  of  this  method  of  taking  a  hand  in  the  re- 
ligious work  of  the  congregation  will  bring  us  that 
larger  attendance  and  that  greater  activity,  the  lack 
of  which  we  so  often  deplore.  We  are  in  danger  of 
loitering  at  ease  in  our  Zion,  and  of  forgetting  that 
there  is  still  much  land  to  be  occupied.  We  must 
become  more  live  to  the  fact  that  we  are  really  the 
stewards  of  our  God,  and  that  we  are  solemnly  bound 
by  our  Christian  profession  to  use  those  means  and 
opportunities  which  He  has  entrusted  to  our  keep- 
ing for  the  highest  good  of  our  fellow-men,  and  for 
the  greater  glory  of  Him  whose  we  are  and  whom 
we  serve.  In  the  name  of  the  Church  Council,  we  are 
cordially  your  Brethren, 

S.  J.  Dike 
J.  T.  Francis, 

Elders, 
C.  A.  Zoebisch 
C.  T.  Zoebisch 
J.  M.  Jackson 
James  M.  Beck 
H.  A.  Knoll, 

Trustees. 
Morris  W.  Leibert, 

Pastor. 

On  Saturday,  May  13,  1911,  the  congregation  lost 
one  of  its  most  influential  members  by  the  death  of 
Charles  Augustus  Zoebisch  at  362  Clinton   Street, 


318    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Brooklyn.  The  funeral  services  were  conducted  at 
his  late  residence  by  Bishop  Leibert  on  the  following 
Tuesday  evening  at  eight  o'clock.  As  a  token  of  the 
high  esteem  in  which  the  congregation  held  the  de- 
parted brother  a  handsome  floral  cross  was  sent  by 
the  church.  Many  of  the  members  attended  the 
funeral  service.  The  church  choir  sang  appropriate 
selections.  On  the  following  morning  at  eleven 
o'clock  ''a  parting  service"  was  held  around  the  cas- 
ket in  the  presence  of  only  the  nearest  relatives  and 
most  intimate  friends,  and  the  interment  followed 
in  the  family  plot  in  Greenwood  Cemetery,  "thus 
ending  the  long  career  of  eighty-seven  years  on  earth 
of  one  of  the  most  notable  and  efficient  members  that 
the  First  Moravian  Church  in  New  York  City  ever 
had."  The  following  memoir,  prepared  and  read  by 
Bishop  Leibert  at  the  time  of  the  funeral,  deserves 
a  place  in  this  history:  "The  Moravian  Church  in 
America  has  lost  the  service  of  a  good  and  faithful 
servant  in  the  departure  of  Brother  Zoebisch  to  his 
eternal  rest  and  reward.  At  the  time  of  his  death 
he  was  the  senior  official  of  the  Province,  and  had 
rounded  out  a  longer  term  of  stewardship  than  any 
contemporary.  He  was  born  in  Markneukirchen, 
Saxony,  May  9, 1824.  Carefully  reared  in  the  Church 
and  school  in  his  native  town,  he  was  initiated,  as 
the  eldest  son,  into  every  detail  of  his  father's  busi- 
ness, and  formed  those  attachments  for  the  people 
and  associates  of  his  birthplace  which  clung  to  him 
to  the  last.  But  his  lot  was  cast  for  other  surround- 
ings and  for  wider  activities. 
"After  a  great  conflagration  had  swept  over  the 


BIOGRAPHY  OF  C.  A.  ZOEBISCH       319 

village  in  which  he  otherwise  might  have  spent  his 
life,  it  was  decided  that  he  should  go  to  America  to 
seek  the  expansion  of  its  industries  and  the  better- 
ment of  his  own  prospects.  He  sailed  from  Bremen 
in  October,  1841,  and  arrived  in  New  York  on  Janu- 
ary 20,  1842.  After  living  in  Pennsylvania  and 
traveling  in  the  United  States  for  a  season,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Maria  Louisa  Beitel  of 
Schoeneck,  Pa.,  in  1844.  In  1847  he  established  his 
home  in  New  York  City,  living  for  fourteen  years 
in  Manhattan,  and  then  taking  up  his  residence  in 
Brooklyn,  where  he  occupied  the  home  in  which  he 
died  within  two  months  of  fifty  years.  By  strict  at- 
tention to  affairs,  he  became  successful  as  a  manu- 
facturer and  importer  of  musical  instruments, 
gained  prominence  as  a  merchant,  and  won  recog- 
nition and  esteem  in  financial  circles.  And  the  uni- 
versal respect  and  confidence  he  enjoyed  among 
those  of  his  own  generation  was  never  diminished,  as, 
one  by  one,  his  associates  passed  on  before,  and  he  be- 
came identified  with  a  second  and  a  third  generation 
of  men.  Everywhere  and  always,  he  maintained  an 
enviable  reputation  as  an  honorable,  responsible  and 
conservative  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  keenly  alive 
to  the  progress  of  the  times  and  alert  to  changes  of 
every  kind,  only  as  the  years  began  to  weigh  heavily 
finding  it  ditlicult  to  reconcile  many  of  the  practices 
of  our  day  with  the  methods  prevailing  in  his  youth 
and  prime. 

"His  experience,  his  judgment,  liis  personality 
made  him  a  desirable  man  for  positions  of  trust  and 
counsel,  and  for  tasks  re(iuiriiig  fiusiness  sagacity 


320     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

and  executive  ability.  Consequently  we  see  him 
chosen  as  a  director  of  the  Germania  Fire  Insurance 
Company,  of  the  German  American  Bank,  long  serv- 
ing the  latter  as  a  Vice-President,  all  of  them  New 
York  institutions  of  the  highest  grade.  Restlessly 
active,  and  conscientiously  devoted  to  the  discharge 
of  his  duties,  he  held  himself  pledged  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  unsullied  name  and  the  unassailable  rec- 
ord of  these  corporations,  even  when  too  feeble  to 
do  more  than  to  be  present  at  stated  meetings.  For 
sixty-four  years  he  was  actively  connected  with  the 
First  Moravian  Church  of  New  York  City,  assum- 
ing responsibility  as  a  Trustee  and  as  its  Treasurer 
at  a  most  critical  period.  He  succeeded  in  building 
up  its  resources  in  such  a  manner  that  its  members 
will  ever  be  under  deep  and  large  obligation  to  him. 
He  was  concerned  about  its  future  quite  as  much  as 
he  was  interested  in  its  past  and  fully  as  much  as  he 
was  solicitous  for  its  immediate  present.  Seven 
times  he  was  a  delegate  to  District  Synod,  twelve 
times  he  represented  his  congregation  at  Provincial 
Synod,  and  in  1889  he  was  a  member  of  the  General 
Synod.  Since  its  creation  in  1876,  he  served  on 
the  Board  of  Church  Extension,  and  was  continually 
its  treasurer  until  the  day  of  his  death.  From  1878 
he  was  on  the  Advisory  Finance  Board  of  the  Church. 
He  was  a  trustee  and  President  of  the  Board  di- 
recting the  affairs  of  the  Moravian  Seminary  for 
Young  Ladies  at  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  since  its  formation 
in  1893.  In  these  capacities  he  was  the  best  known 
layman  of  the  Moravian  Church  in  America,  and  as 
such  esteemed  by  all  and  endeared  to  many. 


BIOGRAPHY  OF  C.  A.  ZOEBISCH       321 


ii^ 


Infirmities  gathered  round  him  in  recent  years. 
On  Maundy  Thursday   he  communed  for  the  last 
time,  and  on  Easter  Day  he  closed  his  exemplary 
record  as  a  church-goer  and  as  a  devout  worshipper 
before  the  Lord.    Then  the  shadows  lengthened,  and 
he  was  stretched  upon  his  bed.     The  horizon  nar- 
nowed,  and  his  strength  was  consumed.     Finally, 
on  Saturday,  May  13,  1911,  his  spirit  took  its  flight. 
The  measure  of  his  life  on  earth  was  eighty-seven 
years  and  four  days.     A  widower  since  March  23, 
1892,  he  is  survived  by  a  sister,  a  son,  and  two  grand- 
sons, while  he  is  mourned  by  a  large  number  of  those 
more  distantly  connected,  and  of  those  most  inti- 
mately associated.     Some  may  have  differed  from 
him  in  matters  of  opinion,  others  may  have  preferred 
ways  different  from  his,  often  our  purposes   may 
have  crossed,  instead  of  running  parallel,  but  there 
is  none  to  question  for  an  instant  the  solidity  and 
the  worth  of  his  advice  and  support  of  his  Christian 
convictions  and  character.     He  will  be  missed  in 
various  ways  in  many  places.    The  truth  of  the  in- 
spired proverb  is  proven  once  more:    'Blessings  are 
upon  the  head  of  the  righteous,'  and  once  again  we 
bear  witness  to  the  fact  that  'The  memory  of  the 
righteous  is  blessed.' " 

On  Sunday,  October  1,  1911,  the  book  entitled 
"The  Jjiturfjy,  Office  of  Worship  and  Hymns'  was 
used  in  the  church  service  for  the  first  time,  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  copies  having  been  previously 
purchased.  The  ohl  hymn-books  hitherto  in  use  were 
j)resente<l  to  tlie  Third  and  Fourth  Churches.  The 
wider  range  of  hymns  in  the  new  book  increased  the 


322     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

helpfulness  of  the  service,  and  it  was  for  this  reason 
that  the  change  was  made.     It  has  always  been  a 
problem  of  the  church  how  best  to  make  its  influence 
felt  in  the  neighborhood.     Altho  this  problem  has 
never  been  solved,  an  employed  worker  in  the  com- 
munity  has   contributed  more  toward  a   solution, 
perhaps,  than  any  other  effort  put  forth  in  this  di- 
rection.   There  having  been  no  worker  of  this  kind 
for  some  years,  the  congregation  engaged  in  the  fall 
of  1911  Mr.  Arthur  Howden,  formerly  a  missionary 
in  China,  and  at  the  time  a  member  of  the  Moravian 
Church  on  Staten  Island.     He  spent  several  days 
each  week  in  visiting  among  the  people  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, distributing  cards  giving  a  brief  account 
of  the  Moravian  Church,  and  extending  an  invitation 
to  people  to  the  services  of  the  congregation  and  to 
the  exercises  of  the  Sunday  School.     He  also  dis- 
tributed suitable  tracts,  and  in  some  cases  Bibles. 
His  labors  extended  from  November  10  to  May  1  of 
the  following  year.    Altho  these  efforts  did  not  ma- 
terially increase  the  church  attendance,  the  Sunday 
School  was  greatly  strengthened,  and  much  good  was 
accomplished  in  other  respects.    On  January  6,  1912, 
two    handsome   hymn-tablets    were    placed   in    the 
church-auditorium   by    Brother   Charles    Meisel,    a 
member  of  the  congregation,  in  memory  of  his  wife, 
Anna  Caroline  Stengel-Meisel,  who  had  died  in  Janu- 
ary of  the  preceding  year.    When  the  "Men  and  Re- 
ligion Movement"  swept  over  the  country,  the  con- 
gregation identified  itself  with  it,  and  on  Sunday, 
February  18,   1912,  the  following  "key-men"  were 
appointed :    Samuel  J.  Dike  for  Bible  Study,  Judson 


BROTHERHOOD  ORGANIZED  323 

T.  Francis,  Evangelism,  Herman  A.  Knoll,  Boys' 
Work,  Frank  J.  Leibert,  Social  Service,  and  H.  G. 
Poth,  Foreign  Missions. 

On  March  3,  1912,  the  church  attendants  were 
pleased  to  see  a  handsome  clock  attached  to  the  gal- 
lery and  facing  the  pulpit.    It  was  the  gift  of  Brother 
August  Orbel,  a  member  of  the  German  congregation 
during  Brother  Leibert's  pastorate.     This   gift   is 
greatly  appreciated  to  this  day.    On  April  15  of  the 
same  year  Prof.  William  Ahrens  was  engaged  as 
church-organist,  a  position  which  he  has  ably  filled 
ever  since.     On  April  22  sixteen  young  people  of 
the  congregation  met  at  the  parsonage  and  organized 
"jTTie  Clan  Cordial  for  mutual  advantage  and  for 
the  benefit  of  the  congregation."    After  a  flourishing 
existence  for  a  number  of  years  this  organization 
disbanded.     Under  the  inspiration  of  the  Men  and 
Religion   Forward   Movement   a    Brotherhood   was 
organized,  but  for  some  reason  the  organization  was 
short-lived.    On  Sunday,  February  9,  1913,  a  service 
of  unusual  interest  was  held  in  the  church.     This 
service  marked  the  twenty-first  anniversary  of  the 
Whatsoever    Circle    of    King's    Daughters.*      The 
church  was  beautifully  decorated  with  the  colors 
of  the  Order,  and  Bishop  Leibert  preached  a  ser- 
mon appropriate  to  the  occasion.     At  the  special 
meeting  of  Church  Council  on  Wednesday,  March  5, 
of  the  same  year,  called  for  the  purpose  of  electing  a 
delegate  to  the  Provincial  Synod,  it  was  decided  to 
take  steps  to  prepare  for  publication  a  ''Manual/' 
embodying  a  brief  history  of  the  Moravian  Church 

*The  King's  DaughterH'  Circle  was  orgaDlzed  on  Janaary  29,   1892. 


324    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

at  large,  and  of  the  congregation,  as  well  as  the  rules 
and  regulations  of  the  church  recently  revised  and 
adopted.  For  some  reason  this  "Manual"  was  never 
published.  The  same  3^ear  a  "Church  Monthly"  or 
parish  paper  was  seriously  discussed,  but  wisely  or 
unwisely,  it  was  decided  that  the  disadvantages  of 
such  a  publication  outweighed  the  advantages,  and 
consequently  the  expense  involved  would  hardly  be 
justified. 

For  more  than  a  year,  however,  a  discussion  of 
another  matter  prevailed,  and  this  discussion  re- 
sulted in  making  substantial  improvements  in  the 
basement  of  the  church.  Back  of  the  lecture  room 
was  a  large  space  hitherto  utilized  for  storing  boxes, 
ash-cans  and  all  sorts  of  junk.  Under  the  leadership 
of  the  pastor  the  trustees  called  in  Mr.  James  Gru- 
nert,  an  architect,  and  in  the  event  the  lecture  room 
was  thoroly  renovated,  and  the  space  hitherto  re- 
served for  storage  and  rats  transformed  into  a 
beautiful  church-parlor.  The  floor  was  made  of  con- 
crete, and  the  walls  were  tastefully  decorated.  The 
King's  Daughters  attended  to  the  furnishing  of  the 
room.  A  handsome  oak  library  table  was  presented 
by  Mrs.  August  Herrlich  as  a  memorial  to  her  hus- 
band ;  a  handsome  Bible  for  use  at  the  King's  Daugh- 
ters' meetings  was  given  by  the  same  person;  the 
beautiful  sectional  bookcase  was  presented  by  Miss 
Louise  Trautwein  and  her  sister,  Mrs.  Kate  Bleyer, 
as  a  memorial  to  their  mother,  Sister  Barbara  Traut- 
wein, and  the  handsome  picture  of  the  Appian  Way 
by  Mrs.  Mary  Yost  in  memory  of  her  husband,  Fer- 
nando Yost.    On  the  walls  hang  portraits  of  leaders 


KING'S  DAUGHTERS'  ROOM  325 

in  the  Moravian  Church  who  were  active  in  the 
early  years  of  the  Church  in  America,  pictures  of 
the  second,  third  and  present  church  of  the  con- 
gregation, and  other  pictures  of  historic  value.  Be- 
cause of  their  valuable  contributions  to  the  church 
parlor  it  is  commonly  spoken  of  as  ''The  King's 
Daughters'  Room''  Here  the  boards  and  various 
organizations  of  the  congregation  hold  their  meet- 
ings. The  extensive  renovations  and  improvements 
made  at  the  same  time  included  among  other  things 
the  preparation  of  a  room  for  kitchen  purposes,  the 
installation  of  electric  lights,  a  steam-heating  plant, 
etc.  By  the  end  of  October,  1913,  these  improve- 
ments were  completed.  All  who  had  a  share  in  the 
work  deserve  great  credit. 

From  the  spring  of  1914  to  the  spring  of  1918 
Miss  Assunta  Anna  D'lncalci,  a  young  Italian 
woman,  labored  in  the  interests  of  the  congregation 
among  the  Italian  women  and  children  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  church.  On  June  24, 1915,  Miss  Marie 
Howard,  the  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Jacob  Howard, 
formerly  a  missionary  in  the  West  Indies,  held  her 
first  Mothers'  Meeting  in  the  church.  Miss  Howard 
is  a  missionary  of  the  New  York  Bible  Society,  and 
her  field  being  in  the  neighborhood,  the  Trustees 
granted  her  permission  to  conduct  her  inotliers'  and 
children's  meetings  in  the  clmrcli.  She  exercised 
this  privilege  until  the  beginning  of  1920,  when  she 
transferred  her  meetings  to  the  Adams  Memorial 
Church  on  East  Thirtieth  Street.  While  Bishop 
Leibert  was  in  Europe  as  a  delegate  to  the  (ienenil 
Synod   of    1911    I  lie   Brethren   Paul   de   Sehweinitz, 


326     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Frederick  R.  Nitzschke,  Edward  S.  Wolle,  and  sev- 
eral students  of  the  Moravian  Theological  Seminary 
at  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  supplied  the  pulpit.    On  Decem- 
ber 30  an  organization  of  young  boys  was  formed 
which  took  the  name  of  King's  Messengers.     The 
Loyal  Circle  of  King's  Daughters  and  King's  Sons 
was  organized  on  Saturday,  February  6,  1915,  and 
has  proved  itself  a  valuable  adjunct  of  the  congre- 
gation ever  since.    The  Circle  has  given  a  number  of 
successful  plays,  which  not  only  provided  good  en- 
tertainment for  a  large  number  of  people,  but  at 
the  same  time  replenished  its  treasury,  as  well  as 
that  of  the  Whatsoever  Circle  of  King's  Daughters. 
During  the  year  1916  various  matters  of  interest 
transpired.    At  the  meeting  of  the  January  Church 
Council  it  was  decided  that  young  men  of  the  con- 
gregation, instead  of  the  Elders,  should  take  the 
offering  at  church  services.    On  March  9  a  new  safe 
was  placed  in  the  church  parlor  for  the  purpose  of 
properly  preserving  the   church   records.     In   con- 
nection with  the  service  on  Palm  Sunday  morning, 
April   16,   the   beautiful   baptismal   font   of   stone, 
which  the  Whatsoever  Circle  of  King's  Daughters 
presented  to  the  congregation,  was  dedicated,  and 
used  for  the  first  time,  Emma  Morris  Blake,  the 
wife  of  Brother  Thomas  J.  Blake,  being  received  into 
the  congregation  by  the  sacrament  of  baptism.    The 
world  war  was  making  itself  increasingly  felt  in 
America,  and  on  June  19  Harry  Carlson,  a  member 
of   the    congregation,    left   for   Camp   Wadsworth. 
Others  followed  in  due  time  and  when  the  ''Honor 
RoW  of  the  church  was  complete  it  contained  the 


HONOR  ROLL  OF  CHURCH      327 

following  names:  Kenneth  Leibert,  Naval  Reserve^ 
Axel  Johnson,  United  States  Navy,  Walter  Schmidt, 
Naval  Engineers,  Harry  Carlson,  Field  Artillery, 
Edward  Carlson,  Military  Police,  Henry  Olsen, 
Coast  Artillery,  William  Stahlschmidt,  United 
States  Infantry,  John  Daggun,  Military  Police, 
William  Gerken,  71st  Regiment,  George  Richardson, 
Medical  Corps.  All  these  young  men  rendered  faith- 
ful service  in  the  spheres  to  which  their  country  and 
patriotism  called  them.  Altho  some  of  them  were 
in  the  thick  of  battle,  the  life  of  every  one  was 
mercifully  spared,  and  after  the  war  was  over  they 
returned  to  their  homes. 

