BEING ASIMPLE ACCOUNT OF THE UFE ANDTIMEOF THE rev: JACOB ALBRIGHT REV. A.STAPLETON,A.M^.SJDlD. [ Digitized by the Internet Arcliive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/wonderfulstoryofOOstap THE REV. JACOB ALBRIGHT. {Founder of the Evangelical Association.) A WONDERFUL STORY OF Old Time Evangelical Evangelism BEING a simple ACCOUNT of the LIFE AND TIME OF The Rev. Jacob Albright FOUNDER OF THE EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION WITH THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND ANTECEDENTS ALSO A BIOGRAPHICAL SUPPLEMENT EMBRACING BRIEF BIOGRAPHIES OF ALBRIGHT'S COLLEAGUES AND COWORKERS, AND HIS CHIEF CONTEMPORARY EVANGELISTS By REV. A. STAPLETON, A.M., M.S., D.D. Member of the Pennsylvania Historical Society, and the Pennsylvania German Society. Author of "Natural History of the Bible,'* "Evangelical Annals/' "Memorials of the Huguenots," "Flashlights on Evangelical History,** "The Henkel Memorial,** &c., &c. "Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will show thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee' ' Deut. 32: 7. Harrisburg, Pa. Publishing House of the United Evangelical Church 1917 Copyright, 1918, PuBUSHiNG House of United Evangelical Church, Harrisburg, Pa. Introduction. THIS "Wonderful Story" is Dr. Stapleton's last contribution to the historical records of the Church that he loved and served so faithfully, and it is the only one of his works whose publication was deferred until after his sudden and lamented death. Having been obliged to edit this work since the departure of the Author, and therefore unable to consult with him about it, I have deemed it best to leave unchanged, for the most part, the form and order and arrangement of the great mass of valuable material so industriously gathered and sifted by him, realizing, as I did, that the nature of the treatment involved unavoidable repetitions in some parts of the story. The title of this book is not a misnomer. It is indeed a "won- derful story" which it tells — a story of heroic human devotion, self-sacrifice and triumph in the service of Christ, and of Divine grace and guidance and power in the establishment of His work among men. And it is indeed a beautiful illustration of the ways of Divine Providence in choosing "the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to con- found the things which are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are despised, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are : that no flesh should glory in his presence." (i Cor. 1:26-2^.) This is a book for the preachers, a book for the people — "the common people" — a live coal to fire the heart and touch the lips. Did not my heart burn within me, as I passed over the pages of the manuscript, pen in hand, again and again, to prepare it for the compositors. That it may serve as a timely reminder, a burn- ing exhortation, and a holy inspiration to the pastors and people of the United Evangelical Church and the Evangelical Associa- tion, especially, is my ardent prayer and hope, as I am sure this was, and is, also the desire of my departed friend and brother be- loved, the author of the book, who is now enjoying the high and 3 4 A WONDERFUL STORY. holy fellowship of Albright and his co-laborers in the Heavenly Home. God of our fathers whom, long years ago, Thou didst call forth to walk and work with Thee, We pray Thee bless this Story of Thy grace, Of works wrought through Thy servants by Thy power, That, being dead, they still may loudly speak To us, their children of the later days, That we their faith may follow, as we reap The ripening harvests of their toils and tears. H. B. HarTzIvEr. Harrisburg, Pa., September i, 1917. Author's Preface. AT the General Conference of the United Evangelical Church, held at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the year 1906, a resolution was adopted requesting the writer to prepare a brief history of Jacob Albright. This volume is the author's response to the re- quest of the General Conference. While the work of its prepara- tion has been congenial and pleasant, it has also been very diffi- cult, chiefly on account of the scanty data relating to the personal life and work of its revered subject. From the fact that Al- bright was very methodical in his life and work, and that he strictly enjoined his ministerial associates to keep a journal, we conclude that he himself also kept one which, unfortunately, has been lost to the Church, The first biographer of Albright was his immediate successor, Rev. George Miller, who in 1814 published a brief memoir, of which however not a single copy is now known to exist. This memoir, in connection with that of Miller, was republished by the Church in 1834,^ and these again in connection with memoirs of Walter and Dreisbach added, in 1879.^ In his memoir of Albright, his biographer (Miller) gives as an extract, in the first person, an extensive account of Albright's conversion, experiences, and call to the ministry, which, because of its character and literary style differing from that of Miller, leads us to the belief that the latter had access to his journal. The period of Albright's evangelistic activity was character- ized by religious unrest in Pennsylvania, especially among the Germans. That there was a general and deeply felt need of a better spiritual life in the churches, is evinced by the successful work of the Methodists, who were English, and also that of the Reformed evangelists, Otterbein, Pfrimmer, Gueting, Ettinger, Houtz, and others, and which eventuated in the formation of the United Brethren Church. 1 "Albrecht und Miller," a 321110 book of 176 pages. 2 "Albright and Co-L,aborers," 121110, 335 pages. 5 6 A WONDERFUL STORY. We have treated these movements and Albright's relation to them in such a manner, that the discerning reader will see the reason for the separate and distinctive work of Albright, and also to show the growth of the denominational spirit that eventu- ated in the formation of the Evangelical Association. The purely literary reader may find it difficult to understand why there is such a studied reference to persons and localities in this work. The explanation lies in the fact that Albright was not only an evangelist and reformer, but also the founder of a church. Except in a few instances, he had no churches iri which to preach, and it became necessary to secure large rooms in private dwellings, as also barns and orchards, in which to preach. The men who thus received him and welcomed his ministry became, for the most part, pillars in the Evangelical Church. Some of them became ministers, while many have had an un- broken line of ministerial representatives from that beginning of the Church until now. Moreover, many of those homes, or the localities in which they were, became the seat of classes or church organizations. The devout student of history will find in many of these references seemingly irrelevant, but very remarkable instances of Divine providence. While previous works by the present writer, as well as others, have been freely made use of in the preparation of this volume, and although over a century has passed since Albright died, yet we feel confident that the Evangelical Church will find in this work a sufficient amount of new material, and a re-setting of known facts, to fully justify the call of the General Conference for the preparation of the volume. A. STAPI.ETON. Jersey Shore, Pa., ipij. Contents. Introduction, 3 Author's Pre;fack, 5 Sketch of Dr. Stapleton, ii Chapter I. The Pennsyi^vania Germans, 13 Chapter II . Early Life oe Albright, 23 Chapter III. Albright's Work in Relation to Prot- estant Faith and Evangelism, .... 36 Chapter IV. Albright in Relation to the Method- ists AND United Brethren, 45 Chapter V. The First Sowing, 52 Chapter VI. The Widening Field, 65 Chapter VII. Gathering the Harvest, 78 Chapter VIII. Ecclesiastical Organization, 92 Chapter IX. Denominational Development, 100 Chapter X. Last Days oe Albright, 108 Chapter XI. In Perils Oft, 115 Chapter XII. Biographical Supplement, 122 7 Illustrations. Page. The Rev. Jacob Ai^bright, Frontispiece The Old Court House, "Yorktown/' Where the Con- tinental Congress Held Its Sessions, 4 AiyBRiGHT Farm, 23 Present Appearance (1917) oE "Old St. Elias" Church, at Mifflinburg, Pa., in which Albright and Coworkers Frequently Preached, 65 J. Dreisbach, 78 House Where First Conference Was Held, 1807, ... 92 Photographic Reproduction of Title Page of the First Evangelical Discipline, 95 Site and Farm Where Albright Died, 108 Tombstone of Jacob Albright, no A ''Saddle-Bags Man," 115 Facsimile of License as a Minister on Probation Granted to John Dreisbach, 122 Rev. Henry Niebel, 135 Rev. a. Ettinger, 142 9 Portrait of Jacob Albright. The following explanator}^ statement from Dr. Stapleton, written at Jersey Shore, Pa., September 25, 191 3, accompanied the portrait on the opposite page : ''This picture was executed in water color about the year 1806 or 1807, by Louis Miller, a local amateur artist of York, Pa. Miller's chief work was the execution of a portfolio of celebrities and buildings of York. Mr. Miller, when an old man, was cared for by the Small family, of York, and at his death the portfolio came into their possession, and a later generation presented it to the York County Historical Society. There the author of this volume discovered the picture of Albright and had it photo- graphed. "The pictures painted by Miller are held to be good, and have been made use of in the various histories of York, especially by the author of the 'Spangler Annals.' "In the picture of Albright there seems to be a defect in the contour of the mouth, produced by the running of color, which gives it undue length of 'cut.' The eyes, too, seem blurred. Plence an entirely new picture has been drawn by a noted artist, taking the Miller picture as a basis, and the picture herewith printed is the result." (See Frontispiece.) Sketch of Rev. A. Stapleton, M. S., A. M., D. D., Author of this Book. BY REV. A. D. GRAMLEY, B. D. DR. AMMON STAPLETON was born at Oley, Berks County, Pennsylvania, January 15, 1850. In his early days his parents moved to Union County where he spent the greater part of his youth at Lewisburg and New Berlin, Pa. He was converted in the first church of the Evangelical Association while a student at Union Seminary at New Berlin, Pa., in 1871. He was licensed to preach the gospel by the Central Pa. Conference at York, Pa., Bishop J. J. Esher, chairman, and I. M. Pines, secretary. He was ordained deacon at New Berlin, 1875, Bishop J. J. Esher presiding. He received his Elder's orders from the hands of Bishop R. Yeakel at Williamsport in 1877. At the age of fourteen he enlisted in the Union Army and served in the Civil War frorr^ 1864 to its close, having witnessed the great battle of Gettysburg. He received his fundamental training in the public schools of his county and at Union Semi- nary. He continued his studies all through his busy ministerial life. In early manhood he began to specialize in particular branches of learning. He first turned his attention to Biology and Geology and acquired quite a large and valuable collection of fossils and minerals. These are now an appreciated asset to the Albright College Museum. Later he turned his attention to history and became quite an investigator and genealogist. He was encyclopedic in his knowledge of historical data. He was naturally inclined to stir smouldering embers into lambent flames and swing a torch, not so easily to be extinguished, into every nook and corner of early Evangelical history. As a historian he had no peer in the Church and his literary genius found fruitage in such works as "Evangelical Annals," "Flashlights of Evangelical History," "Life and Times of Jacob Albright," "Memorial of the Huguenots," "Heroines of the Revo- lution," "Natural History of the Bible," and "The Marvelous Story of Selin, the Algerine Castaway." II 12 A WONDERFUL STORY. Dr. Stapleton was one of the best informed men in the United Evangelical Church, and outside of his denomination he was recognized as a scholar and writer. Central Pennsylvania Col- lege conferred upon him the degree of M.S. and A.M. in 1888 and 1896 respectively. About ten years ago Ur sinus College, an institution of the Reformed Church, conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity as a mark of respect to his ability. He served with acceptability a number of important appoint- ments in the Central Pa. Conference. He served eight years as presiding elder, and seven years as secretary of his conference, and represented his conference a number of times at the General Conference as an influential delegate. His sudden death on the night of September 17-18, 19 16, was a shock to a host of interested friends. He was pastor of St. Paul's United Evangelical Church, Williamsport, Pa., at the time of his departure. One needs but look over the official roster to note his prominence. He was president of the Educational Aid, Bible Conference Society, Deaconess Board of his Conference, and trustee of Albright College, and the Evangelical Home, a life member of the German Historical Society and the corre- sponding secretary of the Evangelical Historical Society as well as president of the Joint Centennial Committee which had in charge the programmatical arrangements for the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the building of the first Evan- gelical church, and he, more than any other person, contributed to the historic interest and success! of the celebration. In disposition he was approachable, in geniality balmy, in de- meanor courteous, in debate fair, in argumentation astute, in diplomacy judicious, in discrimination sagacious, in committee meetings thoughtful, in conference commanding, in study dili- gent, in labors unwearied, in recital fascinating, in disputation acute, in description graphic, in portrayal vivid, in speech fluent, and in address oratorical. "Servant of God, well done; Rest from thy loved employ; The battle fought, the victory won. Enter thy Master's joy." CHAPTER I. The Pennsylvania Germans. Albright one of the "Pennsylvania Germans" — His work confined to them — JVho they were — Causes of their emigration — The Thirty Years' War — Devastation of the Palatinate — Religious persecution of the Pietists — A "Joshua" appears — Migration to New York — Deiiected to Pennsyl- vania — Large bodies of exiles — Large number of the immigrants — First ministers exiles — Great scarcity of ministers — Muhlenberg and Schlatter organize the Lutheran and Reformed Synods — Great religious declension — Leaven of Pietism remains. REV. JACOB ALBRIGHT was born, reared, and educated a German, preached in the German language, and for more than a quarter of a century had no EngHsh preacher in the de- nomination he founded.^ His followers also were Germans, and evangelistic work among the English was discouraged, for rea- sons which will appear later. These Germans, however, were not Eluropean, but so-called "Pennsylvania Germans," whose fore- fathers had fled from the European Fatherland on account of war, religious persecution, and civil oppression. Instead of ''High" German, they spoke the soft and beautiful dialect of the Palatinate or Rhine provinces, from whence their fathers had come. Since the founder of ''The Evangelical Association of North America," as well as his immediate coworker confined their evangelistic labors to the Pennsylvania Germans, a brief ac- count of their origin will enable the reader to have a more com- t)rehensive understanding of the Life and Times of Albright as presented in this volume, for the work they inaugurated in its distinctive mission retained its original features over half a cen- tury.2 1 James Hamilton was the first English preacher granted license, in 1825. Rev. John Conrad Reisner was the first European German licensed, in 1822. 2 General Conference of 1843. See "Evangelical Annals," p. 269. 13 14 A WONDERFUL STORY. The emigration of tens of thousands of Germans to William Penn's English province, within a period of a few decades, and the causes that led thereto, have in recent years been fruitful subjects of historical investigation. This emigration at a certain stage assumed the proportions of an exodus when, in the winter of 1709-10, over thirty thousand people were precipitated upon the shores of England within a few months, most of whom had fled from the Rhine provinces, penniless and destitute.^ The British authorities were taxed to their utmost to care for this mass of humanity. Great camps were constructed for them by the government on the outskirts of London, and active prepara- tions were made to transport them to various colonies of the British realm. After the initial wave had spent itself the migration continued in a^ steady stream, mostly by way of Rotterdam, direct to Phila- delphia, until the outbreak of the French and Indian War in 1755. While the great mass of them remained in Pennsylvania, large numbers also went to Western Maryland, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and southward as far as the forks of the Yadkin in North Carolina. Already in the Colonial period they constituted the majority of the inhabitants of the counties of Berks, Lancaster, York, and Lehigh, in Pennsylvania. In many sections of the Province the German language was almost ex- clusively used in the home, school, church, .and place of business, and to a certain extent even in the courts of justice. Many wills and other documents of the old Germans were written and also recorded in that language. An estimate may be formed of the large number of Germans who found a congenial asylum here from the following facts: In 1727 the number in the Province was given at twenty thousand. In that year the authorities be- came alarmed because of the great number coming, and pre- scribed an oath of allegiance which was administered to all male adults upon arrival. From this date the lists were preserved and the arrivals are known, numbering twenty-four thousand from 1727 to 1749, and nearly thirty-two thousand from that date to the outbreak of the French and Indian War which stopped the 3 For full account of this German Exodus, see publications of "The Pennsylvania German Society," Vols. V to X. THE PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS. 15 influx. From the close of that war and the outbreak of the Revolution some ten thousand more immigrants arrived, and if to all this multitude we add the natural increase of the earlier arrivals, the reader can form a good idea of ''the German Nation" in Pennsylvania. The causes which led to this great immigration were many, each sufficiently distressing in itself to have led to it. Narrowed down, however, we find the chief causes to have been the desolation of war and civil and religious persecution. The soil of the Palatinate drank more human blood in modern times than any other section of equal size on earth. For several centuries the Rhine Valley was the battle ground of Europe. It was the chief theatre of the ''Thirty Years' War" (1618-1648), which was the great struggle between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, involving nearly all the powers of Europe, and terminated by the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. By this treaty the Catholic powers were forced to concede the rights of the Protestant religion. The price paid by the Protestants for the free exercise of re- ligion was the most stupendous ever paid by mankind. The ap- palling loss of Germany alone, as the result of this war and the horrible famines that followed, may be estimated from the fact that the population was reduced from seventeen millions to four millions of souls.* All the large cities of the Palatinate were repeatedly taken by storm by one or' the other of the contestants, and several cities were burned to the ground. That the reader may have an idea of the appalling calamity that befell our Palatine forefathers we will have a contemporary account of what was suffered by Phillipsburgh, which is only one of many similar tragic experiences.^ "The city of Phillipsburgh, reckoned the first in the Palatinate, has been taken six times, namely, in 1633 by the Imperialists ; the year after by the Swedes ; and in 1636 again by the Imperialists ; in 1644 by the Duke d' Enghien, afterwards Prince of Conde; by the Germans in 1676, and by the Dauphine on his birthday, the first of November, 1688, but was restored to the Empire by the Treaty of Ryswick 4 Vide "History of the Reformed Church in Germany," by Dr. J. Good, p. 127. 5 Preface to the Heidelberg Catechism, 1709. i6 A WONDERFUL STORY. in 1697." The Treaty of Westphalia (1648), which closed "The Thirty Years' War," was hardly more than a truce. After the withdrawal of the contending armies the sovereigns of the Pala- tine states, by remitting the taxes for several years and other- wise encouraging the people, induced them to rebuild anew the waste places of the Fatherland. Their respite from the horrors of war, however, was very brief. In 1685, Louis XIV of France, instigated by his bigoted Catholic advisors, revoked ''the Edict of Nantes" by which Henry IV, in 1598, had granted religious freedom to his Prot- estant (Huguenot) subjects. This cruel act of the king is the darkest blot in the history of France and evoked a protest from nearly every Protestant country of Europe. Confiscation of property, banishment, and even death, was the penalty for con- tinuing in the Protestant faith in France. For the history of the dire persecutions that befell the French Huguenots the reader must look elsewhere; suffice it to say that about half a million of the best people of France managed to escape into the adjoin- ing countries. The Palatinate adjoining France soon swarmed with the French Protestant refugees who were accorded a warm welcome by their co-religionists. The French sovereign was stung to the quick by the attitude of the Protestant countries be- cause of his Revocation ; and he soon found a pretext to punish those nearest his dominions in consequence. In a short time he sent a powerful army, under the notorious General Melac, into the Rhine Valley with orders to devastate the country. All writers agree that Melac faithfully carried out his instructions. The city of Heidelberg, the seat of the great Reformed uni- versity, and the place where the noted Heidelberg Catechism was written, in 1563, suffered terribly. In 1688 it was taken by storm and sacked, and again in 1693, when fifteen thousand of its citizens were put to the sword. Twelve hundred cities and towns were destroyed, as also the buildings and vineyards in the country. The woes of the people, which beggar all description, aroused the deepest sympathy in the entire Protestant world. Swift and terrible retribution was meted out to the cruel and arro- gant Louis for his many misdeeds when the armies of England, THE PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS. 17 under the great Duke of Marlborough, crushed the power of France on the bloody field of Blenheim, Aug. 13, 1704. In 1697 was concluded the ''Peace of Ryswick," by which the Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed faiths were put on an equal plane; but the Catholics soon found many excuses for ignoring its sacred provisions. In 1701 the War of the Spanish Succes- sion broke out, which lasted twelve years, and the contending armies again made the Palatinate their battle ground. In 1707 General Villers at the head of a French army invaded the Palati- nate, and the atrocities of former years were repeated. In the preface of the Heidelberg Catechism, printed in London, in 1709, for the Reformed refugees, of which we have already made men- tion, it is said : ''Villers and his army reduced the Palatinate to a perfect wilderness,, not leaving the poor Reformed so much as a house in which to hide their heads, or hardly enough clothing to cover their nakedness'' The French, regardless of the treaty of Ryswick, sent many Jesuit priests into the Palatinate to reclaim the people to the Catholic faith. Protestant schools were sup- pressed and the country was flooded with their literature.^ Well may our hearts bleed for the woes of our Palatine forefathers, even at this late day. From these scenes of ruin and desolation let us turn our eyes to the dawning light of a brighter day. A Joshua appeared who, like his name-sake of old, led his people into "the Promised Land." A humble Lutheran pastor of the city of Lindau, in Bavaria, was singled out by Providence to take the lead of the Palatines in their quest for deliverance from the horrors of war and oppression. This man was Rev. Joshua Kocherthal. In 1704 Kocherthal visited England in behalf of his afflicted countrymen. The results of his visit were most gratifying, as he was given assurance of help in official quarters, if it could be given without disturbing political relations. The conclusions reached were that emigration was the only solution of the prob- 6 The Protestants, in order to counteract the teachings of the Jesuits, printed and secretly circulated an anti-Catholic catechism which was printed in 1702, but the author and place of printing are not given for obvious reasons. The writer has probably the only copy of this remarkable little book in America. 2 i8 A WONDERFUL STORY. leni. Once under the protection of England, they would be safe from their oppressors. In 1706 Kocherthal published a small pamphlet in which he gave his plans relating to emigration. This book was extensively circulated among the people and had much to do with the "exodus" in 1709. Then, too, William Penn, the Founder of Pennsylvania, had visited Germany in 1676, in the interests of the oppressed Mennonites and others, and the removal of the Crefeld Mennonites and some Huguenots to his new Colony, in 1683, gave the movement a strong impetus. In 1708 Kocherthal set out from Lindau with the vanguard of what eventually became a mighty army. His party, mostly members of his congregation, consisted of twenty-one families, in all numbering fifty-four souls. Proceeding down the Rhine and crossing over into England they, in a touching address to Queen Ann, described their great misfortunes and threw them- selves on the bounty of the gracious Queen.'^ This was the be- ginning of the Palatine emigration to England and America and was quite distinct from the Mennonite movement which had be- gun in 1683 with the founding of Germantown. Assisted by the EngHsh, Kocherthal and his colony set sail for New York on April 11, 1708, where they were given a large grant of land on the Hudson. The following year he returned to Eng- land where, from the many thousands of his countrymen who had during his absence arrived, he organized, under the auspices of the Government, the greatest colony that ever left the shores of Europe. On January 20, 17 10, the convoy of ten vessels, hav- ing on board about four thousand souls, set out under Kocher- thal for New York. Dire misfortunes followed them. Besides almost incessant storms, their stores gave out because of the long voyage and various diseases broke out among them. After hav- ing been on the ocean six months and losing a number of their vessels and a third of their number by death, they at last reached their destination and were placed on the lands assigned them. The colonists, however, were not accorded fair treatment by 7 Rev. Joshua Kocherthal died on the Hudson River, in New York, in 1719. For his petition to Queen Ann, see "Documentary History of New York," Vol. V, p. 44. THE PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS. 19 the New Y6rk authorities and they were soon greatly dissatisfied and great numbers moved to the Mohawk Valley upon lands given them by the Indians. Even there the Colonial government gave them no rest but sought to compel them to pay for their land which the friendly Indians had donated them. As an im- mediate result of this injustice, a large party, in 1723, guided by their Indian friends, crossed the unbroken forest to the head- waters of the North Branch, where they constructed rafts on which they placed their families and goods and proceeded down the stream to the mouth of the Swatara, at (now) Middletown, on the Susquehanna River, in Pennsylvania. Proceeding up that stream they located in a most beautiful and fertile region named by the Indians Tulpehocken. In 1728 they were followed by a still larger party led by the noted Indian interpreter, Conrad Weiser. Within a few years most of the Kocherthal colonists had removed from New York to Pennsylvania, where they were well treated and confirmed in their titles to land. The news of this transplanting and the betterment of their condition soon reached Germany and had the effect to change the current of emigration to Pennsylvania. In this connection we may mention other German colonists who came to this Province at an, early day and in course of time were absorbed by the great mass of Palatines and became part of the "Pennsylvania German" nation. In 1683 arrived the first colony of Crefeld Mennonites, led by the noted Dr. Francis Daniel Pastorius, and founded German- town, near Philadelphia. In 1709 began the influx of Swiss and Alsatian Mennonites, who were assigned ten thousand acres of land by William Penn in Lancaster county. In 17 19 the first contingent of the exiled Dunkards arrived and located at Ger- mantown. These were followed in 1729 by the founder of the sect, Alexander Mack, accompanied by the remnant of his fol- lowers consisting of thirty families.^ In 1734 arrived the rem- nants of the exiled Schwenkfelders, who located in eastern 8 Alex. Mack, founder of the Dunkard Church, was born 1679; organ- ized his first society in 1708; died in Germantown in 1735. For list of his colony, see Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. XVII, p. 18 (Second Series). 20 A WONDERFUL STORY. Pennsylvania.^ In 1742-3, large bodies of Moravians arrived, as also their patron. Count Zinzendorf, and founded Bethlehem and Nazareth.