The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
History
The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740
Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
Moravians -- Georgia
On March 12th, Toeltschig went aboard a ship, bound for Charlestown,
sailing from Tybee two days later. On the 18th, he reached Charlestown,
whence he sailed April 1st, bearing with him the record of their account
with the Trustees, and commissioned to tell the authorities at Herrnhut
all about the Georgia colony. On the 30th of May, the vessel touched at
Cowes, where Toeltschig landed, making his way overland to London which
he reached on the 2nd of June.
On the 11th of June, Toeltschig, accompanied by Richter, went to present
the account to the Trustees. They asked him many questions concerning
Georgia, all of which he answered frankly, receiving most courteous
attention. Three days later a settlement was reached. The written
accounts showed that the Moravians were short 3 Pounds 5 Shillings 5
Pence, which Toeltschig offered to pay in cash, but the Trustees said
they realized that the supplies provided for in the second bond had
been rated at a higher price in Georgia than in England, and they
were content to consider the obligations as fully discharged, interest
included. Toeltschig answered “I am VERY glad,” a short sentence which
spoke volumes!
Wesley, Ingham and Toeltschig.
During the days which elapsed between his arrival in London and the
meeting of the Trustees, Toeltschig had many interviews with those who
had been “awakened” by the two companies of Moravian colonists, by Count
Zinzendorf, and by Peter Boehler and George Schulius. The last two
were even then at Portsmouth, on their way to America, and the interest
caused by their visit was very manifest.
John and Charles Wesley had been particularly attracted to Boehler,
the former especially finding great relief in laying his many spiritual
perplexities before him. Wesley complained that when he conversed
with Spangenberg in Georgia, and they could not agree on any point,
Spangenberg would drop the subject and refuse to discuss it further,
but in Boehler he found a clearness of argument, and power of persuasion
which convinced without irritating him.
Having passed through many stages with the guidance, sympathy, and
encouragement of Boehler, Wesley at last found the assurance of
salvation he had sought for so many years, and three weeks after Boehler
left London, he records that at a meeting of their society “I felt I did
trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given
me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law
of sin and death.” A few days previously his brother Charles had made
the same happy experience, and this gave to their religious life the
warmth and fervor which, added to the zeal, industry and enthusiasm that
had always characterized them, made their labors of so much value to
England, and founded the denomination which has grown so rapidly in
America, still bearing the name once given in derision to the little
group of Oxford “Methodists”.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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