From Chambers's Repository.
THE MORAVIAN BRETHREN.

COUNT ZINZENDORF.

primitive age of Christianity. The Moravians, as a nation, embraced Christianity in the ninth century, and their tenets gradually spread into Bohemia. In the reign of the Emperor Charles IV., an attempt was made A HUNDRED years hence, and you shall to introduce all the dogmas and usages of the answer for this before God and me.' Such Western Church. Prague was made an archwere among the last words of John Huss. bishopric; a university was founded; and the They had led him out without the gates, to a Italian professors enforced popish ceremonies, pleasant and sunny meadow, in front of the prohibited the marriage of the clergy, and city of Constance; and there, on a high sum- denied the cup to the laity. Much persecution mer-day, in the month of July of the year followed; but many faithful pastors boldly ad1415, surrounded by all the pomp of nature-ministered the ordinance in the same form as by that glorious sun which shines on the just heretofore in private, and preached with great and on the unjust-by those trees, and flowers, zeal; one of whom lived to such extreme old and flowing streams, which seem ever to be age, that he witnessed the formation of the whispering but never telling the wondrous Church of the United Brethren, thereby fulsecrets with which they are charged, secrets filling a prophecy uttered by a banished diswhich shall never be revealed till God himself ciple on his death-bed-that there should shall justify his ways to man-he suffered arise a small mean people, without sword or cheerfully a cruel death, rather than renounce power, whom the adversary shall not be able his long and dearly cherished faith. They to withstand, but that one only of their numcould call him before their Council; they ber should see it.'

could give, and then violate a safe-conduct; Towards the end of the fourteenth century, they could throw him into a loathsome dun- the writings of Wickliffe had penetrated even geon, washed by the waters of the Rhine, and to the heart of Bohemia and Moravia, where fasten him even while he slept by a padlock to the people, still mindful of their ancient rethe wall; they could tear from off his body ligious liberty, felt their hearts burn within the priestly garments, and scrape from his them as they read together by the wayside, or in nails the holy oil; they could crown him with their inner chambers, what seemed to them a paper mitre, and inscribe thereon Heresiarch; their own thoughts thus echoed back from a they could deliver up his soul to Satan, while far distant land. The archbishop of Prague, he meekly committed it to the Lord Jesus who could not even read till he was raised to Christ; the emperor could seem as if he had the see, and whose ignorance the people riwashed his hands of blood-guiltiness, when he diculed in their songs, ordered the writings of gave over the victim to his dear uncle,' the Wickliffe to be burned in the court of his Count Palatine, to be dealt with after the palace. Against this proceeding, Huss made manner of heretics; and he, in his turn, could a public protest; was accused of heresy, and hand him over to the mayor of the city, who excommunicated; which caused him, and his delivered him to the executioners, who gave friend Jerome, only the more loudly to dehis ashes to the flowing Rhine: but they could nounce the pope, who had promised remission not hinder bands of his faithful followers from of sins to all who would aid him in a crusade singing, in muffled tone, the prophetic elegy against the king of Naples and the two anti'His ashes will be scattered over every popes; for it was at this time that Christendom country; no river, no banks, will be able to presented the strange spectacle of three inretain them; and those whom the enemy fallible heads-a curious triple link in the thought to silence by death, thus sing and chain of apostolical succession. The sellers publish, in every place, that gospel which their of these indulgences were insulted by the persecutors thought to suppress.' They believed not then, what wise men in every age have proclaimed, but which is still little else than foolishness even to the men of this generation, that not more surely does the precious rain refresh and cause to spread the tender plant, than is the blood of the martyrs, whatever their faith, the most fructifying of all irrigation.

The sect known almost ever since the days of John Huss as the United Brethren, or the Moravian Brethren, are descendants of a people who, like to the Waldenses, never bowed beneath the Romish yoke, and trace their origin through the Greek Church to the

citizens, which caused Prague to be laid under an interdict, and her churches closed. But Huss continued to preach to the multitudes in the villages and open fields, till at length he was summoned before the General Council of Constance, where he met that doom for which he had long been preparing. His followers were cast into prison, burned, or drowned. Hundreds of them were condemned to the deep mines of Kuttenberg. But from this army of martyrs there arose an army of warriors, who defended themselves with desperate bravery during the thirteen years in which raged the barbarous struggle called the Hussite War. No sooner, however, were they

