56. Parish Schools Cultivated.--One cannot possibly say too much in
praise of the missionary zeal on the part of Muhlenberg and his
associates and of their unceasing efforts to establish new mission-posts
and organize new congregations, and to obtain additional laborers from
Europe, notably from Halle. In a large measure this applies also to
their labors in the interest of establishing parochial schools. In fact,
wherever we read of early Lutherans in America, especially German
Lutherans, there we also hear the cry for schools and schoolteachers to
instruct the children. Comparatively weak efforts to establish schools
for their children were made by the Swedes in Delaware. At Christina a
teacher was employed in 1699; in Wicaco Teacher Hernboom began a school
in 1713. The minutes of the Pennsylvania Synod of 1762 record: "In the
Swedish congregations the Swedish schools have for several generations
been regrettably neglected; Dr. Wrangel, however, has started an English
school in one of his congregations in which the Lutheran Catechism is
read in an English translation." Acrelius, who had been provost of the
Swedes in Delaware, wrote in 1759: "Forty years back our people scarcely
knew what a school was. The first Swedish and Holland settlers were a
poor, weak, and ignorant people, who brought up their children in the
same ignorance." The result was great ignorance among the Swedes.
_Jacobs:_ "There seems to have been an entire dearth of laymen capable
of intelligently participating in the administration of the affairs of
the congregation until we come to Peter Kock. Eneberg found at Christina
that 'of the vestrymen and elders of the parish there was scarcely any
one who could write his own name.'" (104.) The Salzburgers had a school
in Ebenezer, and later a second school in the country. At the beginning
Bolzius and Gronau gave daily instruction in religion, the one four, the
other three hours daily. In 1741 Ortmann and an English teacher
instructed the youth at Ebenezer. The Palatinates in New York began
with the building, not only of a church, but also of a school in 1710,
the very year in which they had settled at West Camp. In New York there
was a schoolhouse as well as a church, and a "schoolkeeper"
(_Schulhalter_) was employed. When the teacher disappeared, the
schoolhouse was rented out, but Berkenmeyer taught the children in his
home for five months in a year, three times a week. Also in North
Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, etc., parish schools were established,
and the great need of them explained to and urged upon the people by the
conferences and ministers. In Pennsylvania there were several German
schools even before the arrival of Muhlenberg; as a rule, however, the
teachers were incompetent or immoral, or both. (247.) When, in 1734,
Daniel Weisiger, one of the representatives of the congregations at
Philadelphia, New Hanover, and Providence, made his appearance in Halle,
he asked for both an able and pious preacher and a schoolteacher. In the
beginning Muhlenberg himself took charge of the school. In January,
1743, he wrote: "Because there is a great ignorance among the youth of
this land and good schoolteachers are so very rare, I shall be compelled
to take hold of the work myself. Those who possibly could teach the
youth to read are lazy and drunken, compile a sermon from all manner of
books, run about, preach, and administer the Lord's Supper for hard
cash. Miserable and disgusting, indeed! I announced to the people [at
Providence] to send first their oldest children for instruction, as I
intended to remain with the congregation eight days at a time. On Monday
some of the parents brought their children. It certainly looks
depressing when children of seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty years
come with the Abc-Book. Yet I am delighted that they are possessed of so
great a desire to learn something," etc. "In Providence," Muhlenberg
wrote later on, "I have a splendid young man, who keeps school in
winter, and in summer earns his living by doing manual labor." In 1745
J. N. Kurtz and J. H. Schaum were sent from Halle to take charge of the
youth. One of the chief questions to engage the attention of the first
convention of the Pennsylvania Synod, in 1748, was: "What is the
condition of the parish schools?" Brunnholtz reported: In his home at
Philadelphia, Schaum, whom he supported, had been keeping school for
three and a half years; since Easter there had been no school, as Schaum
was needed at another place; however, before winter would set in, he and
his elders would do their best in this matter. Germantown, continued
Brunnholtz, had two teachers, Doeling, a former Moravian, being one of
them, whose schools were attended by many children, some of them
non-Lutherans. Another school near Germantown with twenty children had
been closed for lack of a teacher. Muhlenberg stated: In Providence
there had been a small school in the past year. New Hanover had a fair
school, Jacob Loeser being teacher. Though a teacher could be had for
the filials Saccum and Upper Milford, there were no schools there. When
the elders hereupon explained that the distances were too great, Synod
advised to change off monthly with the teacher, and demanded an answer
in this matter in the near future. Kurtz promised to begin a school at
Tulpehocken in winter. Handschuh reported: In Lancaster the school was
flourishing; Teacher Schmidt and his assistant Vigera had instructed 70
children. At the meeting of Synod in 1753 the pastors complained: "The
schools within our congregations are in a very poor state, since able
and faithful teachers are rare, salaries utterly insufficient, the
members too widely scattered and in most cases poor, roads too bad in
winter, and the children too urgently needed on the farms in summer."
