第 3 节
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一半儿 更新:2021-02-20 18:38 字数:9322
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
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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 flameIn one blest theme
delighting; The love of Jesus and His NameGod'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。)
At this time there was no thought of separating from the State Church
and establishing a distinct denomination; and Zinzendorf believed that the
Unitas Fratrum could exist as a ‘society' working in; and in harmony with;
the State Church of whatever nation it might enter。 This idea; borrowed
probably from Spener's 〃ecclesiolae in ecclesia〃; clung to him; even after
circumstances had forced the Unity to declare its independence and the
validity of the ordination of its ministry; and many otherwise inexplicable
things in the later policy of the Church may be traced to its influence。
Halle Opposition。
In 1734 Zinzendorf took orders in the Lutheran Church; but this; and
all that preceded it; seemed to augment rather than quiet the antagonism
which the development of Herrnhut aroused in certain quarters。 This
opposition was not universal。The Moravians had many warm friends and
advocates at the Saxon Court; at the Universities of Jena and Tuebingen;
and elsewhere; but they also had active enemies who drew their inspiration
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principally from the University of Halle。
The opposition of Halle seems to have been largely prompted by
jealousy。 In 1666 a revolt against the prevailing cold formalism of the
Lutheran Church was begun by Philip Jacob Spener; a minister of that
Church; who strongly urged the need for real personal piety on the part of
each individual。His ideas were warmly received by some; and disliked by
others; who stigmatized Spener and his disciples as 〃Pietists〃; but the
doctrine spread; and in the course of time the University of Halle became
its centre。Among those who were greatly attracted by the movement were
Count Zinzendorf's parents and grandparents; and when he was born; May
26th; 1700; Spener was selected as his sponsor。
Being of a warm…hearted; devout nature; young Zinzendorf yielded
readily to the influence of his pious grandmother; to whose care he was
left after his father's death and his mother's second marriage; and by her
wish he entered the Paedagogium at Halle in 1710; remaining there six
years。Then his uncle; fearing that he would become a religious enthusiast;
sent him to the University of Wittenberg; with strict orders to apply
himself to the study of law。Here he learned to recognize the good side of
the Wittenberg divines; who were decried by Halle; and tried to bring the
two Universities to a better understanding; but without result。
In 1719 he was sent on an extensive foreign tour; according to custom;
and in the picture gallery of Duesseldorf saw an Ecce Homo with its
inscription 〃This have I done for thee; what hast thou done for me?〃 which
settled him forever in his determination to devote his whole life to the
service of Christ。
Rather against his wishes; Count Zinzendorf then took office under the
Saxon Government; but about the same time he bought from his
grandmother the estate of Berthelsdorf; desiring to establish a centre of
piety; resembling Halle。The coming of the Moravian and other refugees
and their settlement at Herrnhut; near Berthelsdorf; was to him at first only
an incident; but as their industry and the preaching of Pastor Rothe; whom
he had put in charge of the Berthelsdorf Lutheran Church; began to attract
attention; he went to Halle; expecting sympathy from his friends
there。Instead he met with rebuke and disapproval; the leaders resenting the
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fact that he had not placed the work directly under their control; and
apparently realizing; as he did not; that the movement would probably lead
to the establishment of a separate church。
In spite of their disapprobation; the work at Herrnhut prospered; and
the more it increased the fiercer their resentment grew。That they; who had
gained their name from their advocacy of the need for personal piety;
should have been foremost in opposing a man whose piety was his
strongest characteristic; and a people who for three hundred years; in
prosperity and adversity; in danger; torture and exile; had held 〃Christ and
Him Crucified〃 as their Confession of Faith; and pure and simple living
for His sake as their object in life; is one of the ironies of history。
Nor did the Halle party confine itself to criticism。Some years later
Zinzendorf was for a time driven into exile; and narrowly escaped the
confiscation of all his property; while its methods of obstructing the
missionary and colonizing efforts of the Moravians will appear in the
further history of the Georgia colony。
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Chapter II。 Negotiations with the
Trustees of Georgia。
The Schwenkfelders。
Among those who came to share the hospitalities of Count Zinzendorf
during the years immediately preceding the renewal of the Unitas Fratrum;
were a company of Schwenkf