^^ Such in brief is the history of the "Pennsyl- vania Germans, "^^ the people with v^hich the matter of this book is vitally related. We will now briefly survey their religious con- dition. During the first few decades the Germans had but few pastors among them, and such as they had were of the Pietistic type and were themselves exiles. The first among the Lutherans were the brothers Daniel and Justus Falckner, who belonged to the Erfurt Pietistic group suppressed by the authorities, as elsewhere noted. We may here note, however, that the Swedes, who were Lutherans, had churches on the Delaware long before the arrival of Penn. The Falckner s did not remain long in the Province, but took up their work in New Jersey and New York. In 17 1 7 arrived Rev. Anthony Jacob Henkel, a Pietistic min- ister and court preacher to one of the lesser German sovereigns. For rebuking the excesses of the court he was dismissed by his sovereign and forbidden to remain inl the realm. Although well along in life, he came to Pennsylvania with a large family and located in (now) New Hanover. For a while he was the only active Lutheran preacher in the Province and organized some of the oldest congregations, among them the Tulpehocken (1723), among the Palatines and in Germantown. After ten years of unremitting labor he met death suddenly by falling off his horse, August 12, 1728.^^ The Reformed immigrants were no better supplied with min- isters. There was no Reformed minister in the Province until 1 7 10, when Rev. Samuel Gulden arrived from Switzerland. He had been the pastor of several churches near Bern, and being a Pietist, he encouraged conventicles (prayer meetings) and 9 Adherents of Count Casper von Schwenkfeld of Silesia, born 1490; died 1561. For list of Schwenkfeld colony, see Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. XVII, supra. 10 Count Zinzendorf, born 1700; died 1761. For list of Moravians, see "Rupp's Thirty Thousand Names." 11 For a full history of "The Pennsylvania Germans," see the splendid publications of their Historical Society. 12 The author descends from this exile ; Vide "The Henkel Memorial." THE PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS. 21 "prayer circles." A revival broke out on his charge and he was suspended for conducting such "disorders." Several other Pietistic co-laborers were suspended at the same time. These facts sharply emphasize our statements in another connection regarding ''High" and "Low" church life of the Protestant faith. Gulden was not very active in a ministerial capacity in Pennsylvania. For many years the Reformed people had only a few lay evangelists to minister to their spiritual needs. When Rev. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg^^ was sent to Penn- sylvania to organize the Lutheran Church, in 1742, there were only a few active ministers of that faith in the Province. When he organized the Lutheran Synod, in 1748, there were only eleven regular Lutheran pastors in America. . Rev. Michael Schlatter was sent from Switzerland, in 1746, to organize the Reformed Church, and when, a year later, he organized the Coetus or Synod, there were present thirty-one delegates, of whom only four were ministers of the Gospel. In addition to what has been said, the appalling dearth of German ministers in the Province will further appear in the following statement: In 1759, Dr. William White, Provost of the University of Pennsylvania, made a religious census of the Province for the use of the Primate of the Church of England. In his report he says the Lutheran membership is about thirty- five thousand, and that of the Reformed about thirty thousand. This does not include the thousands of Germans in the South. One of the greatest evils of the times was the fact that a number of immoral and irresponsible ministers, who had left the Father- land under a cloud, imposed themselves on congregations, as wolves in sheep's clothing. They held aloof from Synodical or- ganizations and therefore could not be disciplined for drunken- ness and other immoralities. The "Church," nevertheless, had to bear the blame. Is it any wonder that the poor Germans sank into the darkness of a spiritual night from which nothing but the mighty power of a Divine visitation could rescue them ? Notwithstanding this sad spiritual declension, a mighty, holy 13 H. M. Muhlenberg was born 171 1, died 1787. He was sent to America by the Church authorities of Halle. 22 A WONDERFUL STORY. leaven was still working toward a reformation. The spirit of the old Pietists was not dead, but gaining new ground under the leadership of holy and consecrated men. The prayers and tears of our exiled forefathers, who "suffered the loss of all things" for Christ, were honored of God in the great spiritual uplifting of their posterity in America. To this brighter chapter we now direct out attention, and note the unfoldings of Divine Provi- dence — blessed harbingers of better days, the realization of hopes long deferred. Albright's farm. CHAPTER II. Early Life of Albright. Birth of Albright — A patriot — Marriage and removal to Lancaster County — His great bereavement — Rev. Anthony Houtz — His conversion — Be- comes a Methodist — Bxhorter — Evangelist — His status as a minister — His personal characteristics — Eloquent, Methodical — Apostolic seal — His care for the brethren. THE Rev. Jacob Albright, founder of the Evangelical Asso- ciation, was born in Douglass Township, Berks County, Pa., May I, 1759. He was the son of John Albright, born in the Palatinate, Germany. The family adhered to the Lutheran faith and were members of the church at New Hanover, but some time prior to the Revolution became members of the church at Potts- town. The family records are to be found in both these churches. At the time their son Jacob was born, the parents lived on a small farm on Fox Hill, a few miles north of Pottstown, where the son spent his boyhood days. The early years of Jacob Albright were uneventful, and we know nothing of interest concerning him until the dark days of the Revolution, when he was growing into manhood. As his parental home was within easy hearing of the battle sound of Brandywine and Germantown, in his own native state, we may well imagine how this young heart was stirred within him. Within sight of the rocky hill on which he was reared occurred the movements of the smitten and bleeding Continental Army under Washington. The church of his fathers at New Hanover^ was converted into a hospital for the wounded of Brandywine and Paoli. Within a few hours' ride from his home was Valley Forge with its scenes of sufferings and sad memories. With such stirring events occurring all around him, the youth- I This church, erected in 1767, is still standing in good condition (1916). It is built of stone and is a large, magnificent structure. 23 24 A WONDERFUL STORY. ful Albright could not be expected to be passive. Hence we find him enrolled as the drummer of Captain John Witz's company of Berks County militia.^ This company was composed mostly of young men from Pottstown and vicinity. The part taken by the Pennsylvania militia was most honorable. They participated in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown, and although they were only supposed to do duty in defense of the state, several of the Berks County battalions of militia participated in the New Jersey campaign. Toward the close of the war we find Albright in a detachment under Sergeant Eisenbiss, detailed to guard British prisoners of war at Reading. In the year 1785 Albright was married to Catharine Cope, who came from an old and highly respectable family in Chester County, with whom he had six children, three of whom died in infancy. His occupation was that of a tile maker, which was then a good business, as the use of tiles for roofing was then quite common. A few years after his marriage he removed to Earl Township, Lancaster County, where he had purchased a small farm on which was a good deposit of lime and clay. Here he applied himself industriously to develop the resources of his property, producing bricks, lime, and tiles, besides tilling his land. He had ready sale for his products and became quite prosperous, so that at his death his estate was valued at four thousand dollars, which was a respectable competence at that day. The community in which Albright now lived was far better, in many respects, than his old home. The Reformed evangelists, Otterbein, Houtz, and others, as also the Methodists, had pene- trated this region long before his settlement there. A Methodist class had been formed in his immediate neighborhood. The United Brethren had likewise gained a following there. Two individuals of this community call for special mention in this connection — Isaac Davis, a lay preacher of the Methodist Church, whose farm adjoined that of Albright, and Adam Riegel, a lay minister of the United Brethren, who also lived in this vicinity. We shall meet these good men again in our story. Soon after 1790 occurred an event of far-reaching importance # 2 See Pennsylvania Archives (Fifth Series), Vol. II, p. 292; also "Perkiomen Region, Past and Present," Vol. Ill, p. 68. EARLY LIFE OF ALBRIGHT. 25 in the life of Albright. During an epidemic of dysentery sev- eral of his children died, and this affliction marked a turning point in his life. He was greatly distressed at the loss of his children, but in the providence of God what seemed at first a great personal calamity eventuated in a great blessing to himself and indirectly in the founding of an evangelistic agency that has been the means of salvation to many thousands of souls. The circumstances that proved to be the turning point of Albright's life are as follows: A few years previous to this event the Reformed Synod had ordained to the ministry a godly young man named Anthony Houtz, who in 1787 had charge of several churches in Dauphin County, one of which was at Harrisburg, Pa., then a mere vil- lage. A few years later he removed to that place and was the first resident pastor in the future capital of Pennsylvania. Houtz was a very spiritual man and of the evangelistic type. We find him often associated with the evangelists of that period. Bishop Newcomer, of the United Brethren Church, frequently mentions him in his journal. At the time of Albright's affliction Houtz was on an evangelistic tour in that neighborhood and was engaged by Albright to conduct the funeral services for his children. Strange are the ways of Providence ! God had a great work for Albright to do. To prepare him for his mission He first humbled him by bereavement, and made him to see his own miserable spiritual condition. Then, by the same Divine power, the right man was sent with the right message for the afflicted man.^ It was through the preaching of Houtz that Albright discovered the fallacy of his hope of salvation. Hitherto his de- pendence had been on the outward observance of the ordinances of the Church, and his worthiness as a good Church member.* Through the preaching of Houtz he was led to see that Jesus alone is the source of our salvation, and a personal knowledge of Him and a constant abiding in Him the only source of a true 3 See Dreisbach's reply to Prof. H. G. Spayth, in "Evangelical Mes- senger," 1855. 4 By a personal examination of the "Berg Strass" Lutheran church record, the author found that Albright and wife were communicant mem- bers of that church as late as the spring of 1791. 26 A WONDERFUL STORY. Christian experience and assurance of salvation. (John 15:1- II.) This discovery led him into a still deeper sorrow, but it was that "godly sorrow that needeth not be repented of" (2 Cor. 7: 10). He accordingly determined to leave the realm of "dead works" and seek ''the kingdom of God (which) is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14: 17).^ Long and earnest was his struggle to gain the light of saving truth. His spiritual neighbors, Davis and Riegel, now came to his assistance. The latter especially was helpful to him, and it was at a meeting in Riegel's house that Albright gained a clear assurance of the Divine favor. Because of the spiritual deadness of the old German churches of that day, it was out of the question for Albright to remain within the communion of his fathers. He now lived in the con- scious experience of a new and spiritual life, and the services of the dead and formal churches did not afford him the soul- nourishment for which he longed. Although the religious serv- ices of the Methodists were almost entirely in the English lan- guage, and Albright was German, yet he found their mode of worship sufficiently congenial to cast his lot among them and unite with the class of which his friend and neighbor, Isaac Davis,^ was the leader. 5 Rev. Anthony Houtz, the spiritual father of Albright, was born in Germany in 1758, ordained to the Reformed ministry in 1787, and died at Groton, Tompkins County, New York, in 1830. He was one of that noble band of Reformed ministers who, instead of leaving the Church of his fathers, carried on his evangelistic mission despite the opposition of the formalistic element of his denomination. In view of the far-reaching in- fluence of the little group of Pietistic ministers within her fold in the early day, the Reformed Church may well claim a good share of the evangelistic influence that refreshed the spiritual life of the Church in general a cen- tury or more ago. 6 Rev. Isaac Davis was born in 1754, and came from an old Welsh family that came to Pennsylvania in the days of Penn. Davis was closely associated with Albright in his evangelistic work, and was an attendant at their "General" meetings. Davis later removed to the vicinity of Sunbury, where he died in 1843. He had a family that became "Evangelical." His son David, born 1803, died 1876, had four sons who were Evangelical min- isters, all licensed by the Central Pa. Conference of the Evangelical As- sociation. EARLY LIFE OF ALBRIGHT. 27 The events we are now recording occurred in 1791, during a period of great religious interest in that community. The revival spirit broke out also among the Mennonites, of whom there were many in that locality, and a number of their converts soon be- came evangelists, and later were active in the United Brethren work. Of this number were Abraham and Christian Hershey and Christopher Grosh. Thus we see the revival fires kindled among the Germans in Albright's locality, and while he shared in the same spirit he evidently did not approve of the form the work was assuming, as we shall see in another connection. Method- ism was evidently in keeping with Albright's habits as well as his spiritual ideals, because he was naturally methodical. He evi- dently improved his talents tO' the fullest extent of his opportuni- ties, for soon after his connection with the Methodist class he was made an exhorter, which was then a stepping stone to that of local preacher. In the United Brethren movement the office of exhorter Was sub-ministerial. We have noted that some of Albright's neighbors, Davis, Riegel, Grosh and the Hershey brothers, were local preachers. Even then they made frequent tours from home in evangelistic service. Why should not he? The great mass of his German countrymen lay in a state of spiritual darkness. Why should not he devote his life for their uplift? Thus we see how his environment as well as his temperament worked toward bringing about his great life purpose, namely, to be herald of the Cross to his, benighted countrymen. Albright as a Minister o£ the Gospel. — ^As the founder of a distinct ecclesiastical body, the manner in which Jacob Albright was led into the field of independent evangelism forms an inter- esting chapter of Christian experience. Like many other leaders of great religious movements, his work was the result of a tre- mendous burden for souls. To him was given the choice between the sorrow of the rejection of the call, or the joy of the Divine favor in its acceptance, (i Cor. 9: 16.) In his brief auto- biography, preserved by his co-laborer, Geo. Miller,^ he relates both the manner of his call and also^ its specific character, namely, to preach experimental religion to his neglected fellow Germans. 7 "Albrecht und Miller," p. 16. 28 A WONDERFUL STORY. It is really on the special character of his mission that his inde- pendent organization was founded, and in its necessity lies the apology (if any were needed) for the separate existence of his work. It was only after many months of sore and distressing travail of soul, so intense that it made him a physical wreck, that he saw the leadings of God's hand in the matter and yielded to the call. Relating his experiences, Albright says : "I was pervaded with a burning love toward God and His children and all mankind. It was this love which the grace of God shed in my heart that led me to see the great decline of experimental religion among the German nation in America. I felt for them. I saw in them my brethren and sincerely wished them the happiness that was mine. With such feelings I often fell upon my knees and with burning tears besought God that He would lead my German brethren into the way of truth, and that they might have pure and ex- emplary teachers, who would preach the gospel in its power, that the dead and sleeping professors of religion might be aroused from their sleep of sin and brought to a true life of godliness, so that they might be also partakers of the blessed peace with God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost. In this manner I continued my supplication daily for the welfare of my brethren. As I thus held intercourse with God it suddenly became light within my soul. I heard a voice say within me : Was it by mere chance that the miserable condition of your erring brethren pressed so heavily on your heart? Was it only a coincidence that your heart was overburdened with sympathy for your brethren? Is not this the visible hand of Him who guides not only the des- tinies of nations but also that of the individual? How if His unending love, which seeks to lead every soul into Abraham's bosom, has chosen you to lead your brethren into the path of knowledge and prepare them to be partakers of God's mercy?' "In my soul it became brighter and brighter, and I realized in holy confidence that my prayers were heard. I also heard the command of God : 'Go out and work in My vineyard. Proclaim to My children the Gospel in its primitive purity, with emphasis and power, and confide in my paternal love that all who hear and believe shall be partakers of my grace.' " EARLY LIFE OF ALBRIGHT. 29 Instead of at once obeying this clear and unmistakable call, Albright permitted himself to be overcome by a temporizing spirit. His want of ministerial equipment brought him betimes to the verge of despair. This mighty struggle, in which his soul swung like a pendulum between hope and fear, light and dark- ness, joy and sorrow, grew in intensity from day to day and soon made sad inroads on his health. He was^ seized with a constant and burning pain that affected his entire nervous system. His body became so weakened that he could no longer do manual labor. What he experienced while in this condition, he says, was indescribable. There were times when he imagined himself utterly forsaken of God, at which times he cried out in terrible agony and despair. Eventually he was led to see that his deplorable condition was wholly the result of his resistance to the Divine call, and that the path to health lay in the direction of a complete surrender to the will of God. Measuring the future by the past, he knew full well that God's stern displeasure was the penalty of his disobedience; while an inward peace and God's constant blessing would be the reward of obedience. He now betook him- self anew to God in prayer, imploring forgiveness for his pre- sumptuous disobedience, and solemly vowed that if it pleased God to again restore him to health of soul and body he would immediately comply with His will and give himself wholly and unreservedly to the work of the Gospel ministry. Scarcely had he made this resolution, when the awful gloom that had settled upon his soul was changed to sunshine. The heavy burden rolled from his spirit and "the peace of God that passeth all understanding," again flooded his soul. With tran- quility of mind and soul restored, came also gradually the im- provement of his bodily health. Upon this he at once arranged his temporal affairs with a view of prolonged absence from home, because of his prospective tours as an evangelist. It is impossible to say in what year these great struggles in the experience of Albright took place, but they probably occurred in 1795. As elsewhere related, Albright soon after his conver- sion united with the Methodist Episcopal Church and was soon afterwards given exhorter's license, which was his authority to exercise his gifts as a lay minister. The period of this relationship 30 A WONDERFUL STORY. with the Methodist Episcopal Church was in 1795, during which time he developed the evangelistic spirit, and, as said, probably marks the period of his great spiritual conflict. It is a matter of record that he entered the evangelistic field in the month of October, 1796. From this date we find no further connection between him and the Church mentioned, for the reason that his activities were given to the Germans exclusively, a field into which the IMethodists had not yet extensively entered. It seems proper in this connection to discuss the distinctive mis- sion of Albright. From what we have already given it is mani- fest that his call to preach experimental religion to the neglected Germans came to him as a clear and wxll-defined revelation to his soul. This fact not only controlled his own labors, but also dominated the polity of his following until the General Confer- ence of 1843. It is because of the distinctiveness of this call that the followers of Albright justified their existence as a separate ecclesiastical organization.^ It is a matter of record that Bishop Francis Asbury, then the head of the Methodist Episcopal Church, did not then favor a separate branch of evangelistic work for the Germans, and in 1810 rejected a proposition by Rev. John Dreisbach that the Evangelicals should continue their distinctive work among the Germans as an integral part of the Methodist body, by declaring the plan "impractical."^ Asbury, while shaping the polity of his Church along non-nativistic lines (a course which his Church reversed soon after his death), never- theless saw its necessity earlier in life. In his Journal of 1758, he records a meeting with Rev. William, Otterbein, the founder of the United Brethren Church, for the planning of a scheme to evangelize the Germans. This was before the organization of the United Brethren conference. In the light of later develop- ments we are not sure that the bishop regarded that work with any greater favor than that of Albright. In fact the futile at- 8 See "Evangelical Annals," p. 170. 9 Ibid, p. 171. 10 "Sunday, June 5th, I called on Mr. Otterbein. We had some free conversation on the necessity of forming a church among the Dutch (Ger- mans), holding conferences, the order of its government," etc. Asbury's Journal, p. 398. EARLY LIFE OF ALBRIGHT. 31 tempts of Bishop Newcomer to connect the United Brethren movement with that of the Methodists, confirms this view.^^ The status of Albright as an evangelist may next claim our attention. The office of an evangelist has from time immemorial been considered as only a function of the ministerial office. In other words, all ministers are supposed to exercise the office of evangelist, but not all evangelists are supposed to exercise the full office of a minister. There are various kinds of evangelists. Some are singing evangelists like Ira D. Sankey, P. P. Bliss and many others. Some are praying evangelists, while others, like D. L. Moody, preach the Word. Very many of the most useful and effective workers in the evangelistic field do not as- sume the full functions of the ministerial office. In the light of these well known facts Albright's entrance into the field of evangelism becomes plain. We have already noted that he was granted license as an exhorter, which at that time practically constituted him a lay preacher. There was little dif- ference, (if any), at that time between the exhorter and the local preacher. Among the United Brethren the office of exhorter was from the beginning the same as that known later as local preacher, and the licenses of exhorters were given by the annual instead of the quarterly conferences, as in the Methodist con- nection.^^ It seems clear that when Albright started out on his evangel- istic tours he did not transcend the functions authorized by the Methodist quarterly conference, and doubtless labored in har- mony with the same until the enlargement of his work called for the fuller exercise of the ministerial office, such as the adminis- tration of baptism and the Lord's Supper. We have no evidence that he exercised the full functions of the ministry until his ordi- nation on November 5, 1803, after which he exercised all min- isterial functions freely.^^ 11 Vide "Newcomer's Journal," 1809. 12 Vide "Berger's History of the United Brethren Church," conference proceedings of 1802, p. 170, "Resolved to give Valentine Huegel license to exhort;" "Brother Miller obtained license from the conference to exhort." At the conference of 1813, four persons were licensed "to exhort," p. 128. 13 In November, 1803, he baptized Michael, son of Abraham Ream, of Centre County, Pa., who became the ancestor of an honored Evangelical 32 A WONDERFUL STORY. We have but few literary remains of Albright from which to form an intelligent opinion as to his preaching abilities. But from the brief sketch of his life by his co-laborer, Rev. George Miller, we are able to get a glimpse of his well-rounded mentality and powers as a public speaker. Then, too, from lips now long sealed in death, we have heard his sermons extolled and his man- ner described, so as to enable us to make a fair estimate of his character as a minister of the Gospel. He was a most persistent student of the Bible and hence was "mighty in the Scriptures." His sermons were methodical, convincing and conclusive. He was calm and deliberate in his introductions, somewhat argu- mentative and remonstrant, and never failed to make strong ap- plications of the truth, and often with great eloquence and power. While he lacked the emotional eloquence of his spiritual son, Rev. John Walter, he possessed a tenderness of feeling and ear- nestness of spirit which are of themselves unfailing springs of true eloquence, because they reach the deeper chambers of the soul that lie beyond the range of mere emotion. These ele- ments of his pulpit powers Albright himself unwittingly brings to the light when he says^* "By nature I had no talent for speak- ing and must confess that in this particular I had less aptitude than any one else that ever rose up to speak. However, when I was impelled by the Spirit of God, when through prayer my soul was brought nearer to my Redeemer, when I burned with a horror for sin, when the righteousness of a through-searching judge stood before my eyes, and at the same time His overwhelming love towards His fallen creatures appeared, I was seized with a holy animation that opened my mouth so that with holy eloquence the message of God's grace streamed from my lips to the conversion of the unsaved and the edification of believers." The late John Rank was wont to relate that in the spring of 1805 he, in company with others, rode a distance of fifteen miles posterity, among whom is Prof. A. E. Gobble, president of Central Penn- sylvania College, and later a member of the Faculty of Albright College. Albright also baptized, in 1803, Mary, the daughter of Benjamin Stroh, of Dauphin County. She married George Gipple, removed to Iowa in 1852, where Gipple and a few others built the first Evangelical church in that state. (Evangelical Annals, p. 319.) 14 "Albrecht und Miller," p. 15. EARLY LIFE OF ALBRIGHT. 33 to hear Albright preach in the old Saint EHas church at Mifflin- burg, Pa. Albright was accompanied by his co-laborers, Wal- ter and Miller. The church was crowded to its utmost capacity. The sermon by Albright was of great power and tenderness, and the people were very deeply affected thereby. There was weep- ing all through the assembly and a great many fell upon their knees and prayed for salvation.^® The companions of Rank were so wrought upon that they fled from the church. Rev. George Miller, Albright's spiritual son and successor, in de- scribing his conversion says that he first heard Albright preach in the year 1798 in Schuylkill County. His text was, "Thus saith the Lord: behold I set before you the way of life and the way of death" (Jer. 21:8). The discourse impressed Miller so powerfully that he says he would have sunk to the floor had he not held fast to a table beside him. Miller also writes about a meeting held on Easter day in 1803, at the home of his brother, Solomon Miller, when Albright preached with such great power that many fled with fear and trembling from the house. They could not, however, shake off the deep conviction for sin that had seized them, but sought the Lord in the pardon of their sins, while those who remained in the house fell on the floor in deep penitential agony, so that a mighty victory was' achieved.^® As a minister of the gospel, Albright sought to practice in his own life the doctrines he preached. Hence we see consistency to have been one of his many excellent traits. He preached holiness oif heart and purity of life, and fearlessly assailed the use of tobacco and strong drinks — twin evils which in his day were seldom made the subject of pulpit utterance. These facts show that he had advanced views of personal religion, and had the courage to denounce all evil regardless of consequences.^'' Al- bright's relations with coworkers were always most cordial, and we know not that he ever had a misunderstanding or disagree- ment with any of them. On the contrary, he exercised a tender 15 John Rank, Esq., was born 1784, in Lancaster County; died in 1878. The discourse impressed Rank so powerfully that he says he would have fallen to the floor had he not supported himself. 16 "Albrecht und Miller," p. 104. 17 "Chr. Botschafter," 1842, p. 141. 