When  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1916  the  epidemic 
of  infantile  paralysis  was  raging  thruout  the  city 
and  country  the  Sunday  School  was  closed.  On 
Christmas  Eve  the  beautiful  silver  alms  basins  were 
received  by  the  congregation  as  the  gift  of  Mrs. 
Howard  Gates  Clark  in  memory  of  her  husband.  At 
the  service  on  the  following  morning  the  basins  were 
formally  dedicated  by  the  pastor.  For  a  long  time 
a  strong  feeling  in  favor  of  the  individual  com- 
munion cups  existed  in  the  congregation.  This  feel- 
ing crystallized  in  the  following  action  taken  by  the 
Church  Council  on  January  31,  1917:  "Resolved, 
that  after  an  agitation  of  the  matter  extending  over 
a  number  of  years,  it  is  the  sense  of  this  Church 
Council  that,  following  the  custom  of  the  majority 
of  evangelical  churches  in  America,  and  heeding  the 
wishes  of  the  membershii)  of  the  congregation  for- 
mally and  ro])05ite(lly  ex])ressed,  the  use  of  the  com 
nion  comiininion  cnps   in   (he   Holy   Coimminion    he 


328     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

discontinued,  and  individual  cups  introduced,  and 
that  the  Elders  and  Trustees  be  urged  to  effect  the 
change  at  the  earliest  possible  date,  and  that  in 
so  doing  they  should  provide  for  the  preservation 
in  some  suitable  form  in  the  new  service,  properly 
inscribed,  of  the  memorial  pieces  which  have  been 
in  constant  use  at  our  celebration  of  the  Communion 
for  nearly  a  century."  That  the  latter  part  of  the 
resolution  might  be  fittingly  carried  out  it  was  de- 
cided on  April  26  that  "the  old  communion  set  be 
melted,  assayed  and  incorporated  in  the  silver  of 
the  new  service."  On  May  25  racks  for  the  com- 
munion cups  were  placed  in  the  pews,  and  two  days 
later,  on  the  occasion  of  the  Whitsuntide  festival, 
the  individual  communion  cups*  were  used  for  the 
first  time.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  the  com- 
municants expressed  great  satisfaction  over  the 
change.  With  the  accumulation  of  valuable  silver- 
ware it  became  necessary  to  make  suitable  arrange- 
ments for  its  protection,  therefore  the  upstairs  safe 
was  purchased  to  meet  this  need. 

*There  are  four  silver  communion  trays.  One  tray  is  marked,  "  'H.  P. 
to  the  Br's  Ch.'  Above  inscription  was  engraved  on  the  two  CMnmunion 
chalices  of  the  First  Moravian  Church  of  New  York  City,  the  silver  of 
which  is  incorporated  in  this  tray  for  individual  cups.  Whitsuntide,  1917." 
A  second  tray  bears  the  following  words:  "  'Hannah  Bowie  to  the  United 
Brethren's  Church  in  New  York,  1831.'  Above  inscription  was  engraved 
on  the  two  communion  flagons  of  the  First  Moravian  Church  of  New  York 
City,  the  silver  of  which  is  incorporated  in  this  tray  for  individual  cups. 
Whit  Sunday,  1917."  A  third  tray  bears  the  inscription,  "Presented  to 
the  First  Moravian  Church  by  William  Higgins,  in  memory  of  his  uncle 
William  Higgins.  Christmas,  1918."  The  fourth  tray  was  purchased  by 
the  trustees.  The  beautiful  silver  cover  for  the  communion  trays  was  the 
gift  of  the  Whatsoever  Circle  of  King's  Daughters  at  Christmastide,  1918. 
The  silver  "basket"  for  the  communion  bread  has  been  in  use  since 
October  8,  1814,  when  it  was  presented  to  the  congregation  by  Daniel 
Bowie. 


MORAVIAN  CITY  UNION  329 

On  Sunday,  February  4,  1917,  "a  home  visitation" 
was  made  in  connection  with  the  evangelistic  cam- 
paign conducted  in  the  city  by  Evangelist  William 
Sunday.  The  area  in  which  the  First  Church  is  lo- 
cated was  covered  by  one  hundred  visitors,  includ- 
ing a  number  of  members  of  the  congregation.  The 
workers  made  the  First  Church  their  headquarters. 
On  March  6  of  the  same  year  the  Whatsoever  Circle 
of  King's  Daughters  presented  Mrs.  Edmund  B.  Rose 
with  a  testimonial  of  esteem  and  appreciation  in 
honor  of  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  her  as- 
suming the  treasurership  of  the  Circle.  Mrs.  Rose 
still  performs  the  duties  of  the  office  which  she  has 
for  so  many  years  discharged  with  great  credit  to 
herself  and  the  organization.  Two  days  later  a  com- 
mittee of  the  New  York  group  of  Moravian  ministers, 
consisting  of  the  Brethren  Morris  W.  Leibert,  Ed- 
ward S.  Wolle,  and  Ernest  Hagen,  met  in  the  church 
parlor  and  prepared  the  copy  of  the  Passion  Week 
leaflets  now  in  use  in  the  Moravian  congregations  in 
New  York  City  and  its  environs.  These  leaflets  were 
published  by  the  Moravian  City  Union.  It  will  be 
of  interest  to  give  in  this  connection  some  details 
relating  to  the  organization  here  mentioned.  The 
following  record  is  taken  from  the  Secretary's  book 
of  the  Union :  ^'Moravians  living  in  New  York  and 
vicinity  for  a  long  time  have  felt  the  need  of  be- 
coming better  acquainted  with  each  other.  How 
this  might  become  possible  had  been  often  discussed, 
but  no  conclusion  was  reached.  The  desire  began 
to  take  definite  form,  however,  at  the  recent  dinner 
of  the  New  York   Alumni   Association  of  the  Mo- 


330     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

ravian  College  and  Theological  Seminary,  when  it 
was  voted  to  establish  a  Moravian  City  Union. 

"It  was  decided  to  include  in  this  Union  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Moravian  churches  in  the  New  York 
district,  and  all  other  Moravians  living  in  and 
about  the  city.  The  following  is  the  record  of  the 
action  taken  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Alumni 
Association  on  January  27,  1914,  in  the  Martha 
Washington  Hotel  at  29  East  Twenty-ninth  Street, 
New  York  City:  ^Resolved,  that  for  the  purpose  of 
increasing  its  efficiency,  and  for  the  advancement  of 
Moravian  interests  in  New  York  and  vicinity,  the 
Alumni  Association,  after  ten  years'  experience, 
favors  the  creation  of  a  more  inclusive  body  of  Mo- 
ravians in  New  York,  and  toward  this  end  moves. 
First,  That  those  persons  here  present  to-day  be  in- 
vited to  create  such  an  organization.  Second,  That 
it  be  created  in  accordance  with  the  plans  that  have 
been  prepared  by  the  Executive  Committee  as  fol- 
lows :  The  name  shall  be  The  Moravian  City  Union 
of  New  York.  The  purpose  is  to  supply  the  twenty- 
five  hundred  Moravians  now  in  New  York  with  op- 
portunities for  better  acquaintance,  and  when  de- 
sired, united  action.  To  this  end  it  is  planned  to 
hold  four  meetings  a  year,  as  follows,  1.  A  meeting 
in  the  First  Church  in  April,  the  program  to  include 
an  address  by  some  eminent  speaker  on  a  religious 
or  civic  topic,  which  shall  be  preceded  or  followed 
by  a  reception,  possibly  with  refreshments.  2.  A 
union  picnic  in  Summer.  3.  A  meeting  in  November 
similar  to  that  held  in  April.  4.  A  dinner  in  Janu- 
ary, with  suitable  program,  in  one  of  the  hotels. 


MORAVIAN  CITY  UNION  331 

The  annual  meeting  and  election  shall  be  held  in 
connection  with  the  dinner.  To  cover  the  expenses 
of  the  Union  for  this  introductory  year  a  charge  of 
twenty-five  cents  each  shall  be  made  for  attendance 
at  the  April  and  November  meetings,  and  a  nominal 
charge  of  |1.50  for  the  annual  dinner  as  hitherto, 
probably  leading  up  to  a  later  arrangement  of  annual 
dues  amounting  to  two  dollars  payable  in  advance 
to  cover  all  charges  for  the  four  consecutive  events. 

"  ^To  develop  these  plans  for  the  ensuing  twelve 
months  the  following  officers  shall  be  elected  to 
serve  for  one  year :  A  President  of  the  Union,  whose 
duty  it  shall  be  to  preside  at  all  public  meetings, 
and  to  represent  the  Union  in  public  should  occasion 
require;  a  Vice  President y  who  shall  preside  in  the 
absence  of,  or  at  the  request  of,  the  President;  a 
Secretary,  who  shall  keep  a  record  of  the  meetings 
of  the  Union,  a  list  of  those  voting  at  the  annual 
meeting,  and  perform  such  duties  as  ordinarily  de- 
volve upon  a  Secretary;  a  Treasurer,  who  shall  re- 
ceive and  pay  out  the  monies  of  the  Union  as  di- 
rected by  the  Executive  Committee.  The  Secretary 
and  Treasurer  of  the  Union  shall  also  act  as  the 
Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Executive  Commit- 
tee. At  a  meeting  called  for  the  purpose  by  the 
President,  the  four  elected  officers  shall  choose  and 
appoint  a  chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee, 
and  also  two  other  members.  These  with  the  four 
elected  officers  of  the  Union  shall  constitute  the  Ex- 
ecutive Committee,  and  this  committee  shall  have 
entire  charge  of  the  selection  of  place,  program,  and 
all  other  details  connected  with  the  four  meetings 


332     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

of  the  ensuing  year.' "  (On  November  13,  1919,  the 
following  change  in  the  constitution  was  made: 
"The  four  elected  officers  of  the  Union  shall  choose 
three  members  of  the  Union  who  shall  constitute  the 
Program  Committee.  This  committee  shall  choose 
its  own  chairman,  and  shall  have  charge  of  the  se- 
lection of  place,  program,  and  all  other  details  con- 
nected with  the  four  meetings  of  the  ensuing  year. 
The  President  of  the  Union  shall  be  ex-officio  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Program  Committee.  The  four  elected 
officers,  together  with  the  chairman  of  the  program 
committee,  shall  constitute  the  Executive  Commit- 
tee.") The  first  officers  of  the  City  Union  were  the 
following:  President^  Bishop  M.  W.  Leibert,  D.D.; 
Vice  President,  Mr.  Charles  E.  H.  Harvey ;  Secretary , 
the  Rev.  F.  E.  Grunert;  Treasurer,  the  Rev.  Paul 
M.  Greider.  The  chairman  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee was  the  Rev.  Victor  G.  Flinn,  who  was  the 
real  founder  of  the  Union. 

In  1917  the  American  Flag  and  a  Service  Flag 
were  placed  in  the  church ;  also  the  Honor  Roll  con- 
taining the  names  of  the  young  men  of  the  congre- 
gation who  were  in  service.  In  the  first  quarter  of 
the  year  the  congregation  lost  two  life-long  members 
of  the  Moravian  Church  by  the  death  of  Mrs.  Mary 
Brower  Francis  and  that  of  Mr.  Joseph  M.  Jackson 
on  January  22  and  February  28  respectively. 
Brother  Jackson  had  been  connected  with  the  con- 
gregation for  forty  years,  and  had  rendered  it  ef- 
ficient service  in  many  ways.  He  had  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Trustees  for  a  long  term  of  years, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death  served  as  its  highly 


LENGTHENING  SHADOWS  333 

esteemed  President.     In  June  the  congregation  lost 
another  esteemed  member  by  the  death  of  Mrs.  Rob- 
ert Blake.     From  October  31  to  November  2  the 
State  Convention  of  King's  Daughters  was  held  in 
the  church.    At  the  close  of  the  convention  Bishop 
Leibert,  assisted  by  the  Brethren  Paul  T.  Shultz, 
Frederick  R.  Nitzschke  and  Victor  Flinn,  celebrated 
the  Holy  Communion.    On  the  first  two  Sundays  of 
1918  the  church  was  closed  on  account  of  frozen 
water-pipes,  which  made  it  impossible  to  operate  the 
heating  plant.    Short  sessions  of  the  Sunday  school 
were  held  on  these  Sundays,  and  on  the  first,  as 
previously  announced,  Little's  Gross  and  Crown  Sys- 
tem was  introduced.     The  second  week  in  January 
the  Moravian  ship  Harmony  lay  at  anchor  in  the 
harbor,  and  on  Sunday,  the  13th,  Captain  Jackson 
and  a  Mr.  Ford  of  Nain,   Labrador,  came  to  the 
church  to   attend   services,   but   unfortunately   the 
doors  were  still  closed  because  of  the  frozen  pipes. 
The  pastor,  however,  enjoyed  a  pleasant  interview 
with  these  men  from  the  northland.     On  February 
18,  1918,  Charles  Eisenhauer  entered  upon  his  du- 
ties as  Sexton  of  the  church,  Henry  Riedemann  hav- 
ing resigned  after  many  years  of  service  in  this 
capacity. 

About  this  time  a  portentous  cloud  settled  over 
the  congregation  as  the  result  of  Bishop  Leibert's 
precarious  state  of  health.  After  laboring  for  a 
long  time  under  the  greatest  difficulties,  he  left  the 
city  on  April  11  for  Battle  Creek,  Michigan,  where 
he  entered  a  sanatorium  for  treatment.  Finding  no 
relief  he  returned  to  the  East,  arriving  on  May  15 


334    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

at  the  home  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Robert  Noe,  at 
East  Orange,  N.  J.,  where  he  spent  some  time. 
Meanwhile  his  pulpit  was  supplied  by  the  Brethren 
F.  R.  Nitzschke,  E.  S.  WoUe,  F.  E.  Grunert,  and  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Wynne,  Field  Secretary  of  the  South  Amer- 
ican Inland  Mission.  Altho  far  from  well.  Bishop 
Leibert  by  force  of  an  indomitable  will  was  present 
at  the  opening  service  of  the  church  on  September 
15,  and  preached  the  sermon.  He  also  preached  on 
the  Sunday  following,  but  from  that  time  it  became 
increasingly  evident  that  the  close  of  his  earthly 
labors  was  near  at  hand.  Hoping  against  hope  that 
he  might  yet  enjoy  sufficient  strength  to  receive  into 
the  congregation  the  class  of  catechumens  which  he 
had  instructed  earlier  in  the  year,  the  day  of  con- 
firmation was  postponed  to  Sunday,  October  13. 
When  the  time  drew  near,  however,  it  became  ap- 
parent that  this  pleasant  duty  had  to  be  delegated 
to  another.  Therefore  Bishop  Charles  L.  Moench, 
President  of  the  Provincial  Elders'  Conference,  per- 
formed the  rite  which  made  the  following  young 
men  and  women  communicant  members  of  the 
church:  Edmund  B.  Rose,  Jr.,  Frank  Burch,  Al- 
bertina  Jorss,  Emily  Wey,  Sarah  Ayello,  and  Irma 
Heboid.  At  the  celebration  of  the  November  Thir- 
teenth Festival  Bishop  Leibert  was  able  to  preside 
at  the  Holy  Communion,  but  the  elements  were  dis- 
tributed by  Bishop  Moench,  who  also  preached  the 
sermon  at  the  preparatory  service. 

Altho  unable  to  conduct  the  service  on  December 
22,  the  faithful  pastor,  rallying  what  little  strength 
remained,  was  in  attendance.     The  strain  of  this 


MEMOEIAL  GIFTS  335 

effort  was  all  the  greater  because  he  had  to  come  to 
church  from  940  Park  Avenue,  on  the  corner  of 
Park  Avenue  and  Eighty-first  Street,  whither  he  and 
his  family  had  removed  in  October.  What  lent 
strength  to  his  efforts  was  the  desire  to  receive  and 
dedicate  two  beautiful  silver  communion  pieces,  one, 
a  tray  presented  to  the  congregation  by  Brother 
William  Higgins  in  memory  of  his  devout  uncle, 
whose  name  he  bears,  and  the  other,  a  cover  for  the 
trays  given  by  the  Whatsoever  Circle  of  King's 
Daughters  in  memory  of  the  following  King's 
Daughters  who  had  run  their  earthly  race:  Mrs. 
Edward  T.  Kluge,  the  organizer  of  the  Circle ;  Miss 
Elizabeth  Margaret  Nedwell,  Mrs.  Charles  Meisel, 
Miss  Marjorie  Blake,  Mrs.  Mary  Francis,  and  Mrs. 
Robert  Blake.  On  Christmas  Day  the  exercises  of 
the  Sunday  School  were  conducted  by  Brother  Her- 
man A.  Knoll  at  four-thirty  in  the  afternoon.  Altho 
very  weak  Bishop  Leibert  attended  and  led  in  prayer. 
This  was  the  last  time  he  publicly  ministered  to  the 
congregation.  When  next  he  appeared  in  church  a 
large  circle  of  friends  gathered  around  his  form,  but 
the  lips  which  had  uttered  so  many  words  of  cheer 
and  comfort  were  silent.  At  ten-thirty  o'clock,  on 
Saturday  morning,  January  11,  1919,  the  faithful 
servant  of  God  gently  closed  his  eyes  upon  the  sor- 
rowing family  gathered  around  his  dying  bed,  and 
his  spirit  went  forth  into  the  sunlight  of  the  eternal 
day,  where  there  is  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow, 
nor  crying,  nor  any  more  pain.  The  funeral  services 
were  held  on  Tuesday  afternoon,  January  14. 
Brother  Edward   S.   Wolle,   pastor  of   the   Second 


336     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Church,  conducted  a  short  service  at  the  late  home 
of  the  departed.  The  service  at  the  church  was  in 
charge  of  Brother  F.  E.  Grunert,  pastor  of  the 
Brooklyn  Church.  On  this  occasion  the  Rt.  Rev. 
Charles  L.  Moench,  D.D.,  the  Rt.  Rev.  J.  Taylor 
Hamilton,  D.D.,  and  the  Rev.  Paul  de  Schweinitz, 
D.D.,  delivered  messages  of  esteem,  comfort  and 
encouragement.  The  choir  sang  "Face  to  Face," 
and  "Rock  of  Ages,"  while  the  congregation  joined 
in  singing  one  of  the  departed  brother's  favorite 
hymns,  "My  Jesus,  as  Thou  wilt."  The  services  were 
largely  attended  by  members  of  the  congregation, 
and  friends  from  other  churches.  The  pall-bearers 
were  the  Brethren  E.  S.  WoUe,  E.  S.  Hagen,  F.  R. 
Nitzschke,  P.  T.  Shultz,  F.  T.  Trafford,  and  A.  E. 
Francke.  Interment  was  made  in  the  Moravian 
Cemetery  at  New  Dorp,  Staten  Island. 

Morris  William  Leibert,  son  of  the  late  William 
and  Cornelia  Matilda  Krause  Leibert,  was  born  at 
Bethlehem,  Pa.,  on  Wednesday,  August  22,  1855. 
He  was  educated  in  the  Moravian  Parochial  School 
at  Bethlehem  and  in  the  Moravian  College  and  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  graduating  from  the  latter  insti- 
tution in  the  year  1875.  He  taught  for  a  year  at 
Nazareth  Hall,  and  then  took  a  year  of  special  study 
in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  of  New  York 
City.  He  was  ordained  a  Deacon  of  the  Moravian 
Church  on  Sunday,  April  15, 1877,  by  the  late  Bishop 
Edmund  de  Schweinitz,  S.T.D.,  at  Bethlehem,  Pa., 
and  a  Presbyter  by  the  same  Bishop  at  Hope,  In- 
diana, on  Sunday,  October  13,  1878.  He  was  con- 
secrated a  Bishop  at  the  Lititz,  Pa.,  Synod  on  Sun- 


BIOGRAPHY  OF  M.  W.  LEIBERT        337 

day,  September  13,  1908,  by  the  Bishops  E.  A. 
Oerter,  C.  L.  Reinke,  Edward  Rondthaler,  and  C.  L. 
Moench.  On  August  22,  1880,  he  was  joined  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Louise  B.  Hill  of  New  York  City,  who 
proved  to  be  an  efficient  helper  thruout  his  long  min- 
istry. He  served  as  pastor  of  the  German  Mis- 
sion or  Second  Moravian  Church  of  New  York  City 
from  1877  to  1885;  at  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  from  1885 
to  1901 ;  at  Castleton  Corners,  Staten  Island,  N.  Y., 
from  1901  to  1904;  and  from  February  1,  1904,  to 
the  day  of  his  death,  he  was  pastor  of  the  First  Mo- 
ravian Church  of  New  York  City.  He  served'  as 
President  of  various  District  and  Provincial  Synods, 
and  as  President  of  the  General  Synod  of  1899 ;  he 
also  attended  as  one  of  the  American  delegates  the 
General  Synods  of  1909  and  1914.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Provincial  Elders'  Conference  from  1893  to 
1898,  and  again  from  1903  to  1913,  serving  as  Presi- 
dent of  that  body  for  the  last  five  years  he  remained 
in  office.  He  served  on  a  great  many  important  in- 
ter-synodal committees  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
was  the  Chairman  of  the  Inter-Synodal  Committee 
on  the  New  Hymnal  of  the  Church.*  In  1904  New 
York  University  conferred  upon  him  the  honorary 
degree  of  Doctor  Divinitatis.  He  was  identified  with 
the  Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in 
America  and  with  the  World  Conference  on  Faith 
and  Order.  His  services  within  the  Moravian  Church 
were  distinguished  and  widespread.  For  nearly 
fifteen  years  the  First  Church  profited  by  his  leader- 


•The  new  Church   Hymnal  will   be  ready  for  distribution   by   the  spring 
of  1923.     One  bundrwl  copies  have  been  ordered  by  the  First  Church. 


