the moravians in georgia-第5章

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rsuasion　and　command　laid　upon　him　by　those　whose　opinion　he　felt　obliged　to　respect。　　On　the　4th　of　November　he　wrote　from　Windhausen　to　Graf　Stolberg　Wernigerode；　〃I　have　hesitated　and　vexed　myself　in　much　uncertainty　whether　or　not　I　should　go　with　the　Herrnhuters　to　America。　　And　now　I　know　that　God　has　heard　our　prayer　at　Halle　and　Wernigerode；　and　your　letters　have　decided　me　to　stay　in　Germany　this　winter；　in　the　first　place　because　my　going　would　be　a　grief　to　my　dear　Urlsperger；　whom　I　love　as　a　father；　secondly　because　the　English　will　send　over　a　third　transport　of　Salzburgers　in　the　coming　spring　and　wish　me　to　take　them；　and　thirdly　because　I　wish　to　obey　worthy　and　chosen　men　of　God。〃

He　wrote　to　the　same　effect　to　Zinzendorf；　and　the　Count；　though　doubtless　annoyed；　replied　simply：　　〃Your　Highness'　resolution　to　accomodate　yourself　to　your　superiors　would　be　known　by　us　all　for　right。　You　will　then　not　blame　us　if　we　go　our　way　as　it　is　pointed　out　to　us　by　the　Lord。〃

A　few　days　later　Reck　received　a　sharp　note　from　the　Trustees　of　Georgia；　reproving　him　for　his　temerity　in　agreeing　to　take　the　Moravians　with　him　to　Georgia　without　consulting　them；　and　reiterating　the　statement　that　the　funds　in　their　hands　had　been　given　for　the　use　of　the　Salzburgers；　and　could　be　used　for　them　alone。

The　young　man　must　have　winced　not　a　little　under　all　this　censure；　but　while　he　yielded　his　plan　to　the　wishes　of　the　Halle　party；　he　held　firmly　to　the　opinion　he　had　formed　of　the　Moravians。　He　wrote　to　Urlsperger　and　others　in　their　behalf；　declaring　that　they　were　a　godly　people；　much　misunderstood；　that　it　was　a　shame　to　persecute　them　and　try　to　hinder　their　going　to　Georgia；　and　he　felt　sure　that　if　their　opponents　would　once　meet　the　Moravians　and　converse　with　them　freely；　confidentially；　and　without　prejudice；　they　would　come　to　respect　them　as　he　did。　　He　also　suggested　that　there　were　many　protestants　remaining　in　Bohemia；　who　would　gladly　leave；　and　who　might　be　secured　for　Georgia　on　the　terms　offered　to　the　Salzburgers。　The　next　year　in　fact；　an　effort　was　made　to　obtain　permission　from　the　Austrian　Government　for　the　emigration　of　these　people；　and　Reck　was　authorized　by　the　Trustees　to　take　them　to　Georgia；　but　nothing　came　of　it。

Nor　did　his　championship　of　the　Bohemians　and　Moravians　already　in　Saxony　have　any　result。　　Urlsperger　was　offended　that　the　negotiations　from　Herrnhut　with　the　Trustees　were　not　being　carried　on　through　him；　〃the　only　one　in　Germany　to　whom　the　Trustees　had　sent　formal　authority　to　receive　people　persecuted　on　account　of　religion；　or　forced　to　emigrate；〃　and　the　Halle　party　were　unable　or　unwilling　to　meet　the　leaders　of　the　Moravians　〃without　prejudice〃。　　The　company　of　Salzburgers　therefore　sailed　for　Georgia　in　November　without　Baron　von　Reck；　and　without　the　Moravians；　Mr。　Vat　acting　as　Commissary。

The　Moravians；　meanwhile；　were　not　waiting　idly　for　matters　to　turn　their　way；　but　even　before　Reck　reached　his　decision　Spangenberg　had　started　for　England　to　arrange　personally　with　the　Georgia　Trustees　for　their　emigration。

August　Gottlieb　Spangenberg　was　born　July　15th；　1704；　at　Klettenberg；　Prussia。　In　the　year　1727；　while　a　student　at　Jena；　he　became　acquainted　with　the　Moravians　through　a　visit　of　two　of　their　number；　which　won　them　many　friends　at　that　institution。　　Later；　when　he　was　Assistant　Professor　of　Theology　at　Halle；　he　was　required　to　sever　his　connection　with　the　Moravians；　or　leave　the　University；　and　choosing　the　latter　he　came　to　Herrnhut　in　the　spring　of　1733。　He　was　one　of　the　strongest；　ablest；　and　wisest　leaders　that　the　Unitas　Fratrum　has　ever　had；　and　eventually　became　a　Bishop　of　the　Unity；　and　a　member　of　its　governing　board。　　He　was　a　writer　of　marked　ability；　and　in　his　diaries　was　accustomed　to　speak　of　himself　as　〃Brother　Joseph〃；　by　which　name　he　was　also　widely　known　among　the　Moravians。

