their native princes. In the tenth century Bohemia and Moravia were conquered by Otho I. of Austria, when, with imperial despotism, ecclesiastical domination was attempted to be enforced upon the inhabitants. Arms could subdue the land, and the law of the strongest compel the submission of an enslaved people, but neither violence nor priestcraft could subjugate or ensnare the conscience of the true converts to the gospel. These ever maintained the doctrines and the ordinances of their primitive church; and never relinquished the Scriptures in their own language, the holy communion in both kinds, and the right of their clergy to marriage. Though popery gradually gained ascendancy among the multitude, with whom religion was a profession, those with whom it was a reality clave to that which they had received from their fathers, who had received it from the earliest age of the church on earth, whose teachers had been the apostles and evangelists, and Jesus Christ himself their "One Master."
In the thirteenth century, King Richard II. of England married a Bohemian princess, who had become acquainted with the disciples of our Wickliffe, "the morning star of the Reformation" both in England and Germany, as he has been worthily styled. The writings of this great light shining in a dark world, by the queen's correspondence with her native country, were transmitted thither, translated, and eagerly approved by the faithful in Bohemia and Moravia. Among these, in the fifteenth century, John Huss, for maintaining the Scriptural doctrines which they promulgated, was burned by the papish council of Constance. After his death a schism arose among his followers,—many taking the sword to fight for their faith, and a few choosing rather to perish by the sword than defend that faith with carnal weapons.
Out of the small peace party sprang "the United Brethren," as a distinct denomination, under episcopal government, having received the rite of ordination from the Waldenses. This little flock during the two next centuries, like their forerunners in all ages, were persecuted with unrelenting malignity by the bigoted priesthood; while, at the instigation of the latter, on sundry occasions war was waged against them by the Austrian tyrants under whose yoke they had been born. At length, about 1660, the remnant were either scattered through the adjacent provinces of Germany and Poland, or were compelled to hide themselves among the fastnesses of their native forests and precipitous mountains. Their last bishop, Amos Comenius, took refuge in England; and thinking that his people were about to cease from the earth, he commended their cause while they did yet exist to their pious brethren of the church of England, for the preservation of their memory and their name.
In the year 1650, was published in London, by certain refugees from Bohemia, for the information of Christians in England, The History of the Bohemian Persecution, from the beginning of their conversion to Christianity, in the year 894, to the year 1632, Ferdinand the Second of Austria reigning, in which the unheard of secrets of policy, councils, arts, and dreadful judgments, are exhibited. Printed by B. A. for John Walker, at the Star in Pope's Head Alley, M.D.C.L." This volume, which has now become very rare, was avowedly compiled as supplementary to Foxe's Book of Martyrs, to show in this country how much had been suffered on the Continent in "the dark places of the earth," which, as well as here, were "full of the habitations of cruelty and wickedness," during the death-pangs of expiring error, and the birth-pains of regenerating truth in the nominally Christian world.
The following specimen of the style and contents of this remarkable chronicle may suffice:—"New edicts were published in the name of the king and the consistory, that these pernicious men should nowhere be suffered either in Bohemia or Moravia. Hence it came to pass, that many, especially the chiefest among them, being dispersed among the woods and mountains, did dwell in caves where they were scarce secure enough; wherefore they dressed not their meat, nor made any fire but in the night only, for fear the smoke ascending should betray them; and in the extremity of the cold in winter nights, sitting near the fire, they gave themselves to reading of the Bible and holy discourses. When, in the depth of the snow they went forth to provide themselves necessaries, they went close together lest they should be discovered by their footsteps, and the hindermost did draw behind him a great bough of beech, to cover the print which their feet had made in the snow, that nothing might be seen but the impression of some country lad drawing a bush behind him."
About this period some of the persecuted refugees obtained protection and privileges from the English government; and the Church of Austin Friars, in the centre of London, was granted to one of the ministers of the Brethren, John de Lazo, with the distinct superintendence over the members of Protestant congregations from Bohemia, Moravia, Poland, and Hungary. Again, in the reigns of Charles II. and George I., the case of these sufferers was recommended by briefs read, and monies to be collected for their aid, in the churches throughout the kingdom; with the express sanction of two successive archbishops of Canterbury, who, with the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of York, and Bishops of London, Carlisle, Sarum, Norwich, and Bristol, were appointed trustees for the advancement of the charity. On both these occasions, the credentials of these foreigners, after rigid scrutiny, were avouched as follows:—"The Bohemian Church has been free from her infancy, and for almost 700 years, from the encroachment of the Roman See; crushed at length by its prevailing powers, she brought forth a progeny, which, growing up in Bohemia, obtained the name of unitas fratrum. This fraternity, the heir of the truly ancient faith, spread its boughs as far as Poland, renounced the errors of Popery, and preserved the succession of episcopal orders."