338     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

ship,  and  he  will  be  affectionately  remembered  as 
long  as  those  who  were  members  in  his  time  shall 
live. 

Before  the  congregation  had  recovered  from  the 
shock  of  the  pastor's  death,  word  was  received  that 
Brother  Judson  T.  Francis,  the  son-in-law  of  the  late 
Bishop  Amadeus  A.  Reinke,  had  passed  away  in 
his  home  at  Englewood,  N.  J.,  on  Wednesday,  Janu- 
ary 15.  Born  on  January  19,  1854,  in  New  York 
City,  he  was  received  into  the  communicant  member- 
ship of  the  congregation  by  the  rite  of  confirmation 
on  May  29,  1873.  He  was  the  son  of  Hiram  Howell 
Francis  and  his  wife,  Mary  Brower  Francis.  Deeply 
interested  in  everything  that  pertained  to  the  Mo- 
ravian Church,  Brother  Francis  contributed  gen- 
erously of  his  means  to  the  various  causes  of  the 
Church  at  home  and  abroad.  His  hospitable  home 
was  always  open  to  Moravian  ministers  and  mis- 
sionaries. But  the  cause  that  lay  nearest  his  heart 
was  his  beloved  First  Church,  for  whose  advance- 
ment he  was  always  ready  to  give  his  best  efforts. 
He  served  as  an  Elder  of  the  congregation  for  a  long 
term  of  years.  When  a  man  of  his  consecration, 
ability,  and  distinction  exerts  his  influence  in  a 
congregation  for  forty-eight  years,  words  fail  to 
express  the  inevitable  sense  of  loss  felt  at  his  de- 
parture. The  death  of  Brother  Francis  would  have 
been  a  severe  blow  to  the  congregation  at  any  time, 
but  coming  as  it  did  within  a  week  of  the  pastor's 
home-going,  the  shock  was  all  the  greater.  The 
funeral  services  were  conducted  at  the  late  home 
of  the  departed  on  Saturday,  January  18,  and  on 


INSTALLATION  OF  NEW  PASTOR      339 

the  following  day,  which  was  the  sixty-fifth  anni- 
versary of  his  birth,  his  earthly  remains  were  laid 
away  in  Greenwood  Cemetery,  Brooklyn. 

"God  buries  the  worker,  but  carries  on  the  work." 
Nobody  could  take  the  place  of  either  Bishop  Leibert 
or  Brother  Francis,  but  others  had  to  assume  the 
responsibility  of  the  offices  held  by  these  brethren, 
and  so  Brother  Allen  W.  Stephens  was  chosen  to 
succeed  the  latter  as  Elder  of  the  congregation,  and 
the  Rev.  Harry  E.  Stocker,  Ph.D.,  of  the  South  Side 
Moravian  Church  at  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  was  called  to 
the  pastorate  of  the  First  Church.  The  Brethren 
F.  E.  Grunert,  Charles  L.  Moench,  William  N. 
Schwarze,  Vivian  W.  Moses,  Kenneth  G.  Hamilton, 
William  H.  Vogler,  Charles  H.  Romiger,  and  J. 
Taylor  Hamilton  supplied  the  pulpit  until  Sunday, 
April  27,  when  the  new  pastor  was  installed  by 
Bishop  Moench,  and  preached  his  introductory  ser- 
mon from  I  John  3 :  16,  "He  laid  down  his  life  for 
us,  and  we  ought  to  lay  down  our  lives  for  the  breth- 
ren." During  the  singing  of  "Blest  be  the  tie  that 
binds"  by  the  congregation,  representatives  of  the 
Board  of  Elders  and  the  Board  of  Trustees  pledged 
their  support  by  extending  to  the  new  pastor  the 
right  hand  of  fellowship,  and  after  the  service  the 
members  with  characteristic  loyalty  gave  him  and 
his  wife  a  warm  welcome,  the  sincerity  of  which 
could  not  be  doubted.  Two  matters  of  special  im- 
portance between  pastorates  deserve  to  be  recorded. 
On  April  11  the  Loyal  Circle  of  King's  Daughters 
and  King's  Sons,  under  the  leadership  of  Mrs.  Mor- 
ris W.  Leibert,  gave  a  dinner  in  honor  of  Harry  Carl- 


340    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

son,  Edward  Carlson  and  John  Daggun,  who  had 
safely  returned  from  overseas,  where  all  rendered 
distinguished  service.  This  dinner  of  recognition 
and  welcome  was  given  in  the  lecture  room  of  the 
church.  At  the  Sunday  School  session  on  April  13 
a  portrait  of  the  late  Bishop  Leibert  was  unveiled. 
This  token  of  esteem  was  the  gift  to  the  Sunday 
School  of  the  King's  Messengers,  the  President  of 
the  Circle,  Henry  Olsen,  making  the  presentation 
speech,  and  Acting  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
School  Brother  Samuel  J.  Dike  making  a  fitting  re- 
sponse. That  the  record  of  the  "moveable  parson- 
age" may  be  complete,  it  should  be  stated  that  the 
new  pastor  and  his  family  arrived  in  the  city  on 
April  23  and  made  their  home  in  the  apartment  at 
940  Park  Avenue,  previously  occupied  by  their  pre- 
decessors. 

On  Wednesday  evening,  April  30,  the  congrega- 
tion gave  a  public  reception  in  the  lecture  room  of 
the  church  in  honor  of  the  pastor  and  his  wife  and 
five-year-old  son,  Arthur  Frederick  Stocker.  This 
delightful  affair  was  dignified  by  the  performance 
of  the  pastor's  first  marriage  ceremony  in  the  city. 
At  eight-thirty  o'clock,  in  the  presence  of  those  who 
attended  the  reception,  August  Beyer  and  Miss  Rosa 
Kugelmann,  two  strangers  who  had  previously  made 
the  necessary  arrangements  with  the  pastor,  were 
joined  in  marriage.  Elder  Allen  W.  Stephens  and 
Brother  Frank  J.  Leibert,  a  trustee,  acting  as  official 
witnesses  of  the  ceremony.  After  this  pleasant  in- 
terruption the  social  fellowship  was  resumed,  and 
when  at  a  late  hour  the  numerous  guests  left  for 


SUNDAY  SCHOOL  ASSOCIATION        341 

their  respective  homes  the  guests  of  honor  felt  that 
they  had  come  among  warm  Christian  friends,  which 
the  event  has  amply  proved.    At  the  request  of  the 
pastor  the  teachers  and  officers  of  the  Sunday  School 
met  on  May  15,  and  organized  a  Sunday  School  As- 
sociation.   The  pastor  and  Brother  A.  W.  Stephens 
prepared   the   draft  of   a    constitution   which   was 
unanimously  adopted  at  a  subsequent  meeting  of  the 
Association.    A  Cradle  Roll  and  Home  Department 
of  the  Sunday  School  were  organized.     Both  these 
departments  met  with  a  hearty  response.  The  stated 
mission  offerings  of  the  Church  were  assigned  to 
different  months  of  the  school  year.  That  the  scholars 
might  take  a  deeper  interest  in  Missions,  periodic 
missionary  talks  were  instituted  and  an  aim  set  by 
vote  of  the  scholars  and  teachers  as  to  what  the 
school's  contribution  to  this  or  that  cause  should 
be.    These  activities  resulted  in  increasing  the  Sun- 
day School  offerings  five-fold.     Later  more  system- 
atic instruction  was  undertaken,  and  Miss  Ellen  B. 
Barrett  was  elected  Missionary  Superintendent  of 
the  Sunday  School.    The  first  Sunday  in  the  month 
is   designated    ^'Missionary   Sunday."'      A    Primary 
Department  was  likewise  organized.     This  necessi- 
tated the  purchase  of  little  cliairs  and  a  portable 
organ.     The   chnrrh   parlor  or  "King's    Daughters' 
Koom"  is  the  raeeting-phice  of  the  primary  children. 
Mrs.    n.   E.   Stocker  is   the   Supt^rintendent    of   the 
Primary  Department,  and  Mrs.  Harry  White  her  as- 
sistant. 

In  tlio  year  IIMIJ  tlic  Larf/i  r  lAjv  Movement  of  the 
Moravian  Church  was  born  of  God,  and  launclied  by 


342     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

the  Provincial  Elders'  Conference.    As  the  name  in- 
dicates, the  purpose  of  the  Movement  is  the  deepen- 
ing of  the  spiritual  life  of  the  membership.    All  are 
urged  by  it  to  make  faithful  use  of  the  Means  of 
Grace,  and  to  perform  the  duties  that  are  incumbent 
upon    earnest-minded    Christians.      The    Moravian 
Church  was  born  in  prayer,  therefore  the  Larger  Life 
Movement  stresses  prayer,  and  seeks  to  enlist  all  the 
members  of  the  Church  in  the   Moravian  Prayer 
Union.     When  the  Church  was  renewed,  it  experi- 
enced a  powerful  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.    Under 
the  influence  of  this  Spirit  the  fathers  went  forth 
unto  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth,  not  to  make 
"Moravians,"  but  to  win  souls  for  the  Lamb  that 
was  slain.     Because  the  Lord  so  manifestly  blest 
these    early    Moravian    evangelistic   activities,   the 
Movement  lays  strong  emphasis  upon  Evangelism. 
Since  Christians  are  in  a  special  sense  the  stewards 
of  God,  the  Movement  seeks  to  bring  home  to  every 
Moravian  the   thought  of   Christian   Stewardship. 
Naturally  any  movement  within  a  Church  as  mis- 
sionary in  character  as  the  Moravian  Church  lays 
special  emphasis  upon  Missions.     Similarly,  educa- 
tion having  been  in  a  peculiar  sense  the  handmaid 
of  the  Church  from  the  beginning,  there  is  also  an 
Educational  Department.  Needless  to  say,  any  move- 
ment of  this  sort  must  have  publicity.     That  these 
departments  might  function  the  Provincial  Elders' 
Conference  placed  a  man  at  the  head  of  each  one. 
Thus  the  Rev.  Robert  K.  Stansfield  is  in  charge  of 
the  Prayer  Union;  the  Rev.  William  Strohmeier  of 
Stewardship;  the  Rev.  Ernest  S.  Hagen  of  Evan- 


THE  LARGER  LIFE  COMMITTEE        343 

gelism;  the  Rev.  Harry  E.  Stocker,  Ph.D.,  of  the 
American  Society  in  Aid  of  Moravian  Missions;  the 
Rev.  Arthur  D.  Thaeler,  D.D.,  of  Education;  and 
Bishop  Karl  A.  Mueller,  D.D.,  and  the  Rev.  Charles 
I).  Kreider,  the  editors  of  the  church  papers,  of  Pub- 
licity. These  brethren,  together  with  the  Rev.  John 
S.  Romig,  D.D.,  the  Secretaiy  of  the  Movement,  con- 
stitute what  is  known  as  The  Larger  Life  Commit- 
tee. On  Sunday,  September  7,  1919,  the  pastor  of 
the  First  Church  presented  the  matter  of  the  Larger 
Life  Movement  to  the  congregation,  and  called  for 
enlistment  in  the  Prayer  Union.  As  the  result  of 
this  appeal  fifty-four  persons  were  added  to  the 
Union. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Elders  and  Trustees  on  Sep- 
tember 11,  it  was  decided  to  purchase  and  place  at 
the  disposal  of  the  pastor  for  advertising  purposes, 
a  Rotary  Mimeograph,  and  also  a  large  Bulletin 
Board  with  moveable  type  for  the  outside  of  the 
church.  Both  these  purchases  were  made  at  an 
early  day,  and  on  the  27th  of  the  month  the  Bulletin 
Board  was  fastened  to  the  church,  where  it  has  ren- 
dered good  service  ever  since.  On  October  1  the 
first  mid-week  service  for  two  or  three  years  was 
held,  and  on  the  following  Sunday  Rally  Exercises 
of  the  Smidnv  School  were  conducted.  This  was  the 
first  time  in  liic  liistory  of  the  congregation  that  a 
Snndav  School  KmIIv  was  held.  For  manv  vears  the 
churcli  enjoyed  tlic  sweet  ministrations  of  Sister 
Eliza  I?e;ittie,  who  was  one  of  those  rare  souls  that 
attract  everybody  by  the  j>o\ver  of  ;i  |)l<»asing  per- 
sonality  imbued   by    the   Spirit   of   (Mirist.      l/>ving 


344    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

everybody,  everybody  loved  her.  Unless  prevented  by 
sickness,  she  never  missed  a  public  service  of  the  con- 
gregation. It  was  therefore  a  great  loss  when  on 
October  7, 1919,  this  faithful  Christian  woman  peace- 
fully fell  asleep  in  Jesus.  Her  end  did  not  come  un- 
expectedly. About  four  months  previous  to  her  de- 
parture she  suffered  serious  injuries  from  a  fall 
which  eventually  brought  about  her  end.  Altho  she 
suffered  great  pain,  she  never  uttered  a  word  of 
complaint,  and  to  the  very  last  her  thought  was  con- 
stantly for  others.  The  funeral  services  were  held 
in  the  church  on  Friday,  the  10th,  and  interment  was 
made  in  the  Moravian  Cemetery  at  New  Dorp, 
Staten  Island.    She  was  nearly  86  years  old. 

Altho  the  Moravian  Church  has  been  active  in 
New  York  City  for  more  than  one  hundred  and 
eighty  years,  it  has  always  been  a  problem  of  the 
congregation  to  make  itself  known  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood  with  its  frequently  shifting  population. 
Toward  the  solution  of  this  problem  a  thousand 
cards,  announcing  the  services  of  the  church  and  the 
like,  were  printed  in  the  early  part  of  November, 
and  distributed  in  the  community,  not  without  some 
results.  On  November  24  a  committee  of  King's 
Daughters,  consisting  of  Mrs.  H.  E.  Stocker,  Mrs. 
David  B.  Nedwell,  and  Mrs.  Christina  Wertz,  packed 
a  large  box  of  clothing  which  was  shipped  to  the 
sufferers  in  Czechoslovakia.  On  the  Sunday  before 
Christmas  a  generous  offering  was  taken  for  Ar- 
menian and  Syrian  Relief.  Several  months  pre- 
vious to  the  annual  meeting  of  Church  Council  held 
on  January  21,  1920,  a  committee  consisting  of  the 


DUPLEX  ENVELOPE  SYSTEM  345 

pastor  and  the  Brethren  Frank  J.  Leibert,  Samuel  J. 
Dike,  and  Allen  W.  Stephens,  was  appointed  by  the 
Joint-Board  of  Elders  and  Trustees  for  the  purpose 
of  preparing  a  budget  for  the  congregation.  This 
Committee  laid  before  Church  Council  a  carefully 
prepared  budget  which  was  unanimously  adopted. 
This  action  embraced  the  adoption  of  the  Duplex 
Envelope  System.  Subsequently  "visitors"  were  care- 
fully instructed,  and  every  member  of  the  church 
interviewed  by  them,  with  the  result  that  the  pledges 
received  for  Current  Expenses  and  Missions  aggre- 
gated a  total  at  least  five  times  larger  than  any  re- 
ceived before.  The  every  member  canvass  was 
made  on  Sunday  afternoon,  March  7.  At  the  same 
meeting  of  Church  Council  it  was  decided  to  engage 
a  paid  worker  to  labor  in  the  interests  of  the  con- 
gregation among  the  people  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  church. 

In  accordance  with  a  plan  carefully  worked  out 
by  the  Provincial  Evangelistic  Committee  evangelis- 
tic services  were  conducted  in  nearly  every  congrega- 
tion in  the  Northern  Province  of  the  Church  during 
the  first  quarter  of  the  year  1920.  These  meetings 
were  conducted  by  the  Provincial  Evangelist,  the 
Rev.  John  Greenfield,  and  a  number  of  pastors  whose 
services  were  called  into  requisition  in  order  that 
the  series  nii^ht  be  fiTiislied  in  a  given  time,  (^n 
Ash  Wednesday,  Febrnary  IS,  the  Hcv.  E.  S.  Ilagen, 
the  pastor  of  the  New  Doi-p  congicgMtion,  l)e«2:;ni  a 
ten-day  Kcries  of  inct'tiiigs  in  tlie  l*'irst  Chnrcli.  Alllin 
the  atten<lan('('  was  not  very  large  becanse  of  the 
widely  scattered   membership,   it  was  enconiaging. 


346     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

and  the  results  achieved  were  not  to  be  despised. 
The  pastor  of  the  First  Church  conducted  similar 
meetings  in  the  Stapleton  Church  in  January,  and 
in  the  Second  Church  during  the  first  part  of  Febru- 
ary. On  Sunday,  January  25,  the  Rev.  Frederick  T. 
Trafford,  the  pastor  of  the  Third  Church,  who  had 
been  temporarily  released  from  pastoral  duties  that 
he  might  visit  the  congregations  of  the  Province 
for  the  purpose  of  soliciting  funds  for  the  proposed 
Memorial  Science  Building  of  the  Moravian  College 
and  Theological  Seminary,  presented  this  cause  to 
the  congregation,  and  in  the  event  the  pledges  of  the 
membership  totalled  over  twelve  hundred  dollars. 

On  April  6  the  King's  Daughters'  Convention  of 
the  Manhattan  and  Bronx  District  was  held  in  the 
First  Church,  the  pastor  delivering  the  address  of 
welcome  and  conducting  a  brief  devotional  service. 
The  Rev.  Arthur  Butzin,  Superintendent  of  the 
Alaska  Mission,  delivered  an  address  in  church  on 
the  following  Sunday,  and  made  an  appeal  for  the 
proposed  Orphanage  and  School  to  be  established  in 
Alaska  as  soon  as  the  required  funds  are  secured. 
His  appeal  met  with  a  generous  response.  On  Sun- 
day, May  9,  the  celebration  of  Mother's  Day,  insti- 
tuted in  the  congregation  the  year  before,  lacked  the 
presence  of  a  tender  mother  who  had  gone  to  her 
eternal  rest  the  day  before.  This  mother  was  Sister 
Mary  Lange  Shultz,  the  widow  of  the  late  Rev. 
Charles  B.  Shultz,  D.D.,  who  had  been  a  faithful 
member  of  the  congregation  for  nine  years,  never 
missing  a  church  service  unless  unavoidably  de- 
tained.    By  her  departure  the  church  lost  a  good 


LARGER  LIFE  FOUNDATION  347 

member  and  the  pastor  a  sympathetic  supporter. 
The  funeral  services  were  held  at  the  home  of  her 
son,  the  Rev.  Paul  T.  Shultz,  pastor  of  the  Stapleton 
congregation,  on  Monday  evening,  May  10.  Inter- 
ment was  made  in  the  Nisky  Hill  Cemetery  at  Beth- 
lehem, Pa.,  on  the  following  day.  Dr.  Shultz,  her 
distinguished  husband,  preceded  her  to  the  eternal 
home  on  July  21,  1911. 

