MORAVIANS. Called also TIIE UNITED BRETHREN ( UNITAS FRATRI'M ) and TI1E MO RAN IAN An evangelical Church which arose in Bohemia and Moravia among follow ers of John Huss (q.v.) ; originally known as Bohemian Brethren (q.v.). They secured the episcopacy from the Austrian Waldenses in 1467. Fraternizing with the Reformers of both Ger many and Switzerland, they increased rapidly, and after the Seim:Mk:tithe War established a third province in Poland. 11v 1617 they num bered at least 200.000. With the granting of the Bohemian eharter, in 1609. they obtained a legal status, but were systentativally suppressed and exiled during and after the Thirty Years' War. Their Polish province, with its centre at Lissa. now acquired importance, and a number of parishes were founded in Hun gary. But the Peace of Westphalia excluded Austrian lands from the benefits of reli gious liberty, and in 1656 Lissa was destroyed in the Ivar between Poland and Sweden. The Polish parishes were gradually absorbed by other Protestant bodies. Meanwhile a 'hid den seed' of the Unitas Pretreat remained in Bohemia and Moravia, and their bishop. Johann Amos Comenius (q.v.), republished their history, confession, and discipline, and took steps to per petuate the episcopate. Hence for about fifty years clergymen who at the saute time served parishes of the Reformed Church were consecrat ed bishops of the Unitas Fratrum.
A revival of religious life among the 'hidden seed' in Moravia led the awakened to abandon their homes and secretly flee to Saxony to secure religious liberty. Here, in 1722, they began to build the town of Herrnhut on the estate of Count Zinzendorf (q.v.), who had granted them an asylum. Herrnhut became the rallying place for descendants of the Brethren, several hundred of whom migrated from Austrian lands. They introduced the discipline handed down by Co merlins, and in 1735 the episcopate was trans mitted from its surviving representatives, Jab lonski and Sitkovius. The development of the Unitas Fratrum now took a new form. Zinzen dorf became the leading bishop, and strove to subordinate denominationalism to the promo tion of Christian life. He did not permit the Church to expand, as other churches expand, nor distinctly to sever connection in every respect with the State Church; but established on the Continent, in Britain, and in America an 'ex clusive system' by which it was attempted to secure a membership solely of converted men and women. Their culture in spiritual life was promoted by exceedingly close supervision. by an abundant supply of the means of grace— daily services, and services for the several divi sions of the congregation distributively—and by an effort to separate them from the rest of the world. The members of the establishments were indefatigable in missions among the heathen. maintained schools for young people not of their communion, and conducted the so-called Dia spora, or inner mission, among members of the State churches of Germany. the Baltic Prov inces, Scandinavian lands. Holland, and Switzer land, seeking the conversion of individuals with out drawing them from their former communion.
Though the 'exclusive system' was wholly abandoned in America in 1856. and praetically so in Britain, while in Germany it has been much modified, the three chief forms of activity combine. Missions among the heathen are niain tabled in Labrador and Alaska, among the In dians of North America, among the negroes of the West Indies. in Nicaragua. British and Dutch Guiana, Cape Colony. German East Afri ca. Australia, and among Tibetan people of the Western Himalayas. A home for lepers is main tained mar Jerusalem. Thirty-three schools are carried on, in addition to colleges and theo logien] seminaries. The mission in Greenland, maintained since 1733. was transferred to the Danish Lutheran Church in 1900.
The _Moravian Church now consists of four provinces—the German. the British, and the Ameriean, North and South—which are united as one body in regard to doctrine, ritual, dis cipline. and mission work. Internally each prov ince is independent, its affairs heing adminis tered by a synod, which elects a provincial execu tive board, consisting of bishops and other min isters. This board appoints the ministers to the various congregations. The executive boards of the four provinces constitute the Directing Board of the Unity. Every ten years a general synod convenes, each province and the missions having representatives. This synod takes cog nizance of the life. doctrine, and activity of the entire Church, elects the mission hoard, and to it the mission board is responsible.
The Moravian Church has a complete ritual, including services for the Lord's Day and other forms, but allows of free prayer in public wor ship; its music, vocal and instrumental. is high ly developed. It perpetuates the three orders of the ministry. but its bishops, who alone or dain. do not exercise administrative functions ipso facto. It observes the Christian year; ad mits new converts by confirmation; receives members of other churches by certificate; en courages lay work; and exercises strict disci pline. The cardinal points of Moravian teaching are those held in common by all evangelical churches. Eight cardinal points, in regard to which the teaching of Iloly Seripture is plain. have been repeatedly reaffirmed by the General Synod in the language of Scripture. As formulated by the General Synod of 1899, these doctrines teach: (a) Total depravity of human nature; (b) the love of God the Father. Who has 'chosen ns in Christ'; (e) the real Godhead and real humanity of Jesus Christ; ( (I ) reconciliation and justifieation through the saerilice of -Jesus Christ ; (e) the Holy Ghost and the operation of His grace: (f) good works as the fruit of the Spirit ; (g) the fellowship of believers: HO the second coining of Christ and the resurrection. These truths are held not as a rigidly formulat ed confession. but as the Moravian conception of the main contents of Christian doctrine. The resuscitated Moravian has never issued a confession of faith. as such.