the moravians in georgia-第26章

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vening　service；　and　translating　some　of　their　hymns　into　English。

In　May　two　questions　were　asked　of　Toeltschig；　upon　the　answering　of　which　there　depended　more　than　any　one　imagined。　　The　Diary　says；　　〃The　20th；　was　Sunday。　　　Mr。　Ingham　asked　if　we　could　not　recognize　and　receive　him　as　our　brother；　to　which　I　replied；　that　he　did　not　know　us　well　enough；　nor　we　him；　we　must　first　understand　each　other　better。　　On　the　21st；　Mr。　Wesley　spoke　with　me；　and　asked　me　the　selfsame　question。　I　said　to　him　that　we　had　seen　much　of　him　day　by　day；　and　that　it　was　true　that　he　loved　us　and　we　loved　him；　but　that　we　did　not　so　quickly　admit　any　one　into　our　Congregation。〃　Then　at　his　request　Toeltschig　outlined　the　Moravian　view　of　conversion；　and　the　requisites　for　church…membership。

A　few　days　later　Charles　Wesley　unexpectedly　returned　from　Frederica；　and　Oglethorpe　sent　word　that　either　John　Wesley　or　Ingham　should　come　down　in　his　place。　　The　latter　was　by　no　means　anxious　to　go；　　his　former　experience　had　not　been　agreeable；　but　the　reason　he　gave　the　Moravians　was　that　a　number　of　Indian　traders　were　soon　to　visit　Savannah；　and　he　was　very　anxious　to　see　them。　They　advised　him　to　be　guided　by　John　Wesley's　wish；　which　he　agreed　to　do；　and　then　found　that　Wesley　had　decided　to　go　himself。

During　the　weeks　that　followed；　Ingham　and　Charles　Wesley　were　frequently　with　Toeltschig；　who　answered　as　best　he　could　their　many　questions　regarding　the　history　of　the　Moravian　Episcopate；　a　matter　of　vital　importance　to　a　strict　member　of　the　Church　of　England　who　was　thinking　of　allying　himself　with　them。　　Everything　they　heard　confirmed　Ingham　in　his　intention；　and　when　John　Wesley　returned　in　July　he　and　Ingham　again　made　application　〃to　be　received　as　brethren　in　our　Congregation；　and　to　go　with　us　to　the　Lord's　Table。　We　entirely　refused　to　admit　them　into　the　Congregation；　and　I　（Toeltschig）　gave　them　the　reasons　therefor：　　（1）　That　we　did　not　know　them　well　enough；　（2）　and　that　they　perhaps　did　not　know　us　well　enough；　both　things　which　we　considered　highly　important；　and　（3）　that　their　circumstances　and　situation　were　such　that　it　would　be　difficult　if　not　impossible　for　them　to　comply　with　the　requirements　of　such　admission。〃　　The　promises　expected　from　a　Confirmand；　　to　which　they　also　must　have　bound　themselves；　　are　thus　summarized。　　〃To　give　body　and　soul　to　the　Lord　now　and　forever；　to　devote　and　dedicate　himself　to　the　service　of　the　Unity；　according　to　the　grace　and　gifts　bestowed　on　him　by　the　Saviour；　and　willingly　to　submit　to　the　discipline　and　regulations　which　the　Unity　has　established　for　the　welfare　and　improvement　of　souls。〃　Could　these　two　men；　in　the　zeal　and　vigor　of　their　youth；　honestly　have　made　these　promises；　the　Moravian　Church　would　have　gained　two　invaluable　co…workers；　but　they　seem　to　have　accepted　Toeltschig's　argument　as　conclusive；　and　dropped　the　matter；　with　no　ill…will　or　disturbance　of　the　existing　pleasant　relations。

Concerning　the　Communion　〃we　assured　them　that　we　loved　them；　and　would　welcome　them　as　honored　guests　at　the　Lord's　Supper；　for　we　believed　that　they　loved　the　Lord。〃　　This　invitation；　however；　the　young　clergymen　would　not　accept。

On　the　6th　of　August；　Charles　Wesley　left　for　England；　bearing　dispatches　to　the　Trustees；　and　with　the　hope　of　interesting　others　in　the　evangelizing　of　the　Indians。　　He　meant　himself　to　return　to　Georgia；　but　feeble　health　prevented；　and　he　resigned　his　office　as　Secretary　to　Gen。　Oglethorpe　the　following　May。　　His　brother　John　accompanied　him　to　Charlestown；　and　then　went　to　Frederica　to　deliver　certain　letters　to　Gen。　Oglethorpe。　　He　found　there　was　〃less　and　less　prospect　of　doing　good　at　Frederica；　many　there　being　extremely　zealous；　and　indefatigably　diligent　to　prevent　it；〃　his　opposers　even　attempting　personal　violence。　　One　〃lady〃　tried　to　shoot　him；　and　when　he　seized　her　hands　and　took　away　her　pistol；　she　maliciously　bit　a　great　piece　out　of　his　arm。　　Still　he　made　two　more　visits　to　the　place；　and　then　in　〃utter　despair　of　doing　good　there；〃　took　his　final　leave　of　Frederica。