Meanwhile  changes  of  a  different  character  were 
in  operation.  Altho  the  lease  for  the  apartment  at  940 
Park  Avenue  was  good  until  October  first,  extensive 
renovations  contemplated  by  the  landlord  made 
it  best  to  cancel  the  lease  for  a  stipulated  money  con- 
sideration, and  on  June  10  the  pastor  and  his  family 
removed  to  an  apartment  four  doors  east  of  River- 
side Drive  at  309  West  Ninety-third  Street.  The 
removal  to  the  West  Side  was  hastened  by  the  ap- 
proaching Provincial  Synod,  which  convened  at 
Bethlehem,  Pa.,  on  June  10.  At  this  Synod  it  was 
decided  to  launch  a  movement  for  the  purpose  of 
creating  a  fund  of  |750,00()  in  the  interests  of  various 
Church  causes.  This  fund  was  designated  "T/ic 
Larger  Life  Foundation.^'  Eleven  men,  five  clergy- 
men and  six  laymen,  were  elected  by  Synod 
to  take  charge  of  the  gathering  of  the  funds  for 
the  Foundation.  These  men  were  the  Rev.  A.  1). 
Thaeler,  D.D.,  Chairman,  Prof.  Chirence  E.  Clewell, 
Secretary,  Prof.  Albert  O.  Ran,  Ph.D.,  Trrasurrr, 
and  the  Hretlircn:  Ifari'v  'T.  Mevors,  ICinil  .1. 
Bishop,  S.  Falls  Smith,  AlU'ii  \V.  Stephens,  the  Rev. 
S.  H.  Oapp,  D.D.,  the  Kev.  E.  S.  Hagcn,  the  Rev. 
C.  A.  Weber,  niul  i]w  Rev.  F.  W.  Sfrnj^cl.    T\w  Tnis- 


348     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

tees  of  the  Foundation  who  were  elected  are  the 
following :  The  Brethren  M.  H.  Strehlow,  C.  Elmer 
Smith,  H.  J.  Meyers,  G.  W.  Riegel,  Eli  Fischer,  H. 
S.  Rominger,  and  A.  W.  Stephens.  At  a  meeting  of 
the  Foundation  Committee  the  Rev.  E.  S.  Hagen 
was  chosen  Executive  Secretary.  It  was  decided  by 
Synod  that  the  income  of  the  Fund  be  distributed 
as  follows:  "2-15  to  the  Society  for  Propagating 
the  Gospel,  Foreign  Mission  Emergencies ;  1-15  to  the 
Board  of  Church  Extension,  Permanent  Fund;  2-15 
to  the  Moravian  College  and  Theological  Seminary; 
1-15  to  the  Board  of  Church  Extension,  Old  Home 
Mission  Fund;  4-15  to  the  Sustentation  Fund;  1-15 
to  the  Provincial  Administration  Account  for  Pub- 
lications; 1-15  to  the  Linden  Hall  Seminary;  1-15 
to  Nazareth  Hall;  1-15  to  the  Moravian  Seminary 
and  College  for  Women;  1-15  to  the  Western  Old 
People's  Home  and  Orphanage,  and  the  Western  Mo- 
ravian Students'  Home,  to  be  divided  equally  between 
the  two  when,  or  if  established." 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Joint-Board  of  Elders  and 
Trustees  of  the  congregation  on  September  9,  1920, 
it  was  unanimously  decided  that  "the  pastor.  Dr. 
Stocker,  be  instructed  to  write  a  complete  history 
of  the  congregation  at  his  convenience,  said  history 
to  be  published  by  the  Trustees  as  soon  as  the  manu- 
script shall  be  ready  for  the  printer."  The  Joint- 
Board  also  authorized  the  pastor  to  engage  a  church- 
worker.  As  the  result  of  the  latter  decision  Miss 
Mina  Tweedie,  a  graduate  of  the  White  Bible 
Teacher  Training  School  (now  known  as  "The  Bib- 
lical Seminary  of  New  York  City")   on  Lexington 


CHURCH  WORKER  APPOINTED        349 

Avenue,  was  secured  for  this  position.  She  entered 
upon  her  duties  on  October  11,  and  labored  with 
marked  success  until  spring  of  the  following  year, 
when  a  breakdown  in  health  compelled  her  to  relin- 
quish the  work.  Her  activities  were  especially  suc- 
cessful among  children  and  young  people.  Her  Boys' 
and  Girls'  Meetings  during  the  week  were  frequently 
attended  by  between  fifty  and  sixty  children  from 
the  community.  Hitherto  about  seventy-five  per 
cent,  of  these  children  had  no  vital  connection  with 
any  Church  or  Sunday  School.  Her  work  was  dis- 
tinctly religious,  and  those  under  her  care  were 
greatly  profited  by  her  instruction  and  companion- 
ship. A  number  of  young  women  of  the  Sunday 
School  were  organized  by  Miss  Tweedie  into  what 
is  known  as  ''The  Alpha  Beta  Cluh/'  which  remains 
in  a  flourishing  condition  as  a  reminder  of  her  suc- 
cessful labors.  It  was  a  distinct  loss  to  the  congre- 
gation and  community  when  ill  health  compelled  her 
to  relinquish  the  work.  On  Monday,  October  4, 
1920,  the  pastor  found  in  his  morning's  mail  a  letter 
and  a  substantial  check  from  Brother  Samuel  J. 
Dike,  an  Elder  of  the  congregation,  with  instruc- 
tions that  the  money  should  be  used  for  the  purchase 
of  a  first-class  stereopticon  for  the  cliurch.  Tliis 
generous  gift  was  greatly  appreciated,  and  on  the 
following  Tlmrsdiiy  afternoon  the  lantern  wilh  all 
the  necessary  accessories  was  pnrchastMl  for  >fl)L'.r)0. 
On  WtMlnesday  evening,  Octoitcr  1L\  the  stereopticon 
was  used  for  the  first  time  in  connection  with  an 
interesting  lecture  on  "Jerusalem."  Since  then  the 
congregation  lias  enjoyed  the  benefit  of  a   monthly 


350     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

illustrated  lecture.  In  the  latter  part  of  October 
the  pastor  of  the  First  Church  again  conducted  a 
series  of  evangelistic  meetings  in  the  Second  Church. 
On  October  29  a  Hallow  E'en  Social  gave  pleasure 
to  young  and  old  in  the  lecture  room  of  the  church. 
This  was  the  first  of  a  series  of  bi-monthly  socials 
of  the  congregation  instituted  by  the  Sunday  School 
Association.  For  the  first  time  in  many  years  the 
church  was  open  on  New  Year's  Eve.  At  8 :30  o'clock 
the  pastor  gave  an  illustrated  lecture  on  "Moravian 
Missions  in  Nicaragua."  The  lecture  was  followed 
by  a  social  hour,  after  which  the  pastor  conducted 
a  service  appropriate  for  the  last  hour  of  the  Old 
Year.    The  attendance  was  encouraging. 

During  the  first  quarter  of  the  year  1921  the  con- 
gregation gave  much  attention  to  the  Larger  Life 
Foundation.  The  week  beginning  on  Sunday,  Feb- 
ruary 13,  and  ending  on  February  20  was  known  as 
"Foundation  Week"  thruout  the  Province.  After 
the  Sunday  morning  service,  on  January  16,  at 
which  Prof.  Clarence  E.  Clewell  of  the  University 
of  Pennsylvania  and  a  member  of  the  First  Church 
in  Philadelphia,  delivered  an  address,  the  following 
Larger  Life  Foundation  Committee  of  the  Congre- 
gation was  appointed:  Brother  Frank  J.  Leibert, 
Chairman  J  Brother  Allen  W.  Stephens,  Treasurer, 
the  Brethren  Samuel  J.  Dike,  William  Ahrens,  Harry 
White,  and  Harry  K.  Thomas,  and  Mrs.  H.  E. 
Stocker,  Mrs.  David  B.  Nedwell,  Mrs.  Edmund  B. 
Rose,  and  Miss  Jeanette  Wertz,  with  the  pastor, 
ex-officio  a  member.  This  action  was  ratified  by  the 
Church  Council  on  January  19.    At  the  suggestion 


P^OUNDATTON  CAMPAIGN  351 

of  the  Sjnodal  Foiiiidation  Committee  the  pastors 
in  the  Province  exchanged  pulpits  on  Sundays  pre- 
ceding Foundation  Week,  so  that  the  cause  might 
be  presented  from  every  angle.  On  Sunday  morning, 
January  30,  the  pastor  preached  at  New  Dorp  while 
Brother  E.  S.  Ha  gen  conducted  the  services  in  the 
First  Church.  On  the  subsequent  Sunday  the  fol- 
lowing team-workers  were  appointed :  Dr.  H.  E. 
Stocker  and  Brother  A.  W.  Stephens ;  Brother  F.  J. 
Leibert  and  Brother  S.  J.  Dike;  Mrs.  Edmund  B. 
Rose  and  Miss  Charlotte  Mechlin;  Mrs.  Judson  T. 
Francis  and  Mrs.  David  B.  Nedwell;  Miss  Ellen  B. 
Barrett  and  Miss  Edith  J.  Leibert;  Brother  Harry 
White  and  Brother  Paul  Christiansen;  Brother 
Harry  K.  Thomas  and  Brother  Frederick  Jorss;  and 
Mrs.  Harry  White  and  Miss  Jeanette  Wertz.  After 
the  Ash  Wednesday  evening  service  the  pastor  de- 
livered a  charge  to  the  team-workers,  and  the  Breth- 
ren Frank  J.  Leibert  and  Allen  W.  Stephens  gave 
brief  talks  bearing  on  the  visitation  to  be  made. 
After  the  campaign  was  over  it  was  found  that  the 
First  Church  had  pledged  the  generous  sum  of 
^12,050.  Of  this  amount  the  Sunday  School 
pledged  |250;  the  Whatsoever  Circle  of  King's 
Daughters  fi^OO ;  the  Loyal  Circle  of  King's  Daugh- 
ters and  King's  Sons  ^125;  and  the  Alpha 
Beta  (Jlub  ^2.").  The  hii'gest  single  i)l(Ml«^^t'  amounted 
to  |2,()00.  The  time  for  redefining  these  pUnlges  is 
extendcnl  ovcm-  a  five  year  period.  The  quota  set  for 
the  First  Church  was  ;?1(),U()0,  therefore  the  congre- 
gation exceeded  the  exi)ectation8  of  the  Provincial 
Foundation  Committei'  bv  more  than  two  thousand 


352     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

dollars.  Never  in  the  history  of  the  congregation 
was  so  much  money  raised  in  one  year,  and  every- 
body rejoiced  over  the  accomplishment. 

At  this  time  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  the  con- 
gregation was  shocked  to  learn  that  Brother  Clem- 
ence  Theodore  Zoebisch,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
highly  esteemed  members  of  the  church,  had  passed 
away  early  in  the  morning  of  Washington's  Birth- 
day at  his  rooms  in  the  Hotel  Gramatan,  Bronx- 
ville,  N.  Y.  Altho  he  had  suffered  greatly  for  several 
years  previous  to  his  departure,  no  one  thought  his 
end  so  near.  He  was  the  son  of  the  late  Brother 
Charles  Augustus  Zoebisch  and  his  wife  Maria  Beitel 
Zoebisch.  The  first  two  years  of  his  life  were  spent 
at  Cherry  Hill,  near  Nazareth,  Pa.,  where  he  was 
born  on  June  3,  1845.  In  1847  the  parents  removed 
to  New  York  City,  where  he  grew  to  manhood  and 
received  his  education.  After  graduating  from 
school  he  became  associated  with  his  father  in  manu- 
facturing and  importing  musical  instruments.  As 
Trustee  and  Treasurer  of  the  First  Church,  like  his 
father  before  him,  he  rendered  invaluable  service. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  also  served  the  Church  at 
large  in  various  capacities.  He  was  well-known  in 
financial  circles,  and  served  as  a  director  in  nu- 
merous enterprizes.  On  his  birthday  anniversary 
in  1880  he  was  joined  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ida  Stut- 
zer  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  The  funeral  service  was 
conducted  by  the  pastor  at  the  home  of  Brother  Al- 
fred Zoebisch,  his  younger  son,  at  59  Livingstone 
Street,  Brooklyn,  on  Thursday,  February  24,  at  ten 
o'clock.     Interment  was  made  in  Greenwood  Ceme- 


NEW  OFFICIALS  CHOSEN  353 

tery.  Brother  Zoebisch  was  a  faithful  church  at- 
tendant. By  his  departure  the  congregation  sus- 
tained a  heavy  loss.  At  a  special  meeting  of  the 
Church  Council  on  Wednesday,  March  9,  Brother 
Carl  Zoebisch  was  elected  to  succeed  his  father  as 
a  Trustee  of  the  church.  At  that  time  Brother  A.  W. 
Stephens  was  chosen  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of 
the  Hon.  James  M.  Beck,  whose  removal  to  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  made  it  impossible  to  serve  longer  as  a 
Trustee  of  the  church.  As  a  token  of  esteem  Brother 
Beck,  now  Solicitor  General  of  the  United  States, 
was  elected  an  Honorary  Trustee  of  the  congrega- 
tion. Brother  Harry  White  was  chosen  to  take  the 
place  of  Brother  Allen  W.  Stephens  as  Elder.  Later 
the  Trustees  met  for  organization,  and  Brother 
Frank  J.  Leibert  was  chosen  President  of  the  Board, 
Brother  Charles  Meisel  Secretary,  and  Brother  A. 
W.  Stephens  Treasurer  of  the  congregation,  Brother 
Carl  Zoebisch  declining  to  accept  the  treasurership 
which  his  father  and  grandfather  had  held  with 
great  fidelity  for  a  long  term  of  years. 

On  Easter  evening  the  Sunday  School  rendered  the 
cantata  entitled  '^The  Glad  New  Day.-'  This  was 
the  first  time  a  cantata  was  given  in  the  First 
Church.  On  Sunday  morning,  April  10,  a  bronze 
tablet  ill  memory  of  the  late  Bishop  Morris  W.  Lei- 
bert was  unveiled.  The  tablet  was  the  gift  of  the 
congregation.  On  Sunday  morning,  June  5,  the 
service  was  conducted  by  Brother  Edward  S.  Wolle, 
of  the  Second  Church,  in  the  absence  of  the  pastor, 
who  prt'aclied  the  baccalaureate  sermon  to  the  gradu- 
ating classes   of    the   Moravian    College   and   Theo- 


354    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

logical    Seminary   at   Bethlehem,    Pa.     While   the 
church    was    closed    and    the    pastor    at    Fargo, 
North  Dakota,  for  his  vacation,  death  once  more 
invaded  the  congregation  and  again  took  away  one 
of  the  most  influential  members  of  the  church.    This 
time   the   one   called   away   was    Brother    Charles 
Meisel,  an  honored  and  forward-looking  member  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees.    Less  than  three  weeks  before 
his  departure  he  was  in  perfect  health.     From  a 
small  papula  which  appeared  on  his  arm  as  the  re- 
sult of  a  supposed  insect-bite,  blood-poisoning  set  in, 
and  on  Sunday,  July  31,  he  passed  away  in  the  pres- 
ence of  his  sorrowing  family.    In  the  absence  of  the 
pastor  the  funeral  services  were  conducted  by  the 
Rev.  F.  W.  Stengel,  Principal  of  Linden  Hall,  and 
a  brother-in-law  of  the  departed.     Interment  was 
made   in    the   Moravian    Cemetery   at   New    Dorp, 
Staten  Island.    Brother  Meisel  was  born  on  July  23, 
1859,  at  Klingenthal,  Saxony.    As  a  young  man  he 
came  to  New  York  City,  where  by  his  industry  and 
honest  dealing  he  built  up  a  flourishing  business 
as  a  dealer  in  musical  instruments.     On  April  8, 
1909,  he  transferred  his  membership  from  the  Second 
congregation  to  the  First  Church.     At  the  time  of 
his  death  he  was  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 
On  Sunday,  October  9,  the  pastor  conducted  a  me- 
morial service  in  honor  of  Brother  Meisel.     As  a 
token  of  esteem  the  Trustees  provided  a  large  bou- 
quet of  flowers  for  the  Communion  Table  on  this 
occasion.    Charles  J.  W.  Meisel,  Esquire,  was  elected 
to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  his  father  as  Trustee  of 
the  church. 


ARMISTICE  DAY  355 

On  October  6  Miss  Dixie  Anders,  a  student  in  the 
Biblical  Seminary,  was  engaged  as  church-worker 
in  place  of  Miss  Tweedie,  resigned.    The  energetic 
way  in  which  Miss  Anders  took  hold  of  the  work 
gave  promise  of  good  results,  but  unfortunately  her 
already  impaired  health  was  unequal  to  the  strain 
of  double  duty  as  a  student  and  church-worker,  and 
after  less  than  a  month  she  had  to  leave  for  her  home 
in  the  South  to  recuperate.     On  October  31   Dr. 
Stocker,  upon  invitation  of  the  pastor  and  Joint- 
Board  of  Elders  and  Trustees  of  the  Second  Church, 
began  for  the  third  time  a  series  of  evangelistic 
meetings  in  that  congregation.    In  view  of  the  con- 
vening of  the  International  Conference  on  the  Limi- 
tation  of   Armaments   at   Washington,    D.    C,   on 
Armistice  Day,  November  11,  the  congregation,  in 
conjunction  with  other  Churches  thruout  the  coun- 
try, held  a  special  service  of  prayer  for  the  success 
of  the  proposed  deliberations,  on  the  preceding  Sun- 
day morning.     The  subject  of  the  sermon  was  "A 
Warless  World."     On  Armistice  Day  15,000  people 
attended  a  unique  service  in  Madison  Square  Garden, 
where  everybody,  with  the  aid  of  telephone  ampli- 
fiers,   heard   every   word   spoken   and   sung   at   the 
burial  service  of  the  unknown  soldier,  brought  from 
France,  in  the  Arlington  Cemetery  in  Virginia.    The 
funeral    address    delivered    by    President    Warren 
Harding  at  Arlington  was  heard  not  only  by  the 
vast  concourse  of  people  about  him,  but  by  thousands 
in  Madison  Square  Garden  and  in  the  Square  outside, 
as  well  as  by  a  large  throng  in  San  Francisco.    Tiio 
pastor  and  his  family  as  well  as  members  of  the  First 


356    MOKAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Church  were  privileged  to  attend  this  truly  wonder- 
ful service  in  New  York  City. 

In  many  respects  the  year  1921  was  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  in  a  financial  way  that  the  congre- 
gation ever  experienced.  The  expenses  of  the  con- 
gregation, including  the  purchase  of  a  Chickering 
Baby  Grand  piano  for  the  lecture  room  and  the  lay- 
ing of  a  hard-wood  floor  in  the  basement  of  the 
church,  amounted  to  |9,799.26.  The  year's  contribu- 
tions for  Missions  and  Benevolences  totalled 
17,021.58.  The  Sunday  School  gave  |298.50  for 
Missions,  and  the  benevolent  contributions  of  the 
King's  Daughters'  Circles  and  the  Alpha  Beta  Club 
amounted  to  |480.  The  Treasurer  of  the  Larger 
Life  Foundation  received  from  the  congregation  dur- 
ing the  year  the  sum  of  |4,047.34.  The  average  per 
communicant  contribution  for  Missions  and  Benevo- 
lences was  150.21 ;  for  Foreign  Missions,  |12.29,  and 
for  Home  Missions,  |6.80.  With  the  exception  of  a 
Bazaar  by  the  Whatsoever  Circle  of  King's  Daugh- 
ters, an  Ice  Cream  Festival  by  the  Sunday  School, 
and  a  Strawberry  Festival  by  the  Loyal  Circle  of 
King's  Daughters  and  King's  Sons,  the  contribu- 
tions for  benevolences  consisted  of  the  free-will  of- 
ferings of  the  membership. 

The  first  half  of  the  year  1922  contains  a  number 
of  events  which  deserve  a  place  in  this  record.  On 
Wednesday  evening,  January  11,  the  Near  East  Re- 
lief Committee  brought  a  moving-picture  machine 
to  the  church  and  showed  the  picture  entitled 
"Alice  in  Hungerland,"  which  gripped  the  interest 
of  those  present.    An  offering  was  taken  for  the  suf- 


VACATION  BIBLE  SCHOOL  357 

ferers  in  the  Near  East.  At  the  annual  meeting  of 
Church  Council  a  Committee  of  Nine  was  appointed 
for  the  purpose  of  making  a  careful  survey  of  con- 
ditions connected  with  the  church- work.  This  Com- 
mittee consists  of  the  pastor,  the  Brethren  Samuel 
J.  Dike,  Frank  J.  Leibert,  Allen  W.  Stephens,  Harry 
White,  Benson  Y.  Landis,  and  Mrs.  David  B.  Ned- 
well,  Mrs.  Edmund  B.  Rose,  and  Miss  Jeanette 
Wertz.  On  Sunday,  February  5,  the  Rev.  John 
Greenfield,  the  Provincial  Evangelist,  delivered  the 
morning  sermon  and  presented  an  appeal  for  the 
support  of  evangelistic  work.  The  congregation 
made  a  liberal  response  to  his  appeal.  A  very  suc- 
cessful bazaar  held  in  the  lecture  room  about  the 
middle  of  the  same  month  netted  the  Whatsoever 
Circle  of  King's  Daughters  over  three  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  for  charitable  causes. 

