a Wound-Image, which can neither deliver nor inftruct, of no Ufe or Benefit, a Ridicule to all godly Truth, and to all real Followers and Witnesses of Chrift Jefus; and this I fpeak from a melancholy Experience, having frequently at the Conferences feen in the Heads who are the noted Image-painters, and who have not only the WoundImage in the Imagination, but likewife have made the outward Image of the Saviour, of waxed Linnen, which is placed in the Midst of them, as an Emblem of the Saviour's Prefence *. But notwithstanding their imaginary external Images, they are often cafting Lots, and confult the Saviour with Laughing and Drolling, and if the Lot anfwers Yes when they would have it fo, no MerryAndrew is fuller of Tricks and Gefticulations to gull the By-standers of their Pence; but upon any fpecious Objection from one of the leading Labourers, the Lot is caft again, and fo repeatedly; and I have never feen nor heard any Perfon offering to object against the waxed Linnen or the ideal Image; fo free and uncontrouled was Self-will in all their Actings. They of the third Class are indeed most heartily to be pitied, and the more, as being generally mean poor People, exposed to the Rebuffs and Infults of their betters; who, instead of tenderly fympathifing with them, and relieving them, are bloated with Self-conceit, and opprefs all who do not dance to their Fiddle.

I have noticed that four of the capital Labourers have made Declaration of their Confession of

*In the Conference-Hall the chief Labourers fit round a large Table: at the upper End is an empty Elbow Chair, in which is placed a painted Image of the Saviour. Thus their Hearts being void of all true Doctrine and good Morals, they fill their Imaginations with Puppets.

Faith

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Faith; the first whofe Name is Rubufch, faid at a Love-Feaft, All Piety, all godly Practices, all boly Living, are meer Snares of the Devil. Another Time at a Quarter of an Hour's Meeting of the Brethren, he delivered himself thus: Matters must be brought to fuch a Pafs, that there be no further Talk of any Thing than Wounds, Wounds, Wounds; every Thing elfe, bow fcriptural and godly foever, must be spit upon and trampled under Foot. The fecond, Vieroth by Name, publicly faid in a Sermon at the CastleChurch of Marienborn. The Devil has no greater Joy than to draw in any who have had fome Experience of the Saviour's Grace, and bold them faft in doing, forbearing, falling and willing, in Self-tryal, Self-obfervance, and Watchfulness.

Callie, the third, faid, in an Evening Quarter of an Hour's Meeting; When any one gives himJelf to meditate on the Bible, it is a fure Sign that be never had the leaft Spark of Grace in his Heart; the Bible being fuch a nauseous Thing as to fet one a fpewing upon it, fo far from being worth employing one's Reflections. The fourth is no lefs a Perfon than the Count himself, who at a Quarter of an Hour's Meeting of the unmarried Brethren in the Hall, expreffed himself to the following Purpofe;

A Brother who has once experienced the Saviour's Grace in his Heart, need not give himself any further Care or Concern about any Thing, bas nothing to do with trying and examining, but to rejoice as a natural Sinner. Nor is this an Inadvertency or Reverie of a few Individuals; 'tis no more than what is their general Doctrine and Practice: And I cannot but account him a Trumpet of Satan, a Traitor to Grace, preaching, that we are no longer to will, to work, to try, to con

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fider, and watch over ourselves. Now I would fain fee any Perfon who, with a thorough Knowledge of fuch People, will tell me any one Point which the Apoftles of Christ make to be the Mark of a falfe Apostle, which does not perfectly fit the Community; for as to St. Paul's calling the falfe Apofties ravenous Wolves, how this fquares with them, I can prove from our three firft Conferences in Penfilvania, where it is declared, that they have nothing in View but the general Good of all Parties, and that all they require of any Man is, that we entirely rely for our Salvation on Jefus, and his Death and Merit, living in Unity and godly Kindness to each other; and as for the reft leaving every Man in the quiet Poffeffion of his Opinion. Is there the leaft Veftige remaining of any fuch Thing? Is there not, on the contrary, all the Rage and Ferocity of a Wolf which has crept into a Sheepfold, tearing the poor Sheep to Pieces, and feparating one Brother from another, Children from their Parents, contrary to God's Injunctions and their own declared Promifes.

