the moravians in georgia-第3章

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dent　of　the　Latin　Orphan　School　at　Halle；　and　Rev。　Mr。　Gronau；　a　tutor　in　the　same；　who　were　to　accompany　them　to　their　new　home。　　In　England　they　were　treated　with　marked　kindness；　and　when　they　sailed；　January　19；　1734；　it　was　with　the　promise　of　free　transportation　to　Georgia；　and　support　there　until　they　could　reap　their　first　harvest　from　the　fifty　acres　which　were　to　be　given　to　each　man　among　them。

They　reached　Charlestown；　South　Carolina；　the　following　March；　and　met　General　Oglethorpe；　the　Governor　of　Georgia；　who　was　intending　an　immediate　return　to　Europe；　but　went　back　to　help　them　select　a　suitable　place　for　their　settlement；　they　preferring　not　to　live　in　Savannah　itself。　　The　site　chosen　was　about　twenty…five　miles　from　Savannah；　on　a　large　stream　flowing　into　the　Savannah　River；　and　there　they　laid　out　their　town；　calling　it　〃Ebenezer〃；　in　grateful　remembrance　of　the　Divine　help　that　had　brought　them　thither。　Baron　von　Reck；　who　had　accompanied　them　as　Commissary　of　the　Trustees；　stayed　with　them　until　they　had　made　a　good　beginning；　and　then　returned　to　Europe；　leaving　Ebenezer　about　the　middle　of　May。


　　Unitas　Fratrum。

But　while　the　Salzburgers　received　so　much　sympathy　and　kindness　in　Germany　on　account　of　their　distress；　other　exiled　Protestants；　whose　story　was　no　less　touching；　were　being　treated　with　scant　courtesy　and　consideration。

On　the　6th　of　July；　1415；　the　Bohemian　Reformer；　John　Hus；　was　burned　at　the　stake。　　But　those　who　had　silenced　him　could　not　unsay　his　message；　and　at　last　there　drew　together　a　little　body　of　earnest　men；　who　agreed　to　accept　the　Bible　as　their　only　standard　of　faith　and　practice；　and　established　a　strict　discipline　which　should　keep　their　lives　in　the　simplicity；　purity；　and　brotherly　love　of　the　early　Apostolic　Church。　This　was　in　1457；　and　the　movement　quickly　interested　the　thoughtful　people　in　all　classes　of　society；　many　of　whom　joined　their　ranks。　　The　formal　organization　of　the　Unitas　Fratrum　（the　Unity　of　Brethren）　followed；　and　its　preaching；　theological　publications；　and　educational　work　soon　raised　it　to　great　influence　in　Bohemia；　Moravia；　and　Poland；　friendly　intercourse　being　established　with　Luther；　Calvin；　and　other　Reformers　as　they　became　prominent。

Then　came　destruction；　when　the　religious　liberty　of　Bohemia　and　Moravia　was　extinguished　in　blood；　by　the　Church　of　Rome。　　The　great　Comenius　went　forth；　a　wanderer　on　the　face　of　the　earth；　welcomed　and　honored　in　courts　and　universities；　introducing　new　educational　principles　that　revolutionized　methods　of　teaching；　but　ever　longing　and　praying　for　the　restoration　of　his　Church；　and　by　his　publication　of　its　Doctrine　and　Rules　of　Discipline；　and　by　his　careful　transmission　of　the　Episcopate　which　had　been　bestowed　upon　him　and　his　associate　Bishops；　he　did　contribute　largely　to　that　renewal　which　he　was　not　destined　to　see。

In　the　home　lands　there　were　many　who　held　secretly；　tenaciously；　desperately；　to　the　doctrines　they　loved；　〃in　hope　against　hope〃　that　the　great　oppression　would　be　lifted。　　But　the　passing　of　a　hundred　years　brought　no　relief；　concessions　granted　to　others　were　still　denied　to　the　children　of　those　who　had　been　the　first　〃protestants〃　against　religious　slavery　and　corruption；　and　in　1722　a　small　company　of　descendants　of　the　ancient　Unitas　Fratrum　slipped　over　the　borders　of　Moravia；　and　went　to　Saxony；　Nicholas　Lewis；　Count　Zinzendorf；　having　given　them　permission　to　sojourn　on　his　estates　until　they　could　find　suitable　homes　elsewhere。

Hearing　that　they　had　reached　a　place　of　safety；　other　Moravians　took　their　lives　in　their　hands　and　followed；　risking　the　imprisonment　and　torture　which　were　sure　to　follow　an　unsuccessful　attempt　to　leave　a　province；　the　Government　of　which　would　neither　allow　them　to　be　happy　at　home　nor　to　sacrifice　everything　and　go　away。　Among　these　emigrants　were　five　young　men；　who　went　in　May；　1724；　with　the　avowed　intention　of　trying　to　resuscitate　the　Unitas　Fratrum。　They　intended　to　go　into　Poland；　where　the　organization　of　the　Unitas　Fratrum　had　lasted　for　a　considerable　time　after　its　ruin　in　Bohemia；　but；　almost　by　accident；　they　decided　to　first　visit　Christian　David；　who　had　led　the　first　company　to　Herrnhut；　Saxony；　and　while　there　they　became　convinced　that　God　meant　them　to　throw　in　their　lot　with　these　refugees；　and　so　remained；　coming　to　be　strong　leaders　in　the　renewed　Unity。