At  Eastertide  the  Trustees  authorized  the  pastor 
to  resume  the  advertisement  of  the  church  services 
in  "The  Times;'  and  ''The  Globe/'  two  influential 
city  papers.  An  illustrated  lecture  on  the  Oberam- 
mergau  Passion  Play  on  the  Wednesday  evening  be- 
fore Passion  Week  attracted  a  large  congregation. 
A  reception,  the  first  of  the  kind  given  by  the  con- 
gregation, was  held  in  lioiior  of  the  eleven  now 
members  received  into  tlie  church  on  Palm  Sunday, 
after  the  prayer  meeting  on  Wednes(hiy  evening, 
May  3.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Joint-Hoard  of  Elders 
and  Trustees  on  .Jnne  5  it  was  (h'cided  to  liave  a 
Daily  Vacation  Hil)li'  School  in  (he  lecture  room 
from  August  7  to  Septenibur  S,  the  expense  of  two 
hundred  and  tiftv  dollars  to  be  met  bv  vohmtarv  con- 


358     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

tributions  and  bj  the  church-envelope  offerings  of 
July  and  August.  It  was  also  decided  to  put  the 
church-property  into  first-class  condition  during  the 
summer  months,  this  improvement  to  include  the 
frescoing  of  the  auditorium  and  the  painting  of  the 
inside  and  outside  of  the  building. 

Together  with  Moravians  the  world  over,  the  con- 
gregation celebrated  the  bi-centenary  of  the  found- 
ing of  Herrnhut  and  the  subsequent  resuscitation  of 
the  Unitas  Fratrum.  To  this  end  three  special 
services  were  held.  On  Wednesday  evening,  May  31, 
the  pastor  delivered  an  illustrated  historical  lecture, 
and  on  Wednesday,  June  14,  at  8:15  p.  m.,  an  en- 
thusiastic rally  of  New  York  Moravians  was  held  in 
the  church,  the  Brooklyn,  Second,  Third,  and  Fourth 
Churches  uniting  with  the  First  or  Mother  Church. 
Addresses  were  delivered  by  the  Brethren  E.  S. 
Wolle,  F.  E.  Grunert,  Charles  Martin,  Paul  T. 
Shultz,  and  H.  E.  Stocker.  Special  music  was  fur- 
nished by  the  choirs  of  the  Third  and  Fourth 
Churches.  There  were  about  450  people  present. 
The  concluding  bi-centenary  service  was  conducted 
on  Sunday  morning,  June  18,  at  which  time  the 
sermon  was  delivered  by  the  Rev.  Paul  de  Schweinitz, 
D.D.,  Secretary  of  Moravian  Missions,  and  member 
of  the  Provincial  Elders'  Conference. 

The  Elders  of  the  Congregation  are  the  Brethren 
Samuel  J.  Dike  and  Harry  White.  The  Trustees  are 
Brother  Frank  J.  Leibert,  President,  Brother 
Charles  J.  W.  Meisel,  Secretary,  Brother  Allen  W. 
Stephens,  Treasurer,  and  the  Brethren  Carl  H.  Zoe- 
bisch  and  Alfred  T.  Zoebisch.    The  Hon.  James  M. 


OFFICIALS  OF  THE  CHURCH  359 

Beck,  the  Solicitor  General  of  the  United  States,  is 
an  honorary  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  The 
officers  of  the  Sunday  School  are  Brother  Benson  Y. 
Landis,  Superintendent ^  Brother  Allen  W.  Stephens, 
Assistant  Superintendent ,  Mrs.  Harry  E.  Stocker, 
Superintendent  of  the  Primary  Department^  Brother 
Harry  D.  White,  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  Brother 
Samuel  J.  Dike,  Librarian,  Miss  Ellen  B.  Barrett, 
Missionary  Superintendent,  Mrs.  Harry  E.  Stocker, 
Superintendent  of  the  Cradle  Roll,  and  Mrs.  David 
B.  Nedwell,  Superintendent  of  the  Home  Depart- 
ment, The  Sunday  School  teachers  are  the  Brethren 
H.  E.  Stocker,  Benson  Y.  Landis,  and  Samuel  J. 
Dike,  and  Mrs.  H.  E.  Stocker,  Mrs.  Harry  White, 
Miss  Harriet  Nedwell,  Mrs.  David  B.  Nedwell,  and 
Miss  Florence  Davison.  The  officers  of  the  What- 
soever Circle  of  King's  Daughters  are  Mrs.  H.  E. 
Stocker,  Leader,  Mrs.  A.  L.  Pickering,  Vice  Presi- 
dent, Mrs.  David  B.  Nedwell,  Secretary,  and  Mrs. 
Edmund  B.  Rose,  Treasurer.  The  Leader  of  the 
Loyal  Circle  of  King's  Daughters  and  King's  Sons 
is  Mrs.  Edmund  B.  Rose,  and  that  of  the  Alpha 
Beta  Club  Mrs.  Harry  White.  From  January  first 
to  the  end  of  May  the  pjiid  church-worker  in  the 
community  was  Miss  Florence  Davison,  who  suc- 
ceeded Miss  Dixie  Anders.  Prof.  William  Ahreus  is 
the  church  organist  and  Sinulay  School  pianist,  and 
the  members  of  the  paid  choir  are  Mrs.  AV.  A.  Smith, 
Soprano,  Miss  Elinor  Lineau,  Alto,  Mr.  Charles  H. 
Graff,  Tenor,  and  Mr.  John  Moeller,  Bass.  Brother 
Charles  Eisenhauer  is  Iho  s(*xtoii  of  the  clinrcli. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

FRUITS  OF  MORAVIAN  LABORS  IN  NEW 

YORK  CITY 

The  exotic  policy  of  turning  over  to  other 
Churches  hundreds  of  its  converts,  and  of  making 
it  exceedingly  difficult  for  any  Christian  to  become 
a  Moravian,  kept  the  Moravian  Church  small  in 
numbers.  This  policy  obtained  for  more  than  a 
century  after  the  first  Moravians  came  to  America. 
If  the  Church  had  gathered  its  numerous  converts 
into  congregations  of  its  own,  it  might  be  to-day 
one  of  the  strongest  denominations  in  the  United 
States.  The  exclusive  spirit,  nowhere  more  hurtful 
than  in  New  York  City,  militated  against  any  great 
numerical  growth  of  the  congregation.  When  at 
last  the  church  was  unhampered  in  the  prosecution 
of  its  work,  it  found  itself  outdistanced  and  over- 
shadowed by  the  churches  of  other  denominations. 
The  time  for  building  up  a  strong  outward  organ- 
ization was  when  the  city  was  small.  Missing  this 
opportunity,  the  congregation  has  labored  under  a 
handicap  ever  since.  Altho  it  has  enjoyed  some  of 
the  most  aggressive  ministerial  leadership  that  the 
Moravian  Church  could  afford,  it  has  found  it  im- 
possible to  increase  its  borders  or  to  make  its  in- 
fluence felt  to  any  great  extent. 

This  does  not  mean  that  Moravian  labors  in  New 
York  City  have  been  fruitless.    Altho  the  years  pre- 

360 


MORAVIAN  INFLUENCE  361 

ceding  the  founding  of  the  congregation  and  the 
decade  immediately  following  that  important  event 
were  marked  by  a  great  deal  of  persecution,  the 
faithful  preaching  of  the  gospel  by  Moravian 
ministers  and  evangelists  not  only  turned  the  feet 
of  many  into  the  paths  of  righteousness,  but  helped 
to  counteract  the  hurtful  influence  of  the  formalism 
and  sectarianism  prevalent  in  that  day.  The  suc- 
cess of  Moravian  labors  was  regarded  by  many  with 
envy,  and  much  of  the  persecution  was  born  of  jeal- 
ousy. Some  of  those  who  declaimed  most  loudly 
against  the  Moravians  secretly  admired  their  evan- 
gelical zeal  and  sturdy  Christian  character.  As  the 
years  passed  a  more  fraternal  spirit  manifested  it- 
self and  ministers  of  other  denominations  sought 
to  learn  the  secret  of  Moravian  missionary  success. 
They  read  Moravian  history,  studied  mission  and 
congregational  reports,  listened  with  rapt  attention 
to  returned  missionaries  whenever  opportunity  of- 
fered, and  even  purchased  the  Moravian  hymn 
book  that  they  might  study  the  hymns  and  liturgies 
of  the  Church.  The  missionary  meetings  in  the  Mo- 
ravian Church  were  exceedingly  popular,  and  the 
Moravian  pastor  was  frequently  invited  to  other 
pulpits  that  he  might  speak  of  the  wonders  wrought 
on  the  mission  field.  The  little  Moravian  congrega- 
tion served  for  years  as  a  leaven  in  the  Christian 
Church  of  the  metropolis. 

Altho  the  First  Churcli  has  a  membership  which 
niiinbers  at  present  less  than  two  liundred  souls,  it 
enjoys  the  proud  <listiiiction  oi  being  tlu'  mother  of 
a    number   of   other   congregations.      Fifteen    years 


362     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

after  the  founding  of  the  congregation  a  pastor  was 
appointed  to  take  charge  of  the  Moravian  labors  on 
Staten  Island.  The  New  Dorp  church  was  the  first 
offspring  of  the  congregation.  Hampered  by  the 
same  difficulties  under  which  the  mother  church 
labored  so  long,  this  Staten  Island  church  struggled 
for  nearly  a  century  before  it  secured  a  firm  foot- 
hold. It  was  not  until  the  year  1848  that  it  began 
to  branch  out.  About  that  time  the  Rev.  Henry  G. 
Clauder  established  a  preaching-place  at  Castleton 
Corners.  Here  a  church  building  was  erected  twenty- 
five  years  later.  In  November,  1877,  the  Rev.  Wil- 
liam H.  Vogler  established  another  preaching-place 
at  Giffords,  now  Great  Kills.  Nine  years  later  a 
chapel  was  purchased  at  this  place  from  the  Dutch 
Reformed  Church,  and  eventually  the  Rev.  William 
H.  Rice  and  the  Rev.  F.  E.  Grunert  became  asso- 
ciated with  the  New  Dorp  pastor  for  the  purpose  of 
ministering  to  the  people  living  at  Castleton  Cor- 
ners and  at  Giffords.  Altho  there  is  at  present  a 
resident  pastor  at  both  Castleton  Corners  and  at 
Great  Kills,  the  Moravians  who  worship  in  these 
churches  form  a  part  of  the  New  Dorp  congregation, 
which  has  a  total  membership  of  one  thousand  souls. 
At  present  the  congregation  is  served  by  the  Breth- 
ren Ernest  S.  Hagen,  Frederick  R.  Nitzschke*  and 
William  H.  Fluck.  Connected  with  this  congrega- 
tion is  the  New  Dorp  Moravian  Cemetery,  which  is 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  burial-grounds  to  be  found 

♦After  a  fruitful  pastorate  of  more  than  eleven  years  at  Castleton  Cor- 
ners, Brother  Nitrschke  closed  his  labors  at  that  place  in  June,  1922, 
to  take  charge  of  the  congregation  at  Gnadenhuetten,  Ohio.  His  successor 
at  Castleton   Corners  is  the   Rev.   C.    A.   Weber. 


OFFSPRINGS  OF  MOTHER  CHURCH    363 

anywhere.  There  are  three  other  Moravian  congre- 
gations on  Staten  Island.  The  one  at  Stapleton  was 
organized  in  1889,  and  is  now  served  by  the  Rev. 
Clarence  E.  Romig.  The  Italian  Mission  congrega- 
tion in  the  village  of  New  Dorp  has  been  in  charge 
of  the  Rev.  Ettore  Barletta  since  its  organization  in 
1919,  and  the  Midland  Beach  congregation,  organ- 
ized in  1920  by  the  Rev.  E.  S.  Hagen,  is  served  by 
him  in  connection  with  his  pastorate  of  the  New 
Dorp  church.  More  than  eleven  hundred  souls  are 
identified  with  the  Staten  Island  churches. 

The  Jay  Street  Church  in  Brooklyn,  the  Second 
Church  in  the  Bronx,  the  Third  Church  on  West 
Sixty-third  Street,  and  the  Fourth  Church  on  West 
136th  Street  likewise  owe  their  origin  to  the  First 
Church.  The  total  membership  of  all  the  Mora- 
vian congregations  in  Greater  New  York  numbers 
nearly  twenty-eight  hundred  souls.  The  First 
Church  is  also  the  mother  of  the  congregation  at 
Ebenezer,  Wisconsin,  and  of  the  First  Church  in 
Utica,  N.  Y.  It  was  likewise  instrumental  in  found- 
ing congregations  at  New  Haven,  Connecticut,  and 
at  Camden  Valley,  New  York.  However,  both  of 
these  churches  failed  to  take  permanent  root,  and 
after  a  number  of  years  had  to  be  abandoned.  Be- 
sides contributing  thousands  of  d<>llars  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  Kingdom  of  (Jod  at  home  and 
abroad,  the  congregation  gave  a  number  of  minis- 
ters and  missionaries  to  the  Moravian  Church  at 
large.  Perhaps  the  most  notable  contribution  <>f 
this  kind  was  that  of  the  Rev.  Jacob  Van  Vleck,  who 
became  the  father  of  a   long  line  of  devoted   and 


364     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

prominent  Moravian  ministers.  And  what  shall  we 
say  of  the  large  number  of  men  and  women  won 
and  trained  by  the  congregation  who  by  their  re- 
moval elsewhere  eventually  identified  themselves 
with  other  Churches?  Many  of  the  denominations 
in  the  city  are  greatly  enriched  by  the  presence  of 
many  of  these  former  members  of  the  First  Church. 
Flanked  by  business  places  and  residences,  the 
congregation's  neat  brick  church  with  a  seating  ca- 
pacity for  about  five  hundred  people  stands  on  the 
southwest  corner  of  Lexington  Avenue  and  Thirtieth 
Street.  Altho  the  slums  are  not  many  blocks  away, 
the  church  is  not  located  in  the  slums.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  surroundings  of  the  church  are  clean. 
The  encroachment  of  business  is  slowly  but  surely 
driving  residents  from  the  neighborhood.  This  has 
the  advantage  of  keeping  away  cheap  tenement 
houses,  but  it  also  restricts  the  immediate  field  of  the 
church's  labors.  The  small  membership  of  the  con- 
gregation is  widely  scattered,  which  makes  aggres- 
sive work  exceedingly  difficult.  This  drawback  is 
partially  offset  by  the  extreme  loyalty  of  the  mem- 
bers, who  are  for  the  most  part  greatly  devoted  to 
their  church,  and  travel  long  distances  to  attend  its 
services.  Altho  the  church  attendance  is  compara- 
tively small,  it  is  practically  the  same  as  it  was  fifty 
years  ago.  That  the  congregation  is  alive  to  the 
needs  of  humanity  is  evident  from  last  year's  con- 
tribution of  more  than  seven  thousand  dollars  for 
various  benevolences.  Any  church  that  contributes 
nearly  ten  thousand  dollars  toward  its  own  support 
and  more  than  seven  thousand  dollars  for  missions 


AN  ENCOURAGING  FUTURE  365 

in  one  year  has  not  reached  the  end  of  its  usefulness. 
Therefore  great  things  may  still  be  expected  of  the 
grand  old  First  Church,  which  has  consistently  held 
aloft  the  blood-bought  banner  of  Jesus  Christ  for 
one  hundred  and  seventy-four  years. 


APPENDIX  A 

POINTS  OF  INTEREST 

The  first  Moravian  who  set  foot  on  Manhattan 
Island  was  Augustus  Gottlieb  Spangenberg.  He 
passed  thru  New  York  in  March,  1736,  on  his  way 
from  Georgia  to  Pennsylvania.  A  month  later  David 
Nitschmann  likewise  visited  the  city. 

On  July  21,  1740,  Christian  Henry  Ranch,  the  first 
Moravian  missionary  to  the  northern  Indians,  ar- 
rived in  New  York  City. 

Peter  Boehler  preached  the  first  Moravian  ser- 
mon in  New  York  at  a  meeting  held  in  January,  1741, 
and  a  few  weeks  later  organized  an  Undenomina- 
tional Society  under  the  auspices  of  the  Moravian 
Church. 

On  November  30,  1741,  Count  Zinzendorf  landed 
in  New  York  for  the  first  time.  His  four  days'  visit 
created  a  great  stir  in  the  city. 

The  first  Moravian  who  died  in  New  York  was 
Valentine  Loehans,  a  missionary  in  the  West  Indies, 
who  was  sojourning  in  the  city  while  waiting  for  a 
ship  to  take  him  to  his  destination.  His  death  oc- 
curred on  January  8,  1743,  on  Staten  Island. 

John  Hrucker  was  the  first  man  to  be  ordained  to 
the  Moravian  ministry  in  New  York  City.  His  or- 
dination took  place  soon  after  Loehans'  death,  whom 
he  succeeded  in  the  West  Indies,  Count  Zinzendorf 
officiating. 

367 


368     MOKAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Moravian  missionaries  lodged  in  a  New  York 
prison  were  David  Zeisberger  and  Frederick  Post. 
They  were  falsely  charged  with  being  emissaries  of 
the  French.  The  imprisonment  took  place  on  Feb- 
ruary 23,  1745.  They  were  released  seven  weeks 
later. 

The  first  Moravian  congregation  in  New  York 
was  organized  on  December  27,  1748,  by  Bishop  de 
Watteville.  The  first  pastor  of  the  church  was 
James  Greening. 

Owen  Rice  was  the  first  settled  pastor  of  the  con- 
gregation, taking  charge  of  the  work  on  May  12, 
1749. 

On  January  12,  1751,  the  first  marriage  ceremony 
performed  by  a  Moravian  minister  in  New  York  took 
place,  the  pastor  of  the  congregation  officiating.  The 
contracting  parties  were  Jacob  Reed  and  Jane  Tay- 
lor, a  widow. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  first  church  was  laid  on 
June  16,  1751,  and  on  June  18  of  the  following  year 
the  church  on  the  south  side  of  Fair,  now  Fulton 
Street,  between  William  and  Nassau  Streets,  was 
dedicated. 

A  parsonage  was  built  on  Fair  Street  in  1752, 
and  the  first  occupants  were  Owen  Rice  and  his 
wife. 

The  first  Moravian  burial-ground  in  the  city  was 
located  at  the  corner  of  Mott  and  Pell  Streets,  the 
plot  of  ground  being  purchased  in  1754. 

In  August,  1763,  Hector  Gambold  took  charge  of 
the  work  on  Staten  Island.    The  corner-stone  of  the 


APPENDIX  A  369 

first  Moravian  church  on  the  island  was  laid  on 
June  7,  and  on  December  6  of  the  same  year  the 
building  was  consecrated. 

Christopher  Godfrey  Peter  was  the  first  pastor 
of  the  congregation  who  died  in  office.  He  passed 
away  on  October  29,  1797.  The  labors  of  two  later 
pastors,  Bishop  Amadeus  Reinke  and  Bishop  Morris 
Leibert,  were  likewise  brought  to  an  end  by  death. 

The  congregation  was  incorporated  in  April,  1794, 
altho  the  church  made  no  effort  to  exercise  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  a  corporate  body  until  the  year 
1801,  when  it  received  certain  money  from  the  State 
for  school  purposes. 

In  1814  the  church  and  parsonage  were  covered 
by  fire  insurance  for  the  first  time. 

The  first  church  was  torn  down  in  1829  and  a  new 
one  built.  The  corner-stone  laying  of  the  second 
building  took  place  on  August  13,  and  the  consecra- 
tion of  the  church  on  November  29.  The  second 
church  stood  on  the  site  of  the  old.  On  July  13  of 
the  same  year  the  pastor  and  his  family  moved  into 
the  new  parsonage  on  Dutch  Street. 

On  March  11,  1844,  the  trustees  of  the  congrega- 
tion awarded  the  contract  for  a  new  church  and  par- 
sonage on  the  south-west  corner  of  Houston  and 
Mott  Streets.  On  August  13  the  corner-stone  of 
the  third  church  was  laid. 

The  church  on  Fulton  Street  and  the  parsonage 
in  Dutcli  Street  were  sokl  on  January  15,  1845,  for 
|L*9,750  in  the  Merchants'  Exchange. 

