ZINZENDORF. 



women, and five children, came hither from Moravia, in 

 Whitfuntide, 1722, and erefted on a hill, in a wild marfhy 

 diftrift, a wooden habitation, expofing themfelves to the 

 derifion of the adjacent inhabitants. They were fo poor 

 that the countefs fent them a cow to fupply milk for their 

 children. However, they gradually gained new converts ; 

 and when the count and his confort vilited this new fettle- 

 ment of the Moravian brethren in the month of December, 

 he gave them a cordial welcome, and falling upon his knees, 

 pronounced a benediftion on the infant colony. Such was the 

 origin of the village of Hernhut. (SeeHERNHUTERS and 

 Moravians. ) The count, whilft; he afforded them pro- 

 teftion, left them at full liberty to think for themfelves ; 

 more efpecially as he found, upon examination, nothing im- 

 proper in their doftrine. From this time, count Zinzendorf, 

 in conneftion with fome other perfons fimilarly difpofed, 

 took pains in giving inftruftion to his fubjefts, and edu- 

 cating their children ; avowing himfelf a true Lutheran, 

 but wifhing that his people might remain totally ignorant of 

 the difputes that fubfifted among Proteftant divines. In 

 1723 he publilhed a fmall catechifm, entitled " The pure 

 Milk of the Doftrine of Jefus," which, he fays, coft him 

 more labour than all his other works. The count, devoted 

 to the profecution of the work he had undertaken, refided 

 fometimes on his eftate in Lufatia, and fometimes at Dref- 

 den, but declined every offer of a place at court. He em- 

 ployed himfelf in the compofition and occafional publication 

 of books adapted to his defign ; one of which, being a pe- 

 riodical work, and entitled " The German Socrates," was 

 fuppreffed by order of the council, probably becaufe it cen- 

 fured the prevaihng indifference about religion, and called 

 upon his fellow-citizens to live in a manner more agreeable 

 to what their religion required, or entirely to renounce it. 