3 34 A WONDERFUL STORY. and care-taking paternalism toward them. The following inci- dent is illustrative of his deep solicitude for his colleagues : Rev. George Miller relates^^ that during the first year of his active ministry (1805), in consequence of ill health he became greatly discouraged and was planning to abandon the work alto- gether, when Albright, who was at a distant point, intuitively surmised that there was something wrong, and without previous notice from Miller, suddenly came to see him. After drawing from Miller a statement of his troubles, he asked him to ac- company him to a nearby grove, where in solitude and seclusion, with no witness but his loving Lord Jesus, he solemnly and ten- derly admonished his faltering co-laborer, and then carried him in the arms of prayer to a throne of grace where timely help was obtained. (Heb. 4:16). The immediate effect of Albright's visit was that Miller was reestablished in his spiritual life and ministerial calling, and never afterwards faltered. May this pathetic incident strengthen and confirm many who read these lines. "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 2:3). Albright admonished his coworkers to be polite in their inter- course with the people, neat in appearance, and studious in all that pertained to their holy calling. He also advised them to keep journals and write therein their ofiicial acts, experiences and observations. This was following the custom of the Moravian ministers of that day, whose records became the property of the Church and now constitute one of the greatest historical treasures of the Moravian Church in America. The records which Al- bright undoubtedly made, as well as those of most of his co- laborers, have been irrecoverably lost. Only fragments of Al- bright's and Miller's journals are preserved in the latter's brief autobiography.^^ From the extracts we give, the reader may see how valuable the full records would be to us at this time. The journal of Rev. John Dreisbach, so far as known to the writer, is the only one preserved entire, covering the period of his active ministry. 18 "Albrecht und Miller," p. 103. "Albrecht und Miller." ' , ' • EARLY LIFE OF ALBRIGHT. 35 In order to promote mutual helpfulness and fidelity in their calling, Albright entered into a written covenant with his minis- terial brethren, which was periodically renewed. Of this, Mil- ler says:^*' "Albright, Walter and I renewed {Oct. 1806, Author) in a condensed document our covenant and duties, and united with greater earnestness to carry on God's work. Brother Albright exhorted Brother Walter and me to go forward bravely and courageously in the work begun, and bring as many sinners to Jesus as possible." 20 Ibid, p. 116. CHAPTER III. Albright's Work in Relation to Protestant Faith and Evangelism. Albright's work peculiar — Pietism and Ritualism — High and Low Church — Vagaries of Mysticism — Pietism the Life of Protestantism — Pietistic leaders — Pietism in America — Albright's work an outgrowth. THE evangelistic work of Rev. Jacob Albright is somewhat peculiar, and can only be properly understood when con- sidered in connection with religious conditions and evangelistic movements of his times. His personal history, apart from, his spiritual mission, is devoid of unusual interest, but the results of his labors in their worldwide influence have not hitherto received from Church historians the attention that their importance de- serves. For many years it was the custom of the old German writers to denounce Albright as a heretic and his followers as misguided fanatics. Ministers publicly warned their congregations against the ''Albrights" as a reprobate and dangerous class, and even refused sepulture to their dead in the old God's-acre of their fathers. Even the spiritual and evangelistic labors of the min- isters of the old Church bodies (the number of these was small indeed), were decried as fanatical and unchurchly, and the min- isters rebuked as irregular. It is not strange, therefore, that the spiritual or Pietistic elements of the old churches gravitated to- ward separation. Owing to the spiritual deadness of these churches it was difficult for their leaders to read the signs of the times in the spiritual awakenings among them, especially such as occurred under the labors of Dr. William Otterbein, Anthony Houtz, John G. Pfrimmer, Adam Ettinger, and George Adam Gueting, all members of the Reformed Church. It is a sad fact to contemplate that this Church, so pure in Evangelical doctrine and so steadfast in the faith in Reformation times, her sons the 36 RELATION TO PROTESTANT FAITH AND EVANGELISM. 37 pioneers of evangelism among the Germans of America, should in the end fail to gather her fruitage because it represented a somewhat different type from that' so commonly prevalent. It was this open antagonism' of the old Churches against evan- gelistic effort that caused these latter elements to crystallize into Separatism. Furthermore, the very result of this opposition was then decried as "Antichrist, or the Spirit of Sect and Schism."^ In 1850 appeared a book bitterly assailing all evangelistic ''sects," written by a minister of the Church which has the strongest claim of patronage to the German evangelistic work in Pennsylvania. In this book the author ungraciously placed "The Albrights" on a level with Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism.^ Had these critics taken the trouble to investigate, they would have found that the "Albrights" in their formative period placed themselves upon a creed of the Reformation ; that there was no material doctrinal difference between the "Albright" faith and their own ; that the only difference was one of Church polity and a spiritual cultus recognized and practiced by the Church of the critics centuries before the modern evangelists, like Otter- bein and Albright, sought to reestablish it in its original char- acter, and which is as old as the Christian faith itself. These indubitable facts afford us both the grounds and motive, from an ecclesiastical standpoint, for the independent evangelistic labors of Albright as well as other evangelists of his time. The Protestant Faith: Pietism and Ritualism.— The life and work of Albright constitutes a bright and notable chapter in the history of a secondary Reformation in the Protestant Church that has continued as a mighty spiritual leaven to the present time, and has profoundly influenced the Christian Church. It is this great spiritual impetus that has given birth to modern missions, interdenominational work, and cooperative evangelism. The following panoramic view of the working of the evangel- istic forces of which Albright and his contemporaries were a con- stituent part, will enable the reader to understand what other- wise would be unintelligible. The great Reformation of the Fif- 1 Title of a book published by Prof. J. W. Nevin (New York, 1848). 2 "Ein Ernstes Wert uber Secten Geist und Secten Wesen." Title of book by Rev. J. W. Reber, Chamber sburg, Pa., 1850. I 38 A WONDERFUL STORY. teenth Century, under Luther, Calvin, Zwingli and others, had for its primary object the rescue of Christian doctrine from Popish error by which the truth of God was subverted. This was necessary for the attainment of the purpose for which the gospel was given, namely, the salvation of men. The application of Christian doctrine in the life and experience of the believer was, however, not then as clearly understood as in later times. The Reformers were exceedingly biased in their doctrinal views. It was very difficult for any of them to understand the differences between the essentials and the unessentials in the matter of per- sonal salvation. Even Protestants passed the ban of imprison- ment, banishment and even death upon dissenters. We need only recall the dreadful persecutions of the Mennonites on the Conti- nent, the Non-Conformists in England, and imprisonment, ban- ishment, and even, hanging of Quakers, Baptists and others in New England. In holding that "only one creed can be right," our forefathers failed to remember that creeds are made by men and need to be revised as men gain larger visions of truth. However, amid all the turmoils incident to an adjustment of Christian doctrine and practice, there always existed two distinct elements in the Protestant Church, which may be denominated as the "High" and the "Low" church parties. The difference be- tween them relates rather to spirit and method in church life, than to doctrine. A "high" churchman lays stress on creed, ordinances, ceremonies, and authority. A "low" churchman, while not disregarding these, holds that the emphasis must be laid on the spiritual life and experience, rather than outward forms. To the "low" churchman forms and ceremonies are simply a means to an end, and are useless except as they impart a spiritual benefit through a living faith. In a word, the "high" churchman makes much of the outer, while the "low" church- man makes more of the inner things of religion. Under various names, such as "Ritualism" and "Pietism," these two forms of church life have existed in the elder Protestant denominations since the days of the Reformation. While in many instances this was the fruitful cause of controversy and persecution, the original creeds remained substantially the same. As a striking example, we have the great Wesleyan (Methodist) RELATION TO PROTESTANT FAITH AND EVANGELISM. 39 revival in England over a century ago. What can be more un- seemly than a comparison between a fiery Methodist evangelist of the olden time, with the tumultuous accompaniments of his eloquence, and a ''high" church Episcopal priest with his "sacred vestments" and ceremonials. Day and night are not more dis- similar, and yet they both stand on the same creed, the "Thirty- Nine Articles" of the Church of England. The same was true in the German revival in Pennsylvania. Otterbein, Albright, Gueting, and their coworkers preached no new creed or faith, but sought to revive the spiritual life of the creeds as inculcated in the fundamental faith of these Churches. The careful student of Church history will observe that the Christian Church in gen- eral advances or recedes into one or the other of these conditions, until it assumes its marked characteristics. When the "high" church spirit is in the ascendant, the Church is said to be "ritual- istic," and w^en the opposite spirit prevails it is "spiritual" or "evangelical." It is well that we understand these distinct phases of Church life, for the reason that they explain the origin and character of the Wesleyan, Otterbein, and Albright movements, all of which are more or less related and spring from the same sources. In this connection we may say that while it is rather within the province of the theologian than the historian to exemplify the scriptural aspects of these diverse conditions of Church life, nevertheless their origin and development, externally, are proper subjects of historical investigation. Considering this subject as related to more recent times, we find that the "Low Church" or "Evangelical" spirit has most pro- foundly impressed the older denominations, and in a great meas- ure changed the very character of their Church life. This is seen in the promotion of evangelistic effort and interdenomina- tional fellowship. Practically all American Protestant denomi- nations now heartily cooperate in the various general organiza- tions that have for their immediate object the salvation and up- lift of man. It is further seen in the full recognition given to all Protestant bodies on the basis of holding the "essentials" of faith, and the steady trend to crystallize them all into one common Brotherhood of the Christian Faith, and thus fulfil the prayer of 40 A WONDERFUL STORY. our Lord and Master ''that they may be one" (Jno. 17: 21). In the light of these facts, estabUshed by a study of the inner history of denominational life, the far-reaching effects of the revival movement of which the work of Rev. Jacob Albright was a con- stituent part, becomes apparent. We now turn from the consideration of ''low church" or evangelical life in general, and trace its unfolding into the various types of Church life and the work of Albright as related to them. In its unfolding, the Evangelical element of the movement under consideration, may be traced to two separate streams of influ- ence, each representing a distinct type, though essentially "the same spirit" (i Cor. 12:4). The first may be denominated the German Pietistic type. As noted in a previous connection. Pietism arose as a protest against the dead formalism of German Prot- estantism. Owing to the union of Church and State, the German Protestant Church was strongly influenced by secular and politi- cal influences in its earlier stages, and spiritual life gave way largely to formalism. The low state of religion led to the re- vival of Mysticism with its spiritual vagaries and esoterical speculations. The leader of this movement was the noted Jacob Boehm, (i 575-1624), whose works profoundly impressed the en- tire Protestant Church for more than a century. Mysticism, however, was the negative pole of Ritualism, and practically re- jected the ordinances of the Church as superfluous, and tended directly to Separatism, and by its antagonism to organization and authority in the Church, has always proved fatal to the cultiva- tion of a true Church spirit. Between the Ritualist and the Mystic arose the Pietist, who accepted the Creed and Ordinances, but rejected all Ritualistic merit. The Pietists were the "Evangelicals" of the German churches. They instituted the "Conventicle," which corresponded to our modern prayer-meetings. Also the "Colegia Pietates/' or Schools of Piety, which were on the order of modern Bible con- ferences or Chautauqua assemblies. While we must assume that great numbers of truly pious people were found in the Church from the beginning, it was not until formalism and ritualism robbed the Church of her spiritual life and power that Pietism appears in the foreground as a distinct RELATION TO PROTESTANT FAITH AND EVANGELISM. 41 movement within the established Church, having its own leaders, and putting forth a distinctive literature. The movement first assumed large proportions in the Palatinate, where the Lutheran Reformation was early established. A period of formalism set in, and the spiritual element became dissatisfied with the tendency of the Church hierarchy to affiliate with Rome, especially on the Tenth Article of the Augsburg Confession which teaches the doctrine of Consubstantiation, or the bodily presence in the eucharist. It was held that Luther had not gone far enough in throwing off Romish practices. This movement resulted in the birth of the Reformed Church in Germany.^ The reader will do well to remember this fact, as it marks an epoch in the Pietistic movement under consideration. The immediate effect of this movement was the establishment of the Reformed universities of Heidelberg and Herborn, which for many years were noted for their orthodoxy and spirituality. Another outcome was the production of the Heidelberg Cate- chism by Ursinus and Olevianus, under the direction of the pious Elector of the Palatinate, Frederick III. This catechism, which appeared in 1563, is without doubt the most ''evangelical" and spiritual of all the doctrinal formularies of the Reformation period. Thus we have seen, that the Reformed Church of Ger- many was founded in an atmosphere of spiritual life, and her struggle against the dead formalism which early invaded Protes- tantism forms the brightest chapter of- her history. The Evangelical spirit of the early Reformed Church is spe- cially noted by leading historians. Ikens, in his ''Life of Neander," says, "We must consider Pietism as an integral part of Reformed Church History." Dr. James I. Good, in his ex- cellent history of the Reformed Church in Germany, says, "To eliminate Pietism from the Reformed Church would be to elimi- nate a large part of her best history. Her greatest theologians and best historians, from Lampe down to Krummacher, were Pietists. Pietism, instead of being opposed to the Reformed Church, became an integral part of her being." (p. 308.) 3 See "History of the Reformed Church in Germany," by Dr. James I. Good. 42 A WONDERFUL STORY. Apart from the Reformed movements there was also a strong Pietistic element in the Lutheranr Church, but being a small minor- ity, it was bitterly opposed by the Church authorities. The great leader of Lutheran Pietism was Dr. Philip Jacob Spener (b. 1635 — d. 1705) , who in his earlier years had been in touch with the Palatine Pietists while he was pastor at Strasburg. The spiritual and evangelical teachings of Spener were widely disseminated throughout the Lutheran Church and caused a great agitation. In the city of Brfurt, where Spener was pastor, he won many adherents and established one of the first of his "Colegia Pietates," or Schools of Piety. Among his distinguished disciples were his brother-in-law, Johan H. Herbius, Dr. J. J. Fabricius, Dr. Augustus Herman Francke, Dr. Gottfried Arnold, Dr. J. W. Peterson, and his celebrated wife, Johanna von Merlau, all of whom were noted as leaders and writers in the Pietistic move- ment. The Chapter at Erfurt soon incurred the disfavor of the authorities, and upon investigation it was ordered to be sup- pressed and the leaders banished. The persecution of the Pietists now became general, followed by banishment and imprisonment. And all this because the Pietists sought to live the life their creed inculcated. It was during this period of persecution of the Evangelicals amongst them, by the Protestants, that William Penn and his company made their celebrated tour through Germany (1676), in aid of the cause of spiritual religion. This is a fact vital to our subject, as it was one of the potent causes of the emigration of the large number of Pietists to Pennsylvania, chiefly through the influence of "The Frankford Land Company," which ac- quired twenty-five thousand acres of land from Penn in the vicinity of Philadelphia. This was in 1686. Some of the Pietistic leaders we have named were among its founders. Dr. Francis Daniel Pastorius, the founder of Germantown, (1684), was the general agent of the company. Recurring to the chapter at Erfurt, Dr. Spener was the first to be banished. Proceeding to Berlin, in 1691, he was received with open arms by the Elector of Brandenburg, King Frederick I of Prussia. The king, who was of the Reformed faith, not only RELATION TO PROTESTANT FAITH AND EVANGELISM. 43 welcomed Spener and his fellow Pietists to his realm, but gave to Spener the pastorate of the largest Lutheran church in Berlin, and also made him superintendent of churches. Moreover, in order to conserve the Pietistic movement, the king, in 1694, founded the famous University at Halle, where some of the followers of Spener, such as Breithaupt and associates, were installed as professors. Dr. Francke, having been expelled from Erfurt, also came to Halle, where he organized the great Orphan- age and Missionary Institute, from which a great stream of evangelical Hterature and missionary influence poured its spir- itual blessings for more than a century into the Protestant Church. The work of Dr. Francke, especially, profoundly impressed the life of the Protestant Church. Among his early students was the youthful Count Nicholas Zinzendorf, founder of the Mo- ravian Church, and later still Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, of the Lutheran Church, both of whom were Pietists, and both organized their respective churches in America. Such in brief is the story of German Pietism often referred to in this work. We now turn to the second stream of evangelical influence under consideration, which may be denominated Anglican or Wesleyan, because it had its origin in England, under the labors of Rev. John Wesley (b-1702, d-1791). The followers of Wesley were called "Methodists" and were so called because of their strict religious life as compared with other professed Christians. The writings of Wesley show that he was greatly indebted to the German Pietists for many of the elements that entered into his work. We need only refer to his connection with the Moravians at Herrnhut and his "Notes on the New Testament," one of the doctrinal standards of Methodism, the materials of which he took almost bodily from "Bengel's Gnomon." Dr. Johann Bengel, author of this work, was a Lu- theran writer of the Pietistic school. It was in America that these two streams of evangelical influ- ence met — German Pietism and Wesleyan Methodism, each representing a distinct type of religious life, but essentially "the same spirit." It was the coming in contact of these currents of 44 A WONDERFUL STORY. influence with the dead formalism into which the old churches had already sunk, that gave rise to the evangelistic movements in Pennsylvania which we seek to trace, and with which the work of Rev. Jacob Albright and the organization of "The Evangelical Association" stands inseparably connected. CHAPTER IV. Albright in Relation to the Methodists and United Brethern. Not "Methodists" hut "Bvangelists" — Union with Methodists not desired — Rev. William Otterbein — Why not United Brethren f — Albright's meth- ods — Difference in doctrine and cultus — Testimony of contemporaries. HAVING described the general evangelistic movements in which the Evangelical Association was born, we now pro- ceed to show the relations of Albright's evangelistic work to other contemporary bodies laboring along the same line, and also seek the reasons for the separate continuance of his work. The work of Albright must not for a moment be regarded as sporadic and without relation to the organized evangelistic efforts around him. We have already shown that while his work owed some- thing to Methodism for its original trend, and to the parent Eng- lish Church for its doctrine, nevertheless its genius and spirit was of the German Pietistic type, as from this element it derived fully three-fourths of its early membership. These facts, while not material so far as ultimate results are concerned, are of value in explaining denominational traits which are very marked and which clearly distinguish the Evangelical from the Methodist denominations. Although in faith and polity Albright and his coworkers were in accord with the Methodists, they distinctly disclaimed being Methodists. From the very beginning they claimed to be "Evan- gelical," as the following from the journal of Rev. George Miller shows "One evening (1805) I put up at the house of a man named Lesher, in Lancaster County, and was lovingly re- ceived. Both in the evening and morning I prayed with them, and as I was about to leave he asked me whether I was not a Methodist preacher. I replied that I was no Methodist preacher, I "Albright and Miller," p. 83. 45 46 A WONDERFUL STORY. 'But you are a preacher,' said he, 'and to what denomination do you belong ?' I replied, 'I am an Bvangelical preacher.' " Thus writes Albright's biographer, two years before the organization of the conference. To illustrate the spirit with which Albright inspired his fol- lowers as to their special duty to evangelize the Germans, we give the following, which also affords an explanation regarding the separate work of the Evangelicals : Father John Dreisbach, the last surviving colleague of Al- bright, records the fact that in 1810 he rode many miles in company with Bishop Asbury and Henry Boehm, as they jour- neyed down the Susquehanna Valley, and that they together so- journed at the house of "Brother Foulk." During this long companionship they thoroughly discussed the question of Church union. Asbury strongly urged the union and made a very favor- able offer to Dreisbach individually. Dreisbach's proposition was that the Evangelicals would come in a body into the Method- ist Church, if they were allowed to continue their distinctive work among the Germans. To this Bishop Asbury replied that it was "impractical," as the German language would soon be extinct. How greatly the good bishop was mistaken, appears in the subsequent history of both denominations. It is a noteworthy fact that although both Asbury and Boehm made record in their respective journals (Aug. 10, 1810), of this journey and their stopping over night at the home of Foulk, neither of them men- tions Dreisbach and the weighty matters discussed. The omis- sion on the part of Asbury can only be explained on the assump- tion that he was opposed to any nativistic deflection of his Church at that time. The good judgment of Dreisbach in this matter was vindicated in the fact that the Methodist Church, as early as 1800, had three young men who preached in the German as well as in the English language. They were Henry Boehm, son of Bishop Boehm, one of the founders of the United Brethren Church, Jacob Gruber, and Peter Beaver, all Pennsylvania Ger- mans.^ In 1803-4, Boehm and Gruber served a Methodist cir- 2 Dreisbach, in "Evangelical Messenger," 1855, p. 26. 3 Rev. Henry Boehm, son of Bishop Martin Boehm, of the United Brethren Church, was born in Lancaster County, Pa., in 1775, and died in RELATION TO METHODISTS AND UNITED BRETHREN. 47 cuit in Eastern Pennsylvania that had thirty preaching places, twenty of which were German appointments.* In addition to all this, there were preaching places where the three evangelistic denominations, Methodist, United Brethren, and Evangelical, served in rotation. This is truly remarkable and shows how little Bishop Asbury, who was born in England, understood the German spirit. Recurring again to the origin of the United Brethren and the Evangelical Churches, in the pietistic and evangelistic movement of the Reformed Church in Pennsylvania, we find a radical dif- ference in the character of their development, which tended to keep the two forces separate, although working in the same field and in much the same manner. This leads us to the considera- tion of a pertinent and vital question: Why did not these two forces join organically? Both denominations suffered alike the reproach and opposition of the old Churches ; they had scores of preaching places in common ; then why not be one denomination- ally? In this instance the disinclination seems to have been on the part of the Evangelicals, since the mention in Bishop New- comer's journal, of his repeated efforts to effect a union with ''The Albright Brethren" clearly indicates the adverse attitude of the latter toward a union. The last of five such efforts made by him was at the first Evangelical General Conference, in 1816, which resulted in the appointment by the conference of a com- mittee to meet a similar one of the United Brethren. This joint commission met February 14, 181 7, but no favorable action re- sulted. The thoughtful reader will naturally wish to know what were these differences which formed the barrier to a union so earnestly sought by the good Bishop Newcomer. This leads us to recur to the origin of both denominations. While the Evangelicals un- doubtedly had their origin in the same movement as the United 1875, aged 100 years. His "Reminiscences" is an interesting book. Jacob Gruber was born in 1778, and died 1850. He was an eccentric man and his autobiography is vastly interesting. Peter Beaver died at New Berlin, Pa., in 1849, aged 67 years. He was the grandfather of Gen. James A. Beaver, governor of Pennsylvania. 4 "Boehm's Reminiscences," p. 106. 48 A WONDERFUL STORY. Brethren, nevertheless each took a different trend at its very be- ginning. While the Reformed evangelists had little to do with the Albright ministry, because it was composed of laymen, yet its constituency was almost wholly Reformed Pietistic. On the other hand, most of the United Brethren ministers, headed by Dr. William Otterbein, had been connected with the Reformed Church. Then, too, there was a large number of both ministers and members who came from the Mennonite Church. It was evidently the influx of this element into the United Brethren Church that so affected its faith and polity as to render a union with the "Albrights" impractical. Passing over the difficulties that acted unfavorably to a union in later years, a consideration of conditions as they existed in the days of Albright, will illumi- nate the question as to why Albright did not, in the beginning of his ministry, connect himself with Riegel, Grosh and the Hersheys, all from his own neighborhood, in their evangelistic work. Although Albright could join with them, as elsewhere shown, in their "Sacramental Meetings" as they called them, there must have been a very serious obstacle to prevent his joining in a movement that on general principles should otherwise have appealed to him. These reasons we now proceed to set forth, and, in order to avoid all imputation of bias against the United Breth- ren Church, we will let the writers of that Church give us what, in our opinion, constituted the points of difficulty. In order to do this we will enumerate three prominent char- acteristics in the ministerial life of Albright, which stand out in clear relief in his personal history and which undoubtedly pre- vented his connection with the United Brethren work. First of all, Albright was a strict doctrinarian and held tena- ciously to the old creed, and in his sermons sought to show how the old Churches had lost sight of the spiritual life of their own stand- ards of faith. The United Brethren, instead of retaining the old creed, as did the Methodists and Albrights, adopted a new one of seven propositions, several of which are doctrinally different from the old confession. How Otterbein, one of the founders, and who professed to remain true to the Heidelberg Catechism, the doc- trinal standard of the Reformed Church, could do so and yet hold to the seventh tenet his following adopted, we cannot under- RELATION TO METHODISTS AND UNITED BRETHREN. 49 stand. This refers especially to the article on the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Will the reader compare Articles XXVII and XXVIII of the Anglican Confession, as adopted by the Methodist and "Albrights," and also Questions 66, 69 and 71 in the Heidelberg Catechism in harmony with them, and the fol- lowing from the United Brethren creed: "We recommend that the outward signs and ordinances, namely, baptism and the re- membrance of the Lord in the distribution of the bread and wine, be observed; also the washing of feet where the same is de- sired."^ This was somewhat but not materially changed in later years. The second prominent trait in the character of Albright was his love of order and discipline. This was an element sadly want- ing in the formative period of the United Brethren movement. On this subject we will let one of their own historians speak: "The early United Brethren came mostly from, other Churches whose polity was essentially non-itinerant, and its itinerant service for a time was chiefly that of evangelistic visitation; the true itinerant feeling and system being not yet developed."