On  June  29,  1845,  the  Houston  Street  church  was 


370     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

consecrated  by  Bishop  Andrew  Benade.  The  parson- 
age at  522  Houston  Street  was  ready  for  occupancy 
in  March  of  the  same  year. 

In  August,  1865,  the  Houston  Street  property  was 
sold  for  $30,000,  and  on  September  3  the  last  service 
was  held  in  the  church.  The  congregation  was 
homeless  for  the  next  four  years.  Unable  to  secure 
a  church  it  worshipped  during  this  period  in  the 
Hall  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  on 
the  corner  of  Twenty-third  Street  and  Fourth 
Avenue,  and  later  in  the  Chapel  of  the  Home  of  the 
Friendless  on  the  north  side  of  Twenty-ninth  Street, 
between  Madison  and  Fourth  Avenue. 

On  February  1,  1869,  the  present  church  at  Lex- 
ington Avenue  and  Thirtieth  Street  was  purchased 
from  the  Episcopalians  for  |35,000,  and  on  April 
18  the  congregation  held  its  first  service  in  the 
newly  acquired  edifice. 

The  parsonage  at  112  Lexington  Avenue  was  pur- 
chased by  the  congregation  on  April  16,  1872,  for 
122,375,  including  fixtures.  Altho  the  "parsonage" 
has  been  owned  by  the  church  for  fifty  years,  it  has 
had  a  pastoral  occupation  of  only  twenty  years. 


APPENDIX  B 

MORAVIAN  LABORERS  IN  NEW  YORK  CITY 

(1736-1741) 

MINISTERS 

Augustus   Gottlieb   Spangenberg,   March,   1736 
David  Nitschmann,  April,  1736 
Frederick  Martin,  June,  1739  and  July,  1740 
('liristian  Henry  Ranch,  July,  1740,  and  later  oc- 
casionally 
Peter  Boehler,  January,  1741 

MINISTERS    AND    UNORDAINED    EVANGEL- 
ISTS   (1741-1748) 

(Names  of  former  in  italics) 
Peter  Boehler  J  January,  1741 
Count  Zinzendorf,  December,  1741 
David  Bruce,  September,  1742,  and  later  at  inter- 
vals 
Peter  Boehler,  January,  1743 
(Jeorge  Neisser,  January,  1743 
Hector  Ganibold,  November,  1743- June,  1745 
Owen  Rice,  September,  1745 
JanieH  Burnside,  September,  1745 
Jacol)  Vetter,  September,  1745-January,  1746 
(ieorge  NeisHer,  Marcli,  174(>-.Iune,  1746 
Hector  Gambold,  June,  1746-February,  1747 
John  Wade,  February,  1747-August,  1747 
Christian  Froehlich,  February,   1747-Augu8t,  1747 

371 


372    MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Hector  Gambokl,  September,  1747-Febriiary,  1748 
George  Neisser,  March,  1748-June,  1748 
Valentine  Haidt,  June,  1748-July,  1748 
James  Greening,  June,  1748-Marcli,  1750 
Richard  Utley,  1748-1749  occasionally 
John  Doehling,  1748-1749  occasionally 
Jacob  Rodgers,  1749-1750  occasionally 

PASTORS  AND  ASSISTANT  PASTORS  OF  THE 
CONGREGATION 

James  Greening,  June,  1748-March,  1750.  With 
Rice  in  New  York  for  a  time,  and  on  Long  Is- 
land and  Staten  Island. 

Owen  Rice,  May  12,  1749-June  10,  1754.  First  regu- 
lar settled  pastor  of  the  congregation. 

Jasper  Payne,  May  6,  1750-September,  1754.  As- 
sistant and  school  teacher  of  the  congregation. 

Abraham  Reinke,  June  10,  1754-October  28,  1754, 
Ad  interim  Head  pastor  with  assistants  on  the 
islands. 

Albrecht  Ludolf  Russmeyer,  October  28,  1754-Janu- 
ary  10,  1755.  Ad  interim  head  pastor  with  as- 
sistants on  the  islands. 

Richard  Utley,  February  9,  1754-June  30,  1755.  As- 
sisted Reinke  and  Russmeyer  on  islands  and 
preached  in  English  in  the  city. 

Henry  Ferdinand  Beck,  March  6,  1755-April  10, 
1757.  Took  Payne's  place  and  preached  in  Ger- 
man when  Russmeyer  left. 

Jacob  Ro(d)gers,  July  4,  1755- June,  1757.  Head 
pastor  and  English  preacher  in  the  city  after 
Utley  left. 


APPENDIX  B  373 

Jasper  Payne,  March  4,  1756-April  16,  1756.  Second 

time    ad    interim    assistant    pastor,    laboring 

mostly  on  the  islands. 
Valentine  Haidt,  May  10,  1757-June  30,  1757.   Took 

Beck's  place  ad  interim  and  preached  in  both 

German  and  English. 
Thomas  Yarrell,   June  23,   1757-October   12,   1766. 

Succeeded  Rogers. 
George  Neisser,  October  12,  1766-January  6,  1775 
Oswald  Gustav  Shewkirk,  January  6,  1775-Novem- 

ber  13,  1783 
Albrecht   Ludolf   Russmeyer,   November   13,   1783- 

April  25,  1784 
James  Birkby,  April  25,  1784-October  20,  1793 
Christopher    Godfrey    Peter,     October    20,    1793- 

October  29,  1797 
James  Birkby,  December  10,  1797-December  19, 1799 
John  Meder,  December  19,  1799-September  26,  1802 
James  Bardill,  September  26, 1802-November  3,  1805 
John  Molther,  November  3,  1805-December,  1812 
Benjamin  Mortimer,   December  24,   1812-June  28, 

1829 
William  Henry  Van  Vleck,  July  5,  1829-November 

17,  1836 
Charles  Frederick  Kluge,  December  2,  1836-October 

7,  1838 
Charles  A.  Bleck,  October  28,  1838-August  28,  1842 
David  Bigler,  September  25,  1842-November  18,  1855 
Edwin  T.  Sonsemau,  December  9,  1855-October  21, 

1860 
Edwin  10.  Reiiike,  October  28,  1860-July  27,  1862 
Joseph  II.  Kummer,  August  3,  1862-October  29,  1865 


374    MOEAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Amadeus  A.  Reinke,  November  19,  1865-August  10, 

1889 
Edward  T.  Kluge,  May  7,  1890-July  23,  1893 
Herman  A.  Gerdsen,  October  8,  1893-January  24, 

1904 
Morris  W.  Leibert,  February  7,  1904-January  11, 

1919 
Harry  E.  Stocker,  April  27,  1919^ 


APPENDIX  C 

THE  COMMUNICANT  MEMBERSHIP  OF  THE 
FIRST  MORAVIAN  CHURCH 

Ahrens,    William,   51    Dongan    Street,    West   New 

Brighton,  Staten  Island 
Ahrens,  Mrs.  William 
Alex,  John,  29  East  Hayes  Avenue,  Corona,  Long 

Island 
Alex,  Mrs.  John 

Ayello,  Salvatore,  300  East  30th  Street 
Ayello,  Mrs.  Salvatore 
Ayello,  Miss  Rose 
Ayello,  Miss  Sarah 
Ayello,  Miss  Helen 

Barbuto,  Mrs.  Samuel,  Syracuse,  New  York 

Barrett,  Miss  Ellen,  161  East  95th  Street 

Beck,  the  Hon.  James  M.,  Washington,  D.  C. 

Berger,  Mrs.  Susan,  112  Lexington  Avenue 

Berger,  Miss  Lucy 

Beutel,  John,  29  East  Hayes  Avenue,  Corona,  Long 

Island 
Blake,  Robert,  967  Summit  Avenue,  Jersey  City 
Bhiko,  Jolni 
BlnkcN    Miss  Liil\i 

Hlakc,  Tlumijjs,  Hiidf^'cport,  Connocticnt 
H(Mis«^'.  Mrs.  John,  233  West    MSth  St  root 
Hnrcli,   Miss  M;iry,  210  East  IMth  Street 
Hnrcii,  Miss  IMinor 
Burch,  Frank 

375 


376     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Caldwell,   Mrs.   James,    106   Milton    Street,   Green 

Point,  Long  Island 
Caldwell,  Miss  May 
Caldwell,  Miss  Isabel 

Carlson,  Harry,  Central  Islip,  Long  Island 
Carlson,  Edward 
Carlson,  Miss  Emma 

Christiansen,  Paul,  728  Franklin  Avenue,  Brooklyn 
Christiansen,  Mrs.  Paul 

Dike,  Samuel  J.,  315  East  68th  Street 

Ecsery,  Anthony,  332  East  85th  Street 

Ecsery,  Stephen 

Eisenhauer,  Mrs.  John,  244  East  30th  Street 

Eisenhauer,  Charles 

Eisenhauer,  Mrs.  Charles 

EUiman,  Mrs.  W.,  Ridgewood,  New  Jersey 

Flateau,  Mrs.  Emily,  St.  Louis,  Missouri 

Foote,  Mrs.  John,  25  Grace  Street,  Bloomfield,  New 
Jersey 

Foote,  Miss  Lila 

Francis,  Mrs.  Judson,  6832  Wayne  Avenue,  Phila- 
delphia 

Francke,  Arnim,  46  Sunnyside  Drive,  Yonkers,  New 
York 

Hamming,  Miss  Lilly,  218  East  52nd  Street 

Hamming,  Miss  Frances 

Hamming,  Miss  Minnie 

Heboid,  Mrs.  Caroline,  234  East  24th  Street 

Heboid,  Miss  Irma 


APPENDIX  C  377 

Heboid,  Walter 

Heboid,  Denis,  101  West  94th  Street 

Heboid,  Mrs.  Denis 

Hellthaler,  Mrs.  Adam,  218  East  52nd  Street 

Higgins,  Mrs.  Mary,  693  Bergen  Avenue,  Jersey  City 

Higgins,  William,  50  Ethelbert  Avenue,  Ridgewood, 

New  Jersey 
Higgins,  Mrs.  William 
Hill,  Henry,  St.  James,  Long  Island 
Hotfmire,  Mrs.  Isabel,  518  West  174tli  Street 
Hoffmire,  Miss  Agnes 

Howard,  the  Rev.  Jacob,  Cold  Spring,  New  York 
Howard,  Mrs.  Jacob 
Howard,  Miss  Marie,  552  Second  Avenue 

Ironsides,  Mrs.  Lizzie,  693  Bergen  Avenue,  Jersey 
City 

Johnson,  Axel,  373  Twelfth  Avenue,  Astoria,  Long 

Island 
Johnson,  Miss  Irene 

Jorss,  Fred,  372  Sandol  Street,  Brooklyn 
Jorss,  Hans 
Jorss,  Miss  Albertina 

Kastner,  Mrs.  Annie,  2730  Boulevard,  Jersey  City 
Kiesele,  Miss  Lizzie,  891  Amsterdam  Avenue 
Knoll,  Herman,  346  West  19th  Street 

Landis,  Benson  Y.,  HOI   West  169th  Street 

Land  is,  Mrs.  Benson  Y. 

Lavender,  Jnlin  B.,  1477  Lcxiii^toTi  Av(»rme 

Lavender,  Mrs.  John  1?. 

Leibert,  Mrs.  Morris  W.,  317  West  93rd  Street 


378    MOKAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 

Leibert,  Miss  Edith  J.,  317  West  93rd  Street 

Leibert,  Frank  J.,  512  East  5th  Street,  Brooklyn 

Leibert,  Mrs.  Frank  J. 

Leibert,  Kenneth 

Leibert,  Miss  Ruth 

Leibert,  Edward 

Lindquist,  Paul,  728  Franklin  Avenue,  Brooklyn 

Maksay,  Mrs.  Katy,  112  Lexington  Avenue 
Mechlin,    Miss    Charlotte,    920    President    Street, 

Brooklyn 
Meisel,  Mrs.  Charles,  West  more  Avenue,  Little  Neck, 

Long  Island 
Meisel,   Charles   J.   W.,   Jackson    Street,   Bayside, 

Long  Island 
Miller,  Harold,  29  East  Hayes  Avenue,  Corona,  Long 

Island 
McLoughlin,  Mrs.  H.,  2542  Seventh  Avenue 

Nedwell,  Mrs.  David  B.,  352  West  21st  Street 

Nedwell,  William,  307  Lexington  Avenue 

Nedwell,  Miss  Harriet,  693  Bergen  Avenue,  Jersey 

City 
Noe,  Robert,  625  Park  Avenue,  East  Orange,  New 

Jersey 
Noe,  Mrs.  Robert 

Oakey,  Mrs.  Francis,  25  Fifth  Avenue 

Olson,  Henry,  Brooklyn 

Orbel,  August,  376  Eleventh  Avenue,  Astoria 

Pausley,  Miss  Myrtle,  441   Bergen  Avenue,  Jersey 
City 


APPENDIX  C  379 

Pickering,  Mrs.  A.  L.,  645  Putnam  Avenue,  Brooklyn 
Pickering,  Miss  Ethel 

Rose,  Mrs.  Edmund  B.,  274  Fulton  Avenue,  Jersey 

City 
Rose,  Miss  Ruth 
Rose,  Miss  Ethel 
Rose,  Edmund,  Jr. 

Schmidt,  Francis,  22  Hartly  Place,  Bayonne,  New 

Jersey 
Schmidt,  Walter,  858  East  156th  Street 
Schottler,  Mrs.  John  H.,  105  Lexington  Avenue 
Schottler,  Henry 

Schroeder,  Alfred,  634  Macon  Street,  Brooklyn 
Soenecken,  Mrs.  Florence,  Central  Islip,  Long  Island 
Small,   James,    107   Third   Avenue,    Astoria,    Long 

Island 
Stephens,  Allen  W.,  120  East  31st  Street 
Stephens,  Mrs.  Allen  W. 
Stevenson,  William,  2542  Seventh  Avenue 
Stocker,  Harry  E.,  309  West  93rd  Street 
Stocker,  Mrs.  Harry  E. 

Stupp,  J.  Valentine,  200  Wilson  Street,  Brooklyn 
Stupp,  Mrs.  J.  Valentine 
Stupp,  Miss  Minnie 

Thomas,  Harry  K.,  19  Wellin^'ton  Court,  Brooklyn 
Thompson,  Mrs.  Pierce,  25  Grace  Street,  Bloomfield, 

New  Jersey 
Trautwein,  Miss  Ivouiso,  389  Wcirfirld  Street,  Brook- 
lyn 


380     MORAVIAN  CHURCH  IN  NEW  YORK 
Vidal,  Mrs.  Joseph,  St.  James,  Long  Island 

Ward,  Miss  Clara  A.,  426  East  26th  Street 

Wertz,  Mrs.  Christina,  281  Fisk  Avenue,  Wester- 
leigh,  Staten  Island 

Wertz,  Miss  Jeanette 

Wertz,  Miss  Lulu 

Wey,  Frank,  Sr.,  456  Boulevard  East,  Weehawken, 
New  Jersey 

Wey,  Frank,  Jr. 

White,  Harry,  625  Bramhall  Avenue,  Jersey  City 

White,  Mrs.  Harry 

Winter,  Mrs.  Ralph,  456  Boulevard  East,  Weehaw- 
ken, New  Jersey 

Woodley,  Miss  May,  300  Union  Street,  Jersey  City 

Yost,  Miss  Marie,  11  Old  Broadway 

Zoebisch,  Carl  H.,  33  West  51st  Street 
Zoebisch,  Alfred  T.,  West  field.  New  Jersey 

The  boys  and  girls  of  the  congregation  are  the 
following:  Jack  Ayello,  Peter  Ayello,  Antonio 
Ayello,  Marie  Frances  Barbuto,  Anna  Maria  Chris- 
tiansen, Martin  Augustus  Christiansen,  Rupert  Eric 
Christiansen,  Agnes  Caldwell,  John  Charles  Eisen- 
hauer,  Clara  Heboid,  Lillian  Hellthaler,  Ruth  Hell- 
thaler,  Anna  Elizabeth  Lavender,  Dorothy  May  Lav- 
ender, Frederick  Howard  Meisel,  Harold  Lewis 
Meisel,  Dorothy  Meisel,  Irene  Emma  Schmidt,  Philip 
Schottler,  Louise  Schottler,  Arthur  Frederick 
Stocker,  Henry  Hill  Vidal,  Robert  Asher  White, 
Judson  Francis  White,  and  Frances  Wey. 


i 


INDEX 


"Account  of  Herrnhut,"  40 

Adherents,  85 

Ahrens,  William,  323,  359 

Alexander,  James,  55 

Aimers,  Henry,  52,  58,  70 

Alms  Basins,  327 

Alpha  Beta  Club,  the,  349 

American  Flag,  332 

American  Tract  Society,  gift  of,  29G 

Anders,  Miss  Dixie,  355 

Anders,  Gottlieb,  101 

Anders,  Johanna,  101 

Anders,   Bishop  John   D.,   215,   216, 

217,  222,  223,  224 
Appian  Way,  picture  of,  324 
Arden,  James,  67,  76,  82,  83,  99 
Armistice  Day,  355 
Astor,  William  B.,  256 
Atlantic  Cable,  the,  271 
Auchmuchty,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel, 

134 

Bahnsen,  George  F.,  Sr.,  244 

Banvard  and  Hollinsead,  214 

Baptismal  Font,  326 

Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  20 

Baptism,  first  in  New  York,  78 

Barbadoes,  mission  destroyed,  227 

Bardill,  James,  196,  197 

Barletta,  Ettore,  363 

Barrett,  Miaa  Ellen  B.,  341,  359 

Battle  of  Golden  Hill,  the,  115 

Beattie,  Eliza,  343,  344 

Beatty,  John,  108 

Beck,  Henry  Ferdinand,  97 

Beck,  James  M.,  317,  353,  358 

Beck.  Leopold,  194 

Beedle,  Samuel,  294,  295 

Benade,    Binhop    Andrew,    198,    237, 

238.  242    243,  244.  247 
lionade,  Williaiii,  238 
IJeucvolences,  record,  356 
iienigna,  CountesH,  74,  77 
Beutfl,  Christian.  270 
Bonzicu,  Chriatiau,  94 
lierthfLsdorf,  17 
Hcrwick,      UoU-rt,      deputy      uherifT, 

sluiii,  n>7 
Hcthlehem  founded,  30 
HihU-H.  3U7.  30H.  315.  324 
lii-CenUiinry  (•♦•lebruliuu,  35S 
Higler,    Oiivid,    2M,    240.    243.    244. 

240.   247.   249.   250.  251,   255.   250. 

2«V4,  268.  209.  270,  2H0,  2H1.  2H0 
Miuinger,  Abnihiuu.  177.  U>4.  230 
iJiiuu^er.  Jacob.  217,  222.  223 


Birkby,  James,  145,  149fT.,  156,  161 
164,  188,  189 

Birkby,  Mrs.  James,  189 

Birthday  anniversaries,  104 

Blake,  Emma  Morris,  326 

Blake,  Mrs.  Robert,  333,  335 

Blake,  Thomas  J.,  326 

Blech,  Charles  Gotthold.  196 

Bleck,  Charles  A.,  224,  226,  237,  238 

Bleyer,  Mrs.  Kate,  324 

Boarding  School,  New  Dorp,  pro- 
po.sed,  286,  287 

Boehler,  Peter,  27,  29,  43,  49ff..  53fT., 
64.  69.  75.  91,  95,  96.  98 

Boehnisch,  George,  24,  26 

Boel,  Henricus,  39,  55.  88 

Boelen,  Catherine,  145 

Boelen,  Hendrick,  82,  85 

Boelen,  Heary,  68,  78 

Boelen,  Jane,  42,  43,  48,  54,  80,  85 

Boemper,  Abraham,  35,  75,  82^   1t>___ 

Boemper,  John  JacSb^,  34 

Boemper,  Ludwig,  35,  75,  82,  85 

Book-case,  sectional,  324 

Bouquet,  Mrs.,  house  forfeited,  129 

Bowery,  the,  two  lots  on,  187 

Bowie.  Daniel.  178,  328 

Bowie,  Hannah,  328 

Bowie.  John,  85 

Bowling  Green,  126 

Boys'  School,  a.  81 

Bradacius,  Michael,  12 

Braintrd,  the  Hev.  John,  39 

Bra.shcr,  Judith,  67,  82.  85 

Break  with  Whitefield,  30 

Brethren's  Aiisociatiou  at  Jena,  the, 
22 

Brinkorhoff,  Joris,  37.  55 

Brili.sh  Purliainont.  act  of.  7 Iff. 