Amidst all their tribulations the Brethren laboured incessantly as well as suffered patiently, and in them were literally exemplified the declarations of the apostle concerning the ancient worthies—they "had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonments; they were stoned, they were tempted, were slain by the sword, being destitute, afflicted, tormented,—of whom the world was not worthy." From their origin till their apparent extinction towards the close of the seventeenth century, they were merely a church of martyrs and confessors. During the lucid intervals from persecution, they were the first people who employed the newly invented art of printing for the publication of the Bible in a living tongue, and three editions of the Bohemian Scriptures were issued by them before the Reformation. When Luther, Melanchthon, Calvin, and Bucer, at length arose to testify the truth more successfully than they had been able to do, to each of these illustrious men the Brethren submitted their doctrinal tenets, their church discipline, and the records of their affairs; and from each, in return, they received assurances of cordial approbation and the kindest encouragement.
Sixty years after the suspended animation which followed the flight of Comenius from Moravia, the church of the United Brethren was raised from the dead. "A remnant A few individuals and their families gradually, and by stealth as it were, emigrated from their own country and found refuge on the estates of Count Zinzendorf, in Lusatia, where they built a humble village, and named it Herrnhut. This is still the principal settlement of the society, which has at this day affiliated stations, Home and Missionary, to the ends of the earth.
The United Brethren first appeared in England as a body before the middle of the last century, where (although the most malignant slanders were circulated against them), with the simplicity of conscious innocence, they laid their case before parliament, their doctrines, discipline, history, and character. These were scrupulously investigated by committees of both houses; and two bills, exempting them from taking oaths, and bearing arms in certain cases, were carried with the unanimous consent of all the bishops; indeed all opposition was abandoned after the final test of their claims; and they were thus fully acknowledged by the British legislature to be "An Ancient Protestant Episcopal Church, which had been countenanced and relieved by the kings of England, his Majesty's predecessors." (See acts 20th Geo. II. cap. 44, and 22d Geo. II. cap. 30, passed in 1747 and 1748; also a Congratulatory Letter from Archbishop Potter to Count Nicholas Lewis Zinzendorf, one of their bishops, on his consecration; including this testimony: "I should be entirely unworthy of that high station in which Divine Providence has placed me, were I not to show myself very ready to use every exertion for the assistance of the universal church of God; but to love even preferably your Church, united with us in the bond of love; having hitherto, as we have been informed, invariably maintained both the pure and primitive faith and discipline of the first Church; being neither intimidated by dangers, nor seduced by the manifold temptations of Satan.")
The revived Church of the United Brethren, on the estates of Count Zinzendorf, in Lusatia, including their expatriated countrymen and pious persons from other quarters, gradually multiplied through Germany, Denmark, Russia, Holland, and North America. But, when their number at Herrnhut scarcely amounted to 600 persons, when they had only rested from suffering, and were beginning to build their first church, and lay out their first burying-ground,—the missionary spirit was sent down upon them with such constraining influence, that in the short period of eight years, they had messengers of peace in Greenland, Lapland, North and South America.
At present (1853) the church of the Brethren numbers about 20,000 Europeans, and has 293 missionaries and 70 stations in Greenland, Labrador, and South America, the West Indies, South Africa, and Australia. The number of converts and heathen receiving instruction is as follows:
| British Subjects | Negroes | 30,741 | |------------------|---------|--------| | | Indians | 205 | | | Hottentots | 6,191 | | | Esquimaux | 1,321 | | | Total | 38,458 |
| Danish | Negroes | 10,252 | |------------------|---------|--------| | | Greenlanders | 2,102 | | | Total | 12,354 |
| Dutch | Negroes | 15,972 | |------------------|---------|--------| | United States | Indians | 286 | | | Total | 16,258 |
Total, 70,070
The annual expenses of carrying on this great work little exceed £12,000, and of this sum about one-half is contributed by Christian friends of various other denominations,—a glorious example of that "Charity which never faileth;" and showing that it may still be said, as of old, "See how these Christians love one another!" (J.M.—Y.)or BOOL, one of the Philippine Islands between Mindanao and Leyte, discovered by Magellan in 1521. It is in Long. 124° 15'. E. Lat. 10° N., and is about 40 miles in length, and 32 in breadth. It produces some gold.