Muhlenberg College - Ciarla Yearbook (Allentown, PA)

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of the German St. James Chapel, a stanch friend of missions. He remained nine weeks and studied English. He set sail for his American destination June 13th and, after a stormy and eventful voyage, during which he suffered from sickness and other discomforts, landed at Charleston, S. C., September 22, 1742. He proceeded to Ebenezer, Georgia, where the Salzburger Lutherans had a flourish- ing colony, and spent some time with the pastors, Revs. Boltzius and Gronau, who greatly appreciated his helpful visit. On November 25, 1742, Muhlenberg reached Philadelphia, a poor unknown young man thoroughly imbued with the missionary spirit. In America Muhlenberg met with almost insuperable difficulties which required not only a good Christian heart, a clear practical head, and a strong, energetic will, but also a strong physical constitution and an enormous amount of vitality. All these qualifications he possessed and many others which future necessities brought to light. He arrived in Pennsylvania sixty years after William Penn’s first visit to his province and in that time great changes had occurred. Emigrants of all nationalities and beliefs resorted thither in ever increasing numbers until in 1752, as reports tell us, the total white population reached 190,000. The Germans numbered about 90,000 and arrived so fast that for many years their number embraced about one-half of the entire number of white settlers. By far the great majority of the Germans were Lutherans. Many congregations were springing up, but usually were flocks without shepherds. Many self-ordained ministers, of all men least fitted to be pastors, took advantage of the spiritual destitution existing everywhere among the Lutheran brethren and had themselves elected as leaders of congregations. Great church leaders of other religious denominations had preceded Muhlenberg and were misleading the hungry Lutheran sheep. The most active of these was Count Zinzendorf, the founder of Moravianism, who represented himself as a regularly ordained Lutheran pastor sent to satisfy their wants. His real design was to change the Lutherans into Moravians and in his efforts had gained many adherents. In a rather spirited conversation Muhlenberg made evident to him the authenticity of his mission, and Zinzendorf was obliged to relinguish his plans in this direction. Muhlenberg, by his pleasing personality, his admirable Christian character, his deep personal insight, his ready mental grasp, his wonderful organizing and administrative ability, and his presevering efforts, soon succeeded to restore confidence and orderly worship among many of his German brethren in the flesh and faith. In this brief sketch it is impossible to give a full description of his herculean task. In order, however, properly to appreciate the greatness of his work and how well he fulfilled his mission, it is necessary to remember that when he arrived in this country he was young, inexperienced and a total stranger, that the

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Alma Mater and , as his later life proved, one of whom she ever can feel proud. Here he showed himself entirely worthy of the pecuniary support furnished him by some beneficent people of his own town, and of the confidence and esteem of Dr. Oporin, a learned and pious professor of the University, who took him to his home, made him his private secretary, and gave him free board and a room for his own use. In Dr. Oporin’s home, Muhlenberg not only enjoyed excellent social advantages, but also was removed from intimate intercourse with students of lower tendencies, for “ German university-and student-life is, even in our times, to some extent an anomalous social phenomenon.” At that time “German universities, though truly centres of learning, were, in a moral aspect, not garden spots in a desert, but a howling wilderness in the midst of cultivated lands.” All such undesirable environments Muhlenberg because of previous moral and religious training was glad to shun. It was at Gottingen that Muhlenberg first came in contact with that spirit and form of piety, which was originally represented by the learned theologian, Philip Jacob Spener, and which received the name of Pietism. The decidedly practical character of this movement was made manifest particularly at Halle where Herman August Francke founded the celebrated Orphan-House and the literary and educational institutions connected with it, which sent out so many consecrated missionaries to foreign lands, and did so much to spread the Bible at home and abroad. Muhlenberg became a firm advocate of Pietism in its purity and remained so to the day of his death. In 1737 he was licensed to preach and catechize. After his graduation from the University in 1738, he was elected as a teacher in the Halle institutions, where his life was further providentially molded for his important career. Gotthilf August Francke, son of the distinguished founder of said institution, was now at its head, and kept his deep personal impress upon the man who was to transplant into America the best growth of German Lutheranism. Muhlenberg taught Greek and Hebrew, and imbibed the deep-seated pietism of the school. The missionary zeal, which always charaterized the school at Halle, came nigh sending him on a mission to Bengal. Lack of funds detained him, and, in 1739, he accepted a pastorate at Grosshennersdorf, where he could further prepare himself for his future mission in America. While on a visit to Halle, on September 6, 1741, his old friend, Dr. Francke, at supper offered him a call to Pennsylvania, to which he promptly responded that “if it was the divine will, he would and must follow whithersoever Provi- dence determined.” He returned to his flock to preach his farewell sermon, bid his fond mother and friends farewell ; and, on April 14, 1742, embarked at the Dutch port of Helvoetsluys for England and America. In England he was the guest of Dr. Fred. M. Ziegetihagen, court preacher

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numerous German settlers were generally poor and were scattered throughout a well-nigh boundless wilderness, that many sections had no church centre what- ever that the congregations which existed were without order, forms of worship, or rules of discipline, and lacked synodical unity, that church buildings were few and inadequate, and that there was not one fellow-pastor on whom he could rely for support or encouragement. Yet with all this he succeeded. He set to work at once with the greatest energy and earnestness. “ His first sermon in Pennsylvania he preached at New Hanover, November 28th, in an unfinished log structure, his second at Philadelphia, December 5th, in a carpenter shop, and his third, December 11th, in a barn at Providence (Trappe).” These were the three churches that had sent such urgent appeals to Halle for pastoral help. After careful consideration Muhlenberg decided to make his residence at New Provi- dence, now Trappe, where, in 1743, Augustus Lutheran Church, a large stone structure still well preserved, was erected under his own supervision. His local pastorship was confined principally to the three congregations, Philadelphia, New Providence, and New Hanover, but these never received his whole attention. The great field of destitute Lutheranism, which included the provinces of Pennsyl- vania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Virginia, necessitated frequent journeys full of hazard and hardship. Now we find him in Tulpehocken, now in Lehigh, now in the Conestoga sections of Eastern Pennsylvania. Next he is on a trip to visit the churches on the Raritan, New Jersey, the upper Hudson of New York, or serves a brief pastoral supply in the city of New York. Again he is on his round of visits to the churches of Maryland and his scattered country- men in Virginia. Having visited the Salzburger Lutherans in Georgia on his way to Pennsylvania, he undertakes another journey thither when already bent with age and its infirmities. From every quarter calls for help came to him, to all of which he sought to respond in person. Only once was he obliged to refuse a requested visit when an appeal reached him from Nova Scotia. Wherever he went, he established order and removed contention. His great work ever was to shepherd, instruct, encourage, organize, and superintend the many destitute and scattered flocks. In all this work he was so wonderfully prospered that the fame of his fervent piety and extraordinary ability spread to all parts of the country. Muhlenberg’s chief hinderance in the beginning was lack of pastoral help. After many appeals and patient waiting, the long-needed assistance came in the persons of Peter Brunnholtz, John Nicholas Kurtz, and John Helfrich Schaum, who were sent forth by the authorities at Halle and arrived at Philadelphia, January 26th, 1745. Fields of labor were readily found for them, and by and by more missionaries arrived from the Mother Country and everywhere the great work began to show wholesome progress. On August 14th and 15th, 1748, the 13