divine hoped and prayed for the resuscitation of the Unitas Fratrum. To this end he published its history and a new catechism, republished the Ratio Bisciplinas, which had been adopted in 1616, and which was an offi- cial account of its constitution and discipline, and cared for the perpetuation of the episcopacy. After his death, in 1670, the scattered parishes of the Brethren were grad- ually absorbed by other Protestant churches. But the episcopal succession was maintained in the midst of that union between the Reformed and the Brethren which had been brought about in Poland; while in Bohemia and Moravia a remnant secretly worshipped God ac- cording to the custom of their fathers, and never relin- quished the hope of a renewal of their Church. This state of affairs continued for half a century ; and then their expectations were fulfilled. See Moravian Breth- RKN, THE Renewed (No. 2 below).
II. Ministry, Constitution, Worship, Ritual, and Dis- cipline.— The ministry of the Brethren consisted of three orders : bishops, priests, and deacons. In the course of time assistant bishops were associated with the bishops. These latter were often called Seniors, also Antistites; and the assistants Conseniors. Acolytes were young men preparing for the ministry, who performed certain inferior functions in connection with public worship, but were not ordained. The deacons instructed the young, occasionally preached, baptized, when directed to do so by a priest, and assisted at but never adminis- tered the Lord's Supper. A priest stood at the head of each parish, and exercised all the duties usually connect- ed with the priesthood. In the bishops was vested the power to ordain, to appoint pastors to the various par- ishes, to hold visitations, to superintend the printing- oflices, and in general to oversee the Church. Each bishop had a diocese of his own, but all of them to- gether— their number varying from four to six — were associated with from six to eight assistant bishops as a council. Of this council the primate among the bishops was president. He enjoyed certain prerogatives, but could undertake nothing of importance without con- sulting his colleagues. Another of the bishops was sec- retarj' of the council. It was his duty to care for the records of the Church, and to examine and answer, if necessary, the publications which appeared against it. Bishops and assistant bishops were elected by the min- isters, and the council was responsible to the General Synod, which met every three or four years. In this synod all the bishops, assistant bishops, and priests of the Bohemian, ]\Ioravian, and Polish provinces, into which the Unitas Fratrum was gradually divided, had seats. The deacons and acolytes, as also lay patrons of the churches, likewise attended, but without a vote. The bishops and their assistants constituted tlie upper house, and the priests the lower. Each house met by itself. Diocesan sjmods were held in order to legislate for a particular diocese, but their acts were reported to the council, and by it to the General Synod. Owing to the frequent persecutions that occurred, and to the idea that the cares of a family would interfere with the usefulness of the ministers, thej' were, for the most part, unmarried. There was no law enjoining celibacy; it was a usage, which gradually fell into desuetude. To- wards the end of the 16th century an unmarried priest or bishop was the exception.
The membership of a parish was divided into begin- ners, that is, children and new converts from Romanism ; proficients, or full members ; and perfect, or such as were "so established in faith, love, and hope as to be able to enlighten others." From this last class were elected the civil elders, who constituted the advisers of the priest in spiritual things; the cediles, who managed the external affairs of a parish ; and the almoners, who administered the poor fund. Turning to worship and ritual, we find that four regular services were held every Sunday; the second one in the morning being "the great service," when a sermon on the Gospels was delivered. In the early service the prophets, and in the afternoon service
MORAVIAN BRETHREN
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MORAYIAX BRETHREN"
the apostolic writings, were explained ; while the even- ing was devoted to the reading ot the Bible in order, with instructive remarks. Throughout the summer, the young were taught the Catechism at noon. The Holy Communion was celcl)rated four limes a year, but could be held more fre(|uently. Confirmation took jdace gen- erally at the time of the bishop's annual visitation. The principal festivals of the ecclesiastical year were oIj- served, and special days for fasting and j)rayer appoint- ed. There were three degrees of discipline. Private admonition and reproof constituted the lirst, public re- proof and suspension from the Lord's Supper the second, and total exclusion from the Church the third. The othcial account of the constitution and discipline of the Brethren opens with the following general principles: '• There are in Christianity some things essential (essen- tialia), some things auxUiari/ (ministerialia), and some things accidental (accidentalia). Essentials are those in which the salvation of man is immediately placed," i. e. cardinal doctrines; "auxiliaries are means of grace, the "Word, the keys, and the sacraments; accidentals are the ceremonies and external rites of religion." For a more thorough study of this subject, consult Lasitii JlistoricB de Origine et Rebus Gestis Fratrum Bohemico- rum, Liber Vetei-us, edited by Comenius in 1G49, and containing a full description of the constitution and dis- cipline— a very rare work ; J. A. Comcnii L'cclesicE Fra- ti'um Bohemorum Fpiscopi, Ilistoria Fratrum Bohemo- rum, eorum Ordo ct Diitviplina Ecclesiastica (republished at Ilallc in 1702, by Huddanis); Kiippen, A'tVc/i!«io?-(/- nung it. Disciplin der J/ussit. B. Kirehe in B. v. M. (Leip- sic, 1845) ; Scifferth, Church Constitution of the Boh. and Moral: Brethren, the oiiginal Latin, with a Translation and Notes (Lond! 18CG).