 In 1727 he quitted Drefden, that he might be nearer his 

 favourite objeft Hernhut, and that he might be at leifure to 

 devote his whole time and attention to the improvement and 

 increafe of his congregation. With this view he made a 

 tour through the greater part of Germany, occafionally 

 preaching, and endeavouring to gain converts. In 1 731 he 

 extended his tour to Denmark, and being prefent at the 

 coronation of Chriflian VI., who conferred upon him the 

 order of Dannebrog, which five years afterwards he refigned, 

 becaufe he thought it improper to appear as the inftruftor 

 of his flock with the infignia of his order. In this tour he 

 acquainted himfelf with the ftate of the Danifh miffionsin the 

 Eaft Indies and Greenland ; and on his return he took mea- 

 fures for carrying into execution the defign he had formed 

 at Halle with his friend Watteville. From this commence- 

 ment, in the year 1732, arofe that mifTionary fyflem of the 

 Moravians which has iince been fo widely and fo wonderfully 

 extended. Between 1732 and 1766 nearly 4000 negroes in 

 the Danifli iflands were baptized ; and in 1768 the congre- 

 gation of New Hernhut and Lichtenfels, in Greenland, 

 amounted to 784 perfons. When the congregation at Hern- 

 hut had increafed in 1732 to 500 perfons, the Saxon court 

 became alarmed, and appointed a commiffion for the pur- 

 pofe of examining their doftrine and principles. Although 

 they were found to be inoffenfive, the count was forbidden 

 to bring any more new emigrants from Moravia ; and foon 

 after he received an order to fell his eftate and property, 

 which was a kind of fentence of banifhment from his coun- 

 try. He alfo perceived a coldnefs and referve in the difpo- 

 iitionof his friends. Accordingly he quitted Hernhut, and 

 repaired to his friend count Reufs at Eberfdorf. He now 

 thought ferioufly, as he had done twenty years before, of 

 entering regularly into the church ; but the countefs and his 



12 



friends diffuaded him from adopting this meafure. With a 

 view of becoming tutor to the children of Richter, a mer- 

 chant at Stralfund, to which he was urged by his pecuniary 

 circumftances, he was examined for orders, and having ob- 

 tained a flattering teftimonial, was formally ordained at Tu- 

 bingen. But a change taking place in the circumftances of 

 Richter, this plan did not fucceed. In 1735 he made an 

 attempt to vifit Sweden, but was forbidden to enter the 

 kingdom by an order of government ; and this occafioned 

 the compofition of one of his moft important works, entitled 

 ''A Letterto the King of Sweden in regard to the general Be- 

 lief of himfelf and Congregation,' ' which he widely circulated, 

 and which produced various plans for extirpating the Mora- 

 vian brethren from the empire. In the fame year he vifited 

 Switzerland, and in 1 736 he and the countefs made a tour to 

 Holland, where, at the defire of the princefs dowager of 

 Orange, he founded a new colony at Yffelftein, called Hee- 

 rendyk, which was afterwards removed to Zuyft. On hie 

 return he found at CalTel a copy of a Saxon refcript, by 

 which he was forbidden the territories of that eledlorate, and 

 banifhed from his native country. He was thus reduced to 

 the neceility of making various excurfions ; and on his re- 

 turn he was invited to a conference with the king of Pruffia, 

 who was fo well fatisfied with his doftrineand charafter, that 

 he advifed him to be regularly ordained. For this purpofe 

 he recommended him to the chief court preacher Jablonfky, 

 by whom he was confecrated bifhop of the Moravian con- 

 gregation in May 1737. In this year he vifited London, 

 and eftablifhed the brotherhood in England. Here he 

 became acquainted with John Wefley, and maintained a 

 difpute with him on the impoffibility of men's attaining 

 moral perfeftion, for which the Enghfh preacher contended. 

 Although he obtained permiffion to return to Hernhut, it 

 was on condition of his making certain declarations with 

 which he could not comply, and therefore he became a vo- 

 luntary exile ; and was forbidden ever to enter Saxony. In 

 the year 1738 he undertook his firft voyage to America, in 

 the courfe of which he compofed a work entitled " Jeremiah 

 a Preacher of Righteoufnefs." Upon his arrival at the ifland 

 of St. Thomas, he found that all the mifTionaries had been 

 thrown into prifon, but he immediately procured their releafe, 

 and liberty for his congregation to aflemble. After his re- 

 turn he vilited Holland and Switzerland, wrote in his own 

 defence againft the accufations of his German enemies, 

 and held public affemblies at Geneva. In 1742 he made a 

 fecond voyage to America, and preached alternately with 

 their own minifter to the Lutheran congregation at German- 

 town, in Pcnnfylvania, and built for them a place of worftiip. 

 In a Latin fpeech at Philadelphia he laid afide the title of 

 count, and afTumed the name of Von Thumfteen, which 

 belonged to his family. The Quakers generally ftyled him 

 friend Lewis. He alfo eftablifhed the celebrated colony at 

 Bethlehem, and made a tour among the Indians, who re- 

 ceived him favourably, and, as a token of their friend/hip, 

 gave him the wampum belt. In America, however, he fuf- 

 fered much abufe and calumny. In 1743 he returned to 

 Europe ; and having proceeded to Riga with a view of 

 fetthng fome differences among his followers at Livonia, 

 he was arrefted, conveyed to the frontiers, and ordered 

 never to enter the imperial territories any more. In 1 747 he 

 obtained permifGon to return to Saxony, after an exile of 

 ten years ; and the king, having received from one of the 

 Moravians a confiderable fum of money for the caftle of 

 Barby and diftrift of Doben, iITucd a declaration that the 

 fociety fhould be allowed, in every part of his territories, the 

 fame privileges which they liaJ enjoyed .it Hernhut. In i 748 



