LANCASTER COUNTY. 223 



bill for payment was forwarded to them. The society 

 resolved not to receive them, but had them sold and paid 

 the loss. One of these bells having upon it, "Ephrata— 

 Israel Eckerlin, Prior,'^* was purchased, and is tiow on 

 one of the churches in Lancaster. 



" This transaction led to the discovery of a conspiracy 

 of the Eckerlins to possess themselves of the titles of 

 the property, which was much more extensive and 

 valuable then now, and which terminated in the expul- 

 sion of Israel from the office of Prior. The Eckerlins 



*Isracl Eckerlin, Prior; this is given on the authority of W. 

 A. Fahncstock, M. D., to whom we are indebted for much of 

 this article. Wc behove the bell alluded to, is the one on the 

 Lutheran church. If it is, it has this inscripfion : Suh auspicio 

 viri ven-eraiidi Onesimi Societ. Epkrat. Praepositi. A. O. 

 MDCCXLV. Which we translated: "Under the auspices of 

 the venerable man, Onesimus, placed over the society at 

 Ephrata, A. D. 1745. 



I^OTE. — At a church council held in Ephrata, Beissel, and 

 his associates, had determined to break the bell and inter tlie 

 fragments ; however, on a night's reflection, it was resolved to 

 dispose of it differently: the bell was pardoned from its do- 

 creed fate, and sold to the Lutherans, at Lancaster. We quote 

 the Chomican Ephratense : " Um diesselbe zeit, 1745, kam die 

 ansehnliche Glocke in Philadelphia an von England, welche 

 die Eckerlin sollen bestellt haben, folgendes motto war um 

 dieselbe gegossen : Suh auspicio viri venerandi Onesimi Socie- 

 tasis Epliratensis Praepositi: Auf diese empfangene Nachricht 

 ward Rath gehalten in des Vorstehers Gegenwart, welcher 

 fur die Glocke sehr unguenstig ausfiel: dasz sie solte in 

 stuecken zerschlagen, und unter die erde vergraben werden; 

 aber wie sie solte bezahlt werden, wusste niemand, dann sie 

 kostete 80 pfund. Des andern Morgens erschien der Vorsteher 

 abermal im Rath, und sagte: Er haette nachgedacht, weil die 

 Brueder arm waeren, solte die Glocke pardonirt werden, und 

 also ist sie an die Lutherische Kirche, in Lancasterkommen. — 

 Chron. Eph. p. 164. 



