the moravians in georgia-第20部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


aised。　Moreover　the　brethren　were　told　that　if　one　should　fall　so　low　that　he　not　only　withdrew　himself　from　the　brethren；　but　was　guilty　of　gross　sin；　he　would　be　forced　to　work　for　another　master　until　he　had　earned　enough　to　pay　his　transportation　here　and　back　again；　for　we　would　not　willingly　permit　such　a　man　to　remain　in　the　land　as　an　offence　to　the　Indians。〃

It　is　interesting　to　observe　that　care　for　the　poor　Indians　is　the　argument　given　for　the　course　to　be　pursued　in　dealing　with　a　recreant　member！　They　had　come　to　preach　the　Gospel　to　the　Indians；　and　did　not　propose　that　evil　should　be　learned　through　fault　of　theirs。

At　his　earnest　request；　John　Regnier　was　now　admitted　to　the　〃Society〃；　his　presence　among　them　so　far　having　been　without　distinct　agreement　as　to　his　standing。　　This　did　not　make　him　a　communicant　member　of　the　Church；　simply　put　him　on　a　par　with　the　other　non…communicants；　of　whom　there　were　quite　a　number　in　the　Congregation。

In　the　evening　Anton　Seifert；　so　recently　ordained　Chief　Elder；　or　pastor；　of　the　Congregation；　officiated　for　the　first　time　at　a　Confirmation　service；　the　candidate　being　Jacob　Frank。　　He　had　been　in　poor　health　when　the　second　company　left　Germany；　and　Count　Zinzendorf　had　advised　him　not　to　go；　but　his　heart　was　set　on　it；　and　he　would　not　be　persuaded。　He　grew　worse　during　the　voyage　and　was　now　very　ill　with　dropsy；　but　in　such　a　beautiful　Christian　spirit　that　no　one　could　deny　his　wish　for　full　membership　in　the　Church。　　Having　given　satisfactory　answers　to　the　searching　questions　put　to　him；　the　blessing　was　laid　upon　his　head；　and　he　expressed　so　great　a　desire　to　partake　of　the　Lord's　Supper　that　his　request　was　immediately　granted；　the　Elders　and　Helpers　（Helfer）　communing　with　him。　　Two　or　three　days　later　he　asked　Spangenberg　to　write　his　will；　and　then　his　strength　gradually　failed；　until　on　March　19th；　he　〃passed　to　the　Lord〃；　leaving　to　his　associates　the　remembrance　of　his　willing　and　happy　departure。

The　term　〃Helpers〃　was　used　to　express　in　a　general　way　all　those；　both　men　and　women；　who　were　charged　with　the　spiritual　and　temporal　affairs　of　the　Congregation。　　Many　of　the　words　employed　as　official　titles　by　the　Moravians　were　given　a　specialized　significance　which　makes　it　difficult　to　find　an　exact　English　equivalent　for　them；　though　they　are　always　apt　when　the　meaning　is　understood。　Perhaps　the　best　example　of　this　is　〃Diener〃；　which　means　〃servant〃；　according　to　the　dictionary；　and　was　used　to　designate　those　who　〃served〃　the　Congregation　in　various　ways。　　Until　quite　recently　a　Lovefeast；　held　annually　in　Salem；　N。　C。；　for　members　of　Church　Boards；　Sunday…School　Teachers；　Church　Choir；　Ushers；　etc。　was　familiarly　known　as　〃the　Servants'　Lovefeast〃；　a　direct　inheritance　from　the　earlier　days。　It　is　now　more　commonly　called　〃the　Workers'　Lovefeast〃；　an　attempt　to　unite　〃Helper〃　and　〃Diener〃　in　a　term　understood　by　all。

