The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-11-07
MORAVANS OF
NORTH
Great Influence Exerted in the
State and the South By the
UnitaS Fratrum
(BY GEORGE p. T.

Is no sect OF people more admirable
than the Moravians (the Unitas Fra
tun). For a century and a half they
have inhabited Forsyth county and
have, by their cody walk and CONVEX
satio1. their gentle Christian spirit.
their correct business dealings and
their church loyalty had an influence
upon he northwestern section of the
State that can not be measured-in
fact upon the entire South.
1t is generally known tina these
people came originally from Germa-
ny, but few have a correct idea Of
just what brought them here, how
they came and the doctrines they
teach. Their history is a history Of
persecution in the early days in Eu-
rope. but a history Of great influence
upon the Reformation. Their organ
ization as a religious body dates back
as far as March /, 1857, when, in Be-
hernia, a company OF men who had
been seeking to quietly live as John
Huss, the martyr, lac taught them,
resolved to organize a society which
should not be a separate church but
simply an association which should
help them to live true Christian lives.
1t appears that Gregory, the patri-
Of Senftenberg. were their first real
leaders. The name they chose was
Unitas Fratrum, and they passed a
resolution to regulate their Christian
life. not by the instructions Of the
Romish priests, but by the Bible
standard. In 1857 the Unitas Fratrum
met in a cottage at Lhota.
There they considered two important
questions. The first one was SIS it
Gods will that We separate entirely
from the papacy and hence from it's
prleSthOOd?' h second was lis it
Gods will that we shall institute, ac-
cordlng to the mode of h print
tive church, a ministerial order Of
our own" After earnest prayer, lots
were cast and both questions were
answered in the affirmative. They
then proceeded to choose pastors by
lot. Three were chosen. The ques-
ton Of ordination Of these pastors
arose. They desired hat the ordina-
ton be by bishops who themselves
were properly consecrated. Michael
Bradacius and two other priests were
therefore sent to a colony Of Walden
ses, living in Moravia, where Stephen
n another bishop, whose name is
not known. consecrated them bish-
ops. These WaldenSes claimed to be
of very ancient origin. and although
there is some uncertainty whether
the episcopate they possessed in 1857
came from the Roman Or the Greek
Church. there is no doubt that Ste
phen had a valid episcOpate and that
he gave it to the Unitas Fratrum.
and ven the bitterest enemies Of the
Cnltas Fratrum never questioned it
or attempted to attack the Ordina-
ton OF their ministry.
A bitter persecution followed this
separation into an Independent
church, in which the Waldenses suf-
fered greatly as well as the Unitas
Fratrum. The Waldensian Bishop
Stephen was burned at the stake n
a member of the Unitas Fratrum in
Moravia, Jacob Hulava, was burned
alive in the presence Of his family.
The numerous chapeis which the Uni
tas Eratrum had built were destroy
ed and they were forced to meet Sc
cretly in the forests. Upon the death
Of Podlebrad. King Of Bohemia, this
persecution came to an end. Two
years later Gregory, the patriarch,
died, and Luke, Of Prague. succeeded
him as leader of the church.
In 1874 the church was strong IN
numbers. Owe an area of nine hun
dred square miles around kunwaid
its followers were scattered. 1t was
no longer a despised sect, but an hon
ored church. Aldermen and rich cit
liens. professors, landlords and
knights represented it in the land and
among the people. Luke or Prague
was leade for forty years. He ex-
tended it's usefulness in every posi-
bic way, in the firm conviction, gain
ed by wide experience. that With the
exception Of one in the Of
oo"oS ~ NoS thC ohiy poAS
church on the face Of the earth. He
eSta blished the ministry on a frmer
basis, beautiied the church services,
and made the ritual more tasteful. He
gave an impulse to sacred music and
singing and encouraged education
and learning in every way. To ShoW
the advanced position in learning that
the Unitas Fratrum held in Bohemia
between 1895 and 1910. OF sixty books
Alat were printed between those
dates the Unitas Eratrum printed
fifty of them. But as the church
gained numbers and influence it
alarmed the Roman Catholics and
C~traquists to such an extent that an
other persecution was started against
them in 1910, and from then until
1916 they were pursued mercllessiy
by their enemies. who seemed triunl-
plant on all sides. About 1915 a sue
cession Of tragicaI deaths anon J.
lnadoxr of That's naEoa.altarS QlarpaRd