discernment and sound wisdom. The Kingdom of God cometh not with such observation. The severity of John Randolph's sarcasm," the Greeks are at your own door, Madam," lay in its truth.

There remains to be considered, the important question of the Moravian Episcopacy,-its origin and validity. On that point, and in conclusion, we now give the important paper to which we have already alluded :—

ON THE EPISCOPACY OF THE MORAVIANS.*

The claim of any body of Christians to be considered a true branch of the Church of Christ, must at all times be a matter of deep interest to those who desire to see all who are called by the name of Christ, "continuing in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in the (consequently acceptable) breaking of bread and in prayers."-Acts ii. 42. When, therefore, among the numerous bodies which are in a state of separation from the Apostolical Church in England, one is found which claims, equally with that Church, the possession of the Apostolic commission, it cannot be wondered at, that when that claim is brought forward, as in one or two cases it lately has been, it should excite the attention of the members of the Church, and lead them to inquire into the nature of it. And as the desire of all must be, to see the wounds in Christ's body healed, rather than torn more widely open, it would be with a wish to find that claim established, that the inquiry would be made. For so would there be more reasonable hope, that, in God's good time, the division would cease.

It was with these feelings and in this desire, that the writer of these remarks commenced his inquiry, (the result of which is now submitted to the reader,) into the claims of the Moravians (so-called) to be considered an Episcopal, i. e., an Apostolical branch of the Church of Christ. Into the state of religion among them, either as it was, or as it is, he has no intention to enter; the former he is unwilling, the latter he is unqualified, to discuss. He proposes. therefore, to limit the inquiry to the grounds on which they rest their claim to the possession of the Apostolic commission, which they assert has legitimately descended to them, by Episcopal Succession. For this purpose it will be necessary to give a slight sketch of some features of Ecclesiastical history, connected with them.

Moravia and Bohemia were converted to the Christian faith, in the ninth century, by the preaching of Cyril and Methodius, two Greek Ecclesiastics, who introduced the rites and customs of their own (Greek) Church, which were retained, without interruption, until the time of Otho the First, towards the close of the tenth century, who

*The following paper, by the Hon. and Rev. A. P. Perceval, was first published in the British Magazine, of 1836; was re-printed, with additions, in the Leeds Christian Miscellany, in 1842; and was issued in pamphlet form, in London, in 1843.

began to endeavor to bring the Moravians under the Papal yoke. This attempt was followed up, with more or less success, by succeeding Emperors, and their own Princes, till about the middle of the fourteenth century, when the general adoption of all the corruptions and abuses of the western Church was enforced, and the Latin language and Popish ceremonies introduced into the Churches, the marriage of the Clergy prohibited, and the use of the cup in the Eucharist denied to the people. This was not effected without strenuous opposition on the part of individuals, and numerous bodies of the people, of all ranks. Among the eminent individuals who, from time to time, arose to witness against the Papal usurpations and corruptions, the celebrated John Huss occupies the most conspicuous place, who, in 1415, sealed his testimony with his blood, being burned alive at Constance, in violation of the Emperor's safe conduct.

His followers were divided into two parties: 1st Calixtines, socalled, because the chief point on which they insisted in their differences with Rome, was the use of the cup (Calix) for the people in the Eucharist. 2d. Taborites, so-called, from the tents (Tabor) in which they dwelt, which name they gave to the mountain on which they held their religious assemblies. These last were strenuous in opposing all the Papal additions to Christian doctrines; and, not content with this, sought to propagate their views by the use of the sword. This naturally drew upon them the wrath of the government, and after a long and cruel war, they were at length dispersed and subjected to severe persecutions. The remnant which survived were at length permitted to settle at Lititz, in the borders of Silesia and Moravia, in the year 1451. Having no Clergy of their own, they were, for a time, supplied by some who were sent to them from the Calixtines. In 1457, they formed themselves into a community, entitled Unitas Fratrum, or the United Brethren: and in 1467, determining to be wholly independent, both of the Romish party, whom they hated, and of the Calixtines, whom they despised, they sent some Presbyters of their number, who had come over to them from the Calixtines and the Romanists, to receive what they call Episcopal Orders, from an individual who is styled Stephen, Bishop of the Waldenses in Austria. From this time, it is said, they religiously preserved the Episcopal Order among them, having generally one Bishop in Poland, another in Bohemia, and two in Moravia. In process of time their congregations were dispersed and broken up, the number of their Bishops was not kept up; and in the year 1710, only two individuals professing to have received that Order survived: one of whom was Dr. Daniel Jablonsky, chaplain to the King of Prussia: the other, named Sitkovius, resided in Poland. Both these were seniors of the Polish branch of the United Brethren. It is from Jablonsky, with the approval of Sitvovius, that the Moravians, (so-called,) of the present day, profess to have received Episcopal Orders. Let us state the origin of this body. In the year 1722, Count Zinzendorf, a Polish nobleman, formed an establishment on his estate of a number of individuals, of different religious persuasions, at a place called Herrnhut. Among these were some emigrants from Bohemia and Moravia, who, having been brought up in the Church of Rome, had seen reason to

