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As to their doctrinal tenets, and the practical inferences thence deduced, they appear to be effentially right, and fuch as will not be excepted against by any candid and liberal perfon who has made himself acquainted with them. Thofe who wish to obtain a thorough and impartial knowledge of their religious fentiments and cuftoms, may fee them excellently fummed up in a plain, but nervous stile, in An expofition of Chriftian Doctrine, as taught in the Proteftant church of the United Brethern, written in German by A. G. SPANGENBERG; and tranflated and published in English in 1784.' By this book nothing appears but that they are thorough in the doctrines of grace, as they are obviously exhibited in the Old and New Teftament. They profefs to live in strict obedience to the ordinances of Christ, fuch as the observation of the fabbath, infant baptifm, and the Lord's Supper; and in addition to these, they practife The Foot-washing, the Kifs of Love, and the ufe of the Lot;' for which their reafons, if not conclufive, are yet plaufible.

They were introduced into America by Count Zinzendorf, and settled at Bethlehem, which is their principal fettlement in America, as early as 1741. The following authentic defcriptions of their feveral fettlements in this ftate, which was obligingly fent me by one cf their own number, will afford the reader a juft idea of the uncommon regularity, industry, ingenuity, and œconomy which characterize these people.

Bethlehem is fituated on the river Lehigh, a western branch of the Delaware, fifty-three miles north of Philadelphia, in lat. 40° 37'. The town being built partly on a high rifing ground, and partly on the lower banks of the Manakes, (a fine creek, which affords trout and other fish) has a very pleasant and healthy fituation, and is frequently vifited in the fummer feafon by gentry from different parts. The profpect is not extenfive, being bounded very near by a chain of the Lehigh hills. To the northward is a tract of land called the dry lands.

In the year 1787, the number of the inhabitants amounted to between 500 and 600, and the houfes were about 60 in number, moftly good trong buildings of limestone.

Befides the church, or public meeting-hall, there are three large fpacious buildings, viz.

1. The fingle brethern's, or young men's houfe, facing the main-ftreet or public road. Here the greatest part of the fingle tradefmen, journeymen, and apprentices of the town are boarded at a moderate rate, under the infpection of an elder and warden, and have, befides the public meetings, their houfe-devotions, morning and evening prayers. Different trades are carried on in the houfe for the benefit of the fame.

2. The fingle fifter's, or young women's houfe, where they live under the care of female infpectors. Such as are not employed in private families, earn their bread moftly by fpinning, fewing, fine needle-work, knitting, and other female occupations.

Though this houfe has its particular regulations to preferve order and decorum, and may perhaps bear fome refemblance to a nunnery, (being fometimes improperly fo called) yet the plan is very different. The ladies are at liberty to go about their bufinefs in the town, or to take a walk for recreation; and fome are employed in private families, or live

with their parents; neither are they bound to remain in the single state, for every year fome of them enter into the married state.

As to their almost uniform drefs, the women in general, for the fake of avoiding extravagance, and the follies of fashion, have hitherto kept to a particular fimple drefs, introduced among them in Germany many years ago.

3. The houfe for the widow women, where fuch as have not a house of their own, or means to have their own houfe furnished, live nearly in the fame way as do the fingle fifters. Such as are poor, infirm, and fuperannuated, are affifted or maintained by the congregation, as is the cafe with other members of the fame, that are not able to obtain subsistence for themselvcs.

There is, befides, an inftitution of a fociety of married men, begun fince the year 1770, for the fupport of their widows. A confiderable fund or principal has been raised by them, the intereft of which, as well as the yearly contributions of the members, is regularly divided among the widows, whose husbands have been members of the institution.

In a houfe adjoining the church, is the fchool for girls; and, fince the year 1787, a boarding school for young ladies from different parts, who are inftructed in reading and writing, (both English and German) grammar, arthmetic, hiftory, geography, needle-work, mufic, &c.

The minister of the place has the fpecial care and inspection of this, as well as of the boys fchool, which is kept in a feparate house, fitted to that purpose, and are taught reading and writing in both languages, the rudiments of the Latin tongue, arithmetic, &c.

