the moravians in georgia-第41章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


n　many　of　their　principles。　　I　cannot　look　upon　them　as　willful　deceivers；　but　as　persons　who　hazard　their　lives　for　the　sake　of　the　Gospel。　Mr。　Wesley　is　as　certainly　wrong　in　some　things　as　they；　and　Mr。　Law　as　wrong　also。　　Yet　I　believe　both　Mr。　Law　and　Mr。　Wesley　and　Count　Zinzendorf　will　shine　bright　in　Glory。　　I　have　not　given　way　to　the　Moravian　Brethren；　nor　any　other　who　I　thought　were　in　the　wrong；　no；　not　for　one　hour。　　But　I　think　it　best　not　to　dispute　when　there　is　no　probability　of　convincing。〃

Hagen　remained　in　Savannah　until　February；　1742；　when　he　went　to　Bethlehem；　accompanied　by　Abraham　Bueninger；　of　Purisburg；　who　entered　the　Moravian　ministry　in　1742；　and　labored　among　the　Indians；　the　white　settlers；　and　in　the　West　Indies。

Nine　more　residents　of　Georgia　followed　the　Moravians　to　Bethlehem　in　1745；　John　Brownfield；　James　Burnside　and　his　daughter　Rebecca；　Henry　Ferdinand　Beck；　his　wife　Barbara；　their　daughter　Maria　Christina；　and　their　sons　Jonathan　and　David；　all　of　Savannah；　and　Anna　Catharine　Kremper；　of　Purisburg。　　All　of　these　served　faithfully　in　various　important　offices；　and　were　valuable　fruit　of　the　efforts　in　Georgia。

John　Hagen　was　appointed　Warden　of　the　Nazareth　congregation；　when　it　was　organized；　and　died　at　Shamokin　in　1747。

　　　　　　　　　　　　1746。

General　Oglethorpe　was　much　impressed　by　the　industry　of　the　Moravians　in　Savannah；　and　was　sorry　to　see　them　leave　the　Province。　　In　October；　1746；　therefore；　he　proposed　to　Count　Zinzendorf　that　a　new　attempt　should　be　made　further　up　the　Savannah　River。　　He　offered　to　give　them　five　hundred　and　twenty…six　acres　near　Purisburg；　and　to　arrange　for　two　men　to　be　stationed　in　Augusta；　either　as　licensed　Traders；　for　many　Indians　came　there；　or　as　Schoolmasters。

Zinzendorf　thought　well　of　the　plan；　and　accepted　the　tract；　which　Oglethorpe　deeded　to　him　Nov。　1st；　1746；　the　land　lying　on　the　Carolina　side　of　the　Savannah　River；　adjoining　the　township　of　Purisburg；　where　Boehler　and　Schulius　had　made　many　friends。

No　colonists；　however；　were　sent　over；　and　the　title　to　the　land　lapsed　for　lack　of　occupancy；　as　that　to　Old　Fort；　on　the　Ogeechee；　had　already　done。

　　　　　　　　　　　　1774。

Early　in　1774；　Mr。　Knox；　Under…Secretary　of　State　in　London；　asked　for　missionaries　to　preach　the　Gospel　to　the　slaves　on　his　plantation　in　Georgia。　He　offered　a　small　piece　of　land；　whereon　they　might　live　independently；　and　promised　ample　store　of　provisions。

This　time　the　plan　was　carried　into　execution；　and　Ludwig　Mueller；　formerly　teacher　in　the　Pedagogium　at　Niesky；　with　John　George　Wagner　as　his　companion；　went　to　England；　and　sailed　from　there　to　Georgia。　They　settled　on　Mr。　Knox's　plantation；　and　at　once　began　to　visit　and　instruct　the　slaves；　and　preach　to　the　whites　living　in　the　neighborhood。　　〃Knoxborough〃　lay　on　a　creek　about　sixteen　miles　from　Savannah；　midway　between　that　town　and　Ebenezer。　The　land　had　been　settled　by　Germans；　Salzburgers　and　Wittenbergers；　and　Mr。　Knox　had　bought　up　their　fifty　acre　tracts；　combining　them　into　a　large　rice　plantation。　　The　homes　of　the　Germans　had　been　allowed　to　fall　into　ruin；　the　overseer　occupying　a　three…roomed　house；　with　an　outside　kitchen。　　Mueller　was　given　a　room　in　the　overseer's　house；　preaching　there　to　the　white　neighbors　who　chose　to　hear　him；　and　to　the　negroes　in　the　large　shed　that　sheltered　the　stamping　mill。　Wagner　occupied　a　room　cut　off　from　the　kitchen。

In　February；　1775；　Frederick　William　Marshall；　Agent　of　the　Unitas　Fratrum　on　the　Wachovia　Tract　in　North　Carolina；　（with　headquarters　at　Salem）　visited　Georgia　to　inspect　the　Moravian　property　there；　accompanied　by　Andrew　Broesing；　who　joined　Mueller　and　Wagner　in　their　missionary　work。　　It　had　been　suggested　that　the　Moravians　preach　in　a　church　at　a　little　place　called　Goshen；　near　〃Knoxborough〃；　a　church　which　had　been　built　by　subscriptions　of　Germans　and　English　living　in　the　neighborhood；　and　had　been　used　occasionally　by　a　preacher　from　Ebenezer。