at peace with their enemies, than divisions time-server, he dismissed them with fair and arose among themselves, and the Hussites wary words: If you call one another brother became two great parties, called the Calixtines and sister, I see no harm in it; would to God and the Taborites; the latter from tabor, in that this appellation, dictated by brotherly the Bohemian language, a camp. The Ca- love, existed among Christians universally! lixtines demanded no other reformn than a and many other praises; but trembling for his participation in the cup for the laity; while worldly possessions and reputation, he bore no the Taborites insisted on the abolition of every open testimony till the Brethren no longer rite that seemed to foster superstition, sought stood in need of it. to restore the purity and simplicity of the Very different was their reception by Marapostolic church, appealed to Scripture in tin Luther, who declared himself much everything, addressed each other as brethren strengthened and animated by their converand sisters, and ate at one common table. sation. They urged on him the necessity of They held Baptism and the Lord's Supper to uniting strict discipline with soundness of docbe the only ordinances instituted by Christ; trine; but he replied that things were yet in their ministers were not allowed to hold pro- too immature a state, and that he must proceed perty, but were maintained by voluntary con- slowly. The Brethren, however, ceased not tribution, and preaching formed the principal to press him even to offence on this one point part of their worship. Such was the origin, of discipline, notwithstanding of which Luther and such the tenets and practices, which continued to live with them in constant union, formed the nucleus of those now held by the and declared thus: Since the times of the great body called the Moravian Brethren. Apostles, no Christians have appeared who The king of Bohemia, although a Calixtine, have maintained a doctrine and practice more granted them a district of country on the conformable to apostolic teaching than the borders of Silesia and Moravia, where they United Brethren. Though they do not surwere to have the free exercise of their own reli- pass us in purity of doctrine, since we teach gious tenets, and where, in 1457, they first every article by the Word of God alone, yet assumed the name of United Brethren, and they far exceed us in the discipline by which many settlements were formed throughout they blessedly govern their churches; in this, Bohemia and Moravia. New and bitter perse- we must confess, to the glory God and the cutions arose, during an interval of which they truth, they are more commendable than ourmade a translation of the Bible in Bohemian, selves.' The reaction, consequent on the which they got printed in Venice; and thus first brilliant success of the Reformation, secured the distinction of being the first brought again persecution to the Brethren. people in Europe who possessed a Bible in their own language. The sale was so rapid, that it was twice reprinted at Nuremberg; and the Brethren established three printingoffices in Bohemia and Moravia, which were long used solely for printing Bibles.

The Emperor Charles V., and Ferdinand of Bohemia, took up arins against their Protestant subjects; and the Brethren were driven from their churches, the greater part of them enigrating into Poland, where, according to Paul Vergerius, once the pope's legate, afterwards a pious brother, in his preface to the Brethren's Confession of Faith, nearly forty churches were formed by them at this time.

The oppressors of the Brethren were often so suddenly averted from their purpose-some of them dying as it seemed miraculously that the hearts of the people were so stricken, Under the mild rule of Maximilian II., the it became a proverb among them: If any Brethren of Bohemia and Moravia enjoyed man is weary of life, he has only to persecute the free exercise of their worship, and many the Brethren.' In the face, therefore, of per- of the emigrants returned. The Brethren secutions and afflictions, the Brethren mightily were now to enjoy a long period of repose. grew and prevailed. Many of the higher This they employed in confirming and spreadorders of the Calixtines, nobles, priests, and ing the churches, and in translating the Bible learned men, joined their ranks, while the into the Bohemian from the original text, inparty itself became nearly extinguished by stead of formerly from the Latin vulgate.most of the remainder re-entering the Romish This version appeared in six volumes, between Church; and early, in the sixteenth century, the years 1579 and 1593. They also estabere yet Luther had begun to send forth his lished colleges and seminaries of their own; voice of thunder, the Brethren could number and although too poor to provide fixed salaries, as many as 200 regularly constituted Pro- eminent men flocked to them as teachers and testant churches. Erasmus, indeed, had al-professors. Never had the church of the

ready made attempts to improve the schools Brethren seemed so secure as on this the eve of science and theology, and the Brethren of its entire destruction. Since that memormade an appeal to him to lift his testimony to able day when the blood of John Huss had the purity of their doctrine and apostleship; become the seed of their church, it had spread but, true from first to last to his character of and flourished with--for we need not say in

