With the Reformed congregation in Philadelphia he had, of course, no connection whatever, as their minister, the Rev. Mr. Böhm, had become one of his most violent opponents.

But there was yet another mixed congregation, that at Oley, which consisted of Lutherans, Reformed and Mennonites. Andrew Eschenbach was minister and John Leinbach elder. It was resolved to build a new church, John de Türk, a Mennonite, having presented to this congregation a piece of ground for that purpose. Gradually the peace of this congregation was disturbed. Eschenbach, not satisfied with a log-building, desired a large two-story building like the clergy-house at Bethlehem, and not succeeding in his plans, manifested his disappointment so plainly in his public discourses, that he at last entirely lost the confidence of the congregation. On this account Zinzendorf, as President of the Pennsylvania Synod which had recognized this congregation, considered it expedient to recall Bro. Eschenbach,** and proposed Henry Antes as minister in his stead.

The various sermons 45 which Zinzendorf preached in Pennsylvania, have been published in a separate volume, and are a standing memorial of his activity among Lutherans and German Reformed.

Concerning the manner and substance of his sermons we find the following passage in a letter written "to his brethren among different people," May 28, 174246:

"Our method in proclaiming salvation is this: To point out to every heart the loving Lamb, who died for us

44 Andrew Eschenbach returned to Bethlehem, served for a time as itinerant preacher here and there, but the success of his ministry was gone. In 1745 he left Bethlehem and became a farmer.

45 Pennsylvanische Reden.

46 Zinzendorf's Naturelle Reflexionen, p. 38, et seq. Schreiben an seine Brüder unter allerlei Volk, während der Pennsylvanische Synode verfasst. Philadelphia, am 17 Maji, 1742.

and, although He was the Son of God, offered Himself for our sins, as his God, his Mediator between God and man, his throne of grace, his example, his brother, his preacher of the law, his comforter, his confessor, his Saviour, in short, his all in all, by the preaching of His blood, and of His love unto death, even the death of the cross; never, either in the discourse or in the argument, to digress even for a quarter of an hour from the loving Lamb; to name no virtue, except in Him and from Him and on His account; to preach no commandment except faith in Him; no other justification but that He atoned for us; no other sanctification but the privilege to sin · no more; no other happiness but to be near Him, to think of Him and do His pleasure; no other selfdenial but to be deprived of Him and His blessings; no other calamity but to displease Him; no other life but in Him."

This method of referring everything to Christ and of regarding Him as all in all, made Zinzendorf's sermons very powerful, impressive and effective, and many could be pointed out in later years, who traced their first impressions of divine truth to one or the other of these animated Gospel discourses.

9. ZINZENDORF AT BETHLEHEM.

COUNT ZINZENDORF had been in Pennsylvania more. than six months, without bestowing any special attention to the small Moravian colony at Bethlehem. His mind, as well as his time, was fully occupied with that kind of activity for the Kingdom of Christ, which he found at the Pennsylvania Synods and as Lutheran pastor in Philadelphia. Moreover, his extensive correspondence and voluminous writings in pamphlets and newspapers, forced upon him by his opponents, demanded not a little part of

his time and labor; hence he actually had no leisure to attend to the affairs of the infant colony at Bethlehem ; and, in truth, there was as yet no occasion to pay a longer visit there. The number of colonists was very small, and as each Synod was attended by some of their number, whilst others were visiting here and there in the country, the building of the "house of the pilgrims" on the Lehigh proceeded very slowly, and when Father Nitschmann demanded more assistance, he was told that the spiritual work must be attended to first.47

After the close of the seventh Synod, however, which I also for a time closed the home-mission labors of Brother Ludwig, and after the "Sea Congregation" had arrived, the time was at hand when, either in Bethlehem or elsewhere, a more definite arrangement had to be made for the organization of the first Moravian congregation in America, and for a while Zinzendorf turned his whole attention to this matter.

