LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW - Concordia Lutheran Seminary

THREINEN: FRIEDRICH MICHAEL ZIEGENHAGEN 67
and to ask him not to let anyone know that Francke had recommended him. 39
It turned out that Meyer was a good teacher but he could not control the
young headstrong man the way the count wanted. So Ziegenhagen was
called upon to negotiate having the son come to Halle instead to pursue his
education. Ziegenhagen impressed on Francke the importance of providing a
situation where the character of the young man would be built because he
was the only male heir of the family. But Ziegenhagen’s description of the
young man probably made Francke apprehensive about the prospect of
having to deal with him in Halle. Ziegenhagen described him as a volatile,
opinionated, manipulative, unbalanced and immoral person, who would need
a schoolmaster to control him and a servant to accompany him and provide
for his daily needs. 40 In a very carefully crafted letter, Francke thanked the
count for his recent gift and assured the father of his prayers that the Holy
Spirit would keep the young count from the temptations of the world. 41
Whether the young count ever became a student in Halle is not known.
After Ziegenhagen had been in the employ of Count von Platen for two
years, his opponents followed a different line of attack on him. Where they
had earlier questioned the propriety of the Count to call and maintain a court
chaplain, now they began to question whether Ziegenhagen, who was at this
point was not ordained, was fulfilling the terms of the will in response to
which his employer had called him. To avoid the possibility of losing the
property which he had inherited, the count asked Ziegenhagen whether he
would consider becoming ordained. 42 Although the Halle Pietists regarded
themselves as Lutherans and held to the Lutheran Confessional writings,
they did not regard ordination as essential for carrying out an effective
ministry. Further, when Ziegenhagen was called to Hanover, his main
pastoral duty involved preaching twice a week, but the administration of the
sacraments, which would have required ordination, was not listed among his
responsibilities. If he was now to be ordained, he would have to agree to a
quia subscription to the Confessions, something about which he had some
scruples. 43 Eventually his accusers determined that the will did not call for an
ordained pastor after all and dropped the matter. The issue remained on the
back burner for a time but Ziegenhagen made reference to it again in January
1722, 44 and may have had to face it again as he confronted his call to
London.
39 Letter of Ziegenhagen to A. H. Francke, Linden, 2 November 1718.
40 Letter of Ziegenhagen to A. H. Francke, Linden, 29 April 1719.
41 Letter of A. H. Francke to Count von Platen, Halle, 21 November 1719.
42 Letter of Ziegenhagen to A. H. Francke, Linden, 26 October 1720.
43 Letter of Ziegenhagen to A. H. Francke, Linden, 3 April 1720.
44 Letter of Ziegenhagen to A. H. Francke, Linden, 31 January 1722.