At　this　time　the　Salzburgers　were　in　a　very　bad　condition。　Bolzius　had　died　in　1765；　and　Rabenhorst　and　Triebner；　who　shared　the　pastorate；　were　greatly　at　variance；　so　that　the　entire　settlement　was　split　into　factions。　Dr。　Muehlenberg；　〃the　father　of　Lutheranism　in　Pennsylvania〃；　had　come　to　settle　the　difficulties；　and　heard　with　much　displeasure　of　the　plan　to　have　the　Moravians　preach　at　Goshen。　　He　declared；　　〃I　doubt　not；　according　to　their　known　method　of　insinuation；　they　will　gain　the　most；　if　not　all　the　remaining　families　in　Goshen；　and　will　also　make　an　attempt　on　Ebenezer；　for　their　ways　are　well　adapted　to　awakened　souls。　　I　have　learned　by　experience　that　where　strife　and　disunion　have　occurred　in　neighborhoods　and　congregations　among　the　Germans　in　America；　there　black　and　white　apostles　have　immediately　appeared；　and　tried　to　fish　in　the　troubled　waters；　like　eagles　which　have　a　keen　sight　and　smell。〃

Dr。　Muehlenberg　was　too　much　prejudiced　against　the　Moravians　to　judge　them　fairly；　for　he　belonged　to　the　Halle　party　in　Germany；　and　in　Pennsylvania　had　clashed　with　Zinzendorf　during　the　latter's　residence　there。　　The　Lutheran　Church　was　in　no　way　endangered　by　the　preaching　of　the　missionaries；　for　their　instructions　were　explicit：　　〃If　you　have　an　opportunity　to　preach　the　Gospel　to　German　or　English　residents　use　it　gladly；　but　receive　none　into　your　congregation；　for　you　are　sent　expressly　to　the　negroes。〃　〃You　will　probably　find　some　of　the　so…called　Salzburgers　there；　with　their　ministers。　　With　them　you　will　in　all　fairness　do　only　that　to　which　you　are　invited　by　their　pastor。　　You　will　do　nothing　in　their　congregation　that　you　would　not　like　to　have　another　do　in　yours。〃　Dr。　Muehlenberg；　therefore；　might　safely　have　left　them　free　to　preach　the　Gospel　where　they　would；　even　to　his　own　distracted　flock；　which　was　weakened　by　dissensions；　suffered　severely　in　the　Revolutionary　War；　and　gradually　scattered　into　the　adjoining　country。

In　accordance　with　his　instructions；　Mueller　at　once　gave　up　all　idea　of　using　the　Goshen　church；　and　occupied　himself　with　those　who　heard　him　gladly　at　Knoxborough。　　After　a　careful　examination　of　the　land；　the　Moravians　decided　not　to　build　a　house　for　themselves；　but　to　continue　with　the　overseer；　who　was　kind　to　them；　and　gave　Mueller　the　use　of　a　horse　for　his　visits　to　adjoining　plantations。

James　Habersham；　who　had　come　over　with　George　Whitefield　in　1738；　was　one　of　the　most　prominent　men　in　Savannah　at　this　time。　In　1744　he　had　established　a　commercial　house　in　Georgia；　the　first　of　its　kind；　to　ship　lumber；　hogs；　skins；　etc。；　to　England；　and　this　business　had　been　a　success。　　He　had　taken　a　great　interest　in　Whitefield's　Orphan　House；　and　had　been　active　in　governmental　affairs；　having　served　as　Secretary　of　the　Province；　President　of　the　Council；　and　Acting　Governor　of　Georgia。　　For　many　years　he　had　been　the　Agent　in　charge　of　the　Moravian　lots　in　and　near　Savannah；　and　now；　in　failing　health；　and　a　sufferer　from　gout；　he　asked　that　one　of　the　missionaries　might　be　sent　to　his　three　estates　on　the　Ogeechee　River；　partly　as　his　representative　and　partly　to　instruct　the　slaves。　It　was　decided　that　Wagner　should　accept　this　invitation　and　go　to　〃Silkhope〃；　while　Mueller　and　Broesing　remained　at　Knoxborough；　Mueller　preaching　at　〃Silkhope〃　every　two　weeks。

Marshall　was　much　pleased　with　the　reception　accorded　him　and　the　missionaries；　and　hoped　the　time　was　coming　for　again　using　the　lots　in　Savannah；　but　the　hope　again　proved　to　be　fallacious。　　The　missionaries　all　suffered　greatly　from　fever；　always　prevalent　on　the　rice　plantations　in　the　summer；　and　on　Oct。　11th；　1775；　Mueller　died。　　The　outbreak　of　the　Revolutionary　War　made　Wagner's　and　Broesing's　position　precarious；　for　the　English　Act　exempting　the　Moravians　from　military　service　was　not　likely　to　be　respected　by　the　Americans；　and　in　1776　Broesing　returned　to　Wachovia；　where　the　Moravians　had　settled　in　sufficient　numbers　to　hold　their　own；　though　amid　trials　manifold。　　Wagner　stayed　in　Georgia　until　1779；　and　then　he　too　left　the　field；　and　returned　to　England。


　　The　Savannah　Lands。

In　January；　1735；　fifty　acres　of　Savannah　land　was　gra