® The results of this chaotic condition of affairs is vividly brought out in the following extract from Bishop Newcomer's journal, under date of May 10, 1809 :^ "This day the session of our con- ference convened at Christian Herr's in Lancaster County, and continued till twelve o'clock at night. Different subjects came up for consideration, particularly the case of a closer fellowship with our Methodist brethren. My wish and desire was to have both order and discipline established in our society, and some of my brethren were of opinion that this was unnecessary, and that the Word of God alone was sufficient, and were therefore op- posed to all discipline. I could plainly perceive that this oppo- sition originated in prejudice ; therefore I sincerely and fervently prayed for the illumination of the Holy Spirit. The Lord owned my prayers when I almost despaired of success, and had nearly 5 "History of the Reformed Church in America," by Dr. J. I. Good, pp. 498, S03. Berger's "History of the United Brethren Church," pp. 137, S03, etc. 6 Berger's "History of the United Brethren Church," p. 195. 7 Newcomer's Journal, p. 175. 4 50 A WONDERFUL STORY. determined to leave and withdraw from the Society." Bishop Asbury, of the Methodist Church, who was an intimate friend of Otterbein, thus writes in his journal, on August 2, 1803:^ "I feel and have felt for thirty-two years for Pennsylvania, the most wealthy and the most careless about God; * * * but I hope God will shake the State and Church. There are now up- wards of twenty German preachers somehow connected with Mr. Otterbein and Martin Boehm, but they want authority and the Church wants discipline." The third specific trait in the character of Albright that made him inimical to the movement under consideration, was his churchly spirit and belief in the orderly organization of the spirit- ual people into classes for the purpose of discipline and mutual edification. This is seen in the beginning of his ministry when, as early as 1800, he formed his people into classes, and thereafter in all other places, as soon as there were a sufficient number to effect such organizations. Of this there is abundant proof in the detailed accounts of his work in this volume. Practically the opposite spirit prevailed in the United Brethren Church, as ap- pears from the following: ''The lack of a denominational spirit also worked to the serious injury of the Church even down to a period as late as 1830. The brethren, as already seen, were con- verts from the various German Churches, all of whom were of the straightest sect, against the intolerant sectarian spirit to which they had been accustomed." The reaction of those converts, when they found themselves to be all one in Christ by virtue of the new birth, was so powerful as to push many of them into an opposite direction."^ The United Brethren had no organizations such as the Al- bright brethren had. While Albright enjoined the keeping of records of membership, the United Brethren kept no such records. An effort in their conference to inaugurate class discipline and records was defeated in the session of 1802.^^ Up to the year 1 81 2 all the ministers of the United Brethren Church were un- ordained, with the exception of Dr. Otterbein, and the confer- 8 Bishop Asbury's Journal, Vol. Ill, p. no. 9 Lawrence, "History of the United Brethren Church, Vol. II, p. 24. 10 Berger's "History of the United Brethren Church," p. 171. RELATION TO METHODISTS AND UNITED BRETHREN. 51 ence by vote authorized certain men to administer the ordinances.^^ At the session of 1812 there were twenty ministers so authorized. "Exhorters" were licensed by the annual conference, and their local preachers had an equal voice in the conferences with the itinerants. This latter fact was one of the obstacles in the way of a union in 1817, after some of the earlier objections had disap- peared.^- How this condition of affairs in the United Brethren Church was viewed by others, will be seen in the following ex- tract from the writings of Rev. Henry Boehm, whose father, Bishop Martin Boehm, was one of the founders of the United Brethren Church. He says^^ that in 1799 he accompanied his father on a ministerial tour to Maryland and Virginia, and that at the house of Peter Kemp, in Frederick County, Maryland, he attended a conference at which his father and Rev. William Otterbein were unanimously elected to the office of bishop. His impressions of the conference and how it influenced his future course he gives as follows : "They had at this time but little order or discipline, and what I had seen of the order and dis- cipline of the Methodists at General Conference in Baltimore and at the Philadelphia conference, showed me the vast superiority of the latter, and I made up my mind to enter their itinerancy." The fact that in after years the United Brethren brought order and discipline out of these confused conditions does not affect our statements as to the cause of Albright standing aloof from that movement. We have described the conditions then existing and the reader must be left to draw his own conclusions. 11 Berger's "History of the United Bretliren Church," p. 181. 12 Dreisbach's letter in the "Evangelical Messenger" in 1855. He was a member of this Joint Commission. 13 "Boehm's Reminiscences," p. 56. CHAPTER V. The First Sowing. (1796-1803.) Albright begins his labors — Shafferstown dedication — Barly persecutions — Tours eastern Pennsylvania — Organizes the Walter's, Leeser's, and Phillips' classes — Zimmermans — Jonestown — The first Pentecostal meeting — The Millers and Probsts converted — John Walter a co-laborer — Preaches in Lancaster and Dauphin Counties — Begins his work be- yond the Susquehanna — Remarkable meetings at John Thomas' — The provisional class — First church land given — His second assistant — His ordination. IN the month of October, 1796, Jacob Albright entered the field as an independent evangelist among the Pennsylvania Germans. It is difficult for us to comprehend properly what a sacrifice this step involved on his part. He had a farm and stock that needed care during his absence. His other lucrative occupations had to be relinquished without any compensating income from his min- isterial labors. In addition to these great sacrifices, there awaited him persecutions and the hardships of his itinerant labors that laid the foundation of the sickness that cut short his life in the best years of his career. Prior to 1800 he extended his tours southward into Western Maryland, the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, and Berkeley County in West Virginia. Prior to this date we can find no trace of his labors west of the Susquehanna River, except the fact of his tours.^ In Eastern Pennsylvania, however, we can readily trace his footsteps as he seems to have established a number of well-defined routes long before the above date. The first tangible evidence we have of his ministry was on the occasion of the dedication of a Reformed church at Shafferstown, Pa., on October 8, 1797,^ where he began to preach to an over- 1 See "Albright and Miller," p. 26. 2 For an account of this dedication, see Bishop Newcomer's Journal, p. 32. He was present and preached from Heb. 2 : 3. The date hitherto given in Evangelical publications as 1796, is one year too early. 52 THE FIRST SOWING. 53 flow assembly in the open market shed near the church, but was attacked by a mob and the meeting broken up. After the dedication of the Reformed church, the United Brethren preachers, Newcomer and Gueting, had a service at the home of G. Zentmayer, a prominent member of that church, who was a thorough Pietist, and afterwjards opened his house as a preaching place for Albright.^ In 1799 Albright again preached in the Shafferstown market house during the "cherry fair," a yearly frolic held when cherries were ripe, and was again assaulted by his enemies with almost fatal results, as noted elsewhere. But these meetings were not without good results, for amongst the hearers of Albright were several men who afterward became quite prominent in his work, such as George Becker and Jacob Bricker, with whom we shall meet in another connection. One of the earliest and most fruitful fields of Albright's evangelistic work was the mountainous region north of his birth- place. Only a few miles from his natal home near the Cole- brookdale Iron Works in Berks County, Pa., lived the brothers, Abraham and Joseph Bookwalter, both of whom opened their homes to him in the beginning of his ministry, as did also Alex- ander Jamison. Some miles north of this, near the Hoff Re- formed church, in Herford Township, were the brothers Samuel and Abraham Leeser, also of the first. Turning eastward, a few hours' ride brought him into the Schwenkf elder settlements, at the line of Bucks and Montgomery Counties. Here he had early ac- cess, as w^e shall see. Thence to Rock Hill, three miles east of Quakertown, Bucks County. Here lived Father Peter Walter and his large family, with whom we shall again meet presently. Three miles north of Walter's, in Richland Township, Bucks County, was the home of Charles Bisse. All of those places lay within a distance of twenty miles. From this region his route led about a day's journey beyond the Blue Mountains, in Hamil- ton Township, then Northampton, now Monroe County. Here lived father George Phillips, a Revolutionary soldier, and his 3 This and other facts and incidents were related in 1827 to Rev. Jos. Saylor, by the widow of Mr. Zentmayer, whose home was then still an Evangelical preaching place. 54 A WONDERFUL STORY. two married sons, Jacob and Conrad, and the Riedy, Miller, and Hecht families. Albright's entrance among Schwenkf elders* was on this wise: In Upper Hanover Towinship, Montgomery County, in one of his tours Albright came to the home of a Schwenkfelder whose child was about to be buried, and he accompanied the funeral cortege to the little church where the obsequies were to be held. At the close of the pastor's sermon, Albright asked his permission to speak also, which was granted. His discourse was acceptable to many, and he was given permission to preach re- peatedly, but when, later, opposition was manifested, he ceased to preach in the church. He had however won many friends, and soon a prominent Schwenkfelder, David Shultz, opened his house to him as a place of worship. The seed thus sown, amid much opposition, in after years brought forth a rich harvest. First Pentecostal Meeting. — The first gathering of Albright with any number of his adherents from different places, occurred on this eastern field soon after he began his active work. That such a meeting was held, rests on the authority of Rev. Charles Bisse, one of his first adherents, who was wont to relate that he was one of five who met with Albright for the purpose of prayer and consultation in the beginning of his ministry. It is quite probable that this meeting was held in the home of Father Walter,^ whose house was central to the Leesers, Buchwalters and Bisses, and doubtless they were the ones present. The pur- pose of the meeting was to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the success of the evangelistic work in which Albright 4 Followers of Casper von Schwenkfeld, a contemporary of Martin Luther. 5 Peter Walter was a Revolutionary soldier. His family consisted of four sons and four daughters, as follows: Joseph (1778-1857) ; Rev. John, Albright's first assistant (1781-1818) ; Abraham, a local preacher; Peter; Lena, married a Douglas; Sarah, married J. Hockman ; Christena, mar- ried John Lesher; Rebecca, married G. Baden The three last named moved to Ohio in the early days. Father Walter removed to (now) Mt. Nebo, in Lebanon County, in 1805, and later to Turkey Valley, Juniata County, where he died about 1828. His son. Rev. Abraham Walter, also died there in 1857. THE FIRST SOWING. 55 was engaged. How God honored these prayers will be seen in the success of Albright's work which this book records. The First Classes. — Before we trace the labors of Albright into other regions, we will note the organizations which he ef- fected in this, his field of first sowing. Sometime in iSoo he deemed it expedient to organize into classes those who regarded him as their pastor. Walter's Class. — The first class organized was at the home of Peter Walter, in Rock Hill, Bucks County. He and his wife Margaret, were the parents of a large family, all of them promi- nent in the formative period of the Church. In their home was doubtless held the first Pentecostal meeting, as well as the first class organization. From, this home Albright also secured his first assistant in the person of John Walter, the second son, who, in 1802, at the age of twenty years left the parental home to enter the evangelistic field. We thus see an early fruitage of the Pentecostal meeting. Rev. Charles Bisse, too, was a member of this first class, of whom more is told in another connection. Leeser's Class. — The Leesers^ lived near Barto, in Berks County. There were two brothers of this name, Samuel and Abraham, both members of the Hoff Reformed church, near by. These, with Abraham and Joseph Buchwalter and their families, and Alexander Jamison, were the principal members of the class. Samuel Leeser, the class leader, was a substantial farmer. In his commodious stone house Albright wias ordained. 6 Samuel and Abraham Leeser were sons of Benedict Leeser. Samuel, the class leader, was born 1761, and died 1836. He was a Revolutionary soldier. His brother, Rev. Abraham, was born 1770, and died 1805. Mrs. Anna Leeser, "one of the first members," died 1838, aged 82 years. Abra- ham Buchwalter was born 1761, and died in Ross County, Ohio, 1837. His wife, Barbara, born 1764, also died there, 1868, aged 102 years. Their son John, born 1787, died 1872, was also one of the first, and was licensed to preach in 1812. His wife, Susanna, nee Dreisbach, died 1881. Joseph Buchwalter was born 1767, and died in Ross County, Ohio, 1838. The Buchwalters moved to Ohio in 1820. Jacob Phillips, local preacher, died 1809. In 181 1 Conrad Phillips removed to (now) Winfield, in Union County, to a farm adjoining Father Eyer, where he died 1816. His aged father died there also in 1822. Adam Miller died in Crawford County, Ohio, 1848, aged 81 years. His house was one of the first preaching places of Albright. Barbara Hecht died 1808, leaving a bequest of $100 to the "Albright preachers." This was the first bequest received. 56 A WONDERFUL STORY. Phillips' Class was organized at the home of George Phillips, already named. The leading members of this class were George Phillips, his sons, Conrad and Jacob, Peter and Jacob Riedy, Philip and Adam Miller, all heads of families, also Mrs. Barbara Hecht. In West Penn Township in (now) Schuylkill County, lived Leonard Zimmerman, who had been an officer in the Revolu- tionary War.'^ He and his wife, Sophia, were the parents of a large family. The home of this godly man was opened as early as 1797, as a preaching place for Albright and other evangelistic ministers. His pastor, of the Reformed Church, accompanied by his church official, called upon him and requested him to close his house against "the false prophets," as he called the evangelists. To this Father Zimmerman replied that it was high time that a religious reformation take place in that community, and he did not expect it to come through his "church preacher." Father Zimmerman was a liberal minded man, and, up to the time of his death in 1812, the first German preachers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as well as the Evangelicals, preached at his house. A number of his children were married and heads of families and also opened their homes as preaching places. We will meet them in another chapter. Leonard, the yoimgest son of Father Zimmerman, was licensed as a minister in 181 1. Great revivals took place here at an early day and a class was formed in 1803. Jonestown. — In the vicinity of Jonestown, Lebanon County, Albright gained entrance prior to 1800. The preaching places were at the homes of Ludv^ig Zearing and Adam Faber, promi- nent members of the Reformed Church. The work of the evan- gelists was violently opposed by the old "church people" and on two occasions they were mobbed during their services, but were providentially saved from serious consequences. In 1805 Peter Walter, the first class leader, moved to this place from Bucks County and a class was formed.^ 7 First lieutenant, Second Company, First Battalion, Northampton County Militia (Fifth Series), Vol. VIII, p. 79, Pennsylvania Archives. 8 Vide "Evangelical Annals," pp. 46-48. THE FIRST SOWING. 57 Fishing Creek. — Early in his ministry Albright gained en- trance in Fishing Creek Valley, Dauphin County. We have traced conversions in this place back to 1801.® Among the preach- ing places were the homes of Philip and Benjamin Stroh. The former at an early day removed to Ohio, where he was one of the first members. Here occurred the earliest known baptism by Albright, when in 1803 he baptized Mary Ann, daughter of Benjamin Stroh, who afterwards married George Gipple. As an interesting sequence, George Gipple, who was leader of the Stroh class, in 1852, removed to Iowa, and through him the first Evangelical church was built in that State, at Grandview, in 1857. In his home county of Lancaster, also, Albright undoubtedly preached in the early stages of his ministry. The earliest place we have been able to locate was at the home of Mrs. Anna Thomas, a widow, who lived ini Manof Township. By a former marriage she had two sons, Jacob and John Ripley, and by a second she had David and Christian Thomas. Of these the Ripley brothers and David Thomas became useful Evangelical ministers at an early day. The meetings at the home of Mrs. Thomas date back to 1802 and perhaps earlier. From this place the Evangelical work soon spread in various directions. A great revival took place in this region in 1807, at w\hich time a young man named John Erb was converted, soon afterwards began to preach, and in 1809 entered the regular ministry. Conversion o£ the Miller and Brobst Families. — Sometime during the Revolution, a man named Jacob Miller and his wife, Elisabeth, removed from Pottstown to the vicinity of Reading, in Berks County. Among their children were four sons, George, Solomon, John and Frederick, all of whom were well instructed in the doctrines of the Lutheran Church and became members of the same. In 1798 George Miller, one of the sons, who lived in Bruns- wick Township, in (now) Schuylkill County, attended a service held in his vicinity by Albright. The evangelist preached from 9 Mrs. Hoffman, who died in Ohio in 1863, aged 78 years, was converted here, "under Albright," in 1800. Benjamin Stroh died in 1855, aged 84 years. Mary Ann Gipple, his daughter, who was baptized by Albright, died at Grandview, Iowa, in 1891, aged 88 years. A WONDERFUL STORY. the words "Behold I set before you the way of life and the way of death" (Jer. 21:8). The sermon deeply impressed Miller and produced a penitential frame of mind in him. He did not, however, at that time find the desired peace. In 1800 he married Magdalena Brobst, daughter of a wealthy iron master. In 1802 he was visited by Albright, who remained during the night, and the following day they went together a distance of ten miles to Leonard Zimmerman's, where Albright had services. During this meeting Miller was brought into the clear experience of saving grace. His brother, Solomon, who also lived in this locality, was passing through a similar penitential struggle as the result of Albright's preaching. In the fall of this year the two brothers attended a ''general meeting" at the Phillips ap- pointment, over twenty miles distant, where for the first time they heard the young and eloquent John Walter, who preached with wonderful power. The faith of the Millers was greatly strengthened and thereafter they both opened their homes as preaching places for Albright. On Easter Day, 1803, Albright held a "general meeting" at Solomon Miller's, where he preached with such extraordinary power that many were overcome by a sense of sin and cried aloud for mercy, while others fled from the house in consterna- tion. We will again touch on the far-reaching results of this meeting, after a brief digression. Some miles south of the Millers, in Albany Township, Berks County, was situated the Union Iron Works, consisting of a blast furnace and two forges. The proprietor was Michael Brobst, a man of wealth who had seen much service as an officer in the Revolution.^^ This man, at the time we notice him, was old, and his children were heads of families. Two of his daughters, Magdalena and Maria, were married to the brothers George and Solomon Miller, respectively, and both of them with their hus- bands were converted under the preaching of Albright, as nar- rated. Colonel Brobst had two sons, John and Michael, Jr., who were associated with their father in business. These brothers 10 He entered as captain in 1776, and arose by promotion to commander of his battalion (colonel) at the close of the war. See Pennsylvania Archives (Fifth Series), Vol. VIII. THE FIRST SOWING. 59 with their wives were also converted at the Easter meeting men- tioned. Colonel Brobst was a religious paradox. His house became a preaching place for Albright and his co-laborers/^ and yet he sought to kill his son-in-law, George Miller, for being a minister. The home of his son, John Brobst, also, was a preaching place and a noted place for meetings. As a result of the Easter meeting (1803) at Solomon Miller's a class was formed immediately thereafter and George Miller was appointed leader. We now turn our attention to another locality where Albright gained access in the early part of his ministry. About ten miles southwest of the Union Iron Works is the town of Hamburg, on the Schuylkill River, and immediately west of this is Bern Township, in Berks County. At Hamburg Albright preached as early as 1801, at the home of a man named Diehl. In Bern Township the preaching places were the homes of John Miller, a brother of George and Solomon; Valentine Brobst, Jacob Kline, and P. Dundore. Frederick Miller, the youngest son of the Miller brothers, w&s also one of the early converts. Later he removed to Lehigh County where he died in 1854, leaving a large estate to the Evangelical Association. A class was formed in Bern in 1805. In Lynn Township, Lehigh County, Albright also gained open doors at the homes of George Custer and Sol. W. Frederick, soon after 1800. In 1842 the widow of Custer died, leaving a substantial bequest^^ to the Evangelical Associa- tion. Trans-Susquehanna. — As previously noted, no definite traces of Albright's work west of the Susquehanna River appear prior to 1800. Soon after that date, however, we find him following in the wake of the United Brethren pioneers who before the above date had visited many localities in Perry, Juniata, Snyder, Union, and Centre Counties.^^ In this connection it must be re- membered that the Methodist, the Otterbein, and the Albright evangelists had many preaching places in common. Most of the churches were closed against them and they therefore held their 11 Vide "Albright and Miller," p. 97. 12 Vide "Evangelical Annals," p. 96, for an account of the legacies. 13 Vide Newcomer's Journal, p. 75. 6o A WONDERFUL STORY. services in houses and barns, the owners of which permitted all evangelists to hold meetings. Many "big meetings" were held jointly, as appears in the journals of the evangelists that have been preserved. It will be our purpose in this connection to trace the beginnings of Albright's work in the regions under con- sideration. From the journal of Bishop Newcomer, of the United Breth- ren Church, we note that he preached at the homes of Abraham Eyer, Martin Dreisbach, Jr., John Aurand, Sr., and John Rank, Sr., in Union County; John Rough, in Juniata County; John Walter, Sr., in Snyder County, and J. Steffy, in Centre County, as early as 1800, and as all the foregoing homes are known to have been preaching places of Albright a few years later, it is a fair presumption that these places were included in his itinerary some years earlier. The Thomas Class. — Soon after 1800, Albright gained en- trance in a community in Decatur Township, Mifflin County. Their pastor was a drunkard and the moral condition of the place was deplorable in the extreme. The principal men who received Albright into their homes were John Thomas^* and David Herpster, Sr. Both had been soldiers of the Revolu- tion, the former an officer, and had removed to this locality from near Shafferstown, Lebanon County. Both Thomas and Herp- ster were well advanced in life, and their children mostly mar- 14 John Thomas was a grandson of Durst Thomas, who came from Germany in 1736, and was one of the first settlers at Shafferstown, in Lebanon County. In 1767 John Thomas was married to Anna Mary Reiss, of Mill Creek, with whom he reared a large family. He was a lieutenant in Colonel Greenawalt's First Battalion, Lancaster County Militia, in the Revolution, Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. VII (Fifth Series). Their family of ten children with their families, so far as known, all became members of the Church under Albright. They were Barbara, bom 1771, married John Harpster; Catharine, married George Harpster, and died at Carey, Ohio, 1854, aged 80 years; Susan, married Fred Harpster; Margaret, born 1783, married Jacob Treas; Elisabeth, married John Lauzer; John (Rev.), born 1785; Mary, married Jacob Reber; , Mrs. Isaac Gill; and George, and Mrs. Fred Wales. Andrew Wender also was a Revolu- tionary soldier. He died in Ohio in 1846, aged 83 years. His sons, Mathias and Daniel, were Evangelical preachers. The latter died in 1887, at Blue Springs, Neb., aged 96 years. THE FIRST SOWING. 6l ried and heads of families. Andrew Wonder, who had lately moved hither from York County, also opened his home as a preaching place. Albright's adherents numbered near a dozen families and constituted the strongest local constituency in his entire work. In the fall of 1802, Albright and his assistant, John Walter, held a general meeting in the orchard of Thomas. This was the second meeting of the kind in his ministry, and being a novelty in this community, it attracted great crowds of people. On Sun- day morning Albright preached from the words, "I am the Light of the world" (Jno. 7: 12). The sermon had a wonderful ef- fect ; many persons were converted, and the work spread to other places. The following June (1803), a similar meeting was held by the same evangelists at the same place which was even more successful. Following these meetings the converted people formed themselves into a class for mutual edification, in 1803. This class (now Lauver's class), has had a continuous existence ever since, and is the oldest organization in the entire Evangelical connection. Not only is the Lauver class the oldest, but the church in which it worships represents the oldest realty in our connection. In 1812 Father Thomas sold part of his farm to his son. Rev. John Thomas, in the deed of which he describes one of the bounds as being ''my church land," thus showing that he had previously dedicated land for Church purposes. Father Thomas died in 1813, and was buried on his "church land," his son John being the officiating minister. About ten years later, his wife also died and was buried by his side. Many years after the death of Father Thomas, his grandson, the late Jacob Lauver, by deed of gift carried out the design of the patriarch and con- veyed the "church land" legally to the society. The officers of this first class (1803), were Frederick Herpster, leader, and Isaac Gill, assistant, both sons-in-law of Father Thomas. John Thomas, the son, was made a local preacher by Albright in 1807, as also Frederick Herpster, near the same time. Between 1822 and 1826 the Wonder family, Rev. John Thomas, and all the sons-in-law of Father Thomas, with the exception of Jacob 62 A WONDERFUL STORY. Lauver, removed to Ohio, where the descendants have borne a conspicuous part in building up the Evangelical work. In Pfoutz Valley, Juniata County, Albright and Walter are also known to have conducted meetings as early as 1803. Here was a Reformed church and a small congregation much neglected as already noted. Bishop Newcomer preached here in 1800. at the house of John Rough, but nothing definite was accomplished until the advent of Albright. The preaching places were at the homes of John Rough and J. Diehl. Conversions occurred here under Albright and Walter in 1803, and ere the close of the year the ''praying people" were organized into a class. Ordination of Albright. — The year 1803 closed with the most important event in the ministerial career of Albright. He had now labored seven full years in the gospel ministry. He had es- tablished many regular preaching places, and many people re- garded him as their spiritual guide. Besides this, God had given him two helpers in the work to which he was called. Notwith- standing all this, he had no ministerial standing, for the reason that he was not ordained. In another connection we discuss his peculiar relations to his contemporaries, and the probable reasons why he did not seek ordination through one of the old denomina- tions. Be that as it may, the time had come when his adherents decided to place the seal of their approval on his ministry by ordination. It would be interesting to know^ who took the initia- tive in this matter and issued the call, but the records are silent and we are left to speculation. On November 3, 1803, Albright and his assistants. Walter and Leeser, and fourteen of his principal laymen, assembled at the home of Samuel Leeser, in Berks County, to confer on their chief pastor an ecclesiastical status as they understood it. While 15 The St. Tames' Evangelical church, about six miles northwest of Liverpool, Pa., now represents this old class. John Rough died in 1846, aged 70 3'ears. His wife died near Berrean Springs, Mich., whither his son. John Rough, Jr., had removed. Father Rough bequeathed $200 to the Evangelical Charitable Society. Mrs. Diehl died 1858, aged 93 years. Mrs. Julianna Fr>' died in 1857. aged 88 years. In the obituaries of all these people their relation to Albright and the early Evangelical work is stated. THE FIRST SOWING. 