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UNITED BRETHREN. 



Bohemia and Moravia were checked by the Saxon 

 government at an early period, that the descendants 

 of the first emigrants, at this day, constitute but 

 a small proportion of the present society. In- 

 dividuals from all Protestant denominations, co- 

 inciding, in the fundamental doctrines of Chris- 

 tianity common to all, and professing a desire to 

 lead a truly Christian life, as members of such a 

 community, under its peculiar regulations, were, 

 from the beginning, admitted among them without 

 renouncing their original church and creed. On 

 the contrary, to facilitate the maintenance of their 

 connexion with their original churches, the society 

 expressly includes three different tropes or modifi- 

 cations within its pale, the Lutheran, the Reformed 

 and the Moravian, which latter comprises all other 

 Protestant denominations. Experience has taught, 

 that these differences, among persons so intimately 

 associated, vanish of themselves to such a degree, 

 that the original idea of these tropes is now 

 maintained only as an evidence of the principle of 

 their union, while its practical consequences have 

 become altogether imperceptible. The United 

 Brethren, however, continue strenuously to object 

 to being considered a separate sect or denomination, 

 because their union is exclusively founded on general 

 Christian doctrines, and their peculiarities relate 

 solely to their social organization, which is intend- 

 ed only to facilitate their joint purpose of putting 

 truly Christian principles of life and conduct into 

 actual practice. They consequently admit of no 

 peculiar articles of faith, confining themselves alto- 

 gether to regulations of conduct and discipline. As 

 a body, they have at all times, when required by 

 governments to point out their creed, professed 

 general adherence to the Confession of Augsburg, 

 as most congenial to the views of a majority; and, 

 although they do not pledge their ministers to an 

 express adoption of its articles, it is agreed among 

 them not to insist upon any doctrines utterly re- 

 pugnant thereto. They avoid discussions respect- 

 ing the speculative truths of religion, and insist 

 upon individual experience of the practical efficacy 

 of the gospel, producing a real change of sentiment 

 and conduct, as the only essentials in religion. 

 They consider the manifestation of God in Christ 

 as intended to be the most beneficial revelation 

 of the Deity to the human race ; and, in conse- 

 quence, they make the life, merits, acts, words, 

 sufferings and death of the Saviour, the principal 

 theme of their doctrine, while they carefully avoid 

 entering into any theoretical disquisitions on the 

 mysterious essence of the Godhead, simply adher- 

 ing to the words of Scripture. Admitting the 

 sacred Scriptures as the only source of divine re- 

 velation, they nevertheless believe, that the Spirit 

 of God continues to lead those who believe in Christ 

 into all further truth, not by revealing new doc- 

 trines, but by teaching those who sincerely desire 

 to learn, daily better to understand and apply the 

 truths which the Scriptures contain. They believe, 

 that, to live agreeably to the gospel, it is essential 

 to aim, in all things, to fulfil the will of God. 

 Even in their temporal concerns, they endeavour 

 to ascertain the will of God : they do not, indeed, 

 expect spme miraculous manifestation of his will, 

 but only endeavour to test the purity of their pur- 

 poses by the light of the divine word. Nothing of 

 consequence is done by them, as a society, until 

 such an examination has taken place ; -and, in cases 

 of difficulty, the question is decided by lot, to avoid 

 the undue preponderance of influential men, and in 



the humble hope that God will guide them right 

 by its decision, where their unlimited understand- 

 ing fails them. In former times, the marriages of 

 the members of the society were, in some respects, 

 regarded as a concern of the society, as it was part 

 of their social agreement, that none should take 

 place without the approval of the elders ; and the 

 elders' consent or refusal was usually determined 

 by lot. But this custom was at length abandoned ; 

 and nothing is now requisite to obtain the consent 

 of the elders, but propriety of conduct in the par- 

 ties. They consider none of their peculiar regula- 

 tions essential, but all liable to be altered or 

 abandoned, whenever it is found necessary, in order 

 better to attain their great object the promotion 

 of piety. Such alterations are effected through the 

 medium of their synods. The society early un- 

 dertook to propagate the gospel among heathen na- 

 tions. The success of their attempts in this respect 

 is generally known, and a great proportion of their 

 energy is at this day devoted to this object. In the 

 prosecution thereof, circumstances occurred, which, 

 combined with the increase of its numbers, and 

 certain difficulties in their way at Herrnhut, induced 

 the society to plant colonies, on the plan of the 

 mother society there, in different parts of Germany, 

 England, Holland, America, &c., all of which, to- 

 gether, now constitute the Unity of the Brethren. 

 Each individual colony, called a place congregation, 

 is independent in its individual concerns, under the 

 superintendence, however, of the board of general 

 directors of the Unity ; which superintendence, in 

 England and America, is administered by subordi- 

 nate local boards, in respect to all things not of a 

 general nature ; but they are responsible to the 

 general board of the directors, at present situated 

 at Berthelsdorf, near Herrnhut, and denominated 

 the board of elders of the Unity. The appoint 

 ments of all the ministers and officers of each com- 

 munity rest exclusively with this board. In Eng- 

 land and America, however, these are committed 

 to the local boards. To them is further committed 

 the direction of all general objects of the whole 

 society, such as their heathen missions, the support 

 of superannuated ministers and their widows, and 

 the education of the children of such of these as 

 are without means of their own. For, as the 

 principles and circumstances of the society prevent 

 them from allotting a greater salary to any officers 

 than their decent maintenance requires, those 

 among them who are not possessed of fortunes, 

 cannot lay by any thing for their old age, or for 

 the education of their children : the charge of these, 

 therefore, devolves upon the whole society. 



The economical affairs of each individual com- 

 munity are administered by one of the elders of 

 that particular community, with the concurrence of 

 a committee elected biennially from among the in- 

 habitants, generally by the votes of all male mem- 

 bers, or by an intermediate body thus elected. The 

 objects for which each community has thus to pro- 

 vide, are, the erection and maintenance of a church, 

 the support of the active ministers and other officers, 

 of proper schools, and all other things necessary for 

 the well-being of the community and the preserva- 

 tion of good order, while the individuals composing 

 it are as entirely independent in their private pro- 

 perty as any other persons whatever ; each carrying 

 on his particular business, for his own profit, and 

 upon his own responsibility. A contrary impres- 

 sion, viz. that there exists a community of goods 

 among them, is still very prevalent, especially in 



