celebrated ministers of the society of Friends had traveled extensively in Holland and Germany, preaching the Gospel as they believed it, and so welcome was this "good news'' to those who were oppressed and persecuted for their religion, that many gladly sought a refuge in the wilds of Pennsylvania, preferring to commit themselves to the untried scenes of the new world rather than endure the trials to which they were subjected at home. In Germany about the middle of the seventeenth Century, there existed a sect of religious people, who were called PIETISTS. Their real founder was Philip Jacob Spener, who was born in Upper Alsace, in the year 1635, and died in Berlin in 1705. He was a warm and ardent preacher, a learned and pious man, spiritual in his teachings and devout in his living. Among his followers was JOHN KELPIUS, more generally known in our local history as "the Hermit of the Ridge." The history of this man is so full of strange romance, that but for the strongest evidence, one is disinclined to believe the stories related of him. Brought up in the refined society of his native city, Siebenbürgen, securing a thorough educa tion under the learned Doctor John Fabricius at the University of Helmstadt, possessing it is said an ample fortune, well versed in the ancient and modern lan guages, and acquainted with many of the learned men of Europe, yet we behold him forsaking all,-kindred, society and friends, traversing the wide ocean, and taking up his abode in the wilderness, there to fit himself by holy contemplation and a solitary life, for more intimate communion with his God.

John Kelpius, when, at about the age of twenty-one, with about forty others moved by the same holy purpose commenced his voyage to America, January 7th, 1694, and on the 20th of June, reached New Castle; on the 23d, Philadelphia, where they landed and on the 24th they proceeded to Germantown, where they remained for some time, attracting much attention by their peculiar doctrines and their holy way of living. They no doubt reported them

selves to FRANCIS DANIEL PASTORIUS, who was the agent of the Frankfort company, and resided at Summerhausen, now known as Chestnut Hill in the 22d ward of Philadelphia.

He

During his voyage Kelpius kept a journal in Latin, and the small volume in which that and various others of his MSS. are preserved, is still in existence. Its contents are exceedingly curious. was careful, it would seem, to preserve letters which he wrote to his friends. They are in Latin, German and English. The title page of the volume is as follows: Copia literarum ad amicos in et extra Pensylvaniam missæ ex deserto a Johanne Kelpio Transylvania, 1694, 1703, 4, 5, 6, 7."

66

How long Kelpius continued to reside in Germantown cannot now be ascertained, but the late John F. Watson, "The Annalist of Philadelphia,' that most indefatigable antiquary, to whose early and patient research, our city is greatly indebted for so much pertaining to the early settlers, thinks that his sojourn amid the haunts of men was brief. A letter of Kelpius written December 11th, 1699, is subscribed by that worthy and has appended to it these words, "Dated in the Wilderness," so that it is probable he left Germantown in a few years and sought refuge among the wild and romantic scenery of the Wissahickon. His place of residence, according to Mr. Watson' I was on the Western bank of the Wissahickon creek, "on a steep descending grassy hill, well exposed to the sun for warmth in Winter; near by, half way down the hill is a spring of the hermit's own making, shaded by a stout cedar

The exact locality is still pointed out. It was once owned by a widow named Phoebe Righter, and is now in the possession of Mr. Evan Prowattain, who has appropriately named his place, "The Hermitage." This is situated on Hermit's Lane, in Roxborough, in the 21st ward of Philadelphia, and about a mile and a half above the mouth of the Wissahickon.

There amid the rugged rocks and wild scenery of the Wissahickon, surrounded by the tall forest trees and in the beautiful groves, God's first temples, these Hermits of the Ridge, lived as an unbroken brotherhood for a space of at least ten years. It is said that they held religious services in the groves, and that large crowds were wont to assemble, to listen to their preaching. They also taught young children, and doubtless their aid in this respect was gladly sought by the early settlers, who were desirous to have their children receive the rudiments of an edu

cation. Their religious views were strangely tinctured with the sublimated transcendental doctrines of JACOB BEHMEN, the celebrated Teutonic philosopher. Kelpius and his followers were also expecting that the Millenium was near, so near indeed, that according to Mr. Watson, Kelpius once told Alexander Mack, the Tunker preacher of Germantown, that he should not die, till he saw it. They also believed that "the woman in the wilderness" men

tioned in the Revelations, was prefigura tive of the great deliverance that was then soon to be displayed for the church of Christ, and hence they were termed by others "the Society of the Woman in the Wilderness."

