Part 2 — CONSTITUTION OF THE TRAPPE CONGREGATION, 1750.

"In the year of our Lord 1750, May 27, in the Evangelical Lutheran Church called Augustus Church, in Providence township, Philadelphia County, the following persons" (twelve names given) "were elected as church council, by the whole congregation, at a free election, by a majority of votes, under certain conditions for life. The before-named elected elders and church councilmen hereby promise, before the most Holy God and the Christian congregation, by their own signature, by the help of God, faithfully to observe and execute the following Articles and Duties, to the best of their ability, so long as they remain in office, to wit:

"1. They shall strive, as they hope for their soul's salvation, that the Evangelical doctrine, according to the foundation of the apostles and prophets and our symbolical books, be ever more fully apprehended by their own souls, and that it may be adorned by their godly conversation, to the end that they not only rule well their own households but also be examples to the whole congregation. Should, however, which may God avert, any one of them fall away from the pure Evangelical doctrine and organization, and unite with some sect or with none, or fall into open sin against the Ten Commandments of God, then the pastor and other church councilmen shall admonish him, as prescribed in Matt. 18, and should the admonition be of no avail, he shall be removed from office, and shall have no right in the church, school, or their property, until he heartily repents and amends.

"2. They shall keep all deeds of church and school property and all accounts of church and school building funds and of all collections and alms in a chest procured for that purpose, that they may be preserved for posterity. The chest shall have two locks and two keys, one to be kept by the minister and the other by the church councilmen.

"3. They shall watch carefully that in the Augustus Church and school, the Evangelical doctrine, according to the foundation of the apostles and prophets and our symbolical books, be perpetuated to our descendants. And to the end that this aforesaid doctrine and organization (Oeconomic) may be maintained, beside believing prayer, it is their duty to strive to continue in unity and intimate friendship with our spiritual fathers and patrons, and their true successors in London and Halle, as also with the other united congregations in this country, and their lawful pastors, and to make known any failure or decay in this respect.

"4. Should the Augustus Church be remembered by their last testaments by devout members with money or lands, or receive them in any other manner, then two church councilmen shall be elected, to whom such church property shall be entrusted." (Directions for investment and administration follow.) "But these moneys shall not be used for any other purpose than for the preservation and perpetuation of the true service of God, according to our evangelical doctrine and organization.

"5. The regular pastor and the church councilmen shall take care that no strange preacher outside of our communion, let him bear what name he will, shall preach or administer the sacraments in our Augustus church or school-house, that the congregation may not be thrown into strife. Whosoever will preach, or minister in any way, in our church must either have been sent by our fathers and benefactors in Europe, or be in connection with our united congregations and ministers, and have been examined to see that he holds the true Evangelical doctrine and leads a Christian life, for this church has been established and consecrated for this doctrine and for no other.

"6. On the day after New Year, in every year, the accounts of the collections and alms shall be presented in the presence of the church councilmen, and at the same time an inquiry shall be made as to how much or little of the minister's salary has been collected. The members shall also be reminded that they also should attend and learn how the accounts of the congregation stand.

"7. As often as necessary the pastor shall, through the vorsteher, call the church councilmen together, or himself invite them at a public service, to the end that together they may consider, consult and decide when there is need to build or to repair, to resolve or to execute.

"8. No one of the church councilmen shall have authority to do anything which requires a decision by all, but what is needful to be done shall be considered and decided by all in common. But if members are unable to be present through sickness or other causes, or if those present are not of one mind, the majority shall decide.

"9. When the church council (Kirchen Collegium) meets, the pastor shall begin with prayer to God, and then he shall present the matters to be considered. He himself shall have two votes, and he shall take diligent care that all things be done in an honorable, Christian and orderly way, for God loves order and hates disorder.

"10. Whoever would be and remain a regular member in our Christian church should strive to be at peace with all men, according to Christ's teachings, and rather endure wrong than to contend for trifles, and when any of us are subjected to so great wrong that he cannot bear it, the Christian magistracy is appointed to protect the good and to punish the wrong doers. But when brothers, members of one congregation, dispute about every little matter, and hasten to bring it before the magistrates, an occasion of offence is given, as Paul says in I Cor. 6: 1-8. If, therefore, the members of our congregation have any disagreement with each other, they should appear before the church council and be directed and reconciled in a Christian manner, if the matter may thus be adjusted. If, however, any will not do this, but is disposed rather to quarrel and judge, and will not yield when it is reasonable, and stubbornly persists in his own wrong-headed way, he should be excluded from the congregation until he confesses his wrong and amends.

"11. The week before the Lord's Supper is administered the church council should meet, when necessary, to settle any strife.

"12. When the Annual Great Church Convention is held (meeting of the ministerium), two of the church councilmen must, without fail, be sent as delegates, in the name of the congregation, to consult and advance the common welfare. But as these two men will have expenses, such expenses should be repaid out of the common treasury, if they request it, for the laborer is worthy at least of his food, even though he desire no reward.

"13. When letters in common are to be sent to our reverend fathers and benefactors in Europe, or to other congregations, or our members desire testimonials for naturalization, the church councilman should not hesitate to sign them.

"14. If any man has aught against a church councilman, and hesitates about speaking to him of it, in love he may report it discreetly to the pastor, who will speak to him of it kindly. And so when any man has aught against the pastor, he may tell it to such councilman as has most fully his confidence.

"15. If any matter of great importance is transacted by the church council, it shall be reported to the fathers in Europe, and if on all sides it is thought best, it shall be recorded in the church record, and be transmitted for the benefit of our descendants.