Several　years；　however；　elapsed　before　the　church　was　re…established。　One　hundred　years　of　persecution　had　left　the　Moravians　only　traditions　of　the　usages　of　the　fathers；　members　of　other　sects　who　were　in　trouble　came　and　settled　among　them；　bringing　diverse　views；　and　things　were　threatening　to　become　very　much　involved；　when　Count　Zinzendorf；　who　had　hitherto　paid　little　attention　to　them；　awoke　to　the　realization　of　their　danger；　and　at　once　set　to　work　to　help　them。

It　was　no　easy　task　which　he　undertook；　for　the　Moravians　insisted　on　retaining　their　ancient　discipline；　and　he　must　needs　try　to　please　them　and　at　the　same　time　preserve　the　bond　of　union　with　the　State　Church；　　the　Lutheran；　　of　which；　as　his　tenants；　they　were　officially　considered　members。　　His　tact　and　great　personal　magnetism　at　last　healed　the　differences　which　had　sprung　up　between　the　settlers；　the　opportune　finding　of　Comenius'　‘Ratio　Disciplinae'　enabled　them　with　certainty　to　formulate　rules　that　agreed　with　those　of　the　ancient　Unitas　Fratrum；　and　a　marked　outpouring　of　the　Holy　Spirit　at　a　Communion；　August　13th；　1727；　sealed　the　renewal　of　the　Church。

〃They　walked　with　God　in　peace　and　love；　　But　failed　with　one　another；　While　sternly　for　the　faith　they　strove；　　Brother　fell　out　with　brother；　But　He　in　Whom　they　put　their　trust；　　Who　knew　their　frames；　that　they　were　dust；　Pitied　and　healed　their　weakness。

〃He　found　them　in　His　House　of　prayer；　　With　one　accord　assembled；　And　so　revealed　His　presence　there；　　They　wept　for　joy　and　trembled；　One　cup　they　drank；　one　bread　they　brake；　　One　baptism　shared；　one　language　spake；　Forgiving　and　forgiven。

〃Then　forth　they　went　with　tongues　of　flame　　In　one　blest　theme　delighting；　The　love　of　Jesus　and　His　Name　　God's　children　all　uniting！　That　love　our　theme　and　watchword　still；　　That　law　of　love　may　we　fulfill；　And　love　as　we　are　loved。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（Montgomery。）

At　this　time　there　was　no　thought　of　separating　from　the　State　Church　and　establishing　a　distinct　denomination；　and　Zinzendorf　believed　that　the　Unitas　Fratrum　could　exist　as　a　‘society'　working　in；　and　in　harmony　with；　the　State　Church　of　whatever　nation　it　might　enter。　This　idea；　borrowed　probably　from　Spener's　〃ecclesiolae　in　ecclesia〃；　clung　to　him；　even　after　circumstances　had　forced　the　Unity　to　declare　its　independence　and　the　validity　of　the　ordination　of　its　ministry；　and　many　otherwise　inexplicable　things　in　the　later　policy　of　the　Church　may　be　traced　to　its　influence。


　　Halle　Opposition。

In　1734　Zinzendorf　took　orders　in　the　Lutheran　Church；　but　this；　and　all　that　preceded　it；　seemed　to　augment　rather　than　quiet　the　antagonism　which　the　development　of　Herrnhut　aroused　in　certain　quarters。　This　opposition　was　not　universal。　　The　Moravians　had　many　warm　friends　and　advocates　at　the　Saxon　Court；　at　the　Universities　of　Jena　and　Tuebingen；　and　elsewhere；　but　they　also　had　active　enemies　who　drew　their　inspiration　principally　from　the　University　of　Halle。

The　opposition　of　Halle　seems　to　have　been　largely　prompted　by　jealousy。　In　1666　a　revolt　against　the　prevailing　cold　formalism　of　the　Lutheran　Church　was　begun　by　Philip　Jacob　Spener；　a　minister　of　that　Church；　who　strongly　urged　the　need　for　real　personal　piety　on　the　part　of　each　individual。　　His　ideas　were　warmly　received　by　some；　and　disliked　by　others；　who　stigmatized　Spener　and　his　disciples　as　〃Pietists〃；　but　the　doctrine　spread；　and　in　the　course　of　time　the　University　of　Halle　became　its　centre。　　Among　those　who　were　greatly　attracted　by　the　movement　were　Count　Zinzendorf's　parents　and　grandparents；　and　when　he　was　born；　May　26th；　1700；　Spener　was　selected　as　his　sponsor。

Being　of　a　warm…hearted；　devout　nature；　young　Zinzendorf　yielded　readily　to　the　influence