A short and faithful report of the Church known under the name of the Bohemian and Moravian Brethren, stemming from the Unitas Fratrum, [including their] teaching, outward and inner Church order and customs, derived from true documents and accounts from one of their Christian, unbiased, friends, and illustrated with sixteen copper images.

MDCCLVII

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Contents

(Introduction) Who are the Moravian Brethren? § I. Reason behind this name, and how they are otherwise named § II.

(Their arrival) The antiquity and fate of the aforementioned Brethren § III. Connection to the Oriental and Occidental Churches and to the Waldenses § IV. Connection to the Lutheran and Reformed Churches and to the Church of England § V. The Brethrens departure from Moravia, the founding of Herrnhutt, expansion and recognition § VI.

(Their canon law) They hold the Bible as the only guiding principle § VII. Profession of adherence to the Augsburg Confession and the adoption of the Synod of Bern as their creed § VIII. Type and Contents of their Sermons and Songs § IX.

(External Church Structure) What the Unity consists of § X. Their Tropes § XI. Their provincial and general Synods § XII. Perpetual deputation, council days, and visitations § XIII. Advocatus Frr. § XIV. Vogts-hof § XV. Disciples § XVI. Seniores politici § XVII. Bishops § XVIII. And their manner of dress § XIX. Presbytery and Economy § XX. Ordination and admissions § XXI. Canon Law § XXII.

(Constitution of the Laymen) Community court and artisans § XXIII. Role of the Diaconi in charity for the poor § XXIV. Clothing § XXV. Inheritance § XXVI. Freedom from oaths and the possession of weapons § XXVII.

(Public worship services) Special liturgy, ceremonies, and daily gatherings § XXVIII. Morning and evening services, liturgy, prayers of the people, and Evensong § XXIX. Common and special Church festivals, congregation days, and Receptions § XXX. Baptism of children, adults, and heathens § XXXI. Holy Communion §XXXII. The washing of feet § XXXIII. Love feast § XXXIV. The reading of the holy scriptures, applications, and text § XXXV.

(Institutions) Schools and Paedagogia § XXXVI. Academie and Seminarium § XXXVII. Missions to the heathens § XXXVIII.

(Internal community structure) Structure and care of the choir, choir housing § XXXIX. Bands, classes, and guests § XL. Speaking § XLI. Transplanting the congregation, especially through marriage § XLII. The structure of marriage in general § XLIII. In special cases § XLIV. Care of small children in the nursery § XLV.

(Conclusion) Health care and going home § XLVI. Burial, God’s Acre, and visiting graves § XLVII.

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Foreword

There are already so many works which have been written about the Brethren, who, in addition, are called the Moravian Brethren, and also by the respectable yet inaccurate name of Herrenhuters, that one could collect a fairly large library consisting of these books. However, even the most superficial of readers could not fail to see how little of the story of the Brethren has been brought to light by this collection after he found that these texts contradict themselves and each other. At times they contain such despicable items that would not even be tolerated in plebian works which, if they were true, would have long ago had to have been destroyed by their authors. That so much fault has been placed on the Brethren, however, is partially due to ignorance, as they were mostly new and unknown. Yet everyone wanted to know something of them, to judge them, and to talk about them (in accordance with the well known desire to read the newspapers and preference for discussing spiteful and hateful topics.) This they did in part because of the

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malice of their [the Brethren’s] enemies who, before the Brethren were really settled, attempted to suppress them. It was also partially due to a personal hatred and jealousy of their leaders by secret enemies, who also brought the case before the courts and who would have brought down the Brethren long ago, had the officials wanted to damn them without investigating the situation. They [the officials] have succeeded through any number of intrigues to mediate a solution which requires that the opposition make itself known in all further writings which are open to the public, which knows nothing of the connection of these things, even if it is apparent to all involved that it is to no effect.

The Brethren do not partake in these feuds and they are disdainful of the doings of their enemies. This is because they believe that those souls who are disapproving and only seeking trouble will not appreciate a more correct understanding of them. They believe that those souls who are approving and who are seeking the truth will soon discover the lies of their enemies though a comparison of their texts and an impartial assessment of the writing, and of the causes and goals of said texts. The truth of the texts of the Brethren would be easy for such souls to recognize, if they took the effort to give as much attention to these texts as they do to the texts of the opposition. Among these are the respectable persons who, on account of their positions, must look more closely into the matter and who have already heard the truth of the matter so many times, that they, either

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on their own, or at the bidding of the Brethren, have ceased inspecting the case. Yes, the Brethren have publicly explained and pleaded that anyone who cares to come to them with an upright soul and within the bounds of honor common to the morals of the society, to differentiate between truth and fiction can, either in secret or publicly, with handwritten or printed requests, ask questions of them. The Brethren will willingly meet questions about everything that pertains to their teachings, lifestyle, institutes, and especially their history with true and complete answers.

We can find a few trials of this offer in the collection of Büdingen and it is evident that the Brethren kept their word. Only those who accuse the Brethren of letting their passions guide them into laying all necessary work aside as they answered the numerous oppositional and blasphemous writings and worked to dampen the anger once caused by their opponents know why they regarded this sure method of discovering the truth as wasteful (it is not easy to teach an opponent the truth because, even after he has been answered ten times, he still wishes to be right and to have the last word.)

At this time, Mr. Spangenberg, M.A., took upon himself a work that the opposition was supposedly waiting to receive. In this work he closely analyzed the critics' writings and their often shameless accusations, many of which had already been answered many times over.

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He gathered them together in a large number of questions without alteration. He then presented his person, his character, and his work to the Ordinario Fratrum. He shared their thorough and mostly highly detailed answers with the public. Because that was still not enough and the German polemic papers were being translated in England the Brethren began again to solicit questions instead of translating a general statement and publishing it. The Brethren, as far as the results indicate, answered the printed questions of an unnamed opposition quite thoroughly, quieting the opposition.

These texts remove the lies and set aright the canon and facts that have been twisted by the opposition, but they do not deal positively with the structure of the Church of the Brethren. For this reason the opportunity was taken to complete the famous Herrlibergerschen Cermonien-Werks on the origins of the Church of the Brethren, their canon, the structure and customs of the church, which was requested by good friends who did not possess the authority to write upon the subject, but who were also not idle passersby. They were residents of the house who wanted to hear about the internal and external structure of the church and who asked the appropriate authority, and from the answers they compiled

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this short, reliable report with elaborations taken from the texts and stories of the Brethren, including sixteen elucidating pictorial representations that were also found in the sources of the Brethren.

An understanding reader will see immediately from the style of writing that this is not written in defense of the Brethren but that it is, rather, a sincere relation of the things which we were told of, without praise or censure, but with a secret joy and pleasure (which no accepting soul could or would want to withhold from any constituted church) that they [the Brethren] act in a completely different manner than the opponents would have us believe. It is these people whom we, in accordance with the truth, must convince that the reports that we have received were prepared modestly and without the boasting common to (Testibus in propria causa)* . Praise or astonishment expressed in the following text, which will happen but infrequently, is simply unofficial commentary by the compiler, and which, at first glance, reveal themselves to be trustworthy reports. The freedom has been taken to include the Act granted the Brethren by the Parliament of Great Britain at the end of the report, as it has been asked for many times by good friends.

If the reader would review these few pages with an acceptance of and pleasure in the truth,

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then he should rightly expect further and more detailed reports from the Brethren, especially ones which pertain to their newer history and one can also look at the old texts from the Lafitii, Camerarii, Regenvolcii, Comenii, Saligs, and Riegers, and at that which pertains to their teachings, out of the old hymnals of the Brethren. The influences of the natural reflexes of the Ordinarii Fratrum, their intelligence, the Apologia of Spangenburg and the Berbice Synod of 1750 can be seen in the teachings and in the actions of the Brethren. Also noteworthy are the influences of the questions of the Neuwiedish Commission, the summary of the English controversy papers that were edited and bound in two parts by the Ordinarii, the hymnal that was finally edited in London in 1753, and of various volumes of sermons and speeches.

We take some amusement from the fact that, due to all kinds of unforeseen complications, this work was put off until the year 1757. This is the year in which the anniversary of the Church of the Brethren is celebrated. Most historians claim that the first recognizable Church of the Brethren was created in 1457 after they had separated from the Hussites, the Calixtines, and the Taborites, and had moved to Lititz. They were originally descendants of the Bohemian martyr John Huss.

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Report

from the

Church of the Brethren

§ I

The Bohemian-Moravian Church of Brethren stems from those Brethren who were given sanctuary by the King of Bohemia, George Podiebrad on his land near Lititz and the Schlessigian border, out of his own will and love, and also in response to the request of the Archbishop of Prague in the year 1457, AD. This was done in order that the Brethren could serve God in peace and stillness and to protect them from their enemies after they separated from the Taborites over the matter of defending religion with weapons and declared their prayer for the one violence by Christians against their enemies.

§ II

They called themselves Brethren after the manner of the first Christians. Because they were Bohemians and Moravians,

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outsiders called them the Bohemian and Moravian Brethren and, after the Waldenses fled persecution and joined their nation, they were also called Waldenses. Due to the fact that they also sought protection in Prussia, Poland, England, Würtenberg and Sachsen and left members there, it soon became impossible to gather all of these groups under one name: The Bohemian-Moravian-Welsh-Polish-German- and English Brethren. Thus, instead of claiming any one nation in their name, they compiled all these groups under the beloved name, Fratrum Unitatis, or, The Unity of Brethren, which had already been in use for 300 years. This is the name that, according to the Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, they will continue to use. In other lands, particularly in Thur-Sachsen, they are also known as the Evangelical Brethren, as the Evangelical Directorial-Ministerio, according to the most merciful Assecuration of 1750.

