第 40 节
作者:一半儿      更新:2021-02-20 18:39      字数:9320
  death   of   the   man   who   had   been   at   its   head   for   more   than   thirty   years。
  These predictions failed of fulfillment; and 〃it was demonstrated that the
  Lord had further employment for the Unitas Fratrum。〃
  Less renowned than many  of his confreres; Toeltschig   was a type   of
  that class of Moravians who carried their Church through slight and blight
  into the respect and good…will of the world。 Industrious and scrupulously
  exact   in   business   affairs;   courteous   and   considerate   in   his   dealings   with
  others; firm and fearless in matters of conscience; bold to declare his faith;
  and witness for his Master; energetic and 〃conservatively progressive〃 in
  promoting the growth of his church; he took little part in the controversies
  of his day; but devoted himself unreservedly to preaching the Gospel as it
  was read by John Hus; by the founders of the ancient Unitas Fratrum; by
  the renewers of that Church in Herrnhut; 〃Salvation by faith in Christ and
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  real Christian living according to the precepts of the Bible。〃
  The Negro Mission。
  John Toeltschig had been the diarist of the Moravian Congregation in
  Savannah; as well as their treasurer and most able member; and after he
  left very little record was kept of the daily occurrences。 A few stray letters
  have been preserved; but little of interest appears therein; beyond the facts
  that the summer of 1738 was hot and dry; and that the Moravians were not
  molested; although always conscious of the under…current of antagonism。
  Some      time    during     these    months      Matthias     Seybold      left  for
  Pennsylvania;       where    he  married;    and   was    one   of  the   company     that
  established   the   settlement   at   Bethlehem。He   returned   to   Europe   in   1742;
  and died at Herrnhut in 1787。
  In   May;   the   Rev。   George Whitefield   reached   Georgia;   〃authorized   to
  perform   all   religious   offices   as   Deacon    of   the   Church  of   England;   in
  Savannah and Frederica;〃 in the place of John Wesley。 The poverty of the
  people touched him deeply; he distributed to the most needy such sums as
  he had brought for their relief; and with James Habersham; who had come
  over    at  the   same    time;   he  agreed    upon    the  erection    of  an   Orphan
  House。Whitefield         visited    Ebenezer;      and    acquainted      himself    with
  conditions there and elsewhere; and then returned to England; in August;
  to raise funds for his Orphan House; Habersham meanwhile beginning to
  collect and instruct the most neglected children。
  During his stay in Georgia; Whitefield lodged with Charles Delamotte;
  who was still carrying on the little school。During the winter Delamotte had
  boarded for a while with the Moravians; and when he returned to England
  in    the   autumn;     he   at   once    associated     himself    with    the   English
  members。Tyerman in his 〃Life and Times of John Wesley〃; says; 〃On his
  return    to  England;    Charles    Delamotte     became     a  Moravian;     settled   at
  Barrow…upon…Humber; where he spent a long life of piety and peace; and
  died in 1790。〃
  On the 16th of October; Peter Boehler and George Schulius arrived in
  Savannah;   accompanied   by   the   lad;   Simon   Peter   Harper。   They   came   as
  missionaries to the negroes of Carolina; the hearts of various philanthropic
  Englishmen having been touched by reports of the condition of these half
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  wild savages recently imported from the shores of Africa to till the fields
  of the New World。
  The   plan   originated   during   Count   Zinzendorf's   visit   to   London;   in
  February; 1737; when it was suggested to him that such a mission should
  be begun by two Moravian men; under the auspices of 〃the associates of
  the late Dr。 Bray〃。
  Thomas   Bray;   an   English   divine;   was   born   in   1656;   made   several
  missionary   trips   to     America;   and   in     1697   organized   a      society   for   the
  propagation of the Gospel in the English Colonies。 He died in 1730; but
  the   work   was   continued   by   his   〃associates〃;   many   of   whom   were   also