(G., 496.) According to the report of the Synod held in 1762 there were
parochial schools in New Providence, one main school and several smaller
ones; in New Hanover; in Philadelphia, where a public examination during
the sessions of Synod exhibited the efficiency of the school; in Vincent
Township, a school with a good teacher and 60 children; in Reading, a
school with more than 80 children; in Tulpehocken, a school of 40
children; in Heidelberg, a school of 30 children; in Northkeel, 30
children, taught by Pastor Kurtz; in Lancaster, a school of 60 children
in summer and 90 in winter, etc. (495.)
57. Dearth of Pastors and Schoolteachers.--From the very beginning one
of the greatest obstacles to the spread and healthy growth of the
Lutheran Church in America was the dearth of well-trained, able, and
truly Lutheran pastors and schoolteachers. And the greatest of all
mistakes of the early builders of the American Zion was the failure to
provide for the crying need of laborers by the only proper and effectual
means--the establishment of American seminaries for the training of
truly Lutheran pastors and teachers qualified to serve in American
surroundings. The growing indifferentism and deterioration of the
Lutheran ministry as well as of the Lutheran congregations was a
necessary consequence of this neglect, which resulted in an inadequate
service, rendered, to a large extent, by incompetent or heterodox
ministers. Dr. Mann was right when he maintained in his _Plea for the
Augsburg Confession_ of 1856, that the doctrinal aberrations of the
Definite Platform theologians were due, in part, to the fact that S. S.
Schmucker and other ministers had received their theological education
at Princeton and other non-Lutheran schools. The constantly increasing
need, coupled with the insufficient preparation of the men willing to
serve, led to the pernicious system of licensing, which for many decades
became a permanent institution in Pennsylvania and other States. In 1857
the General Synod adopted the following report: "The committee on the
Licensure System respectfully report that the action of this body
requesting the several District Synods to take into consideration and
report their judgment on the proposed alteration or abolition of our
Licensure System has been responded to by fifteen synods. Out of this
number all the synods, excepting three, have decided against a change.
Your committee have to report the judgment of the Church to be decidedly
against any change of our long-established regulations on this subject,
and therefore deem it unnecessary to enter on the discussion of the
merits of the subject, in this report, and propose the adoption of the
following resolution: Resolved, That the great majority of our Synods
having expressed their judgment against any change in our Licensure
System, your committee be released from the further consideration of the
subject." (20.) The great dearth of ministers accounted for this action.
Even before 1727 there were in Pennsylvania more than 50,000 Germans. In
1751 Benjamin Franklin expressed his apprehension that "the Palatine
boors" would Germanize Pennsylvania. In 1749 more than 12,000 German
emigrants arrived. In 1750 the Germans in Pennsylvania numbered about
80,000, almost one-half of the inhabitants of the State. And more than
one-half of these were considered Lutherans. In 1811, however, when this
number had greatly increased, the Pennsylvania Synod reported only 64
ministers, of whom 34 were ordained, 26 were licensed to preach, and 4
were catechists. The number of ministers sent from Germany had been
augmented by such as had been tutored by pastors in America. Chr. Streit
and Peter Muhlenberg, for example, were instructed by Provost Wrangel
and Muhlenberg, Sr. Another pupil of Muhlenberg was Jacob van Buskirk.
