第 6 节
作者:一半儿      更新:2021-02-20 18:38      字数:9322
  published   in   the   newspapers;   and   when   we   realized   the   opportunity   it
  would give to carry the Truth to the heathen; several Brethren; who had
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  the Lord's honor much at heart; were led; doubtless by His hand; to think
  that   it   would   be   a   good   plan   to   send   some   Brethren   thither;   if   it   might
  please the Lord to bless our work among the heathen; and so to bring those
  poor souls; now far from Christ; nigh unto Him。We tried to learn about the
  land;    but   could   secure    no   accurate    information;      for  some     spoke    from
  hearsay; others with prejudice; and many more with too great partiality。But
  we   at   last   decided   to   venture;   in   the   faith   that   the   Lord   would   help   us
  through。〃
  The   needs   of   the   Schwenkfelders   gave   a   new   turn   to   their   thoughts;
  and    suggested      the  advantages      that   might    accrue    from    a  settlement    in
  America   to   which   they   might   all   retreat   if   the   persecution   in      Saxony
  waxed   violent;   but   early  in   the   year   1734;   the   question   〃Shall   we   go   to
  Georgia only as Colonists; or also as Missionaries?〃 was submitted to the
  lot; and the answer was 〃As Missionaries also。〃
  The     defection     of   the   Schwenkfelders;        therefore;    while    a   serious
  interference with the Herrnhut plan; was not allowed to ruin the project。
  Zinzendorf wrote again to the Trustees; and they repeated their promise of
  land; provided his colonists would go at their own expense。
  After    much     consultation     the   decision    was    reached    that   Zinzendorf
  should ask for a tract of five hundred acres; and that ten men should be
  sent over to begin a town; their families and additional settlers to follow
  them in a few months。
  The next step was to find a way to send these men across the Atlantic。
  Baron   George   Philipp   Frederick   von   Reck;  a   nephew   of   Herr   von   Pfeil;
  who had led the first company of Salzburgers to Georgia; was planning to
  take a second company in the course of the next months。 He was young
  and enthusiastic; met Zinzendorf's overtures most kindly; and even visited
  Herrnhut in the early part of October; 1734; when; as it happened; nine of
  the      prospective        colonists       were      formally        presented       to     the
  Congregation。Baron   Reck   was   very   much   impressed;   promised   to   take
  with   him  to   Georgia   any  of   the Moravians   who   wished   to   go;   and   even
  sent to David Nitschmann; who was to conduct the party as far as London;
  full   authorization   to   bring   as   many   as   desired   to   come;   promising   each
  man   who   went   at   his   own   expense   a   fifty…acre   freehold in   Georgia;   and
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  offering     others    necessary     assistance     when    they    reached     London。     This
  paper was signed at Bautzen; October 22nd; 1734。
  But   Reck   had   failed   to   realize   the   force   of   the   Halle   opposition   to
  Herrnhut;       and   soon     weakened       under    the   weight     of   persuasion      and
  command         laid  upon     him   by   those    whose     opinion     he   felt  obliged    to
  respect。On       the  4th   of   November       he   wrote    from    Windhausen        to  Graf
  Stolberg      Wernigerode;       〃I   have    hesitated    and    vexed     myself    in   much
  uncertainty       whether      or   not    I  should     go    with    the   Herrnhuters       to
  America。And   now   I   know   that   God   has   heard   our   prayer   at   Halle   and
  Wernigerode;   and   your   letters   have   decided   me   to   stay   in   Germany   this
  winter; in   the first   place because   my going   would be   a grief to my  dear
  Urlsperger;   whom   I   love   as   a   father;   secondly   because   the   English   will
  send over a third transport of Salzburgers in the coming spring and wish
  me to take them; and thirdly because I wish to obey worthy and chosen
  men of God。〃
  He   wrote   to   the   same   effect   to   Zinzendorf;   and   the   Count;   though
  doubtless       annoyed;       replied     simply:〃Your         Highness'      resolution      to
  accomodate yourself to your superiors would be known by us all for right。
  You will then not blame us if we go our way as it is pointed out to us by
  the Lord。〃
  A   few   days   later   Reck   received   a   sharp   note   from   the   Trustees   of
  Georgia; reproving him for his temerity in agreeing to take the Moravians
  with him to Georgia without consulting them; and reiterating the statement
  that the funds in their hands had been given for the use of the Salzburgers;
  and could be used for them alone。
  The young man must have winced not a little under all this censure;
  but   while   he   yielded   his   plan   to   the   wishes   of   the   Halle   party;   he   held
  firmly     to  the   opinion    he   had   formed     of   the   Moravians。      He   wrote    to
  Urlsperger   and   others   in   their   behalf;   declaring   that   they   were   a   godly
  people; much misunderstood; that it was a shame to persecute them and try
  to hinder  their going to   Georgia; and   he felt   sure  that if their opponents
  would       once    meet     the   Moravians        and    converse      with    them     freely;
  confidentially; and without prejudice; they would come to respect them as
  he   did。He   also   suggested   that   there   were   many   protestants   remaining   in
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  Bohemia; who would gladly leave; and who might be secured for Georgia
  on the terms offered to the Salzburgers。 The next year in fact; an effort was
  made      to   obtain    permission      from    the   Austrian     Government        for   the
  emigration   of   these   people;   and   Reck   was   authorized   by  the Trustees   to
  take them to Georgia; but nothing came of it。
  Nor did his championship of the Bohemians and Moravians already in
  Saxony have any result。Urlsperger was offended that the negotiations from
  Herrnhut   with   the Trustees   were  not   being   carried   on   through   him;   〃the
  only one in Germany to whom the Trustees had sent formal authority to
  receive people persecuted on account of religion; or forced to emigrate;〃
  and   the   Halle   party  were   unable   or   unwilling   to   meet   the   leaders   of   the
  Moravians       〃without     prejudice〃。The       company      of   Salzburgers      therefore
  sailed for Georgia in November without Baron von Reck; and without the
  Moravians;   Mr。   Vat   acting   as   Commissary。The   Moravians;               meanwhile;
  were not waiting idly for matters to turn their way; but even before Reck
  reached      his  decision    Spangenberg       had    started   for  England     to   arrange
  personally with the Georgia Trustees for their emigration。
  August Gottlieb Spangenberg was born July 15th; 1704; at Klettenberg;
  Prussia。 In the year 1727; while a student at Jena; he became acquainted
  with   the   Moravians   through   a   visit   of   two   of   their   number;   which   won
  them     many     friends    at   that   institution。Later;     when    he    was    Assistant
  Professor of Theology  at   Halle; he   was   required   to   sever his   connection
  with   the   Moravians;   or   leave   the   University;   and   choosing   the   latter   he
  came to Herrnhut in the spring of 1733。 He was one of the strongest; ablest;
  and   wisest   leaders   that   the   Unitas   Fratrum   has   ever   had;   and   eventually
  became a Bishop of the Unity;   and a member of its governing board。He
  was a writer of marked ability; and in his diaries was accustomed to speak
  of himself as 〃Brother Joseph〃; by which name he was also widely known
  among the Moravians。
  Spangenberg   left   Herrnhut   in   the   late   summer   or   early   fall   of   1734;
  bearing   with   him   Zinzendorf's   Power   of   Attorney   to   receive   for   him   a
  grant   from   the   Georgia   Trustees   of   five   hundred   acres   of   land;   and   to
  transact all other necessary business。He stopped for some time in Holland;
  where   he   made   a   number   of   acquaintances;   some   of   whom   gave   him
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  letters   of   introduction   to   friends   in   England