of Elders, which superintends the || secration does not confer any powaffairs of the whole Unity, there er to preside over one or more is another conference of elders congregations; and a bishop can belonging to each congregation, discharge no office but by the apwhich directs its affairs, and to pointment of a synod, or of the which the bishops and all other Elders Conference of the Unity. ministers, as well as the lay mem-Presbyters among them can perbers of the congregation, are sub- form every function of the bishop, ject. This body, which is call- except ordination. Deacons are ed the Elders Conference of the Con-assistants to the presbyters much gregation, consists, 1. Of the Mi- in the same way as in the church nister, as president, to whom the of England; and in the Brethren's ordinary care of the congregation churches, deaconesses are retained is committed, except when it is for the purpose of privately advery numerous, and then the ge- monishing their own sex, and vineral inspection of it is entrusted siting them in their sickness; but to a separate person, called the though they are solemnly blessed Congregation Helper.-2. Of the to this office, they are not perWarden, whose office it is to super-mitted to teach in public, and far intend, with the aid of his coun-less to administer the sacraments. cil, all outward concerns of the congregation, and to assist every individual with his advice.-3. Of a Married Pair, who care particularly for the spiritual welfare of the married people.-4. Of a Single Clergyman, to whose care the young men are more particularly committed. And, 5. Of those Women who assist in caring for the spiritual and temporal welfare of their own sex, and who in this conference have equal votes with the men. As the Elders Conference of each Congregation is answerable for its proceedings to the Elders Conference of the Unity, visitations from the latter to the former are held from time to time, that the affairs of each congregation, and the conduct of its immediate governors, may be intimately known to the supreme executive government of the whole church.

In their opinion, espicopal con

They have likewise seniores civiles, or lay elders, in contradistinction to spiritual elders, or bishops, who are appointed to watch over the constitution and discipline of the Unity of the Brethren, over the observance of the laws of the country in which congregations or missions are established, and over the privileges granted to the Brethren by the governments under which they live. They have economies, or choir houses, where they live together in community: the single men and single women, widows and widowers, apart, each under the superintendance of elderly persons of their own class. In these houses every person who is able, and has not an independent support, labours in their own occupation, and contributes a stipulated sum for their maintenance. Their children are educated with peculiar care; their subjection to their superiors and elders is singular, and

one observes, " are all of them volunteers; for it is an inviolable maxim with them to persuade no man to engage in missions. They are all of one mind as to the doctrines they teach, and seldom make an attempt where there are not half a dozen of them in the mission. Their zeal is calm, steady, persevering. They would reform the world, but are careful how they quarrel with it. They carry their point by address and the insinuations of modesty and mildness, which commend them to all men, and give offence to nonę. The habits of silence, quietness, and decent reserve, mark their character. If any of their missionaries are carried off by sickness or casualty, men of the same stamp are ready to supply their place."

appears particularly striking in their missions and marriages. In the former, those who have offered themselves on the service, and are approved as candidates, wait their several calls, referring themselves entirely to the decision of the lot; and, it is said never hesitate when that hath decided the place of their destination. (See p. 165.) In marriage, they may only form a connexion with those of their own communion. The brother who marries out of the congregation is immediately cut off from church fellowship. Sometimes a sister, by express licence from the Elders Conference, is permitted to marry a person of approved piety in another communion, yet still to join in their church ordinances as before. A brother may make his own choice of a partner in the society; but as all intercourse be- As they stand first on the list tween the different sexes is care- of those who have engaged in fully avoided, very few opportu-missionary exertions, we shall nities of forming particular at- here insert a farther account tachments are found, and they of them and their missions, with usually rather refer their choice which I have been favoured by to the church than decide for a most respectable clergyman themselves. And as the lot must of their denomination: "When be cast to sanction their union, brethren or sisters find themselves each receives his partner as a Di- disposed to serve God among the vine appointment; and, however Heathen, they communicate their strange this method may appear wishes and views to the committee to those who consult only their appointed by the synods of the passions or their interest, it is ob- Brethren to superintend the misservable, that no where fewer un- sions in a confidential letter. If, happy marriages are found than on particular enquiry into their among the Brethren. But what circumstances, and connexions, characterizes the Moravians most, no objection is found, they are and holds them up to the atten- considered as candidates. As to tion of others, is their missionary mental qualifications, much eruzeal. In this they are superior dition is not required by the to any other body of people in the Brethren. To be well versed in world. "Their missionaries," as the sacred scriptures, and to have

