* But I have Reafon for what I do. Your

two Complaints about the Sufpicion you main"tain, as if Herrnhaag could give more to the So"vereign and that the lofs of our Neighbours and "Tradefmen could be prevented by a nearer In

spection into the whole, are certainly two Points "of fuch Importance, that make me heartily wish "that our Community would have henceforth

ઃઃ

nothing to do with the Administration of "Juftice. For then we fhall be a true Commu"nity of Jefus which meddles with no other "Affairs, and he that can't be ruled by good Ad"vice must be ruled by the Law. This is no "bad thing, and brings an unavoidable Profit to the Community (37).

"We praise ourselves in Chrift about our Be"haviour, when it is neceffary. And even a "Prince, not to speak of a Director of the Court " of Juftice, if he should live at Herrnbaag, could "not hinder himself from being under the oeconomy of the Lord (38).

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"In regard to the Revenues, I could be more pleased that Herrnhaag gave 2000 inftead of 200 Guilders yearly towards the fame. But Experience will fhew that this Town can pay "no more than what it does at prefent, if "not Count Zinzendorf pays 200 Guilders by "himself for his own Fancy. But what can fhew "this better than ocular Inspection. At prefent "there are but 100 People there that must pay "Taxes, for the unmarried People, which make

a Shew in occupying large Houses, and live at "my or their own Expence, fpend a good deal, "but gain hardly their own living.

(37) This is true as long as the Community hath their own common Judicature by which their Interest is maintained. (38) Their Appearance had fomething like the oeconomy of the Lord, but Trees are judged by their Fruits.

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"I have altered the Statutes according to the "Animadverfions you made about them, as Mr. Siegel could remember them. Would you not "be fo kind to look them over along with me?(39)

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But Mr. Brauer's other Occupations hindred him from going thither, and fend the Statutes back to Count Zinzendorf who afked for the fame, and had therefore wrote to Mr. Brauer the 12th of Aug.

"I only pray you would tell me which Day "next Week you will fpend with me, to adjust, perhaps, at once thofe Matters, about which we "have fpoke and written to one another for this "half Year, to the Satisfaction of both Parties, "that I may regulate my Affairs accordingly.

The fame Day that Mr. Brauer had fent word to Count Zinzendorf what Day he would come and fee him, he wrote thus to Mr. Brauer.

"I abfolutely infift upon having a true Idea of 66 one another.

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"First, My Brethren obftinately persist in what "has been granted them, but this they fay in plain Words, and there is no fear that they "fhould cheat any body, for this is against their "Nature (40).

"Secondly, One would think that I was more to "be fufpected of Treachery than they, as I have "feen fo much of the World. But the Grace of "God has fo ordered my Heart that the fame al"ways is at my Tongue's End, like a Fool's, " which sometimes makes me to be the lofer, "fometimes the gainer by it (41). My Behaviour is "like that of a ftrict Mennonift, I never ask more "than what I take, and he that bids me lefs, lofes

(39) See Section 16.

(40) An impartial Reader will find that this was only written to make People believe it to be true in Fact.

(41) This we believe, for it requires much Time to know him well.

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"by it. For I always make my Propofals more advantageous to the Party I have to deal with, "than they themselves intended to have them. I am "fure that there is many Restrictions in the Sta"tutes, which Budingen would not have made. "But I foresee more things by the Examination of my own Perfon, than you can by godly Love. "I like Reftrictions in civil Matters as much as "I hate them in religious Affairs, and this Principle hath helped me now thefe 25 Years (42)." The Statutes that Count Zinzendorf had drawn up, had now been confidered upon: The fame were found to be fuch that it would have been impoffible to admit them as Laws for this Community, without giving thereby more Solidity to their Conftitution, or to make their Principles Laws for them. Both this could not be refolved on, for this would have caufed a new Evil, and would have hindred that difficult Work to look into their Secret. A Regulation for Herrnhaag was therefore drawn up according to the Opinion of the Council which is mentioned in the beginning of this Paragraph. The fame was given to Mr. Brauer, to deliver to Count Zinzendorf, and to tell him, that his Statutes never would be accepted, and to hear the Objections he fhould make against this Regulation. The Conference was holden, August 15. and Mr. Brauer gave the following Report of it.

"After I had declared that I had brought his Statutes back with me, Count Zinzendorf asked me directly, if the fame had been accepted and "confirmed? I told him that my Sovereign did not understand them, nor would for many Rea"fons accept them, but that I was ready to fhew "him thofe Statutes which had been drawn up by

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(42) This is a Sentence upon the Statutes, Section 10: The Reader will afterwards judge if this is a just one or

not.

"his Orders. The Intention of the fame was no

thing else but a Regulation of their common "Court of Judicature, according to the Laws of "the Empire, whereupon my Sovereign the more "infifted, as he wanted to fee the bottom of this "Affair, and to make himself secure from all Re"proaches. Count Zinzendorf directly faid in great "Anger, this could not be done, it was a Perfe"cution, he long ago could not think what to "make of me, but that he now faw it. The Con"tract mentioned that nobody should be intruded " into their Community, now the fame fhould be

difanulled. So many innocent Persons had built, "their Goods fhould be feized, and a way made "to their total Ruin. Every Body that was only "worth 1000 Rixdollars fhould foon leave the "Place. Budingen had formerly acted kindly, now "he began to treat them rough; this was not just "and honeft, and ufed many fuch like Expref"fions. I did not interrupt him in this, but de"clared that I was not to hear fuch Reproaches, "That my Sovereign and his Servants had fuffi"cient Reafon for all what they did in this Affair, "and none to negociate with Count Zinzendorf "about it, and he could do what he pleased. My "Sovereign would take fuch Measures as God, "Law, his Duty as fupreme Judge in his Territo "ries, and his Confcience ordered him. Nobody "had hitherto mention'd any thing about difanult ling the Contract, this they fuppofed without knowing the Regulation that was to take Place. Count Zinzendorf replied: "The Intention was "to perfecute them, and to place a Perfon here "that should plague them. This would be the "Ruin of the Church. They never had met with "fuch an Accident these 25 Years, and had been "here fecured against the fame. Many Members of the Aulic and Empire's

Chamber had "nothing

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nothing to fear here, no Fifcal would or could "attack them.

I replied: "I had heard quite a contrary Opi"nion of fome Members of the Chamber at "Wetzlar. But the Truth and not the Judgment "of others, that perhaps were not rightly inform"ed, could here decide, and that the former never "feared to appear naked or to be enquired into. "I had here the Scheme with me but that he "would not hear, and for all that would judge "in a great Paffion. That the Sovereign was not "afraid to make an Edict of it, and then they might send it along with the Contract to all "Universities to have their Opinion of the "fame.

"He answered: It was known that all Univer"fities did hate him. Such Perfecutions fhould "have been talked of fome Years ago, and he "and a great many others would have built no "Houses here.

"I told him, that if they would not chufe the "Universities they could apply to the Courts of Judicature of the Empire.

''

"He faid, Thefe even favoured the Sovereigns. I replied. "They adminiftred Juftice, and this "would be done to them equally by my Sove-. "reign, who had no Occafion to negociate with "him as with the Syndick of the Community, but "would henceforth confider Herrnbaag as a Sovereignty of it. Their Liberty of Confcience they "fhould enjoy as far as it is compatible with Chriftianity and Reafon, and this was the firft Arti"cle in the Statutes made at Budingen, and there*fore no Perfecution was threatned.

"He answered, It was the greatest Perfecution "to force them to accept of a Bailiff. The whole "was my Doings. Counsellor Nitchfman had told "him beforehand, that I had a Spirit of Perfecution,

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" and