Spangenberg　left　Herrnhut　in　the　late　summer　or　early　fall　of　1734；　bearing　with　him　Zinzendorf's　Power　of　Attorney　to　receive　for　him　a　grant　from　the　Georgia　Trustees　of　five　hundred　acres　of　land；　and　to　transact　all　other　necessary　business。　　He　stopped　for　some　time　in　Holland；　where　he　made　a　number　of　acquaintances；　some　of　whom　gave　him　letters　of　introduction　to　friends　in　England　and　in　America；　and　others　contributed　toward　the　necessary　expenses　of　the　emigrants。　From　Rotterdam　he　wrote　to　Zinzendorf；　saying　that　he　heard　no　ship　would　sail　for　America　before　February　or　March；　and　that　he　thought　it　would　be　best　for　the　colonists　to　wait　until　he　wrote　from　London；　and　then　to　come　by　way　of　Altona；　as　the　Holland　route　was　very　expensive。　These　suggestions；　however；　came　too　late；　as　the　party　had　left　Herrnhut　before　the　arrival　of　his　letter。

Spangenberg　had　a　stormy　voyage　to　England；　and　on　reaching　London；　rented　a　room　in　〃Mr。　Barlow's　Coffee　House；　in　Wattling's　street；　near　St。　Anthelius　Church。〃　　He　found　the　outlook　rather　discouraging；　and　a　long　letter　written　on　the　10th　of　January；　gives　a　vivid　picture　of　the　English　mind　regarding　the　〃Herrnhuters〃。　　Spangenberg　had　called　on　several　merchants　to　see　if　he　could　arrange　a　loan　for　the　Moravians；　for　Zinzendorf's　means　were　already　strained　to　the　utmost　by　what　he　was　doing　for　the　Church；　and　he　did　not　see　how　it　was　possible　to　provide　the　money　in　any　other　way。　　But　the　merchants　declined　to　make　the　loan；　saying：　　〃We　can　not　take　the　land　（in　Georgia）　as　surety；　for　it　is　not　yet　settled；　and　no　man　would　give　us　a　doit　for　it；　the　personal　security　（of　the　emigrants）　is　also　not　sufficient；　for　they　might　all　die　on　the　sea　or　in　Georgia；　　there　is　danger　of　it；　for　the　land　is　warmer　than　Europeans　can　bear；　and　many　who　have　moved　thither　have　died；　if　they　settle　on　the　land　and　then　die　the　land　reverts　to　the　Trustees；　so　we　would　lose　all；　and　the　six　per　cent　interest　offered　is　not　enough；　for　the　money　applied　to　business　would　yield　twenty　per　cent。

Others　objected　to　having　the　Moravians　go　at　all；　especially　Court　Preacher　Ziegenhagen；　who　belonged　to　the　Halle　party；　and　who；　Spangenberg　found；　had　much　influence　on　account　of　his　good　judgment　and　spotless　character。　　They　claimed：　　（1）　That　the　Moravians　were　not　oppressed　in　Saxony；　and　had　no　good　reason　for　wishing　to　leave；　（2）　that　to　say　they　wished　to　be　near　the　heathen　was　only　an　excuse；　for　Georgia　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　West　Indies　where　they　had　a　mission；　（3）　the　Moravians　could　not　bear　the　expense；　and　neither　the　Trustees　nor　the　Society　for　the　Propagation　of　Christian　Knowledge　would　help　them；　（4）　they　could　neither　speak　nor　understand　English；　and　would　therefore　be　unable　to　support　themselves　in　an　English　colony；　（5）　their　going　would　create　confusion；　for　Herr　Bolzius；　the　pastor　of　the　Salzburgers　at　Ebenezer；　had　written　to　beg　that　they　should　not　be　allowed　to　come；　（6）　if　they　went　it　would　involve　England　in　trouble　with　Saxony；　and　the　Georgia　Colony　was　not　meant　to　take　other　rulers'　subjects　away　from　them；　only　to　furnish　an　asylum　for　exiles；　and　poor　Englishmen；　（7）　the　Moravians　could　not　remain　subject　to　Zinzendorf；　for　they　must　all　become　naturalized　Englishmen；　（8）　the　suggestion　that　Zinzendorf's　land　could　be　cultivated　by　the　heathen　was　absurd；　for　slavery　was　not　permitted　in　Georgia　and　the　Moravians　could　not　afford　to　hire　them；　（9）　ten　or　fifteen　men；　as　were　said　to　be　on　the　way；　would　never　be　able　to　make　headway　in　settling　the　forest；　a　task　which　had　been　almost　too　much　for　the　large　company　of　Salzburgers。