In the year 1708, Kelpius, the devout and learned leader of this little band of honest enthusiasts died, at the early age of thirty-five years, surrounded by his followers, and by many of those to whom he had delighted to impart instruction, weeping as for the loss of a father. His likeness, painted it is believed by Dr. Christopher Witt of Germantown, is still preserved, and a lithograph of the original can be seen at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.' He was exceedingly visionary in his religious belief, so much so that even the gentle WHITTIER in his latest Poem, "The Pennsylvania Pilgrim" speaks of the Hermit as:

-"Painful Kelpius from his hermit den
By Wissahickon, maddest of good men."

1 The wood-engraving in this number of the RECORD, is from that Lithograph.

His description of the Hermit and his studies is so true, that I cannot forbear to quote what the Poet further says:

Deep in the woods, where the small river slid Snake-like in shade, the Helmstadt Mystic hid, Weird as a Wizard over arts forbid, Reading the books of Daniel and of John, And Behmen's Morning Redness, through the Stone Of Wisdom, vouchsafed to his eyes alone, Whereby he read what man ne'er read before, And saw the visions man shall see no more, Till the great angel, striding sea and shore, Shall bid all flesh await, on land or ships, The warning trump of the Apocalypse,

Shattering the heavens before the dread eclipse."

In the MS. volume referred to are two long letters in English. One is addressed "For Hesther Pallmer1 in Long Island, in Flushing." At the close, it is dated "May 25 1706, Rocksborrow." The other letter gives perhaps the fullest and most exact account of his peculiar belief, and hence I shall transcribe it as it was written by the Hermit.

in America, concerning the Pietists in "To Mr. Steven Momfort in Long Island Germany.

1699, 11, December.

"Dear Friend and Brother:

"in fellow fighting in that Free and Royal Spirit which strives for the Prize of the first Resurrection when in this Midnight the Cry of the Bridegroom's coming is sounded forth among the Virgin waiters for the Preparation of the Temple Body, wherein the King of Glory and Father of the coming Eternity is to enter.

"Your great desire for to be a little further informed of the Principles and Practizes of those People that go under the Name of Pietists, what they hold as Doctrin differing from others, what their Discipline is and what Methods they use in their own Contry; this desire I will hope, doth not arise from the Root of that Athenian Curiosity to hear some thing; But rather you being one among thousands in Juda, who sees how since that glorious Primitive Church of Christ

"In “the Levering Family" p. 186.

new

Jesus the Apostacy hath run in a continual current till this very day, and though this Stream hath divided itself in many smaller Rivulets, under several Names of more reformed Purity, yet you are not ignorant how they derive thair Emanation from one Spring and tend to the same End, viz. that the Woman in the Wilderness might be carried away by the Flood. Therefore you, as a Remnant of her seed, long for to see your Mother and groan for the Manifestation of her children. No wonder then, if your continual Gazing upon this Supercaelestial Orb and Sphier from whence with her Children, causeth you to observe every new Phoenomena, Meteors, Stars and various Colours of the Skei, if peradventure you may behold at last an Harbinger as an Evidence of that great Jubelee or Restitution of all things and glorious Sabbathismos or the conitinal days .of Rest without intervening or succeeding Nights, whereof God hath spoken by the mouth of all his Prophets since the world began (Acts 3. 21.) and whereof both the Testaments prophesie in every Title and Iota. If now this late Revolution in Europe (not to speak of that in other Parts) which in the Roman Church goes under the Name of Quietism, in the Protestant Church under the Name of Pietism, Chiliasm and Philadelphianism, If I say this together or one in Special purtends any thing to this effect. I do not question, but it will be your as well as my desire, who would rejoyce not only to give you full satisfaction as to this, but to see with you, yet in our days, that happy day, which when its new Earth swallows all that forementioned Floud and where its glorious Sun causeth all other Stars and Phoenomena to disappear, no Night succeeds it, but that the Night is swallowed up in y Day, Darkness into Light, Death into Life, Judgment into Victory, Justice into Mercy, all imperfect Metals into Gold and Gold itself is refined seven times and all Churches and Virgins comprised into the one Dove, (Cant. 6. 9.) then all the Sons of God will shout for joy as they did in the Beginning, when God was all in all, as he will be all in all, when again the

End hath found its Beginning. Amen! Hallelujah!