63 they were unable to place him in the line of the "apostolic suc- cession," so called, they were nevertheless following the example of other pious believers, whose action the great Head of the Church approved, as is shown by subsequent results. Those pres- ent, besides the two ministers, Walter and Leaser and their host, were Peter Walter, father of Rev. John Walter; Charles Bisse; George Phillips and his sons, Jacob and Con- rad; Adam Miller and Jacob Riedy, the latter five from the Phillips class ; the brothers George and Solomon Miller, Chris- tian and Michael Brobst, from the Miller class, and Solomon W. Fredreci, of Lehigh County. All the classes were represented. The assembly was in session several days and acted in a legis- lative capacity. They transacted the following business : (1) They declared themselves an ecclesiastical organization, and adopted the Holy Scriptures as their guide and rule of faith. (2) They declared Jacob Albright a minister of the gospel, in the full sense of the word, and recognized him as their teacher and overseer. (3) He was solemnly ordained as such by his assistants, Walter and Leeser. (4) He was then given a certificate signed by all present as follows : Prom the Elders and Brethren of His Society of Evangelical Friends: We the undersigned Evangelical and Christian friends, de- clare and recognize Jacob Albright as a genuine {'Wahrhaf- tigen") Evangelical preacher in word and deed, and a believer in the Universal Christian Church and the communion of saints. This testify zve as brethren and elders of his Society. (Gemeinde.) Given in the State of Pennsylvania, Nov. 5, 180^. The certificate was signed by the two ministers who ordained him, and the fourteen ''Brethren and Elders." In closing this period we see how God blessed the work of Albright in the conversion of many souls. Five classes had been organized, namely, Walter's, Leeser's, Phillips', Zimmerman's and Miller's, besides the provisional classes west of the Sus- quehanna River. General meetings had been introduced and had 64 A WONDERFUL STORY. been held as follows: The first at Leesers' in June, 1802; the second at Thomas' in the autumn of the same year ; the third a few weeks later at Conrad Phillips', the fourth at Solomon Miller's over Easter, 1803, and another at Thomas' after harvest of the same year. These meetings were held over Saturday and Sunday, and were generally attended by the ministers and laity from far and near. TRKSKNT APPEARANCE (1917) OE "OLD ST. ELIAS" CHURCH AT MlEEEIN- BURG, PA., IN WHICH ALBRIGHT AND COWORKERS FREQUENTLY PREACHED. TT WAS HERE HE PREACHED 'J'llE GREAT SERMON DESCRIBED BY EAT HER RANK. CHAPTER VI. The Widening Field. Alexander Jamison — Division of the work — Northumberland Circuit — Barly preaching places — A year of great trial — Miller's successful labors — Forms many new classes — The Millbach and Cocalico — Re- markable incidents at New Berlin — The opened door — Far-reaching re- sults — Preaching in "The State House" at York — The work in Virginia — Maryland — Trans- A llegheny. THE work was now divided into two circuits. The new field was called Northumberland, being mostly embraced in a county of that name, which was later divided into many others. John Walter and Alexander Jamison were appointed to this new charge. Their field of labor lay in the present counties of Perry, Juniata, Snyder, Mifflin, Union, and Centre, most of which were formed out of Northumberland County. Besides this region, they also preached beyond the Allegheny Mountains, in Bed- ford and Somerset Counties. Before considering the spread of the Evangelical work in gen- eral, we will enumerate the preaching places on the new field, omitting those in the western part of the state, which will be considered later. We do this in order to show what Albright, almost single-handed, had accomplished before the formation of the circuit, and also for the reason that the reader will note, later on, that almost every home where preaching was maintained be- came a centre of Evangelical influence and wlhere classes were subsequently formed. In this we see how God honored the piet-^ and devotion of the families who were willing to dedicate their home as sanctuaries and suffer reproach and persecution for the sake of the gospel. We will now take a survey of the field by accompanying one of the evangelists on one of his rounds on the eastern end of his circuit, in 1804. Coming from the old, we reach the new circuit at John Rough's, in Pfoutz Valley, Juniata County, which we 5 65 66 A WONDERFUL STORY. have already considered. We may here note that the Evangelical work has continued at this place since 1802 and has spread far and wide. Continuing northward about fifteen miles, w'e reach the home of John Swartz, in Chapman Township, Snyder County. Then northwest to John Walter, Sr., on Middle Creek, whose home was a preaching place for Bishop Newcomer prior to 1800. Still farther westward, on Black Oak Ridge, lived William Becker, a Revolutionary soldier, who met Albright at the great meetings at Father Thomas' in 1802.^ At Freeburg lived Charles Straub, and several miles from him was the home of Henry Smith. Then there were preaching places at the Beaver Dam ('Beaver Springs), whither the work had spread from the Thomas appointment, which was an hour's ride west of this. Having already noted the latter place, we now return east to the Susquehanna River. At Winfield, Union County, we reach the home of Abraham Eyer, where the evangelists preached as early as 1800. We now proceed westward up Dry Valley about six miles, and reach the home of Michael Maize, who with his widowed mother and several brothers had moved hither from Shafferstown. Two miles farther on w)as New Berlin, later the county seat of Union County, and for nearly half a century the headquarters of the Evangelical Association. Here we turn northward and cross the Shamokin M;ountain into Buffalo Valley and soon reach the Dreisbach church. This vicinity was the most important place in the early history of the Evangelical Association. The first preaching places — some doubtless before the formation of the circuit — were at the homes of Martin Dreisbach, Jr.; John Aurand, and his sons. Rev. Dietrick and John ; Philip Hoy and George Wendel Wolf. Westward a few miles lived Elias Youngman, the founder of Youngmanstown, now Mifflinburg. Prior to 1800, Youngman built the St. Elias Reformed church which was open to all evangelists. In this old landmark (still standing). Bishop Newcomer, Albright, and many others fre- quently preached. I Vide "Flashlights on Evangelical History," by the present author, for an interesting account of "Squire" Becker. THE WIDENING FIELD. 67 We now return to the river at New Columbia, about ten miles from Mifflinburg. Here lived John Rank, Sr., who had moved hither from Lancaster County where he had lived neighbor to Albright. Bishop Newcomer preached in his house here in 1800. In the house of Rank and his neighbor Jacob Hoch (now High), Albright and colleagues preached before the formation of the new circuit. This was the most northern appointment on the charge. We now retrace our steps through Buffalo Valley. Going westward a full day's journey, we reach the east end of Penns Valley, Centre County. Here at Woodward, were several preach- ing places. We first note Captain Michael Motz, who had ren- dered such valuable service in the Revolution in defending the frontiers against the Indians.- It is an interesting fact that four daughters of Captain Motz married four brothers named Wise, as follows : Eve, Susan, Catharine, and Rebecca married John, George, Jacob, and Conrad Wise, respectively. All these are said to have been early Evangelicals. Bishop Newcomer and his associates found entrance with Captain Motz in 1800, and without doubt Albright also. Captain Motz never left his Church, but his family were prominent in the early days of the Evangelical Association. The house of John Wise, his son-in- law, was the chief preaching place of the Albrights from 1802 to his death in 1844. From Woodward we go Westward up Penns Valley ten miles, to Millheim. Here we reach the house of George Swartz. Con- tinuing our journey, an hour's ride brings us to the home of Abraham Ream. His house was a preaching place in 1802. In 1803 Albright baptized Ream's son, Michael. We push on to the home of John StejEfy, near the present town of Lemont. Here Newcomer and other evangelists preached as early as 1800. It was in this home that Rev. Matthias Betz, the spiritual father 2 Captain Motz commanded Eighth Company, Third Battalion, Northum- berland Militia (Pennsylvania Archives, Fifth Series, Vol. VIII. p. 654). He was born 1738, in Berks County, and before the Revolution, with his brothers, George and John, removed to (now) Snyder County. Captain Motz died in 1823. The Motz family Bible, brought with them from Ger- many, in 1731, is in possession of the author of this work. 68 A WONDERFUL STORY. of Bishop Seybert, died in 1813. This was the west end of this part of the circuit. From here the evangehsts could go south over the Seven Mountains, or westward over the Alleghenies to Morrison's Cove, Bedford County, and Wills Creek, near Cum- berland, Maryland, over a hundred miles distant, all of which was part of the new circuit. The year 1804 seems to have been a season of great hardship and trial for Albright and his coworkers. We learn of no re- vivals or ingatherings. ''They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy" (Ps. 126:5), is a promise abundantly realized, however, in the crowning success of the following year. With the year 1805 a new era opened in the work of Albright. The ranks of his little ministerial band were weakened by the re- tirement of Abraham Leaser during the winter. This faithful man of God had broken his health in his few: itinerant years, and passed to his reward during the summer of 1805. Great as was this loss to the work, it was fully compensated by the appearance on the field of one destined to be the strongest factor in the min- istry of Albright, as also his immediate successor. The new accession was George Miller, one of the notable trophies of Al- bright's early ministry. In a previous chapter the reader will note the part this brother took in the formulative period of the work. He was the best equipped for the ministry of any hitherto engaged. Miller's Successful Labors. — In the month of April, 1805, Miller was assigned by Albright to labor in Lancaster, Lebanon, and Dauphin Counties. As may be seen in a previous connection, the Evangelical work was already established in this region, but no organizations had been effected. Soon after Miller's appoint- ment occurred an incident of far-reaching importance. In West Cocalico Township, Lancaster County, near the line of Lebanon, he was entertained by Father Lesher and was given permission to preach in his house. This was only a few miles from the Reformed church on the Muehlbach (Mill Creek), where the Leshers, Brickers, Beckers,^ Lefflers, and others who after- 3 The Beckers were the children of John George Becker, who setded in the Muehlbach prior to 1740. He died prior to 1800, aged 92 years. In 1767 he built a large stone mansion, still standing in good condition. THE WIDENING FIELD. 69 wards became Evangelical pillars, were members. Some of these people attended the services of Miller at Lesher's, with the result that a great work of grace was begun in this community. The Beckers, especially, were well-to-do and of high standing in their church, Samuel being a deacon. The revival that at- tended this work was the most extensive that had hitherto oc- curred in the Albright Connection, and a class was organized, including the following heads of families : John Lesher and his family; the brothers George, Samuel, John Jacob, Frederick, and Michael Becker, all heads of families; also John Leffler and wife, Julianna; Fred Kissinger and wife, Barbara; Mrs. Leffler and Mrs. Kissinger were sisters to the Beckers, also Christena Becker, another sister, who later married Rev. John Walter, Albright's first assistant ; then also Jacob Gleim, Jacob Bricker, John Grumbein, and the Zentmayer family from the vicinity of Shafferstown some miles west. Of the foregoing, Michael Becker lived in Dauphin, and John Jacob Becker in York County, where their homes became centres of Evan- gelical influence. In Cocalico, Lancaster County, and not far from Father Lesher, lived the Wengers. Several of this name opened their homes as preaching places. On one occasion, as Al- bright preached in the house of John Wenger the floor gave way because of the great crowd. In the vicinity of Lebanon, Miller preached at the homes of Jacob and Henry Eby. At the home of the latter the first formal ordination took place, in 1809;* also preached on the streets of Lebanon, but without any immediate success. He also organized a class in Bern Township, Berks County, where the work was begun several years previous. Likewise at Jonestown and Fish- ing Creek Valley, where Albright had sown the good seed of the gospel. In this house Albright held his first conference in 1807. Samuel Becker was killed in 1809; Michael Becker, of Dauphin County, died 1818; John Jacob, of York County, was born 1757, died 1822; George, at whose house Albright died, was born 1767, died 1855; Frederick, the youngest son, died in Ohio. Jacob Bricker died 1840, aged 73 years. Jacob Gleim died 1837, aged 71 years. John Grumbein died 1868, aged 90 years. 4 Vide, "Evangelical Annals," p. 45. 70 A WONDERFUL STORY. In the fall of this year a great general meeting was held at Michael Becker's, in Hanover Township, Dauphin County, at- tended by Albright, Walter, and Miller. The meetings were held in the orchard, and were attended by great multitudes. Al- bright and Walter preached with great power and many con- versions occurred. Here Miller also formed a class. During this year Jamison was employed in the eastern part of the work and Walter on the new circuit, while Albright had the super- vision of the whole and consequently labored harder than any of the others. We have already noted Albright's beginnings in Penns Val- ley, Centre County. In 1805 occurred a most important event at Millheim, in the heart of that valley. Many new homes were opened for the preaching of the gospel. Hitherto Albright had preached near the town, but now a Methodist brother in the town, Paul Bachman, opened his doors to the evangelists. Some miles north of Millheim, in Brush Valley, lived a well- to-do man named Christopher Spangler. Meeting him one day, Bachman invited him to come over to his house and hear Al- bright preach. At the time appointed Spangler went to the service and was so well pleased that he invited Albright to come over to Brush Valley and preach at his house. He had just com- pleted a large stone mansion, which is still standing. This fine home now became an Evangelical sanctuary, and the work spread in all directions. The Open Door at New Berlin. — In the spring of this year (1805), Albright, in company with Walter and Miller, held a number of big meetings on the new circuit. The places visited Were Penns, Buffalo, and Dry Valleys. One of the meetings was held in the St. Elias church, at Mifflinburg, where Albright preached with extraordinary power, as narrated in another con- nection. On the Monday following this meeting the evangelists dined at the house of Michael Maize, near New Berlin. During this visit Albright requested Maize to secure the school house at New Berlin for Walter to preach in. Permission was secured and Walter preached there for some time unmolested. Opposi- tion, however, broke out, and late in the fall, upon the arrival of Walter to fill his appointment, he found the door barred against THE WIDENING FIELD. 71 him. The evening vvas cahn and beautiful, and the moon shin- ing brightly. The concourse of people was large, from the fact that it was known that the door would be closed against Walter. The undaunted evangelist, however, took a position on a large, flat stone that served as a step to the entrance. Mr. Maize was by his side, and on the stone sat his wife, Barbara, holding her six months' old babe in her arms. Their daughter, Barbara, five years of age, also sat by her side. Walter opened the service in regular form, with song and prayer, after which he delivered an address of marvellous eloquence and power. In the midst of an eloquent outburst he exclaimed, ''God has opened for Himself a door in New Berlim, and He will build up His work here in spite of the opposition of hell and wicked men." As he said this the people w'ere startled to hear a clanging sound inside, and to see the door, which had been secured within by a cross bar, flung open as by hands unseen. This account the author first heard in his youth, from the lips of aged ministers, but gave it little cre- dence. But in 1868 he formed the acquaintance of her who^ had been present as a babe held in her mother's arms, and who was then the widow of Rev. James Barber, an Evangelical minister ; also her older sister, Barbara, then the wife of the venerable John Rank, Esq. From the latter as an eye witness the facts relating to the meeting in St. Elias church were obtained and from his companion were obtained the facts relating to the visit of the evangelists at her father's house, and also the incident of the opening door. The author also met several other persons who were present at the time of the strange occurrence. All the old ministers and members regarded it as miraculous. The reader may draw^ his own conclusions, with the following in- dubitable facts to help him : The prophecy of the evangelist was literally and directly ful- filled, (i) The sermon was followed by a revival and a class was formed in less than a year. (2) The first church edifice of Albright's following was erected in 181 6 within a short distance of where that sermon was preached. (3) The first Publishing House of the denomination was started there in 181 5, and re- mained until 1854, when it was removed to Cleveland, Ohio. (4) Der Christliche Botschafter, the German organ of the 72 A WONDERFUL STORY. Church, was first printed in this establishment (1836-1854), and later attained the largest circulation of any German religious periodical in the world. (5) The General Missionary Society of the Church was organized within an hour's ride of that place in 1836. (6) Union Seminary (later enlarged to Central Penn- sylvania College), the first permanent institution of learning of the Church, was founded there in 1854. Not the least re- markable is the additional fact, that the little babe which her mother clutched to her bosom as she sprang to her feet when the door of the school house flew open, lived to see all these great providential unfoldings, and after sharing for nearly half a cen- tury the hardships of an Evangelical itinerant preacher, educated her younger children in this first seminary, and in death was laid to rest quite near her parents. Thus we see that New Berlin was for nearly half a century the headquarters of the Evangelical Association, and the manner in which the prophecy of the evangelist was fulfilled, must ever re- main a marvel and a theme of thanksgiving and praise to all who read the history of the Church. The Franklin Circuit. — Although this circuit was not formed until 1810, it was nevertheless considered a separate field as early as 1807, when Rev. Jacob Fry was sent to serve it, but who after a few months' service, was silenced by Albright for a misde- meanor. The name "Franklin" was derived from Franklin County, in which some of the most important appointments were located. It embraced all the Evangelical work west of the Sus- quehanna River and south of the Juniata River, westward into Maryland and Virginia. The foundations of this work were laid by Albright prior to 1800, but developed more slowly than any other part of his great field. As we take a survey of this field we note that all the places named, save one, are still Evangelical, notably York and Johns- town, which places are Evangelical strongholds. Beginning in the East, we note York County, which now has more Evangelical churches than any other in the entire connection. In Windsor Township Albright and colleagues preached at the home of John Jacob Becker, who, as we have seen, was a member of the fam- ily of that name in Lebanon County. At Frysville, near Becker's, THE WIDENING FIELD. 73 was another preaching place where a class was formed in 1810. West of this they preached in the court house at York, the county seat. This was a historic building. It was there that the Conti- nental Congress reassembled when it fled from Philadelphia, dur- ing the British invasion in 1777 and 1778. Some of the greatest events in the history of the Revolution occurred in this edifice. It is a noteworthy fact that the Evangelical preachers continued to preach in this town over thirty years without an organization. There are now (1917) eight Evangelical churches in the place. Northwest of York, in the vicinity of Mount Royal, Walter had a great revival in 1810. We regard it certain, for many reasons, that Jacob Albright also preached in this region. Here lived the Rev. Adam Ettinger,^ a Reformed evangelist and asso- ciate of Rev. Anthony Houtz, under whose preaching Albright was converted, and Rev. William Otterbein, founder of the United Brethren Church. Ettinger never withdrew from the Reformed Church, but was considered a leader in the evangelistic movement with which both the work of Otterbein and Albright stood so vitally connected, and from which much of their follow- ing was subsequently gathered. As early as 1800 the "Roller" school house near Ettinger's, and the home of Christian Myers, near the Conewago, were centres of evangelistic influence. At the home of the latter, Bishop Newcomer preached in 1800, and John Walter, Al- bright's assistant, soon afterwards. Myers early identified him- self with the work of the Evangelicals, and it was here that the widow of Rev. Adam Ettinger and her son, Adam, Jr., identified themselves with the Evangelicals in 1810. 5 Rev. Adam Ettinger was born Nov. 19, 1760, and died July 26, 1809. For some years he had a regular charge of the Reformed Church, but ow- ing to his evangehstic work, which his denomination at that day failed to conserve properly, the fruits of his labors were gathered by others. His wife, Anna, a sister to Rev. J. Stouch, a noted I^utheran missionary and evangelist, was a woman of great intelligence and piety. She and her en- tire family became Evangelicals in 1810. She died 1842, aged 76 years. Two of their sons became Evangelical preachers — Adam, Jr., and Benja- min, both in 1816. Adam was a very learned man, and was the first editor of "Der Christliche Botschafter." He died in York, Pa., in 1877, aged 90 years. He was the grandfather of Rev. Jesse Ettinger, of the Central Pa. Conference. 74 A WONDERFUL STORY. Due west of Mount Royal about twenty-five miles, at Benders- ville, Adams County, was an early Evangelical centre where a class was formed in 1811. Crossing the South Mountain from this point, the Cumber- land Valley is reached. Here, near the line of Cumberland and Franklin Counties, is a place once known as "The Pines." This was an Evangelical preaching place in 1803, and doubtless earlier. The chief preaching place was at Abraham Buchman's. Also the families Kanaga, Vandersall, and Helm. A class was formed here in 181 1, which was strong and influential. Over thirty miles southwest from The Pines is Little Cove, in Franklin County, near Mercersburg. Here all our first Evan- gelical preachers held forth at the house of George Eisenberger, whose son, John, became an Evangelical minister in 1821. This is the only place mentioned on the old Franklin Circuit where the Evangelical work has ceased. Proceeding southward to the border of Franklin County, and extending into Maryland, we reach a settlement of people who had come thither from Lancaster and Lebanon Counties. Among them were the brothers Jacob and Joseph Wenger and their brother-in-law, Henry Kummler; also Leonard Middlekauff and J. Strock, and others. Some of these people had been ac- quainted with Albright before their removal hither. Bishop Newcomer held big meetings at Middlekauff's in 1802 and later. It seems that both the Evangelicals and United Brethren held meetings here in common. In 1810 an Evangelical class was formed here, and the United Brethren evidently lost their hold in the community because of their opposition to organization, as elsewhere stated. At the house of Henry Kummler there was held in 1817, the ''Social Conference," composed of delegates from both the Ejvangelicals and the United Brethren, to efifect a union of the two denominations.*^ Henry Kummler later removed to Ohio and was made a Bishop of the United Brethren Church. About fifteen miles south of this locality (State line), our early evangelists crossed the Potomac River into (Old) Virginia and pushed up the Shenandoah Valley. Long before the Civil War 6 See "Evangelical Annals," p. 172 THE WIDENING FIELD. 75 there were many Evangelical fields of labor established in that state, but owing to the anti-slavery tenets of the Evangelical Association, the work was almost wholly destroyed by that con- flict. Only one of the original preaching places abides — the Snyder appointment, a few miles from Cherry Run, West Vir- ginia. Here Albright and co-laborers are known to have preached at the home of G. Snyder, in 1806. Crossing the Blue Mountains we reach Bedford County, Pa. In Morrison's Cove, in this county, was a large settlement of Germans from the eastern part of the state. In this region Al- bright and his associates gained entrance prior to 1804. The appointments were near the present town of New Enterprise, at the homes of George and Jacob Stull, Henry Schnebley, George Kring, J. Lyons, and Philip Muhleisen (now Milliron). South of this, on Wills Creek, near Hyndman, they preached at the home of John Wilhelm. George Miller, who was appointed to the New (Northumberland) Circuit in 1806, says in his journal that he left the work in Morrison's Cove unsupplied, be- cause of its distance. The work was nevertheless continued by Albright and Walter. About 1806 George Kring and Jacob Stull moved westward across the mountains into Cambria County. Kring located at Elton, about ten miles east of Johnstown, and Stull located about three miles away. They were visited this same year by the Evangelical preachers and the locality has been Evangelical ground ever since.''' In 1807 John Walter took up an appointment at the house of Nicholas Varner, on the Frankstown road, four miles east of Johnstown. In 1807 Albright spent some time in this region, preaching at Kring's, StuU's, and Varner's. During this tour he also visited Peter Levergood, the founder of Johnstown. In concluding this general survey of the evangelistic field of Rev. Jacob Albright and his coworkers, we are impressed with its vast extent. Almost daily in the saddle, from morning till night ; 7 George Kring died in 1844, aged 78 years; his son, Conrad Kring, born 1800, died 1887, entered the Evangelical ministry in 1823. Jacob Stull was the grandfather of Rev. John Stull, many years a prominent member of the Ohio Conference. 76 A WONDERFUL STORY. fording streams and rivers at all seasons ; preaching at night to crowded houses is it any wonder that Albright and his colleagues, Leeser, Miller and Walter, all died of consumption in the prime of life? The Breitenstein Class. — During the period under considera- tion (1804-1805), Albright and his associates also gained en- trance in other places not noted hitherto, where organizations were effected subsequently. In the early part of his ministry Albright formed the acquaintance of Philip Breitenstein,® a prominent man who lived near Adamstown, Lancaster County, Soon after 1800 Breitenstein purchased a farm three miles south- west of Lebanon, to which he removed. In 1805 Albright was given permission to preach in his house, but Breitenstein did not give his personal adherence to> the cause of the evangelist for several years. About this same time appointments were taken up at the homes of Jacob and Henry Eby and Samuel Bein, who lived in the same vicinity. A class was formed here in 1808, which for over a half century was called the Breitenstein class. Several events of great moment to the work of Albright occurred in this class. In April, 1809, at the second conference, the ordination of a number of ministers was agreed upon, but was deferred for vari- ous reasons, which made the holding of a mid-year semi-official meeting necessary. At the aforenamed conference George Mil- ler, the successor of Albright, had presented for approval the text of the first book of Discipline which he had prepared. The conference adopted it and directed Miller to publish it. In the summer of 1809 a general meeting was held at the house of Henry Eby, near Lebanon, which was attended by all the min- isters in the traveling connection. The book of Discipline was now printed and ready for delivery. More important than all else, the deferred work of the conference was completed by or- 8 For an interesting account of the Breitenstein family, see "Evangelical Annals," p. 42. Philip Breitenstein was born 1764, and died 1838; he was a local preacher many years ; his son, John Breitenstein, was born 1795, and died 1878; he entered the active ministry in 1818. Jacob Eby died in 1838, aged 64 years; Henry Eby died 1863, aged 81 years; Samuel Bien died in Ohio, in 1852, aged 78 years. THE WIDENING FIELD. 