LITERATURE: COUNT ZINZENDORF. For a complete Bibliography of Zinzendorf's life, writings, and controver sies, see Catalogue of books relating to or illustrating the history of the Unitas Fratrum, or United Brethren. Phila., 1881, pp. 64-84. The most important and later lives follow. 1. Spangenberg, M. A. Leben des Herrn Nicolaus Ludwig, Grafen und Herrn von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf. 3 vols. Barby, 1772–75. Transl. Lond., 1838. 2. Bovet, Felix. Le Comte de Zinzendorf. Paris, 1860; 12th ed., 1865. Transl. Lond., 1865; new abd. tr., Lond., 1896. 3. Becker, B. Zinzendorf im Verhältniss zu Philosophie und Kirchentum seine Zeit. Leipz., 1886. Important. See H. M. Scott in Cur. Dis. in Theol., iv, 188; C. A. Briggs in Presb. Rev., 1887. 4. Ostertag, K. Graf von Zinzendorf. Einsied., 1888. See also H. Roy, Zinzendorfs Anweisgn. f. d. Missionsarbeit, Gütersl., 1893; G. E. v. Natzmer, Die Jugend Zinzendorfs im Lichte ganz neuer Quellen. Eisenach, 1894. Shows the great influence of his mother. Zinzendorf and the Moravians in Unit. Rev., Jan., 1886 (by F. H. Hedge). CHAPTER X. THE MORAVIANS. EARLY LIFE THE Community of Herrnhut, still the denominational center of the Moravians, was incidentally founded and purposefully molded by Nicolas Lewis (or Louis), Count Zinzendorf, who was born in Dresden, Saxony, on May 28, 1700. Zinzendorf was descended from an ancient Austrian family whose head in 1662 had been raised to the rank of imperial count. His ancestors had adopted the principles of the Reformation, as a result of which his grandfather had been obliged to forsake his native land. Zinzendorf's father was a court minister of electoral Saxony.' His family were adherents of Spener's ideas, and at the age of ten the boy was sent to Halle, where he was under the direct influence of Francke for six years. Prior to this he had been trained in accordance with Spener's conception of education by his aunt and a tutor of like mind. His nature and training combined to develop in him a precocious piety. But he was equally precocious intellectually, and resolves formed in his childish mind remained to the end the principles of his life. In the dilapidated castle of Gross-Hennersdorf, where he lived with his grandmother, the Baroness von Gersdorf, is still shown the window from which the four-year-old count was accustomed to throw letters he had written to the Saviour, expecting thereby to communicate to his Lord his feelings of love. At Halle all these feelings of intense devotion were nurtured to such a degree that his guardian, who wished him to follow a secular career, removed him at the age of sixteen to Wittenberg, where the university-was opposed to the Pietism of Halle, and where his religious feelings and sympathies would receive less encouragement. But though so profoundly devotional he had not neglected the pursuit of learning, and upon his departure from Halle he was able to compose Greek orations and converse in Latin. At Wittenberg his chief study was law. Still he did not wholly forsake theology, and he abated none of his religious fervor, though he modified, without abandoning, some of his opinions as to 1 Piper, Lives of the Leaders of our Church Universal, translated by H. M. Maccracken, New York and Cincinnati, 1879, p. 472 f. doctrine and practice. As Wittenberg appeared not sufficiently removed from Halle, either geographically or religiously, he was ZINZENDORF AT WITTEN- AND PARIS. sent to the university of Utrecht. But the thought of Jesus was so powerfully present to his mind that changes of locality or surroundings could not seriously affect his spiritual ardor. Indeed, certain events of his journey to Utrecht rather stimulated than slackened his zeal.' In pursuit of the custom of the time he continued his travels to Paris, where he escaped the worldliness and vice to which many fell victims, and, true to his deepest feelings, sought out the pious even among the Roman Catholics, avoiding the brilliant company of those with whom his rank entitled him to mingle. Even at this period of young manhood he could have said as truly as he did later in a sermon at Herrnhut, "I have but one passion; it is He, only He."2 ZINZENDORF Upon his return from Paris to Halle, soon after his twenty-first birthday, the management of the first Bible Society ever established was offered to him. This was altogether to his mind, AT HALLE AND as he saw how effectively he could carry on the procDRESDEN. lamation of the Gospel in such a position. However, being opposed by his family, who wished him to enter upon a political career, he became aulic councilor and justiciary at the court of Augustus in Dresden. Here, while neglecting none of his official duties, he did not forget the greater aims of saving his own soul and of proclaiming Christ to others. Every Sunday he held religious services in his own house, and he edited a weekly paper devoted to the cause of religion and morality.' His unquenchable zeal displayed itself undiminished, notwithstanding all that had been done to divert him from his cherished purpose. In the spring of 1722 he purchased Berthelsdorf, in Upper Lusatia, from his grandmother, and prepared to take up his residence there and to devote himself, first, to the religious welfare of those who inhabited his domain, and, second, to the propagation of true religion everywhere.* 1 For example, he saw at Düsseldorf an Ecce Homo with the inscription in Latin, "This I have done for thee; what hast thou done for me?" which made a profound impression upon him. 2 The saintly Professor Tholuck made this his motto. Comp. A. C. Thompson, Moravian Missions, New York, 1882, p. 66. 