Moravians, otherwise known as Herrnhuters, The Church of the Brethren, or The Unity of the Brethren, are a small body of Protestants who claim to be the modern representatives of the ancient church of the Bohemian Brethren (see BOHEMIA), or Unitas Fratrum, which first took a definite shape in 1467, when the followers of Peter of Chelczicky, a pious layman and a contemporary of Huss, formed themselves into a separate ecclesiastical community on the apostolic model. They held that all Christians should lay aside distinctions of rank, abstain from military service and the use of oaths, and live in literal accordance with the teaching of Christ. These views forced them to keep aloof from both sections of the Hussites proper, and, though there may have been Waldenses amongst them, they owed very little at any period of their history to these crypto-Protestants. At the synod of 1467 three elders, a bishop, and two presbyters were chosen by lot, and received ordination probably from a Waldensian priest, though the first beginnings of the church are wrapped in a mist of confused traditions and miraculous tales. Under the influence of Lucas of Prague, a man of strong character and great literary talent, the Brethren in 1494 abandoned their levelling ideas, but maintained their stern and rigid discipline, and by the beginning of the 16th century there were between 300 and 400 churches in the Unity. They had much friendly intercourse with Luther, but stood out for the celibacy of the clergy, the doctrine of works, and congregational purism. For a time, however, the Unity was under the influence of Lutheran ideas, though the Brethren had naturally a much stronger sympathy with Calvinism. From the commencement of its history times of persecution alternated with times of repose, and many of the Brethren, especially in the early part of the 16th century, were forced to flee to Poland and Prussia. In 1570 the Polish branch united with the Reformed Church, and, though in 1600 the Bohemian and Moravian branches included two-thirds of the population and most of the nobility, the Brethren having got mixed up with the revolution which ended so disastrously in 1620, by 1627 the church was entirely broken up and destroyed. In 1722 some of the Moravian descendants of the suppressed Unity, who had been roused by the preaching of a carpenter, Christian David, a converted Roman Catholic, resolved to emigrate, and were allowed by the pious young Count Zinzendorf (1700-60) to settle on a part of his property in Saxony, close to the Austrian frontier. The first company consisted of two brothers, their wives, four children, two relations, and David, but these were soon joined by other emigrants from Moravia and Bohemia, and by pious and fanatical people of various nationalities. Five years later the settlers at Herrnhut ('The Lord's Keeping') amounted to over three hundred. They at first attended the parish church, but soon began to quarrel among themselves and with the Lutheran pastor, and adopted wild and extravagant views. Owing to the exertions of
Zinzendorf peace was restored, and the settlers formed themselves into a society in communion with the Lutheran Church, and drew up certain rules for their guidance in all matters of religion and conduct, the chief of these being that all in Herrnhut should live in love with all their brethren and with all the children of God in all religions.
Twelve elders were chosen to be the teachers and overseers of the community, and these came to be assisted afterwards by male and female 'labourers' of all sorts, including 'inspectors' of spiritual nuisances, and even of the work done and the goods sold by the Brethren. August 13th of this year (1727) is still celebrated as the spiritual birthday of the renewed church. By 1733 the Society had become a distinct church, and in 1735 the first bishop was elected and was ordained by Jablonski, court chaplain in Berlin, one of the two surviving guardians of the precious apostolical succession, which had been handed down by Amos Comenius, the last bishop of the old Unity. Although the Moravians imitated certain parts of the constitution and practice of the original church, much of what was peculiar in their views and discipline is to be traced to Zinzendorf, who was consecrated bishop in 1737, and was their 'advocate' until his death in 1760. The members of the community were divided into 'bands,' which met to exchange experiences, to study the Bible, to sing and pray, and there was a special division, still maintained, into 'choirs,' which consisted respectively of unmarried men, unmarried women, married couples, widowers, widows, boys and girls. Some of the 'choirs' had their own houses, where the members lived under the direction of a brother or sister. There were two daily services in which all joined, and hourly prayer was kept up night and day by certain members of the bands, while every morning the Brethren were supplied with a text as a 'watchword.' Love-feasts were introduced by Zinzendorf, and are still held, though the practice of feet-washing before the communion has been abandoned. All important matters, even marriage, were decided by an appeal to the 'lot,' and, as Zinzendorf taught that death was a joyous journey home, the departure of a brother or sister was announced by blowing a trumpet, each 'choir' having its own peculiar air.
Various branch settlements were established in Germany, America, and Britain, and in these the Herrnhut arrangements were strictly carried out; but, when this was not possible, congregations were set up, or societies were created, composed of members of other Protestant churches, as Brethren might belong to either of the three 'tropes'—the Lutheran, the Reformed, or the Moravian. These 'diaspora' societies contain at present 70,000 members, and the German 'diaspora' mission is the most important part of the home-work of the Brethren. Some of the Moravians came into contact with the Wesleys and Whitefield, and had considerable influence on their views, and they were even patronised by Anglican dignitaries, but partly owing to misrepresentation and partly owing to injudicious conduct on the part of some of the Brethren, their use of certain foolish hymns and sensuous and grotesque language in reference to the wounds of Christ, bitter opposition was roused against them both in England and the Continent. Since the middle of the 18th century the home-history of the Unity has been uneventful.
At present the executive government of the church is vested in the Elders' Conference of the Unity, a clerical body composed partly of bishops and partly of presbyters. This conference carries out the injunctions of the synod, the supreme court of the church, which meets every ten years at Herrnhut. At the meeting in 1889, a synodal resolution was passed practically abolishing the use of the lot. There are also provincial synods and conferences, and each congregation is governed by its own Elders' Conference, which consists of all the male and female 'labourers.' The bishops, of whom there are eighteen, enjoy no special privileges in the way of rank or salary, but have the sole power of ordaining. The ordinary church service is largely liturgical, and hymn-singing has always been a prominent feature of Moravian worship. The Moravians have no formal confession, though at an early period they declared their adhesion to the Augsburg Confession, and the litany which is used on Easter Sunday and two other Sundays is really a creed. The Unity is divided into three provinces: the British, with 38 congregations and 5408 members; the German, with 27 congregations and 8374 members; and the American, with 66 congregations and 17,848 members. At Ayr, in Scotland (the birthplace of James Montgomery), there is a congregation with 65 members. The Moravian Church has all along been distinguished for its missionary and educational activity, and is par excellence the missionary church of Christendom. The first mission, that to the West Indian slaves, was started in 1732, and soon after stations were established in Greenland (q.v.), Lapland, North and South America, South Africa, and other countries, and enthusiastic Brethren tried even to convert the Gypsies. At present the church has 111 stations with 22 filials, served by 343 missionaries and 1659 native assistants, who minister to 29,971 communicants and 55,835 baptised adults, and carry on 232 schools with 19,794 scholars. The Moravians have also had an important leper mission in Jerusalem since 1867. The actual annual expenditure is about £50,000. The Brethren have 12 boarding and 13 day schools in Britain, with 1810 pupils; 20 boarding and 22 day schools in Germany, with 2769 pupils; and 4 schools in America, with 500 pupils.
See histories of the Brethren by Holmes (1828), Schweinitz (1885), Bost (1848; and Eng. trans.); and in German by Gindely (1868) and Goll (1882); on their constitution, by Seifferth (1866); on their missions, by Thompson (1883), and in German, by Reichel (1874); also Moravian Schools and Customs (1889); besides the numerous German lives of Zinzendorf (1772-1888).