HI. T/ie American Moravian Church. — The Mora- vians settled in Georgia in 1735, but left that colony in 17-10, on account of the war which had broken out with Spain. In the following year they founded Bethlehem, and subsequently Nazareth, in Pennsylvania. These towns, together with several smaller settlements, not only adopted exclusive principles, but also instituted a coramimism of labor. "The lands were the property of the Church, and the farms and various departments of mechanical industry were stocked by it and worked for its benefit. In return, the Church provided the in- habitants with all the necessaries of life. Whoever had private means, retained them. There was no common treasury, such as we find among the primitive Chris- tians." This peculiar social system, which bore the name of" Economy," and which has given rise to the er- roneous idea that there prevailed at one time a commu- nity of goods among the jMoravians, existed for twenty years (1742-62). It accomplished great results. Each member of the " Economy" was pledged " to devote his time and powers in whatever direction they could be most advantageously applied for the spread of the Gos- pel." Hence, while there proceeded from the Moravian settlements an unbroken succession of itinerants, who traversed the colonies and the Indian country in every
direction, preaching Christ Jesus and him crucified, there labored at home a body of farmers and mechanics in or- der to maintain this extensive mission. After the abro- gation of the " Economy," the Church for eighty years continued to uphold its foreign exclusive polity. It is true there were a number of organizations not exclu- sive, but these were looked upon as of secondary im- portance, and were characterized as mere "city and country congregations." Consequently the Moravians of the United States could expand as little as their brethren in Europe. From 1844 to 185G, however, the old system was gradually relinquished, and has now ceased to exist. There no longer are any IMorav^ian towns in this country. The American Moravian Church now stands on the same footing as the other Protestant denominations of the land, and is pursuing the same pol- icy of extension. In the last twenty years it has nearly doubled its membership, and flourished in other re- spects.
IV. The Constitution. — The Unitas Fratrum is dis- tributed into three jirovinces, the German, British, and American, which are independent in all provincial af- fairs, but form one organic whole in regard to the funda- mental principles of doctrine, discipline, and ritual, as also in carrying on the work of foreign missions. Hence we find a provincial and a general government. Each province has a Provincial Synod, which elects from time to time a board of bishops and other ministers, styled the " Provincial Elders' Conference," to administer the government in the interval bet^veen the synods. To this board is committed the power of appointing the ministers to their several parishes. It is responsible to the S}-nod. The Provincial Board of the American Province consists of three members, has its seat at Beth- lehem, Pa., and is elected every six years. Tlie Amer- ican Provincial Synod, composed of all ordained minis- ters and of lay delegates elected by the churches, meets triennially; and the province is divided into four dis- tricts, in each of which a District Synod is annually held. Every ten or twelve years a General Synod of the whole Unitas Fratm.n is convened at Herrnhut, in Saxony. It consists of nine delegates from eacli jirov- ince, elected by the Provincial Synod ; of representa- tives of the foreign missions ; and of such other members as are entitled to a seat by virtue of their office. This synod elects a board of twelve bishops and other min- isters, styled the "Unity's Elders' Conference," which oversees the whole Church in so far as general princi- ples come into question, and superintends the foreign missionary work. At the present time the same Con- ference acts as the Provincial Board of the German Province. It has its seat in the castle of Berthelsdorf, the former residence of count Zinzendorf.
V. Doctrines. — The Rene^ved Moravian Church does not, as was the case in the ancient Church of the Breth- ren, set forth its doctrines in a formal confession of faith, nor does it bind the consciences of its members to any which are not essential to salvation. Such essential doctrines, however, it publishes in its Catechism, its Eas- ter-morning Litany, and its Sipiodical Eesults, or code of statutes, drawn up and published by each General Synod. From this latter work, as issued by the Synod of 1809, we quote the following extract :
"The points of doctrine which we deem most essential to salvation are :
"1. The doctrine of the total depravity of human nat- ure: th:it there is no health in man, and that the fall ab- solutely deprived him of the divine image.
"2.The doctrine of the love of God the Father, who has 'chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world,' and 'so loved the workl that he gave his only -begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'
"3. The doctrine of the real godhead and the real man- hood of Jesus Christ : tliat God, the Creator of all things, was manifested in the flesh, and has reconciled the world unto himself; and that 'he is before all things, and by him all things consist.'