The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-12-29
TWO CENTURIES OLD.
Short History of the Old Swede Church
at Wilmington, Delaware.


This most interesting feature OF Will
mington, is the old Swede Church.
standing on the outskirts OF the city.
near the Christina, just above the rocks
where in old days Minnit planted his
fort. am of opinion that we have no
church quite so interesting, us regards
nge, origin and architecture. 1t Is
probably the oldest which remains ex.
actly as 1t left the hands of its builders;
"169S'' is the date in iron letters on the
west gable. The building stands in a
wide place of graves, a little back from
Christina creek, and mile west of the
Delaware. The church is built of gray
stone sixty feet long, thirty feet wide
and twenty feet high. The walls are
six feet thick at the base and three feet
ut the windows. There are five of the
latter. large and arched in the style Of
the old Norman, as are the three heavy
doors. There are inscriptions on all
four sides in iron letters set into the
walls, the main inscription being on
the west gable.
Within the church is as quaint and
old as when Dutch Peter, the battle.
SCARED sexton, hauled live Goals from
the old cannon stove upon the brick
floor to warm it. Tho old cedar roof,
fir pews aud quaint pulpit, with its
high sounding board. are very inter-
esting specimens indeed ofearly church
furniture.
The inscriptions recall the very in
teresting circumstances under which
the church was built. After the cap
ture by the Dutch C655), the Swedes
were very much scattered, and found
it extremely difficult to secure pastors.
They were of the Lutheran faith of the
pure Augsburg Confession, and secured
now and then minister from the
churches at New York, their last one
from this source being the Re-. Jaco-
bus Fabritius, called in 1877, who be-
came blind and incapacitated in 1852.
They made frequent but vain appeals
to the home church to send them 1.-TWO
ministers, with Bibles, catechisms and
other goodly books to protect them
from the false teachers and strange
sects," by whom they were surrounded.
At last, in 1898, they appealed to
Charles XII, of Sweden, an appeal very
interesting to us from a statement it
contains that there were then 1873 Swe-
dish families, comprising 942 persons,
living on the Delaware. Charles was
much interested by the letters. but the
II nf Ia vi
soon after, and pressing affairs of state
delayed the American matter for some
time. In 1896 IL was revived. Andrew
Rudman, a candidate, was selected as
missionary to America, and he in turn
chose two other godly men, Eric Bjork
and Josias Aurran, as companions and
co-workers. The King gave them for
their outfit thirteen hundred dollars
copper mint, and five hundred copies
of Luther's Catechism, with Bibles,
pastils and church books, each bearing
the Kings name in gilt letters AS the
three were about to depart he granted
them personal interview, at which
he gave them one hundred dollars "sil-
yer mint" additional for their voyage,
and informed them that he had
ordered the Swedish Ambassador in
London to proc re passports and see
them safely on their way. go now"
he concluded. '.in the name OF the
Lord to the place to which send you.
God be with you and make you indeed
successfully Furnished with safe con-
duct from England, they came safely
to Maryland, thence they travelled
overland to Wilmington and Philadel-
phia, Rudman taking the parish at
Wicacoa, near the latter place, and
Bjork that of Crane Hook. near Will
mington. The people of Wilmington
thought that a church should be reared
in their village; those at Crane Hook
opposed any change; at last, as II COM
promise, it was agreed to place it on
the banks of the Christina, so that the
people from the outlying districts
could come in boats in summer and
sleigh in winter, and also for the pro-
lection afforded by the fort. John
Stalcop. church warden, gave the
land. They began building on May 2S,
1898. The edifice was consecrated as
Trinity Church, on Trinity Sunday,
1899. The occasion was made u day OF
great rejoicing. Governor Markham
was invited, but was unable to be
present. The feast was spread in the
house of John Stalcop. All sorts of
meat and drink, we are told, were con-
malt, bread, flour, |
hops, wine, butter. sugar, raisins, eggs,
veal, mutton. yenison, chickens, tur-
keys, turnips, etc. The congregation
ate the dinner together, rejoicing and
praising God" For years after the |
was observed. Commun-
ions and baptismal services were long |
celebrated with the chalice and plate
sent over by the copper-workers of
Sweden to Pastor Bjork, and the Bible
long used was that given by Queen |
Anne, in 1712.- Wilmington Cor. N Y.
Post.
GENUINE GROWTH.
The Great Danger OF Relying Upon Past