October 1, 1746 and 1807, John Peter Muhlenberg was born and died. In the language of the Holy Writ, there is a time for all things. There is a time to preach and a time to fight. Thus ended the sermon of 30-year-old pastor John Peter Muhlenberg as he removed his clerical robes to reveal a uniform in the Continental Army. After church, 300 men of his congregation rode off with him to join General Washingtons 8th Virginia regiment. After hearing Patrick Henry speak the famous words, give me liberty or give me death, John Peter Muhlenberg approached General Washington and enlisted. Promoted to Major-General, he endured the freezing winter of Valley Forge and fought at Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Stonypoint and Yorktown. He was elected Congressman and Senator. Johns father, Henry Muhlenberg, was a founder of the Lutheran Church in America. Johns brother, Frederick, also an ordained minister, was elected the first Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Both John and Frederick served in the first session of Congress which passed the First Amendment. In 1889, Pennsylvania placed a statue of John Peter Muhlenberg in the U.S. Capitols Statuary Hall.
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 05:11:04 +0000
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