§ III

We do not consider it possible to report anything reliable or special about their first origins because it was the fate of all the old, truthful constitutions to be lost in a night of uncertainty, due either to the nature of things, or through the might and craft of their enemies. In the meantime, it has been discovered and placed above all doubt that the church at Lititz, which bloomed fifty years before the Reformation, was a Slavic congregation which came from the historic Bulgarian Christians and from the Greek Church. It has also been confirmed that they managed to keep the religion free of the superstition, the mistakes, and the national maxims which plagued their mother church and that this made them the only lasting public and octroyrte Evangelical church at that time. One who wishes to know more of that, and of how these beloved people fared before as well as after the Reformation

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will be able to find all that is to be expected of such materials in the Lafitii and Comenii histories of the Bohemian Brethren, in Saligs history of the Augsburg Confession, and in Riegers Salzbund of the Bohemian Brethren.

§ IV

We know from these sources that the Bohemian-Moravian Brethren are, in both their origins as well as their geographic situation, oriental Christians and that the Occidental, or Latin, Church attempted to rein them in, before as well as after the Reformation. After quite a few centuries of brave resistance, the Latin Church was finally able to remove the threat with the help of the violent reforming of the empires of Bohemia and Moravia in this last century. Also contributing to the triumph of the Latin Church was the gradual decline of their fellow Protestant Brethren, some of whom fled their fatherlands to found colonies, and some of whom remained quiet and protected for a long time in their fatherlands until they could, in our time, freely leave the land.

Further, we know that the Lititz Church received the Episcopal Ordination and Succession directly from the Waldenses, and that, soon thereafter, they were received in Bohemia and Moravia following the persecution and scattering of the Waldenses. During this inquisition the last bishop, Stephanus, was brought to Vienna and burned. After this, they [the Lititz Church] committed themselves as a single group, along with the assorted peoples whom holy providence, through the doctrinal reformation, enabled to come into existence.

§ V

We also know that the Brethren sent many representatives to Luther and that they were in constant

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contact through letters. He professed a liking for them, and allowed their creed to be published in Wittenberg in 1533, along with his own preamble and approval of their creed. He allied himself with them and persisted with the federation until his death. He disagreed, brotherly but not masterfully, with what he saw as a canon that was too restricted. Following his example, his successors were very fond of the Brethren and held them in high regard. Even though there were many quarrels in the area concerning proselytization from both sides, for which they were attacked in polemic papers by Morgenstern and Hederich. These opponents had so few successors that almost all church records which pertain to the ecclesiastical chapter of the Brethren agree that they were loved, honored, and held up to their respective communities of descendents as examples. This was especially true after Doctor Speners' idea of establishing the Ecclesiolis in Ecclesia plantandis was accomplished.

The Brethren had their most plentiful and truest connections to the Reformed Church, regardless of their basic principles, as both strove to understand one another. Calvin also held them in high esteem and recognized them as brothers in faith. He loved, not just in words, but in deed and truth, their canon law and took as much of it as he was able to and introduced it in his church. He also, with great sincerity, suggested, together with other reformed theologians, that the Polish of the Swiss confession unify themselves with the Brethren from the Polish branch of the Unity of the Brethren. This finally happened in 1570 when the famous Consensu Sendomiriensi was enacted.

The connection with the Church of England, in existence since the time of Wycliffe (whose lovely letter to Johann Huß is still available) was still active, so that the Brethren helped to rewrite the Anglican Church laws and, in 1549 appointed Johannes

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a Lasco from Poland to the position of superintendent for all foreign Protestants in London, and gave him the handsome Augustinian Church. Johannes Amos Comenius, the last bishop of the Moravian sect, dedicated his chronicles and organization of the Church of the Brethren to King Carl dem Andern and, in a short note to the Church of England, specifically advised the church, and also to his dear mother that the English theologian Bennet, by the order of Kind George the First and his secret council, declared the church to be an evangelical Episcopal church in two sermons which were held and printed in London and Lambeth. They also internalized this affect during their time of need in 1716.

§ VI

A trustworthy account of how this church, which literally disappeared before the eyes of man, was resurrected and appeared in Germany, England, and other countries is to be found in the texts of the Brethren, especially those in the Büdingen Collection. Christian David was the Caleb who led these Children of the Promise (as he liked to call them) to Oberlaufiz. This happened in 1722, approximately one hundred years after the fall of the Moravians. The first were Catholics, or Calixtinians, who had converted to Evangelical religion and were in search of a sanctuary. They were referred and directed by good friends to Count Zinzendorf. After a futile attempt to accommodate them elsewhere, the man, guided by Christian love and charity, could not refuse them

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and did not want to restrict them from settling on his land near Bertholdsdorf. This settlement, below Huthberg, which is on the main road to Prague, finally became the famous town of Herrnhut. The direct descendants of the Moravian Brethren came to Herrnhut between 1724 and 1733 and the population grew very quickly so that, in conjunction with the Bohemian emigration crisis occurring in the same time period, Count Zinzendorf, at obviously great risk to his own person, found it necessary to travel to Moravia in 1726 to speak with the Cardinal Bishop of Olmutz and his Ministerio. Both sides agreed that it would not be a good idea to get involved with the Bohemian converts or to support the agitation of the people in Moravia. However, it was decided that those living in what are known to be old Moravian Brethren villages near Fulneck* , and who wished to leave of their own free will, should be allowed to leave. Both sides agreed to handle the matter peacefully and without the aid of a mediator.

They were thereafter taken into different lands and established congregations in Thur-Sachsen, Brandenburg, Schlessen, Vogtland, on the Rhein, in Holland, England, and Ireland, all of which were recognized by the high officials. It was mostly in America, especially due to the English Brethren, that settlements were established. Settlements were even established among heathens whom no one could take in. According to gossip, some of these missionaries had missions rich in blessings that still failed. The Brethren, predominately at the request of these heathens proceeded to seek and receive the treasure of Episcopal ordination, inherited from their forefathers, from the bishops of the Polish Church of the Brethren.

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So is the story of the origins and progress of the Unity. The Unity had been investigated and was not evicted by any of the Evangelical kings or princes. What is more, they were recognized and accepted on the basis of official tests, often following reprimandable quarrels, in those areas where they settled or where they were known due to only a few encounters.* This was especially true in the English empire, as well as those places where the Brethren settled in large numbers. In 1736 the Archbishop of Canterbury, John Potter, suggested to the trustees of the colony of Georgia that they take some of the Brethren of Herrnhut with them as members of an apostolic and Episcopal community in order to convert the Indians and the Negroes. This community would adhere to all 39 Articles of the English Church. Potter also wrote a beautiful letter congratulating Count Zinzendorf on his Episcopal consecration in 1739, and in this letter he called the Church of the Brethren Sanctam vereque illustrem Cathredram…una cum pura primaevaque fide primaevam etiam Ecclesiae Disciplnam constanter adhuc tuentem. In 1749 the Parliament released a report fueled by their investigation that declared the Church of the Brethren an old, protestant, orthodox church. In addition, they drafted a law for the empire with the full consent of the bishops that clearly outlined what kind of people were permissible under this title.

§ VII

After this historical introduction, we come to the teachings of the Brethren. It is nobly perceived that they regard the Bible as pure in its own state, without modern decoration and, as Paul said,

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without making it more attractive through lies. For there is no other work that can equal or surpass the teachings of the treasure of all treasures, the book of all books, the beginning and the thread of all Theosophy, Theology, Praxis, and the emotion of a child of God. They adopt the Holy Text, in all things and in all intentions, as the only law and guide for the true teaching. While other theologians strive to seek, to find, and to make a lesson or meaning out of these texts, the Brethren take everything [Greek: according to the spoken], so as it is written, so will I read it. What is contained therein is true for them, just as the outer world is true for them. The Brethren believe things that others must find contradictory by their logic, except for by tedious exertion to save the Bible, the Brethren believe.

§ VIII

They then professed an adherence to the unaltered Augsburg Confession which, in the eyes of the Brethren, was in keeping with the Bohemian Confession, to which the Polish Brethren still hold true. The Bohemian Confession was overseen in 1535 by King Ferdinand, and has been approved many times by the Mittenbergers. Everything that the Augsburg Confession refers to as the teaching, which it summarizes in 20 articles and closes with the words, "this is the sum of all our teachings," is also the Thesis and Symbolum doctrinale of the Brethren. They also used the Synod of Bern, especially the first 18 chapters pertaining to Homiletic, as a part of their Methodo dogmatica in preaching, and this without entering the controversy between the two groups and without facing the consequences of this controversy. The Synod of Bern was not a confession but a pastoral instruction. Both of these texts were used in church songs, which sounded almost exactly like the originals.

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§ IX

The old Brethren had the special talent of being prolific writers, mostly preaching about Christianity and the Church. They had material from the New Testament, as well as from the Old Testament, and the words were almost all directly from the Bible. One could find, in each sentence, the words of the Holy Ghost. All of the sermons preached that Jesus Christ was the heart and guiding light of the Holy Scriptures. They spoke of his godliness and humanity, and especially of his status as the sacrificial lamb and as the redeemer through his own blood, by which, and only by which, one can become closer to God, and can and must become blessed and holy. He was the groom of their souls, their all and in all. In their works on salvation they stressed the story of God’s forgiving a poor sinner out of his own sheer goodness. This healing occurred only due to the sinner’s belief in the blood of Jesus and it led to an unending inner connection to Christ, through which one can and should receive the grace of God. God, who did not preserve his own son, but gave him to humanity and to the community of the Holy Ghost, and who gave him to his believers to teach them and lead them in the way of the truth, also gave Jesus to humanity so as to raise them, decorate them, and to soothe them as a mother would.

