the moravians in georgia-第29章

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In　September；　General　Oglethorpe　received　instructions　to　make　reprisals　on　the　Spanish　for　their　depredations　on　the　southern　borders　of　the　Georgia　Province。　　He　rightly　judged　this　to　be　the　precursor　of　open　hostilities；　and　hastened　his　preparations　to　put　Carolina　and　Georgia　in　a　state　of　defense。　　In　October　the　British　Government　declared　war　on　Spain；　and　November　witnessed　the　beginning　of　fighting　in　the　Colonies。　　Of　course　this　meant　a　re…opening　of　the　old　discussion　as　to　the　Moravians'　liability　for　service；　a　repetition　of　the　old　arguments；　and　a　renewal　of　the　popular　indignation。　Oglethorpe　was　fairly　considerate　of　them；　thought　Zinzendorf　ought　to　have　provided　for　two　men；　but　added　that　he　did　not　want　the　Moravians　driven　away。　　Still　the　situation　was　uncomfortable；　and　the　Moravians　began　to　make　arrangements　for　their　final　departure。

By　this　time　Boehler　had　won　his　way　into　the　confidence　of　the　Savannah　congregation；　and　had　learned　that　he　was　not　the　only　one　who　had　the　Lord's　interests　at　heart。　　With　Seifert　again　in　charge　of　affairs；　the　religious　services　had　taken　on　new　life；　and　on　October　18th；　John　Martin　Mack　was　confirmed。　　Judith　Toeltschig；　however；　gave　them　great　concern；　and　her　brother　Michael　Haberland　sided　with　her；　so　that　the　company　gladly　saw　them　sail　for　Germany　in　the　latter　part　of　January；　1740。　　There　Michael　married；　and　returned　to　America　in　May；　1749；　as　one　of　the　large　company　which　came　to　settle　in　Bethlehem；　where　he　died　in　1783。　Judith　joined　her　husband　in　England；　and　in　1742　was　serving　as　〃sick…waiter〃　of　the　Pilgrim　Congregation　in　London。

This　left　only　six　Moravians　in　Savannah；　for　John　Boehner　had　already　started　for　Pennsylvania　on　January　20th。　He　had　a　very　sore　arm　which　they　hoped　would　be　benefited　by　the　change；　and　he　was　commissioned　to　try　and　gather　together　the　members　who　had　preceded　him；　and　to　make　arrangements　for　the　reception　of　the　remnant　which　was　soon　to　follow。　　He　aided　faithfully　during　the　early　days　of　the　settlement　at　Nazareth　and　Bethlehem；　and　in　1742　went　as　a　missionary　to　the　island　of　St。　Thomas；　where　he　labored　earnestly　and　successfully　for　the　rest　of　his　life；　and　died　in　1787。

Nothing　now　remained　for　the　members　still　in　Savannah；　but　to　so　arrange　matters　that　they　might　leave　on　the　first　opportunity。　Oglethorpe　had　already　bought　their　trumpets　and　French　horns　at　a　good　price；　but　they　needed　to　sell　their　rice　and　household　furniture　to　provide　sufficient　funds　for　their　journey。　　This　was　happily　arranged　on　the　2nd　of　February；　when　George　Whitefield；　who　had　reached　Savannah　for　the　second　time　a　few　days　before；　came　to　see　them；　promised　to　buy　all　they　cared　to　sell；　and　offered　them　free　passage　to　Pennsylvania。　This　offer　they　gratefully　accepted；　receiving　37　Pounds　for　their　household　goods；　and　on　April　13th；　1740；　they　sailed　with　Whitefield　on　his　sloop　the　‘Savannah'；　Captain　Thomas　Gladman。　Their　land　and　improvements　were　left　in　the　hands　of　an　Agent；　and　the　town　house　was　rented　to　some　of　Whitefield's　followers　for　a　hospital。

With　the　Moravians　went　the　two　boys；　Benjamin　Somers　and　James　；　who　had　been　given　into　their　hands　by　the　Savannah　magistrates　in　1735；　and　a　young　woman；　Johanna　Hummel；　of　Purisburg。　　The　two　lads　gave　them　much　trouble　in　Pennsylvania；　and　Benjamin　was　finally　bound　out　in　1748；　while　James　ran　away。　　Johanna　married　John　Boehner；　and　sailed　with　him　to　the　West　Indies　in　1742；　but　died　at　sea　before　reaching　there。