an experimental knowledge of the | tlements in St. Elizabeth's parish. truths they contain, is judged in--In 1756: In Antigua; at St. dispensably necessary. And it has been found, by experience, that a good understanding joined to a friendly disposition, and, above all, a heart filled with the love of God, are the best and the only essential qualifications of a missionary. Nor are in general the habits of a student so well calculated to form his body for a laborious life as those of a mechanic. Yet men of learning are not excluded, and their gifts have been made useful in various ways. When vacancies occur, or new missions are to be begun, the list of candidates is examined; and those who appear suitable are called upon, and accept or decline the call as they find themselves disposed."

John's, Grace Hill, Grace Bay.In 1760: Near Tranquebar, in the East Indies; Brethren's Garden.-In 1764: On the Coast of Labrador; Nain, Okkak, Hopedale.-In 1765: In Barbadoes; Sharon, near Bridgetown.-In 1765: In the Russian part of Asia; Sarepta.-In 1775: In St. Kitt's; at Basseterre.-In 1789 : In Tobago: Signal Hill (renewed in 1798).

"The following are the names of the settlements of the United Brethren in Heathen countries.

"The Brethren had three flourishing settlements on the river Muskingum, Salem, Gnadenhuetten, and Schoenbrunn, before the late American war, during which these places were destroyed, and the inhabitants partly murdered, partly dispersed. The settlement Fairfield, in Canada, was made by those of the Indian converts, who were again collected by the missionaries. In 1798, a colony of "Begun in 1732, in the Danish Christian Indians went from thence West India islands. In St. Tho- to take possession of their former mas; New Herrnhut, Nisky. settlements on the Muskingum, In St. Croix, Friedensberg, Fried- which have been given to them ensthal. In St. Jan; Bethany, by an act of Congress, and built a Emmaus.-In 1733 In Green- new town, called Goshen. Part land; New Hernnhut, Lichten- of the Indian congregation will fels, Lichtenau.-In 1734: In remain at Fairfield, in Canada, aз North America; Fairfield in Up- a good seed; our missionaries enper Canada, Goshen on the ri-tertaining hopes that the Gospel ver Muskingum.-In 1736: At may yet find entrance among the the Cape of Good Hope; Bavians wild Chippeway tribe inhabiting Kloof (renewed in 1792).-In those parts. 1738: In South America; among the negro slaves at Paramaribo and Sommelsdyk; among the free negroes at Bambey, on the Sarameca; among the native Indians at Hope, on the river Corentyn. -In 1754: In Jamaica; two set-"

"The mission among the Hottentots at the Cape of Good Hope was begun in 1736, by George Schmidt, a man of remarkable zeal and courage, who laboured successfully among these people, till he had formed a small con

find it most convenient; but the circumstances of the colony at that time would not admit of it. Since the English have made themselves masters of that country, they have built a new chapel; and from the favour and protection which the British government has uniformly granted to the Bre