Bronte  Tablet,  the.  303,  354 

Brooklyn,  buildiug-fuud.  247;  build- 
ing-lota, 247.  248.  249,  250;  church 
uiid  parsonage,  251 ;  congregation 
organitcd,  250;  first  pa.stor.  251; 
fimt  truHtceti,  250;  incorporated, 
250;  liMt  of  paMtom,  253;  organising 
I^idiest'  Aiu  Society,  247;  second 
church,  253;  HervioeM  in,  243.  244, 
247,  248;  Sunday  School  orguuiied, 
249 

Brotherly  Agreement,  the,  19.  142ff., 
225 

Hrotlu-rhotKl  orguuiied.  a,  323 

Brown.  NathuJtiel.   190.  200 

liruce.  David.  44.  51.  57.  70 

Brucker.  John,  ordiutttiou  of,  53 


[iSl 


382 


INDEX 


Bryant,  Captain  William,  44,  45 
Bryant,  Martha,  43,  48,  67,  76.  78 
Budget  established,  345 
Bueninger,  Abraham,  223 
Buettner,     Gottlob,     arraigned,     59; 

first  Moravian  baptism,  78 
Bulletin  Board  for  church,  343 
Burger,  David,  shot,  151 
Burial  ciistom,  a,  205 
Burial-places,  84,  106,  180,  205,  225, 

243    288 
Burnet,  Ismajah,  43,  68,  76,  80,  85 
Burnet,  William,  76,  85,  91 
Bumside,  James,  28,  56,  68,  70 
Burrell,  the  Rev.  David,  308 
Butzin,  Arthur,  346 

Camden  Valley,  223,  224,  363 

Campbell,  John,  156,  177,  179 

Candle  Service,  304 

Cantata,  Easter,  first,  353 

Cargill,  Abraham,  234,  241 

Cargill,  John,  84,  123 

Carlson,  Edward,  327,  340 

Carlson,  Harry,  326,  327,  340 

Castleton  Comers,  362 

Catechetical  instruction,  67 

Cemetery,  first  in  New  York,  84; 
(see  burial-places);  at  New  Dorp, 
288,  344,  362 

Chinatown,  180 

Choir,  281,  284,  306,  359 

Choir-divisions,  104;  colors,  103; 
houses,  159 

Cholera  epidemic,  227,  228,  230 

Christian  Endeavor  Society,  a,  314, 
315 

Church,  consecrated  in  1752,  83; 
contributions,  appeal  for,  315,  316, 
317;  contributions,  duplex  envelope 
system  adopted,  345;  clock,  323; 
countil,  women  first  voting  in,  264; 
fund,  296;  hymnal,  new,  337;  man- 
ual, 323;  "Monthly,"  323;  of  the 
Mediator,  279,  280;  on  Staten  Is- 
land, in  1763,  109;  organ,  204,  232; 
organ  rebuilt,  312;  property,  first 
insured,  204;  property,  sold,  243, 
274;  removal,  235,  237,  239,  274; 
renovations,  305,  306,  324,  358; 
seating,  121,  237;  alterations,  234, 
235;  second,  consecrated,  217;  par- 
sonage and  church,  cost  of,  218; 
put  up  at  auction,  239;  third,  con- 
secrated, 244;  contract  awarded, 
240;  sold,  274;  "visitors,"  345; 
worker  employed,  322,  325,  345  ^ 

Children's  meeting,  a,  instituted  in 
New  York,  121 

City  lighting  before  1761,  104 

Clan  Cordial,  the,  323 

Clark,  Abraham,  239,  241,  258,  259, 
269 

Clark.  Mrs.  Howard  G.,  327 


Clarkson,  Matthew,  Mayor  of  Phila- 
delphia, 185 
Clauder,  Henry  G.,  240,  243,  362 
Coal  stove,  first  in  church,  208 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons, 
hall  rented,   275;   first  service  in, 
275;  last  service  in,  278 
Comenius,  Bishop  John  Amos,  19 
Committee  of  Nine,  the,  357 
Communion  Table,  the,  307 
Communion  Service,  individual  cups 
decided  upon,  327,  328;  old  set  in- 
corporated, 328;  silver  basket,  328; 
silver  cover,  328;  silver  trays,  328 
Conference,  Helpers',  80 
Congratulatory  address  to  Washing- 
ton, a,  162 
Congregation,  incorporation  of,  177 
Connor,  Richard,  85,  108,  109 
Conrad,  Francis,  125 
Constitutional    Changes,    255;    pro- 
posed by  congregation,  264-268 
Constitution,  Simday  School  Associa- 
tion,    341;     Society    to     Promote 
Christian  Piety,  172 
Contributors,  site  of  first  church,  82; 

parsonage,  82 
Corner  Stone,  first  church,  82;  New 
Dorp  church,  109;  fiftieth  anniver- 
sary of  laying,  191;  second  church, 
215,  216,  234,  240;  third  church, 
240,  241,  242,  243 
Cornwall,  William,  76,  84 
Cortelyou,  Cornelius,  108,  109 
Cortelyou,  Jacques,  37,  47,  67,  85 
Cradle  Roll,  the,  341 
Cruger,  Mayor  John,  55 
Customs,  see  Moravian  customs 

Daggun,  John,  327,  340 

Dash,  Daniel  B.,  207,  214 

Dash,    John    B.,    elected    treasurer, 

205 
Davenport,  Mrs.  John,  248 
David,  Christian,  16,  18 
Davison,  Miss  Florence,  359 
"Dead-cart,"  the,  130 
Declaration  of  Independence,  the,  44, 

126 
Deeds  of  church-property,  195 
Deems,  the  Rev.  Charles  F.,  286,  287 
Devoue,  Frederick,  178,  194 
Dairy,  keeping  of,  80 
Diaspora,  the,  140,  256,  257 
Dickert  brings  bad  news,  123 
Dike,  Samuel  J.,  292,  317,  322,  340, 

345,  349,  358,  359 
D'lncalci,  Miss  Assunta,  325 
Directory,  the,  114 
District  Conference,  a,  291 
Doehling,  John,  70,  81,  84,  113 
Dorcas  Sewing  Circle,  the,  284 
Draft  Riots,  the,  273 
Duplex  Envelope  System,  the,  345 


INDEX 


383 


Dutch  Pastoral  Letter,  trouble 
caused  by,  38 

Earthquake  in  New  York,  an,  198 

Easter  Morning,  104 

East  River  and  Upper  Bay  frozen, 

141 
Ebenezer  congregation,  the,  259,  263, 

363 
Eberman,  Clarence  E.,  253,  292,  293, 

300,  305 
"Economy,"  or  "Family,"  81 
Edmonds,  William,  43,  55,  03,  07 
Effects  of  American  Revolution,  149 
Egbert,  Moses,  179 
Egbert,  Tunis.  108 
Eisenhauer,  Charles,  333,  359 
Elders,  the.  Board  of,  339 
Erdmann,  M.  Adam,  260,  201 
Erie  Canal,  the,  208 
Eskimo  family,  an,  207 
Ettwein,  the  Rev.  John,  94,  156,  159, 

160 
Evangelist,    first    Moravian    in    New 

York,  44 
Evangelists,  early,  69 
Evangelistic  meetings,  345,  340,  350, 

355 
Every  member  canvass,  345 

Fabricius,  George  Christian,  101 

Fasting  and  Prayer,  128 

Father  of  the  Moravian  Church  in 
America,  22 

Fearnley.  Miss  Hannah,  190 

Federal  HaU,  158 

Feldhausen,  John  G.,  85.  145 

Feldhausen,  Chriatoph.  85 

Female  Missionary  Society,  the,  or- 
ganization of.  223 

Festival  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the,  104 

Fett,  John  F.,  255,  256 

Fetter  Lane  Society,  the,  96 

Financial  achievements  in  1921,  356 

Fires  in  New  York.  130,  185,  198, 
232 

First  Baptism  in  New  York,  the,  78 

First  Christmas  service,  the,  42 

First  Moravian  Church,  thfj,  first  edi- 
fice, 82,  83;  incorporation  of,  177; 
organization  of,  70;  presont  t-difice 
purchaned,  280;  Bcaf  of  congrega- 
tion, 194;  second  edifice,  217;  third 
edifice,  244 

First  ordination,  the,  in  an  Englinb 
colony,  26;  in  New  York  City,  53 

Finit  Sea  CongregHtiou,  the.  49 

Firut  Week  of  Praytr,  ih.-,  1'71 

Flinn,  Victor  U..  309,  310.  311.  332, 
333 

Florentine,  Abraham,  07,  85,  96 

Fluek,  William  II  ,  362 

Footrwaahing,  104 


Founding  of  the  Unitas  Fratrum,  the, 
10,  11 

Foundation  Week,  350 

Fourth  Moravian  Church,  the,  311, 
312    321 

Francis,  Mrs.  Brower,  332,  335,  338 

Francis,  Judson  T.,  281,  292,  317, 
338,  339 

Francis,  Mrs.  Judson  T.,  292,  299 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  136 

Free  Schools,  Catechism  in,  204 

French  sympathizers,  179 

Fresh  Water  Pond,  the,  179.  196 

Friedenshuetten,  62 

Froehlich,  Christian,  62,  70 

Froehlich,  Esther,  80 

Fruitfulness  of  Mother  Church,  203, 
361ff. 

Fueter,  Daniel,  84,  93 

Fulton  Street,  126,  204,  236 

Fund,  schools  in  New  York,  193; 
Larger  Life  Foundation,  347;  dis- 
tribution of,  348 

Funeral  sermons,  nature  of,  81 

Galleries  enlarged,  106 

Gambold,  Hector,  58,  65,  70,  78.  86, 

109,  143,  150 
Garrison,  Nicholas,  37,  53,  58,  62,  63, 

73,  76,  77 
Gatterrneyer,  John,  101 
Gemeintag,  79 

General  Board  of  Syndics,  the,  113 
General  Helpers'  Conference,  the,  191, 

200 
General    Hospital    of    the    American 

Army,  the,  159 
General  Synod,  the.  113,  135,  142 
George    III    proclaimed    king,     107; 

statue  of,  clestroyed,  126 
Georgia,  colony  in,  25;  service  ren- 
dered by,  28 
Gerdsen,  Herman  A.,  305,  306,  307, 

308,  309,  312,  313 
Gerken,  William,  327 
German  settlers  in  Pennsylvania,  24 
Giffordrt  (Great  Kills),  362 
CJilmore,  John,  LSS 
Gladman.  Captain  Thomas,  49 
GnadenhuetU'n,  62,  100,  154,  155 
God's  Acre,  84 
Goelet.  Peter.  30 
CJoldeu  Hill.  Battle  of.  115 
Graff.  Charles  H..  359 
Graff.  Otto.  313 
Grain  of  .Mustard  Seed,  the  Order  of, 

17.  71 
Graveyard,    fimt    Moravian    in    New 

York.  HA.  106 
Great  Kilb,  362 
Greeuhild.  Juhu.  253,  345,  357 
Grwumg.  James.  70,  76.  SI 
Gregg.  KU-HUor.  40.  43.  67.  58.  75,  79 
Gregory  the  Patriarch,  11 


384 


INDEX 


Greider,  Bishop  Edwin  C,  309 

Greider,  Paul  M.,  253,  332 

Growth  of   Moravian  Church,   why 

slow,  146ff. 
Grunert,  Francis  E.,  253,  332,  334, 

336,  339,  358,  362 
Grunert,  James,  324 
Guenther,  Ulrich,  258,  259,  263 
Guilty  conscience,  power  of,  50 

Hagen,  Ernest  S.,  329,  336,  342,  345, 
347,  362,  363 

Haidt,  Valentine,  70,  94,  97 

Hamilton,  Alexander,  152,  198 

Hamilton,  Mrs.  Alexander,  204 

Hamilton,  Kenneth  G.,  339 

Hamilton,  J.  Taylor,  305,  307,  308, 
336,  339 

Hannah,  The,  141 

Harding,  President  Warren  G.,  355 

Harmony,  The,  333 

Hartman,  George  A.,  215,  216,  217 

Harvey,  Thomas,  244,  250,  288 

Haube,  The,  254 

Heckewelder,  John,  94,  156 

Herbst,  Robert,  ordination  of,  291, 
300 

Hermann,  Erik,  261,  305 

Hermsted,  Conrad,  261 

Herr,  Mrs.,  119 

Herrlich,  Mrs.  August,  324 

Herrnhut,  19,  93,  103,  181,  358 

Hidden  Seed,  the,  15 

Higgins,  William,  Senior,  285,  297, 
328,  335 

Higgins,  William,  Junior,  328,  335 

High  Prices  in  1782,  144 

History,  publication  of,  348 

Hoeber,  John  Matthew,  228 

Hoffmire,  Mrs.  Isabel,  231 

Holmes,  the  Rev.  John,  196 

Holy  Communion,  the,  first  celebra- 
tion in  Pennsylvania,  42;  in  New 
York,  77 

Home  Department,  the,  341 

Home  for  the  Friendless,  the,  chapel 
of,  rented,  278 

Home  Missionary  Society,  the,  com- 
mended by  Synod,  233;  contribu- 
tion of,  248;  organization  of,  255; 
in  New  York,  229,  230 

Home  Mission  Congregation,  a,  in- 
corporation of,  260;  organization 
of,  258;  first  trustees  of,  260;  list 
of  pastors  of,  261;  places  of  wor- 
ship of,  262 

Home  Mission  Work,  among  the  Ger- 
mans, 257;  in  early  New  York  City, 
49 

Honor  Roll,  the,  326,  327 

Hope,  The,  107,  108,  113 

Horsfield,  Timothy,  37,  45,  55,  63,  76, 
78,  81,  82 

Hourly  Intercession,  the,  79 


Houston  Street,  church  consecrated, 
244;  church  and  parsonage  sold, 
274,  284;  lots  purchased,  239 

Howard,  Miss  Marie,  325 

Howard,  the  Rev.  Jacob,  325 

Howden,  Arthur,  322 

Hume,  Elizabeth,  43,  67,  78 

Hus,  John,  9,  10 

Hymn-boards,  322 

Hymn-book,  the  first  in  hands  of 
people,  13 

Inauguration  of  Washington,  the, 
157flf. 

Incorporation  of  congregation,  the, 
177,  197 

Indians,  in  North  America,  24;  Chiefs 
visit  New  York,  198;  indemnified, 
154,  200;  Samuel  and  Mary  mar- 
ried, 60 

Individual  Communion  Cups,  see 
cormnunion  service 

Infantile  paralysis,  327 

Intensely  cold  weather,  141 

Intolerance  in  New  York,  33 

Irene,  The,  63,  73,  77,  93,  96,  105ff., 
114 

Inyard,  Elizabeth,  85 

Ishirpe,  missionary  in  Antigua,  186 

Italian  Mission,  the,  363 

Itinerant  Brethren,  21,  69 

I  vers  on,  Andrew  M.,  256 

Jablonsky,  Bishop  Daniel,  22 
Jacobsen,  Captain,  105,  113,  131,  143 
Jacobson,  Bishop  John  C,  251,  259, 

270,  286 
Jackson,  Joseph,  317,  332 
Jay   Street  Church,  the,   363.      See 

Brooklyn 
Johnson,  Axel,  327 
Joy,  The,  186 
Jupiter  a  Negro  boy,  36,  76 

Kaltenbrunn,  John  G.,  257,  258 
Kilburn,  Mrs.,  125,  129,  131 
King's  Daughters,  convention  of,  333, 
346;  entertain  Sunday  School,  306; 
first    circle    organized,    304;    first 
leader,  304;  gifts  for  Sunday  School 
room,  305;  present  baptismal  font, 
326;  present  silver  tray-cover,  328; 
room  of,  324;  testimonial  to  treas- 
urer, 329;  twenty-first  anniversary 
of  Circle,  323 
King's  Daughters  and  King's  Sons, 

the.  Loyal  Circle  of,  327,  339 
King's  Messengers,  the,  340 
Kingston,  John,  67,  76,  80,  82,  85, 

95,  98 
Kiss  of  Peace,  the,  103,  253,  255 
Kluge,  Charles  F.,  236,  237 
Kluge,  Edward  T.,  252,  270,  302-305; 
elected  Provincial  Elder,  305;  307 


I 


INDEX 


385 


Kluge,  Mre.  Edward  T.,  304,  335 
Klemm,  John  Gottlob,  103 
KnoU,  Herman  A.,  317,  323,  335 
Krause,  Miss  Sophia  Louisa,  224 
Kummer,  Joseph,  251,  252,  272,  276 
Kunze,  the  Rev.  John  C,  181,  190 

Laidlaw,  the  Rev.  Walter,  310 
Lancaster  System,  the,  204 
Landis,  Benson  Y.,  359 
Larger  Life  Foimdation,  the,  estab- 
lished,   347;    committee    of,    350; 

contribution   of   First   Church   to, 

351;  distribution  of,  348;  trustees 

of,  348 
Larger  Life  Movement,  birth  of,  341; 

committee  of,  342,  343 
La  Trobe,  Christian  Ignatius,  183 
Lectern,  the,  307 
Leibert,  Morris  W.,  261,  313-338,  340, 

353;  attends  General  Synod,  314; 

begins  pastorate,  313;  consecrated 

Bishop,     314;     health    fails,     333; 

memoir,  336-338;  passes  away,  335 
Leibert,  Mrs.  Morris  W.,  337,  339 
Leibert,  Frank  J.,  322,  340,  345,  353, 

358 
Leibert,  Kenneth,  327 
Le  Long,  Isaac,  40 
Lesley,  John,  101 
Levering,  Bishop  J.   Mortimer,  300, 

308 
Lexington   Avenue   Church   (Church 

of  the   Mediator),   first  Moravian 

service  in,  280;  purchase  of,  280 
Library  Table,  the.  324 
Lighting  the  city  (before  1761),  104 
Lineau,  Miss  EUnor,  359 
List  of  members,  in  1774,  116fiF.;  in 

1829,  218£I.;  in  1922,  375ff. 
List  of  pawtors  and  evangelista  in  the 

city,  371  ff. 
Little's  Cross  and  Crown  System,  333 
LxtOe  Strenuth,  T/i€,  68,  60,  63 
Liturgy,     Office     of     Worship     and 

Hymns,  the,  introduction  of,  321 
Lockwood,  Miss  Anna,  222 
Loehans,  Valentine,  53,  70 
Lot,  the  use  of,  148 
Love  fcaata,  78,  79,  111,  113,  136,  168, 

305 
Loyal  Circle  of  King's  Daughters  and 

King's  SoDB,  the,  327,  339 

Marley,  Daniel.  283 

Marriage,    first    Moravian    in    New 

York.  78 
Murschall,  the   Rev.    F'rederick  von, 

1U8.  135 
Martin.  Charles,  811,  312,  358 
Martin.  Frederick.  37.  69 
Marx,  Mrs.  Emiliuii.  248 
Maseucro  of  mi8siu&arie«,  100 


Maundy  Thtirsday  custom;  a,  104 
136,  180 

Meder,  the  Rev.  John,  190,  196 

Meetings,  types  of,  79 

Meisel,  Charles,  322,  354 

Meisel,  Charles  J.  W.,  354,  358 

Membership  List,  see  List  of  Mem- 
bers 

Memorial  Gifts,  alms-basins,  327; 
Bible  for  King's  Daughters,  324; 
Bishop  Leibert  tablet,  353;  book- 
case, 324;  brass  lectern,  307;  com- 
munion table,  307;  communion 
trays,  328;  hymn-boards,  322;  lec- 
tern Bible,  308;  library  table,  324; 
picture  of  Appian  Way,  324;  pul- 
pit, 315;  pulpit  Bible,  307;  silver 
tray-cover,  328 

Memorial  services.  170,  300,  301,  354 

Memorial  Science  Building,  the,  34i 

Memorial  to  Synod,  a,  264-268 

Memorial  Tablets,  to  little  Joseph 
Reed,  273;  to  Bishop  Leibert,  353 

Men  and  Religion  Movement,  the, 
322,  323 

Mercantile  Library  Building,  270 

Merrill  and  White,  240 

Merritt,  Miss,  283 

Messenger  of  Peace,  The,  282 

Midland  Beach,  363 

Mid-week  service,  315 

Miller,  Michael,  239 

Mimeograph,  Rotary,  343 

Ministers  in  New  York  (1755-1776), 
97;  list  of,  371ff. 