　　Work　Among　the　Indians。

When　the　Moravians　adopted　the　conversion　of　the　Indians　as　their　main　object　for　settling　in　America；　they　were　greatly　influenced　by　the　attractive　descriptions　of　the　〃wild　people〃　which　were　being　published。　In　a　〃Report〃；　ascribed　to　Gen。　Oglethorpe；　it　is　stated　that　〃nothing　is　lacking　for　their　conversion　to　the　Christian　faith　except　a　knowledge　of　their　language；　for　they　already　have　an　admirable　conception　of　‘morals'；　and　their　conduct　agrees　perfectly　therewith。　　They　have　a　horror　of　adultery；　and　disapprove　of　polygamy。　　Thieving　is　unknown　to　them。　Murder　is　considered　an　abominable　crime；　and　no　one　may　be　killed　except　an　enemy；　when　they　esteem　it　a　virtue。〃　　This；　like　too　many　a　description　written　then　and　now　to　exploit　a　colonizing　scheme；　was　far　too　good　to　be　true。　　The　Indians　proved　apt　learners；　but　of　the　vices　rather　than　the　virtues　of　the　English；　and　drunkenness　with　all　its　attendant　evils；　was　quickly　introduced。　Afraid　of　their　dusky　neighbors；　anxious　to　keep　on　good　terms　with　them；　distrusting　their　loyalty　to　the　English　under　the　bribes　offered　by　French　and　Spanish；　the　Government　tried　to　limit　the　intercourse　between　the　Indians　and　the　settlers　as　much　as　possible；　treating　the　former　as　honored　guests　whenever　they　came　to　Savannah；　but　forbidding　the　latter　to　go　to　them　without　special　permit　in　times　of　peace；　and　not　at　all　in　time　of　war。

When　the　Moravians　came　the　restlessness　which　presaged　war　was　stirring　among　the　tribes；　becoming　more　and　more　pronounced；　and　one　of　the　Indian　Chiefs　said　frankly；　〃Now　our　enemies　are　all　about　us；　and　we　can　do　nothing　but　fight；　but　if　the　Beloved　Ones　should　ever　give　us　to　be　at　peace；　then　we　would　hear　the　Great　Word。〃

Tomochichi；　indeed；　bade　the　missionaries　welcome；　and　promised　to　do　all　in　his　power　to　gain　admission　for　them　into　all　parts　of　his　nation；　but　the　time　was　not　ripe；　nor　was　his　influence　equal　to　his　good…will。　Though　called　a　〃king〃；　he　was　only　chief　of　a　small　tribe　living　some　four　or　five　miles　from　Savannah；　part　of　the　Creek　Confederacy；　which　was　composed　of　a　number　of　remnants；　gradually　merged　into　one　〃nation〃。　　The　〃Upper　Creeks〃　lived　about　the　head　waters　of　the　creeks　from　which　they　took　their　name；　and　the　〃Lower　Creeks〃；　including　Tomochichi's　people；　were　nearer　the　sea…coast。　　Ingham；　whose　heart　was　set　on　the　Indian　work；　was　at　first　very　anxious　to　go　to　the　Cherokees；　who　lived　near　the　mountains；　at　a　considerable　distance　from　Savannah；　having　been　told　that　they　had　a　desire　to　hear　the　〃Great　Word〃。　　On　April　22nd；　he　spoke　of　his　wish　to　Toeltschig；　inviting　Seifert　and；　if　they　chose；　another　Moravian　to　join　him　in　the　work。　It　was　the　best　opportunity　that　had　yet　offered；　and　Seifert　wanted　to　go　to　the　Indians；　having　already　studied　their　language　as　best　he　could；　but　they　hesitated　to　undertake　the　work　conjointly　with　Ingham。　After　some　time　the　Cherokee　plan　was　abandoned。　　Oglethorpe　objected　on　account　of　the　danger　that　they　would　be　intercepted　and　killed；　it　being　a　fourteen　day　land　journey　to　reach　the　Cherokee　country；　and　he　positively　refused　to　let　John　Wesley　go　because　that　would　leave　Savannah　without　a　minister。　　Toeltschig　says　Wesley's　interest　in　the　Indian　work　failed；　and　another　writer　says　he　gave　up　the　work　because　he　could　not　learn　the　Indian　language；　but　Wesley　lays　all　the　blame　on　Oglethorpe。

In　January；　1737；　the　question　of　going　to　the　Upper　Creeks　was　submitted　to　the　〃lot〃；　and　the　Moravians　were　bidden　to　wait　for　another　opening。　　Meanwhile　an　actual　beginning　had　been　made　among　the　Lower　Creeks。　　On　the　7th　of　May；　Ingham　and　John　Wesley　went　up　the　river　to　the　home　of　Mrs。　Musgrove；　the　half…breed　woman　who　at　this　time　was　of　such　great　use　as　interpreter　and　mediator　between　the　Indians　and　the　English。　　Arrangements　were　made　by　which　Ingham　should　spend　three　days　of　each　week　with　her；　teaching　her　children　to　read　in　exchange　for　instruction　in　the　Indian　language。　　The　other　three　or　four　days　were　to　be　spent　in　Sa