The old Brethren were even more prolific in their Hymns, which were normally a mixture of sections of both the Old and the New Testament. One can also see examples of this in the Brethren’s Hymnals from the Bohemian Brethren who were in London in 1753. They were the first ones in the reformation of Hymnal Theology. The new Brethren copied the old song texts fairly happily, as one can see in the Augsburg

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Confession and the Synod of Bern hymnals and in other Biblical songs. Their main concern is to sing of the commonness of the cross and the wounds of Jesus, and also of the whole Trinity in the person of Jesus Christ as written in Coloss. II, 9. They also have the trait of never singing a full song, but instead combining whole and half verses from many songs for their Singing Hour. The cantor immediately connects the material to a biblical text, the musicians play the score, and the whole community sings so well that one almost believes they were reading them out of a book. Even the children between the ages of 4 and 12, to the astonishment of outsiders, are so practiced that they often shine brighter than their elders.

§ X

It was already mentioned in § II that the Brethren use the name Unitas Fratrum. They adopted this name, instead of the first name Fratres Legis Christi, Brethren of the Laws of Christ, which had already been introduced by the Brethren in Lititz. This name had been twisted by antagonists. The Redeemer’s request and testament in Joh. XVII, „that they would all be one", his words in Matt. XXIII 8, „You are all one", and Paul‘s description of a community in Ephes. IV convinced them to take the name of Unitas Fratrum. Because they established brotherly relations with all Protestants and finally managed to become united with both Evangelical religions in Poland in the famous Consensa Sendomriensi, the name Unitas Fratrum took on a double meaning and also symbolized Brethren who lived in a union with all Evangelical persons. This has remained the same to this day and was never weakened. The Moravian Brethren, however, first publicly reclaimed their oldest name of Unitas Fratrum when they introduced the following items to the Synod: the three Tropis of the

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Moravian, Lutheran, and Calvinist Churches, a new release of their old sites and polities in the general Synods in which one can actually search for the Unity, and two Summi Theologi from the Lutheran and Reformed Churches.

§ XI

Tropus is the special style and way that a particular group in the Church of the Brethren works to understand and to dispense the knowledge of the godly truth. The Brethren did not wish to be wiser than their forefathers. As it was with them, many people from both Evangelical religions joined with the Brethren and the Brethren kept the different Tropos separate. This was done to avoid a mixing within the community that could lead to an indifference of religion or to a secret sect. The different paths to understanding the truth could manage to avoid each other with unnoted accrual and without much of an uproar, and the stronger would not wish to annihilate the weaker. The Tropi avert the appearance of a dropping away from the religion that one was born and raised in and the hatred that comes of this state. Those who chose to leave the Brethren were treated as children who did not share their parents senses. The decision to separate the Tropi held the door to other Evangelical religions open for them, so that they could return to the places that they came from without a great uproar. All three have the same prestige and rights in the Synodo, and the Tropus which had the most wisdom in it had the most weight at the time.

§ XII

The Synodus is either provincial or general. The former is a meeting

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that is called into session each year by the Senioribus politicis. The collaborators are delegated workers from each community in a province. The Chor-Episcopi and the Senioris politici preside as all of the affairs of each community from the preceding year are discussed and, at the discretion of the provinces, henceforth dealt with.

The Synodus generalis is a meeting that happens every three years and is called into session by the chief secretary of the Unity. Delegates who have been given full authority come from each of the communities which take part in the provincial synods. The Vogts-Hof and the members of the disciples house also attend. the Advocati, the Ordinarii Unitatis, the bishops, and the Administratorum Troporum preside as the ground rules for the whole constitution are closely inspected. The decisions made by the provincial synods are endorsed or improved and the items which pertain directly to individual provinces, communities, Collegium, or to the constitution itself are organized.

Each person who is present has the unrestricted freedom to speak and all are kept under control by the intellect of the community and by the celebratory atmosphere of the meeting. When an item has been thoroughly discussed, the various members either agree silently, or a stance is reached by a majority vote. The presiders review the issue and make a decision. Important items which have been thoroughly debated but for which no clear decision can be made are decided by the outcome of the daily text, to be decided as the Father would have it. While the authority of the Brethren did not mean that they accepted the Synodos as the absolute truth but, due to reasons known well to both sides, they do not wish to be asked about it. It is not only the delegated who are invited as all of the Brethren are very welcome to attend. In addition to attending, they demand to confirm the Synodi.

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§ XIII

Because the Synodus generalis only meets every three years it is represented by the Vogtshof and the disciples house between meetings. These groups are aided by their collateral council, whose members are in uninterrupted communication with the communities, their choirs, and the various departments. These same individuals also hold council days when it is deemed necessary. All of the deputies from the communities who are able to attend without wasting time or defaulting on other responsibilities come to these council days to dispose of the most pressing affairs in the communities or departments. If the situation necessitates it, a deputy of the Synodo, from the bishops, the Senioribus politicis, from the choir presbyters, or, at the least, a Diacono will be sent to see how it is going in the community and it’s choirs. Such Visitationes, which are a reinforcement for the community and it’s workers, happen at least every three years and are at the expense of the Visitatorum or those who send them. It is so, that those who request them freely care for them.

§ XIV

Because certain persons and offices were previously mentioned in this report, we would now like to provide a brief description of them.

An Advocatus, in [English] a reeve who protects and shields, is simply a word, very common in piss causis, that originally meant that kings would be your caregivers and their princesses your wet nurses. In modern times, when used in religions, it does not so much refer to fostering as it does to advising and warning against incompetence, as one does not even share in the theology of the people that one represents. In this way many German, evangelical princes, Advocati Monasteriorum, were responsible not just for their own religion,

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but also for the Catholic religion. In the Ober-Lausitz evangelical estates they were reeves for the Catholic monasteries.

In the old Church of the Brethren Kings Podiebrad and Vladislaus and Kaisers Maximillian II and Rudolph II filled this role. Later, it was filled by pietistic princes in Schlessen and by their successors in the Brandenburg electorate. In Poland, the position was taken by various Palatinates in succession. Because none of the great forces of the earth were looking after the well being of the Brethren after 1699, a new order had to be established. This order must adhere to the requirements of the Matter of the Sovereigns as stated in the Jure publico. This was reserved and preserved specifically for them. At the same time it had to fall within the bounds of a simple syndicate office and, in consideration of the colonial and institutional Etablissemens, a house father office.

At this time Sir Heinrich the XXVII, Count and Lord of Plauen represents this office. He is a direct descendent of the princes of Bohemia and Schleisen who first sheltered the Brethren. Count Christian Renati von Zinzendorf, who refused the candidacy for this office and did not wish to be connected to any businesses of the soul, together with his wife who has an ancestral double right to nurture the church, insisted that his above named son be named the heir to the Ordinario Fratrum. He directs the same in England under the name of Lord Deputy, which is common in such cases. His collateral council is made up of the Seniores politicos and the agents of the Church of the Brethren, especially the chancellor, vice-chancellor and the steward, who looks after the goods.

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§ XV

The castle or house where the Advocatia Fratrum has its archive, where their top officials live, where, customarily, the tri-annual Synodus generalis is held, and from which current business is executed is called the Vogtshof. From 1738 AD until 1747 AD this was located at the Marienborn Castle, then at the fort at Lindheim, both of which are in Wetterau, and later at the castle Zeyst, near Utrecht. In 1749, after the famous Parliament Act of the land of Great Britain, the Vogtshof was brought to the old residence of the Count of Lindsay on the Thames River, about one hour away from London. This was done because Great Britain is where the Unity had most thoroughly established itself, where it had its archive, and from which it could most easily oversee and care for its communities and its missions to the heathens. The Countess von Zinzendorf, whose soul had been awakened, was the actual house mother for the communities, institutions, settlements, and missions, a position to which she was rightfully elevated in 1722 by her lord. Due to this fact, the beloved Sachsen had already been a resting place for returning messengers and rotating workers for 30 years. Hence, most often, it was from this spot that what was best for the Brethren was done.

§ XVI

The Vogtshof is separated from the so-called pilgrims' house, also known as the disciples house, which serves as a hostel and retreat for the disciples of the Lord. The disciples house has a collateral council, which was the original name of the Ordinarii and Advocati Fratrum at that time. The council stems from a long tradition of Lord and Count estates, and has allied itself through espousal with various important estates which established inheritance Nexum[s] with the Church of the Brethren.

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With full consent from the Prussian kings, this arrangement is also accepted by the Vogt and Syndicate of the church, who are now living heads of that same being. It is identified through this quality of all powers that contract with the Church of the Brethren. However, he* does not have the slightest inclination towards any of these arrangements, and it was only the unwillingness of the community to give in and the demands of day to day life that held him up. He is daily awaiting and working toward his freedom. Fifteen years ago, he threw down his name and title, and in the midst of the community he assumed an inconspicuous identity, within which he awaited his calling as much in Evangelical Christendom as among the heathen. He also attended the domestic and internal affairs of the Church of the Brethren, not as the one object of his calling, but as just one piece of it. He had arranged everything, so that he could be absent in the outer part. In tender beloved poverty and lowliness, unnamed and unknown, he could become like his Lord.

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They are presented to the regional and local leaders, to whom settlements of the Brethren and communities are answerable, and their affairs are organized according to their proportions at the disposal of the authorities and the Brethren. They act with the power of a special Privilegii granted by the ecclesiastical court, or the Consistoriis, and with full power of the world council and its decrees. In certain lands that are ruled by law, when a conflict between their incumbency and the law is apparent, they are sent in to simplify their own commission. They are also sent to bring a number of rights and land experts and state accredited legal consultants into their council. This is done to maintain the freedom of belief for the Brethren, without coming into conflict with the regional constitution.

§ XVII

What a bishop is and what a bishops office is can be seen in the epistles of Timothy and Titus: they are inducted in the Synodo generali, where many candidates are nominated and heartily and unanimously selected. They are sanctified in their office, in the congregation of God, given the power to ordain priests, and the keys to bind and to absolve. Everything else that a high attendant or overseer should have is trusted to them, and they are kept in control by their Presbyterium: the collateral council of the elders, the priests, and the Diaconis.

Bishops who have been assigned to whole regions of the world are called Catholici by the Brethren; Lutherans would call it a general superintendent. They are introduced, one in the eastern and the other in the western region of the world, by the Ordinario Fratrum.

