The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1889-01-25

drew up and adj ed formal deciarat-
ion of principles and named themselves
ssBrethern and Sisters of the Law of
Christi But, as this induced the belief
that they were new monastic order,
they changed it into .sUnitas Fratrum'
or ssThe Unity of the Brethern." This
occurred in 1457. They were not per-
mitted to dwell for any lengthy period
of time in peace. In 146l, prosecutions
began, made by the King and the Ma
tional church, principally owing TO the
fear that, ON account of their rapid in
crease in numbers, they would attain TO
| strength equal to that formerly pos
sessed by the Caiixtines. which would
be impossible to curb. Undoubtedly they
would have been crushed, had not the
Pope. just at this juncture, undertaken
crusade against the king and the Nation
al church. In the religio-politico COM
plications which ensued, they were, as
| an organization, for the time forgotten.
In l467, these men met again ON the
| Barony of Reichenau at Lhota in order
TO elect the first regular ministers of
| their church. But as they did not know
whether this was the time appointed by
the Lord, they had recourse to the lot.
Nine candidates were chosen and II lots
prepared, of which three were inscribed
| with the word EST and the remainder
left blank. These were put into a vase
and, after prayer, drawn out singly by
lad. until each of the candidates had been
supplied with one. There was a posi-
bility that all would receive blanks In
that case, the Synod would have looked
upon the result as an intimation from
God to postpone the establishing of an
independent ministry to- some future
time. Upon opening the lots, however.
the three marked were found in the hands
of three of the candidates. Thereupon
arose the question of ordination. Tothe
Bohemian Waldensian colony, the Synod
of Lhota sent a deputation of three
priests. At the hands Of Bishop Stephen,
they received the episcopacy with power
to transmit it. Thus was the Church of
the Brethren, after years of gradual de
yelopment, fully organized and estab-
lished. John Huss began the work:
Rokyzan, the Caiixtine Bishop, further
ed it; Peter Cheleicky gave it positive
aim; Gregory, the Patriarch of the
Brethren, carried it out and the Walden
ses seemed TO have been preserved as
distinct organization, that they might
complete it, having done which, they as
a colony passed away, Bishop Stephen
suffering martyrdom as hereto at Vi
emma. In the years which followed these
events, the Moravians, in spite of the per-
secutions to which they were subjected,
grew numerically and spiritually Their
strength lay in their discipline; their aim
was holy living. The danger whicIr'
threatened them of falling into anti
scriptural asceticism was averted, MAIN
ly, through the exertions of Bishop Luke
of Prague. They had about 400 churches
in Bohemia and Moravia with member
ship of about 200 900 souls; were zeal
ously engaged in preaching the Cos
pei and used the press with great dill
gence, for the furtherance ofevangelical
truth; published Bohemian version of
the Bible, a Catechism, Hymn Book,
nine successive Confessions of Faith, be-
, sides many theological works
From all this, it proves that this work,
begun years before Luther nailed his
theses to the door of the Cathedral OF
7 Wittenberg, had assumed an Importance
which will ever award these Moravians
i the title of the Reformers before the
Reformation. Luther acknowledged them
: as such Bueer and Calvin did the same.
: Other nations. with their policy and
: arms, filled the world with noise and the
{ annals of the times are devoted to their
e exploits; but Germany and Bohemia,
e with its reformers, quietly invented and
e worked the printing press and prepared
o for the Reformation. Whatever is most
e noteworthy in German annals, from the
It time of the Hohenstaufens until the cir
J, culation of printed books extended relig-
e ious knowledge, is the work of the peo-
d pie and not of their rulers. In German
S history, the two centuries preceding
s Luther are the poorest of all in great
r and prominent men and the narrative OF
r public affairs during this period is mea
le gre. But the silent changes which were
i, taking place in the thoughts, habits ana
If lives of the people are the key to all thei
lie subsequent history.-[F. L. S.