H. Moeller, D. Lehman, and others had studied under J. C. Kunze. Jacob
Goering, J. Bachman, C. F. L. Endress, J. G. Schmucker, Miller, and
Baetis were pupils of J. H. Ch. Helmuth. H. A. Muhlenberg, who
subsequently became prominent in politics, and B. Keller were educated
in Franklin College. Later on some attended Princeton and other Reformed
schools to prepare themselves for the Lutheran ministry! To make matters
worse, the ministers who, toward the close of the eighteenth century,
came from Germany were no longer adapted for their surroundings, which
were rapidly becoming English. Besides, Halle and the other German
universities had grown rationalistic. According to the Report of the
General Synod in 1823 the Lutheran Church in America numbered 900
churches with only 175 ministers. (9.) The same report states: "The
ancient and venerable Synod of Pennsylvania is rapidly increasing both
in members and in ministers, and we trust that much good is doing in the
name of our blessed Savior Jesus. From the minutes of the session of the
present year, which was held at Lebanon, it appears that the body
consists of 74 ministers, who have the pastoral charge of upwards of 278
churches; that between the session of 1822 and 1823 they admitted to
membership by baptism 6,445, admitted to sacramental communion by
confirmation 2,750, that the whole number of communicants is 24,794, and
that there are under the superintendence of the different churches 208
congregational schools." (11.) In 1843, according to the _Lutheran
Almanac_ for that year, the General Synod numbered 424 ordained and
licensed pastors and 1,374 congregations with 146,303 communicants. This
averaged three congregations for every pastor, some serving as many as
six, eight, or even twelve, giving the majority of the congregations one
service every four weeks, and to many only one service every eight
weeks. (_Kirchl. Mitt. 1843, No. 11.) In 1853 about 9,000 Lutheran
congregations in the United States were served by only 900 pastors.
(_Lutheraner,_ 10, 31.) Thus, as the years rolled on, the question
became increasingly pressing: "Where shall we find pastors for our
children?" Yet, while the Lutheran ministers, as a rule, were most
zealous and self-sacrificing in their labors to serve and gather the
scattered Lutherans, organize congregations, and establish parochial
schools, the early history of American Lutheranism does not record a
single determined effort anywhere to provide in a systematic way for the
training of preachers and teachers, such as were required by American
conditions and surroundings. We hear of an orphan home founded by the
Salzburgers in 1737 with three boys and eight girls, but nowhere of a
seminary turning out preachers and teachers for the maintenance and
upbuilding of the Church. It was in 1864, more than 120 years after the
first appearance of Muhlenberg in Pennsylvania, that the "Mother Synod"
of the Lutheran Church in America founded a seminary in Philadelphia.
58. Hopeless Situation.--Several years after his arrival in America,
Muhlenberg realized the need and conceived the thought of founding an
orphan asylum with a preachers' seminary in connection; and in 1748 he
had acquired the ground for this purpose. In his letters to Halle he
repeatedly declared that it would be impossible to supply "the almost
innumerable multitude of German Lutherans" with pastors for any length
of time without a seminary in America. In one of these letters he says:
"An institution of this kind does not appear to be impossible. And it
seems to be necessary, because, as the past experience has taught us,
the calling of well-tried and able preachers from Germany, though
indeed of especial advantage, and needed also in the future, at least
for a considerable time, is connected with so many difficulties and
such great expense that it will be impossible to send over as many
from Germany as will be required in order to provide sufficiently for
all congregations." (504.) In 1769 Muhlenberg broached the matter to
the convention of the Ministerium, and Synod repeatedly considered the
question. But nothing materialized. Indeed, J. C. Kunze, who later
became Muhlenberg's son-in-law, finally did succeed in opening a
preparatory school; lack of funds, however, compelled him to close it
during the Revolutionary War. Kunze, Helmuth, and J. F. Schmidt now
pinned their hopes to the "German Institute" of the Pennsylvania
University, whose professors were Lutherans from 1779 to 1822. Helmuth
instructed every day from eight to twelve and from two to five o'clock.