Boehler　and　his　company　expected　to　find　Spangenberg　and　Bishop　Nitschmann　in　Pennsylvania；　and　were　much　disappointed　to　learn　that　both　were　absent。　They　scarcely　knew　what　to　do；　but　Boehler　held　them　together；　and　when　Whitefield　decided　to　buy　a　large　tract　of　land　and　build　thereon　a　Negro　school；　and　a　town　for　his　English　friends　of　philanthropic　mind；　and　when　the　Moravians　were　offered　the　task　of　erecting　the　first　house　there；　Boehler　and　his　companions　gladly　accepted　the　work。　　Bethlehem　followed　in　due　time；　and　all　were　among　those　who　organized　that　congregation。　David　Zeisberger；　Sr。；　died　there　in　1744；　his　wife　in　1746。　Anton　Seifert　was　appointed　Elder；　or　Pastor　of　the　Bethlehem　Congregation；　married；　and　took　an　active　part　in　the　Church　and　School　work　there　and　at　Nazareth；　the　latter　tract　having　been　purchased　from　Whitefield　in　1741。　　April　8th；　1745；　he　sailed　for　Europe；　laboring　in　England；　Ireland　and　Holland；　and　dying　at　Zeist　in　1785。

John　Martin　Mack　became　one　of　the　leaders　of　the　Moravian　Church　in　its　Mission　work　among　the　Indians　in　New　York；　Connecticut　and　Ohio　until　1760；　when　he　was　sent　to　the　negro　slaves　on　St。　Thomas；　preaching　also　on　St。　Croix　and　St。　Jan；　and　the　English　West　Indies。　He　was　ordained　to　the　ministry　November　13th；　1742；　and　was　consecrated　bishop　October　18th；　1770；　during　a　visit　to　Pennsylvania；　this　being　the　first　Episcopal　consecration　in　the　American　Province　of　the　Moravian　Church。　　He　was　married　four　times；　his　last　wife　passing　away　two　years　before　his　departure。　　He　died　June　9th；　1784；　and　was　buried　in　the　presence　of　a　great　concourse　of　people；　　negro　converts；　planters；　government　officers　and　the　Governor…General。

David　Zeisberger；　Jr。；　lived　a　life　so　abundant　in　labors；　so　picturesque　in　experiences　that　a　brief　outline　utterly　fails　to　give　any　conception　of　it。　　〃The　apostle　of　the　Western　Indians　traversed　Massachusetts　and　Connecticut；　New　York；　Pennsylvania　and　Ohio；　entered　Michigan　and　Canada；　preaching　to　many　nations　in　many　tongues。　He　brought　the　Gospel　to　the　Mohicans　and　Wampanoags；　to　the　Nanticokes　and　Shawanese；　to　the　Chippewas；　Ottowas　and　Wyandots；　to　the　Unamis；　Unalachtgos　and　Monseys　of　the　Delaware　race；　to　the　Onondagas；　Cayugas　and　Senecas　of　the　Six　Nations。　Speaking　the　Delaware　language　fluently；　as　well　as　the　Mohawk　and　Onondaga　dialects　of　the　Iroquois；　familiar　with　the　Cayuga　and　other　tongues；　an　adopted　sachem　of　the　Six　Nations；　naturalized　among　the　Monseys　by　a　formal　act　of　the　tribe；　swaying　for　a　number　of　years　the　Grand　Council　of　the　Delawares；　at　one　time　Keeper　of　the　Archives　of　the　Iroquois　Confederacy；　versed　in　the　customs　of　the　aborigines；　adapting　himself　to　their　mode　of　thought；　and；　by　long　habit；　a　native　in　many　of　his　ways；　　no　Protestant　missionary　and　few　men　of　any　other　calling；　ever　exercised　more　real　influence　and　was　more　sincerely　honored　among　the　Indians；　and　no　one；　except　the　Catholic　evangelists；　with　whom　the　form　of　baptism　was　the　end　of　their　work；　exceeded　him　in　the　frequency　and　hardships　of　his　journeys　through　the　wilderness；　the　numbers　whom　he　received　into　the　Church　of　Christ；　and　brought　to　a　consistent　practice　of　Christianity；　and　conversion　of　characters　most　depraved；　ferocious　and　desperate。〃　〃Nor　must　we　look　upon　Zeisberger　as　a　missionary　only；　he　was　one　of　the　most　notable　pioneers　of　civilization　our　country　has　ever　known。　　*　*　*　　Thirteen　villages　sprang　up　at　his　bidding；　where　native　agents　prepared　the　way　for　the　husbandman　and　the　mechanic　of　the　coming　race。〃　〃He　was　not　only　bold　in　God；　fearless　and　full　of　courage；　but　also　lowly　of　heart；　meek　of　spirit；　never　thinking　highly　of　himself。　Selfishness　was　unknown　to　him。　　His　heart　poured　out　a　stream　of　love　to　his　fellowmen。　　In　a　word；　his　character　was　upright；　honest；　loving　and　noble；　as　free　from　faults　as　can　be　expected　of　any　man　this　side　of　the　grave。〃*