At　a　〃Helpers'　Conference〃　held　on　March　13th；　it　was　decided　to　have　nothing　more　to　do　with　Vollmar；　the　Wittenberg　carpenter；　who　had　crossed　with　the　second　company；　had　proved　false　and　malicious；　and　had　now　joined　Herr　von　Reck's　party　without　the　consent　of　the　Moravians。　More　important；　however；　than　the　Vollmar　affair；　was　the　proposed　departure　of　Spangenberg　for　Pennsylvania。　　Most　faithfully　had　he　fulfilled　his　commission　to　take　the　first　company　of　Moravians　to　Georgia；　and　settle　them　there；　patiently　had　he　labored　for　and　with　them　during　their　days　of　greatest　toil　and　privation；　controlling　his　own　desire　to　keep　his　promise　and　go　to　the　Schwenkfelders；　who　were　complaining　with　some　bitterness　of　his　broken　faith；　but　now　his　task　was　ended；　the　Savannah　Congregation　was　ready　to　be　thrown　on　its　own　resources；　Gen。　Oglethorpe　had　provided　him　with　letters　of　introduction；　and　the　〃lot〃　said；　〃Let　him　go；　for　the　Lord　is　with　him。〃

Final　questions　were　asked　and　answered；　Spangenberg's　Commission　was　delivered　to　him；　and　then　Bishop　Nitschmann　〃laid　his　blessing　upon〃　him。　In　the　Lutheran　Church；　to　which　he　belonged　before　he　joined　the　Moravians；　Spangenberg　had　been　an　accredited　minister　of　the　Gospel。　The　Church　of　England　refused　to　acknowledge　the　validity　of　Lutheran　ordination；　because　that　Church　had　no　Episcopate；　but　the　Moravians；　influenced　by　Count　Zinzendorf；　himself　a　Lutheran　by　birth；　broad…minded；　liberal；　and　devout；　did　not　hesitate　to　fraternize　with　the　Lutherans；　or　even　to　accept　the　Sacraments　at　the　hands　of　Pastor　Rothe；　in　charge　of　the　Parish　Church　of　Berthelsdorf。　At　the　same　time　they　prized　the　Episcopate　lately　transferred　to　them　from　the　ancient　Unitas　Fratrum；　and　while　continuing　in　free　fellowship　with　Christians　of　all　denominational　names；　they　now　intended　to　so　ordain　their　own　ministry　that　no　church　could　question　it。　When　the　three　grades　were　established　in　1745；　a　license　to　preach　granted　by　the　Lutheran　Church　was　considered　equivalent　to　the　rank　of　Deacon；　ordination　in　the　Moravian　Church　making　the　minister　a　Presbyter。

Now　fully　equipped　for　his　mission　to　the　English　Colony　of　Pennsylvania；　Spangenberg　left　Savannah　on　March　15th；　going　on　Capt。　Dunbar's　ship　to　Port　Royal；　where　he　lodged　with　a　man　who　was　born　in　Europe；　his　wife　in　Africa；　their　child　in　Asia；　and　they　were　all　now　living　in　America！　　From　Port　Royal　he　went　by　land　almost　to　Charlestown；　the　last　short　distance　being　in　a　chance　boat；　and　from　Charlestown　he　sailed　to　New　York。　　From　there　he　proceeded　to　Philadelphia；　and　to　the　Schwenkfelders；　making　his　home　with　Christopher　Wiegner　on　his　farm　in　the　Skippack　woods；　where　George　Boehnisch　was　also　living。　Spangenberg　worked　on　the　farm　that　he　might　not　be　a　burden　to　his　host；　and　might　meet　the　neighbors　in　a　familiar　way；　meanwhile　making　numerous　acquaintances；　and　gaining　much　valuable　information。

Bishop　Nitschmann　remained　in　Savannah　until　March　26th；　when　he　sailed　to　Charlestown。　　There　he　was　detained　ten　days　waiting　for　a　northbound　ship；　and　employed　the　time　in　delivering　several　letters　of　introduction；　and　learning　all　he　could　about　Carolina；　and　the　conditions　there。　　On　the　28th　of　April　he　reached　New　York；　and　left　on　the　9th　of　May　for　Philadelphia；　going　partly　by　boat；　and　partly　on　foot；　reaching　there　on　the　13th。　　Six　weeks　he　and　Spangenberg　spent　together；　visiting　many　neighborhoods；　and　informing　themselves　as　to　the　religious　and　material　outlook　in　Pennsylvania；　and　then　Nitschmann　sailed　for　Germany。