Some　of　these　statements　dealt　with　facts；　about　which　the　critics　might　have　acquired　better　information；　had　they　so　desired；　others　were　prophecies　of　which　only　the　years　to　come　could　prove　or　disprove　the　truth；　others　again　touched　difficulties　which　were　even　then　confronting　Count　Zinzendorf's　agent；　but　in　the　light　of　contemporary　writings　and　later　developments；　it　is　possible　to　glance　at　each　point　and　see　in　how　far　the　Halle　party　were　justified　in　their　argument。　　（1）　The　treatment　in　Saxony；　while　not　as　yet　a　persecution　which　threatened　them　with　torture　and　death；　had　many　unpleasant　features；　and　the　constant　agitation　against　them　might　at　any　time　crystalize　into　harsh　measures；　for　those　members　of　the　Herrnhut　community　who　had　left　friends　and　relatives　in　the　homelands　of　Bohemia　and　Moravia　were　already　forbidden　to　invite　them　to　follow；　or　even　to　receive　them　if　they　came　unasked　seeking　religious　freedom。　（2）　There　was　no　idea　of　associating　the　missions　in　Georgia　and　the　West　Indies；　for　the　heathen　whom　they　wished　to　reach　by　this　new　settlement　were　the　Creek　and　Cherokee　Indians　with　whom　Governor　Oglethorpe　had　already　established　pleasant　relations；　bringing　several　of　their　chiefs　to　England；　and　sending　them　home　filled　with　admiration　for　all　they　had　seen；　much　impressed　by　the　kindness　shown　them；　and　willing　to　meet　any　efforts　that　might　be　made　to　teach　them。　（3）　The　money　question　was　a　vital　one；　and　it　was　principally　to　solve　that　that　Spangenberg　had　come　to　England；　where　with　Oglethorpe's　help　he　later　succeeded　in　securing　the　desired　loan。　　（4）　That　they　could　speak　little　English　was　also　a　real　difficulty；　Spangenberg　used　Latin　in　his　conferences　with　the　educated　men　he　met　in　London；　but　that　medium　was　useless　in　Georgia；　and　while　the　Moravians　learned　English　as　rapidly　as　they　could；　and　proved　their　capability　for　self…support；　the　failure　to　fully　understand　or　be　understood　by　their　neighbors　was　responsible　for　many　of　the　trials　that　were　awaiting　them　in　the　New　World。　　（5）　The　protest　of　Bolzius　was　only　a　part　of　the　general　Salzburger　opposition；　and　to　avoid　friction　in　Georgia；　Zinzendorf　had　particularly　recommended　that　the　Moravians　settle　in　a　village　apart　by　themselves；　where　they　could　〃lead　godly　lives；　patterned　after　the　writings　and　customs　of　the　apostles；〃　without　giving　offense　to　any；　and　he　promised；　for　the　same　reason；　that　as　soon　as　they　were　established　he　would　send　them　a　regularly　ordained　minister；　although　laymen　were　doing　missionary　work　in　other　fields。　　（6）　In　order　to　avoid　any　danger　of　creating　trouble　between　the　Governments；　the　Moravian　colonists　carefully　said　nothing　in　London　regarding　their　difficulties　in　Saxony；　or　the　persecutions　in　Bohemia　and　Moravia；　and　instead　of　proclaiming　themselves　exiles　for　the　Faith　as　they　might　have　done　with　perfect　truth；　they　appeared　simply　as　Count　Zinzendorf's　servants；　sent　by　him　to　cultivate　the　five　hundred　acres　about　to　be　given　to　him；　and　by　his　orders　to　preach　to　the　Indians。　　（7）　A　change　of　nationality　would　not　affect　the　relation　between　Zinzendorf　and　his　colonists；　for　their　position　as　his　dependents　in　Germany　was　purely　voluntary；　such　service　as　they　rendered　was　freely　given　in　exchange　for　his　legal　protection；　and　his　supremacy　in　Church　affairs　then　and　later　was　a　recognition　of　the　personal　character　of　the　man；　not　a　yielding　of　submission　to　the　Count。　　（8）　That　the　Indians　could　not　be　employed　on　Zinzendorf's　estate　was　quite　true；　not　so　much　on　account　of　the　law　against　slavery；　for　the　Count　intended　nothing　of　that　kind；　but　their　character　and　wi