STEP OF Pardon, Penance, or Satisfaction, that step in a church choir on which a penitent publicly knelt for absolution.
Stephan, Martin, founder of the Stephanists, a community of separatists in the Lutlieran Church of Saxony towards the end of the last century and in the early decades of the present. Stephan was born at Stramberg, Moravia, Aug. 13, 1777. His parents were poor but pious persons, who had originally belonged to the Roman Catholic communion, but had been converted
through the reading of the Bible, and who diligently trained their children in the luirture and admonition of the Lord. They died, however, while Martin was yet young, and the consequence was that his mental culture was irreparably neglected, though lie resisted all the persuasive influence of the Austrian "Edicts of Toleration," and remained true to the faith in which he had been reared. Indeed, an iiiflexil)le will distin- guisiicd him during the whole of his life, and contrib- uted not a little towards the troubles in which he was from time to time involved. After having learned the business of a weaver, he went to Breslau in his twenty- first year to escape from Romish persecutions, and in that city he connected himself with a company of pie- tists, whose religious meetings afforded opportunity for developing his natural aptitudes for the pulpit. In 1802 he entered the gymnasium at Breslau, and, after having acquired a bare modicum of Latin and (Jreek, he matriculated at Halle in 1804, where he remained until 1806, and in 1809 he entered at Leipsic. As a student he manifested an exceedingly narrow spirit, re- jecting learned studies as "carnal," and scenting unbe- lief or heresy in all forms of doctrine which had not been transmitted from "ancient times." His xavy nar- rowness, however, rendered him more completely mas- ter of such material as he was able to accumulate, and contributed not a little towards his later effectiveness as a pulpit speaker. He was first called to minister to a Church at Haber, in Bohemia, and then, in 1810, to preside over the congregation of Bohemian exiles in Dresden. In this post he was especially successful in gathering about him a large German congregation. His sermons were highly applauded, being character- ized by great clearness, simplicity, and power, and like- wise by great fidelity to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confession. He was also conspicuously efficient as an organizer. The result was that numerous awakenings and conversions followed, and that the pasti>r's zeal was blessed to the good of an extended community. His authority gradually assumed larger proportions, and his teachings came to rank as of symbolical imjiortance with many of his followers. This is especially true of a volume of sermons of the year 1824. The very suc- cesses he achieved, however, became instrumental in bringing about his downfall. He had already excited opposition on the part of the clergy of Dresden by min- istering to a (Jerman congregation while called only to take charge of the Bohemian Cliurch; and the hostility against him became more general as prosperity devel- oped his naturally self-reliant and arbitrary disjiosition. Every time he denounced those as heretics and unbe- lievers who were not prepared to subscribe to all his views he added to the number of his enemies ; and he finally placed himself in their power by persisting in an unfortunate custom which he had developed in his youth. He was in the habit of strolling about in the evening until a late hour, and tiic habit caused much unfavorable criticism ; but it became ruinous to him when he persisted in visiting a workingman's social club, originated by himself and composed of his own people, after ten o'clock at night. The occasions of his visits were seasons of high festivity, in which the wives and daughters of the members participated, and they were invariably protracted until after midnight. Some- times summer-parties were connected with these meet- ings. Eventually the police were compelled to take notice of the offence thus given, but at first without dis- covering anything to warrant interference. C)n Nov. 8, 1837, however, they discovered Steidian, accompanied by a woman and a number of his followers, assembled long after midnight, and under circumstances which warrant- ed their apprehension. They denied that their gathering was of the nature of a "conventicle;" but Stephan was nevertheless directed to report himself at Dresden by nine o'clock on the following morning, and immediately afterwards was suspended from the ministry. He had in the meantime secured a large number of followers
STEPHAX
1008
STEPHANI
throughout Saxony, insomuch that he had "stations" in every |)art. aiul lulil regular visitations among them. He also held corres|)ondence and friendly relations with the dissenters of Wilrtemberg and IJaden, but severed his relations with the Moravian Brotherhood, whose members had been among the lirsl to strengthen his hands in Dresden, and also renounced the l'rienilslii|) of the regular Lutheran clergy. A numerous hand of viiutliful cU-rgvmen whom he had trained was lilinilly devoted to him, and his intluence was felt in many par- ishes where the minister was not in harmony with his views. Disputes, and even open violence, broke out in many churches, and the government was ultimately in- duced to interfere. The lk)hemian Church over which lie had been installed now entered a complaint against liim. dated April 17, l.SiJJS, and supi)lemented .)idy 5, 1«;JH, in which the pastor was charged, /(/-.sV, with im- modest and unchaste conduct (the specitications being too detinite for rehearsal here) ; xecoiul, with dishonest ailminist ration of the finances of his Church ; and, thinl, with freiiuent neglect of liis otlicial duties, especially with regard to Church, school, and the sick and dying; and these charges gave a more serious character to an investigation which had promised to result in his favor. 8te|)han now gave the word to his follow^ers to prepare for emigration; but while getting ready he resumeil his former nocturnal practices, and again came under police surveillance. At midnight of Oct. 27-28 he secretly, and without bidding adieu to his family, left the city and repaired to Ikemen, where a body of his adherents had assembled to the number of 700 souls, including si.K clergymen, ten candidates, and four teachers. He sailed for America on Nov. 18. During the passage he was noticeably luxurious, iille, and arbitrary, though faint-hearted in moments of danger. Five days before the arrival at New Orleans he caused himself to be elected bishop, and before arriving at St. Louis he had a ddeument prepared by which the whole body pledged themselves to be subject to him "in eccle- siastical, and also in communal, matters," oidy one per- son refusing to subscribe to its terms. His power had been established by the fact that he had obtained control of the emigration fund, amounting in the ag- gregate to al)out 125,000 thalers. He allowed more than two months to pass unimproved at St. Louis, to the great liiiancial injury of the colimy, wliile procuring the insigma of a liishop's ofiice and leading a life of pleasure. In April, 1839, however, a portion of the coh)ny, including the bishop, removed to Wittenberg, IVrrj' Co., Mo., where a tract of land had been pur- chased. On May !'> and afterwards a number of yoinig girls revealed to pastor Liiber tliat Stephan had made improper ailvaiices to them while at sea and after the arrival, using as a cloak his sacred position and oiWcv.. These 8tatement.s were cstablislied by affidavits. Ste- phan was con8e(pieinly deprived of his rank, and was cxcommiuiicatcd and expelled the community. He went to Illinois, followed by his faithful concubine, and died in Itandolph County, of that state, in February, Ink;. His deceived followers expericiuied grave difti- culiies because of uid'avorable outward circinnstances, an<l als<i because of internal dissensions. Their pastors were not able at <ince to lay aside that tendency to hie- rarchical )iretensions which they had imbibed from .Steplinn's example; but eventual prosperity came to them under the guidance of the Kev. O. 11. W'alther, |>asior of t\u- St. Louis congregation.