these firm foes to its soul-destroying errors. Among the noblest of that army of martyrs for the truth uncorrupted by Romish error, stand John Huss and Jerome of Prague-A. D. 1415. It was from the small remnant of the followers of Huss, that the church now under consideration was formed. By permission of the King of Bohemia, and advice of Rokyman, Archbishop of Prague, this remnant settled in the principality of Litiz, a district on the confines of Moravia and Bohemia; and in 1457 assumed the name of United Brethren; Gregory, a nephew of the Archbishop, being Patriarch of the Union. A fundamental principle of their union was, that the New Testament supplied the only infallible direction for Christians in church discipline; that all regulations not enjoined in the Word of God, or that could not be fairly deduced from it, were to be viewed as mere matters of expediency, and might be altered according to circumstances. Such a peaceful state as that which the Brethren's Church exhibited, was viewed with that jealousy which anti-Christ ever feels toward the prosperity of the people of God. Rome persecuted the Brethren, who were driven from their possessions and exiled from their native land. Their asylum was the mountains and forests, the cliffs and the recesses of the rocks. "In this situation, purity of doctrine and scriptural discipline were both preserved and ex tended." In 1566, at a synod in Lhota, they set apart three of the brethren, who were ordained by Stephen, a Bishop of the Waldenses, living in Austria: the Waldenses tracing the succession of their bishops from apostolic times. On the return of their new bishops, another synod was convoked, and the first public act was the ordination of three members of the church as presbyters-one of whom at the close of the session was consecrated bishop. In 1500, two hundred churches existed; and the purity of their doctrines was recognized by the first Reformers-Luther, Melancthon and Calvin. So prosperous was this church, that in 1566, one of their synods was attended by 17 Bohemian grandees and 149: noblemen, besides their bishops and members. About this time, the Brethren's Church translated the Bible into the Bohemian language. A. D. 1570.-A general union took place between the three Protestant communities-the Brethren, the Lutherans, and the Calvinists.. Rome soon persecutes, and these faithful men are once more scattered From 1624 to 1732,-during which period, probably, more than 100,000 Moravian Brethren and other Protestants escaped the spiritual tyranny of the Church of Rome, and embraced the freedom of the truth of Scripture.. In 1715, in England, we read of an order issued for their relief by the Privy Council. Amos Comenius, consecrated bishop of the Bohemian and Moravian branch of the Brethren's Church in 1632, died in 1672. He published a history of this church in 1649, which he dedicated to the Church of England. The historian from whom I gather these facts, says: "In how singular a manner was the providence of God displayed, in transmitting to the Brethren's Church a regular ordination. Many of their settlements were planted in the English colonies; they therefore stood in need of an ordination, which the most rigid Episcopalians in those colonies must acknowledge, that their administering holy baptism, and other ecclesiastical functions, might be esteemed valid. Thus they found themselves under the necessity of receiving the episcopal ordination of their forefathers in the branch of their church which was now shooting up afresh. This ordination was acknowledged in England; although it was extinct in the last Bishop, Comenius, yet it existed in the Polish branch of the Unity of the Brethren. In 1747 they were recognized by the British Legislature, and after a final investigation of their claims, obtained an act of Parliament in their favor. In 1749 another petition was presented to Parliament, soliciting a strict examination of the doctrines and constitution of their church, in order to obtain a full confirmation of their religious and civil rights, and a legal sanction and authority for their future undertakings In the British dominions. The petition was received and referred to a committee of forty-seven members; the committee reported; a bill was introduced and passed nemine contradicente, on the 18th April. The Bishops, after reading the bill, had agreed at a meeting at the Archbishop's, not to oppose the Brethren. On May 12th, after a speech by the Earl of Halifax, and one by the Bishop of Worcester, in which he declared the approbation of the whole Episcopal bench, the bill passed the House of Lords, also nem. con. On the 8th of June it received the royal assent, and then was incorporated as a public act of the legislature of Great Britain. Among the privileges secured by the above act, I would mention the one most suited to my purpose. The Unity of the Brethren was declared to be an ancient Protestant Episcopal church. Their doctrines differ in no essential article of faith from those of the Church of England, as set forth in the thirty-nine articles. I think no farther proof is required to establish the point that the Church of the United Brethren is a church apostolically ordered, and consequently that any clergyman, really ordained by her, can be admitted to officiate in our branch of the Church of Christ. Should any require more, I would refer them to Crane on the Moravian Church, or Historical Records of the Moravian Church, by Rev. H. Klinesmith.-Epis. Recorder. Donations received by Rev. C. F. Seidel, towards Bohemian congregations. I hereby gratefully acknowledge the following donations, received since those acknowledged in a former number of the Miscellany. From Mrs. Tatem, Phila. $5. From Miss Mary C. Howel, $1. Miss Eliza Hugg, $5. Mr. J. Mattison "Rev. S. C. Stratton of Clarksborough $5. $5. Donation in the May number, read "from a sister in Ohio, $5." Donations received by Ch. F. Seidel, since April 25th. Litiz, John Beck for 1850 and '51, S. Lichtenthæler, '52 and '53. Philadelphia, Mrs. Lydia Fricke, A. B. Renshaw, H. Beck, Mrs. S. Winner, Miss Mary Ritter, Mrs. Tatem, Mrs. David, Mrs. Molther, Miss C. F. Baker, Geo. Esler, M. Avise. Bethlehem, Mr. Van Kirk, '53, Dr. Martin, 53, Mrs. C. Schropp, Fem. Mis. Soc. '52 and '53, $4. Nazareth, Herm. Titze, And. G. Kern, Jas. Henry, '53. Mount Bethel, Isaac Smith, 1852. Newark, Mrs. Ph. A. Goble.* Mr. Keppley, '51, Miss Agnes Kummer, '53. Lancaster, Mrs. Sarah Eberman, '53. Easton, Mr. Bacher and Mrs. A. Rea, '53. ACKNOWLEDGMENT. We the undersigned, the committee of the congregation at Lebanon, hereby return our sincerest thanks to all those brethren and sisters of Litiz, Bethlehem, Nazareth and Lancaster, who have aided us in defraying the costs of various necessary improvements on the Hebron cemetery and on the Church property in town. By their kind assistance, we have been enabled to lay a pavement in front of the Church and to build a commodious stable back of it, whilst at Hebron, a wilderness of thorns and briars has been transformed into a lovely acre of God." As we are the least among our sister congregations, such proofs of practical love, on their part, serve greatly to encourage us. We would especially mention the generosity of the Litiz congregation, and tender our warmest acknowledgments to one of its members, brother William Rauch, for his faithful and indefatigable exertions in our behalf. May the blessing of the Lord rest upon him and upon all who have remembered us in our need! CHRISTIAN BEHM, Lebanon, June 13th, 1853. Committee. |