Page 61

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Title: Page 61

Full text: 6O THE DIARY OF ADOLPHUS GAETZ and however willing that prayer meeting should be held, but contended that such meetings ought to be conducted by Clergymen, and that Clergy- men only should officiate; this did not suit Mr. Stein, he persisted in the plan he had adopted and his opponents steadily opposed him, the Congre- gation thereby became severed and matters getting worse every day; crim- inations and recriminations have taken place in the building which was put up professedly for the service of God; there is now in that Church the Coss- man party and the Stein party acting like savages toward each other; Chris- tianity seems to have been thrown aside altogether, while scenes most dis- graceful are continually being enacted there. On Sunday last the tumult and uproar in that Church was most scandalous; a disgrace to the denomin- ation and without a precedent in this part of the world; Mr. Stein, in order to get the whip hand of Mr. Cossman, entered the Church early in the morn- ing, some time before the bells rang for service; when Mr. Cossman and some of his party entered and found Mr. Stein had taken possession of the pulnit, they ordered him out, but he would not go, asserting that he had as much right there as Mr. Cossman; here a truly disgraceful scene occurred, the congregation had assembled. Mr. Stein commenced the service, when all manner of noises were made, to prevent his voice being heard; Mr. Coss- man hastened to the Choir and played the organ; the singers struck up a psalm; some of the Congregation hooted; others stamped on the floor with their feet; others pounded on the floor with bullets of wood, benches, sticks, and any thing else they could get hold of, while Mr. Stein's party shouted at the tip top of their voices, "go it Stein", "go it Stein", the confusion and tumult at last became so great that Mr. Cossman requested his party to withdraw from the Church, which they did and left Mr. Stein alone in his glory. So ended the services of that day in the Lutheran Church, but the end is not yet. The cause therefore of these outrages was the determin- ation of Mr. Stein to hold public prayer meetings contrary to the wish of a majority of the Congregation, and the effect of it is, a division in the Church which will not be healed. February, 1861 Sunday, 3rd, — The Lutheran Minister Stein, having been refused ad- mission into the Lutheran Church by the Deacons, held service in the Tem- perance Hall this afternoon. Tuesd. 12th, — Died this morning at 4 O'Clock, Robert Bremner aged 75 years. The deceased was the oldest ship Captain in this port; du'ring a period of over fifty years he has almost constantly travelled over the stormy sea; while very many ship masters belonging to this port, during my sojourn here, which is thirty six years, have found a watery grave, far away from their families and friends, the deceased has been permitted to die in his own house and in the midst of his relations. Tlwrsd. Hth, — Attended the funeral of the late Captn. Robert Brem- ner this afternoon. :