"been dammed fo, that during his four Years ftay "here, without the leaft good, he gave himfelf "up to fuch a wicked Courfe of Life that I "fhudder at the Thoughts of it. I'll give you "one Inftance from which you may judge how "it stands with him. He once spoke to me these very Words. Since the times of the Apostles there "has not been in the World fo profane a Sect as the Community *. In every respect they are of a piece "with the Regenerate in Oly. I hope you have fo "far experienced the contrary in your Hearts, that "it is needless for me to prove the horrible Falfity "of fuch Words. It is now a Twelvemonth fince "he firft fhewed an Inclination to leave it, which

66

for his fake filled my Heart with Grief, but

that not mending the matter, I faid to him: "Andrew, there is one thing which on your Ac"count goes very near my Heart, and it is not "your leaving us: he asked what it was then? “I answered, it is that after being four Years a"mong the Community, you ftill know nothing "of it. At this, turning up his Nofe, he said, he "knew them better than myfelf. No, returned I, "it is impoffible you should leave them if you "knew them. At length I perfuaded him to go to "Herrnhaag with me, upon which for a while he "carried himself fomething better, and being pro"mifed that he fhould be one of the next Journey "to Penfilvania, it made him tolerably easy, and i regular. At laft hearing that the Journey was

put off, fo that there was room to conclude it "would not be this Year; he threw afide the "Mask and refolved immediately to depart; yet 66 was he kindly furnished with a Paffport and

*And that is nothing but the Truth, especially of the Ringleaders, the Teachers, the Deacons, Labourers and Elders. A Sect in Penfilvania.

"Money;

Money; further, Brother Lewis, unwilling that he fhould go alone, (being in years and weak) "fent a Brother along with him to attend on him "to the end of his Journey; but he would ac

86

cept of no fuch Thing, he would travel by * himself, and accordingly on the 5th of May he

fet out from hence. Many of us are con"cerned for Andrew. I am ready to believe "that he has been treated by fome of the "Brethren as a Merry-Andrew* fhould be treat

ed; at which afterwards they were difpleafed. "They knew no better how to deal with an old Penfilvanian-Saint; they were ignorant that by often beating an old Head fo ftuffed with "Devotion, and Self-denial ‡, it falls to Pieces. "I am forry that I muft fend you fuch an Ac*count of this Merry-Andrew; yet is the Infor"mation rather too fhort for a Warning that you

દંડ

may know to behave towards Andrew: he ha"ving faid to his trufty Brethren, one of whom by name Sieberberg, has been expelled the Com"munity for his Immorality and Refractorinefs,

that whenever he fet Foot in Penfilvania, Wil"liam Frey fhould not be long in Bethlehem, but "he would have him back to live upon his Land;

and not only you, but alfo many more he pro

mifes himself to Alienate from the Community. "But if your Hearts through the Blood of Grace "have experienced what I have, he is like to "come fhort of his aim. He imagines he can ઃઃ over-reach you, and deal with you as formerly, " when he was accounted a little God; but now "you'll make a jeft of him, being able to give him as good as he fends; for Andrew is no late Ac

16

* A Sample of Jofeph Muller's Talent for Ridicule.

nial,

The Herrnhuters are Enemies to Devotion and Self-des

quaintance of yours, and if Andrew will be "for going on in his prating, tell him to for"bear till I make one of the Company. When "he fays any thing, I'll be his Interpreter, for "he actually does not understand what he fays to you. Herewith we recommend you to the little bloody Side-hole; and ourselves to your affectionate Thoughts, and remain, as in Duty "bound, your poor loving Child,

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Jofeph Muller:

"Salute in our Names, all your Children and "Companions, Brother Spangenberg, Henry An"deffen, George Neufern; and we heartily with well "to Brother Abraham and his Children, toge"ther with the reft of the Brethren, Sifters and "Children."

Examination of the grievous Complaint in the above Letter of Jofeph Muller, concerning my Misbehaviour in Germany, and of fpending my Time in a continual Irregularity, and the capital evil of his Complaint, that after being fo long in the Community, I could never get any Knowledge of it, and that I took upon me to say, that the Community was the wickedest Sect that ever appeared fince the Time of the Apostles.

I am under a Neceffity of faying how and wherefore I went among them, and how by the free Grace of God, without the Intervention or Affiftance of Men I was awakened, called and brought to Converfion. viz. The merciful Saviour imparted to me in some small measure the Light and Strength of that precious Reconciliation which he fo painfully obtained for me, by his

Blood

*

Blood and Death on the Crofs, and caufed me to feel it powerfully in my Heart. In the mean time, I became acquainted with Spangenberg, foon after his first coming into this Country; and the Lord was nigh unto us by his Grace, and united: us in Love, fo that he often very cordially dif-. courfed of the Mercy which the Saviour had ac-> quired by his Death and Sufferings, likewife how gloriously the Herrnhutifh Community in Germany lived and increased in the Grace of Reconciliation, and how affectionately they loved one another in a childlike Temper and unblameable Life. And from the Love I bore him, I conceived a high Opinion of the Community by fuch Hearfays being further perfuaded that it ought to be fo among God's Children. About that Time more Herrnhuters came into the Country, as Andrew Efchenback †, who alfo told us many fine things of the Community in all Points, especially of their Marriages and Education of Children: He was followed by Anne Nitschmannin‡and Molterin || and another, who behaved in a very amiable and affectionate manner. Thus we lived together in an entire Harmony, and wished that well-difpofed Perfons of all Parties would lay afide all grudges and cultivate entire Love and Confidence. Count Zinzendorf hearing of this our Defire that a general Love might prevail among Perfons of all Parties; it was his Advice to us that we fhould fet up Con

* Oh how many Souls in Germany are feduced by fuch Hearfays, where the falfe Apoftles they send out, fpread fuch Reports of this Sect that it is imagined to be the primitive apoftolic Church.

† He has fince renounced Herrnhutism.

These are the Count's three Minions, Favourites, and as it were his Shadow, being continually together.

Of the noble Family of Scidewitz, and by the Community

married to Molter, chief Labourer and Emiffary.

ferences

ferences for the promotion of univerfal Love, and this was the origin of Conferences. In the third Conference, three Brothers were chofen out of fifty, as Prefidents and Directors of the Conferences, and of thefe I happened to be one; and as I then believed in the Bible-Lots, I could not object against it; and I own Self-Love was fomething flattered to be placed in a Dignity, though I understood nothing of the Function. Till this Time § I was led like a stupid drunken Man.

But fome high-minded People at Oly having taken upon them to erect a Community, and appoint themselves Labourers, began alfo to lay Impofitions upon their Flocks and domineer over them, as if they were their Bond-flaves; but these were of a differentMind, and would not bow their Necks to fuch a galling Yoke; this was the Sin of Witchcraft, in not furrendering up themselves and their whole Subftance without any Objection: now the Labourers having formerly been puffed up without Cause or Occafion, fo had they now without any Grounds unmercifully caft out the other. As this was the first Inftance I saw of their ufurped Tyranny, it was the first Thing I took Offence at; I began to be upon my Guard, and could not give my Affent to every thing that was propofed.

In the mean Time, in my Absence, and without my Knowledge, I was chofen by fifty Votes, and the ufual Lot, to be Elder over the unmarried Brethren. This Office was conferred upon me, and I was to remove to Bethlehem, for which I was as little inclined as I was fit, knowing that were I to act according to my Understanding and Confcience, we fhould be continually at Variance; and

This argues much Candour in the Author, that he does not conceal his own Failings.

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