spite of every persecution. So great was lend or borrow, without the pastor's consent. now their prosperity, that we find them re- The pastor himself was supported by contribulaxing in that discipline they had not only tions, chiefly of food and other necessaries. gloried in as the life of their church, but had Celibacy was not enjoined on, but generally sought to enforce on others; and their own observed by him, as leaving him freer in times historian, Commenius, pathetically laments" so of persecution. He could not travel without much carnal security, not pleasing to pious permission of the bishop, was always lodged souls, who feared its evil consequences." They by the Brethren, the acolytes washing his feet. were slumbering on the edge of a precipice, He must report to his bishop every six months and fearful was to be the awaking. his own spiritual condition and that of his Maximilian II., early raised to the imperial flock. Candidates for the ministry underwent purple, reigned long over the holy German three strict examinations, and after the last Empire; and he died. Then there arose they all prepared themselves by fasting and to rule after him Rodolph II.; and he died.-prayer for the ordination, which was conductThen were the slumbering Brethren astound-ed with great solemnity, the whole assembly ed by the news, that the papal court had be- again on their knees chanting the hymn, thought them of the ancient decrees of the " Come, Holy Spirit." Each church was diCouncil of Trent, and now, in 1612, were vided into three classes-the beginners, the about to enforce them on all Protestants. As advanced, and the perfect; the last choosing men are always most given to the use of car- the elders. There were also female elders, nal weapons when they are awakened from a who visited and exhorted the women. All state of carnal security, the Brethren, after re- worldly amusements, such as games and dancfusing allegiance to Ferdinand II., joined the ing, and all costly and gay apparel, were forother Protestants in acts of aggression. Now bidden; disputes were settled, if possible, by began the famous struggle called the Thirty arbitration. Marriage was not permitted withYears' War; and at the Peace of Westphalia, out consent of parents and pastors: the cerein 1648, we find the other Protestant powers mony very simple, and always public. Some abandoning to their enemies, without one stip-of the Brethren only baptized adults, but the ulation in their favor, these poor dispersed greater part adhered to infant baptism, and Brethren, who had first led the way to the the duties of the sponsors were regarded as Reformation then secured by that treaty. very solemn.

The constitution of the ancient church of They set apart four days in the year for the Brethren, at that period suffering under a prayer and fasting, besides those for public total eclipse, was at once simple and severe. calamities, the church's troubles, and for hardFive or six bishops presided over the whole ened offenders, some abstaining wholly from church, one of whom they elected their pres- food, others at least till evening. Of discipline, ident. Each had two or three co-bishops, properly so called, there were three kinds: who were bound to keep secret their delibera- brotherly admonition, public reproof, and extions. The bishops were elected by the co-pulsion-the last resorted to with much sorbishops and pastors, who wrote their votes, row and solemnity, the whole church saying and sealed them up. When the person elected" Amen" with many groans and tears. But declared he regarded the call as divine, and there was nothing final in the sentence; the accepted it, the whole assembly fell on their offender might still be a hearer at the door of knees, and in this posture, the bishops having the church, and his return to obedience was their hands on him, they chanted: "Come, Holy hailed with joy and love. Such was the anSpirit." His colleagues then gave him the cient church of the Moravian Brethren. right hand of fellowship and the kiss of charity. In the year 1722, towards the close of The bishop was bound to visit his diocese once spring, four plain wayfaring men, weary but every year. General synods were held once not faint, with way worn feet and drooping in three or four years, to which the landed limbs, but eyes in whose mild flash could be proprietors of the district were admitted as discerned firm resolve and conquering pawell as all the office-bearers. Special or tience, approached the mansion of Henersdorf, diocesan synods were held for special matters, the property of the pious Countess Gersdorf, such as the election of a bishop. The pastors the grandmother of the youthful Count Zinin their turn were chosen by the bishops, who zendorf. also had the power of removing them. The They had gone out, scarcely knowing pastor had under him deacons, who were his whither: they had left house and friends in principal assistants and candidates for the the enemy's land; with wives and children, ministry; also acolytes, young men trained for they had arisen at midnight, and wandered the service of the church. These boarded forth by cross-roads and over mountains, and in the pastor's house, assisted at all household reached in safety the sanctuary of Goerlitz, work, and must conform rigidly to rules. where they were gladly received by the pastor They could not buy anything, send letters, of the place. Having heard that 'one Count Zin

