The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
History
The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740
Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
Moravians -- Georgia
And yet the spell of adventure or philanthropy, gain or religion, was
strong upon the souls of men, and thousands sought the New World, where
their imagination saw the realization of all their dreams. Bravely they
crossed the fathomless deep which heaved beneath them, cutting them off
so absolutely from the loved ones left at home, from the wise counsels
of those on whom they were accustomed to depend, and from the strong arm
of the Government under whose promised protection they sailed, to work
out their own salvation in a country where each man claimed to be a law
unto himself, and where years were to pass before Experience had once
more taught the lesson that real freedom was to be gained only through a
general recognition of the rights of others.
On the 3rd of February, 1735, the Moravians arose early in their London
lodging house, prayed heartily together, and then prepared to go aboard
their vessel, “The Two Brothers”, Capt. Thomson, where the Trustees
wished to see all who intended to sail on her. A parting visit was paid
to Gen. Oglethorpe, who presented them with a hamper of wine, and gave
them his best wishes. After the review on the boat Spangenberg and
Nitschmann returned with Mr. Vernon to London to attend to some last
matters, while the ship proceeded to Gravesend for her supply of water,
where Spangenberg rejoined her a few days later. On the 25th of February
they passed the Azores, and disembarked at Savannah, April 8th, having
been nine and a half weeks on shipboard.
The story of those nine weeks is simply, but graphically, told in the
diary sent back to Herrnhut. Scarcely had they lifted anchor when the
Moravians began to arrange their days, that they might not be idly
wasted. In Herrnhut it was customary to divide the twenty-four hours
among several members of the Church, so that night and day a continuous
stream of prayer and praise arose to the throne of God, and the same
plan was now adopted, with the understanding that when sea-sickness
overtook the company, and they were weak and ill, no time limit should
be fixed for the devotions of any, but one man should pass the duty to
another as circumstances required!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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