THE MORAVIAN BRETHREN BY THE REV. PHILIP DODDRIDGE, D.D. THE piety and candour of Dr. Doddridge led him eagerly to approve and encourage all those who appeared to have the interest of spiritual religion at heart. He was, therefore, much delighted with the accounts which were communicated to him respecting the Moravian Brethren, and so highly did he think of their patron, Count Zinzendorff, as to style him, in the first edition of the Family Expositor (1738), "the Moses of this age." Having received from various quarters the following details, he communicated them in two letters to Dr. Isaac Watts. The extracts were made, we suppose, from the character of the hand in which they are copied, whilst the original letters were in Dr. Watts's possession: though our manuscript unfortunately is without a date, it appears, from an expression in the first letter, that they were written in the year 1737. The good Doctor lived to change his opinions respecting the Brethren of his day. The peace of his own church at Northampton was disturbed by a Moravian teacher, who, during the Doctor's absence, " crept in and made a sad breach amongst them."* The interview he had with Count Zinzendorff when in England, together with his hymns and sermons, convinced the Doctor, that the Count's notions of religion were very crude, and did our Lord little honour, and tended little to Christian edification.† The late Rev. Samuel Palmer has preserved an extract of a letter from Dr. Watts to Dr. Doddridge, in which it appears, that the latter was in some difficulties with his Moravian acquaintances. "I must say for myself, had I suffered my inclination to run into such acquaintance with the Methodists and Moravians as some....... would have led me to, perhaps I might have been in the same disagreeable circumstances as you; hardly knowing where to stop or refuse. However, God hath kept me from this snare. Though I pay great respect and honour to those persons whom God hath so much owned and honoured, there is a medium of prudence with regard to this sort of conversation and acquaintance, which it is hard to hit exactly, which may neither give offence to Jew nor Gentile, nor the church of Christ. But at present I think it best to keep ourselves, as Dissenters, entirely a separate people." ‡ After Dr. Doddridge's death, the Moravians represented him, in some of their continental publications, as their friend and advocate. The fact, however, was much otherwise, for he had prepared for publication, a letter addressed to Count Zinzendorff, expostulating with him on account of "his absurd, ridiculous, and pernicious notions." A copy of this work was sent by the N. S. No. 37. * Letters to and from Dr. Doddridge, p. 280. B Rev. Job Orton to a Lutheran Bishop at Riga, for publication in high Dutch, but happily the Moravians having abandoned most of those absurdities, their Protestant brethren were happy to witness their regularity and consistency, and, of course, declined the undertaking. No doubt need be entertained of the authenticity of these letters. The facts they contain deserve a record, and we presume that our readers will peruse with pleasure the statements, which Doddridge thought worthy of the notice of his illustrious friend, Dr. Watts ! * "I AM ashamed to think how long I have neglected to fulfil my promise of sending you some account of those remarkable particulars, relating to the Moravian Brethren, which I promised you several months ago. I had just then received from my reverend and worthy friend, Mr. Ingham, a clergyman of the Church of England, who having spentalmost twelve months at Savannah, in company with several of them, received the greatest part of his information from them, and espeeially from the Rev. Mr. Spangenburge, pastor, or as they call it, Bishop of the Moravian Church at Philadelphia.-I need not tell you, Sir, how well the names of the Moravians, and Bohemian Brethren were known long before Luther's time, for I doubt not you are much better acquainted than I with those singular footsteps of providence, by which the * Mr. Ingham was of Queen's College, Oxford, where he became acquainted with the Wesleys, and in 1732, joined that devoted band, known in Oxford by the title of the Holy Club, Sacramentarians and Methodists! He sailed with the Wesleys for Georgia, October, 1735. There was a party of Germans, members of the Moravian Church on board, amongst whom was a Moravian Bishop. Mr. J. Wesley these strangers. The former set himself to learn the German language, in order to converse with them; and the Moravian Bishop and two others commenced English with the same view. In one of Mr. beginning of a reformation was raised among them, as it had long before been among the Waldenses, from whom, nevertheless, I cannot find their doctrine or discipline was derived, though there was a great resemblance between them. Those churches have remained, throughout all the succeeding ages, in part at least, a distinct body, neither incorporated with the Lutherans nor Calvinists, nor any other sect in Germany, and in consequence of that, together with the remarkable strictness of their discipline, though in doctrine they have indulged to a great latitude, they have been continually exposed to persecutions, not only from Papists, but from Protestants too. I think it now fifteen years since* five of them, flying from the violence to which they were exposed at home, took refuge in a wood at Hernhutt, which was a part of the celebrated Count