MORAVIANS, Hmtaxsurrzite, or Unr TAB FIATAI7X, in church history, a deno mination of Christians, concerning whose origin, history, and character, various contradictory reports have been publish ed. Crantz divides their history into what he calls ancient and modern. The for mer refers to them before the time of their settlement in Upper Lusatia, in 1722; the latter after that period. The United Brethren claim the famous Huss, and Jerome of Prague, as their martyrs. M. Crantz. however, places the beginning of the church of the United Brethren in the year 1457, and saes, that it arose out of the scattered remains of the followers of Huss. In the year 1450, this people became reunited to the Greek church : but on the taking of Constantinople by the Turks about two years afterwards, that union was again dissolved. After this, various attempts were made to form them into a regularly constituted church, but without success. At length, after many vexations and commotions among them selves, and sundry persecutions from others, they obtained permission to with draw to a part of the king's domain, on the boundary between Silesia and Mo ravia. In the same year, 1457, they form ed their church fellowship, calling them. selves " Unitas Fratrum," or " Fmtres Unitatis," the United Brethren From this period of the Reformation, they suf fered many cruel and vexatious persecu tions ; yet they preserved their unity, and formed a kind of alliance with the Wal denses. who had for many centuries op. -posed many of the corrupt practices and doctrines of the Romish church. After the Reformation, they professed to ad here to the Augsburgh Confession, yet they continued a distinct body. After va rious persecutions and discouragements, during the seventeenth century, they be came in a manner extinct; until about the year 172o, when they began to revive in Bohemia; but as no free toleration could be obtained for them in that country, they agreed to emigrate. Applications were accordingly made to Nicholas Lewis, count of Zinzendorf, who readily grant ed them permission to settle on his es tates in Upper Lusatia. Thither, in 1722, a company of them repaired, and formed the settlement of Herrnlint, from whence they are sometimes called Herrnhuttem Their friend and proteotor, count Zin zendorf, at length became a convert to the faith and practices of the Moravian Brethren, and, commencing preacher, was; in the year 1735, chosen to be their bishop. From this period the sect of the Moravians began to flourish rapidly. Count Zinzendorf was a zealous :kod en terprising man, though enthusiastical and mystical in a very high degree. His exer tions were of singular service to the cause of the brethren, though his ex' ravagancies sometimes brought them into contempt with the sober and reflecting part of man kind. It is even acknowledged. on the part of the count's friends, that much of the extravagance and absurdity that has been attributed to him owes its origin, or at least its publication, to those persons who wrote his extempore sermons in short-hand, and afterwards published them with all their indelicacies and im perfections about them.
The church of the United Brethren is episcopal, and their church government is conducted with great form and regula rity. Questions of dispute are settled by ballot, and in cases of real or supposed importance are often decided by lot. The lot is deemed a solemn appeal to heaven, and is madO use of with great seriousness. They have ceconomies, or choir-houses, where they live together in community: the single men and single women apart, widows and widowers apart, each under the superintendanee of elderly persons of their own class. At Fairfield, near
Manchester, there is a Moravian settle ment; it is a small village, uttcommonly neat and clean, consisting of one large open street, having a handsome chapel, and a small public house for the recep tion of strangers who visit the settlement from Manchester and the neighbourhood, particularly on Sundays and other holi days. The Moravians are tery strict in their attention to the youth of both sexes, and never suffer them to come together, or to marry, without the previous consent of the church ; and as the each must be cast to sanction their union, each receives his partner as a divine appointment. Though the Moravian are united in one body, they are by no means it in their views towards other Christians, who hold what they conceive to be the essen tials of religion, and pay divine adoration to Jesus Christ. In doctrine they appear to be inclined to Sabellianistn. They address all their prayers to Jean, or The Lamb, and they have been accused, not without reason, of adopting a phraseolo gy in their hymns and prayers not con sistent with the rules of decency and chastity. They are, however, a very harmless and tinoffencling people. They appear to be Arminians, in opposition to Calvinism, and they reject the use of the term Trinity, and some other popular and unscriptural terms and phrases. In zeal, tempered with modesty, and in si lent perseverance in attempting to con vert the heathen world to Christianity, the Moravians are unequalled. While some other bodies of Christians are filling the world with pompous details of their missionary labours, and are every day and hour Smarting the trumpet of their own fame to all )je world, the Moravian mis sionaries are quietly and successfully pur suing their labour of love in almost every part of the known world. They have set tlements in various parts, particularly in the following places : begun 1732, in the Danish West India Islands; in St. Thomas, New Herrnhut, Nisky; in St. Croix, Friedensburg, Friedenstal ; in St. Jan, Bethany, and Emmaus. In 1733, in Greenland, New Herrnhut, Lichtensels, and Lichtenau. In 1734, North Ameri ca. Fairfield in Upper Canada, and Go shen on the river Muskingum. In 1736, at the Cape of Good Hope, Banana Kloof. In 1738, in South America, among the negro slaves at Paramaribo and Sommels dyk ; among the free negroes at Bambey, on the Sarameca, and among the native Indians at Hope on the river Corentyn. In 1754, in Jamaica, two settlements in Elizabeth parish. In 1736, in Antigua, at St. John's, Grace hill, and Grace bay. In 1760, near Tranquebar in the East In dies, Brethren's Garden. In 1764, on the Coast of Labrador, Hain, Okkak, and Hopedale. In 1765, in Barbadoes, Shar ron near Bridgetown. In the same year, in the Russian part of Asia, Sarepta. In 1773, in St. Kitt's, at Basseterre. In 1789, in Tobago, Signal Hill. By the latest accounts published, most of these settlements appear to be in a flourishing state.
Whoever wishes to see a more detailed account of the Moravians will do well to consult Crantz's Ancient and Modern History of the United Brethren, the sante author's History of the Mission in Green land, La Trobe's edition of Spangen burgh's Exposition of Christian Doctrine, also Rimius's Narrative of the Moravian;, Bishop Lavington's Moravians compar ed and detected, and the Periodical Ac counts of the Missions of the United Brethren.