The Virginia Gazette

FRANKFORT.

His Highness the Count of Ysenburg and Budingen, has issued out here this following remarkable Proclamation concerning the Moravian and Bohemian Brethren settled in this Country.

GUSTAVUS FREDERICUS, of Ysenburg and Budingen,
Knight of the Royal Danish Danebrog's Order, &c. to all
our Subjects in Herrnhag of what State and Condition so-
ever, greeting:

Be it known, that whereas several Bohemian and Mora-
vian Brethren above 12 Years ago gave in their Names to
his Highness our Father of glorious Memory, and made an Address for
thirty, forty, or fifty Families of their united Brethren to be admitted into
our Country, for the Establishment of divers Manufactures of Wool, Lin-
nen, Iron, and Steel, with further Petition, that Liberty of Conscience,
and the old Moravian Church Discipline, might be allowed them as Mem-
bers of the pure Gospel Church: And did also present the Testimony of
Tubingen, obtained in the Year 1733, to certify the Purity, Innocency, and
Harmlessness of their Doctrine and Discipline: And his Highness our
glorious Father was induced to admit the Bohemian and Moravian Brethren
before mentioned into his Land, yet so, that both before and at the very
time of their Admission, it was expressly reserved, and in plain and explicit
Terms agreed, that they, who might be admitted, should not be Sectarists,
but true Members of the Gospel-Protestant Church, and that there should
not be found amongst them any Title of Separation, Party or Dissension
in Religion; to that Purpose they even in the Contract of their Acceptance
by Writing confirmed, that they being about the Settlement of their
Church Discipline, did not intend or desire to be subjected or addicted to
any Person as their special Head: Notwithstanding which, an Experience
of 12 Years hath now more than sufficiently proved the contrary, viz.
First, no Manufacturers at all (for whose Sake the Acceptance was desired)
have been brought or come into the Country, neither are the pretended
Manufactories erected; And further, they that were first accepted, were soon
sent away, and others afterwards of their own Authority settled in their Stead,
and thus are the Inhabitants of Herrnhag very often changed, only according
to their Sects Conceit, and the sinister Views of their Leaders and Heads:
And moreover, quite contrary to the Nature of the Case and Intent, such a
Church Discipline is craftily introduced, by which as a Pretext they hitherto
in an unusual Manner have endeavoured to bring forth their proposed Views,
both in ecclesiastical and temporal, and even in political Affairs; in eccle-
siastical entirely, and in temporal and political Things for the greatest Part,
to rob us imperceptibly of our high Prerogatives, being Sovereign of the
Country: And furthermore to withdraw from us our Subjects, accepted
of his Highness our Father, out of a Christian, good and sincere Intent;
And even these instead of those from Time to Time again introduced, to
make them to their pretended Lord and his Authority, by all Means a great
deal more obedient, loyal, dutiful, and faithful, than to us: And lastly,
That they have so little intended or performed their Promises, viz. Not to
stir up any Sectarian Tumult, but to adhere to the Gospel Protestant Reli-
gion; that contrary-wise (as it is to the Realm and the whole World as
notorious as scandalous) they have continually been striving to part Mem-
bers from all the three established Professions in the Holy Roman Empire,
especially tender Consciences, by their Missionaries, and to allure them
after their Views, as they have already really allured very many; but for
all that, they have effectively, and indeed so little regarded the true, and
above all other most valuable Christianity, which they have only carried
in their Mouths, that they on the contrary have under Hand, and insi-
diously, strove for, and still continue to contrive a quite new Doctrine not at
all agreeable to that of the Holy Scripture, and to the three Professions
established in the Roman Empire, and to set forth the same by Degrees,
by the most scandalous Songs and other Sermons and Writings, given out
in publick Print, which they would fain obtrude upon the World for Go-
pel Truths. But whereas his Highness our Father, as the Contract of
Acceptation evidently shews, never did intend to receive under Title of
Bohemian and Moravian Brethren such Inhabitants, who under a Shew of
Gospel Religion, in their own Writings, their Confession, and Doctrine,
do strive for nothing else, than to undermine and alter the established Pro-
fessions, and bring forth a System, that is every where attended with the
most considerable Consequences. His Highness had therefore a Mind
heretofore, some Years ago, to reform this System, and did order an Over-
seer over Herrnhag, who, to get an exact Insight into their Discipline,
should visit all their Congregations; which they of Herrnhag did resist with
such Force, that his Highness our glorious Father chose rather to lay aside
the Execution of this Matter for some Time.