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Of these, the Chor Episcopi from the (Greek) area have the responsibility, much as a Diocensani or a land Inspectores is supervisor of their province, to divinely direct the family of God in their region. A family of God is understood to be one, two, or even more house fathers with their children and domestics who, in this last sorrowful time have taken it upon themselves to serve the Lord in the event of an apostasy. They remain in their regions and homelands as long as they are able. When it is clear that it is no longer possible, they will be come pilgrims of the earth and will move to the communities of the Brethren. They will only receive an Episcopal order to do so when this is necessary, and never sooner.

Bishops who have been released from the responsibilities of their office due to age, disease, or other handicaps are called Emeriti, or, old bishops.

They are called honorable, beloved Brother by their people and do not receive a salary. If they cannot provide for themselves then their most basic necessities will be provided for. This amount will not surmount the needs of any other Ordinarius loci, a supervising preacher, Liturgus or pastor from the community, and his Diaconus, or, helper.

§ XIX

Like Lutheran or Reformed clergyman, they do not have any special vestments. If the community demands it, they wear black, but they do not wear collars. The bishops are not to be distinguished except that they wear their own hair and that they customarily, but not by rule, wear a violet cap to cover their head. At ordinations they wear a white robe with a red sash. However, because the Consecrator at each Evening Service wears the same, one cannot call this the Episcopal vestments.

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The white choir robes have been worn in Lutheran lands for quite some time. The Moravian Brethren, who have never wanted to show off, found something respectable and comfortable about these robes. Because their teachers were in the habit of wearing ordinary clothing, they took up this manner of dress which was commonplace church attire near Bertholdsdorf. This was done in the most respectful way, and in that way which was most appropriate to the goal, in a celebratory meeting. Because they do not all wear black clothing, and because even fewer wear the pastoral robes, they bind their robes with a white or a red sash. This symbolizes Christ's appearance in a golden sash in Revelations 1:13. He had wrapped the community around him like a decoration. In his community, the justice of his blood is in the sash on his girth.

§ XX

Those individuals who comprise the collateral council of the disciples house, the bishops and the Ordinarii of each settlement are called the Presbyteri, or, the Elders. They must have the years and the experience to organize the internal order of the community in choirs and classes, with the best for each individual in mind. One can have the most important office of all, and still not belong to this Collegio.

An Economy is the servant of God, who has had the way of the path of the Lord in sight since the beginning when the land where the economy was established was settled. The economy knows the ways of the Lord, and takes every opportunity to take a vote in the land, and when it is negative or decisive, then we accept the counsel and what is decided against is left undone. Such persons [Economy] are not put in place by people, does not need outer or clerical consecration, but they are recognized by their preparation by the Holy Spirit, and its evidence is in their soul and their power. The Economy's experience and its evidence is warmly recognized by the congregation and its workers.

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The main role of the Economy is to protect the separation of the Brethren from the religion of the land, to stand against the encroachment of the common and bad places, and to ensure that the Diaspora* the children of God, who are connected in one soul to the Church of the Brethren do not cease and do not lose themselves in a visible body, which one calls the common places, or small villages. To this end, using all of its credit, an Oeconomus is created to provide for protection, teaching, and nourishing in the land where it is located. It is loved by everyone and recognized as righteous. The main goal is to forego upsetting the awakening souls in the Diaspora and to let them live quietly and still in their lands and towns, and let them honestly nurture themselves.

§ XXI

The ordinationes in the Church of the Brethren happen at the end of the Synodi, using the customary church litany, after specially enunciated intercessions for the office, and usually after a speech of Consecratoris presented by those in the office. A laying on of hands takes place, and prayers and blessings are directed towards those being ordained. The bishops are usually ordained by three of their peers. The Chor Episcopo can ordain a Catholicus together with a Chor-Episcopo. The Seniores politici are consecrated by the bishops, the Ordinarii from the Chor Episcopis, the Diaconi of a bishop and the Archi-Diaconi, who is always a minister.

However, they also have Diaconissas, of the female gender, who care for outer order and propriety, just as the Diaconi care for their own. These same are not only consecrated,

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they are supported in their work by the oldest of their gender. This is because the apostle Paul declared the Jewish degradation of the female gender to be repealed.

Besides the ordinations, the Litany also provides for the acceptance of such persons who have set their minds to working for God in their community but who do not hold an office. The call of the Holy Ghost to worker’s minds (as the Church of England calls it), as well as their competence and loyalty is tested before the service they are offering is accepted in front of the congregation and sealed with a handshake. This is an announcement of what appears to be a self-initiating yet humble willingness and readiness to act at the slightest beck. Such persons were already called Aculuthi in the old Church of the Brethren, (from [Greek], to follow) and would have some similarities to the proponents in the Reformed Church and the candidates in the Lutheran Church. It is, however the acceptance which carefully distinguishes them.

§ XXII

The canon law of the church, which is demanded as a necessity in the Canonibus of all churches, is at this time not fully integrated into the Unity. The Ordinarius Fratrum holds to the short concept which the Redeemer gave in Matt. XVIII as the best rule for founding a church. They have been, however, since then, not to be changed. The established form for founding a canon rests on many different rules which are, in all cases, precedents. This is so that they will not apply anything out of insufficient notice of all circumstances of a case, either elusive or unjust, or without the Spirit. Under this law, every Ordinarius loci, with the help of his Presbyteri, observes his congregation,

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lands, and affairs and enacts the order and canon which best fits the congregation. This order and canon is used as a force to better the community, but it has a second function which is to protect the community from misuse of the freedom of Christianity and the large amount of freedom of belief within that, as well as to protect them from the anger of those who are outsiders. Yet all this is done with caution, so that they do not do anything aggravating. To this end, they have decided from the beginning that all matters dealing only with the soul, whether one is naturally drawn towards good or whether one must be forced into doing good, he is not yet fully aware of his faults or of the value of the thing and this affects his actions. Nothing will be expected of him, which he does not already possess. Within the community, especially through the organization of the choirs, all that is possible to prevent one from straying is done. If, however, someone should stray in the matters that the worldly officials do not care about, he will fall, according to the circumstances and his own personal mindset, in a shallow or a deep hole, so that they will be able to guide him to wellness, honestly and thoroughly. Seducers will always be sent out of the community, following the guidelines of their litany: All seducers should be removed from your people! Bring all of the errant and seduced back into the fold! This is perhaps where the contradictory reports came from, which say that some of the laws ( of which none equal the harshness of the old Canonum) are harsh and sharp. In the case of seducers, this is not a lie. The manner of dealing with the errant and the seduced, which are not prohibited but conserved and healed, has caused those with the office of sheparding the souls to be accused of being too lax and mild, especially in certain towns where the officials did not know to deal with secular problems in this way.

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§ XXIII

As far as how the external church structure is different from others is concerned, that should be enough. In Vita communi, or in the secular life and house the society is pastoral and moral. They avoid all complications, choosing instead to live as simple, honest folk with the deed which is recognized in the hearts of all humans. They would like to be distinguished from others as rather remarkable due to this way of life.

In most of their congregations and settlements, established far from other cities and towns, they have a community court that is under the direction of the Senioris politici. The court is a sub-court established to ease the job of the Collegiis of the local lord. It is made up of the most acceptable and judicious residents of the community who arrange, judge, and, without process, reconcile all that pertains to secular life, handling, and advancement.

These same people, together with the artesian or guild masters, make sure that each artesian receives work, that everyone is doing something efficient, that no one is getting in the way of another, and that no one is endangering the entire handling system with prices that are too high or too low. The apprentices, after being tested for some time, are inducted into the community court at a monthly artisan conference. If they have learned their skill thoroughly, they will be absolved without rambling customs. The single members will live in their choir houses and will work there, when the artisans allow it. They will have the apprentices in their choir house to supervise.

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§ XXIV

To care for different needs of the community, the Brethren have Diaconos and Diaconissas, whose function is the same as the Diaconi, described in section XXI. Because it is necessary to care for the housing of their workers, it is done so out of the funds provided by a donated tax paid by the congregation members. When there was not enough, then they fell back occasionally upon the Vogtshof and the family of Count Zinzendorf. For certain small items they charged the inhabitants a tariff, just like in other communities. Examples are the candle fund for the chapel and tables, the fountain fund, the watch money, and the fund for vagabonds, so that they do not have to beg door to door for money.

They have caretakers for alms who use money from the donations in the poor fund to bring help to the elderly or to families in desperate need. The sick and the poor who are unable to help themselves, who are single, and the widows and widowers, are taken care of by their respective choir houses, just as the poor children and orphans are taken care of in their home.

On the whole, this business has been effectively dealt with since 1722 without ever coming to a final agreement on its deputation. There have been no beggars or debtors in their society. In terms of the particulars of the system, one can be certain that the left does not know what the right does.

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The women do not have any required dress code. However, since the traditional clothing in and around Herrnhut was simple and noble, decent and comfortable the first common women who came here took up this manner of dress. The ladies then did so as well, although unwillingly at first, so as to not be distinguishable from the others. Because their headdresses require bands to hold the bonnet closed, the different choirs and ages are distinguished by the color of the band. The children wear green or red choir bands, the single women wear white and red or rose red bands, depending on their age, the wives wear blue bands, and the widows wear white choir bands. The pregnant or nursing women show their condition by wearing a longer brown robe fitting to their leisureliness, as opposed to the ordinary, multicolored nightgown.

§ XXVI

The Brethren do not have rules for wills and inheritances that would interfere with the general flow of things. Nothing hinders the execution of the will in either the local rules or in the statues of the land where they live. In fact, very few of them had official wills, but preferred to leave their wishes to the surviving members to interpret. This practice was often disapproved of, especially because of out of town relatives who usually took the opportunity to do the opposite of what was wished. He who goes out of time [dies] while living in a choir house and leaves

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behind no known friends, will often think of his house in his will, as this will also help pay his debts and fees resulting from his death. Otherwise, the wife inherits from the husband, the children from the parents, and vice versa.