77 daining to the office of elder, George Miller, John Walter, and John Dreisbach. This was the first formal ordination in the Evangelical denomination. Besides this important event, the Breitenstein class had the honor of having the third Evangelical camp-meeting within its bounds in June, 1811, at Breitenstein's. The Evangelical work spread considerably at other points of the old circuit. On the Conestoga, in Lancaster County, preach- ing w'as established at the homes of Philip Herman, Henry Wertz, and also in Manor Township in the homes of David Williams and Henry Manderbach. At Mt. Joy, Samuel Lehn^ opened his home in 1804, where a class was formed prior to 1808. In 1809 John Seybert,^^ who became the first bishop of the Evan- gelical Association, was class leader. Near the present town of Orwigsburg, in Schuylkill County, lived George Orwig," a pious member of the Reformed Church, who opened his home as a preaching place for Albright. In 181 1 he removed to Buffalo Valley, Union County. His descendants became prominent in the Evangelical Church, especially Rev. W. W. Orwig, as editor, author and bishop. In Lower Mahantongo Valley, west of Orwigsburg, Albright established a preaching place at John Haldeman's. 9 Samuel Lehn died in 1854, aged 82 years ; his son, Rev. Michael Lehn, was for many years a prominent minister of the Church. ID Rev. John Seybert was the son of Henry Seybert, a Hessian soldier of the Revolution. He was born in Lancaster County in 1791 ; entered the ministry in 1819; elected presiding elder, 1825 ; bishop in 1839; died at Flat Rock, Ohio, Jan. 4, i860. He was never married. II George Orwig was a son of Gotfried Orwig, who came from Ger- many to Pennsylvania. He died in Union County, 1841, aged 83 years, and was buried in the St. Elias' graveyard, at Mifflinburg. Bishop William W. Orwig, a grandson of George Orwig, was born 1810; entered the ministry in 1828; presiding elder, 1833; general publishing agent and editor of "Der Christliche Botschafter," 1839; in the pastorate, 1844-48; editor Christliche Botschafter, 1849; president of Union Seminary, 1856- 59; bishop, 1859-63; editor Christliche Botschafter, 1863-67; general publisher, 1867-69; later presiding elder and pastor in the Erie Con- ference; author of several valuable books; died at Cleveland, Ohio, May 29, 1889. Gotfried Orwig was born in 1719, and his wife, Gloria Lam- pert, in 1713. They emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1741. The town of Or- wigsburg perpetuates the family name. CHAPTER VII. Gathering the Harvest. The Second General Assembly — Union Pentecostal meetings — Miller's continued great success — The organisations — The North Branch Val- ley — The Dreishach church — Far-reaching results. THE year 1806 marks an epoch in the history of Albright's work. It was a year of bountiful ingathering of a harvest sown in tears and sorrow. In the previous chapter we noted the many organizations effected by George Miller on the old circuit. In this we shall see him meet with far greater success on the new circuit and almost double the entire membership of the connection within a year. But before we proceed with the narrative of his labors we note the second deliberative assembly held by Albright. The Second General Assembly. — Although there is no account of such an assembly in our earlier histories, it is nevertheless a fact learned from the nature of the written records as well as tradition, that such an assembly was held. The place of meeting was at the house of George Becker, near Shafferstown, Lebanon County. The record itself, as well as the business recorded, show's the work of a deliberative assembly. 1. The contributions for salary were equally divided between the four ministers, Albright, Walter, Jamison and Miller. 2. An additional allowance was made to Jamison, who seems to have been dissatisfied. 3. In consequence of this, it was decided that hereafter no one shall be taken into the ministry who will not be satisfied with his proportionate share of the salary. 4. A new fund was created, called the "Briefschaft-steuer," which was a subsidiary, or contingent fund. 5. The office of "local preacher" was established, and Charles Bisse, Solomon Miller, and Jacob Phillips were licensed as such. 6. The preachers were given regular licenses. 7. It Was resolved that hereafter yearly conferences be held. 78 J. DRKISBACH. GATHERING THE HARVEST. 79 The reader will agree that these items, numbered consecutively and taken from the official record of that year, bear the marks of having been the result of deliberation in assembly.' From the fact that Miller received his appointment on May 25th, for the new circuit, and an incident which the Becker family say hap- pened at this assembly, we infer that it was held on the date named. Union Pentecostal Meetings." — From the journals of Bishop Newcomer, of the United Brethren, and George Miller, of the Evangelical Church, we learn that union meetings were held by the preachers of these bodies. Miller says in his journal that he received his appointment to the new circuit from Albright on May 25 (1806), but before starting for his field he attended such a meeting near Lancaster. A reference to Bishop New- comer's journal shows that this meeting was held at the home of Christian Hershey, and began on Saturday, May 30th. It was attended by many ministers. Newcomer records that the first sermon was preached on Saturday by J. Neidig, and the second by Jacob Albright. Both preached with great power. On Sunday morning Newcomer preached from the words, ''O that Thou wouldst bless me indeed" (i Chron. 4: 10). On Monday, June 2d, they had love feast which was "a. real pentecost." Over the following Sunday, June 7th-8th, a similar meeting was held at J. Shelly's, also in Lancaster County. Many ministers were present, including Newcomer and Bishop Boehm; Jacob Al- 1 In the absence of an express statement in the early records that such an assembly was held, and inasmuch as the survivors of the several Becker families uniformly declared that such an assembly was held, Rev. William Hoffman, whose wife was a granddaughter of George Becker, many years ago made a thorough investigation. Two daughters of Becker were then living, both of whom remembered the assembly at their father's house very well, and related a number of occurrences. These ladies were Mrs. Rev. Kleinfelter, Hofifman's mother-in-law, and her sister^ Mrs. Gockley. The former was grown and her sister was eleven years of age at the time. They did not confuse this meeting with the first conference held the year following at Samuel Becker's. Moreover, the author, many years ago, interviewed Mrs. Elizabeth Stump, daughter of Samuel Becker, and Mrs. Esther Shutt, daughter of John Becker, and both assured him that such a meeting was held. 2 See Newcomer's Journal, p. 147; "Albright and Miller," pp. 106, 107. 8o A WONDERFUL STORY. bright also was present and participated. Bishop Newcomer, in other entries in his journal, notes the participation of "The Albright Brethren" in his big meetings. The fact of the Al- bright Brethren cooperating with the United Brethren in that early day, without ecclesiastical union, will be understood when considered in relation to Albright and the United Brethren as set forth in another connection in this work. Miller's Great Success. — Immediately after the union meeting at Hershey's, Miller started for his new field of labor, the New or Northumberland circuit. On Monday evening, June 2d, he preached with great power at Michael Becker's, in Dauphin County, from the words, ''The just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:17). The sermon was blessed in the conversion of souls. Soon after entering upon his labors on this vast field, w^hich extended from the North Branch of the Susquehanna on the east to the Potomac River in the southwest, he wisely cut off the appointments beyond the Alleghenies in Bedford and other counties, and concentrated his efforts on the central portion of the field. This enabled him to preach more frequently at all the places, with immediate good results. Others had faithfully sown the good seed of the kingdom, but the work needed the steady and tactful hand of Miller to effect organizations. Tw^o classes had been organized, as stated in a previous connection, in 1803. These, the one in Pfoutz Valley, in Juniata County, and the Thomas class in M/ifflin County, we may pass by. We are unable to give the formation of the many classes on this charge this year, in the order of their organization, except in the case of New Berlin, which was the first. New Berlin. — In the previous chapter we gave an account of the way in which the Evangelical work was introduced into this place, and also the marvellous preaching of John Walter, and his prophecy regarding the future of the church here. The first step in the fulfilment of his words was the organization of a class in less than a year, with Michael Maize^ as class leader. As al- ready stated, the first church of the Evangelical Association was 3 Michael Maize was born near Shafiferstown, Lebanon County, in 1770, and died in 1842. He was made a local preacher at an early day. His wife, Barbara, died in 1848, aged 72 years. GATHERING THE HARVEST. 8l erected here in 1816, and in this church, so historic and memor- able, the author of this work was converted in his youth, and in the course of years preached his first sermon from the pulpit where the worthy fathers stood long before him. Did space permit, we would be glad to record more of the incidents of the early days, as told us by trembling lips long stilled in death, but we must pass on. The Eyer Class. — We have already noted the home of Abra- ham Eyer* as a preaching place for Newcomer and others, as early as 1800. This home is at Winfield on the Susquehanna River. It was here that Henry Niebel, who was preparing for the ministry of the Reformed Church, identified himself with the Evangelical work and began his long ministerial career by assisting Miller in 1806. In the barn of Father Eyer the ninth annual conference was held in 1816, at which time the first mis- sionaries were appointed to go to Ohio, and also the holding of the first General Conference was determined on. The Middle Creek Class was formed in the vicinity of Middle- burg, the county seat of Snyder County, about ten miles south of New Berlin. This was the strongest class organized, con- sisting of over thirty members. The preaching places were at the homes of Abraham Fry, John Walter, John Adam Bower- sox, Jacob Bordner, Daniel Mowerer and George Hartman. The latter two were married to sisters of Fry. John Walter, Jr., was the class leader. From this class came many ministers, among the first being Jacob Fry (1807), brother of Abraham; 4 Abraham Eyer was born in Lancaster County in 1748, and died in 1823. His wife, Catharine, nee Graybill, was born in York County in 1752, and died in 1805. They were married in 1770 and had children as follows: Catharine, married Rev. John Dreisbach, Albright's co-laborer, in 181 1 ; she died in 1815, and two years later he married her sister Fanny; Barbara, married Rev. David Shellenberger ; Mary, married Rev. Henry Niebel; Magdalena (Molly), married Daniel Hoy, and they removed to Ohio, where their daughter, Catharine, became the wife of Bishop Jos. lyong; Elisabeth, married Philip Hoy, brother to Daniel, and they also moved to Ohio; Anna, married Martin Dreisbach (Ohio). Besides these Father Eyer had three sons, of whom Isaac, born 1793, died 1879, was for many years a pillar in the Evangelical Church. The author is greatly in- debted to him for many facts given in this work. 6 82 A WONDERFUL STORY. John Walter, Jr. (1813), Michael Walter (1814), and John Stambaugh (1813). Beaver Dam. — This is now Beaver Springs, Snyder County. Miller records that he had good success here, and inasmuch as Albright, Walter and others had preached here for several years, we are of the opinion that Miller also formed a class here, since we certainly know that there was one a year or so later. Chapman Township. — Miller formed a class in Chapman Township, Snyder County, near the present town of Port Trevor- ton, of which the families Swartz, Shelly, Shetterly, and Thorn- ton were the chief members. Derrstown. — A class was formed in Lewisburg, on the Sus- quehanna River, in Buffalo Valley, five miles north of Winfield. The leader of this class was Christian Wolfe,^ whose wife was an aunt of Rev. John Dreisbach. Wolfe was early licensed as a local preacher. Prior to 1809 he removed to Seneca Falls, New York, and through him the Evangelical work was established in that state in 181 2. The Dreisbach Class. — This society was formed at the Dreis- bach church, five miles west of Lewisburg. Because of its im- portance a fuller account of the work will be given later. The Motz Settlements. — Miller fails to say whether he formed a class in the lower end of Penns Valley, in Centre County. In the previous chapter we noted how the evangelists gained entrance here with Captain Motz and his son-in-law, John Wise,^ and others. This was the strongest Evangelical centre in Penns Valley and quite separate from Millheim, which was over seven miles west. Miller had a gracious revival in the Motz settle- ment (Woodward), in 1806, at which time two notable heads of families, namely Jacob Merk and John Adam Hennig, were 5 Rev. Christian Wolfe was one of the first local preachers; ordained a deacon in 1821 ; served in 1825 as an itinerant; died in 1833, aged 54 years. His wife, Barbara, nee Dreisbach, died in 1838, aged 59 years. 6 John Wise died in 1844, aged 79 years ; his wife, Eve, nee Metz, died 1855, aged 83 years. Jacob Merk died 1837, aged 72 years. John Adam Hennig was born in Berks County, 1757, and died in 1839, aged 82 years. He was the son of John Jacob Hennig and wife, Anna. They were pio- neers in the West Branch Valley, and prominent in the Revolution. Adam Hennig, the missionary, was born in 1794, and died in Ohio in i860. GATHERING THE HARVEST. 83 brought into the Evangelical fold. These meetings were held at the house of John Wise, the first class-leader. It is clear that the class was organized either by Miller, or in the year previous (1805) , by Walter, or Albright himself. Among the many prominent members here, John Adam Hen- nig calls for special mention. He was a soldier of the Revolu- tion, as were also his father and his brothers. His son Adam entered the Evangelical ministry in 1813, and in 1816 he and Rev. Fred Shower were the first Evangelical missionaries sent to Ohio. In 1830 the fourth General Conference was held at the house of John Adam. Hennig. This building is still standing (1916). Milheim. — Over seven miles west of Woodward is Milheim, a notable place in the early history of the Evangelical Church. The preaching places were in the homes of George Swartz (1803) ; Abraham Ream, at Greengrove (1802) ; Paul Bachman in Mil- heim. In 1806 Miller had a considerable ingathering in this locality. Among the families who at this time identified them- selves w^ith the Evangelical work were Henry Smith and his brother Peter. At the home of the former the evangelists preached as early as 1804, also' in that of David Merk, at Green- grove, which was for many years an Evangelical place of wor- ship. The most notable trophies of the revival at Milheim (1806) , were the brothers John and Mathias Betz."^ The former was made a local preacher at an early day, and prior to 181 6 re- moved tO' Ohio, where he was a pioneer and pillar in the Evan- gelical work. The latter began to exercise in the ministry soon after his conversion, and in 1809 entered the active ministry. He was a young man of great promise. When preaching his vale- dictory as pastor on Lancaster Circuit, April 15, 1810, a young man was converted who, next to Albright, is the most notable personage in the history of the Evangelical Church, namely Bishop John Seybert. 7 Rev. Mathias Betz was bom in 1782, and died of pneumonia at the home of J. Steffy, about twelve miles west of Milheim, in 1813. He was preacher-in-charge of Northumberland Circuit at the time of his death. Rev John Betz was born in 1780. and died at Betzville, Ohio, in 1848. He was the founder of this town. 84 A WONDERFUL STORY. In 1839 the General Conference of the Church was held in the Musser church, four miles west of Millheim. At this conference Seybert was elected as the first regular bishop of the Evangelical Association. It is worthy of note, as showing the importance of the Evangelical work in this beautiful Penns Valley, that two General Conferences were held in it within a decade. Brush Valley. — In the former chapter we noted the reception of Albright, in 1805, by Christopher Spangler, of Brush Valley. Here Miller also organized a class in 1806. In another con- nection the reader will find a further notice of Spangler as a co- laborer with Albright. The North Branch Valley. — The foundations of the Evan- gelical work in the valley of the North Branch of the Susque- hanna River were undoubtedly laid by Albright himself. No date of beginning can be given, except that visitations were made in 1806, and in 1807 the region was embraced in the Northumber- land Circuit. Both the beginning and development of the work, which now embraces nearly a score of separate charges, well illustrates the far-reaching influence for good of a godly father whose house is a sanctuary, and whose children are saved for God and nurtured at the family shrine. The facts we herewith give stand as a testimony of God's faithfulness and the manner in which He honors parental influence through many generations. In a previous connection, when noting how' that good man, Leonard Zimmerman,^ of vSchuylkill County, opened his house as a preaching place for Albright, amid much opposition and persecution, he gave promise of a further notice of his family. We have now reached that point. The Zimmerman family consisted of himself and wife, Sophia, two sons, John and Leonard, Jr., and seven daughters. Nearly all of these children were married and heads of families in Albright's time. John Zimmerman was a justice of the peace in Schuylkill County, and his house was one of the first preach- 8 Rev. Leonard Zimmerman was born in 1783, and died at Manheim, Pa., in 1840. He spent ten years in the active ministry and was a preacher of more than ordinary ability. John George Zehner and his wife both died in 1848, aged 83 and 80 years, respectively. Michael Seybert died 1852, aged 85 years, and his wife died 1854, aged 84 years. GATHERING THE HARVEST. 85 ing places. Leonard was converted in his father's house in 1802, under the preaching of Albright from the text, "But who may abide the day of His coming?" (Mai. 3:2). He entered the active ministry of the Church in 181 1. The daughters of Father Zimmerman married as follows: Maria and Eve married the brothers John and Michael Seybert, respectively, and Catha- rine married John George Zehner. These three families, soon after 1800, removed to Summer Hill, near Berwick, on the line of Columbia and Luzerne Counties. About 1806 they were fol- lowed to the valley by three more sons-in-law of Zimmerman, namely Conrad Biebelheimer, who had married Susan; Jacob Bachart, married to Albertena, and H. Balliet, married to Bar- bara. Bachart located near Danville, Montour County. The homes of all the foregoing were preaching places. Balliet and Biebelheimer later removed to the West, where their homes be- came new centres of Evangelical influence. The first general revival in this region took place in 181 1, un- der the labors of Rev. Leonard Zimmerman, when two classes were formed, one at Bachart's, near Danville, and the other at Summer Hill. Among the direct results of the work at Summer Hill are the three flourishing congregations in Berwick, besides many more in the vicinity. Miany able ministers, descendants of Father Zimmerman, have gone forth with the gospel message from Summer Hill. Among the descendants who have been an honor to the Church was the late Rev. Isaiah Bower, of Ber- wick, through whom the first Evangelical church was built in that place and through whose munificence also was built the mag- nificent "Bower Memorial Church" as a lasting tribute to his sterling worth as a Christian citizen. It remains for us to add that Margaret, the youngest child of Father Zimmerman, was married in 181 8 to George Miller,^ the first printer of the Evan- gelical Association. 9 George Miller in 1815 was providentially led to take charge of the newly established printery of the Evangelical Association. He printed all the early publications of the Church — Discipline, hymn book, catechism, New Testament, etc. He was a tower of strength to the infant Church. He was no relative of the ministers of his name. He died at New Berlin, Pa., 1859, aged 64 years. His wife, Margaret, died 1845, aged 55 years. 86 A WONDERFUL STORY. The Evangelical Work at Dreisbach's. — We now recur to the Dreisbach church, where, in 1805, Miller organized the most in- fluential class of the connection in Albright's time. We give a somewhat extended account of this place, for the reason that it was the centre of an evangelistic movement (chiefly among the Reformed people), in the West Branch Valley, and the further fact that Albright and his colleagues seem to have entered into the spirit of the movement more fully than any others, and were providentially permitted to gather a rich fruitage, not only of their own sowing, but that of others as well. When we say that nearly all the men of influence who opened their homes as preaching places for the early evangelists in this region, afterwards fell in with the work of Albright and became the pillars of the new circuit, the reader will see the reason for the details herewith given. The Dreisbach church was the first German church in Penn- sylvania, north of Sunbury. It was founded in 1787, by the grant of seven acres of land for that purpose by Martin Dreis- bach, Sr. The first edifice was of logs and was occupied by the Lutherans and the Reformed jointly, the latter predominating. Among the first settlers of this (Buffalo) valley, in 1773, were Martin Dreisbach, Sr., John Aurand, Sr., Philip Hoy, Sr., all of them members of the Reformed Church. After the Revolu- tion many more Reformed people from the lower counties located here, among them being the Niebel, Betz, Frederick, Barnhart and Youngman families, also George Wendel Wolfe, a Lu- theran. Prior to 1800 Elias Youngman laid out a town called "Youngmanstown" (now Mifilinburg), where through him was built and named in his honor the noted St. Elias church, where the evangelists Newcomer, Albright, Walter and Miller sowed the seed of the kingdom with many tears. It should be borne in mind that these families named were of the Pietistic type and favorable to evangelistic measures. The Lutheran element was of an opposite type, and hence the Evangelical cause gained very little from that denomination. The first Reformed minister was Rev. Jonathan Rawhouser, who remained until 1792, when he was succeeded by Rev. J. G. GATHERING THE HARVEST. 87 Pfrimmer, who arrived from Europe in 1788. He was of the Pietistic and evangelistic type, and for this reason was termed an ^'irregular," and was not connected with the Reformed Synod. Pfrimmer preached in an evangelistic manner in many places. He stood in intimate relationship with Rev. William Otterbein, of the same Church, and with him was one of the founders of the United Brethren Church. Like Otterbein, his connection with the Reformed Church was only official, as after 1791 till his death he was a strong factor in the United Brethren movement. Through Pfrimmer the Reformed element of the Dreisbach church came in touch with the leading spirits of the United Brethren movement. In 1795 we find Christian Newcomer and George Adam Gueting, both quite prominent in that movement, making a tour of this region and finding entrance at all the points of Pfrimmer's labors. The latter had left the field and labored elsewhere. The Reformed people of this region were now with- out a pastor, except as they were served by the United Brethren evangelists who came at irregular intervals. In October, 1800, the United Brethren had their first "big" or ''Pentecostal" meeting at Dreisbach's. The ministers present were Newcomer, Pfrimmer, Gueting and Snyder. Multitudes of people (Reformed Pietists) participated. A new element now appears. One of the members of the Dreisbach congregation was Dietrich Aurand, son of John Aurand. He had accompanied the evangelists on their tours and had exercised the gift of preaching. In 1801, the people being without a pastor and de- sirous of remaining loyal to the Reformed Church, recommended Aurand for license to preach. This the synod refused to grant. Men of his type were not then in favor with that body. He was nevertheless elected as pastor and served them as such several years. Aurand's name now, for several sessions of the United Brethren conference, appears on the roll of that body. For some years the leaders of the United Brethren Church continued to visit this region and hold big meetings. The people however remained in the Reformed communion, evidently not favoring the form of Church life represented by the United Brethren. During this period of evident hesitancy and waiting (1802-4), the Rev. Jacob Albright appeared on the ground. We know 88 A WONDERFUL STORY. nothing of how he gained this open door oi opportunity, never- theless it is a fact that Pastor Aurand himself was an instru- ment in leading the people to the belief that Albright repre- sented that form of religious life most congenial to them. We are led to this conclusion from the fact that Aurand opened his own home as a preaching place, not only for Albright, but also for his co-laborers, Walter and Leeser.^^^ About this time Aurand ceased to cooperate with the United Brethren and in 1804 accepted a call to a Reformed congregation at Water Street, on the Juniata River. A vast evangelistic field was now evidently opened, and Albright and colleagues found entrance in many homes. The preaching places in this vicinity were the Dreisbach church ; the house of Martin Dreisbach, the elder of the church ; the house of Rev. Deatrick Aurand, and also that of his brother John; the house of Philip Hoy, Sr.; the house of George Wendle Wolfe, and also the St. Elias church, four miles distant. Evidently the circumstances we have narrated had something to do with the formation of the new circuit, in 1804, as from that year onward "The Albright Brethren," as they were called, seemed to be in the lead. Although the Dreisbach church was the centre of evangelistic work for many years, the people remained loyal to their Church, nor did they find anything in the preaching of Albright and co- \\^orkers inconsistent with their religious belief. Thus for years did these pious people receive the ministration of men not of their own Church. Such a condition could not long continue. The situation needed the skilful hand of a Miller to bring it to a happy outcome. Miller had already organized a number of classes of just such people as were at the Dreisbach church. Over on the Middlecreek, twelve miles distant, similar conditions had prevailed, nevertheless the people had become Evangelicals. Miller appointed a big meeting to be held at Dreisbach's over October 26-27 (1806), at which Albright and his eloquent col- league, Walter, were to be present. He also made efforts to secure the attendance of such as had lately united with the Evangelical cause. Almost the entire class from Middlecreek 10 See "Fathers of the Reformed Church," Vol. Ill, p. 185. 11 See "Albright and Miller," p. 114. GATHERING THE HARVEST. 89 was present. The meeting was most successful and victorious. Albright and Walter preached with unusual freedom and power and the revival fires kindled were scattered all over the new cir- cuit. The Dreisbach people were now led to see that their spir- itual welfare lay in an Evangelical organization. A class was accordingly formed, of which the former elder of the congrega- tion, Martin Dreisbach, Jr., was made the leader. This was a triumphant climax to Miller's work on this circuit. That the reader may see the far-reaching effects of the win- ning of this people for the Evangelical cause, we note the fol- lowing: The annual conference was held three years in succes- sion (1812-1813-1814) in the house of Martin Dreisbach, Jr. At the first two conferences his son, Rev. John Dreisbach, served as secretary, and of the third he was the president. In 1816 the first General Conference was held in the same house, and this same son, now the leader of the Evangelical Church, served as presiding elder in the house in which he was born. Remarkable circumstance! At this latter conference the infant denomination was given the name of "The Evangelical Association of North America." Moreover, as a pathetic sequel to his arduous labors in this community, the venerable hero of the cross, Bishop Christian Newcomer, made a last tour of this region and ap- peared before the conference (Oct. 13-14, 1816), in a final effort to unite the Evangelical and United Brethren denominations.^^ At the house of J. S. Dunkle, son-in-law of Dreisbach, a mem- ber of this class, the organization of the Missionary Society of the Evangelical Church was perfected in 1839. Moreover, in the person of the youthful John Dreisbach, Al- bright found a most gifted and devoted co-laborer, providentially soon to take his place, and in him the Evangelical Church found a poet, author, founder of her printing house, editor, first pre- siding elder, and first advocate of a learned ministry and higher institution of learning. Besides the Dreisbach family, the Wolfe, Aurand, Hoy, and other families bore a prominent part in the formative period of the Evangelical Church. Many of the original members at an early day removed to Ohio, and were instrumental in founding 12 See "Evangelical Annals," p. 172. 90 A WONDERFUL STORY. the Evangelical work in that state. Among the number were Daniel and Philip Hoy, sons of Philip Hoy, Sr., and Martin Dreisbach (cousin of the minister). These three men were sons- in-law of Father Eyer, of Winfield. They removed to the West, prior to 1810. A little later they were followed by John Buchtel (father of the founder of Buchtel College), and some of the Wolfe, Aurand, Wormley and other families. Still later the two most prominent ministers of the Church also moved to Ohio, John Dreisbach in 1831, and Henry Niebel in 1833. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES. DREISBACH.— Martin Dreisbach, Sr., was born in the Duchy of Witgenstein, Germany, in 17 17; emigrated to Pennsyl- vania in 1 75 1, locating in Berks County; in 1773 removed to farm in Buffalo Valley, in (now) Union County, where he died in 1799. He had four sons — Henry, who in 1804 removed to Ohio and laid out Circleville; Jacob, John, and Martin, Jr., the latter succeeding him on the farm. He also had a number of daughters. He gave the land for the church which bears his name. He was its first elder and was succeeded by his son, Martin, Jr., who was born in 1764, and died in 1831, who also had a large and influential family. His oldest son, Rev. John Dreis- bach, was born in 1789 and died in 1871. The youngest of the family was Hon. Martin Dreisbach, born in 1800, died at Lewis- burg, Pa., 1870. AURAND. — John Aurand, Sr., was born near Heidelberg, Germany, in 1725. His forefathers were French Huguenots, who fled from France to Germany because of the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, in 1685, and the persecutions that followed the Protestants in consequence. He came to Pennsylvania in 1753 and located in Berks County. In 1772 he bought a property at the mouth of Turtle Creek in (now) Union County about seven miles east of Dreisbach's. He was a very pious man and his place a home and preaching place for all the early evangelists. He died in 1807, aged 82 years. He had a large family of sons and daughters. His sons Henry, Jacob, and Dietrich, were soldiers of the Revolution. His son, John, Jr., was one of the first and strong supports of Albright. He died in 1809. Rev. GATHERING THE HARVEST. 