of philanthropic mind, and when the Moravians were offered the task
of erecting the first house there, Boehler and his companions
gladly accepted the work. Bethlehem followed in due time,
and all were among those who organized that congregation.
David Zeisberger, Sr., died there in 1744, his wife in 1746.
Anton Seifert was appointed Elder, or Pastor of the Bethlehem Congregation,
married, and took an active part in the Church and School work there
and at Nazareth, the latter tract having been purchased from Whitefield
in 1741. April 8th, 1745, he sailed for Europe, laboring in England,
Ireland and Holland, and dying at Zeist in 1785.
John Martin Mack became one of the leaders of the Moravian Church
in its Mission work among the Indians in New York, Connecticut and Ohio
until 1760, when he was sent to the negro slaves on St. Thomas,
preaching also on St. Croix and St. Jan, and the English West Indies.
He was ordained to the ministry November 13th, 1742,
and was consecrated bishop October 18th, 1770, during a visit to Pennsylvania,
this being the first Episcopal consecration in the American Province
of the Moravian Church. He was married four times, his last wife passing away
two years before his departure. He died June 9th, 1784,
and was buried in the presence of a great concourse of people, --
negro converts, planters, government officers and the Governor-General.
David Zeisberger, Jr., lived a life so abundant in labors,
so picturesque in experiences that a brief outline utterly fails
to give any conception of it. "The apostle of the Western Indians
traversed Massachusetts and Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio,
entered Michigan and Canada, preaching to many nations in many tongues.
He brought the Gospel to the Mohicans and Wampanoags,
to the Nanticokes and Shawanese, to the Chippewas, Ottowas and Wyandots,
to the Unamis, Unalachtgos and Monseys of the Delaware race,
to the Onondagas, Cayugas and Senecas of the Six Nations.
Speaking the Delaware language fluently, as well as
the Mohawk and Onondaga dialects of the Iroquois; familiar with
the Cayuga and other tongues; an adopted sachem of the Six Nations;
naturalized among the Monseys by a formal act of the tribe;
swaying for a number of years the Grand Council of the Delawares;
at one time Keeper of the Archives of the Iroquois Confederacy;
versed in the customs of the aborigines; adapting himself
to their mode of thought, and, by long habit, a native in many of his ways; --
no Protestant missionary and few men of any other calling,
ever exercised more real influence and was more sincerely honored
among the Indians; and no one, except the Catholic evangelists,
with whom the form of baptism was the end of their work,
exceeded him in the frequency and hardships of his journeys through
the wilderness, the numbers whom he received into the Church of Christ,
and brought to a consistent practice of Christianity,
and conversion of characters most depraved, ferocious and desperate."
"Nor must we look upon Zeisberger as a missionary only;
he was one of the most notable pioneers of civilization
our country has ever known. * * * Thirteen villages sprang up
at his bidding, where native agents prepared the way
for the husbandman and the mechanic of the coming race."
"He was not only bold in God, fearless and full of courage,
but also lowly of heart, meek of spirit, never thinking highly of himself.
Selfishness was unknown to him. His heart poured out a stream of love
to his fellowmen. In a word, his character was upright, honest,
loving and noble, as free from faults as can be expected of any man