"16. No meeting of the church council shall or can be held without the regular pastor, much less shall any resolution go in force without his signature.

"If the church councilmen observe all these regulations, continue steadfast in the pure doctrine of the faith and lead holy lives as children of God; if they rule well their own houses and families and serve as examples to the flock: to the best of their ability, by the grace of God, do their part that the holy gospel be perpetuated to our latest posterity, Satan and the world may indeed make sport of them, but God will be their shield and their great reward here on earth and hereafter forever. All that they have done to His honor, though they have only given a cup of water in His name, the Lord will acknowledge at the last day, before the multitude of many thousand angels and elect ones, and will say that it was done to Him. But should they use this office unfaithfully, and prove an occasion of offense to the congregation, which may God in mercy prevent, they will bring double condemnation on themselves. To the above duties, in general and in particular, we obligate and pledge ourselves by our signature with our own hand. Done at Providence, July 8, 1750." (Signed by all the councilmen before witnesses.)

There is no mention made of Vorsteher, except incidentally in Section 7, which is the more astonishing, as the annual settlement of accounts, in the same book, in the handwriting of Muehlenberg, both before and after the adoption of this constitution, mention the settlement as made by the pastor, elders and Vorsteher. There are also entries in 1760 and 1761, of the election, per plurima vota, of Vorsteher and of elders, probably to fill vacancies made by death. These Vorsteher were elected annually and this constitution makes the elders serve for life. The above document is followed by a carefully prepared constitution and rules for the parochial school. We see that Muehlenberg avoided the chief mistake of Brunnholtz in that he did not make the elders appointees of the pastor, but gave their election to the whole congregation.

The constitution of 1746, in St. Michael's, Philadelphia, proved even more unsatisfactory as the congregation increased in size. The interests at stake grew constantly larger, and the powers entrusted to the elders could scarcely be so exercised that dissatisfaction should not arise. The Elders elected the Pastor, they filled all vacancies in their own number, they selected the Deacons, they decided all questions of the purchase of property, and the incurrence of debt, and in all these matters the congregation had no control. It was an almost inevitable result that the pastor and schoolmasters should try to keep in friendly relations to the elders, and thus they arrayed against themselves all who were dissatisfied. Brunnholtz had died, 1757, and Heintzelman had preceded him in 1756, and the elders had elected Handschuh as pastor, who, though a devout and earnest man, had the most sickly pietism of any of the Halle men, and was the weakest of all the Philadelphia pastors, before or since; he was subject to very great prejudices and strongly inclined to build up an ecclesiola of his own type within the congregation. The resistance, estrangement and animosity toward the existing arrangements, grew gradually to be so great that the peace and unity of the congregation were threatened to such an extent that vigorous measures must be taken. The congregation demanded a fuller control of its own affairs, Handschuh and his elders sternly resisted the demand, and were convinced that the world would fall if the whole congregation were allowed to usurp the control which could only be wisely exercised by a few selectmen. The peril and strife grew so great, that after a long struggle it became an unavoidable necessity that Muehlenberg should be recalled to his office as chief pastor, and a new constitution prepared and adopted. Dr. Mann has presented, in chapter xxii. of his life of Muehlenberg, a most admirable account of the whole movement which resulted in the presentation of the new constitution; of the difficulties which preceded and made necessary its preparation, as well as of those which attended its introduction into the congregation, to which the reader is referred. The two chief objections to the constitution of 1746 were that the pastor and elders were not elected by the people and thus became a close corporation, self-perpetuating and not subject to control by the congregation, and secondly, that property could be bought and sold and debt incurred, for which the congregation was responsible, without their having any voice in the matter. These evils must be remedied in the new constitution.

The new constitution was prepared by Muehlenberg in consultation, of course, with Handschuh and the elders, and pre-eminently with the Swedish Provost Wrangel. Months were spent in its preparation. The local difficulties and wants received the most careful consideration and some few of its provisions were temporary, and made in view of the previous arrangements. Thus the old elders were retained for life as trustees, but after their death the elders who took their place were to be duly elected by the congregation, and in the revision after the incorporation the name of trustee was removed. But Muehlenberg rose above the present necessities and conditions of the local congregation, and designed this constitution to be, as it became, the one which should be the general constitution for all the united congregations of the Ministerium. He had a full apprehension of the importance of the work in which he was engaged, and devoted to it his wisest judgment, and the results of his own experience and varied observations in the working of congregational constitutions. He also recognized the character of the civil government of the land and strove to bring the congregational government into harmony with it. He succeeded in gradually allaying the diversities and animosities at Philadelphia, and after the completion of the constitution, it was accepted by the congregation and publicly subscribed, first by himself, then by Handschuh and the elders, then, within a short time, by five hundred heads of families. Thus the foundation was laid on which the permanent prosperity of St. Michael's congregation rested, and on which it still peacefully rests. This constitution, with the removal of the temporary provisions at Philadelphia, was at once accepted by the congregations at Providence and New Hanover; in Lancaster, during a visit of Muehlenberg, soon after Gerock left, in 1769, at York under Kurtz, in 1781, and earlier or later, by most of the prominent congregations connected with the Ministerium, at least in its chief provisions.

Constitution of St. Michael's Church, Philadelphia, 1762.

We, the subscribers, the lawfully called Pastors, Trustees, Elders, Vorsteher and communicant members of the Ger. Ev. Luth. Congregation of St. Michael's Church, acknowledge and bind ourselves to the following Church and School Constitution.