one to give the members of the church, in one compendious volume, the ecclesiastical statutes, rules of discipline, and articles of doctrine, which heretofore could be found only by consulting a number of different publications;—and especially to afford an authentic work which may be put into the hands of such as seek information respecting the Moravian Church, and wish to become acquainted with its constitution, discipline, doctrine, and ritual. The writer is indebted, for valuable statistics, to Bishop Wolle, of the Provincial Board at Bethlehem, to the Rev. G. F. Bahnson, of the Provincial Board at Salem, to the Rev. W. Mallalieu, of the British Provincial Board, and the Rev. L. T. Reichel, of the Unity's Elders' Conference. PHILADELPHIA, May 17, 1859. PREFATORY NOTE. The Church of which this volume treats is known by various names: The United Brethren, The Moravian Church, The Church of the Moravian United Brethren, The Unitas Fratrum. The latter name was adopted by the Ancient Church of the Brethren in the fifteenth century, and has been retained by the Renewed Church. It denotes all the Provinces and Missions of the Church, in whatever parts of the world they may be, as one confederated ecclesiastical body. A briefer appellation of the same import, is The Unity; and this is frequently used in the following work. The name Moravian is derived from the country of Moravia, where the Church formerly had some of its principal seats; and whence the men came by whom it was renewed in Saxony. About the beginning of the present century, the followers of the Rev. W. Otterbein, who was originally a minister of the German Reformed Church, but left its communion, constituted themselves into a Society, which assumed the name of "United Brethren in Christ." This society is often confounded with the Church of the Moravian United Brethren. The two are distinct and separate denominations, in every respect. The letters U. E. C. in this Manual, or in other Moravian works, stand for "Unity's Elders' Conference," the Executive Board administering the general government of the whole Church; the letters P. E. C. stand for " Provincial Elders' Conference," the Executive Board set over a particular Province of the Church. "Synodal Results" is the name by which the published Journal and Resolutions of the General Synod are commonly known. |