The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
History
The Moravians in Georgia, 1735-1740
Fries, Adelaide L. (Adelaide Lisetta)
Moravians -- Georgia
Hearing that they had reached a place of safety, other Moravians took
their lives in their hands and followed, risking the imprisonment and
torture which were sure to follow an unsuccessful attempt to leave a
province, the Government of which would neither allow them to be happy
at home nor to sacrifice everything and go away. Among these emigrants
were five young men, who went in May, 1724, with the avowed intention
of trying to resuscitate the Unitas Fratrum. They intended to go into
Poland, where the organization of the Unitas Fratrum had lasted for a
considerable time after its ruin in Bohemia, but, almost by accident,
they decided to first visit Christian David, who had led the first
company to Herrnhut, Saxony, and while there they became convinced
that God meant them to throw in their lot with these refugees, and so
remained, coming to be strong leaders in the renewed Unity.
Several years, however, elapsed before the church was re-established.
One hundred years of persecution had left the Moravians only traditions
of the usages of the fathers, members of other sects who were in trouble
came and settled among them, bringing diverse views, and things were
threatening to become very much involved, when Count Zinzendorf, who
had hitherto paid little attention to them, awoke to the realization of
their danger, and at once set to work to help them.
It was no easy task which he undertook, for the Moravians insisted on
retaining their ancient discipline, and he must needs try to please
them and at the same time preserve the bond of union with the State
Church,--the Lutheran,--of which, as his tenants, they were officially
considered members. His tact and great personal magnetism at last healed
the differences which had sprung up between the settlers, the opportune
finding of Comenius’ ‘Ratio Disciplinae’ enabled them with certainty to
formulate rules that agreed with those of the ancient Unitas Fratrum,
and a marked outpouring of the Holy Spirit at a Communion, August 13th,
1727, sealed the renewal of the Church.
“They walked with God in peace and love,
But failed with one another;
While sternly for the faith they strove,
Brother fell out with brother;
But He in Whom they put their trust,
Who knew their frames, that they were dust,
Pitied and healed their weakness.
“He found them in His House of prayer,
With one accord assembled,
And so revealed His presence there,
They wept for joy and trembled;
One cup they drank, one bread they brake,
One baptism shared, one language spake,
Forgiving and forgiven.
“Then forth they went with tongues of flame
In one blest theme delighting,
The love of Jesus and His Name
God’s children all uniting!
That love our theme and watchword still;
That law of love may we fulfill,
And love as we are loved.”
(Montgomery.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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