Again, my Lord, I beg leave to enquire, whether we hear any thing in scripture of eldresses or deaconesses of the apostolical churches seating themselves before a table, covered with artificial flowers, and against that, a little altar surrounded with wax tapers, on which stood a cross, composed either of mock or real diamonds, or other glittering stones? And yet your Lordship must be sensible this was done in Fetter-lane chapel, for Mrs. Hannah Nitschman, the present general eldress of your congregation, with this addition, that all the sisters were seated, cloathed in white, and with German caps; the organ also illuminated with three pyramids of wax tapers, each of which was tied with a red ribbon; and over the head of the general Eldress, was placed her own picture, and over that (horresco referens) the picture of the Son of God. A goodly sight this, my Lord, for a company of English protestants to behold! Alas! to what a long series of childish and superstitious devotions, and unscriptural impositions, must they have been habituated, before they could sit silent and tame spectators of such an antichristian scene. Surely, had Gideon, though but an Old Testament saint, been present, he would have risen and pulled down this, as he formerly did his father’s altar. Or had even that meek man Moses been there, I cannot help thinking, but he would have addressed your Lordship, partly at least, in the words with which he addressed his brother Aaron, “What did this people unto thee, that thou hast introduced such superstitious customs among them[¹]?”
[¹] A like scene to this was exhibited by the single brethren, in a room of their house at Hatton Garden. One of them, who helped to furnish it, gave me the following account. The floor was covered with sand and moss, and in the middle of it, was paved a star of different coloured pebbles, upon that was placed a gilded dove, which spouted water out of its mouth into a vessel prepared for its reception, which was curiously decked with artificial leaves and flags; the room was hung with moss and shells; the Count, his son, and son-in-law, in honour of whom all this was done, with Mrs. Hannah Nitschman, and Mr. Peter Boehler, and some other labourers, were present. These were seated under an alcove, supported by columns made of pasteboard, and over their heads was painted an oval, in imitation of marble, containing the cyphers of Count Zinzendorff’s family. Upon a side-table, was a little altar covered with shells, and on each side of the altar was a bloody heart, out of, or near which proceeded flames. The room was illuminated with wax tapers, and musicians placed in an adjacent apartment, while the company performed their devotions, and regaled themselves with sweet-meats, coffee, tea, and wine. After this the labourers departed, and the single brethren were admitted in. I am told, that most, if not all of these leading persons were present also at the celebration of Mrs. Hannah Nitschman’s birth-day.
But this is not all: I have another question to propose to your Lordship. Pray, my Lord, did any of the Apostles or leaders of the primitive churches, ever usurp an authority, not only over people’s consciences, but their properties also? Or draw in the members of their respective congregations to dispose of whole patrimonies at once, or to be bound for thousands of pounds more than they well knew they were worth? And yet your Lordship knows this has been done again and again, in order to serve the purposes of the brethren for several years last past; and that too, at, or very near the time, when, in order to procure an act in their favour to go abroad, (which now appears to be rather a scheme to settle at home) they boasted to an English parliament, how immensely rich they were[¹].
[¹] M. Rimius, aulic counsellor to the late King of Prussia, in a treatise he lately published, I think makes it plainly appear, that the agents for the Moravian affairs, have misinformed the parliament in several respects, and upon the whole, treated that august body little better than the Gibeonitish ambassadors once treated Joshua, the captain of the Lord’s host. To this I refer the reader. It is written with great candour, and contains such incontestable proofs of the many dangerous principles and practices of the leading brethren, that must, I think, constrain all that read it to say, “My soul, come not thou into their secret, and to their assembly, mine honour be not thou united.”
