UNITAS FRATRUM. 



committed to the prefent Unity of the Brethren, adhering 

 to the Augfburg confeflion, renewed by the emigration of 

 many out oF Bohemia and Moravia. This emigration was 

 fo confiderable, and fuch numbers of others conformed to 

 the rites of the church of Rome, that, at the clofe of the 

 feventeenth century, it was apprehended that this ancient 

 church was become utterly extindl. 



Several, however, it is faid, continued in Bohemia and 

 Moravia, and retauicd their principles in fecret ; and from 

 thefe the Moravian writers derive the prefent church, known 

 by the name of Unitas Fratrum, or United Brethren, 

 which, they fay, is a renewal and continuation of the an- 

 cient church. About the year 1720, the revival com- 

 menced among the pofterity of the Brethren about Fulneck 

 in Moravia, and Leutom.ifchel in Bohemia. In Moravia, 

 one Chriftian David had been the chief inftrument of the 

 edification of his brethren, and the inflruftions which he 

 received from minilters, whofe names were Schoefcr and 

 Schwedler, he communicated, in 1717, to the defcendants 

 of the ancient Brethren. But being perfecuted in their na- 

 tive country, fome of them migrated under the conduft of 

 Chriftian David, and, in 1722, put themfelves under the 

 proteftion of Nicholas Lewis, count of Zinzendorff, in 

 Upper Lufatia ; where they built houfes upon the hill 

 called the Huthberg, Huth des Herrn, i. e. the Watch Hill, 

 and hence the new fettlement was called Herrnhul, 1. e. the 

 Watch of the Lord, and the Brethren were denominated 

 Herrnhuters. The count foon after removed to Bertholf- 

 dorft, and fuperintended their rifing fettlement. Count 

 Zinzendorff fays of himfelf, that he had formed a defign, 

 when only ten years old, of coUefting a fmall fociety of be- 

 lievers, who (hould altogether employ themfelves in exercifes 

 of devotion under his direftion. Accordingly, when he 

 became of age, in the year 1721, he fettled at Bertholfdorff, 

 and was foon after joined by a number of profelytes. In 

 1724, more emigrants arrived at Herrnhut from Moravia, 

 juft as the Brethren were beginning to lay the foundation of 

 an edifice intended for the education of the children of the 

 noblelfe, for printing cheap bibles, and preparing medicines 

 for their neighbours, in which building was alfo to be a chapel. 



It would far exceed our limits to recount the fucceffive 

 emigrations to Herrnhut, and the additions that were made 

 by the means of the preachmg of the Rev. Mr. Rothe, 

 minifter at Bertholfdorff, and the zeal of Chriftian David. 

 Among thefe fettlers there were perfons of different opinions, 

 which engaged the attention of count Zinzendorff, who en- 

 deavoured to eftablifti an union among them in the funda- 

 mental truths of the Proteftant religion, and, in 1727, formed 

 ftatutes for their government in conformity to thefe truths. 



From this period in particular, when elders and wardens 

 were chofen, and an union eftablifhed between the Brethren 

 from Moravia, both among themfelves, and with their 

 Lutheran and reformed Brethren, the Moravian writers 

 date the renewal of the Unity of the Brethren. I'^e whole 

 congregation was divided into claffcs of married men, 

 married women, widowers, widows, maids, bachelors, and 

 children, called choirs ; and one of tiieir own fex and ftation 

 in life appointed to have the fpecial care of each choir, under 

 the infpeftion of the elders. The officers were appointed by 

 lot, which has continued to be the cafe to the prefent day. 



Particular attcntiwi was paid by thefe fevcral claffes to 

 the inftruftion of youth ; and as a great part of their wor- 

 ship confifted in fmging', they propofed to inftruft their 

 children in their religion by hymns. There are fome per- 

 fons of both fexes appointed by rotation to pray for the 

 fociety, who are faid to be admoniftied of their duty by an 

 inward feeling ; and to determine the divine will in particular 

 cafes by caftmg lots. AU matrimonial contraAs are fubjeft 



to the direftion and approbation of the elders. Such was 

 the origin of the new fed, denominated Herrnhuters ; or, 

 as others fay, the revival of that of the Moravian Brethren. 