His　report　gave　a　new　turn　to　the　American　plans；　for　both　he　and　Spangenberg　were　much　pleased　with　Pennsylvania。　　Quite　a　number　of　the　settlers　seemed　open　to　the　idea　of　mutual　aid　in　the　spiritual　life；　material　conditions　were　very　different　from　those　in　Georgia　and　better　suited　to　the　Moravian　needs；　the　Quaker　Governor　was　not　likely　to　force　military　service　upon　people　who　held　the　same　theories　as　himself　in　regard　to　warfare；　and　there　were　large　tribes　of　Indians　within　easy　reach；　to　whom　the　Gospel　might　be　preached。　　As　troubles　thickened　in　Savannah；　therefore；　the　heads　of　the　Church　at　Herrnhut　began　to　look　toward　Pennsylvania；　and　ultimately　sent　thither　the　larger　companies　originally　destined　for　Georgia。

In　August；　Spangenberg　went　to　visit　the　Moravian　Mission　on　the　island　of　St。　Thomas；　returning　to　Pennsylvania　in　November；　where　he　remained　until　the　following　year。




Chapter　V。　　The　Second　Year　in　Georgia。



　　The　English　Clergymen。

The　same　day　that　Bishop　Nitschmann　left　Savannah；　John　Wesley　moved　into　the　parsonage　which　had　just　been　vacated　by　his　predecessor；　Mr。　Quincy。　A　week　earlier　he　had　entered　upon　his　ministry　at　Savannah；　being　met　by　so　large　and　attentive　an　audience　that　he　was　much　encouraged；　and　began　with　zeal　to　perform　his　pastoral　duties。　　He　was　the　third　Rector　of　the　Savannah　Parish；　the　Rev。　Henry　Herbert　having　been　the　first；　and　he　preached　in　a　rude　chapel　built　on　the　lot　reserved　for　a　house　of　worship　in　the　original　plan　of　Savannah；　　the　site　of　the　present　Christ　Church。

The　first　word　of　discouragement　was　brought　by　Ingham；　who　returned　from　Frederica　on　April　10th；　with　a　message　from　Charles　Wesley　begging　his　brother　to　come　to　his　relief。　　He　told　a　woeful　story　of　persecution　by　the　settlers；　and　injustice　from　Oglethorpe　to　Charles　Wesley；　all　undeserved；　as　Oglethorpe　freely　admitted　when　he　threw　off　the　weight　of　suspicion　laid　upon　his　mind　by　malicious　slanderers；　and　sought　an　interview　with　his　young　secretary；　in　which　much　was　explained　and　forgiven。　　But　poor　Charles　was　in　great　straits　when　he　sent　Ingham　to　Savannah；　sick；　slighted；　and　abused；　deprived　even　of　the　necessaries　of　life；　and　so　cast　down　that　on　one　occasion　he　exclaimed；　〃Thanks　be　to　God；　it　is　not　yet　made　a　capital　offence　to　give　me　a　morsel　of　bread！〃

Wesley　obeyed　the　summons；　taking　Delamotte　with　him；　Ingham　caring　for　the　Church　and　Delamotte's　school　during　their　absence。　There　were　poor　school　facilities　in　Savannah　prior　to　Delamotte's　arrival；　and　he　at　once　saw　the　need；　and　devoted　himself　to　it。　Delamotte　seems　to　have　been　a　quiet　man；　who　took　little　share　in　the　aggressive　work　of　his　companions；　and　consequently　escaped　the　abuse　which　was　heaped　upon　them。

On　April　22nd；　Ingham　sent　an　invitation　to　Toeltschig　to　visit　him；　and　this　was　the　beginning　of　a　close　personal　friendship　which　lasted　for　the　rest　of　their　lives；　and　of　such　a　constant　intercourse　between　Ingham　and　the　Moravian　Church；　that　he　is　often　supposed　to　have　become　a　member　of　it；　though　he　really　never　severed　his　connection　with　the　Church　of　England。　　Toeltschig　speaks　of　him　as　〃a　very　young　man；　about　24　or　25　years　of　age；　who　has　many　good　impulses　in　his　soul；　and　is　much　awakened。〃　　He　had　come　to　Georgia　for　the　sole　purpose　of　bearing　the　Gospel　message　to　the　Indians；　and　it　was　through　him　that　the　Moravians　were　finally　able　to　begin　their　missionary　work。

When　Wesley　and　Delamotte　returned　from　Frederica；　the　former　resumed　his　association　with　the　Moravians；　continuing　to　join　in　their　Sunday　evening　service；　and　translating　some　of　their　hymns　into　English。

In　May　two　questions　were　asked