This handwritten pamphlet is a eulogy or funeral speech given by a son after his father's death. George Schultz died suddenly, so many of the remarks in Christoph's speech emphasize the impermanence of life and the need to always be watching and waiting for God. There was a Schultz family who was prominent in the early Schwenkfeldian church in America, but there is not enough extant information to identify this George or Christoph Shultz as Schwenkfelders.

1.0 item

This volume is a German translation of a work by a Maria or Mary who was once Countess of Pembroke. It is likely that the title refers to Mary Sidney Herbert (1561-1621), sister of the English poet Sir Philip Sidney and wife ofthe 2nd Earl of Pembroke, Henry Herbert, but there is little evidence in the text itself for her authorship. This volume contains instructions for performing a kind of geomancy, an arcane method of divining answers to questions using numerical patterns and astrology. This book provides questions one could put forth to spirits of the earth and air, and the methods by which those answers could be interpreted.

1.0 item

Produced by Ephrata Cloister members Sisters Anastasia and Efigenia in 1750, this volume contains artwork for three capital letter alphabets. The illustration and decoration of the letters contain common Pennsylvania-German folk motifs like plants, birds, and hexes, but also human figures, dressed in the robes worn by brothers and sisters at the Ephrata Cloister. Most letters are not completely illustrated; decorations around the letters are not entirely colored, pencil lines are visible, and in some cases the letters themselves are only partially drawn in.

1.0 item

1.0 item

1.0 item

A note at the beginning of this volume written by Obed Snoberger (one of the brethren at the Snow Hill Cloister) identifies it as containing hymns composed by Conrad Beissel. Snoberger also notes that the hymns to which the music is set are the same as those in the Zionitischer weyrauchs hügel. This volume may be of particular interest to researchers, as it includes a foreword (possibly written in Beissel's own hand), explaining the theories behind his music, its composition, and its relationship to his religious views. It also appears to be a compilation of hymns from several sources, all by Conrad Beissel. Pages of hymns are numbered 1-108, A-P, 1-145, with a section of numbered hymns before the index in loose numerical order. Some of the hymns in this volume also appear in Melodien.

1.0 item

This small volume of hymns belonged to a man named Paul Ritter in 1848-1849, but the date of publication is uncertain. Some of the hymns in this book also appear in the Manuscript Book of the Ephrata Brethren, so at least some of these songs were composed by Conrad Beissel.

1.0 item

1.0 item

According to a note in this volume written by Obed Snoberger, a member of the Snow Hill Cloister, this book was produced by the brethren of Ephrata for Conrad Beissel. Snoberger's also provides the date when the item arrived at the Snow Hill cloister and an explanation of the sheet music and composition techniques. He does not, however, clarify whether the hymns are written by Beissel or compiled for him by members of the Ephrata community.

1.0 item

This volume contains copies of letters written between 1751 and 1756. Most letters are address spiritual matters and contain personalized advice to the recipient. Letter recipients include Christopher Saur Sr., Peter Beussel, an English schoolmaster named Daniel K., Brother Ludovias, Jacob Mohr, Brother Ludowiz, Henrich Lohman, Brother Ludovici, Johannes Müllen (brother of Sister Pauolina), Brother Agabus, Willhelmus Jung, Conrad Matthey, George Henning, Henrich Fund, Peter Becker, Gerhard Zinn, Christian Siderborg, and Jacob Rimmel.

1.0 item

This volume of sermons written by Israel Eckerlin in 1756 represents the religious point of view of someone who was expelled from the Ephrata Cloister. His disagreements with Beissel’s philosophies (and perhaps a clash of personalities) lead to his leaving Ephrata in 1745. This volume includes thirty-five sermons written by Eckerlin (called Brother Onesimus), but also a plea to Peter Miller (Brother Jaebez) -- the Ephrata brother responsible for the Chronicon -- to publish this volume of sermons and other texts. The sermons are meditations on the broad topics of God and faith.

