UNITAS FRATRUM. 



heathen, (o that two Brethren went thither in the year 1732, 

 and the miflion to Greenland commenced in 1733. In 

 1732, the count determined to devote himfelf to the mi- 

 niftry of the gofpel, and accepted the office of warden, 

 which he had held before, in 1733. In 1734, the firft 

 Brethren went to America. The count having been ex- 

 amined and received into the clerical order, by the theo- 

 logical faculty of Tubingen, correfponded with Jablon(l<y, 

 eldeft birtiop of the Brethren's unity, about the renewal of 

 epifcopal ordination ; and he confecratcd a bifhop for the 

 church of the Brethren of Berlin, with the concuiTence of 

 his colleague, the fenior, or bifhop of Liffa, in Poland, in 

 1735. And in 1737, the count himfelf was confecrated a 

 bifliop of the Unitas Fratrum by tliefe three bifliops ; hav- 

 ing previoudy obtained the opinion of Dr. Potter, arch- 

 bilhop of Canterbuiy, that the Moravian Brethren were an 

 apollolical and epifcopal church, not maintaining any doc- 

 trines repugnant to the thirty-nine articles of the church of 

 England : and he afterwards received a congratulatory letter 

 from the archbifhop on his confecration. From this time 

 the count is called the ordinary of the Brethren. The count 

 feems to have been zealous and indefatigable in his la- 

 bours ; and it appears that, in 1739, the Brethren were 

 difperfed in about forty places, moil of which were mif- 

 Honaries among the heathen. New fettlements were made 

 in Europe and America ; inilitutions for the education of 

 children were e.tabhflied in many places ; and many regula- 

 tions were adopted for mutual edification, in conformity to 

 the conftitution of the ancient church of the Brethren. In 

 1748, a formal and very refpedable commiffion, confifting 

 of three counts, two doftors of law, and three divines, was 

 appointed to examine the charges that had been urged 

 againft the principles and praftice of the Brethren, the re- 

 fult of which was very favourable to them. In confequence 

 of the report of the commiffioners, the bailiwick and palace 

 of Barby, where the college and feminary of the Brethren 

 are now eftablifhed, were ceded in leafe to count Henry, 

 twenty-eighth Reufs, and his conforts, and the chapel of 

 the palace given to the Brethren. 



In 1 749, a royal mandate was publiftied, importing, that 

 the congregations of the Protellant Moravian Brethren, 

 avowing the unaltered Auguitan confellion, Hiould be re- 

 ceived in all Saxony, in the fame manner as in Upper Lu- 

 fatia and the county of Barby. 



An eminent divine of Saxony, dean of the king's chapel, 

 became this year, with the approbation of the fovereign, 

 honorary preiident of the Lutheran Tropus in the Unity of 

 the Brethren ; Dr. Cochins, dean of the king of Pruffia's 

 chapel, was, with the approbation of the king, introduced 

 as honorary prcfident of the reformed Tropus in the Unity, 

 to which he had been appointed in 1746, and after his 

 death, in 1 749, was fucceeded in that of£ce by Dr. Thomas 

 Wilfon, bifhop of Sodor and Man. After the Rate of the 

 Brethren's church had been deliberately examined by the 

 Britifh parhament, an aA pafTed on the 6th of Jime, 1749, 

 in behalf of the ancient epifcopal chiurch known by the name 

 of Unitas Fratrum. 



In the mean time, as their number increafed, and their 

 local congregations became more numerous, men of different 

 conneftions and principles were introduced among them ; 

 fome of whom had imbibed extravagant notions, which they 

 zealoufly propagated. This occaiioned what they called a 

 time of lifting in doftrine and in condud. Their phiafeo- 

 k)gy in expounding divine truths often bordered upon error ; 