Zinzendorff's estate. That pious nobleman, returning from the Court of Dresden, weary of the impieties and immoralities of it, and fearful of hazarding his salvation by a longer continuance there, happened to pass through that wood, and saw a little hut lately raised, and perceiving a smoke in it, had the curiosity to alight and go into it, where he found these five refugees, who in a very respectful manner owned themselves trespassers on his ground, and discovering their religion and circumstances, implored his protection. This he readily granted, and entering into some religious discourse with them, was so much impressed, that he invited and encouraged their frequent visits; and soon set up, first weekly, and then daily preaching, prayer, and exposition in his family, to which every one that pleased to come were admitted. The number of the congregation soon grew considerable, and one of the Moravians was dispatched to carry the agreeable news into his native country; but either in his journey or return, was seized by the Roman Catholics, whipped from town to town like a felon, frequently threatened with immediate death, all the intimations of which he received with the most heroic resolution, and at last died of their repeated ill usage. Nevertheless, wheresoever he was carried, and even while they were lashing him, he preached the Gospel with great success, and in consequence of his witness and sufferings, crowds flocked into the church at Hernhutt, in which there are, if I recollect right, about 600 adult communicants; 400 who, being under religious convictions, they call illuminati; and 200 Catechumens. They sent out missionaries to propagate the Gospel in various parts, particularly in Lapland, where I am told they meet with considerable success. Though the Count (who it seems has taken orders) has devoted his whole estate, which is very considerable, to charitable uses, yet the great number of exiles following in upon them has been greater than his liberality could support, which, joined with their zeal for propagating religion, has induced many of them to go over into Georgia, as others have done to Pennsylvania. My friend, Mr. Ingham, had the pleasure of fifteen of their pious company in the ship, which carried him and and himself were interested W.'s letters, describing the occupation of himself and fellow-voyagers, from day to day, mentions, that in the morning, Mr. Ingham instructed the children; and in the evening, read between the decks to those who desired to hear.-Moore's Life of Wesley, vol. i. p. 256.. * This event occurred in 1722. Mr. Wesley to Georgia; and I cannot forbear mentioning a little circumstance, which I find in the journal, now, by the favour of that fraternity, in my hands, which is this:-A violent storm arising, in which the whole company expected to perish immediately, the English sailors were in the utmost consternation. The Moravians stood upon deck singing Psalms, with all the marks of joy and composure in their countenances, imagining they were come to the period of all their trials, and just entering upon glory. * On which Mr. Ingham observes, that he could not forbear representing to the sailors, in a short discourse, the singular happiness of the servants of God above all others. I may perhaps communicate to you, from those original papers, the substance of the conference which those Englishmen had with Mr. Spangenburge. It will be sufficient to add, that they soon entered into measures for a mission to the Indians of Georgia, and another to the negroes, which case has been attended with some remarkable success; those poor creatures running seven or eight miles, after their day's work, to spend great part of the night in receiving religious instructions, though they are sure, at their return in the morning, to be most severely scourged by their Chris * The Rev. J. Wesley mentions this circumstance in a letter. " In the midst of the Psalm wherewith their service began, the sea broke over, split the main-sail in pieces, covered the ship, and poured in between the decks, as if the great deep bad already swallowed us up. A terrible screaming began amongst the English. The Germans certainly sung on. one of them afterwards, Was you not afraid?" He answered, 'I think, No.' I asked, But were not your women and children afraid?' He replied mildly, No; our women and children are not afraid to die.' "--Whitehead's Life of Wesley, vol. i. p. 10. tian masters, if their journey has been discovered. I will, Sir, in my next, which you may very quickly expect, give you a particular account of some very remarkable providences with respect to these Moravians, which, if they may be believed on the credit of these gentlemen mentioned, are very well worthy of notice. To which I shall add something farther of Mr. Ingham." "I resume the subject of my last, and shall mention two or three remarkable circumstances more, relating to the Moravians, which I had from my good friend, Mr. Ingham. He tells me there is a most remarkable spirit of prayer among them, and especially for the propagation of the Gospel in the world; to which end that prayers may be made continually, there are a certain number of them formed into two little societies, one of men, and one of women, who do, in their turn, keep up prayers throughout all the hours both of night and day. The children of them that are members of the church, are (as they were among the Lacedemonians) looked on rather as the property of the public than of their