3 Baur, Geschichte der christlichen Kirche, iv, p. 622. 4 He did not, however, resign his office in Dresden until 1727. Comp. A History of the Reformed Church, Dutch, the Reformed Church, German, and the Moravian Church in the United States, by E. T. Corwin, J. H. Dubbs, and J. T. Hamilton, New York, 1895, p. 437. HERRNHUT A strange and unexpected series of events led to the establishment of Herrnhut. After the long and bitter persecutions which had apparently annihilated those followers of John Hus who had had so promising a history in Moravia and elsewhere under the name of the Unitas Fratrum, or United Brethren, there still lingered the "hidden seed," unmolested because unknown. Secretly, if at all, the Brethren had been compelled to enjoy their apostolic worship and the communion of saints. Says Thompson: "Here and there was a Bible, in a cellar, in a hole in the wall, in a hollow log, or in a space beneath the dog kennel-a secret which the head of the family would dare to make known, even to his children, only on his deathbed." ' In 1715 a religious revival gave these oppressed remnants of the Unitas Fratrum new courage and a new purpose. The result of the former was a somewhat more open propagation and profession of their faith, resulting in the conversion to their views and experience of Christian David, a Roman Catholic who up to his twentieth year had never seen a Bible. The new pur CHRISTIAN pose, which was confined to a few who were destined to originate a magnificent history, was to find an asylum where they might worship God in freedom. For this they willingly forsook their native land, their friends, and their property. Through the efforts of Christian David they received permission from Zinzendorf to settle on his newly purchased estate of Berthelsdorf. At first there were but ten persons, three of whom were little children,' that sought refuge at what was later called Herrnhut, the Lord's Protection. Leaving their homes secretly on the night of May 27, 1722, they journeyed on foot, reaching their destination in time to begin building on June 17, in a wild forest which they and those who afterward joined them turned into a garden. Originally Zinzendorf had entertained no thought of espousing their cause further than to give them at best a temporary home. But by 1724 he had become so interested in them that he and some friends began to build at Herrnhut a college to be conducted on the pietistic principles in Vogue at Halle. The corner stone was laid on May 12, and on the same day five young men arrived at Herrnhut, who, though their Moravian Missions, p. 31. GROWTH OF 2 The company consisted of the families of Augustin and Jacob Neisser and two other persons. See E. de Schweinitz, The History of the Church known as the Unitas Fratrum, Bethlehem (Pa.), 1885, p. 645 f. This work is very valuable to the student of the original Unitas Fratrum. 1 original purpose was a mere passing visit, became a permanent part of the community. They were zealous and intelligent Moravian Brethren, and they gave Zinzendorf his first real knowledge of the Unitas Fratrum. Other refugees joined and swelled the numbers at Herrnhut from time to time, some of them being of other faiths than that of the first settlers. For a time this commingling of colonists, whose views had been tempered in the fires of persecution, endangered the primitive harmony. Had there been at the head of the community a man of different spirit from that of Zinzendorf, the prospects of a rejuvenated Moravian Church might have been blighted in the bud. But while Zinzendorf held well-defined views on questions of theology, he had persistently refused to make those views a condition of fellowship with other Christians. At the age of eighteen, while at Wittenberg, he had proposed a union between the university there and that at Halle. When in Paris he had associated with Roman Catholic priests, particularly the cardinal archbishop, Noailles, on the basis of a common love of Christ. This spirit continued to animate him. In 1738 he wrote: "Moreover, I cherish and highly esteem, according to my way, all who love Jesus. I would consider myself very unhappy to be counted an alien by any Catholic who loves Christ, although in many points I differ wholly from their opinions." In this spirit he strove to quell the doctrinal discussions of the young community. On August 13, 1727, during the celebration of the Lord's Supper, the spirit of brotherly love was so profoundly experienced by all present that from that day forward they agreed to disregard doctrinal differences and to work together as brethren in the Lord. So complete was their mutual tolerance of divergent opinions that arrangements were made for the celebration of the Lord's Supper according to the forms of the Moravian, the Lutheran, and the Reformed faiths." 2 This emphasis upon the more practical aspects of the Christian faith, while it served to unite the Herrnhuters, aroused the enmity of those without who felt the importance of Lutheran doctrine. As early as 1732 a commission was sent to Herrnhut to investigate The Schwenkfelders who arrived at Herrnhut were but temporarily members of the community. They were afterward sent to the United States. 2 See Piper, Lives of the Leaders of our Church Universal, article Zinzendorf, p. 476. 3 Comp. Baur, iv, p. 625. On the difficulties which Zinzendorf overcame in securing peace among the adherents of the divergent beliefs, comp. Ritschl, Pietismus, iii, 357. |