The Apofitles accufe the falfe Apostles of meafuring themfelves; this may well be faid of these People, but they are moft iniquitous Measurers; another Charge which the Apoftles bring against them is of their commendatory Letters; now the World has not a Set of People who deal fo much in commendatory Letters, but with a wretched Mixture of Falfities |. Further, a Mark of a false Apoftle is, that they could not endure found Doc

It is their common Practice to feduce Children away from their Parents; as the Count did Kiefer Mende's Daughter, whom he carried off to Germany.

On Birth-days thefe Panegyrics are openly read, in Order to decoy more Souls.

trine,

trine, and what Account thefe People make of the Bible is notorious; indeed they would fain wipe off this Afperfion, and say they daily read fome Verses of the Bible in their Sortileges and Lamb'stext, and in their Difcourfes of the Saviour. I allow it; but the glaring Sophistications of their Verfes fhew them to have departed from the true godly Meaning, to follow the Delufions of their depraved Inclinations; and what an Evil is this in the Sight of God? It immediately carries my Thoughts to Ifaiah lxvi, ver. 3. He that killeth an Ox, is as if be flew a Man: He that facrificeth a Lamb, as if he cut off a Dog's Neck: He that offereth an Oblation, as if he offered Swine's Blood: He that burneth Incenfe, as if he bleffed an Idol. Obferve wherefore: They have chofen their own Ways, and their Soul delighteth in their Abominations; and I myself have been an Eye and Ear Witness of such Abominations in their futile Sports; fome of the Labourrers and the young Count himself trying Masteries at verfifying, which was attended with frequent Burfts of Laughter, and fcandalous Abufes of the Name of the dear Lamb flain for Sin, whose true Followers are turned from Vanity to Holiness, and made Kings and Priests unto God; and they who are raised to this Dignity dare not appear before the Lord with the ftrange Fire of Self-love, for whilft the Mind can delight in its own Fancies and Working, it is averfe to, it spurns at all divine Manifeftations and fcriptural Truths; a Complacency in Images of our own making is irreconcileable with any Relifh for the Word of God.

What fays the Angel to the Prophet Daniel, foretelling the Coming of Antiochus and his Prefumption; He shall caufe the Oblation and the Sacrifice to cease, and fet up the Abomination of Defola

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tion in its Place. 1 Dan. ix. 27. And although this partly received its Accomplishment in the Deftruction of Jerufalem, yet the Spirit fays, That it is determined that he shall make it defolate, even until the Confummation; accordingly Satan has, till now, found Means to keep up a Synagogue amongst the true Members of Chrift, in that Delight which many take in their own Workings, which the abovementioned Prophet terms Abomination. When one muft fee and hear fo much of carnal Schemes and Contrivances to the rooting. out of all Mention of, and Regard for the Bible and its facred Truths; when one fees every Thing borne down by the Torrent of Self-devices; who can forbear figuring to one's felf that here is the. very Spirit spoken of by St. Paul, 2 Theff. ii, 4. Who oppofeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God, or at least that this is one of his Seminaries.

The Brethren of Bethlehem having accused me of curfing them, I fhall clear up this heinous Imputation: Christopher Baufs had extolled the Community, as the moft irreprehenfible Set of Perfons he knew. I faid, I knew the contrary.' It is written, in St. Peter, they sport themselves with their own deceivings, while they feast with you; yet whatever the Count and his Lady have a Fancy for, coft what it will, it must be procured without Delay; what fay you to this fingle Inftance? The Countess within thefe four Years, fince my being in Germany, has had no less than three Coaches: The first new at Herrnhut; the fecond, which coft no small Sum, being lined with red Velvet, and fet off with brafs Nails, the brought from Holland. The third, made at Marienborn, is lined with blue flowered Velvet, and curioufly ornamented with brafs Nails,

and