own parents, from whom they are taken when a year old, and put to a school, where the first lesson taught them, is simple obedience and quietness. They have several elders, whose business it is to give the bishop or pastor (who by the way is a mechanic) the mostexact information they can relating to the religious estate of the whole community. They suspend each other from communion, or withdraw themselves from it, not only for any scandalous offence, [which seldom happens among them,] but on account of any little misdemeanour which seems contrary to the honour of the gospel; and Count Zinzendorff was once suspended for being in a passion with one of his servants, and was obliged to acknowledge his fault, and to ask pardon publicly before he was restored. They tell one remarkable story concerning a person who was a member with them, but something offended at the strictness of their discipline; he did not submit to fraternal correction, as they call it, and therefore they proceeded to admonition, at which he was greatly exasperated, being a person of eminent rank; he then set them at open defiance, and insulted them in a very andacious manner, upon which they excommunicated him very solemnly. He was then seized with the most violent agonies both of body and mind, and when he had for several weeks tried the most noted physicians, and every method of amusement and comfort he could think of, he at last sent for the elders, and desired them to pray for him; but they insisted on his being brought I think on his couch] to the public assembly, where he made an open confession of his sin. It is a very melancholy incident, which they tell of another of their members, who having made a very florid profession, not without some mixture of ostentation, one day receiving the sacrament among them, was taken with convulsive pains, and died in the assembly, crying out with his last breath, and with the greatest horror, spiritual pride! spiritual pride! "These people were so misrepresented to the late king of Poland, that he sent an order against them, which would, probably, have ended in extirpation; but it was very remarkable, that a few days before it was to be executed, he got that accidental hurt in his toe, which ended in a mortification, and proved the occasion of his death. The present king sent a commission to inquire after them, but received a report so much in their favour, that he secretly protected them. Mr. Ingham assures me that he has seen among them such extraordinary answers of prayer, as has thrown him into great amazement. Persons have been recovered from dangerous and desperate illnesses, it seems, by this means, and he added a little story, for the truth of which he undertakes to answer upon his own knowledge. One of the Moravian brethren, who is an elder among them, was bathing in a river a little above Savannah, when an alligator darted directly at him. The Moravian did not attempt to fly, but finding himself inwardly supported, as he afterwards declared, with a full assurance of being delivered, he swam directly towards the alligator, and laid his hand on the head of that voracious creature, without the least degree of fear; upon which the alligator sunk like a stone to the bottom of the river, and made no other attempt on him. nnnnm He said that several of the inhabitants were at that time in sight, and it was a sort of a standing saying among some sort of the English, that the little man had beat the alligator. I might have added that in dubious cases their church has often recourse to the determination of lots, and Mr. Ingham put his last voyage into England upon that issue.t The * " Mr. Telshce, who was an eye witness to the fact, assured several friends in London that it was repeated twice before the Moravian got on shore. Mr. Telshee is a Moravian minister." - This note is Dr. Doddridge's. Moravian church was called together upon that occasion, or, at least, the elders of it; and after several hours spent in prayer, one of them threw a lot which determined his return to England; nevertheless this goodman, in whom, I must say, there is as much of the Christian and apostolical spirit as I ever saw on so little acquaintance in any person living, is fully determined to return as soon as Providence gives him an opportunity. He speaks of the four months that he spent among the Indians, as the most delightful part of his life, though he was but beginning to understand their language, and had no accommodations of life about him but such as they use, his English dress being excepted. He generally lived upon boiled maze, with only the ashes of oak leaves mingled with it, to supply the place of salt and spice, and drank nothing but water. He proposes, upon his return, to clothe himself with skins as they do, thinking there will be something of a persuasive language in that to convince them how earnestly he seeks their salvation. He tells me, that though his condition was but weak, and he was ill most part of his voyage, yet he had his health very well among them; though besides all his other hardships in his manner of living, he frequently lay for weeks together in the open air, without any shelter but a tree. returned to England, and brought letters from the Wesleys to General Oglethorpe, and the trustees of Dr. Bray, on behalf of Savannah. Mr. Whitefield was excited to visit America by the letters he sent from Georgia. We know nothing of his sub + It was in February, 1737, Mr. Ingham, sequent history. Editors. |