The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
History
The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740
Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
Moravians -- Georgia
During the two days which elapsed before the transport came to take
the Moravians from the ship, Wesley and Spangenberg had several long
conversations, each recording the points that struck him most, but
without comment. These discussions regarding doctrine and practice
were renewed at intervals during the remainder of Spangenberg’s stay
in Savannah, and the young Englishman showed himself eager to learn the
Indian language so that he might preach to the natives, generous in his
offers to share his advantages of study with the Moravians, and above
all determined to enforce the letter of the ecclesiastical law, as he
understood it, in his new parish. He thought “it would be well if two of
the Moravian women would dedicate themselves to the Indian service, and
at once begin to study the language,” and “as the early Church employed
deaconesses, it would be profitable if these women were ordained to
their office.” He was also convinced “that the apostolic custom of
baptism by immersion ought to be observed in Georgia.” “He bound himself
to no sect, but took the ground that a man ought to study the Bible
and the writings of the Church Fathers of the first three centuries,
accepting what agreed with these two sources, and rejecting all else.”
He requested the Moravians to use the Lord’s Prayer at all their public
services, “since this is acknowledged to have been the custom of the
early Church,” and since that early Church celebrated the Holy Communion
every day, he thought it necessary that all members should partake at
least on every Sunday. “He also had his thoughts concerning Fast days.”
Spangenberg promised to lay these matters before the congregation, but
so far as Fast days were concerned, he said that while he would observe
them as a matter of conscience if he belonged to a Church which required
them, he doubted the wisdom of forcing them upon a Church in which they
were not obligatory.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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