zendorf, a real Christian, had bought an estate | themselves like children building houses with in Upper Lusatia, where he had stationed a cards; it was only after three weeks' labor faithful pastor, named Rothe,' and hoping there they obtained water; but they ceased not to to find an asylum, the four men proceeded on animate each other, and to commune of Abratheir way, holding as they went the deep coun- ham, who had gone forth alone into a strange sels of those who are sharers in misfortune and land, and God had made of him a great nation, sharers in hope. The most remarkable of and a blessing to all peoples. The house was these men was Christian David, a native of completed in August; and in October, the Senftleben, in Moravia. In his youth, a tend- three Brethren and their families entered it. er of cows and sheep, afterwards a carpenter, The pastor at Bertholdsdorf, in his discourse he had eagerly listened to the singing and on the occasion, used these words; God will praying, night and day, of some imprisoned one day kindle a light upon these hills, which friends. He had been a zealous papist, and shall enlighten the whole country; of this I had not yet seen a Bible, but obtaining pos-am assured by a living faith.' Count Zinzensession of one, it became his constant study; dorf also addressed his tenantry, and commendhis conversation was purely biblical, and he ed the Brethren to their Christian care and learned to write from it, forming a set of letters kindness. Such is the history of the early peculiar to himself. He entered the Lutheran foundation of the immense settlement of Church, but not being satisfied with it, and having met with the pastor of Goerlitz and other enlightened men, he joined himself to them, and afterwards travelled from place to place preaching the Gospel. Two of the others were the Brothers Neisser, dwellers in the Zauchtenthal, who with others in the valley had been stirred and gladdened by an old soldier, who was wont to come and seat himself under their porches, singing hymns and repeating the Scriptures. Christian David in his wanderings came hither also; they resolved to go forth together, for the spread as well as the peaceful enjoyment of the faith, and in after-years the Brethren used to praise God for his marvellous works, in that a begging-soldier had begun, and a humble artisan carried on, so glorious a revival.

Herrnhut (the watch of the Lord), in Upper Lusatia, the first-fruits of a revival destined to spread over many lands. A great revival had at the same time taken place at Fulneck, in Moravia, where Commenius had anciently been pastor; and in two different districts in Bohemia not only without concert, but each in total ignorance of what was going on amongst the others.

Nicholas Lewis, Count and Lord of Zinzendorf and Pottendorf; Lord of the Baronies of Freydeck, Schöneck, Thürnstein, and the Vale of Wachovia; Lord of the Manor of Upper, Middle, and Lower Bertholdsdorf; Hereditary Warden of the Chase to his Imperial Roman Majesty, in the Duchy of Austria, below the Enns; and at one time Aulic and Justicial Councillor to the Elector of Saxony-of one The countess having often been deceived or other of which titles he made use when it by impostors, at first received the pilgrims seemed expedient for him to travel or labor coldly, but afterwards agreed to send them to incognito-was born at Dresden, 26th May Rothe, the pastor of Bertholdsdorf, a village 1700. As far back as the eleventh century, belonging to the young count, two miles off, the family of Zinzendorf formed one of the whose steward in his absence assigned them a twelve noble houses, the chief supports of the settlement near the village on the declivity of Austrian dynasty. From the count to Ehrenthe Hutberg, on the great road from Locbau hold, the founder, were reckoned twenty-two to Zittau, a wild marshy spot covered with generations. In 1552, the family embraced brushwood. When the wife of Augustin the doctrines of the Reformation, to which Neisser first saw it, she exclaimed; Where they rendered military as well as civil services; shall we find bread in this wilderness?' She and in the time of the Emperor Rodolph II., was answered in a solemn tone: If you be- there were found on the estates of the family lieve, you shall in this place see the glory of four flourishing Protestant congregations, duly God.' Christian David then took his axe, provided with pastors. The motto of the struck the nearest tree, and said: 'Here the house was: 'I yield to no one, not even to the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow whole world. The grandfather of the count her nest; even thine altars, O Lord of Hosts!' emigrated to Oberberg, near Nuremberg, thus Space being cleared, on the 17th of June the obtaining that liberty of conscience which he pilgrims repaired to the forest, and cut down valued more highly than all his lands. His the first tree for the first house; and on the son, the count's father, entered the service of spot where this tree stood, a stone monument the Elector of Saxony, and died at Dresden has since been raised in memory of the event. in 1700, six weeks after the birth of the count. The wood was brought to the place in boats; Four years afterwards, his mother having been they were derided by the passers-by; they remarried to a field-marshal of the Prussian were so weak from fatigue and poor food, and army, he was placed under the care of his oftentimes so faint in spirit, they seemed to grandmother, formerly mentioned, and he used

frequently to say, that it was to her early instilling into his mind the doctrines and precepts of the Gospel, to associating with the pious persons who visited her, and to the constant reading of the Bible and the works of Luther, he was indebted for the loss of all relish for anything but the doctrine of Jesus Christ, his merits and sufferings.