 In procefs of time, however, it became very confiderable 

 and extenfive ; and it adopted tenets and pradtices of a very 

 fingular kind. Some have charged it with adopting very 

 pernicious notions, and with recommending very unwar- 

 rantable praftices ; fuch as disfigure the truths of the gofpel, 

 and fap the foundations of morality. The count is accufed 

 of fpeaking in very derogatory terms of the fcripture, and 

 with exprefsly afferting that the reading of the fcripture 

 appears to him to be more dangerous than ufeful to the 

 fociety. To avoid idolatry, he fays, people ought to be 

 taken from the Father and Holy Ghoft, and conduced to 

 Chrift, witli whom alone we have to do. The Holy Ghoft 

 is called by the Herrnhuters the eternal wife of God, the 

 mother of Chriil, the mother of the faithful, and of the 

 church. The language of their devotion has been charged 

 with obfcenity, and with exciting ideas not very chafte and 

 decorous. Count Zinzendorff has incurred juft cenfure by 

 declaring, that the law is not a rule of li'fe to a believer ; 

 that the word now belongs only to the Jews ; and that a 

 converted perfon cannot fin againft light. It has been faid, 

 that no example can be found of a fanaticifm more extrava- 

 gant, and a myfticifm more grofs and fcandalous, than thofe 

 of the Herrnhuters. Thefe charges principally depend 

 upon the authority of Rimius, in his Candid Narrative of 

 the Rife and Progrefs of the Herrnhuters, commonly called 

 Moravians, or Unitas Fratrum, &c. 1753, and Supplement, 

 &c. publiftied in 1755, fanftioned by the recitai of Mo- 

 fheim (Eccl. Hift. vol. v.), and biftiop Warburton, in his 

 " Dodtrine of Grace," vol. ii. We are perfuaded, how- 

 ever, by unqueftionable teftimonies communicated to us by 

 the Rev. B. Latrobe, a very refpeAable minifter among 

 the Moravians in London, that the irregularities in prin- 

 ciple and praftice that have been charged upon them are 

 much exaggerated ; and that the accufation has been shiefly 

 owing to fome unguarded expreffions introduced into their 

 difcourfes and forms of devotion, which, as Mr. Crantz, 

 their hiftorian, candidly acknowledges, " being not clear and 

 determinate enough, and in part unreftrained, proved offen- 

 five to many divines both in and out of their congregations." 



From the year 1727 to 1731, deputations were fent from 

 Herrnhut to Denmark, Sweden, England, Livonia, Swit- 

 zerland, and other places in Germany ; and thus the re- 

 newed unity of the Brethren became more known. 



In 1729, a deed was figned by feveral, and ratified by 

 the count and Mr. Rothe, in which they declare that they 

 are neither Separatifts, nor a new feft, but defcendants of 

 the Moravian Brethren, S:c. 



We acknowledge, fay they, no vilible congregation of 

 Chrift, but where the word of God is taught in iimplicity 

 and purity, and the members lead a holy life ; yet we will 

 not leparate from any one of any other Chriftian denomina- 

 tion who truly believes in Chrift, though he gives a dif- 

 ferent expofition to this or the other text of Scripture, &c. 



They guard againft latitudinarianifm in religion ; they 

 determine to maintain their ancient church difcipline, with- 

 out forfaking divine fervice in the Proteftant parifh church 

 at Bertholfdorff ; they agree to the confeflion of Augftiurg : 

 they will not be called Huffitcs or Lutliorans, but retain 

 their ancient name. The Brethren ; thus lioping for the pro- 

 tcAion of their fovereign, and that llicir whole cafe might 

 be examined by government. 



The count's journey to Copenhagen to tlie coronation of 

 Chriftian VI. in 1731, whore he heard of the mifcrable con- 

 dition of the negroes in tiic ifland of St. Tliomas, was the 

 occafion of the firft miftion of the Bretlircn amotig the 

 3 £ 2 heathen. 



