Excerpt from The Life and Letters of the Rev. John Philip Boehm
First Report of Mr. Boehm to the Synods of North and South Holland, October 28, 1734.1
Truthful and Dutiful Specification of the High German Reformed Congregations in Pennsylvania, showing also how many communicants were present at the last Lord’s Supper in each congregation, drawn up as follows by the undersigned:
It ought to be stated that certainly one half of the communicants of these congregations arrived here not long ago, are poor people, and partly servants.
Further report from Pennsylvania, regarding the above mentioned eight congregations, including beside them several places, which need to be provided for as much as possible. These are: Oley and also Saucon, in whose neighborhood are Macungie, Maxatawny and Great Swamp, where, notwithstanding their being scattered very far apart, yet a considerable number of people can come together. As the population increases other congregations may be organized. For the present, however, although with much effort, they can suitably be served by four ministers in the following manner:
1. By one minister, Philadelphia and Germantown, which are 6 English miles apart; and as Germantown is a very advantageous place, if the congregation there would fraternally unite with that of Whitemarsh (since they are very weak and but 4 English miles apart, and most of the people are going to live at Germantown) the same might very properly change its location [to Germantown], about which I, as the regular pastor at Whitemarsh have already spoken to the elders there, who agree with me in acknowledging this to be beneficial and serviceable, and in case any order were given in the matter they would be willing to obey. By means of such a union they would also be in a better condition in due time to support a pastor themselves.
2. By the second minister, Falkner Swamp and Skippack, which are about 12 English miles apart; and if he would conduct services at each of these places once every 3 weeks, he might between times, and on one Sunday, according to opportunity, preach at Oley, and whenever it may be necessary.
3. By the third minister, Conestoga and Tulpehocken. And, whereas Conestoga is spread over a great extent of territory (almost if not more than 70 miles from Philadelphia) and has very many Reformed people, if they find a faithful pastor of their own, they might then be united [into one charge], so that the pastor could conduct services at two or three places, as might be deemed advisable, and besides have services every 4 weeks at Tulpehocken, which is about 18 miles distant. Now this was the condition of Conestoga and Tulpehocken at the period above mentioned, when at their request I administered the Lord’s Supper to them, and Conestoga accepted and subscribed to our Church Order; and although they were scattered by Peter Miller, yet I hope, with the help of God, to restore them to their former condition.
4. A fourth minister would greatly be needed at Goshenhoppen, about 36 miles from Philadelphia. He might conduct services there every 3 weeks, and use the rest of the time to feed the poor sheep at the end of the wilderness, in the above-mentioned Saucon, Macungie, Maxatawny, and Great Swamp, who thirst for the hearing of God’s Word, as the dry earth for water. Many people from these regions have already been to see me in great sadness and complained of the lamentable state of their souls. There were also some, who being able to make the journey, have come at various times to commune in the congregation entrusted to me at Falkner Swamp, a distance of certainly 25 to 30 English miles, and brought children for baptism, which journey, however, is impossible for old persons and weak or pregnant women, so that it is not to be wondered at (especially when one remembers that there are children who for lack of a minister cannot be brought to baptism until they are several years of age) that my heart breaks and my eyes are full of tears about this condition. But I cannot accomplish this work alone, for my years are beginning to accumulate, and my poor body is also getting feeble, since
I must not only make long journeys and preach, but also because the poor people are not able to support me, I must support my large family with hard, manual labor.
It is indeed true that three young ministers have been here, namely Mr. George Michael Weiss, Mr. Peter Miller, and Mr. Bartholomew Rieger, coming from the Palatinate, but for what they have done here I wish that God may forgive them, because, after they had disturbed the congregations for a long time, even those entrusted to my care, they again left and abandoned the sheep misled by their shepherds. Nevertheless one of them is still in this country, namely, Peter Miller. When this man could not bring the people over to his opinion, he quitted the ministry altogether, and he is now an oil-miller. But what he was after, and thought of persuading the people to do, is plainly to be seen from this, overlooking everything else: about two years ago he went with one of his elders, whom he had installed in the congregation at Goshenhoppen, into the house of a Seventh Day Dunker, and there they allowed themselves to be called brethren and to have their feet washed by him; and this is the truth, whereupon followed his complete apostasy.
I have now for about eight years, ministered in my poverty to my three congregations entrusted to me at Falkner Swamp, Skippack and Whitemarsh, according to our Church Order. To them has been added three months ago the congregation at Philadelphia, which has entered on all points into a firm and complete agreement with me. To this Church Order none of the three young ministers would submit, but sought to live according to their own ideas, and Miller, in my presence called the Heidelberg Catechism a work of men, adding that Christians were a free people, and had no need on earth of a head, that Christ in heaven was their only head, and that he would not allow himself to be subjected to a human yoke, etc. Meanwhile the dissensions which have hitherto prevailed have been, by God’s grace, mostly overcome, and the united congregations and members live in peace. Those few who in spite of every admonition, will not as yet unite in love, according to the rule of God’s Sacred Word, we leave to their well-deserved judgment.
Thus writes, according to truth, upon his inevitable responsibility before the judgment-seat of God, he who esteems himself the least of all the servants of Jesus Christ, and unworthy of the Sacred Gospel, and testifies to it by his own signature, October 18, 1734.
John Philip Boehm
Reformed Minister in Pennsylvania
1William J. Hinke, ed., Life and Letters of the Rev. John Philip Boehm: Founder of the Reformed Church in Pennsylvania 1683-1749 (Philadelphia: Publication and Sunday School Board of the Reformed Church in the United States, 1916), 250-257. Spelling has been standardized, and phrasing has been slightly revised for clarity. The original is available on Archive.org.