Missionaries,  advice  to,  184;  quali- 
fications of,  181 

Missionary  Intelligencer,  The,  first 
editor  of,  203;  officisJ  periodical, 
203 

Missionary  Meetings,  announced  in 
newpapers  first  time,  203;  attempt 
to  steal  offering,  210;  half-yearly, 
202 

Mbsionary  Organization,  the  oldest 
in  America,  160 

Missionary  prestige,  180 

Missionary  Superintendent,  the,  Sun- 
day School,  341 

Mission  work  in  New  York,  aban- 
doned, 62;  character  of,  52 

Mochring.  John  Frederick,  150,  188fr.; 
196 

Moeller,  John,  359 

Moench,  Bi^ihop  Charles  L.,  334,  33d, 
339 

Mohican  Indiana,  missionary  among, 
40 

Molther,  John.  199,  201  ,.       ._^ 

Montague,  Jacobua,  65,  68.  78         ^^  '^  ^^^' 

Montgomery,  Jamca,  oispute  about, 
294,  295 

Moody  and  Sankey  meetings.  291 

Moravian  cbap«l,  a  refuge,  12V 


386 


INDEX 


Moravian  City  Union,  the,  beginning 

of,  329-332 
Moravian    College    and    Theological 

Seminary,  the,  199 
Moravian  Customs,  103ff. 
Moravian  Hymnology,  a  reference  to, 

294 
Moravian  pioneers,  31 
Moravians  stoned,  55 
Mortimer,  the   Rev.  Benjamin,    169, 

188,  200-225;  death  of,  231 
Mortimer,  Miss  Charlotte,  206 
Mothers'  Day  celebration,  346 
Mourning  attire,  81 
Moving-picture,  a,  356 

Name  of  the  Church,  the,  9 
Nazareth  congregation,  the,  aid  given 

by,  186 
Nazareth  Hall,  164,  233 
Near  East  ReUef,  356 
NedweU,  David  B.,  292,  297 
NedweU,   Mrs.   David  B.,  281,  297, 

344   359 
NedweU,  William,  St.,  293 
NedweU,  Mrs.  WUUam,  Sr.,  293 
NedweU,  Miss  Elizabeth,  335 
NedweU,  Miss  Harriet,  292,  359 
Neef,  Gotthold,  261 
Neisser,  the  Rev.  George,  52,  62,  70, 

97,  110,  113,  118 
New  Dorp,  109,  351,  361,  363 
New  Dorp  Cemetery,  the,  288 
New  Haven,  Conn.,  363 
Newport,  R.  I.,  102 
Newspaper  advertisement,  203,  215, 

241,  306,  313,  357 
New  Vytrick,  151 
New  Year  CaUs.  212-213 
New  York  City,  first  Moravian  con- 
vert   in,    28;    Moravian   pioneers, 

31ff. 
Nineteenth  Century,  dawn  of,  188 
Nitschmann,  Bishop  David,  23,  26, 

36,  44,  60,  93 
Nitschmann,  Martin,  101 
Nitzschke,   Frederick   R.,   325, 

334,  336,  362 
Nixon,  Wmiam,  80,  84,  85,  123 
Noble,  Isaac,  the  murder  of,  140 
Noble,  Thomas,  36,  38,  39,  40,  43, 

45,  60,  57,  65,  66,  68,  76,  78 
Noble,  Mrs.  Thomas,  death  of,  64 

OberUn,  John  Francis,  142 
Oerter,  Bishop  Edmund  A.,  311 
Oglethorpe,  James,  71 
Okey,  Elizabeth,  76 
Olson,  Henry,  327,  340 
Opposition,  20,  38,  54 
Orbel,  August,  323 
Ordained  ministry,  an,  necessity  of, 
22 


Order  of  the  Grain  of  Mustard  Seed, 
the,  17,  71 

Ordination,  the  first  in  English  col- 
onies, 25;  in  New  York  City,  53 

Orphanage  proposed,  an,  306,  307 

Ostermayer,  William,  314 

Papists,  false  charges,  47,  59 

Par  ant,  CorneUus,  37 

Parliament,  British,  Church  recog- 
nized by,  74,  77 

Parsonage  first,  82,  84;  comman- 
deered, 132;  second,  209,  214; 
sold,  243;  third.  244,  245,  274; 
purchase  of,  290.  See  Pastor's 
residence 

Partsch,  George,  101 

Passion  Week  L«aflets,  the,  prepara- 
tion of,  329 

Pastors  and  evangeUsts  in  the  city, 
Ust  of,  371fF. 

Pastor's  residence,  the,  276,  277,  279, 
280,  285,  303,  305,  312,  313,  314, 
335,  340,  347 

Pastor's  salary  in  1775,  121 

Paulus  Hook  (Jersey  Qty),  126,  128, 
139 

Payne,  Jasper,  81,  86,  88,  90,  95,  97 

Pearson,  WiUiam,  85,  96,  99 

Pedelavium,  104 

Peisert,  Christian,  156 

PeU,  Deborah,  68 

PeU,  Esther,  85 

PeU,  Hester,  82 

PeU,  Mary,  68,  85 

PeU,  Samuel,  85,  95 

I*eUs,  Samuel,  37,  131 

Perine,  James,  168 

Perine,  Peter,  109 

Persecution,  12flf.;  act  of,  60ff. 

Peter,  Christopher  Godfrey,  165-188; 
begins  pastorate,  165;  conducts 
a  school,  168;  death  of,  170;  visits 
murderer,  167;  widow  goes  to  Beth> 
lehem,  188 

Petquotting  on  Lake  Erie,  162 

Philadelphia,  Moravians  arrive  in,  24; 
sends  help  to  metropolis,  185 

Pickering,  Mrs.  Hugh,  308,  359 

Piesch,  George,  49 

Pilgrim  Congregation,  69 

Pinckert,  Adolph,  260,  271 

Pioneer  Home  missionary,  255 

Points  of  Interest,  367£E. 

Pontenier,  Ehzabeth  Susanna,  84 

Port  Richmond,  63 

Post,  Frederick,  65£F. 

Poth,  H.  G.,  323 

Praeger,  John  G.,  259 

Prayer-bands  in  New  York,  79 

Presser,  Martin,  101 

Primary  Department,  the,  orgaluca- 
tion  of,  341 

Prince,  Robert,  244.  248,  249,  250 


INDEX 


387 


Prince,  William,  236 

Prisons  and  Prisoners,  129-131ff. 

Provincial   Elders'   Conference,    the, 

beginning  of,  268 
Provost,  Bishop,  190 
Pulpit,  the,  315 
Puntinier,  Martha,  85 
Purysburg,  27  i 

Putnam,  General,  126 
PyrlfiBUB.the  Rev.  John  C,  78 

Qualifications  for  missionaries,  183 
Queen  Elizabeth's  creed,  90 

"Ratio  Disciplinoe,"  19 

Rauch,  Christian  Henry,  38,  40,  56, 
69 

Reed,  Jacob,  78,  82,  85 

Reed,  Mrs.  Jacob,  85,  192 

Reed,  Joseph,  273 

"Reformers  before  the  Reformation," 
13 

Regnier,  John,  35 

Reichel,  Bishop  John  Frederick,  135, 
142 

Reichel,  Charles  Gotthold,  163,  191 

Reichel,  Edward  H.,  255 

Reinke,  Bishop  Amadeus  A.,  253- 
270;  becomes  pastor,  276;  birthday 
celebration,  278;  burial  of,  299; 
chosen  Pro\'incial  Elder,  297;  con- 
secrated a  bishop.  285;  delegate  to 
General  Synod.  285;  last  words  of, 
298-299;  memoir  of.  301-302;  me- 
morial service  of,  300.  302 

Reinke,  Mrs.  Amadeus  A.,  289,  296, 
297 

Reinke,  Abraham,  62.  87.  90 

Reinke.  Edwin  E..  252.  272.  276 

Reinke,  Sarah  Elizabeth.  281.  292 

Religious  meetings,  character  of.  67 

Renewed  Church,  the.  bi-centenary  of 
renewal,  342;  birth  of,  20;  fully 
organized,  23 

Reuse,  Countess  Erdmuth  Dorothea, 
17 

Rice.  Owen,  70,  77.  78.  82.  84.  87 

Rice,  William  Henry.  253,  261,  296. 
300,  362 

Rogers.  Jacob.  70.  83.  97 

Rokyzan.  John.  10 

Romig.  Clarence.  253,  363 

Rommel.  P.  F..  260 

Rondthaler,  Edward.  252.  253,  285 

Hondthaler.  Emanuel,  244 

Ronner.  Minn  Elizabeth,  106 

Rose.  Mm.  Edmund  B  .  329.  359 

Rothc,  John  Andrew,  18 

Rule  of  faith  and  practice,  12 

Rules  and  rcgulationB.  printing  of, 
225.  272 

RuBsmryer.  Albrerbt  Ludoli,  96,  145, 
150 

Rutherford,  C»pt«iQ,  65 


Sabine,  William  T.,  279.  300 

Sacred  Music  Society,  the,  232 

Samuel  and  Mary,  60 

Sarepta  fire.  the.  207 

Savannah.  Moravian  colony  in,  25; 
congregation  in,  disbands,  27 

Schnudt,  Walter.  327 
-Schools,  13,  95,  199,  345 

Schoute,  Andrew,  105 

Schropp,  John,  186 

Schuhus,  George,  27 

Schultze,  Prof.  Augustus,  286 

Schuyler,  Direk,  82,  85 

Schweigert,  George.  101 

Schweinitz,  Christian  Frederick  dc, 
142 

Schweinitz,  Edmund  de,  268 

Schweinitz,  Hans  Christian  von,  163 

Schweinitz,  John  Christian  Alexander 
de,  135 

Schweinitz,  Louis  David  de,  217,  218 

Schweinitz.  Paul  de.  325,  336,  358 

Schwenkf elders,  24,  103 

Science  Building,  the,  346 

Scripture  mottoes,  285 

Sea  Congregation,  the.  first,  49;  sec- 
ond, 58ff.;  third,  73,  77 

Sea  Nymph,  The,  87 

Sea-water  purchased.  187 

Seal  of  the  congregation,  the.  choos- 
ing of.  194 

Second  Moravian  Church,  the.  see 
Home  Mission  Work  in  City 

Second  River.  123 

Second  Sea  Congregation,  the,  58ff. 

Seidel,  Bishop  Nathaniel,  108 

Seiffert,  Anton,  ordination  of,  25 

Seneff,  George,  114.  123 

Senseman,  Edwin  T.,  260,  269,  270, 
271,  272 

Senseman,  Joachim.  59.  101 

Sermon,  preaching  of  the  first  Mora- 
vian. 43 

Service  Flag,  the,  332 

Sesqui-centennial.  the.  307 

Sharit.  Frances,  228 

Shaw.  Joseph.  59 

Shekomeko.  40,  59.  62 

Sbowkirk.  Oswald  Gustav,  97,  llSff.. 
127.  130.  131.  133.  130.  139.  140, 
143 

Shultz.  the  Rev.  Cliarlcs  B  .  346 

Shultz,  Mrs.  Charles  B  .  death  of.  346 

8hult»,  Paul  T.,  312,  333,  330.  347, 
358 

Sitkovius,  Bishop  Christian.  22 

Slow  rhurrh  Kruwth,  explanntion  of, 
140ff. 

Smith.  Mrs.  W    A.,  H.W 

Society  lor  rronioting  Christian 
KnowhnlKe  and  I'ioty,  the.  orgaui- 
Batiou  of,  175 

Society  for  Propagating  the  Go«pel. 
156,  150.  197 


388 


INDEX 


Sondermann,  Theodore,  261 
Spangenberg,  Auguatua  Gottlieb,  22, 
25,  26,  36,  62,  69,  82,  88,  94,  104, 
108 
Sperbaoh,  Miss  Hannah,  106 
Spiritual  Birthday  of  the   Renewed 

Brethren's  Church,  the,  20 
Spiritual  leaders  of  the  Undenomina- 
tional Society,  43 
Stahlschmidt,  William,  327 
Stanford,  the  Rev.  John,  169,  170, 

171,  180 
Stapleton  Church,  the,  346,  347,  363 
Staten  Island,  work  on,  108, 191, 196, 

361,  363 
Stephen,  Bishop,  12 
Stephens,  AUen  W.,  340,  344,  345, 

347,  353,  358,  359 
Stereopticon,  a,  purchasing  of,  349 
Stillwell,  Richard,  61 
Stocker,  Harry  E.,  339,  343,  353 
Stocker,  Mrs.  Harry  E.,  341,  344,  359 
Stocker,  Arthur  Frederick,  340 
Strangers'  Friendly  Society,  the,  229 
Sturges,  Joseph,  101 
Subsidiary  services,  238 
Success  of  Moravians,  361 
Succession,  the  Episcopal,  12 
Sunday  Evening  service,   284,  303, 

306 
Sunday  School,  205,  222,  272,  274, 

275,  277,  278,  284,  303,  304,  327 
Sunday  School  Association,  the,  341 
Sunday  School  Rally,  the  first,  343 
Sunday    School    Room,    Chickering 
piano  purchased  for,  356;  hardwood 
floor   laid,   356;   refurnished,   305; 
renovated,  324 
Simday  School   Union,   the   N.   Y., 

222,  223 
Sunday,  William,  evangelistic  cam- 
paign of,  329 
Support  of  Home  missionaries,  52 
Sustentation  Fimd,  the,  increase  of, 

314 
Sykea,  Philip,  194 
Symerson,  Bemhard,  194,  196 
Syrian  Relief,  344 

Tablet,  memorial,  273;  on  the  church- 
front,  first,  303;  second,  304;  words 
"Protestant  Episcopal"  added,  314; 
unveiling  of  memorial,  353 

Tenbrook,  Henry,  171,  177,  179,  187, 
190,  194,  205,  224 

Tennent,  Gilbert,  37,  54ff. 

Text  Book,  the  Moravian,  origin  of, 
44 

The  Moravian,  beginning  of,  268;  Dr. 
Gerdsen,  editor,  312;  first  editor, 
268;  Senseman  editor,  271 

ThirdfMoravian  Church,  the,  309- 
312,  321 
ird  Sea  Congregation,  the,  73,  77 


Thomas,  Robert,  drafting  of,  126 
Thorpe,  the  Rev.  Edward,  150 
Tiebout,  Cornells ,  82,  92,  108 
Trautwein,  Miss  Louise,  324 
Trafford,  Frederick  T.,  311,  312,  336, 

346 
Trombone  players,   visit   of   Bethle- 
hem, 83 
Trustees,  Board  of,  339;  fines  of,  203; 
in  1845,  245;  of  first  church,  elec- 
tion of,  177 
Tschoop,  41 

Tweedie,  Miss  Mina,  348 
Tyng,  the  Rev.  Stephen  H.,  Jr.,  279, 
280 

Ulster  Coimty,  proposed  settlement 
in,  92 

Undenominational  Society,  the,  42, 
69 

"Union  Church  of  the  Testimony  of 
Jesus"  261 

Unitas  Fratrum,  the,  official  title,  9; 
raembers  called  Brethren  or  Mora- 
vians, 9 

Unity's  Elders'  Conference,  the,  114, 
147 

Unmarried  women,  list  of,  86 

Utica,  N.  Y.,  363 

Utley,  Richard,  70,  96,  97 

Vacation  Bible  School,  the  Daily,  357 

Vanderbilt,  Anna,  76 

Vanderbilt,  Cornelius,  108,  109,  286, 
287 

Vanderbilt,  Jacobus,  63,  85,  108,  136 

Vanderbilt,  Jean,  63 

Vanderbilt,  Jacobus,  Jr.,  63,  85 

Vanderbilt,  Nieltje,  85,  86 

Vanderbilt,  William  H.,  296 

Van  Deusen,  Jan,  85 

Van  Deusen,  Trijutje,  85 

Van  Deiisen,  Peter,  95 

Van  Deventer,  Cornelius,  108,  109 

Van  Deventer,  John,  63,  85 

Van  Dyck,  Rudolphus,  82 

Van  Dyck,  Matje,  85 

Van  Pelt,  37,  55 

Van  Vleck,  Abraham,  126 

Van  Vleck,  Catherine,  82,  86 

Van  Vleck,  Charles,  215 

Van  Vleck  Hendrick,  36,  68,  76,  80, 
82,  85,  98,  107,  109,  113,  137 

Van  Vleck,  Henry  J.,  68 

Van  Vleck,  Isaac,  129 

Van  Vleck,  Jacob,  68,  135,  136,  197, 
226,  363 

Van  Vleck,  Jane  (Mrs.  Hendrick),  76 

Van  Vleck,  PoUy,  death  of,  188 

Van  Vleck,  J.  Taylor,  68 

Van  Vleck,  William  Henry,  appointed 
pastor,  209;  begins  pastorate,  214; 
first  editor.  The  Missionary  Intel- 
ligencer, 203;  references,  221,  222, 


INDEX 


389 


223,  225,  226,  228,  229.  230.  231, 

236,  257 
Venema,  Peter,  37 
Vetter,  Jacob,  70 
"Viertel  Stunden,"  78 
Vogler,  William  H.,  292,  300,  339,  362 
Voting  of  Women,  the  first,  264 
Vouillaire,  Bishop  R.,  315 

Wade,  John,  70,  74 

Waldron,  Daniel,  84 

Waldron,  Jane,  68 

Waldron,  Mrs.  Hilah.  125.  129 

Waldron,  Richard,  37,  48 

Waldron.  Sarah,  85 

Warman,  John  F.,  248.  249,  250 

Wasamapah,  40 

Washington,  George,  inaugurated 
President,  158;  letters  of,  to  the 
Moravians,  160,  161,  163,  164; 
viflita  Bethlehem,  159;  welcomed  in 
New  York  City,  122,  158ff. 

Washington  Square,  potter's  field, 
188 

Watch  at  the  door.  80 

Watteville,  Anna  Dorothea  de,  135 

Watteville,  Bishop  John  de.  74,  76.  77 

Weber.  Christian  A.,  347 

Weinland,  William  H..  292.  293 

Wendower,  Hercules,  55,  78 

Wendower.  Mary.  28.  43.  45.  47.  50. 
66.  68 

Wertz.  Mrs.  Christina.  344 

Wesley.  John  and  Charlea.  25 

WeeaeLs.  Catherine.  117 

Weesels,  Elizabeth,  117 

Weasels.  Emily  Elizabeth  Rice,  me- 
morial of.  315 

Wessels  Family,  gifts  of.  307,  315 

WcBselfl.  Gerhard,  307 

Weesels.  Richard.  118 

Whipping  in  school.  95 

White.  Harry,  353.  358 

White.  Mrs.  Harry,  341.  359 


Whitefield.  George.  28EF..  57.  89 

Whitefield  House,  the,  29 

Wichelhausen,  Mrs..  247 

Widows,  list  of,  86 

Wilson.  Abraham,  177 

Wilson,  Hilah,  192 

Wilson,  John,  arrest  of,  127 

WoUe,  Edward  S.,  253,  261,  270.  292. 

296.  326.  329.  334.  335.  336,  353. 

358 
Woile.  Bishop  Peter.  217.  244,  286. 

301 
Worbas,  Peter.  101 

Yarrell,  Miss  Anna,  142 

Yarrell,  the   Rev.  Thomas,  97,   102, 

105,  109,  110 
Yellow  Fever,  epidemic  of,  185,  188ff. . 

196fF..  206 
Yost,  Miss  Carrie.  292 
Yost.  Fernando.  324 
Yost.  Mrs.  Mary.  324 
Young.  John,  167 
Young  Ladies'  Seminary,  the.  164 
Young   People's   Hope   Society,   the, 

284 
Young  People's  Society,  the.  308.  309. 

313.  314 

Zeisberger.  David.  65ff..  93.  99£f..  141. 

163 
Zinzendorf.  Count  Nicholas  von.  16fT.. 

20.  21.  38fT..  44.  52.  69.  71.  79.  103 
Zoebisch.  Alfred  T.,  352.  358 
Zoebiach.  Carl  H..  352.  358 
Zoebisch,  Charles  Augustus,  273,  276, 

277,  296;  death  of,  317;   memoir, 

318-321 
Zoebisch.  Mrs.  Charles  A.,  death  of. 

304 
Zoebisch.  Clemence  T.,  317;  death  of, 

352 
Zoeller.  Widow.  131 
Zora,  the  Rev.  Jacob.  235 


^>