§ XXVII

Another characteristic of the Brethren is that, wherever they settle, they stipulate a freedom from oaths and the carrying of weapons. Many of them have misgivings about abandoning this or that adjuration. That the original Moravians did not want to go to war is, in and of itself, good. They separated themselves from not only the Hussites, who were good soldiers, but also from the Waldenses of that time and chose to live a quiet, peaceful life and do the best for the city into which they had brought the Lord. They did this by following the most sensible path according to their knowledge and without further guidance. Their leaders dispensed judgment, with scrupulous consciences, and accept promises as just as worthy as, or indeed better than, the normal oaths, better than kissing a book or a salute with a hand. The Duke of Argyle, in a beautiful speech that he gave in support of the Act of the Brethren in the Upper House of the Parliament of Great Britain, so thoroughly did [supported the Act], as it suited and was deserved by the highest judge in Scotland. They are completely free of any obligation to bear arms or of valuation, partially due to their consciences and the incapacity that arises from it. This freedom is also partially due to the usefulness of their artisans. Sometimes, a personal contribution to the protection of the region is given in the form of an equivalent sum of money.

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§ XVIII

In the public worship service the congregations use a canon that is different from other canons, but they have a liturgy that does not vary much among the congregations themselves. Just as one finds different rituals in the Catholic community and different agendas in all of the Evangelical religions, there are variations between the congregations of the Brethren as well.

Their ceremonies and customs are partially the same as the old church, or, at the very least, they do not contradict it. In some cases, out of fear that the service would seem too similar to a Catholic mass, the old Brethren made their services too refined and strayed too far from a liturgical base. The current Brethren have changed this by making it a central tenet of their agenda: One should forever continue to change and improve things that are in need of improvement. Every Ordinarius can do so temporarily, within his own congregation. Only the Synodus can permanently change it for the entire church. Even so, the congregations cannot be forced into performing all ceremonies in exactly the same way. Each congregation is dependent upon the situation in the region where they live, yet they willingly try, as much as possible, to match their actions to those of the rest of the church.

Those teachers who have been assigned to perform the public worship services do so in a church, chapel, prayer house, or a hall, just as is done in other Evangelical denominations, but simpler. Services are held on Sunday mornings and afternoons, and once on the rest of the days, or numerous times, depending on the settlement and the needs of the different community houses. In the disciples house, it is customary to have services five times a day: a blessing in the early morning, a reading at mid-day, a daily liturgy service in the winter at dusk, when a candle is lit, an hour of song at eight in the evening, and the evening blessing between ten and eleven at night.

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§ XXIX

The morning blessing is customarily held by each housefather with his own family, and is held in every choir house communally. Each choir holds the evening blessing separately, but all choirs celebrate at the same appointed time.

The daily liturgy is only held in certain places. It is held at mid-day in the summer, and in the fall and winter, at the time that separates day and night. The service in the disciple’s house is sung from the Common Prayer or the Liturgy booklet (a collection of different church prayers, litanies, hymns, and collections). On Sunday, the "Litany of the Life and Sufferings of Jesus" is sung and, on the following days, the Te Deum laudamus, the Te Jehova, and the Te Abba are rotated through. Wednesdays are called the Disciples Days because the mail from other congregations is opened, just as it is opened on the monthly Congregation Day. The Liturgy of the Trinity or a combination of special prayers to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost is sung on Wednesdays. On Fridays, the Passion Vesper is sung, usually accompanied by the Hymn "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden." On Saturday the Liturgy of the Church of God is sung.

The Kyrie Eleison, or the Litany of the Churches, is prayed on Sunday morning and on every Congregation Day in each community. The upper and lower official of every congregation are prayed for by name. A prayer is said for everyone, and for all the congregations of the Brethren and for Christendom as a whole. In addition to these prayers, the Prayers of the People are offered. Individuals who feel called to do so offer these prayers day and night, without a pause. This is called the Church or Prayer Watch, and each individual turn, the Prayer Hour.

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The evening service is a collaboration of the congregation. The teacher sings about a biblical text using all manner of songs gathered from the material at hand. The congregation sings along without the aid of books. They call this the Singing Service and hold it in high regard. It is better heard than described. Because the Bohemians are born musicians, and also to enhance harmony and drown out the occasional grating voice, there is no lack of well-played accompaniment on certain festival days, often comprised of an organ, violins, and horns. These are the instruments which God himself introduced in the Old Testament. The musicians dutifully and carefully play the simple melodies and do not stray towards embellishment, except in a few festival canons. No one could hear the music and consider it worldly. If anyone should consider it so, then it must be a spiritual hypochondriac, a spiritually proud soul, or a congregation that lives in a region where all ceremonies, even the simplest and most necessary are contested.

§ XXX

The Brethren celebrate the church holidays that appear in all of Christendom after the fashion of the region in which they live. In their celebrations, they are filled with grateful remembrance and with copious gratitude for the grace given to humankind. Those holidays which are celebrated in other Christian churches, depending on the region and denomination, as the festivals of Encaenia, or the sanctification of the church, the Apostle and Patron Saint days, the reformation festivals, and other such memorial days correspond to the Brethrens’ twelfth of May, thirteenth of August, sixteenth of September, thirteenth of November, and so on. Such festivals are usually celebrated with a short memorial

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to the occasion of the holiday and a prayer of Thanksgiving. If the daily text deals with an especially important piece of the Holy Truth, then the day will be called a Day of Teaching. If the text pertains specifically to one of the choirs, then the day will be called a Choir Day. One day a month is set aside to publicly read the messages that have been received from all the other congregations, settlements, and missions to the heathens. These messages are otherwise dispensed from the disciples’ house. This day of messages is called the Congregation Day and is usually held on the Monday after the Last Supper. At the end of this day the choirs recite the Congregation Day Pericope. The Pericope is a prophecy of the status of the congregations in the new league. The individuals who are requesting the care of the congregation cannot be denied and, after their declarations of such intent are delivered, they are received into the congregation with the Kiss of Peace. They, the community, and all of the scattered children of God are recommended to their Lord in a kneeling prayer. This Reception does not bind anyone to the church, but is instead assurance on the part of the congregation that they will, according to the heartfelt request and expectation of the received, take more care in looking after these individuals. The congregation will do everything it can, without damaging itself, to bring the received into the care, promise, and blessing of the Economy of the time. As soon as it is appropriate, the received will be admitted to the community of the body and blood of the Lord.

§ XXXI

The Holy Baptism is the bath of rebirth and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, the sign of one’s connection to and blessing by the Lord, and the sign of one’s attribution of all good things to God. As in other Evangelical churches, the Brethren perform these baptisms in public gathering places near the community, particularly with children. In emergencies, the baptism can be performed at the home of the mother. After all the children who are present have been examined on the passages related to the Holy Baptism and after some appropriate

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arrangements have been sung, each child is held by its’ godparents as water is liberally poured over the child’s heart. The water is poured three times from a basin and the child is then baptized in Jesus’ death, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Some of the congregation laborers lay their hands on the head of the child, as do the godparents, if the parents have selected any.

The Exorcismus, which one does not need for children unless someone specifically requests it, is usually used in adult baptisms, and is always used in the baptism of heathens. Thereupon they are baptized under the same words as the children, but they kneel before the basin and water is poured three times over their heads, covering their entire bodies. After receiving the church blessings, they prostrate themselves before the league of God to thank him for the grace they have received. They are then raised up by congregation laborers or their godparents, or by laborers from their own nation, in the case of the heathens, given the Kiss of Peace, and are ushered into a room for quietude.

Those Negroes who were baptized in their childhoods by Catholic Missionariis are accepted into the congregation if they ask the Brethren for their care. When a set of parents is not baptized and their parenting skills cannot be spoken for, children are not baptized directly after their birth. If the parents request it, the children will be blessed with a prayer. Each child who was not baptized during its tender innocence is denied participation in the sacraments of the Brethren until it has acquired the necessary inner capabilities and has grown to a certain maturity and understanding. They do not consider it

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necessary to give a public declaration of one’s beliefs before being baptized, if one has undergone sufficient lessons and private testing of the state of one’s heart. Such a requirement would distract the soul of the one being baptized from the main point of the baptism. In addition, it is known that these declarations are only learned answers which attest to nothing more than a good memory and which do not even offer proof of a healthy Judicium, much less a healthy heart.

§ XXXII

The Brethren hold the holy act of celebrating the Last Supper, when the body of Jesus is savored and his blood is drunk, in a public gathering place. Only when a person is ill is communion celebrated in a home. The celebration usually occurs each month either on Saturday or on Sunday, according to the habit of the community, and is held at midday or, preferably, in the evening. The entire congregation celebrates on the same day and an effort is made to see that as many congregations as possible celebrate on this day. Afterward, every communicant is spoken to by a servant of the church or reveals the status of their hearts through writings.

The process for this celebration is as follows:

Directly following the open general announcements and absolutions

The consecration of the bread with the appointed words and

The breaking of the bread. (*) The Brothers are served by a priest and by the Diaconum, while the Sisters are served by a priest and by the Diaconisse. The Diaconus passes the priest a piece of blessed bread out of a basket and the priest breaks the bread into two pieces. During the dispensation the Consecrator begins the Hymnum: O dass

(*) In their chapels, the Ordinarus Fratrum usually performs the consecration after the distribution in order to erase the qualms of those of a tender conscience.

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sich JESU treues Weib, die Creuz, Gemeine, mit dem Leibe der für sie abgechlachten Lieb in diesem Augenblick begrueb! [Oh that Jesus’ loyal wife, the congregation, has buried the cross along with the body that he sacrificed for them!]