But as we cannot find ourselves in a Condition to allow that System,
which is examined, and now well known to us, and proved not agreeable
with the Holy Scripture, to go further on in its remarkable Course, and
so much the less, as we at first neither could or would have approved it;
and further think ourselves obliged to God and our States, by Virtue of
our Office, being Sovereign of the Country, to rectify such Irregularities,
by which both the Church and the State may receive Hurt, Uneasiness,
and Damage, as also what afterwards may be expected and feared:

Wherefore we, moved of the Causes before mentioned, do require you,
when you are about to make your Homage to us, to promise therewith,
calling upon Omnipotent God in a lively Oath, to assure, that ye under
your Establishment and System, never strive, nor will strive to be addicted
or subjected to the Count of Zinzendorf, or those, who according
to his Adherents, or your Leaders Choice or Institution, are your Head
and Elders, but be satisfied with a Christian, reasonable Liberty of Con-
science, such as is founded in God's Word; and on the contrary, in all the
other Articles, that do not chiefly concern the Conscience, ye will prove
willing and obedient Subjects to us; but to none of your Brethren of
what Name, State, and Condition whatsoever; all as it is prescribed and
directed in the Form of the Homage.

Now after you have declared that it would be against your Conscience
to make your Homage to us this Way, and part with your Heads, Lea-
ders, and Elders; and as notwithstanding the Admonition to you given,
you do continually persevere in this Declaration, and adhere to it; and as
we on the one Hand won't trouble your pretended Conscience, and on
the other have no Mind to indulge the Propagation of a Doctrine in our
Country (repugnant to Christ's precious Doctrine and the Holy Scripture,
and consequently a new Sort of Religion not tolerated in the Laws of the
Holy Roman Empire) under the Cloke and Pretext of Liberty of Con-
science, and under Pretence of that Contract you have got (which was
intended for quite another End) whereby our Subjects in Herrnhag must
be subjected to a special Church-Lord, and reigned to him. We therefore
order, will, and command you hereby, by Virtue of our due Highness and
Authority, being Sovereign of the Country, graciously, yet seriously, to
retire yourselves out of our Country, and the whole County, in Tran-
quillity, without Resistance and Noise, and without any Damage of your
Honour and Reputation; to which End we do hereby, pursuant to the
Statutes of the Empire, prescribe and grant you three Years Respite, that
you may have Opportunity to look for another Place, where you may
live; and that those of you, who have acquired or otherwise amassed to
themselves any Estate, may have Convenience to sell it, conformable to
the Contract of Acceptation, to such Persons as may not be disagreeable
to us; or so manage, as to alter their Estate in any other decent Manner
for their Benefit: even every one hath Liberty to take his Fortune hence
along with him, without the least Subtraction, and without paying the tenth
Penny. No Body shall lay any Hindrance in his Way.

But if any amongst you, either Man or Woman (provided that the same
hath not filled any Place in your Congregation) would do the Homage
before mentioned, and forsake and abandon the Herrnhuthian Song, Method,
and Books of Institution; and in Doctrine and Faith adhere to the Gospel
Churches in our Country, whether Calvinists or Lutherans, and worship
God according to his Holy Word, which only brings Salvation, in its just
Connexion, without erroneous Commandments and Principles of Men,
and dangerous Managements, consequently without further Party, perni-
cious Visits, Subjection under any visible Church, Head, and Society with
the Herrnhutters, and work out their own Salvation pursuant to Christ's
perfect and inseparable Prescript; or have their Worship privately amongst
themselves to the best of their own Knowledge, without partaking of one
or another Profession outwardly; to this or to these do we willingly, most
gracioufly, and most firmly grant Liberty to remain henceforth at
Herrnhag, and to take them under our Protection as Sovereign of the
Country, and indulge them with an uninterrupted Liberty of Conscience,
provided the same is grounded in God's Holy Word and right Reason;
and even as a Father of the Country, will conserve and guard them against
the forcing Politicks of their former Leaders and Heads. And we also
herewith expressly and seriously command all and every Person and Per-
sons, as Inhabitants of Herrnhag, especially those, who are ordained to
bear any Offices in their Congregation, under a severe Penalty, to take
Heed, that they neither by Word or Action, by Church Chastisement or
Excommunication, or by any other Means, prevent or hinder any of our
Subjects from forsaking and abandoning this Sectarian Tumult and Society,
and remaining in Herrnhag for ever; nor seduce, send them away, or
otherwise intend any Thing against any One's free Will and Choice, and
our Statutes; as we also propose directly to order such Management, that
those, who in the Manner aforesaid chuse rather to submit themselves to
our Protection, may give in their Names; and we will actually use our Care
as Sovereign of the Country, and afford our Assistance against all Interrup-
tion, that every one may receive back whatsoever he has given to the
Congregation, that he is caused by God and his Right to recall; after which,
all whom it may concern are to be ruled, and ought very well to consider
their and their Posterity's Temporal and Eternal Welfare, and make for
themselves such a Choice as they themselves would wish they had made,
when they shall appear before the Throne of Almighty God. For the
greater Confirmation whereof, the same is given, under our Hand and
Seal at Arms, at Budingen, this 12th Day of February, in the Year of our
Lord 1750.

Gustavus Fredericus,
Count of Ysenburg and Budingen.