91 Dietrich Aurand was born in 1760, and died in 1831, buried at Water Street, Pa. WOLFE. — George Wendel Wolfe was the son of John George Wolfe, of Tulpehocken, Berks County. His grandfather, John Barnard Wolfe, an emigrant from Germany in 1727, lo- cated there. George Wendel Wolfe was born in 1740 and served as a soldier of the Revolution. Prior to 1800 he purchased a large tract of land in (now) Union County and took up his residence on it. He died in 1823, aged 83 years. He had a large family of sons and daughters, most of whom were early Evan- gelicals. His sons, Leonard and John (the latter married to a daughter of Father Aurand), moved to Ohio at an early day. Rev. Christian Wolfe was the first class leader at Lewisburg (1806), and founder of the Evangelical work in the state of New York. Andrew Wolfe, the youngest, was born in 1784, and died near Lewisburg, Pa., in 1871. His wife, Anna, was a sister of Rev. John Dreisbach. Andrew Wolfe was licensed to preach in 1816. His sons, Aaron and Simon, were Evangelical preach- ers and three of his daughters were preachers' wives. CHAPTER VIII. Ecclesiastical Organization. Pentecostal meeting at Dreishach's — A great ingathering follows — First Annual Conference — Its transactions — Success at Linglestown — A memorable Easier — Albright's failing health — A new leader — Subse- quent Annual Conferences — First General Conference — Organization of the Bvangelical Association. THE year 1807 marks the culmination of the work of Albright in the organization of an ecclesiastical body, as we shall presently show. However, before noting this event we must take a survey of the work in the several months preceding. In the month of January, 1807, Albright changed the preach- ers by placing Miller on the old and Walter on the new circuit.^ Miller had spent only eight months on the new circuit the previ- ous year, yet in that brief time he had organized over one hun- dred persons into classes, besides having in prospect the winning of three gifted young men for the ministry. These men were John Dreisbach, Jacob Fry, and Henry Niebel, all of whom had rendered him great assistance. The revival fires kindled by Miller on the new circuit did not die out with his removal, but continued to burn under the zealous labors of his successor. In the month of April, on the day of Pentecost, there was held a general meeting in Penns Valley, Centre County, attended by all the preachers. At this meeting the youthful Dreisbach was given license as a local preacher by Albright,^ after which he spent much of his time assisting the ministers until he entered the active ranks. From what we can gather it is evident that the work across the mountains in Bedford, Somerset, and Cambria Counties, was now served in connection with the new circuit, as we know that 1 "Albright and Miller," p. 126. 2 "The Past, Present, and Future," by Dreisbach, in "Evangelical Mes- senger," Vol. VIII, p. 20. 92 ECCLESIASTICAL ORGANIZATION. 93 both Albright and Walter visited these localities repeatedly this year. The transfer of Miller to the old circuit was attended by a general quickening, and revivals occurred in several places. Near the present town of Miillersville, in Lancaster County, a very considerable ingathering took place. Among the trophies was a gifted young man, John Erb, who within the year began to exercise the gifts of the ministry and entered the active work at the second conference in 1809. The revival begun on the Muehlbach continued with the result that many influential families, who had hitherto hesitated to leave their old church connections, now broke away amid much perse- cution and united with the Evangelical class. It will be apparent to the most casual reader of the accounts of the success of Albright and his co-laborers that there was a steady tendency toward the formation of an ecclesiastical organi- zation, although this was not the design of the evangelists. The same results attended the labors of Rev. John Wesley, although he opposed it, and died in full connection with the Church of England. Leaders like Wesley, Otterbein, Newcomer, and Al- bright were chosen instruments in the hands of God to bring about certain reforms in the Christian Church, and the gathering together of the results of their labors into separate bodies seems to have been a wise provision of Providence for the better con- tinuation of their distinctive work, in order that vital godliness, , which had so sadly declined, might again through them be awak- ened in the parent bodies. We have already noted that concerted action had been taken, presumably at the General Assembly of 1806, that an annual con- ference should thereafter be held. We knew nothing of how the call was made or the time and place appointed. We only know that the first conference was held on November 13-15, 1807, the house of Samuel Becker, on the Muehlbach, near Shaffers- town, in Lebanon County. First Annual Conference. — According to previous arrange- ment, the first regular conference of "The Albright Brethren," as they were then called, was held at the house of Samuel Becker, on the Muehlbach, Lebanon County, November 13-15, 1807. The 94 A WONDERFUL STORY. body was composed of ministers in full connection, Jacob Al- bright, John Walter, and George Miller; ministers on trial, John Dreisbach and Jacob Fry ; local preachers, Charles Bisse, Solomon Miller, and Jacob Phillips ; also twenty class officials : in all twenty-eight persons. Of the latter class Christopher Spangler, of Centre County, and John Thomas, of Mifflin County, were made local preachers. There was one ministerial absentee, Alexander Jamison, who was no longer in the active work. The records of the conference are very meager, of which the following is the substance: Rev. Jacob Albright was elected to the office of bishop and G. Miller to the order of elder, by a majority of votes. The latter, however, was not ordained at this time. Evidently the ecclesiastical status of the conference was a sub- ject of deliberation, and inasmuch as there may have been then a prospect of a continuance of their work as an adjunct of the Methodists, they took as their official title, *'The Newly Formed Methodist Conference." However, as the term "Methodist" was generally applied to all the newly-formed evangelistic sects, the term may have been used in that sense. The subject of a creed and rules of government was also con- sidered, and upon the advice of Albright the Episcopal (not Methodist Episcopal, as some held), was adopted,^ and he was directed by conference to formulate such a work and have it printed. This however, he did not live to accomplish. No changes were made in the appointments of the preachers. Two young men entered the active work. John Dreisbach, who was assigned to assist Walter on the old circuit, and Jacob Fry, who was placed as assistant to Miller on the new circuit. The organization of the conference had the immediate effect to solidify the Evangelical work. It is evident that all concerned looked forward to the movement as of a permanent character, but whether as an independent body or in an associated form, none could tell. That the founder looked upon the movement as a Divine agency destined to go on, is shown in his declaration to John Dreisbach, but a short time before his death. In refer- 3 Auf Briider Albrecht's anrathen wurde die BischoHiche Regierungs form angenommen." "Albright and Miller," p. 129. g»8g mit (3m um mm tlnmUt :! « a t i ii ; PHOTOGRAPHIC RE:pRODUCTION OF TITLK PAGE OF THi: FIRST EVANGE:IvICAIv DIS- ciPiviNK, prfpare:d by RKV. gforge MIL- LFR, AND PRINTED BY JOHN RITTER IN READING, PENNA., IN 1809. ECCLESIASTICAL ORGANIZATION. 95 ence to the work he said : "If it is Cod^s zvill that you shall be a permanent association, He tmll also provide the elements neces- sary to success. He mill raise up men from among you zvho zvill take up the burden I no longer can bear, and consummate the work. It is of God and in His hands, and He will provide." These words, uttered at the sunset of his consecrated life, have a deep meaning for all Christian ministers to-day. They indicate the true spirit of service. The true, earnest Christian worker never lives to see the consummation of all his hopes and plans ; he is only a factor, doing part of a work that grows greater, grander, and more perfect with the coming years. Let all Chris- tian ministers possess the calm faith and spirit of humble trust in God that animated the sainted Albright. Our work, like his work, is of God and He will provide all things necessary to success. The Doctrinal Basis of the Evangelical Church. — ^At the First Annual Conference (1807), upon the advice of Jacob Al- bright,* the Episcopal form of Church Polity was adopted, and the conference directed him to prepare a book of Discipline con- taining articles of faith and ecclesiastical regulations. Failing health and early death prevented the accomplishment of this work. About this time Bishop Asbury, the head of the Methodist Episcopal Church, directed Rev. Henry Boehm, of his Con- nection, to prepare a German edition of the Methodist book of Discipline for the use of that Church. This work made its ap- pearance in 1808, under the supervision of Boehm, but the trans- lations were made by Dr. Ignatz Roemer, a very learned man, who had prepared for the priesthood in a European university, but, getting disgusted with the corruption of the Romish Church, had come to America. Soon after the death of Albright, his successor, George Miller, was entrusted with the preparation of the book of Discipline. He set to performing his task at once and was able to lay the work before the conference at its second session, which was held at his own house in April, 1809. The conference approved the work 4 "Albrecht und Miller," p. 129. 96 A WONDERFUL STORY. and directed him to publish it, which he did at once. The book was printed by John Ritter, of Reading, in 1809, contains 75 pages. The contents of the book are an introductory^ preface, followed by a creed or "Confession of Faith," as it is called. The rest of the book consists of "Directions" for personal Christian conduct, Church officials, and organizations. It contained no rituals whatever, and the preachers evidently made use of the rituals of the established churches. An examination and comparison of the Methodist and the Evangelical books of Discipline shows that the former contains twenty-five and the latter twenty-six articles of faith. A com- parison of the two Creeds shows that all of the twenty-five articles of the Methodist Creed were taken by the Evangelicals, unaltered, and one was added by them. This fact gave rise to the general impression that the Albrights in 1809, were essentially "IMethodist," from the fact that they adopted entire the Creed of that Church.^ This, however, is erroneous, as we will now show. An examination of the ^I!ethodist Creed, so called shows that it, too, was borrowed f thus showing that the Methodist and the Evangelical Churches have a common creedal history. The origi- nal or fundamental Creed from which the twenty-five Articles of Faith aforenamed were taken, are the "Thirty-Nine Articles" of the Church of England, or Episcopal Church. This Creed was formulated in the days of the Reformation and since 1562 has remained unaltered. In this connection the reader should call to mind that John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, lived and died in full con- nection with the Church of England. The distinctive work of Wesley, which was called "Methodism," was introduced into America by immigrants and spread rapidly. For many years "Methodism," as a distinct form of Church life, was entirely in the hands of "lay" evangelists. Among the latter was Francis 5 "Albright and Miller," p. 129. 6 "August 5, 1810, Middletown, Pa. We here broke bread with Doctor Roemer. a German, who has translated our Discipline for our country- men." (Bishop Asbury's Journal, Vol. Ill, p. 293.) ECCLESIASTICAL ORGANIZATION. Asbury, destined to be the first bishop of Methodism in America. He was born in 1745, was converted in boyhood, and became a Methodist. At the age of sixteen years he became a local preacher, and as such came to America as a lay missionary when twenty-six years of age. Through Asbury, chiefly, Methodism spread rapidly, but all its ministers were simply evangelists or local preachers. In 1784, Rev. Thomas Coke, a co-laborer with Wesley, and a presbyter of the Church of England, was sent by the latter to America to organize Methodism and impart ordination to its ministr}^ The famous ''Christmas" conference (Dec. 25, 1784), held at Baltimore, Maryland, marks the beginning of the ecclesi- astical history of Methodism in America. At that time Coke or- dained Asbury, first as a deacon, then as an elder, and on the twenty-seventh as bishop of the newly-organized "Methodist Episcopal Church." The Book of Discipline containing the Creed, regulations, etc., had been prepared for them by Wesley himself, drawn by him from the Book of Common Prayer, a few of the regulations excepted. Bishop Asbury, with true apos- tolic zeal, labored in this distinctive field until called to his re- ward in 1 81 6. In considering the appropriation by Wesley of the doctrinal part of the Creed of the Church of England, we find that he adopted only that which in his judgment was essential, omitting such paragraphs and articles not of moment to the new Con- nection. Article XXIII, The recognition of the Government of the United States, is the only one not drawn from the ''Thirty- Nine Articles." We here subjoin the Articles of Faith as furnished by Wesley. The numbers in brackets are their corresponding numbers in the Episcopal Creed. 7 98 A WONDERFUL STORY. Methodist (1784) and Evangelical (1809) Articles of Faith. I. [I.] Of Faith in the Holy Trinity. 2. [IL] Of the Word, or Son of God who was made very Man. 3. [IV.] Of the Resurrection of Christ. 4. [V.] Of the Holy Ghost. 5. [VL] The Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation. 6. [VII.] Of the Old Testament. 7. [IX.] Of Original or Birth Sin. 8. [X.] Of Free Will. 9. [XL] Of the Justification of Man. 10. [XIL] Of Good Works. II. [XIV.] Of Works of Supererogation. 12. [XVI.] Of Sin after Baptism, (''Justification," Meth- odist and Evangelical). 13. [XIX.] Of the Church. 14. [XXII.] Of Purgatory. 15. [XXIV.] Of speaking in the Congregation in such a tongue as the people understand. 16. [XXV.] Of the Sacraments. 17. [XXVIL] Of Baptism. 18. [XXVIIL] Of the Lord's Supper. 19. [XXX.] Of Both Kinds. (Sacramental.) 20. [XXXI.] Of the one Oblation of Christ finished upon the Cross. 21. [XXXIL] Of the Marriage of Priests. ("Ministers," Methodist and Evangelical). 22. [XXXIV.] Of the Traditions of the Church, (''Rites and Ceremonies"). 23- Of the Rulers of the United States, (Wes- leyan, adopted by Evangelical). 24. [XXXVIIL] Of Christian Men's Goods, which are not common. 25. [XXXIX.] Of a Christian Man's Oath. 26, Of the Last Judgment. This was the only Article supplied by Miller, ECCLESIASTICAL ORGANIZATION. 99 In the new edition of the EvangeHcal Discipline (1817), Articles 11, 14, 19, 21, and 22, are omitted, thus reducing the Evangelical Creed to twenty-one Articles. The Baptismal, Mar- riage, Burial, and Sacramental rituals in the new Evangelical Discipline were also taken from the Book of Common Prayer. In closing this subject it is interesting to note that the Evan- gelical body planted itself squarely upon a Creed of the Refor- mation period, and, considering the Methodists as of English origin, the Evangelical is the only denomination of strictly American origin which has that distinction. CHAPTER IX. Denominational Development. Success at Linglestown — A memorable Baster meeting — Albright disabled — New leaders to the front — Success continues — Second conference — Ordination at Bby's — First Discipline and Catechism published — Third conference — first camp-meeting — Successive conferences — First Gen- eral Conference — Bvangelical Association. SOMETIME in the winter of 1807-8 Albright passed through Linglestown, Dauphin County, during a snow storm, and stopped at the home of Peter Raidabaugh, who lived near the village, and asked permission to stay over night, which was granted. Mr. Raidabaugh was a man highly esteemed, a deacon and the chorister of the Lutheran church at that place. Soon after Albright had entered the house the storm abated, and he informed his host that he was a minister and with his permission he would preach in his house that evening. This request also was granted and an effort was made to gather the people for the service. The sermon was based on the words, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (i Jno. 1:9). On account of the spiritual darkness of the community the sermon created quite a sensation, and the speaker was publicly charged by his hearers with having preached false doctrine. The hearers held that all men are sinners and must remain so till death. This was the prevalent notion of the Germans at that time. Albright, how- ever, pointed them to the Bible that lay before him as the author- ity for his doctrine which also was in harmony with their own Catechism in which they all believed. Upon this his host and others began a comparison of the teachings of their Catechism and the doctrine preached, with the result that they were led to see the truth of the sermon. Then Raidabaugh permitted an- other service to be appointed in his house for a Sunday morning. On that occasion a large number of evil-disposed persons came to 100 DENOMINATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. lOI the house for the purpose of breaking up the meeting. But they came too late, as the service had already been concluded and Albright, accompanied by Raidabaugh, had started for the after- noon appointment at Michael Becker's, eight miles distant. The leaven of the gospel was working fast at Linglestown. Many people were convinced of the truth and an ingathering was in prospect. So great was the opposition on the part of many against the work of Albright, that they resolved to prevent his inroads by force. Accordingly when he made his third visit to the place, and while preaching at the house of Raidabaugh, an attack was made upon the congregation in which a number of the Evangelicals were injured, but Albright escaped without injury.^ Raidabaugh now identified himself with the Evan- gelical cause and he and others who joined him became the sub- jects of bitter persecution. A Memorable Easter Meeting.— On Easter day, 1808, there was held a general meeting at the house of John Brobst, in Al- bany Township, Berks County. This was also the home of the Millers, Brobst being their brother-in-law. This meeting was attended by all the ministers, and seems to have been of a semi- official character, as some business was transacted. Among other things, Albright stationed the preachers, and this for the last time. He placed Walter and Fry on the old, and Miller and Dreisbach on the new circuit. Albright's health had been failing very fast since the confer- ence, and he preached and traveled with great difficulty. Not- withstanding his precarious condition he was loath to leave the field. A general meeting had been appointed at the home of Peter Raidabaugh at Linglestown, to be held one week later than the one at Brobst's. This meeting was attended by Albright, Miller and Dreisbach, who evidently went there directly from the Easter meeting. Albright was not able to preach at this meeting and at its close he started for his home nearly fifty miles away. With this meeting we draw the curtain on the public life of this great and good man. From here Miller and Dreisbach I See "Evangelical Annals," p. 54. Father Raidabaugh removed to Morrow County, Ohio, where he died in 1838, aged 74 years. 102 A WONDERFUL STORY. started for their fields of labor, while their leader went home, as they well knew, to die. Continuation o£ Albright's Work. — The loss of their intrepid leader did not in the least check the spread of the Evangelical work. Although Walter was the senior in service, to Miller was awarded the leadership of the infant society, by general consent. The young men in preparation for work were now ready to take the field. Sometime during the summer (1808) Jacob Fry, Walter's assistant on the old circuit, was sent to organize the work of the third, or Franklin Circuit, already noted. John Erb, of Lancaster County, took his place. The prospects on this third field were very promising. Albright and Walter had sown the good seed in many places, as we have seen. In the midst of his success Fry left the field in consequence of a misdemeanor, and the work was irregularly supplied for some time. Another sore trial, second only to the death of Albright, now befell the Evangelical work. In December (1808), while assist- ing Dreisbach at a meeting in Lost Creek Valley, in Juniata County, Miller broke down completely and retired to his home in Berks County. Although he was able to render some assistance and retained the leadership for some years, he never again oc- cupied a field of labor. But since the Evangelical work was of God, He had a man ready to take the place of Miller, in the person of the gifted and devoted Mathias Betz, of Milheim, Centre County. Dreisbach was now in charge of the new cir- cuit with Betz as his assistant. The Second Annual Conference was held in April, 1809, at the home of John Brobst in Berks County. This was the same place where the Easter meeting was held one year previous. The ministers recorded as present were George Miller, presi- dent; John Dreisbach, secretary; John Walter, John Erb, Mathias Betz, and Henry Niebel. There is no record of local preachers being present, although there were doubtless some present. The records of business transacted are very meager. John Walter and John Dreisbach were voted elder's orders, but their ordination — as well as that of Miller, which had been granted him at the first conference — was deferred for some unknown reason, DENOMINATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. 103 until a general meeting a few months later, at the house of Henry Eby, near Lebanon. Jacob Fry was excluded from the Connection. Rev. George Miller reported the completion of the Church Discipline which he had been appointed to prepare. The con- ference approved the work and authorized him to have it printed. John Dreisbach, having translated a Catechism from the Eng- lish, was authorized to publish it. Both the foregoing books ap- peared soon afterwards (1809), and were the first fruits of our Evangelical literature. John Walter was allowed $42.00 out of the subsidiary fund for the purchase of a horse. It was resolved that for the present the body should be known by the title ''The So-called Albright People" (Die sogenannten Albrecht's Leute.") Rev. George Miller was requested to write and preach as his failing health would permit. The preachers were assigned as follows : Schuylkill Circuit (old), John Dreisbach, Henry Niebel, and M. Betz; North- umberland Circuit (new), John Walter and John Erb. Frank- lin Circuit was served irregularly. Notwithstanding the death of Albright and the breakdown of JMiller, the work had been successful and five classes had been formed during the past year. The Third Conference was held at the home of George Becker, on the Muehlbach, April 18-20, 18 10. Rev. George Miller was president and Rev. John Dreisbach secretary. The itinerants now numbered seven, and the local preachers ten. The membership was 528. Michael Becker and David Yerlitz were received in the traveling connection, and J. Erb and M. Betz were ordained deacons. George Miller was again requested to write and preach as his health would permit. John Walter was authorized to publish a small hymn book he had prepared. It was resolved to hold two camp-meetings this year, the first of the Connection. The first was held in May, on the Michael Maize farm, two miles below New Berlin, in Union County, and the second at Rev. George Miller's, in Berks County, in I04 A WONDERFUL STORY. October. These were the first German camp-meetings ever held in America, and perhaps in the world. The preachers were stationed as follows : Schuylkill and Lan- caster Circuit, J. Walter, H. Niebel, and M. Becker; North- umberland, John Dreisbach and D. Yerlitz; Franklin, J. Erb and M. Betz. Arrangements were made for some of the preach- ers to exchange places during the year. This was a year of suc- cess, and many classes were formed, especially on the Franklin Circuit. The Fourth Annual Conference was held on the Muehlbach, April 9-1 1, 181 1. George Miller was president; John Dreis- bach, secretary; L. Zimmerman was received in the traveling connection ; H. Niebel was ordained deacon. There were twelve local preachers. Fourteen new classes had been formed. The entire membership was 740. The average salary of the preachers was $29.00. Catechetical instruction was enjoined. The ministers were stationed as follows : Schuylkill, J. Wal- ter, M. Betz, and D. Yerlitz; Northumberland, J. Erb and L. Zimmerman; Franklin, John Dreisbach, H. Niebel, and M. Becker. George Miller was again requested to assist, as his health permitted. The Fifth Annual Conference was held at the home of Mar- tin Dreisbach, in Buf¥alo Valley, Union County, April 1-3, 181 2. George Miller was president ; John Dreisbach, secretary. John Erb was ordained elder and Henry Niebel deacon. Five young men were received in the traveling connection — Robert Mc- Cray, Michael Diebler, Abraham Huth, John Buchwalter, and Frederick Shower. The membership was 761. The preachers were stationed as follows : Franklin Circuit, J. Walter and D. Yerlitz; Lancaster Circuit, J. Erb and M. Diebler; York Circuit, M. Betz and M. Becker; Schuylkill Circuit, H. Niebel and A. Huth; Northumberland Circuit, L. Zimmerman, J. Buchwalter, and F. Shower. To form a new circuit, J. Dreisbach and R. McCray. Conference directed that efforts be made to purchase lots and erect homes for poor itinerants on the Schuylkill and Northumberland Circuits, and the matter was left in the hands of the elders and trustees of those charges. DENOMINATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. T05 The Sixth Annual Conference was held at the home of Mar- tin Dreisbach, April 21-23, 1813, with George Miller president and John Dreisbach secretary. Two preachers were expelled; G. Miller and J. Erb located because of bodily infirmities; H. Niebel and M. Betz were voted elder's orders, and D. Yerlitz and L. Zimmerman deacon's orders. Five young men entered the traveling connection as follows : Adam Hennig, John Klein- felter, John Stambaugh, Jacob Kleinfelter, and John Walter. The preachers were stationed as follows : Schuylkill Circuit, J. Walter, J. Kleinfelter, and J. Walter, Jr.; Northumberland, M. Betz, R. McCray, A. Buchman, and J. Stambaugh ; Frank- lin, H. Niebel and M. Diebler; York, L. Zimmerman and F. Shower. To organize a new circuit, J. Dreisbach and A. Hen- nig; a second new circuit, D. Yerlitz and John Kleinfelter. The Seventh Annual Conference also was held at the house of Martin Dreisbach, April 13-15, 1814; John Dreisbach presi- dent, Henry Niebel secretary. One minister was deposed; M. Betz died, and John Walter, Albright's first assistant, left the active work. Thomas Brewer, Michael Walter, and Henry Stauffer were taken into the traveling connection; F. Shower, A. Hennig, A. Buchman, and J. Stambaugh were ordained deacons. John Dreisbach was elected presiding elder for a term of four years, being the first incumbent of that office. The min- isters were placed as follows : Union Circuit, H. Neibel and John Kleinfelter; Bedford, D. Yerlitz and Michael Walter; York, J. Stambaugh and T. Brewer; Franklin, F. Shower; Somerset, A. Buchman and Jacob Kleinfelter; Lancaster, L. Zimmerman and H. Stauffer; Schuylkill, A. Hennig. The Eighth Annual Conference was held at the house of Jacob Kleinfelter, near Shrewsbury, York County, April 4-6, 181 5. The officers were Henry Niebel president, John Klein- felter secretary. David Thomas, John DeHoff, and Jacob Brewer were taken into the traveling connection; D. Yerlitz located; John and Jacob Kleinfelter (brothers), and T. Brewer were ordained deacons. H. Niebel was elected as the second presiding elder. The conference was divided into two districts, name Canaan and Salem. io6 A WONDERFUL STORY. The preachers were assigned as follows : 1. Canaan District, J. Dreisbach, presding elder ; Franklin Circuit, T. Brewer and J. DeHoff; York, A. Buchman and D. Thomas; Lancaster, John Kleinfelter and J. Brewer; Schuylkill, L. Zimmerman. IL Salem District, H. Niebel, presiding elder ; Union Circuit, J. Stambaugh and Jacob Kleinfelter; Centre, F. Shower and H. Stauffer; Somerset, A. Hennig and M. Walter. The Ninth Annual Conference was held at the home of Abraham Eyer at (now) Winfield, Union County, June 11-13, 1816. Chairman, J. Dreisbach; secretary, H. Niebel. A. Buchman, T. Brewer and H. Stauffer located ; George Miller had died ; L. Zimmerman and F. Shower were ordained elders, and M. Walter, D. Thomas, J. DeHoff and Solomon Miller deacons. The latter was one of the first local preachers (1806). There were now 41 local ministers in the Connection. Nine men yere received into the ministry, namely, John Frueh, Philip Smith, Moses DeHoff, Adam and Benjamin Ettinger, John Shilling, John Rickel, Andrew Wolf and F. Kaltreiter. This session marks a new era in the Evangelical work. The conference seems to have reached the stage of denominational consciousness and accordingly resolved to hold a General Con- ference composed of representative ministers. A printing house, denominational literature, etc., were provided for, missionary work was instituted, and charges were formed in New York and Ohio. The following assignment of the ministers will show the ex- pansion of the work at this period : L Canaan District, J. Dreis- bach presiding elder. Franklin Circuit, J. Brewer and F. Kalt- reiter; York, L. Zimmerman and A. Ettinger; Lancaster, D. Thomas and A. Wolfe; Schuylkill, J. Frueh and B. Ettinger; Lake Mission (in Seneca County, New York), Jacob Klein- felter. IL Salem District, H. Niebel presiding elder. Union Circuit, John Kleinfelter and M. DeHoff ; Columbia, P. Smith ; Centre, J. Stambaugh; Bedford, J. DeHoff and J. Shilling; Somerset, M. Walter and J. Rickel; Canton Mission (Ohio), A. Hennig; Scioto Mission (Ohio), F. Shower. The First General Conference. — Pursuant to the order of the last annual conference, the delegates met at the house of Martin DENOMINATIONAL DEVELOPMENT. 