1. After everyone has received his part, the communal consumption takes place in one moment after the following words are spoken: Das thut zu meinem Gedaechtniss! [Do this in remembrance of me] The response that follows these words is Gemeine, zittre heiliglich, der Tod des Lamms durchgehet dich! [Congregants, tremble, for the death of the Lamb passes through you!]. During this time, the congregation is kneeling or lying on their face, which is known as Prostratio, or the adoration. This practice is also common on other occasions.
2. After they have returned to their feet the congregation shares the Kiss of Peace, with the words Das unbeflekte Passah-Fleisch, das mach dir Leib und Seele Feuscht! [The untarnished Passover Lamb (flesh) renders your body and soul moist.]
3. Then a liturgy that is indescribable is sung about the body of Jesus.
4. Following the Liturgy, a Testament to his blood is begun, usually with the verse Da man hatt zur Vesper-Zeit die Schaecher zerbrochen, ward Jesus in seine Seit mit einem Speer gestochen: daraus Blut und Wasser rann. [As one had broken the accused by dusk, Jesus was pierced in the side with a spear. Blood and water ran out.] The goblet is consecrated with the appropriate words and is given to the oldest present and
5. With the assistance of the Diaconen the goblet is passed from one neighbor to another as a liturgy of passion songs about the holy blood is sung.
6. In conclusion a decorous response consisting of the Kiss of Peace and blessing is accorded from one neighbor to another and
7. The candidates, when there are such, for admittance to the Holy Sacraments are confirmed.

§ XXXIII

The brethren believe that the Savior introduced the Pedilavio, or the foot washing, via the Testament, not just as an act of an act of love and worship, but also as a way to clean one’s soul.
(*) However, they only perform this ceremony in congregations that are fully equipped. All communicants take part. It is not performed at every communion, but on Maundy Thursday and at other times when necessary. First, a speech is given explaining the use and purpose of this action. Then, a collective response prepared especially for the occasion from John 13 is sung along with many song verses. During this time, the priests lay the hands of absolution on the populace. Approximately twelve laborers who have been assigned to wash feet begin to wash the feet of the same number of Brethren. The feet are dried with a towel, and the

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the wash is complete with kiss. The priest performs the Liturgy and repeats the appropriate responses for each row. In the same manner, the eldest or the Diaconess, in the presence of a priest who reads the Liturgy, performs this ritual for the Sisters.

§ XXXIV

The Brethren hold Agapes, or Love Feasts, at various opportunities just as it was done in the first church. These feasts are, in fact, nothing more than very moderate meals. These meals are meant to cheer and fill the community with the Spirit, not to be used as excuses for gorging on food. Even so they are generally larger and more generous than the typical family meal. In order that they do not degenerate into either embarrassingly meager or frustratingly wasteful occasions, the type of food and drink, namely bread and tea, is stipulated. In addition, regulated communities bake the bread with extra diligence to distinguish it from other breads. There are, however

1. Love Feasts held on different occasions that do not have any other specific time.
2. House Love Feasts when the head of a house that is of a generous nature organizes a simultaneous Agape for all of the house members on certain days such as the Sabbath or on Sundays instead of the normal meal. Such heads of house do not begrudge their people a few hours of festivities.
3. Festival and church Love Feasts are held for example on Maundy Thursday, Char Friday, important Sabbaths, memorial days, and before or after the Holy Communion. At these communions, the Brethren usually have wine and water. Because certain individuals from other churches

§ XXXV

During the daily meetings the holy text is read and discussed. The Brethren use the translation that is most often used in the region where they reside. They await, almost child like, a more developed compilation comprised of many different Bible translations, some of which are well-advised versions. The Brethren have received Bibles in many different languages. They eagerly and diligently read the Bible, openly and in private, and some of them are so well versed in its contents that they have almost memorized whole parts of it.

For a speech or sermon, they usually combine specific verses from the Bible with explanatory passages from the songbook. This they call the application and text. These applications are daily words of encouragement, mostly from the Old Testament, with memorial passages, promises, warnings, punishments and comforts. These began in 1729 A.D. The texts are words to teach and to warn, mostly taken out of the New Testament. They began in 1736 A.D. with the speech of the Savior. Following that, the description of the Savior, called the Lamb of God, from the mouths of the Prophets and Apostles, his description of his own character, and annotations from other writings were used. These texts, like some of the applications, were repeated in various years. Out of these texts came such daily texts as the Ethica Sacra, or biblical ethics, the Liturgia Biblica, or the texts which are spiritually near God in their especially merciful actions toward and revelations to his people, in both the old and new covenant. In addition, the biblical name of the Savior

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and of his bride, the Church are explained.

Three years worth of texts from the five books of Moses, Joshua and Judges up to Samuel, in their natural order, had not yet appeared in the applications. It is assumed that this will be continued throughout the entire Old Testament. Finally, the texts from the independent truth, the Holy Ghost. Applications for children have begun to be created from old and new church songs, short prayers, and collections for use by the institution.

§ XXXVI

The word institution, which was probably preferred by the fore-fathers because it was meant to render the word pia cause obsolete, is usually used by the Brethren to indicate a school or a meeting of children who live, learn, sleep, and are saved together. The term orphanage, which also carried a rather unsavory perception, was completely eradicated by the Brethren. The real orphans are brought among the poor children, among the children of laborers and messengers who are waking the spirits of heathens or residents of other towns, or who are working and cannot have their children with them nor raise them, and among children from outlying areas. All of the children are raised together in the institutions and Paedagaogiis.

The Brethren have already decided many times, and have also made it well known, that they, due to many different circumstances, wished to cease accepting children from other towns, especially children for whose education they are not directly responsible. They have, through indemnities and other methods, made it as difficult as possible for parents, yet they have not been able to dissuade everyone. The strong pressure and forlorn pleas of the parents is the

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strongest proof from outside sources that the Brethren must have developed a very strong constitution within these schools which one cannot easily find fault in. Especially noteworthy is that, in their Paedegogiis, young men from the families of counts, lords, and burghers, both native and foreign, are taught so much in all kinds of necessary and useful sciences that they could even do without the academies. We cannot and do not want to say more about the institutions, especially about their internal, personal constitutions. Such revelations do not serve to clarify the situation, nor are they comfortable for the leaders of the institutions. These leaders are not so much understood by outsiders as they are admired and observed in an attempt to copy them.

§ XXXVII

When those who have devoted themselves to knowledge finish their Studia, do not want to enter the university, and are not required at home, they enter the academy. After three years of studying there, they enter the Seminarium of the Brethren, which has grown to over three hundred members since its beginning in 1730 A.D. Various Moravian Brothers, over one hundred Lutheran candidates from approximately fifteen academies, and several fifties of Anglican and other Reformed believers make up the membership. Some of them, after years of loyal service, are already retired, while others of them still hold offices. More still are being prepared by the Seminarium for positions within the church. They study mostly Theology, in a more practical and homiletic style than systematically, as well as the old languages and church history, all under the guidance of a Decani and his helpers. They search their own hearts and discover their callings, waking it from within themselves. They are called to become either preceptors and

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catechumen in other Evangelical churches, or to fulfill roles within the Church of the Brethren, or to become missionaries of all kinds.

§ XXXVIII

The heathen missions are a simple execution of the decision made by the Brethren in the 1600s, after they received Luther’s heartfelt admonition that they should not confine themselves to Bohemia, but should instead learn other languages in order to convert the heathens.

In most locations, the Brethren were summoned by either the heathens themselves, or by the ruling body of the land in which the mission lays. Because the latter was usually due to some ulterior motives that the Brethren could not fulfill, they generally preferred to be allowed to come rather than to be induced. A messenger to the heathens is not elected. When a Synodus requires one or more messengers, the Brothers who have a calling to be messengers volunteer to be sent. A committee assesses their work and capabilities, dispatches them to their posts, and sends deputies to check on their status. If there is an established community in the area, then an Elder is sent to visit the mission. If need be, the messenger will be called back. These messengers are humble people whose coming and goings among the heathens do not cause a sensation. They respond better to the difficulties of such a lifestyle than most tender, educated folk and are more willing to work for their own subsistence. They do not push the ideas of those who sent them, but are patient and diligent when they have to wait a long time for the heathens to convert, or even when they, having been unsuccessful, must depart. From the beginning, the promise of a large conversion of heathens has not been rewarded; rather, the importance has been placed on achieving first conversions of depth. When they achieve this goal, they are even more thankful and are careful to make sure that the converted heathens are

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brought to a place as far away from other Christians and heathens as possible in order to protect them from vexation. Due to conditions which have proven painful many times over and which are quite urgent, they do not offer very much information about their blessings except for presenting themselves. They hope to protect their seeds from being trampled by the enemy. They do not give out much, if any, information about their blessings, except for the blessing itself. They have made twenty five attempts in all parts of the world to announce the gospel to people who have not yet heard the word, or to those who no longer remember it. They have crossed the waters some thousands of times, sent almost three hundred people to perform this duty, and brought almost five thousand souls to the gospel. In this process, up to one hundred of these saints have been buried on foreign land, their bones nurturing the lands where they lay.

§ XXXIX

After we have described the canon law, public worship services, and institutes of the Unity, one would expect to hear something of the inner workings of the fully equipped communities. In order to grant the care promised in the reception of individuals into the community in an orderly, careful manner, in keeping with the best interests of the members, the group is divided not only into two different sexes, but also by degrees and age. Each group has its own Elders, caregivers, and laborers. These divisions are called choirs, in the same sense as the round dances in the Old Testament. The single members live separately from the families in large houses that have been adapted to this use. These houses are called choir houses. The younger or single Brothers have such a house, and their neighbors are the widowers. At a seemly distance from them is the house for the younger or single Sisters and, not very far from them, is the choir house for the widows.

