Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1910-01-07
M,lHLENBERG, THE PATRIOT
PASTOR OF THE REVOLUTION
BY RICHARD SPILLANE.

BY RICHARD SPILLANE.
printed by permission CT II. H Mcclure q
Co.. of New York;
From mountain cabin and valley
farm there gathered in the rudely pull'
little church at Woodstock, in the
Blue Ridge country of Virginia, one
Sunday in January, 1776, such mui-
tit.de as the house of worship never
. had held before. For fifty miles OF
more about the parishioners had as
sembled. so that when the shepherd
7 of the flock ascended the pulpit tne
benches where filled, the aisles crowd
ed and the doors and windows choKeo
with people. The pastor was only
twenty-nlne, tall, clean-llmoeo' a'h-
Iletic. He had none of the orator
gifts except fervor and simphci'y VI
. statement. 1t was his farewell serm'
. he was to preach, ard after prayer
he plunged into his subject. tie lolu
his congregation their own story; no"
they had left Germany years before &c
seek larger measure OF freedom, re-
Iigious and political, in the New
World, and how they had gone into
the wilderness to get it. he told OF
his father, the patriarch OF the church
in America, and of his work. de toid
of his own career, of his trip to Ger
many as a boy, of his attendance at
the University of Halle, OF running
away after striking brutal instruc-
tor, of enlisting in a regiment OF ORA
goons, of returning to America ana
completing his education under his
fathers direction and Of his admission
into the ministry.
And then he took up the wrongs oi
the Colonists. In a clear, plain way
he sketched the attitude or England
toward the American subjects, the
harsh, unbending, unsymathetic char'
: acter of the King; the insistence of the
ministry in imposing whatever in the
way of taxation it saw fit to visit upon
the Colonists; the denial of the right
In the Colonists of having any voice
+ or any representation in the matter o.
ltaxation: enforcement by military
'' mower of the orders cOnficted with th'
LEGAL rights of the people, and OF
multitude OF other acts that had EN-
bittered the people. He traced step
by step the aggressions OF the govern
ment. and named one bv one the PRIV
leges that had been withdrawn iron
the people. With every withdrawal 0
priyilege the freedom of the peopi
Is had been restricted more and more
e- Absurd laws had been brought int
70 70 use. the only purpose OF which seeme'
- he TO harass. embarrass and mao
Hon the people. In his own case, 10
. .bvamnle. how ridiculous it was I
.ompel him to go to London and g
arourh the form of being admitted I
nth ne Church of England ministry be
nee bre he would be permitted to oecon
'ro- nstor of the Lutheran Church
Woodstock. He told OF the ehor'
nade by the Colonists to protect the"
elves, first by appeals to the goveri
- I.I Inn
sent's sense OF justice, then by oiul
st. nfdsal to submit to acts that lnvade
t,oir legal rights and then by threa
sur olarmed resistance. In WORDS th
o. annsed the coolest lie told his paris
ioprs that. although the brunt OF u
cotest was being borne by the I'm
lisispeaking Colonists, the Germa
-. G ,lnists OF the Blue Ridge Nalle
St. and;he German Colonists througho
the Jew World were no less concer
- ed. A struggle for freedom was o
OF sGred character.
Iuasion of the rights OF the peoI
was he concern OF all. He feared a
he hieved there was no withora"
from,he stand taken either py
crow or by the Colonists. Each ii
o,.h gone 90 far to accept anything
ceIt Cmplete surrender by the oth
- Surreaer by the Colonists meant
conditOn little short OF slavery.
In he language of Holy Wri'
said ha "there is time Tor
,aine thngs,( time to preach and time
eeth. pray. ok those times are passed ava
There ila time, too, in which m
must fmt, and that time now
come"
Then hs pronounced the benedictl
THE CALL.
For thirty seconds or more tn 70
the was a sillness such as the IL
church never had known before
mes when the congregation was ~
set. Then, slowly aud reveren
the pastor took of his priestly ro
and stood before the congregation
the uniform Of a Continental coio
Laying his clerical dress on the pu
xA rail and drawing his sword ne
4 scelded from ths pulpit
Nv "Beat the drums ! Beat the Or
for rec,uits :, he called to boys
L;rd. had stationed Al the church door,
~ As the ;, a Y the drnmbeats
heard there wasa scene in that
.,,5 Give little church at Woodstock such
~" the American Revolution, rich as
in glorious examples of patr'ouc
votion Of the people, affords
m parallel. Thrill ed TO the highest
iii gree 10y the impassioned words OF
r. young clergyman, men strul
through the crowded 2isles or clir
A. over the benches u sheir eagerne'
rncr shake his hand apd 10 be "a
amdrg his followers.
- Old men broughliorward their
IS wives their husbaads and wild
S mothers their boysto place them
~ der lie pastors psrfnial care 10
" the battles OF thai. Adopted cOu