第 3 节
作者: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
  8
  … Page 9…
  The Moravians in Georgia
  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
  9
  … Page 10…
  The Moravians in Georgia
  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
  10
  … Page 11…
  The Moravians in Georgia
  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。
  11
  … Page 12…
  The Moravians in Georgia
  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