1715, these two youths formed a sort of covenant together for the conversion of the heathen; and however widely men may differ, either as to end or means, none can deny that these young covenant-makers were anything but covenant-breakers. Zinzendorf devoted

his spare hours to his favorite study of theology; but, as he was enjoined, with a view to the future, paid strict attention to that of law, and the knowledge he thus acquired proved of signal use in managing the affairs of the Brethren.

Hebrew he had no success; but was so expert in versifying, that he composed quicker than he could write. Of his companions, he says: "I was upheld by a power they knew not, and not only preserved from their snares, but more than once prevailed with those that sought to seduce me to join me in prayer, and won them over to Christ." On leaving Halle, in As was the custom in his family, it was in- 1716, it was found he had established no less tended he should be devoted to state affairs. that seven societies for religious purposes, the His bodily constitution was delicate until after result of prayer-meetings. he had early held. he was twenty-one. He was lively and vola- Five young men of noble rank were conspicutile, and learned to read slowly; but showed ous in these, and closely united; the two most an extensive capacity, conceived clear ideas, remarkable being the Baron Frederick von and formed opinions by weighing and compar- Watteville and Zinzendorf, both destined by ing things. He was sometimes irascible and their friends for the service of the state, but impetuous. Of himself he writes thus: "My in reality to be fellow-workers through life in genius was simple, but natural; my memory that cause they regarded above all others, and retentive, with a mind more lively than to which they were thus early devoted. In phlegmatic; a disposition sufficiently calm to weigh the reasons of a thing; originality of ideas, which might have been more productive had I been less scrupulous; an inclination to grave subjects; and a love of the truth, which moderated even my propensity to poetize." When yet a child, he described himself as deeply affected by the thought of God becoming man; of Christ being our brother, and dying for us; that when he had pen, ink, and paper, he would write notes to his beloved Saviour, and throw them out at the window, in hopes he might find them; that his cove- On leaving Halle, having been urged by nant was: "Be thou mine, dear Saviour, and his friends to travel, he first visited Holland, I will be thine," and this he often renewed: and then France. At Paris, he was beset by that when left alone, he often spoke of him many temptations-one party trying to corto the chairs he had playfully collected; and rupt his morals, another attacking his religion; that he shed abundance of tears when he by which, and everything that befel him, he thought of what his Saviour had done for him. gained much experience. He had frequent When looking back on this period towards intercourse with many of the clergy, espethe close of his life, he says: "Thus for more cially with the excellent Father de la Tour, than fifty years I have conversed as it were and the Cardinal de Noailles; with the latter, personally with the Saviour, spoken to him for however, although "much united in heart," he hours together, like one friend to another." came to an entire breach, in consequence of One biographer says, there was something so the cardinal's acceptance of the Constitution extraordinary in the expression and appear- Unigenitus; and the count brought himself ance of the child, that pious and distinguished into trouble by his zeal for the appealing men felt impelled to give him their blessing, bishops, being nearly poisoned by one of their and even sent the same in their letters. He enemies, the marks of which he is said to have early showed a fondness of doing good to retained in his face throughout life. He was others; even in his sixth year giving away here given to feel that pride was not subdued the money he had received. It deeply pained within him, for he felt so mortified at not havhim when unable to assist the necessitous, ing been received with due distinction at court, and nothing was ever of value to him, if that he complained of it to the court-chamberanother needed it more; he gave in so pleas- lain. Soon, however, he despised himself for ing a manner, as to render it still more welcome; he was passionately attached to those who assisted and benefited him, and his gratitude knew no bounds.

this, and "threw himself at the Lord's feet, and besought his grace and forgiveness with many tears." Here he met with a brother of his friend Von Watteville, who says: "I loved In his eleventh year, he was placed in one the world; Zinzendorf took no pleasure in it. of the institutions of the celebrated Professor He conducted me to cardinals and bishops; I Francke, at Halle. In his sexteenth year, he could not persuade him to go to a single could deliver a Greek oration; and extem- opera." The count gave his testimony, that porize a Latin speech on a given subject. In here he found many among the great, and