 and the paffions being warmed, a kind of joy took place, 

 which produced extravagant aftions. Crantz, however, ob- 

 ferves, that this fifting did not arife from irrehgious prin- 

 ciples, nor did it end in immoral praftices. Many among 



the Brethren were offended, and their adverfaries took oc-- 

 cafion to reproach them. The count, it is faid, interpofed 

 with fuch fuccefs, that in the years 1750 and 1751, ^moft 

 all that had been chargeable with thefe excelfes, in doftrine 

 and practice, acknowledged their error with fhame ; thofe 

 who did not retraft deferted them ; and thofe, whofe re- 

 lapfe was dreaded, were difmiffed from their offices. The 

 confequence of thefe exceffes was, indeed, in another re- 

 fpecf , more ferious and alarming ; for the count of Bue- 

 dingen was fo prejudiced againft them, that an edicl was 

 publifhed, requiring the inhabitants of Herrnhaag, who 

 would not renounce the count and the minifters of the 

 Brethren's church, to leave the country ; v/hereas thofe 

 who complied were allowed to remain in their habitations, 

 under the proteftion of the reigning count. On this occa- 

 fion, more than a thoufand perfons, from 1750 to i753» 

 left a beautiful village, which they had erefted at a great ex- 

 pence, and were difperfed in other congregations in Germany, 

 Holland, England, and America ; and the French reformed 

 Brethren and Sifters, who hved at Herrnhaag, formed a fettle- 

 ment at Neuwied, which is now in a flourifhing condition. 



The increafe of the Brethren, their new fettlements, and 

 numerous journies and miffions, involved the fociety in a 

 great expence, and threatened ruin. Their debts were 

 many and great, difcouraged their friends, and gave their- 

 enemies occaiion for cenfure. The count, however, be- 

 came fecurity for their whole debt, which, at a ftipulated 

 time, was difcharged. As foon as they were extricated 

 from thefe difficulties, new regulations were adopted to 

 prevent future diftrefs of a fimilar kind. We can only add, 

 that the count lived to fee congregations and miffions fettled 

 in tlie four quarters of the globe ; and thefe, it has been 

 urged, were the moft effeftual apologies and defences of the 

 principles and pradice of the Brethren. 



In 1 760 the count died, with a memorial among the Bre- 

 thren of having been their patron, and theinftrument by whom 

 God reftored and built up the church of the Brethren. 



But though they counted him a diftinguifhed fervant of 

 God, yet they did not regard him as their head ; for they 

 acknowledged, from the beginning, no other head and elder 

 but the Lord Jefus Chrift, and no other father but the 

 Father in heaven. 



At the firft fynod of the Unity, after his deccafe, in 

 1764, a number of Brethren were chofen to have coUeftively 

 the fuperintendency of the whole Unity ; and, in the fol- 

 lowing fynods, the arrangement then made was continued 

 with fome amendments. This company is called the Elders 

 Conference of the Unity, and confifts of thirteen Brethren, 

 who are chofen at every fynod of the whole Unity. 



The Brethren appeal to their lives for a refutation of the 

 calumnies that have been circulated againft them, profeffmg 

 themfelves to be a people who walk in honefty and godlinefs 

 as followers of the Lord Jefus Chrift : and, as to doftrine, 

 they avowedly adhere to the Auglburg, or Auguftan confef- 

 fion ; and, with refpeft to this, the public, we are informed, 

 may read an expofition of Chriitian do&rine as taught 

 in the church known by the name of Unitas Fratrum. 



In England, the congregations belonging to the Unitas 

 Fratrum are the following : -viz. two in London ; one at 

 Bedford, where are houfes belonging to the fingle Brethren 

 and fingle Sifters, to which belong their chapels and focieties 

 at Northampton, Rifely, &c.; one at Ockbrook, near 

 Derby ; one at Fuhieck, near Pudfey, in Yorkftiire, where 

 are houfes for the fingle Brethren, and Sifters, and widows, 

 and fchools for children ; to this the members of the fo- 

 cieties near Leeds and Bradford belong ; one at Wyke, near 

 Halifax, another at Merfield, and another at Little Gum- 

 jnerfal.j one' at Duckenfield, in Cheftiire, where they have 



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