After the celebration of the festival of Pentecost, June 17,48 (we read in the Diary of Bethlehem, which Brother George Neisser commenced on that day.) thirty-five of the European Brethren and Sisters left Germantown and marched on foot by way of Skippack, Falkner Swamp and the Great Swamp to Bethlehem. On account of the great heat they did not reach the settlement before the fourth day, June 21,9 when they were welcomed in a love-feast.

On Sunday, June 24, Brother Andrew Eschenbach preached in the morning, and in the afternoon the first

47 Es wurde über den Mangel an leiblichen Arbeitern vor Bethlehem und Nazareth, nun Nitschmann nach [St.] Thomas gienge, geklaget; und von Bruder Ludewig zur antwort gegeben, es möge lieber noch ein jahr brache liegen, und das brodt gekaufft werden; die Seelen-saaten im Lande giengen vor.-Authentische Relation, p. 97.

48 According to Old Style five weeks later than according to New Style. 49 Now hardly a two hours' ride by railroad.

church-council was held, which in this case, there being no children among the emigrants, was a deliberative meeting of all the members of the Church present at that time. In this council two very important resolutions were passed, which in a manner decided the character of this congregation for many years to come.

The first was "to observe as a day of rest not only Sunday the day of the Lord, but also Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath," partly in order to avoid giving offense to the Seventh Day Baptists at Ephrata, partly on account of the Indians and missionary labors among them, as not a few at that time supposed that the Indians might be descendants of the ten tribes of Israel which had been led into the Assyrian captivity.

The second resolution was "to divide this church into two parts, the home-church, (Hausgemeine) and the church of pilgrims, (Pilgergemeine)," with the intention that the former should principally attend to the work of the general housekeeping, whilst the latter should devote its time and strength to spiritual labor throughout the country.

According to this arrangement the church at Bethlehem was solemnly organized, June 25, 1741, in an evening-meeting kept by Zinzendorf, in which he addressed the congregation on the daily word: "Strong is thy dwelling-place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock," Num. 24 21. Ever since 1752, this day has been annually celebrated as the church-festival of Bethlehem.

To the congregation of pilgrims belonged Abraham Meinung, John Brucker, Adolph Meyer, A. Eschenbach, Anthony Seiffert, C. H. Rauch, W. Zander, John Hagen, J. C. Pyrlæus, David Bruce, Nathanael Seidel, George Neisser, Jacob Lischy, Christian Frederick Post, Leonhard Schnell, Philip Meurer, John Böhner and John

Reinhard Ronner, all of whom were employed in various ways in the service of the Church, either in Pennsylvania or on missionary stations. There were some among those who were reckoned at first to the home-church who later entered the missionary or ministerial service, e. g., Joachim Senseman, David Zeisberger, and Paul Daniel Bryzelius, a Swede, who had studied at Upsala. Of the English brethren who subsequently arrived in Bethlehem in company with Peter Böhler, the following ought to be mentioned here, as having soon after entered the service of the Church: Owen Rice, Thomas Yarrell, Joseph Powel, Joseph Shaw and Hector Gambold.

From its very commencement, the whole organization of the church at Bethlehem according to this plan was a very peculiar one. It might be called an economy of pilgrims, a missionary family on a grand scale ; or it might appear to some as a socialistic community directed by some secret power; and there were, no doubt, many who were utterly at a loss what to make of this colony, so utterly different from any other in the country. And in truth it was a strange mixture; from one point of view, a colony in its incipient stage of gradual growth, expansion and development only; but at the same time a fully organized church, ruled and directed by men of no ordinary powers. Whilst some were working on, steadily building houses, clearing lands, or making roads, others were going and coming, and strangers who visited Bethlehem-and their number was considerable received very different impressions, and accordingly spread very different reports concerning "these Moravians and their outlandish ways." Though many of these reports, no doubt, were not in accordance with the real state of the case, still many misconceptions: were excusable, especially in the early period, when all