itution; of
the difficulties which preceded and made necessary its preparation, as
well as of those which attended its introduction into the congregation,
to which the reader is referred. The two chief objections to the
constitution of 1746 were that the pastor and elders were not elected by
the people and thus became a close corporation, self-perpetuating and
not subject to control by the congregation, and secondly, that property
could be bought and sold and debt incurred, for which the congregation
was responsible, without their having any voice in the matter. These
evils must be remedied in the new constitution.

The new constitution was prepared by Muehlenberg in consultation, of
course, with Handschuh and the elders, and pre-eminently with the
Swedish Provost Wrangel. Months were spent in its preparation. The local
difficulties and wants received the most careful consideration and some
few of its provisions were temporary, and made in view of the previous
arrangements. Thus the old elders were retained for life as trustees,
but after their death the elders who took their place were to be duly
elected by the congregation, and in the revision after the incorporation
the name of trustee was removed. But Muehlenberg rose above the present
necessities and conditions of the local congregation, and designed this
constitution to be, as it became, the one which should be the general
constitution for all the united congregations of the Ministerium. He had
a full apprehension of the importance of the work in which he was
engaged, and devoted to it his wisest judgment, and the results of his
own experience and varied observations in the working of congregational
constitutions. He also recognized the character of the civil government
of the land and strove to bring the congregational government into
harmony with it. He succeeded in gradually allaying the diversities and
animosities at Philadelphia, and after the completion of the
constitution, it was accepted by the congregation and publicly
subscribed, first by himself, then by Handschuh and the elders, then,
within a short time, by five hundred heads of families. Thus the
foundation was laid on which the permanent prosperity of St. Michael's
congregation rested, and on which it still peacefully rests. This
constitution, with the removal of the temporary provisions at
Philadelphia, was at once accepted by the congregations at Providence
and New Hanover; in Lancaster, during a