gregation of believers, whom he left to the care of a pious man, and went to Europe with a view to represent the promising state of the mission, and to return with assistants. But, to his inexpressible grief and disappointment, he was not permitted by the Dutch East India Company to resume his labours; some ignorant peo-thren's missions, we have the best ple having insinuated that the hopes that they will remain unpropagation of Christianity among disturbed and protected in their the Hottentots would injure the civil and religious liberty. The interests of the colony. Since late Dutch government at the that time to the year 1792 the Cape deserve also our warmest Brethren did not cease to make thanks for the kind manner in application to the Dutch govern- which they received and protected ment for leave to send mission- the missionaries, promoting the aries to the Cape, especially as views of the mission to the utmost they heard that the small Hotten- of their power. tot congregation had kept toge- "When the missionaries first arther for some time, in earnest ex-rived at Bavians Kloof, in 1792, pectation of the return of their it was a barren, uninhabited place. beloved teacher. He had taught There are at present [1802] five some of them to read, and had married missionaries residing left a Dutch Bible with them, there, and about 1300 Hottentots. which they used to read together for their edification. At length, in 1792, by the mercy of God, and the kind interference of friends in the Dutch government, the opposition of evil-minded people was over-ruled, and leave granted to send out three mission-vering but fruitless attempt to aries, who, on their arrival, were form an establishment at Nancawilling, at the desire of the go- wery, one of the Nicobar islands, vernor, to go first to Bavians for that purpose, the whole plan Kloof, about one hundred and was defeated by the following cirsixty English miles east from Cape-cumstances: The Danish governtown, and there to commencement, finding the advantage gaintheir labours on the spot where ed by their settlement on these George Schmidt had resided. islands not to answer the great Their instructions from the go-expence attending it, withdrew vernment in Holland granted them their people, who had already leave to chuse the place of their suffered greatly by the unwholeresidence, wherever they might someness of the climate; and the

VOL. II.

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"The settlement near Tranquebar, on the coast of Coromandel, was made in the year 1760, at the desire of the Danish government, chiefly with a view to bring the Gospel to the inhabitants of the Nicobar islands. After a perse

Brethren residing there being left || no success has attended the Brealone, and all communication cut thren's labours, though their exeroff between Tranquebar and the tions have been great and perseNicobar islands, it became ne-vering, and equal to those of any cessary to purchase a vessel to of our missionaries in other counconvey provisions and other ne- tries. Some Brethren even resided cessaries to the missionaries. This for a considerable time among the was done with great expence and Calmucks, conforming to their hazard for some years, when, in manner of living in tents, and acthe American war, the vessel was companying them wherever they taken by a French cruizer, though moved their camp in the Steppe belonging to a neutral state. No (immense plains covered with long redress could be obtained from the grass). They omitted no opporFrench, and the Brethren at Tran- tunity of preaching unto them Jequebar were obliged immediately sus, and directing them, from their to procure another vessel, lest the numberless idols and wretched sumissionaries in Nancawery should perstitions, to the only true God, be left destitute. The enormous and the only way of life and hapexpence and loss incurred by these piness; but though they were events, and the sickly state of the heard and treated with civility, missionaries, made it necessary to no impression could be made upon recall them; and thus not only the the hearts of these Heathen. At mission in these islands, but the last, the greatest part of the Calfirst aim of the Brethren's settling mucks quitted those parts. Meanin the East Indies, was frustrated. while the Brethren were visited by Since that time, no success has at- the German colonists living on tended the mission near Tranque- the Wolga; and through God's bar. Some brethren, indeed, went blessing, societies were formed, to Serampore and Patna, where and ministers of the Gospel prothey resided for a time, watching vided for most of the colonies by an opportunity to serve the cause their instrumentality. Thus the of God in those places; but vari-mission has answered a very beous circumstances occasioned both neficial purpose. these settlements to be relinquished. By a late resolution, the East India mission will be suspended for the present, the expences attend-West India islands, and the Cape ing it having of late years far exceeded our ability.

"Sarepta, near Czarizin, on the Wolga, in Russian Asia, was built chiefly with a view to bring the Gospel to the Calmuck Tartars, and other Heathen tribes in those vast regions, among whom an opening might be found, Hitherto

"The most flourishing missions at present are those in Greenland, Antigua, St. Kitt's, the Danish

of Good Hope. A new awakening has appeared of late among the Arawacks and free negroes in South America, the Esquimaux on the coast of Labrador, and in Barbadoes; and the latest accounts give us the most pleasing hopes of success in those parts. In Jamaica the progress of the mis