1.0 item

This hymn book contains the most popular songs from the Lutheran Marburger Songbook, a collection of Protestant hymns first published in 1549 and printed in the United States by Christopher Saur. The dedication page states that this volume was created for Catarina Hunsicker, who was a singer in the Birdenseher school, although the last page declares that the book belongs to Catharina Bergen, which may be her married name. The last page bears the inscription, Hört büchlein was ich dir will sagen so dich jemand weg dragen so sprich las mich nur ligen in guter ruh. This is identical to the text on the first page of Johannes Berge's 1783 song book (also in this collection), which suggests that this volume is of his authorship as well. A "Henry Berge" has also signed his name to this volume, along with the date 1832.

1.0 item

This volume contains hymns composed by Johannes Berge, many of them Psalms. It is unique in this collection because it contains a hymn in English (the last song in the book). The text and music are undecorated.

1.0 item

This volume contains handwritten German lyrics and facing page English translations of hymns written by Johannes Kelpius. Although the lyrics and music (when included) were composed by Kelpius, the handwriting and translations in this volume are not his. The hymns were copied by an unknown scribe, while the translations belong to Christopher Witt, who also painted the only existing portrait of Kelpius (currently held by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania). In 1823, John F. Watson wrote a note found at the beginning of this volume explaining the current format of the hymnal and providing a brief biography of Kelpius.

1.0 item

This copy of Germantown charters and regulations was owned by Francis Daniel Pastorius (1651-1720), the founder of Germantown, Pennsylvania, now a part of Philadelphia. The original is held by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, with the Francis Daniel Pastorius papers (Collection 0475). There are two sections to this volume: the first section is a copy of the charter itself, and the second is Gesetz, Ordnungen, und Statuta der Gemeind zu Germantown (Laws, regulations, and statutes for the municipality of Germantown).The charter lays out the guidelines and regulations for the self-governance of Germantown, allowing it to have corporate and political autonomy. The second section in this book details the election of public officials, taxes, and government hierarchy. It was apparently a draft, as Pastorius crossed out many of the proposed regulations.

1.0 item

This volume is an inventory of Schwenkfeldian books, which includes works by Caspar Schwenkfeld and other important religious leaders in the early Schwenkfelder church. Authors listed in this volume include: George Heydrich, Martin John Jr., George Frell, Caspar John, Caspar Kriebel, and David Seibt. Short descriptions of the works are included in the inventory, as well as some biographical information about the authors.

1.0 item

This volume of Schwenkfeldian catechism was copied by "G. K." in 1788. It includes a foreward by a Christoph Shultz written on September 9, 1783, but there isn't any clear indication that Shultz composed the rest of the volume.

1.0 item

This volume was written by Balthasar Hoffman, a Schwenkfeldian minister, under the pen name "Barachiah Heber." The epistles include commentary and a foreword that explains their order.

1.0 item

This volume is John's account of the history of the Schwenkfeldian community, beginning with its break with Martin Luther. It provides a detailed description of the group's movements in Europe, including the names of men and women who helped them, many of whom John knew personally. The volume ends mid-sentence and an unknown number of pages are missing at the end of the narrative.

1.0 item

This pamphlet proposes a series of meditations for the Day of Remembrance, a Schwenckfeldian celebration of the day the main group of Schwenckfelders arrived and subsequently settled in Pennsylvania in 1734.

1.0 item

1.0 item

This volume contains an essay encouraging the reader to contemplate God and God's love for the reader while carrying out daily tasks. Heydrich (also spelled Heidrich), frequently addresses the reader and begins sentences with the exhortation: Bedenke offt… ("Think often about…").

1.0 item

1.0 item

This volume of catechism was intended to be used in educating children (in a school or otherwise) and was printed in Philadelphia by Anton Armbruster in 1762. It contains printed material (the catechism), which has been interspersed with handwritten notes. These notes appear to have been written by the book's owner, Johann Christoph Gobrecht, who must have been a school teacher. The notes all pertain to the teaching of the contents of the books, and are mostly reference to Bible books and verses that would further illuminate the contents of Warheits-Milch. The early pages of the book are notes entirely in Gorbrecht's handwriting, where he is keeping track of payments owed to him by students' families for his services. Some pages at the end of the book contain handwritten biographical information, although the purpose of these notes is not clear.

1.0 item