Jacob Reiff

 

The charge, pursued aggressively by Philadelphia (Weiss's base), may have been motivated by this schism, using the funds as leverage to discredit Reiff and, by extension, Weiss, who conveniently distanced himself by transferring the money and relocating to New York amid the brewing scandal.

 

Reiff's response, with its dramatic revelation of the elders' letter, exposes possible collusion or hypocrisy among church leaders. The profit-sharing scheme implies that elders like Diemer (who prosecuted slowly, perhaps due to self-interest) saw the collection as a business opportunity rather than pure charity, reflecting the blurred lines between spiritual and economic survival in a frontier society. Underlying this was a broader "liberty" ethos among immigrants, wary of European-style ecclesiastical control, which Boehm blamed for divisions. Sectarian competition—from Catholics, Lutherans, Mennonites, Quakers, Moravians (led by Count Zinzendorf), and fanatical groups like the "New Born"—exacerbated instability, as Weiss noted in his 1752 report: "There is a multiplicity of religious sects... a certain count from Germany... draws to his side with preaching." Moral lapses, language barriers, and the small sum involved (relative to needs) question whether the dispute was inflated by personal vendettas or as a proxy for power struggles.Ultimately, the affair's longevity—despite the modest recovery—highlights the Reformed Church's immaturity before the 1747 Coetus formation, where Schlatter's intervention cut through the "Gordian knot." It delayed progress, bred "bad blood" with Holland, and served as an excuse for withholding benevolence in places like Berks County. Yet, it also spurred organizational reforms, illustrating how early colonial religious communities navigated autonomy, scarcity, and human frailty. The charges seem flimsy in hindsight, as some sources note, possibly shielding implicated elders while scapegoating Reiff, whose "imprudent course" stemmed from defensiveness in a litigious environment.