The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
History
The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740
Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
Moravians -- Georgia
very humble and quiet.” John Wesley, who was present, wrote “The great
simplicity, as well as solemnity, of the whole, almost made me forget
the seventeen hundred years between, and imagine myself in one of those
assemblies where form and state were not; but Paul the tent-maker, or
Peter the fisherman, presided; yet with the demonstration of the Spirit
and of power.”
Both Wesley and Benjamin Ingham refer to Seifert as a “bishop”, which is
a mistake, though a natural one. Wesley was present at the ordination,
and heard the charge, with example and warning drawn from the actions
of earlier bishops; while Ingham, in the course of several long
conversations with Toeltschig concerning the Moravian Episcopate and
Seifert’s ordination, asked “is Anton a bishop?” and was answered,
“yes, FOR OUR CONGREGATION.” This was in view of the fact that Bishop
Nitschmann, in ordaining Seifert, had empowered him to delegate another
member to hold the Communion, baptize, or perform the marriage ceremony
in case of his sickness or necessary absence. At that time the Moravian
Church was just beginning to form her own ministry, the ranks of Deacon,
Presbyter and Bishop were not fully organized, and the definite system
was only established by the Tenth General Synod of the Church in 1745.
The exigencies of the case required large powers for a man serving in an
isolated field, and they were given him, but strictly speaking, Seifert
was only ordained a Deacon, and never was consecrated Bishop.
The fourth and last service of the day was given up to song, a
discourse, and prayer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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