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The members live, pray, and work for themselves in these houses, and raise young boys or, in the women’s’ houses, young girls, who no longer live in the houses belonging to the institute. The underage members are called big boys or lads in the single Brothers’ house, and big girls or little spinsters in the single Sisters` house. Those of age are referred to as fathers, matrons, old fathers, and old mothers. In the married choirs, the women are referred to as the pregnant ladies, or the nursing ladies, and the children in their choir, the sucklings and arm children (those are the children that are still carried about in the arms of an older member.)

A speech that is especially pertinent to one of the main choirs is called a choir homily and is a hymn and a Liturgy for the choir, usually held one right after the other on a Sunday afternoon. If the text of the day pertains especially to a certain choir, then the day is known as a choir day and is simultaneously a day of memorial and a choir fest day.

The choirs are governed according to certain ground rules that have been drafted according to God’s word and according to the many experiences gathered in their own and in other Christian canonical laws. This is called the choir plan and the laborers assigned by the priests or caretakers, otherwise known as Elders, carry it out among their own sexes and degrees. The choir servants provide for order in the households, under the direction of a Diaconi or a director.

As is common in churches and chapels, the cornerstone of the choir houses are laid in ceremonies filled with prayers and chanting by all of the choirs. When it is completed, a

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special feast of thanksgiving with Agapes, prayers, and words of thanks is held to inaugurate and orient the stone. Such a house must be built in a regular and simple way and it must not have any dark corners, no parlors, no meeting halls, and no dining rooms, unless they are enclosed, and they should not be lit at night. It is not so in the corridors and on the stairs, where lamps should burn the whole night through. Especially in the bedrooms, which have been blessed, lights are kept burning and a rotating watch is held in order to prevent involuntary indecorum which would cause a disturbance and invite disorder. They believe that, according to the rules of the Apostles (I Cor. 10:31. Coloss. 3:17), one must not only eat and drink in the name and succession of Jesus, but must also be able to sleep.

§ XL

The care of the choir expresses itself primarily in the bands. In the beginning, the small societies that should have lifted and prevented the recognized estrangement between families and minds among the first residents of Herrnhut were called bands in the same sense as love has been called the Band of Perfection. The opponents of the term band objected to its plural, bands, because this generally refers to binding and forcing, and is so directly linked to the hated opposite. They tried to make it ridiculous by linking it to the idea of a band, or gang. Instead of this term, the groups were called by the clumsy term, associations. These associations rarely consist of more than ten individuals of the same sex and degree whom, according to the condition of their souls, separate themselves to the best of their abilities into groups of equals with thoughts to their daily activities. Those who do not possess the ability to decide for themselves are assigned by church laborers, with all of the wisdom

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lent by God, to friends and trustworthy souls who, according to the newest friendship rules, meet with them daily or at select times to speak openly and amicably. A laborer is usually present at these times. The individuals have all the freedom to discover their own souls, to complain about their plights, and to expect admonition or comfort from each other.

The associations that are not divided by different states of the soul, but rather by specific internal constitutions stemming from external degrees are called the classes of the choirs.

The associations, in particular the bands, are rotated from time to time according to their inner purposes. This is done in order that no friendships which are too close or exclusive societies of souls arise from these associations while others do not remain estranged from each other, and so that the message of the testament of John 17, that they are all one, is spread until it is manifested in each person. In addition, daily visits are sometimes arranged so that the members of the choirs, and thus the Brethren within them, can gather a few times a year to thoroughly visit with each other and thus retain friendly and hearty connections among them. The women have their own meetings. In this manner, it is sometimes arranged so that a married pair and a single person read the daily applications in their respective houses. This has also been referred to as greeting the day with the name of the Savior.

§ XLI

The Brothers and Sisters are periodically taken aside by the laborers in their choirs for a time of

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counseling. The married members are interviewed together by a husband and wife who have attained at least the degree of Diaconen. This is what they call the Speaking. The Speaking takes place before communion is celebrated, in part to rid the soul of certain things that would bring shame and stupidity upon one, and in part to prevent communion, which is held often, from simply becoming habitual. More than one of these conferences usually takes place at the same time, occasionally even in the same place. They are not to be confused with Confession, as the form, intent, and use is quite different. They do not have anything against the private Confession, which is in accordance with the Creed of Augsburg, and they are dedicated to regarding the Sigillum Confessionis as sacred and holy.

§ XLII

It is during the annual choir festival that members are moved from the adolescent choirs to others, where they fit according to degree and age. This is done with the blessing of the choirs. The members leave the choir houses due to the blessed call home, or when they are scattered abroad and sent to other communities, or marry. This planting of members has not happened, except in the settlements, in many years, to the detriment of the choirs, due to the fact that they wished to wait in accordance with the advice of Paul (I Cor. 7). The advice was to wait out a particularly angry persecution until the congregations were wiser and more securely united.

The matrimonial institute of the burghers that is practiced in the outside world is the same as is used in the communities of the Brethren. The entry into matrimony and its process follows the first and strongest intentions of the congregations. The members are not

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forced into arranged marriages and he who says so is either completely false, supposes things for which he has no proof, or was falsely informed. It is, quite naturally, not to be suffered by the Brethren that single members of the opposite sex meet secretly, without the knowledge of their parents and friends, and discuss marriage. However, if a Brother does not insist upon having a helpmate, his parents and friends, or one of his laborers, will cause a change in his position, work, and other private and public circumstances and will take note of as many acceptable Sisters as possible. When one or another of these Sisters freely accepts the proposal after careful deliberation and in front of witnesses, and if she does not change her mind, then they will be married after a set amount of time. They will be married in a church, chapel, hall, or in the rooms of a priest, as is customary in the land where they reside. The service will be performed by a priest of their church in the name of the Holy Trinity, of God, and of his community. In Herrnhut and England the service was sometimes performed by a holy man from another church after the fashion of his own denomination. The Brethren were especially fond of services performed by a public official, as often happened in Holland, but this was only possible in places where the leaders had specifically declared it possible, after being asked three times, which within the Brethren communities, due to the circumstances, has no purpose in and of itself.

§ XLIII

Living together and conducting a married life occurs with complete freedom, due to the ground rules that Jesus and Paul laid down for a Christian marriage. In some circumstances they are so fair and becoming and so clearly stated that they can make it easy for the soul and body of a being who is restless become useful, it can make things clearer. People who possess enough comprehension and ability, which is actually a part

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of each test, are not tested in their conduct as a married couple, but they are given something special to work with. Those who suffer from a real confusion of the soul or from a crisis of love are required to attend counseling for married couples and take a part in the healing, as far as it is possible for humans to do so. The difference is that both members of the married couple speak with each other, neither side brings complaints against the other and causes adjudication to be necessary.

There are those who are born and raised among the Brethren, but who have not seen or heard the word, those who have unknowingly entered into the foulness of the world. The Brethren want to take these heathens and raise them according to the Bible, and in the ways of Jesus. They do not wish to deny them proper teaching and care, so they persevere through detours and injuries an attempt to refrain from damaging the process. These individuals are treated as if they were princes and princesses.

§ XLIV

The Brethren consider procreation to be the holiest and most important act of the human life and they study it as a kind of practical wisdom that God created and after the likeness of Jesus’ heart. They consider the slightest neglect or disrespect of it a deadly sin. When the Sisters discover that they are pregnant, they tell their Elderess and don the brown dress that signifies that kind of prosperity. Even though they know that the fruit of their body, like all

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others, is a sinful child which must first be born from the soul (John 3: 5.6), they still bear it in such reverence and sanctification in alteration before God (Gen. 5: 22) that, as much as possible, all barriers should be removed that hinder both mother and child from being filled with the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:41) They are brought to bear on the child through prayers, which is a respectable act that belongs in the reign of Jesus. The birth happens in the presence of a few respectable women. After a heartfelt prayer, the women instruct the mother in how to nurse the child in a respectable, careful way that is best for the mothers and the children. If they are physically not able to nurse their child, then the child is raised without it, rather than trust a strange and untested person with the task.

§ XLV

There are young children who cannot, for whatever reason, be cared for by their parents, for example, if one of the heathen goes out of time [dies], if they are missionaries among the heathens, or if they are posted elsewhere and must neglect themselves and their children. Sometimes they are so poor that one has to make things easier for them, or they simply cannot fulfill their biggest duty due to a lack of skills and have honestly searched for someone else to take their young children. These children are brought into the nursery* and are raised there until they reach a certain age. They are cared for by widows and young girls who are specially trained to raise the children carefully and saintly, under the supervision of a Presbyteri and his wife,

(*) So it is called in England, the room where the nurse or nanny lives with the smallest children.

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a married chaplain, Medicus, and Chirugus, are there to assist the married servants, who are necessary.

§ XLVI

Every community has a nurse in each choir house and institution, who is housed in separate sick parlors built for this purpose. There are also other people who are skilled in the art who, in addition to their regular work, also lend a hand because they have not yet been able to decide whether or not to join the ranks of the matrons who are especially signed to this task, even if they do consider the nursing skills of the matrons the best. The Medicus is paid either by the community or he takes his salary from the wealthy and takes nothing from the poor.

Aside from the physical nursing, which is attended to day and night, as well loyally and carefully as possible, there is little to no theological care for those who are sick or dying. Because there is usually nothing left to organize, to contemplate, and to regulate, and because it is assumed that they will use these days in the care of the community to live in the belief in the Son of God, and to be blessed. For this reason, they are left alone as much as their physical condition will allow it, so that they can, out of their sickness, make a Sabbath with which to worship the Lord, to speak with him, to carry their soul to meet the Savior, and to withdraw from their mind so that the fantasies which accompany many illnesses do not have the opportunity to pull their soul away from God. When the time comes for one of the community to go home [to die], the blessing of the community will be given through song and prayer, in the moment of their departure, by the parents to their children, a man to his wife, and the

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choir priest to all others.

