"That our Fathers who lived under an Arbitrary Prince in Germany, and __ (invitation of?) ____ by the Honorable William Penn Esq., Proprietor of the Province of Pennsilvania to settle his Province, which, with the faith they had in the Provincial Charter, given and granted them from the British Crown, and that the Germans there, enjoyed freedom in the exercise of Religion as well as other ways, and that they only supported their own Church and Poor. Our Fathers ventured their Lives and Fortunes to come into a Land of Liberty from a European Egypt, to an American Canaan, to enjoy those Sweets of Freedom which God created for all Men. They journeyed from Germany to London, & there agreed with a Captain, to land them and their Families in Pennsylvania; but he proved false, and landed them against their will and agreement inVirginia, and sold them for Servants."On their Arrival, the loss of their Estates, and the Snare the Captain had draged them in, was not equal with the loss they were at, in not understanding the English Tongue, which rendered it impossible to join in the Worship of God; till they were Free, and the Lord directed a Door for them, where they could exercise themselves in the Christian Religion as they were taught by their Parents in Europe.
"Soon after they were gathered to the Place where we now live, they concluded to erect a Church and School House. But 1st, they being just free, were too poor; 2nd, the laws of the Country was against them; & 3rd, the Arbitrary Power of Bishops _______ Prayer to God, that he would be merciful to them, they petitioned the Governor and House of Burgesses, acquainted them with theirDistress, and asked redress of all Grievance, which was so far granted that they had a License to collect Money, build a Church, call a Minister, worship God in a congregation, & practice the Christian Religion as they were taught by their Parents in Europe.
"Full of love and Gratitude for this advance, and trusting that the Lord would further give his Grace to this Religious design, they send Three of the Congregation to Europe, who acquainted their Brethen there, with the Mercy they received from God, through the Act of the Assembly, and asked them for Assistance.
"(The Reverend Ziegenhakem, Chaplain to the Royal Household in England) assisted them as much as was in his Power; sent letters in favor of them to our Brethren in Germany, which caused that they raised a tolerable Sum of German Money, of the free Gifts of the Germans and other People, with which they built a Church, School House, and purchasedd some land and Negroes as an Estate to the Church. But that Estate is not near sufficient to support the Church expence and the Minister.
"And thro' our poverty we are obliged to pay Parochial Charges, as well as Support our own Church, which still leaves many of us distressed, and as we are fellow Citizens in common, and still can not understand the English tongue, and as we now, with our fellow citizens are obliged to bleed for Freedom, and contribute our proportional part of the Expence of the War, and are not breaking from the established Church, as do the common Discenders, we humbly pray, that we may hereafter be exempted from further payment of Parochial Charges, other than Sufficient to support our own Church and Poor. And that our Ministers who we hitherto receive from the German Lutheran North-American Ministerii, under whose Direction we at present are, may have full right and Privilege in the Administration of their Office with their Brethen in Pennsylvania, or the established Church in Virginia, and your Petitioners in Duty bound shall ever pray:"
Signed by 121 male members of the church
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.