abandon its tenets. The settlements increased by the accession of individuals from different quarters; and in 1727, it consisted of about three hundred persons, one half of whom are stated to have been Bohemian or Moravian emigrants.

Up to the year 1735, they had no Clergy of their own, and availed themselves of the ministrations of the Lutheran pastor of the parish, at whose hands they received the Holy Sacrament; and great efforts were made, on the part of Count Zinzendorf, who was himself a Lutheran, and by other Lutheran members of the community, to bring the establishment into entire connection with the Lutherans. This, however, was overruled, and the desire to be "independent" led them first, to institute among themselves a sort of lay or congregational orders; and then, to apply to Dr. Jablonsky, with the concurrence of Sitkovius, to give them, as they say, Episcopal Orders, for which purpose they selected David Nitschmann, who is said to have been con secrated Bishop by Jablonsky, in the month of March, 1735; and from these two, the Episcopal Succession is declared to have been preserved up to the present time, when there are stated to be thirteen Bishops, six in Germany, two in England, one in Ireland, one in Asia, and three in America. Such is the account furnished by their historians, Regenvolch (History of the Sclavonic Churches, 1662;) the Acta Fratrum Unitatis, 1749; Crantz (History of the Brethren ;) Holmes (History of the Brethren, 1830;) and Bost (History of the Brethren, 1834.)

Into the accuracy of these facts, it is necessary for us to inquire. And before we can be reasonably called upon to acknowledge the genuine Episcopacy of the Moravians, Herrnhuters, or United Brethren, (by all which names they are known, it is clearly necessary that we should have reasonable ground for believing,-1st. That the Waldenses, from whom it is said that the original Taborites, or United Brethren, received Episcopal consecration, were themselves really possessed of Episcopacy. 2d. That the individual, Stephen, a member of the Waldensian community, to whom the Taborites are said to have applied for this purpose, was himself a Bishop. 3d. That the Taborites, or United Brethren, did really seek and receive from him, Episcopal consecration. 4th. That supposing them to have received Episcopal consecration at the time stated, they were careful to preserve it, so that Dr. Jablonsky should be regarded by others, and not by himself only, as a real Bishop. 5th. That the Herrnhuters did actually apply for and receive Episcopal consecration from him. 6th. That supposing them to have done so, they have since been careful to preserve it amongst them. It will be clear, upon consideration, that a failure in reasonable proof on any of these points, must be fatal to the reasonableness of their claim upon us for recognition: unfortunately, it will be found that on all these points, save one, this failure exists.

For, I. There is no point of Ecclesiastical history involved in such extreme doubt and difficulty, as whether the ancient Waldenses were or were not possessed of genuine Episcopacy. On the one hand, we have the accusations of the other Christians who surrounded them, charging them with being without valid Orders, and allowing Laymen to administer the Eucharist. (See Alan and Pylicdorf, cited by Bos

suet, iii, 455, 457.) And the opinion of Peter Waldo, an eminent member of their community, to the effect that "the orders of the presbytery were one of the marks of the beast of the Apocalypse." (See Leger's History, i. 156.) On the other hand, we have the account of Reinerius, "that they had always amongst them some chief pastor, endowed with the authority of a Bishop, with two coadjutors, one of whom he called his eldest son, the other his younger; and that besides these, he had a third, who assisted him in the quality of deacon." And "that the Bishop ordained other pastors by imposition of hands." But their historian, Leger, who cites this testimony of Reinerius, declares the whole account to be a mere fiction, and that all their histories, chronicles, and works, declare plainly that the thing was alto. gether different. (Leger, i. 199.) But then it is to be considered, that when Leger wrote his history, they were certainly Presbyterians,for in 1630, all their pastors except two, had been swept off by the plague; and they received supplies of ministers from the Presbyterian Calvinists of France and Switzerland.