　*　〃Life　and　Times　of　David　Zeisberger〃；　by　Rt。　Rev。　Edmund　de　Schweinitz。　

He　died　at　Goshen；　Ohio；　Nov。　17th；　1808；　having　labored　among　the　Indians　for　sixty　years。

Like　Spangenberg；　Peter　Boehler's　story　belongs　to　the　whole　Moravian　Church；　rather　than　to　the　Georgia　colony。　　His　time　was　divided　between　England　and　America；　in　both　of　which　spheres　he　labored　most　successfully。　　Jan。　10th；　1748；　he　was　consecrated　bishop　at　Marienborn；　Germany。　　After　Zinzendorf's　death　he　helped　frame　the　new　Church　constitution；　and　in　1769　was　elected　to　the　governing　board　of　the　entire　Unitas　Fratrum。　　He　died　in　London；　April　20th；　1774；　having　been　there　for　a　year　on　a　visitation　to　the　English　congregations　of　the　Moravian　Church。




Chapter　VII。　　Conclusion。



　　Later　Attempts　in　Georgia。

　　　　　　　　　　　　1740。

May　18th；　1740；　John　Hagen　arrived　in　Savannah。　　He　had　come　over　intending　to　go　as　missionary　to　the　Cherokees；　and　his　disappointment　in　finding　that　the　Moravians　had　abandoned　Georgia　is　another　example　of　the　enormous　difficulty　under　which　mission　work　was　conducted　in　those　days；　when　the　most　momentous　events　might　transpire　months　before　the　authorities　at　home　could　be　apprised　of　them。

Hagen　had　become　very　ill　on　the　way　from　Charleston　to　Savannah；　and　with　none　of　his　own　people　to　turn　to　he　bethought　himself　of　Whitefield's　offers　of　friendship；　and　went　to　his　house。　He　was　kindly　received　by　those　who　were　living　there；　and　though　he　went　down　to　the　gates　of　death　the　portals　did　not　open；　and　he　rapidly　regained　his　health。

Visiting　Irene　he　found　only　a　few　Indian　women；　for　Tomochichi　was　dead；　and　the　men　were　all　on　the　warpath。　　The　opportunity　of　going　to　the　Cherokees　seemed　very　doubtful；　for　there　were　none　living　nearer　than　three　hundred　miles；　and　distances　looked　much　greater　in　the　Georgia　forests　than　in　his　own　populous　Germany。　So　he　concluded　to　accept　the　kind　offers　of　Whitefield's　household；　and　stay　with　them；　making　himself　useful　in　the　garden；　and　doing　such　religious　work　as　he　was　able。　　Several　Germans　living　in　the　town；　who　had　learned　to　like　the　Moravians；　asked　him　to　hold　services　for　them；　to　which　he　gladly　agreed。

He　was　much　pleased　with　the　prospect　for　work　in　Savannah；　where　the　people　had　been　greatly　stirred　by　Whitefield's　preaching；　and　he　wrote　to　Herrnhut　urging　that　two　married　couples　be　sent　to　help　reap　the　harvest；　a　request　warmly　seconded　by　Whitefield；　who　had　returned　to　Savannah　on　June　16th。　　Whitefield　reported　the　Moravians　busily　engaged　in　erecting　a　Negro　school…house　for　him　in　Pennsylvania；　and　told　Hagen　he　would　like　to　have　the　two　couples　come　to　assist　him　in　carrying　out　his　large　plans　for　Georgia。

But　by　the　14th　of　August　this　invitation　had　been　withdrawn；　Hagen　had　left　Whitefield's　house；　and　had　been　refused　work　on　Whitefield's　plantation；　for　fear　that　he　might　contaminate　the　Whitefield　converts。　The　trouble　arose　over　a　discussion　on　Predestination；　　not　the　first　or　last　time　this　has　happened；　　and　the　two　men　found　themselves　utterly　at　variance；　for　Whitefield　held　the　extreme　Calvinistic　view；　while　Hagen　argued　that　all　men　who　would　might　be　saved。　　Hagen　therefore　went　to　the　home　of　John　Brownfield；　who　shared　his　views；　and　made　him　very　welcome；　and　from　there　carried　on　his　work　among　the　residents　of　Savannah　and　Purisburg。

Whitefield　returned　to　Pennsylvania　in　November；　1740；　nursing　his　wrath　against　Hagen；　and　finding　Boehler　to　be　of　the　same　mind；　he　peremptorily　ordered　the　Moravians　to　leave　his　land。　　Neighbors　interfered；　and　cried　shame　on　him　for　turning　the　little　company　adrift　in　the　depth　of　winter；　and　he　finally　agreed　to　let　them　stay　for　a　while　in　the