In this manner the idea which at that time prevailed among the Brethren, that it is the duty of the Church to care for the education of the rising generation, was carried out at Bethlehem and Nazareth to such an extent, that very little scope was left for parental training or maternal home influences.

Nevertheless, though fully occupied with the care of their own children, the Brethren also tried to assist their countrymen in this respect, by opening here and there both day-schools and boarding-schools, the commencement of which we can trace to Count Zinzendorf. In a sermon preached at Manatawny in April, 1742, he suggested the necessity and usefulness of a General Boarding-school. In consequence of this suggestion some applications were made to Zinzendorf concerning the education of children of friends of the Brethren in Germantown, and the young Countess Benigna de Zinzendorf undertook the care of a school for little girls, which numbered twenty-five pupils and to which she attended for some months, endeavoring to lead these children to the Saviour, whom she had found in early years.

Count Zinzendorf wished to benefit, if possible, all the children of his German countrymen in Pennsylvania by the establishment of such a General Boarding-school, and in his “Pennsylvania Testament" (in which he fully acknowledges the skill of the Hallensians with regard to education) he once more proposed the establishment of a General Boys' School at Philadelphia and a General Girls' School (ein Mädchenhaus fürs Land) at Germantown or elsewhere. This project of erecting a General Boarding-school for the whole Province was, of course' impracticable, but gave the first impulse for diffusing more knowledge among the scattered German settlers. Ten years later, Michael Schlatter,20 the founder of the

20 Deutsche Kirchenfreund, 1849, p. 13.

German Reformed Church in America, proposed to erect free schools for the pious education of German youths of all denominations, but this proposition also did not succeed.

Meanwhile the Brethren established and for about ten years maintained day-schools and boarding-schools at various places. In 1743 Brother Lischy commenced a day-school at Muddy Creek, for which a house was built and finished in six days by Lutherans and German Reformed. The enemies of the Brethren called it "Little Bethlehem." Brother Adam Luckenbach was the first school-master here. Similar schools were commenced at Lancaster, Oley, Mill Creek (Mühlbach), Warwick, Heidelberg, Maguntsche and Walpack, beyond the Blue Mountains. All these schools were kept by married brethren from Bethlehem, who received the principal part of their support from the Bethlehem Economy.

In 1746 a Boarding School was commenced at Germantown in Bechtel's house "shining as a light into all directions." This being quite a new undertaking, it attracted a great deal of attention and called forth both friendly and censorious remarks from the neighborhood. Brother and Sister Greening, Jasper Payne and John Leighton had charge of this school, which in 1748 counted eleven boys and eighteen girls as boarders. The boys were transferred to Oley and the number of girls increased to twenty-seven by some newcomers from Nazareth.

Still larger was the school at Oley, commenced in 1745. Henry Antes built a house for this purpose on John Leinbach's plantation, and in 1748 a second larger one. Thus room was gained for the reception of the boys from Germantown and Frederick Township. Brother John Wolfgang Michler and Brother Robert Hussey were the first teachers, in 1745. In 1749 the number of boarders was thirty-eight-twenty-one girls and seventeen boys.

Apart from the great expense of conducting this school on account of its distance from Bethlehem, the Brethren became fully convinced that the main object was not gained, as the good impressions made upon the hearts of the children were generally obliterated after their return home, and thus no abiding fruits of righteousness were obtained. In 1751, therefore, this school was given up. The boys were transferred into the strictly Moravian Boys' School at Maguntsche, commenced in 1747, and the girls into a house near Bethlehem beyond the Lehigh. In 1754 these two schools were also given up, and the Brethren confined themselves to the education of their own children.

The present Boarding-schools at Bethlehem, Nazareth, Lititz, Pa., and Salem, N. C., are of later date.

9.-HOME MISSIONS IN PENNSYLVANIA AND OTHER

COLONIES.

BESIDES the Lutheran and Reformed congregations which were served regularly by the Brethren, there was a large field open for cultivation among those who as yet belonged to no church organization whatever. This required, besides the settled ministry, a number of itinerant preachers and visitors, who were ready and willing to go and proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all who wished to hear it or were indifferent about it, thus developing a Home Missionary activity of a novel kind, and not without blessed results. Time and space would not permit a detailed account of all the journeys of the itinerant preachers, or the joys and sorrows of these evangelists. It will suffice briefly to sketch the field of their activity.

A. IN PENNSYLVANIA.

In Brother Böhler's time in 1743, the commencement was made of ministerial itinerancy, which seems to have flourished most from 1746 to 1749.

At the Synod at Bethlehem in February, 1746, Brother Leonhard Schnell was appointed to preach to all the Lutherans within the Province, and he visited sixteen places, whilst Christian Henry Rauch, sent to the German Reformed, preached at fifteen places. David Bruce, a Scotchman, preached to the English and Irish in ten different neighborhoods. Everywhere these itinerant ministers were gladly received, and the only complaint Iwas that their visits were too few and far between. Bishop Cammerhof greatly encouraged this kind of activity, as being well calculated to counteract the plan pursued hitherto of supplying Lutheran and Reformed congregations with ministers, thus putting pseudoLutheran and pseudo-Reformed ministers into a wrong position, or at least a situation which, being liable to misconstruction, was not tenable for any length of time. The intinerant ministers had no system to maintain, no ecclesiastical rules to observe, but merely preached Christ crucified, and could, therefore, often reach those who, filled with denominational prejudices, would not have listened to Lutheran or Reformed pastors. Cammerhof himself undertook such a circuit from October I to November 5, 1747, extending it beyond the southern boundaries of Pennsylvania and preaching at twenty-nine different places. In Allemängel (Lynn Township) he renewed acquaintance with those who, formerly awakened by the Tunkers, had been visited by Count Zinzendorf. They now entered into closer connection with Bethlehem, which led to the formation of a small Moravian congregation in 1749.

Brother Nathanael Seidel and Brother John E. Westman undertook a similar journey in December, 1747,

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which was attended with much bodily hardship and danger, especially their crossing the Susquehanna on very thin ice. In general it is to be remarked, that the state of the road or the weather, heat or cold, were never taken into account when starting on foot for their missionary trips-and in this respect they undoubtedly underwent greater hardships, than their less hardy descendants would be willing to bear.

In February, 1748, Brother Spangenberg made a longer visit amongst the Mennonites of Lancaster County, where eleven of their teachers and ministers received him in a very friendly manner. Trusting mostly to their own righteousness, they would not exactly contradict the doctrine of the free grace of Christ, but seemed not to appreciate it very much. Still some of their number became members of the Brethren's Church.

The Society of Friends was visited by John Wade and Ludwig Hübner, who were received very kindly, but made very little impression with their Gospel-message. The intercourse with the Schwenkfelders and Tunkers had ceased almost entirely.

B.-BEYOND PENNSYLVANIA.

Beyond the boundaries of Pennsylvania the Brethren had found a large field of usefulness among the Swedes on the east side of the Delaware. Here Bryzelius had preached for more than a year, until driven away by Magister Naesman. Since then the Brethren had visited here regularly both among the Swedes and the English. Abraham Reincke, Thomas Yarrell, Owen Rice, Joseph Powell and Sven Roseen (all Swedish or English brethren) stayed there for a longer time. In 1746 a church was built for the Brethren near Maurice River, which was dedicated to the worship of God by the Brethren Reincke, Rice, Nyberg and Reuz. Here the