Ephrata Cloister manuscripts, 1727-1752

This bound collection of manuscripts includes tracts on various religious matters and letters about events and people relevant to the Ephrata Cloister. One of the more interesting documents in this pamphlet is a copy of a letter from an Ephrata brother who died "long ago," which discusses...

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Bibliographic Details
Collection:Abraham H. Cassel collection (#1610)
Date:1727-01-01/1752-12-31
Volume Number:Volume 20
Format: Electronic
Subjects and Genres:
Copyright:Please contact Historical Society of Pennsylvania Rights and Reproductions (rnr@hsp.org)
Online Access:https://digitallibrary.hsp.org/index.php/Detail/objects/7791
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Summary: This bound collection of manuscripts includes tracts on various religious matters and letters about events and people relevant to the Ephrata Cloister. One of the more interesting documents in this pamphlet is a copy of a letter from an Ephrata brother who died "long ago," which discusses the activities of Samuel Eckerlin, the brother of Israel Eckerlin. Israel challenged Conrad Beissel’s leadership at Ephrata and was ultimately ejected from the community. The unnamed letter writer is angry about Samuel's behavior and goes so far as to compare him to "Indians," the only difference between them being that Samuel Eckerlin did not burn down any houses. There is also a 1737 letter to Christopher Sauer from someone named "Märsy," which expresses great disapproval of Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorff, a German Protestant and bishop of the Moravian church who offered refuge to the Schwenkfelders in 1726 when persecution intensified in Germany.