II. The Episcopal character of the individual, Stephen, in Austria, is open to grave objection; as the earliest histories of the Taborites, Moravians, or Brethren, which I have yet met with, make no mention of him as such. These histories I find in a collection published by Louis Camerarius, in the year 1605,-one written by his father, Joachim, about 1575, the other by the seniors and ministers of the Church of the Brethren, in the year 1572. In neither of these histories is the name of Stephen mentioned. The first account that I have met with of the Episcopal character of the heads of the Waldenses, in Austria, is in the History of the Sclavonic Churches, by Regenvolsch, of the date of 1652; for which he refers to an account of the United Brethren, published in 1609.

III. That there was a communication made between the Taborites, or United Brethren, of Moravia, and the Waldenses, and a mission from the former to the latter, in 1467, is stated by all the historians. But that the mission was for the purpose of obtaining consecration, the earlier historians have not a word. The account of the matter published by the seniors and ministers of the Brethren themselves, in 1572, represents the mission to have been for the sole purpose of inquiring into the doctrines of the Waldenses; whose conduct, upon examination, they considered so scandalous, that they could not, with a safe conscience, join with them. As the book is scarce, the reader may be interested in having the account.

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About the commencement of our Churches, (1467,) there were some Churches of the Waldenses in the countries near to Bohemia, especially in Austria, and in Marchia; but as these, being oppressed by Papal tyranny, had no public assemblies, nor any of their writings were extant, they were altogether unknown to our people. Therefore, when they made themselves known to ours, and inquiries were made of us by others concerning them, it came to pass, that at the time aforesaid, legates were sent by us to the Waldenses, who might take knowledge of their doctrine, what it was. [Of this, he says, he could give no clear account, and adds:] But this we can show, that they never united to our Churches, nor our people ever wished to join them;

and this on two accounts, as our annals testify: first, our people were offended with the Waldenses, because they were unwilling that any public testimonies of their doctrine and faith should exist, and thus seemed to hide the truth, and to place their light under a bushel: secondly, because, for the sake of peace and tranquillity, they made use of the Popish mass, which, at the same time, they knew and professed to consider to be idolatrous; and thus acting, in collusion with the Papists, were a scandal to others. On these two accounts, not only did our people never join themselves to them, but always considered that they could not do so with a safe conscience."

Joachim Camerarius' account, in 1575, is as follows:

"It was the year of Christ, 1467, when the Brethren first began to have, from among their own company, persons to exercise doctrine and defend discipline, who at first were three, chosen by lot, by whom the rest, as need might be, should be ordained. About that time they heard that there was a certain congregation of ancient Waldenses in the places near to Austria, presided over by learned and pious men, and in which the evangelical discipline flourished, and the dignity and authority of the Priesthood were preserved. Thither two of the Brethren are sent, to acquaint their two Seniors and their congregation with the cause and beginning of their separation from the Papal Church, and the manner of their administration, stating faithfully all things that had happened; and requiring on all points the sentence and judgment of the Waldenses. A few of these were in Bohemia, skulking, through fear of their adversaries, with which they were excessively agitated. To them came the emissaries of the Brethren, and laid before them their affairs and accounts. All things were approved of by them, who professed singular joy at the knowledge of the piety and religion of the Brethren, and affirmed that the things that were done by them, were agreeable to the institution and administration of Christ and the Apostles, and right in themselves: to which they added an exhortation to them, strenuously to pursue the way of the truth of heavenly doctrine, and of discipline agreeable thereto, which they had entered. And they laid their hands on them, blessing them after the manner of the Apostles, for the sake of confirming their minds, and in token of fellowship and agreement."

To this he adds the account of a second mission from the Brethren to the Waldenses, to propose an union between them, on condition of the Waldenses amending the two points of objection mentioned in the first extract, and some others,―a proposal which fell to the ground, through the timidity of the Waldenses. Now here we certainly have an account of imposition of hands by the Waldenses upon the two deputies of the Brethren; but the cause distinctly stated to be, in token of fellowship and agreement, and for the confirming their minds : of any idea of consecration not a whisper.

Regenvolsch, in his account, for which he refers to an earlier one, of the date of 1609, says, that the election of three pastors from among the Brethren, was done by the advice of the Waldenses who were settled in Austria, with two of their Bishops: and after describing the progress of election by lot, he goes on to observe :