But the "German Institute" did not turn out any Lutheran pastors, as
the curriculum contained no course in theology. Kunze writes: "It is
true, I was professor of Oriental languages in Philadelphia. However, I
had but six scholars, and I doubt if one of them will study theology.
And who would instruct them, in case they should desire to study
theology? We did not have time to devote a single hour to this subject
in Philadelphia." In 1785 Helmuth and Schmidt wrote: "There is nothing
we pastors desire more than a German educational institution, where
young men could be prepared directly for the service of the Church. To
be sure, we have part in the university located here, and also make use
of it. But languages and philosophy only are taught here, from which our
churches and schools derive no benefit." The hopelessness of the
situation is further revealed by the following letter which Helmuth
addressed to the synod assembled in Lancaster, Pa., 1784: "Brethren, we
are living in a sad time. My heart weeps over the awful decay of
Christendom. I readily acknowledge my share of the guilt that God seems
to hide His countenance from us, permitting the doors to stand wide
open, for the spirit of lies [rationalism] to enter and destroy the
vineyard of the Lord. You will learn from the report from Halle how the
swine are uprooting the garden of Christ in Germany. . . . Another
thing, dearest brethren, how shall we in the future supply our
congregations with pastors? Where shall we find ministers to meet our
need, which will increase from time to time! From Germany? Possibly a
secret Arian, Socinian, or Deist? For over there everything is full of
this vermin. God forbid! Under present circumstances, no one from
Germany! We ourselves must put our hands to the plow. God will call us
to account for it, and will let our children suffer for it, if we do not
wake up, and hazard something for the weal of immortal souls."--And
how did they now seek to provide help? Franklin College was founded in
conjunction with the German Reformed and other sects! Helmuth and other
Lutheran pastors were among the trustees of the institution. In an
appeal to the Lutheran congregations they say: "Where will you at last
find pastors and teachers if you do not send your children to college?
. . . Think you that your churches and schools can exist without them?
Either your children will have to content themselves with the poorest
kind of men, or else surrender language and religion, for which you have
laid the foundation, thus loading a great guilt upon yourselves. Dear
friends, German church-life can impossibly continue to exist as it has
hitherto existed in many places. In a few years the churches you already
have will be deserted. And what will then become of the increased number
of Germans dwelling in your midst? Are there not already a great number
of localities where the inhabitants hear no sermon for six to eight
weeks, and where the young grow up like the savages?" (515. 530.) The
Synod of 1818 also staked its hopes on Franklin College, which, however,
was eking out a pitiable existence, and finally became the exclusive
property of the Reformed. The dire need was apparent to all; the true
way out of the difficulty, however, no one saw nor wanted to see. And
the reason? Avarice on the part of the congregations, and a lack of
initiative and Lutheran earnestness and determination on the part of the
pastors. Nor did the seminaries founded in the first part of the
nineteenth century (Hartwick Seminary, established in 1815; Gettysburg
Seminary, in 1825; and the seminary of the South Carolina Synod, in
1829, at Lexington) meet the needs of the Church, either as to the
quantity or the quality of the candidates required for the Lutheran
ministry. In a letter addressed to the General Synod, assembled 1827 at
Gettysburg, Dr. Hazelius wrote: "Our [Hartwick] Seminary has been
established since the year 1815; during which time 11 young men have
received their theological education here, 10 of whom are now actively
engaged as laborers in the vineyard of our Lord; but one is prevented by
disease from participating in the labors of his brethren." (20.) All
told, 10 preachers produced by Lutheran seminaries in the United States
till 1827! Besides, in reality these seminaries were not Lutheran, but
unionistic and, in a degree, Reformed schools.