§ XLVII

The departure of a member is announced immediately afterward in the community. The trombones play the sound of the words Wenn mein Mund wird erbleichen in Jesu Arm und Schoos [When my mouth turns pale in Jesus’ arms and lap] to the tune of the melody of the common church song O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden. Another melody announces the choir that has lost a member. As soon as the body is washed, simply dressed, and laid in a coffin, it will be put in a public burial vault. This takes place at nightfall. A light shines through the window to announce that a body is being kept there and the body is visited and viewed by many. After several days, an Ordinato who gives a short speech for the dead takes the same body tenderly and briskly to God’s Acre. The body is accompanied by the Sisters, who wear white when the weather permits it and, because the Brethren view burial with hope for life and as part of the succession of Jesus, music is also played. The body is set into a fresh grave while the customary burial Liturgy is read. The words Bewahre uns mit der ganzen vollendeten Gemeine, insonderheit mit unserm Bruder (oder Schwester) in weiger Gemeinschaft, und lass uns dermaleins mit ihr ausruhen bey deinen Wunden! [Protect us, the whole community, but especially our Brother (or Sister) in eternal community, and allow each of us to rest in your wounds!] The congregation answers: Erhoer uns lieber Herre GOTT! [Hear us, our beloved Lord, God!] and the customary church blessings and songs are performed. The grave is covered with a stone that has been carved with the name, birthplace, place of death, and year of birth and death.

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At sunrise on Easter morning everywhere, the Brethren care for and visit the graves of their deceased Brothers and Sisters, in the fashion of the oriental church. They call this the Easter Liturgy, during which the names of all of the Brethren of the community, and some from other places, who have gone to sleep since the last Easter are read from the Diptycho. They are introduced to the eternal unity and are prayed for. The solemnity and liturgical beauty of this ceremony would be hard for any other Christian persuasion to find fault with the Brethren. Out of concern for the bodies of their fellow Brethren, they keep God’s Acre in a more orderly and delicate manner than anyplace else. It is a garden arranged and planted for the Lord, a kind of inheritance funeral that was given for the patriarch Abraham, but instead for their fellow Brethren. One of their wishes comes from the old Lutheran song:

Dein Lieb ein Raeumlein goenn bey seiner Brueder Grab,

Damit er seine Ruh an ihrer Seite hab.

[Let your body be as a small room at his grave, so that he may have his peace at your side.]

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Addendum

ANNO REGNI

GEORGII II

REGIS

VICESIMO SECUNDO.

In the 21st year of the reign of our sovereign ruler George II, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland by the grace of God, and defender of the faith and the Propogationes begun and upheld by the Parliament, which will continue until the 29^th of November 1748 A.D. as the second session of the current Parliament, the following was proclaimed in Westminster on the 10^th of November 1747 A.D.

An Act inviting those known as the Unitas Fratrum or the United Brethren to settle in

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his Majesty’s colonies in North America.

Following this invitation, many members of the church and congregations of the Unitas Fratrum, or, the United Brethren, settled in his Majesty’s colonies in America and lived there as a quiet, diligent, and decent people. Many others of the same type came to these colonies as well, intending to found larger establishments at their own cost, yet with total freedom of belief and religious practice. Some of these like-minded brethren thought about swearing fealty and taking up arms, or personally entering into military service. They were also willing and ready to pay a sum of money to protect and uphold his Majesties person and reign. These communities were deemed to belong to the old Protestant, Episcopal Church and were protected and mercifully recognized by the Queen of England, his Majesties predecessor. This invitation for all the named peoples to settle themselves in America was hoped to populate the colonies.

His Majesty has deigned to grant the request placed in the name of the United Brethren, called the Moravian Church, and in the names of Abraham, Baron of Gersdorf, Louis, Baron of Schrautenbach, the free lords of Lindheim, David Nitschmann, Carl Schachmann, Baron from Hermsdorf, and Heinrich Cossart. In addition, his Royal Majesty, with the advice and affirmation of the spiritual and worldly lords and officials gathered in the current Parliament has decreed that, on the 24th

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day of June in the year 1749, each of the persons who is a member of the Unitas Fratrum, or the United Brethren, who used to live in Moravia and Bohemia, and then in Prussia, Poland, Schlesien, Lausitz, Germany, the Netherlands, and also as Protestants in his Majesties realm, and is a member of the Episcopal church cannot be pressed into swearing fealty or oaths, even in situations where the lord has a right to call for oaths of fealty. Instead of using the normal format, their agreement or affirmation can be given with the following words:

I,______, affirm in the presence of the almighty God, that what I say is the truth.

This celebratory affirmation suffices, according to our decree, in all courts and places where oaths are required, in the kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in all colonies and communities of his Majesty in America. It shall be accepted in place of the customary oath.

In addition, by the authority formerly mentioned, if one is convicted of knowingly affirming or agreeing to something which is false, or of being deceitful, in the same manner as someone swearing an oath would be convicted of knowingly swearing to something that is false or deceitful, then that person is subject to the same physical and monetary punishments as an oath swearing individual would be,

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according to the rules and laws of the region.

It is herewith decreed that, according to this Act, no one from the so-called Moravian or United Brethren churches and communities is capable of giving testimony in a criminal case, or sitting on a jury. The opposite could be understood in this Act, if we do not declare this point.

It is further decreed that anyone who is a member of this church or community, who lives in one of his Majesties colonies in America, and who is called into military or war service after the 24^th of June, 1749 A.D. should be released of this duty by the Governeur, or the lead general of the colony or province where one is called to duty. This can also be done by the officer who has mustered the troops. It is required that those who wish to be free of such duties pay a specified amount of money, which will be recognized as one’s personal contribution just as donations of money or goods are recognized from other residents of the colonies or provinces who, due to age, sex, or other weaknesses cannot serve.

To prevent all doubt about whether or not individuals belong to this church, this authority decrees that every person who is a member of

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this church that wishes to make use of the rights granted in this Act must obtain a certificate from the nearest bishop or priest at the time of making such a claim. They will be examined on the contents of the certificate and its execution. Those who have, to the best of their knowledge, obtained a certificate in the correct manner, or who have reliable witnesses as to the above mentioned certificate being filled out by such a bishop or priest and therewith asserts that they are indeed a member of this church and have been seen to be such, are eligible to claim these rights.

It is further decreed that if one knowingly attempts to obtain false or deceitful certificates, or claims to be a member of the church when, in reality, such an affirmation is false, one will be subject to all physical and monetary punishments as an oath breaker would be, under the laws and rules of the region in which one lives.

In order to know if such bishops and priests who sign these certificates under the name of the Unitas Fratrum or the United Brethren really belong to these churches, it is decreed that the current Advocatus of the named church or community of the United Brethren keep an

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index of all of the bishops who are allowed to bestow such certificates in the archives of the commercial and colonial Collegio. Copies of their handwriting and insignia should be kept with the index. The Advocatus should periodically update the names, signatures, and insignias in the manner described above for those bishops who are initiated and deployed. The names of priests who have been given the power to issue such certificates in his Majesties colonies in America by bishops or the Advocatus should be sent to the archives of the commercial and colonial Collegio.

Finally, as decreed by the aforementioned authority, it is announced that this Act is recognized publicly as a part of the laws of the kingdom and should be revered and accepted as such by all judges, judges of the peace, and citizens of the kingdom, even when it does not specifically affect them.

I Ordination of a Bishop in the Unity of the Brethren in London AAA. Three Bishops wearing white with red sashes. B. The Ordinandus of the laying on of hands. CC. Pastores and Diaconi DD. The Brothers and Sisters of the Congregation

II Acceptance into the Brethren A. The Pastor who leads (verrichtet) the liturgy B.B. The Pastors and Deacons accepting the new Brothers with the Holy Kiss. C.C.The Deaconesses accepting the new Sisters in the same way. DD The Brothers and Sisters of the Congregation

III Baptism of a Child A. The Pastor, who does the baptizing, in white. B.The Child is being baptized. C. The, Godfather, who holds the child for baptism D. The Godparents. E.E. The Children F.F. The Brothers and Sisters of the Congregation.

IV EXORCISM of the Baptismal Candidate among the Negroes A.The Pastor, who leads the ceremony. B.B. The Deacon who assists him. C.C.C.Three Negro baptismal candidates. D.D.D.D. Four Negro women baptismal candidates. E. The Negro Congregation

V Baptism of the Indians in America A. The Priest who performs the baptism B.B.B. The baptismal candidates C.C. The National Workers D.D The Indian Congregation

VI Baptism of the Greenlanders A. The Priest who performs the baptism B.B.B. C.C. The baptismal candidates D.D. The Greenlander Congregation

VII Baptized Negroes, who after the Prosternation or the Adoration are lifted up and kissed by the National Workers.

VIII Consecration. Blessing of the Bread for Communion in the Unity of the Brethren Church in London A.A. The Consecrator in white with red sashes. B.B. The Deacon in white with white sashes. C. A Deaconess clad in white. D.D. The Communicants E.E. The Communion Candidates. F. The Pulpit G. The Communion Plate

IX Distribution A. The Priest who performs the Liturgy. B.B. The Priest breaks the bread. C. A Deacon who carries the blessed bread. D. A Deaconess does the same. E.E. The Communicants F.F. The Candidates for Communion G. Pulpit

X Participation A. The Brothers on their knees B. The Sisters at the same moment that the bread is eaten. C. The Pulpit

XI The Adoration of the Lord.

XII The Holy Kiss of Peace

XIII Footwashing The footwashing of the Sisters. A. The Pastor, who performs the liturgy, in white. B.B. Some Deaconesses, who wash all the Sisters’ feet.

XIV Children’s Love Feast A. The Pastor, who performs the liturgy. B.B. The boys. C.C. The girls. D.D. Male attendants E.E. The female attendants who distribute.

XV Wedding of Twelve Couples of Colonists A. The Pastor who gives them to each other. B.B. B. The bridegrooms C.C.C. The brides. D.D. The Brothers and Sisters of the Congregation

XVI Easter Liturgy Memorial for the departed Brothers and Sisters on Easter Morning on the hilltop in Herrnhuth.