Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-09-05

landlord whose traff1C III ardent Sp1rlJS
had been diminished by the preaching
Of Bryzelius. This man lodged COM
plant against him as "a common
breaker of the kings peace" alleging
that his preaching had caused disturb
ances. Judge Hingman, of Glouces-
ter, before whom Bryzelius had his
first hearing, perceiving how matters
stood treated the defendant kindly and
cheerfully gave him permission to con-
tinue his ministrations at Maurice Riv-
er and PENIS Neck, until the next SEES
sion of the court. AS was to be ex
pected, the Grand Jury found no true
bill against him. He was dismissed
with the friendly counsel not to preach
at. Raccoon until arbitration, ordered
by the court, had taken place. The
Quakers offered him a meeting place.
Accepting the offer of thoughtful kind
ness he preached before large audien-
ces some time longer. Later Magister
Naesman apologized for his procedure.
Four years later, 174S, the church at
Raccoon was reopened to the brethren
for services conducted at first in Swe-
dish. later in English, the congregation
numbering at the time twenty-four
souls.
How long Bryzelius continued his
ministerial service in this locality, we
are unable to say In later years he
seems several times to have visited
the scenes of his former labOrs. There
is record of such visit as late as 1850.
For a period of years there seems to
have been nothing like fixed or settled
appointment. Records of the Penn
sylvania Synod held at Fredericks
town in 1745, make mention of a re-
quest on the part Of the Swedes of
Maurice River, PENIS Neck and Rae
coon for a preacher. Negotiations by
letter and deputation with the author
tiles at Bethlehem secured at last the
appointment Of Abraham Reinkl. Like
others after him, he suffers from fever,
and his stay is brief one, though the
record of his official acts in connec-
ton with various visits covers the per-
iod from 1745 to 1852. Nyberg, who
had Joined the Moravians, succeeded
him. In fellowship with him labofed
the itinerant evangelists, particularly
Sven Roseen, Thomas Yarrel, Owen
Rice and Joseph Powell, though dur
ing a period of fifteen years the rec
ords show that the following also rem
dered service: Daniel Neubert, John
Olsely, David Bruce, Andrew Ostran
Joseph Shaw, Christopher Pyrlaeus.
James Burnside, Matthew Gigottshalls,
Mathew Reutz Lewis Hubner. George
Neisser, James Greening, Charles Cod
frey Rundt, Hector Gambold, John
Wade Richard Utley, Joachim Sense
man. John Leighton. Jacob Rogers.
Reinbard Kramer and Otto Krogstrup.
More or less frequently these men
touched at Three Rivers, Lewes, Duck
Greek, Maurice River, PENIS Neck,
Raccoon, Cohansey, Ananias Land Cal
lxoen's Hook, Cape May, Egg Harbor,
Bridgeton, Burlington, Middletown.
Trenton, Crosswicks, Maidenhead,
Cranberry. Princeton, Brunswick, Wal
pack, Pawlin's Kill and Oldman's
Creek or Piles Grove, or as it was
later called Woolwich, the earliest
preaching of which there is record. at
the last named place being in 1745.
The labors of these men were entirely
in accord with the principles of that
type of unselfish evangelistic activity,
to which reference has already been
made. Their purpose was the furth-
erance of vital godliness not denom-
national expansion. To promote this
they were willing to- undergo hard
ships, brave dangers, endure fatigue,
put up with discomfort, all of which
were incident to their travels, cross
ing of the river when the ice was rum
ming or the stream swollen, their long
journeys on foot, their stopping at rude
cabins where the arrangements were
primitive and the comforts few. They
received no compensation from those
to whom they ministered, but were
content with what was provided for
them by their equally unselfish and in
dustrious brethren in the central set
Elements of the church in Pennsyl-
yania
The most important of the places
touched by these eyangelists were
Maurice River, PENIS Neck, Walpack,
Pawlin's Kill, Raccoon and Oldman's
Creek. At these places there was
more or less of permanence and formal
organization At PENIS Neck, Rae
coon, Maurice River and Oldman's
Creek churches were built That at
Maurice River was dedicated in De-
cember, 1746, and the one at Oldmans
Creek in 1749, the latter by Bishop
Spangenberg. The congregation at
the last named place was to have the
most prolonged history. No descrip-
ton of any of these primitive sanctu-
aries is extant. Probably, as Bishop
Hamilton states in his valuable paper
on ''Moravian Activity in New Sweden
and it's Vicinity" published in the
Transactions of the Northumberland
Society, they were like those in Penn
sylvania | quote his description of
such a plain log house, Having the in
terror completely ceiled with boards
that were smoothed by hand labor, as
were those Of its flooring. Small and
rudely made window sashes doubtless
held the few panes of glass that light
ed the plainly furnished room. Be-
hind an unpretentious table at one end
draped in black cloth and raised one
step from the floor, stood quaint chair
of ancient pattern. Possibly feeble
little spinet furnished instrumental ac-
commandment IN fho voices of fhoSa