  interested in the Georgia Colony。
  As this mission was to be under their direction; 〃the associates of the
  late   Dr。   Bray〃   wished   to   be   very   sure   that   the   doctrine   and   rules   of   the
  Unitas   Fratrum   did   not   conflict   with   the   Church   of   England;   but   being
  assured     by   the   Archbishop       of  Canterbury      that   he  considered      them   as
  agreeing in all essential points; they closed an agreement with Zinzendorf
  whereby       the   Count    received     30   Pounds      with   which     to  prepare     〃two
  Brethren   to   reside   for   the   instruction   of   the   Negroes   at   such   place   in
  Carolina as   the said associates shall   direct。〃The missionaries;   when they
  had   entered   upon   their   work;   were   to   receive   a   salary;   〃not   exceeding
  thirty pounds a year;〃 from the 〃associates〃。
  For    this   missionary      enterprise;    so   much     to  his  liking;    Zinzendorf
  appointed       〃one    of   my    chaplains;     master    Boehler;〃      and   〃Schulius;      a
  Moravian       brother;〃     who    with    Richter    and   Wenzel      Neisser    arrived    in
  London;  February  18th;  1738。 At   the   house   of their   friend Wynantz;  the
  Dutch   merchant;   they   met   John   Wesley;   who   offered   to   secure   them   a
  pleasant; inexpensive lodging near James Hutton's; where he was staying。
  Peter    Boehler     had   been    a  student    at  Jena    when    Spangenberg        was
  lecturing there; and was himself a professor at that seat of learning when
  he    decided    to   accept    Zinzendorf's     call   to  mission     work;    and   join   the
  Moravians;   with   whom   he   had   been   for   a   long   time   in   sympathy。   Like
  Spangenberg he was a highly educated man; and an able leader; fitted to
  play an important part in the Church of his adoption。 In December; 1737;
  he was ordained at Herrnhut by the bishops; David Nitschmann and Count
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  Zinzendorf; and in later years he; too; became a bishop of the Unity。
  On the 22nd of February; Boehler and his companions called on Gen。
  Oglethorpe; who at first supposed they were simply going over to join the
  Savannah congregation。Boehler explained that Richter; who spoke French
  as    well   as   German;     had    come    as   the  Agent     of   the  Moravians;      in
  accordance       with    the   suggestion      made     by   the   Trustees     to   Bishop
  Nitschmann        in  1736;    that  Wenzel     Neisser    was    going    on   an   official
  visitation    to  America;     especially    to  the   West   Indies;   and   that  he   and
  Schulius   were   the   missionaries   promised   by   Count   Zinzendorf   for   work
  among the negroes in Carolina。 The General courteously invited them to
  confer with him further; either by letter or in person; and offered to take
  them     with   him;   as   he  expected     shortly   to   sail  for  Georgia     with   his
  regiment。
  Later;    when    they    wished    to   come    to   a  definite   agreement      with
  Oglethorpe;       who     represented      the    〃associates     of   Dr。    Bray〃;    they
  experienced some difficulty; owing to the fact that a letter of introduction
  Oglethorpe expected to receive from Count Zinzendorf had failed to arrive;
  but    the   exhibition    of   their  passports;    and    Richter's   explanation      that
  Zinzendorf thought (from newspaper notices) that Oglethorpe had already
  left   England;   enabled   Boehler   and   Schulius   to   establish   their   identity。So
  soon as Zinzendorf heard that his word was needed; he sent them a formal
  letter    of  introduction     to   Oglethorpe;     which     was    gladly    received    as
  corroboration       of  their   statements。    The    Moravians      were    at  their  own
  expense      while   waiting    in  London;     but  Oglethorpe      promised     that  they
  should   be   provided   with   Bibles;   grammars;   and   other   things   they   might
  need for the negro school。
  Being detained in London for three months; instead of three weeks as
  they   expected;   Boehler   and   his   friend   had   ample   opportunity   to   make
  acquaintances   in   the   metropolis。They   sent