I suppose it was a consciousness of this, that induced Mr. Cossart, one of the Count’s chief agents, to suggest to Mr. Linde some time before its publication, that it would be as good as three hundred pounds in his way, if Mr. Rimius’s book could be suppressed. This looks bad; but I think it was still worse in another of the brethren roundly to affirm, in order to quiet some who were dissatisfied by reading this book, “that the author of the above-mentioned treatise, was one that personated Mr. Rimius, and that the whole was lies.” Now they cannot but know, that this gentleman resides in Oxenden-street, and addressed his book to his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, by permission, and that he proves almost every word he says, from the brethren’s own writings. The above-mentioned brother was pleased to add, “that the real M. Rimius was a friend, and therefore would not write against them.” I answer, that I verily believe he therefore wrote, as God knows I do, because he is a friend; or to use his own words, “from a strict regard to truth, justice, and the public good.” And I think, if instead of adding sin to sin, by continuing still to misguide, enslave, and put out the eyes of many of God’s dear children, who, I am persuaded, know no more of their secret mysteries and intended purposes, than those who never heard of them at all, it would shew a much better spirit in the leading brethren, either publicly to refute, or ingenuously confess, and amend the things laid to their charge. This is what God and the world may justly require at their hands, and without this, I cannot see how they can expect any future blessing from above; since the wisest of men hath told us, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Grant us all this mercy, heavenly Father, for thy dear Son’s sake!
As I am not personally acquainted with Mr. Rimius, I take this opportunity of informing him, that it is the desire of many, the Latin appendices may be translated into English, and the whole printed in a small edition, in order to make it more extensively useful.
Your Lordship cannot but be sensible, that at this present time you stand indebted to sundry persons to the value of forty thousand pounds sterling; and unless some of your brethren had agreed to stay six years for about twenty thousand pounds, due to them; (though after the expiration of that term, as they have no security, in all probability they will be just where they are now) and if the other creditors also, upon consideration of some bonds given, and mortgages made[¹] for principal and interest, had not agreed to stay four years, for twenty one thousand pounds more, many of the English brethren, who, out of I know not what kind of infatuation, have not only given their all, but have been bound for thousands more than they are able to pay, must either have immediately become bankrupts, and thereby the creditors perhaps, not have had a shilling in the pound, or have been obliged to shut up their shops, go to prison, or be turned out into the wide world, to the utter ruin of themselves and families.
[¹] The buildings in Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, &c. Besides this, there are some thousands due to others upon bond, and many thousands to a particular gentleman, for which the Count has mortgaged one of the German settlements; I think it is Marienburg.
The distress and anguish of mind that hundreds have been involved in upon this very account, is, I believe, unspeakable[¹]. And the bare reflection upon it, whilst I am writing, makes my heart almost to bleed within me. Who, who, but themselves, my Lord, can tell the late perplexity of their minds, who have been already arrested, or obliged to break off their respective partnerships? Or what words can express the great concern, which Mr. Freeman and Mr. Thomas Grace must have been necessarily under, when they found that bills had been drawn in their name, unknown to them, to the value of forty-eight thousand pounds?[²] And how pitiable, my Lord, must the present circumstances of young Mr. Rhodes be, who, to stop a little of the above-mentioned gap, was prevailed on, (your Lordship knows by whom,) about eighteen months ago, to sell his estate of above four hundred pounds a year, and went or was sent off very lately, as I am assured, to France, (leaving a destitute mother behind him) and only with twenty-five pounds, for the payment of which he left his watch, bureau, horse and saddle?[³]
[¹] Since my writing this, I have been told of a very singular expedient made use of by Mr. Peter Boehler, one of the brethren’s bishops, in order to strengthen the faith, and to raise the drooping spirits of Mr. William Bell, who hath been unhappily drawn in (with several others) to be one of their agents. It was this: It being Mr. Bell’s birth-day, he was sent for from his house in Nevil’s-alley, Fetter-lane; but for a while, having had some words with Mr. Boehler, he refused to come; at length he complied, and was introduced into a hall, in the same alley, where was placed an artificial mountain, which, upon singing a particular verse, was made to fall down, and then behind it was discovered an illumination, representing Jesus Christ and Mr. Bell, sitting very near, or embracing each other; and out of the clouds was also represented plenty of money falling round Mr. Bell and the Saviour. This story appeared to me so incredible at the first hearing, that, though I could not doubt the veracity of the relator, yet hearing he might be misinformed, I sent for him again, and he assured me, that Mr. Bell told this story himself some time ago in company, and a person of good reputation of that company related it to an acquaintance of mine. May God grant him and all others who have been undesignedly concerned, a more sure and stable prop for their faith, even his own word, in which he causes his people to trust! then, and not till then, even upon the greatest emergency, they may without any fanciful representations, boldly say, “Who art thou, O great mountain? before the Lord Jesus, our all conquering Zerubbabel, thou shalt become a plain.”