CHAPTER VI.

PROPAGATION OF CHRISTIANITY BY THE UNITED BRETHREN.

THE United Brethren, or, as they are more commonly called, the Moravians, are generally supposed to have taken their rise from Nicholas Lewis, count Zinzendorf, a German nobleman, soon after the commencement of the eighteenth century. They themselves, however, trace their origin to the churches of Bohemia, which, even previous to the Reformation, maintained the principles of Christianity in no inconsiderable degree of purity, and were distinguished by giving birth to these two illustrious martyrs, John Huss and Jerome of Prague.*

After a variety of revolutions in their external circumstances, the churches of Bohemia obtained, about the beginning of the seventeenth century, an edict from the emperor of Germany, granting them a toleration of their religion, and ratifying that important privilege under the imperial sanction. But this was only like the still calm which often precedes a storm. In 1612, an attempt was made by government to force on them the decrees of the council of Trent. Being at length driven to despair by multiplied and incessant oppressions; they rose in arms to defend their religion and liberties; but after the unfortunate battle of Prague in 1620, they were either compelled to submit to the conqueror, or were driven into exile with the elector Palatine, whom they had chosen for their king. Numbers of them, indeed were afterwards allured, by the promise of pardon, to return to their country; but notwithstanding this promise, some of them were perfidiously condemned to perpetual imprisonment, and others to an ignominious death. In one day, no

* Crantz's History of the United Brethern.

fewer than twenty-seven of the principal lords and defenders of the Bohemian faith were beheaded on the scaffold. The flames of persecution being once kindled, spread over the whole country, and committed terrible devastation among the miserable inhabitants. By plunderings, by tortures, by executions, the people were driven to the utmost extremities; and many of them either renounced their religion, or fled from the kingdom, leaving the whole of their property behind them. But as these violent measures, instead of reconciling the nation to the church of Rome, threatened to depopulate the country, the ministers were now banished from Prague, and the rest of the kingdom, in the hope that the people, deprived of their spiritual guides, would submit the more readily to the impositions of the Catholic priests. Many of them, however, hid themselves in caves and in mountains, and from these fastnesses visited their desolate congregations; but being detected in these labours of love, some of them were put to death, and others finally expelled the country. Many of the nobility, however, still remained steadfast to their ancient faith, and encouraged the people with the hope of regaining their liberties; but after having been drained of most of their wealth, and stripped of their estates, they were banished the kingdom in 1627. Hundreds of noble and respectable families now took refuge in the neighbouring countries; and though the common people were carefully watched to prevent their emigration, yet thousands of them also fled into exile from the tyranny of their oppressors.* Many of these went into Silesia; still greater numbers retired into Prussia and Poland; but most of them escaped into Saxony and Upper Lusatia, where, from a variety of causes, they were soon lost among the general mass of the inhabitants; and though

* Some idea may be formed of the dreadful depopulation of the country, occasioned by these revolution, from this singular fact, that in the reign of Rudolphus the inhabitants of Bohemia were said to amount to three millions, whereas, after the civil wars they did not exceed four hundred thousand. More than thirty thousand families are said to have taken refuge in foreign countries. Edinburgh Encyclopædia, article BOHEMIA, vol. iii. p. 686.

some of them formed particular congregations, and even founded new villages, yet their posterity degenerated from the virtues of their ancestors, and conformed to the manners of the people around them: there was only a small number who continued steadfast to their ancient faith.*

Thus the churches of Bohemia were reduced to the brink of ruin; but early in the eighteenth century, there was a considerable revival of religion among the exiles in various places, and likewise in that country, where numbers of the people still remained inimical to the church of Rome, and continued to hold their meetings in private. Among others, a man of the name of Christian David was distinguished as the happy instrument of rekindling the dying embers of vital religion in Moravia. Some of those who were awakened by his conversation and exhortations, begged him to procure them an asylum in some Protestant country, as in their own land they were not only exposed to persecution, but were in a great measure destitute of the means of religious instruction. Having failed, however, in his first attempts for this purpose, he, at length made application in their behalf to count Zinzendorf, a pious nobleman who had lately returned from his travels, and who readily granted them permission to settle on his domains. Little did the count then suspect the various consequences which were to result from this simple incident, or the important part which he himself was to act in those vast undertakings to which it speedily gave rise.†

In the summer of 1722, Christian David returned from Moravia, with two families of the name of Neisser, consisting in all of eleven persons, nearly one half of whom were children. Upon their arrival on count Zinzendorf's estate in Upper Lusatia, they proceeded to build a house for themselves, and thus laid the foundation of the celebrated village of Herrnhuth. Christian David returned to Moravia the following year, and visited a number of the

• Crantz's History of the United Brethren.

† Ibid.

villages where the descendants of the ancient brethren resided. By his conversation and prayers, hundreds of them were awakened to a concern about their souls; they often held meetings together during the whole of the night; but being discovered, they were summoned before their superiors, threatened with slavery in the galleys, and even with capital punishments. Many were actually thrown into prison, and others suffered severe corporal punishment. In consequence of these outrageous proceedings, several of them determined to leave the country, and after encountering many difficulties and dangers, they happily effected their purpose. An oath, which now began to be imposed, as a religious test on all suspected persons, induced still greater numbers to take the same resolution; and it is worthy of notice how wonderfully they were often favoured by Providence in their flight. Some of them were enabled to disentangle themselves from the fetters with which they were bound, to leap from high prisons without injury, to pass through their guards undiscovered even in open day, or to escape from their pursuit. Even when stopped on the road, the upright representation of the cause of their emigration, and the piteous cries of their children often so melted the hearts of their countrymen, that they suffered them to pass unmolested. Some of them afterwards returned and sought an opportunity of bringing away their husbands or wives, their parents or children, their brothers or sisters, and though their enemies watched them in the most rigorous manner, they often succeeded in these dangerous enterprises beyond expectation. It was remarked, indeed, that such as secretly disposed of their property, and took the money with them, or attempted to leave the country with loaded waggons, were frequently betrayed or stopped on the road, carried back again, or plundered of their effects. One of this description having been attacked by robbers, and nearly murdered by them, was afterwards obliged to tra

vel more than a hundred and twenty miles, with only about three pence in his pocket.*

Count Zinzendorf, who, for several years, was generally absent at the court of Dresden, had at first imagined that only a few persecuted families would settle on his domains, to whom therefore he could not refuse an asylum. But a considerable number of these refugees being now collected at Herrnhuth, he endeavoured to persuade them to unite themselves with the Lutheran church, which was established by law, and of which he was a zealous member. But notwithstanding this advice, they resolved that a constitution of three hundred years standing, on account of which many of their ancestors had suffered and bled and died, and which they had handed down to them as a most precious inheritance, should by no means be abandoned by them.They agreed, however, not to separate from the Lutheran church, but still to hold the closest communion with it; while, at the same time, they maintained among themselves the Bohemian constitution and discipline. In this decision, the count at last acquiesced: he afterwards became the head of the whole body, and was consecrated one of their bishops.†

The count, even at an early period of his life, had turned his attention to the miserable state of the Heathen world, and within a few years after the building of Herrnhuth, the Brethren began to direct their views to the same important objec Certain circumstances at length called forth their zeal into action, and ever since that period, it has burned with a pure and uninterrupted flame. In 1731, when the count attended the coronation of Christian the Sixth, the king of Denmark, at Copenhagen, he saw two of the natives of Greenland who had been baptized by Mr. Egede, and he learned with regret, that the Danish government had resolved to abandon the mission in that country. About the same time, a negro called Anthony, who had contracted an

• Crantz's History of the United Brethren. + Ibid.