107 Dreisbach in Bufifalo Valley, to hold the first General Confer- ence, October 14-17, 1816. J. Dreisbach was elected president and H. Niebel secretary. There were present also J. Erb, J. Stambaugh, J. Kleinfelter, S. Miller, D. Thomas, J. Frueh and A. Ettinger. The printing house at New Berlin was placed in charge of Rev. S. Miller. The hymn book and new (revised) Discipline prepared by J. Dreisbach and H. Niebel, by order of the last conference, were approved and ordered to be printed. Bishop Christian Newcomer, of the United Brethren Church, was present on behalf of his denomination to urge a union of the two bodies, whereupon a committee was appointed to meet a similar committee of the United Brethren Church to discuss the matter. Meanwhile the publication of the hymn book and Discipline was deferred. This joint commission met at the house of Henry Kummler, near Greencastle, Pa., on February 14, 181 7, but failed to effect the union. The General Conference adopted the name "The Evangelical Association of North America," as the official designation of the former "So-called Albright People." At this point we may properly close our records relative to the formative period of the work of Rev. Jacob Albright, as from this conference forward its further consideration belongs to the wider field of denominational history. In closing we may yet note that at the time of this conference the first Church edifice was in course of erection at New Berlin, in the rear of which was the printing house. A distinctive de- nominational literature was provided. Moreover, the Evangelical work was established in five states, namely, Pennsylvania, Mary- land, Virginia, New York, and Ohio, and all this within eight years after the death of the founder of the Church. CHAPTER X. Last Days of Albright. Albright bids farewell to his ministers — Journeys homeward — Reaches George Becker's — Triumphant death — Imnot only from the elements of nature, but at the hands of their fellow men as well. It would seem impossible that in an enlight- ened Christian community there could be any violent physical opposition to the evangelistic work of our forefathers. We can understand the religious intolerance of the Papists, which caused our Protestant fathers to come to America in quest of religious freedom. But it is not so easy to reconcile the fact that Protes- tants themselves became as intolerant to dissenters and separatists here in free America as were the Papists of Europe as shown in the persecution of Quakers and Baptists in New England. In Pennsylvania, "Founded by Deeds of Peace," we would naturally expect a most tolerant spirit In this we are mistaken, especially as it relates to the German element. The fact that not only the "Albright Brethren," but also the Methodists and the United Brethren, were frequently mobbed and many people seriously injured, attests the degree of moral darkness into which the German masses had sunk when these revival movements were in their infancy. It was quite common for mobs to attack houses in which these meetings were held and to fall upon camp-meetings in such force as to break them up. It is said that at least four lives were lost in the early stages of the work of the United Brethren in the state of Ohio. Jacob Albright's escapes from death in the assaults made upon his person seem to us almost miraculous. The first severe attack upon him was made on the occasion of the dedication of the Reformed church at Shafferstown, Lebanon County, in the be- ginning of his ministry. This occurred as he was preaching to an overflow assembly in the market house near the church. After some very rough treatment he was rescued by a powerful man named Maize, a relative of the family of that name so promi- nently identified with Albright's work at New Berlin. Maize conducted the injured evangelist to the home of a well-disposed A WONDERFUL STORY. man named Peter Mohr, where he remained secure for some time. About 1799, while preaching at the same place, Albright was again assailed and almost killed. With his garments torn, body bruised and face bleeding from wounds, he rode to the home of a pious Reformed member named Jacob Zentmayer, who lived about two miles from Shafferstown. These good Samaritans put him to bed, dressed his wounds and sent for a physician. Al- bright's injuries were found to be serious and he was compelled to remain there for two weeks. This kind family nursed him tenderly, paid the doctor's fees, and soon afterwards espoused his cause and remained members of the Church Albright founded until their death. One of the leading traits of Albright was his calmness and composure amid persecution as illustrated by the following ex- ample : On one occasion, while traveling on the turnpike leading from Reading to Womelsdorf, he was recognized by a gang of men working on the road who applied vile epithets to him. Growing bold, they then stoned him. The evangelist being on horseback, could easily have escaped. Here now was an oppor- tunity to "do the work of an evangelist." (2 Tim. 4:5.) Calmly dismounting from his horse he fell upon his knees by the way- side and offered up a fen^ent prayer for his persecutors, where- upon they were greatly ashamed of their conduct. On another occasion, in 1803, while preaching at the house of George Miller, (after\vards his colleague), in Schuylkill County, a certain young man who belonged to a party that had come with the purpose of disturbing the meeting, interrupted his discourse with outbursts of profanity and threatened to strike him. Al- bright kindly remonstrated against his conduct, but in vain. Miller then attempted to eject the man, but was himself seized by the rowdies and violently thrown out of his own house. For this breach of the peace Miller cited the assailants before a justice of the peace, who rather encouraged their ungodly con- duct by promptly acquitting them and placed the costs on Miller. About 1805, Albright and his colleagues had an experience at Jonestown, Lebanon County, which but for the quick wits of the evangelists might have proved disastrous. One dark night, as "IN PERILS OFT.' 119 they were holding services in a small union church, a large crowd of ruffians, bent on putting an end to their incursions, filed into the building and began a violent demonstration against the evan- gelists who then extinguished the lights. All was now confusion within. Our handy matches were not then in use, and to light a candle with a flint spark in such a pandemonium was out of the question. Meanwhile the evangelists secured their own safety in the darkness. As noted in a previous chapter one of the most bitter opponents of the early Evangelical work was Colonel Michael Brobst, the father-in-law of Revs. George and Solomon Miller. On a cer- tain occasion! he went to the house of his son-in-law, Solomon Miller, at a time when Albright was holding a big meeting there. Upon entering the house he drew his sword and proceeded to a room where a number of women were assembled. His object was to frighten or intimidate them. Standing before them he made terrible threats, but the women remained composed, not- withstanding the weapon he brandished. Miss Magdalena Walter, a sister of Rev. John Walter, proved to be the heroine of the occasion. Placing herself before the enraged old man, she Ipoldly declared they were not afraid of his threats, as they were under God's protecting care, and without His will no harm could befall His children. She admonished the old man to cease his rage and think well on his unseemly conduct. Saying this, the brave woman asked all in the room to join her in supplication for the poor man, that God would have compassion on him and bring him into the light. This had the desired effect, and the old man put up his weapon and left the room. Afterwards he confessed that he was ashamed of his conduct. In 1805 Albright conducted a big meeting at the house of Brobst and appointed George Miller to preach the first sermon, but cautioned him to be very discreet in his utterances, because Mr. Brobst was very bitter against himi, as also against Rev. John Walter, for having charged him with hypocrisy in sermons preached at his place. To this caution Miller replied that his father-in-law was a gross sinner whose sins he must denounce. With a final caution to exercise wisdom, Albright entered the room where the people were assembled, followed by Miller, and 120 A WONDERFUL STORY. they saw Brobst there with his sword by his side. When Brobst saw Miller his face assumed an angry look and it was evident to all that he would resent with his weapon any personal refer- ences to himself. The situation was grave and Miller could not decide on what subject to speak, until after the opening prayer, when the words of Christ, "I am the Light of the world," flashed as a revelation from above into, his mind. With the text also came the message, and without any previous preparation he preached a sermon of wonderful power. He first depicted the dark condition of the world without Christ, and then portrayed ' Christ in His various perfections and offices as the Great Light- Bringer. The power of the Holy Spirit fell upon the assembly, Many began to cry out for mercy, while believers shouted aloud for joy. The stern features of the father-in-law relaxed and he seemed deeply affected. Without saying a word he arose, sword in hand, anid left the room. Upon his withdrawal Albright grasped the hand of Miller and w'ith tears in his eyes commended his power and skill, but because of his father-in-law's prejudice against him and his hasty temper, advised him, not to preach in his house again, as the old man's passion might get the better of him, with dire consequences. The wisdom of this advice was manifest in the fact that on May 26, 1806, while Miller was on a visit to his family, after a prolonged evangelistic tour, his father-in-law came to his house on horseback,, called him out of the house, and after berating him roundly, attempted tO' ride him down with his horse. Miller saved himself, however, by standing close to the house and escaped with a wounded arm. It must not be supposed that the violent opposition to Albright and other evangelists was unpremeditated and by irresponsible people. There are instances on record where ministers publicly urged their congregations to adopt violent measures to check the inroads of the evangelists. Miller tells us that in 1803 a godless minister urged his people to suppress by force the meetings Al- bright was holding at his house, and if they failed to do this he would no longer be their pastor. During this same year another nearby pastor undertook personally to convert Miller "from the error of his ways," and with about thirty of his members came to Miller's house one Sunday, first having preached a sermon against IN PERILS OFT." 121 the revival of "heretics." At first he talked smoothly and flatter- ingly to Miller, but having no. scriptural arguments to sustain his formalism, he became very angry and used very unbecoming lan- guage. His follow^ers were much chagrined because of their pas- tor's unseemly language and woeful lack of scriptural knowledge, and the contest ended in a victory for the evangelist Truly our Evangelical forefathers had the spirit and devotion of the martyrs of old, and their hardships and persecutions should make us mindful of the great debt we owe to our early pioneers in the field of a world-wide evangelism. CHAPTER XII. Biographical Supplement, Embracing Brief Biographies of the Colleagues, Coworkers, and Chief Con- temporary Evangelists of Rev. Jacob Albright. "With them His name shall live, Through long succeeding years, Embalmed — with all their hearts can give, Their praises and their tears." Colleagues and Coworkers of Albright. BECAUSE of the scanty records of the times, it is difficult to determine the connection of some of the early Evangelical workers with the ministry of Albright's time. By this we mean such lay ministers who are known to have had ministerial authori- zation, and yet no records are to be found of their licensure. In this connection it will be well for the reader to bear in mind what is said in a previous chapter of the semi-ministerial char- acter of the office of "exhorter." In the early days of the United Brethren the offices of local preacher and exhorter were practi- cally the same, as the latter were licensed by the yearly confer- ence.^ It should be remembered also that at the general meet- ings out of which grew the quarterly conference of our day, there was always some official business transacted by the ministers and officials present. At these meetings, of which no records are pre- served, license to preach was undoubtedly officially granted by Albright. Thus John Thomas, Jr., who died in Ohio in 1836, held a license signed by Albright. John Dreisbach says he re- ceived his first license from Albright at a general meeting in Penns Valley, in the spring of 1807, but in history he first ap- pears as an applicant for work in the fall of that year at the first conference. In this connection, therefore, we deem it proper to enroll a number of men as coworkers with Albright, since they are I See Berger's "History of the United Brethren Church," p. 171. 122 2\mt md} xm^tm (0i:dmm§ 'btWnmr nn^ x>txes Moines Conference of the United Evangelical Church, and in 1906 was elected corresponding secretary of the Missionary Society and the Church Extension Society of this Church. THE LOCAL MINISTRY OF ALBRIGHT'S TIME. SOLOMON MILLER. — This pious and useful man was a son of Jacob and Elisabeth Miller and a brother of Rev. George Miller, born at Pottstown, Pa., in 1777. In a previous chapter the reader will see how he was brought to the light of saving truth through the ministry of Albright. He was one of the first class-leaders, and in 1806 was made a local preacher. Although he never took a separate field of labor, he did great service for the infant Church in various capacities and deserves a place in her annals as one of the founders. His life runs singu- larly parallel with that of his brother George. Both married daughters of Col. Michael Brobst and established homes near each other in Penn Township, Schuylkill County, and later near the home of their father-in-law, where Solomon lived in a house on his brother's place and carried on the business of a hatter. It was in his house that the second annual conference was held in 1809. Ill 1812 his brother George removed to New Berlin, 136 A WONDERFUL STORY. and Solomon followed in a few years and took charge of the newly-established printing house of the Church, at the same time continuing his trade as a hatter to make a living. He died in 1820 and was buried near his brother who had preceded him four years. He was married, about 1800, to Maria Brobst, who sur- vived him, without children; removed from New Berlin to Springfield, Ohio, with her widowed sister, where she died. CHRISTOPHER SPANGLER was one of the most conse- crated men the Church has ever had. He was the son of George Spangler, a German immigrant, and was born in North- ampton County, Pa., in the year 1767. Soon after the Revolu- tion his father removed with his family to the vicinity of New Berlin, where some of the sons lived and died, and soon after 1800 Christopher removed to the vicinity of Rebersburg, Centre County. Early in 1805 he met Jacob Albright at the home of Paul Bachman, in Millheim, which was one of Albright's preaching places. It is probable that there Spangler heard Al- bright preach, since he had gone there on Bachman's invitation to meet him. The outcome of the meeting was that Spangler invited the evangelist to preach in his new stone mansion which he was then building. From this time on the home was a preach- ing place and Spangler one of Albright's strong supporters. Through Spangler a class was organized here in 1806, of which he was made the leader. In the fall of 1807 he accompanied the youthful John Dreisbach to the first annual conference, which was held at the house of Samuel Becker, in Lebanon County, and there he was licensed as a local preacher, in which capacity he served the Church most acceptably for a period of half a century. Almost up to the time of his home-going he preached the Word with zeal and fervency. He died in great peace, in 1855, at the advanced age of 88 years. JOHN THOMAS, Jr., was the son of John Thomas, Sr., and his wife was Anna Mary Rice. He was born near Shafifers- town, Pa., in 1785. When a child his parents moved to Decatur Township, Mifflin County, where they were visited as early as 1801 by Jacob Albright, who from that date made the Thomas home a kind of headquarters of his work in that region. BIOGRAPHICAL SUPPLEMENT. 137 Thomas was an active participant in the wonderful meetings held by Albright and Walter at his father's home, which are else- where described. In 1807 he was granted local license, his cer- tificate being signed by Albright himself. Some time prior to 1825, in company with the greater part of the old Thomas class, he emigrated to Wayne County, Ohio, where he did much to build up the cause of Christ. He died as the result of an acci- dent, September 26, 1836, aged 54 years. JACOB PHILIPS was born in Northampton County, Pa. He was the son of George and brother of Conrad Philips, all of whom figure prominently in the beginning of Albright's work. All three were present at the ordination of Albright in 1803. When the Philips class was organized in 1800, Jacob Philips was chosen its leader and in 1806 he was licensed as a local preacher at the council held at George Becker's. His death occurred in 1809. CHARLES BISSE lived in Rock Hill Township, Bucks County, Pa. He was one of the first to open his home to Albright for a preaching place prior to 1800. He was a member of the Walter class and was present at Albright's ordination in 1803. He was licensed as a local preacher at the council of 1806, and executed the office well until his death, October 20, 1847, at the age of 75 years. MICHAEL MAIZE was for many years one of the strong pillars of the Church. He was born near Shafferstown, Pa. In 1794 he was married to Barbara, daughter of Michael and Catharine Smith. About 1796 Maize, with his widowed mother and some other children, removed to Union County, and located on a farm two miles below New Berlin. His wife's peo- ple accompanied them and were among the first residents of Lewisburg. Both families were of the Reformed Church and were a spiritual people. Michael Maize opened his home as a place of preaching for the early evangelists of that time. As early as 1804, and perhaps earlier, Albright and his coworkers found access to his home, and from that time Maize cast his lot with the "Albright People." In the obituary of Maize it is stated that he was the first Evan- 138 A WONDERFUL STORY. gelical class leader in the bounds of the conference. Elsewhere it will be seen that Rev. George Miller organized over half a dozen classes in this region within a short time, of which the Maize class seems to have been the first. Maize became a local preacher very early, and as there is no record of his licensure we are inclined to believe he obtained his license at a general meet- ing in the days of Albright. He died in. 1841, aged 71 years, and his wife followed him in 1848, aged 72 years. Their bodies re- pose in the Evangelical cemetery at New Berlin^ Pa. FREDERICK HERPSTER, Jr., was the son of Frederick Herpster, Sr., who came from Tulpehocken, Pa., to Decatur Township, Mifflin County, soon after the Revolutionary War, in which he had been a soldier. Frederick Herpster, Jr., was mar- ried to Susan, daughter of John and Anna Mary Thomas. He also had two brothers, John and George, who married Barbara and Catharine, respectively, also daughters of Father Thomas. All these were of the first fruits of Albright at the Thomas ap- pointment, in 1 802- 1 803. Frederick Herpster was the first class leader, and was also one of the early local preachers, of whose license there is no record. He was a very prominent man and doubtless received his license at a general meeting, like his brother-in-law, John Thomas, Jr. EVANGELISTIC CONTEMPORARIES WHOSE LABORS TOUCHED THAT OF REV. JACOB ALBRIGHT. BISHOP FRANCIS ASBURY as the first incumbent of the episcopal office, may be regarded as the founder of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America. He was born in Eng- land in 1745, and died in Virginia in 181 6. At the early age of sixteen years he was made a local preacher by Rev. John Wesley, founder of Methodism. At twenty-two he entered the itineracy, and at twenty-six was sent by Wesley to America as a mission- ary. He succeeded in planting Methodism in many colonies, despite the American Revolution with its many hindrances. Al- though unordained, he succeeded in forming something of an organization which in 1784 numbered over eighty ministers, for the most part unordained. BIOGRAPHICAL SUPPLEMENT. 139 In 1784 Wesley sent Dr. Thomas Coke to America, with in- structions to organize the work and confer ordination on Asbury. This event which took place at Baltimore, Md., on Christmas, 1784, marks the official beginning of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America. Rev. William Otterbein, one of the foun- ders of the United Brethren Church, assisted in the ordination of Asbury, and thereafter a warm friendship existed between the two men. Although Asbury was in many respects a great man, he lacked vision as to what true Methodism stood for. This led him to reject overtures from organizations laboring for the conversion of the Germans for organic union. He considered such a course ^^impractical," as he informed Rev. John Dreisbach, of the Evan- gelical Association, in 1810. A study of the correspondence between the Methodist and the United Brethren conferences, discloses the fact that he failed also in his opportunity respecting the latter movement, and so ' both the United Brethren and the Evangelical Association pro- ceeded, each separately, to fulfill their respective missions, up to the present period. After Asbury's death the Methodist Church reversed this exclusive policy and now has flourishing sections separately organized among the Germans, Swedes, Italians and others. OTTERBEIN and BOEHM, founders of the United Breth- ren Church. Rev. William Otterbein was born at Dillen- burg, Germany, June 4, 1726, and died in Baltimore, Md., Nov. 17, 1 81 3, aged 87 years. His father was a prominent and pious Reformed minister who had five ministerial sons, all of whom were earnest, spiritual men, Otterbein was educated at the University of Herborn, and in 1752 was sent to America as a Reformed missionary, being one of the five who were sent at this time, headed by Rev. Michael Schlatter, the founder of the Reformed Synod in America. Upon his arrival, Otterbein took charge of the Reformed church in Lancaster, Pa. He introduced prayer-meetings in his congregation, which caused much opposition to him. He also introduced the big meetings, which were spiritual gatherings for prayer, preaching and testimony, and attended by "converted I40 A WONDERFUL STORY. people" generally. His evangelistic operations extended into the Tulpehocken region and many souls were converted. About 1764 he removed to Frederick, Md., where his labors in the Reformed Church were also attended with spiritual awakenings. In 1765 he took charge of the Reformed church at York, Pa., and great spiritual quickenings took place through him, not only in his own church, but in surrounding communities. In 1774 he removed to Baltimore and took charge of a large Reformed congregation, which soon felt the power of his spiritual ministry and virtually separated itself from the authority of the Church, calling itself ''The Evangelical Reformed Church." Of this society Otterbein remained the nominal pastor until his death, and this society was the nucleus of the United Brethren Church. Because of the corporate name of the society, and the fact that Otterbein remained in nominal relation to the Reformed Church, notwithstanding that he was a founder of a new de- nomination, and a bishop of the same, the Reformed Church has ever regarded him as one of her ministers, as her historians show. REV. MARTIN BOEHM was born in Lancaster County, Pa., in 1725. His parents were Swiss Mennonites in whose faith Martin was reared. After becoming a minister of the gospel he was truly converted and raised his voice against the dead formalism of his Church. Revivals and conversions fol- lowed his labors in many places. His Church then raised a great opposition to his evangelism, and specially because he associated with others "of a strange speech," meaning people of other reli- gious persuasions. The result was his expulsion from the Men- nonite Church. Boehm nevertheless continued his work inde- pendently, and the "converted people" of all churches stood by him. Sometime between 1766 and 1768 he held a so-called big meeting at the house of Isaac Long, in Landis Valley, about six miles northeast of Lancaster. To this meeting Rev. William Otterbein also came. After listening to a sermon by Boehm he was deeply impressed with the spirit of the man. Arising from his seat he went to Boehm and embraced him, exclaiming ''Wir sind Brucder." ("We are brethren.") BIOGRAPHICAL SUPPLEMENT. 141 After this meeting Otterbein and Boehm labored more or less for some years in cooperative harmony. Spiritual people of various churches clave to them. Other spiritual ministers of the Reformed and Mennonite churches labored in connection with them. This v^ork continued in this way for years, but found no recognition by the old churches. It now became necessary to authorize some who were called thereto, to preach the gospel, thus creating an unordained itinerant ministry. In 1789 these evangelistic elements focalized in the form of a conference, Otterbein and Boehm being the leading spirits, and at a con- ference held in 1800, both were elected bishops, and the newly- founded Church, hitherto called "United Brethren," was named "The United Brethren in Christ," to distinguish it from the Moravian, which is known by the former title. Such in brief is the origin of the United Brethren Church, which grew up side by side with the "Albright Brethren," or Evangelical Association. BISHOP CHRISTIAN NEWCOMER.— This eminent man of God was born in Lancaster County, Pa., in 1749, and was the son of Wolfgang Newcomer, a Swiss Miennonite. After his marriage he removed to Washington County, Md., where he came under the influence of the founders of the United Brethren Church, William Otterbein and others. He was made a minister of that denomination and was a member of its first regular con- ference in 1789. In 1 81 3 he was elected bishop and remained in office until his death in March, 1830, in the 82d year of his age. Bishop Newcomer's journal, published in 1834, and often quoted in this work, shows him to have been a man of heroic mould, truly apostolic in character. We have never found a more intrepid and tireless herald of the cross in history than he. His diary shows that he crossed the Allegheny Mountains on horseback nineteen times after he was 61 years of age. When 81 years old he made his nineteenth episcopal tour to the far West, on horseback, traveling one day fifty-two miles, and yet this old hero, just before his death, deplored his want of zeal in his ministry in these words, "Nothing am I more sorry for than that I have not served my Lord and Master more faithfully." Bishop Newcomer was in intimate touch with Rev. Jacob Albright and his work from the beginning. He was present and 142 A WONDERFUL STORY. assisted at the dedication of the Reformed church at Shaffers- town, October 8, 1797, at which time Albright preached to an overflow meeting in the market house, which event marks the be- ginning of his ministry. On several subsequent occasions New- comer and Albright participated in joint meetings, as elsewhere recorded. Newcomer's Journal discloses many efforts to unite the Al- bright Brethren and the United Brethren into one body. His last effort was in 181 6, when he attended the first Evangelical General Conference, and plead for union. The outcome was the "Social Conference" between delegates of the two denominations, at the house of Rev. Henry Kummler, six miles east of Hagers- town, Md., in February, 181 7, which resulted in failure. REV. ADAM ETTINGER, Sr., was born November 19, 1760, and died near Dover, York County, Pa., July 26, 1809. He was reared in this vicinity, and as a youth we find him enrolled as a member of the York County militia and rendering active serv- ice in the Revolution.^ He was a member of the Reformed Church and in early life came in contact with the Pietistic group of that denomination whose evangelistic activities did so much to keep alive the fires of vital godlines among the Pennsylvania Germans, and pave the way for the founding of the United Brethren and Evangelical Association denominations. His wife, Anna Maria, was a daughter of George Stouch, and sister of Rev. S. Stouch, of the Lutheran Church. She died in 1842, aged 76 years. Ettinger exercised the office of the ministry in connection with the evangelists prior to 1800. The records of the Reformed Synod show that he was examined for and granted license to preach in May, 1803. This was renewed in 1804, and in 1805 he was ordained a minister. For some time he had charge of the Reformed congregations at Abbottstown and vicinity, and for a brief period also at Hanover. He actively co- operated with Otterbein in the evangelistic movement that re- sulted in the formation of the United Brethren Church,^ but never, to our knowledge, attended the Separatist Conferences, 1 Pennsylvania Archives (Sixth Series), Vol. XII, p. 656. 2 See Gossler's Reply to Gock, p. 153. re:v. a. e:ttingkr. b. 1787. d. 1877. BIOGRAPHICAL SUPPLEMENT. 143 but strictly adhered to the Church.^ The year following his death (1809), Rev. John Walter and other pioneers of the Evangelical Association began their labors in the vicinity of his home, and his wife and entire family united with the Evangelicals. Three of the sons became ministers of the latter connection, Adam, Jr. (born 1787, died 1877), entered the ministry in 1816 and was the first editor of the ''Christliche Botschafter" ; Ben- jamin (born 1794, died 1838), entered the ministry in 18 16, and traveled a number of years. Jonas, a local preacher, and said to have been the first Evangelical in Kansas, died near Leaven- worth, in 1863, aged 78 years. I THE VOICE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE, i Cor. i : 26-31. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things oi the world to confound the wise ; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are : that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 3 See Bishop Newcomer's Journal, pp. 141, 142, 160. the; end.