"Dear and worthy friend, though unknown to the Flesh but known in that better, yea in the best Line and highest descent in the Life of our Immanuel, whose Day we rejoyce to hear of and more to see, as well within us as without us, in its Depth, Hight, Breadth and Length, through the whole lapsed and groaning Creation, as well as in our Mother Jerusalem above and Beneath! How can I write the particulars of the Quietists or Pietists, Chiliasts or Philadelphians, whose Fame is spread in all the 4 quarters of the now Christianity. They first sprang in Italy, in Rome itself (and are increased now through the whole Roman Church in many Millions, though they was and are still depressed) 15 or 20 years before the Pietists or Chiliasts in Germany and Switzerland (where the first Reformation) in the year '89 and '90, with a swift increase through the whole Nation, so that their Branches also did break forth in other Nations, as in England under the name of Philadelphians. This Penn is too dull to express the extraordinary Power the Pietists and Chiliasts among the Protestants in Germany (and specially in Saxony) and Switzerland was endued with in their Infancy. This only I say, as one who hath read the Histories, that since the days of the Apostels, such Miraculous Powers and operations have not been manifested as in a matter of 31⁄2 years among these. And like as the Miracles wrought by God through the Hand of Moyses was for the main part in the outward Creation or Macrocosm, the Miracles of Jesus the Messia on the Bodys of Man or Macrocosm, so these in our days was wrought (much like unto them in the days of the Apostels) on the Soul and more interiour parts by Ectases, Revelations, Inspirations, Illuminations, Inspeakings, Prophesies, Apparitions, Changings of Minds, Transfigurations, Translations of their Bodys, wonderful Fastings for 11, 14, 27, 37 days, Paradysical Representations by Voices, Melodies, and Sensations to the very perceptibility of the Spectators who was

about such persons, whose condition as to the inward condition of their Souls, as well as their outward Transactions, yea their very thoughts they could tell during the time of their Exstacies, though they had never seen nor heard of the Persons before.

"These and many other Gifts continued as is said, for a matter of three years and a half among all sorts of Persons, Noble, and ignoble, Learned and unlearned, Male and female, young and old, very conspiciously and generally Protestants chiefly, and some Papists, and with some though more refined such and like Gifts last till this very day.

"Thus partly I have declared how they was baptized with such energical drops out of that supercaleistial Pillar of Cloud by Gifts and miraculous Manifestations of the Powers from on high.

"Now will I tell in short in what a craggy, uneven yea dark wilderness they have been led since, when hitherto they have been baptized with the fiery Pillar of many inward and outward Tribulations, Sorrows, Temptations, Refinings, Purifications (but nevertheless this Fiere casts such a Light befor 'm that securs 'm from the persuing Might and dark influence of Egypt and guides 'm in that beloved land and City.) This must be through many Tribulations as the Apostels have witnessed, so they felt it and feel it still very smartly. For when these things begun to ferment every where, 1. The Students in the Universities forsake their former way of Learning and applied themselves wholly to Piety and Godliness, (from whence their name was derived) leaving and some burning their heathenish Logiks, Rhetoriks, Metaphysiks. 2. The Laymen or Auditors begun to find fault with the Sermons and Lifes of their Ministers, seeing there was nothing of y Power of the Holy Ghost, nor of the Life of Christ and his Apostels. 3. The Children under the Information and Tuition of Pietists, (for the Students applied themselves chiefly to the Education of Children, as they do till this day with great, yea extraordinary success) begun to reproof their Parents if they

was working any Lye or unrighteousness! yea some in their tender years came to witness strange things of the Invisible worlds. Till at last Demetrius with his Craftsmen begun to see and hear that not only in Lipzig, (from which University this Motion first begun to spread abroad) but allmost throughout all Germany and adjacent Contrys these Pietists did persuade and turn away much People, saying that the Form of Godliness without the Power thereof is meer Idolatry and superstition; Yea they saw, how that not only this their craft was endangered by these and set at nought, but also the Temple or Universitiess of the great Goddess Dianoria or Reason and Ratiocination (which is quite different from that Dionoria or Understanding or Unction whereof John witnesses 1. Joh. 5. 19. c. 2, 27.) should be despised and her Magnificence (thus the Rectors in the Universities are titled) should be destroyed, if in the place of Dianoria, the Sophia from on high should be adored and instead of Temples or Universities, the Hearts of men should be consecrated, (Excuse me, dear Heart, that I thus run into an Allegoricall Application, for the very same Comedy was played as you read in the Acts of the Apostels, only the time and persons. changed.) Thus the Battel and Insurrection begun, which lasteth till this day. The Anti-Pietists (so their Adversaries are pleased to call themselves) betook themselves to the secular Arm. But several Princes being partly inclined to the Principles of the Pietists, partly convinced of a superior Agent in these things, took them in their Protection, especially the Elector of Brandeb. In the Principality of Brunswick and Lunebourg, the course was otherwise, for in the very begnning 3 Bishops or Supirts was removed their offices; the same happened in other Contries and Cities, as Erford, Lipzik, Quedlinbourg, Halberstad, Hambourg, Hessen Cassel, where and in Switzerland lately several Ministers are removed and some banished the Country. Thus they increased under the Cross. As for any peculiar Badge or Mark, they have none