Befides the different houses for private tradesmen, mechanics, and others, there is a public tavern at the north end of the town, with pretty good accommodations; also a store, with a general affortment of goods; an apothecary's fhop; a large farm-yard; and on the lower part, on Manakes creek, is a large tan-yard, a currier's and dyer's fhop, a grift-mill, fulling-mill, oil-mill, and faw-mill; and on the banks of the Lehigh, a brewery.

The town is fupplied with good water from a fpring, which being in the lower part of the town, is raised up the hill by a machine of a very fimple conftruction, to the height of upwards of 100 feet, into a refervoir, whence it is conducted by pipes into the several streets and public buildings of the town.

The ferry across the river is of fuch particular contrivance, that a flat, large enough to carry a team of fix horfes, runs on a ftrong rope, fixed and ftretched acrofs; and, by the mere force of the ftream, without any other affiftance, croffes the river backwards and forwards; the flat being always put in an oblique direction, with its foremost end verging towards the line defcribed by the rope.

The greater part cf the inhabitants, as well as the people in the neighbourhood, being of German extraction, this language is more in ufe than the English. The latter, however, is cultivated in the schools, and divine fervice performed in both languages.

Nazareth is ten miles north from Bethlehem, and fixty-three north from Philadelphia. It is a tract of good land, containing about 5000 acres, purchased originally by the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield, in 1740,

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and fold two years after to the brethren. The town was laid out aímost in the centre of this tract, in 1772. Two streets cross each other at right angles, and form a fquare in the middle, of 340 by 200 feet. largest building is a stone house, erected in 1755, named Nazareth-hall, 98 feet by 46 long, and 54 in height. In the lowermoft ftory is a fpacious meeting-hall, or church; the upper part of the house is chiefly fitted for a boarding school, where youth, from different parts, are under the care and infpection of the minifter of the place and several tutors, and are instructed in the English, German, Latin, and French languages; in history, geography, book-keeping, mathematics, mufic, drawing, and other fciences. The front of the house faces a large fquare open to the fouth, adjoining a fine piece of meadow ground, and commands a most beautiful and extenfive profpect. Another elegant building on the eaft fide of Nazareth-hall is inhabited by fingle fifters, who have the fame regulations and way of living as thofe in Bethlehem. Befides their principal manufactory for spinning and twisting cotton, they have lately begun to draw wax tapers.

At the fouth-weft corner of the aforefaid square, in the middle of the town, is the fingle brethren's house; and on the east-south-eaft corner a ftore. On the fouthernmost end of the street is a good tavern. The houses are, a few excepted, built of lime ftone, one or two ftories high, inhabited by tradefmen and mechanics, moftly of German extraction. The inhabitants are fupplied with water conveyed to them by pipes from a fine fpring near the town. The place is noted for having an exceedingly pleafant fituation, and enjoying a very pure and falubrious air. The number of inhabitants in the town, and farms belonging to it, (Schoeneck included) conftituting one congregation, and meeting for divine service on Sundays and holidays at Nazareth-hall, was, in the year 1788, about 450.

Litiz is in Lancaster county, and Warwick township; eight miles from Lancaster, and feventy miles weft from Philadelphia. This fettlement was begun in the year 1757. There are now, befides an elegant church, and the houfe of the fingle brethren and fingle fifters, which form a large fquare, a number of houses for private families, with a store and tavern, all in one street. There is also a good farm and feveral mill works belonging to the place. The number of inhabitants, including those that belong to Litiz congregation, living on their farms in the neighbourhood, amounted, in 1787, to upwards of 300.

Such is the Moravian intereft in Pennsylvania. Their other fettlements in America, are at Hope, in New-Jerfey, already defcribed, and at Wachovia, on Yadkin river, in North-Carolina, which will be described in its proper place. Befides thefe regular fettlements, which are formed by fuch only as are members of the brethren's church, and live together in good order and harmony, there are, in different parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New-Jersey, and in the cities and towns of New-York, Pennfylvania, Lancaster, York-town, &c. congregations of the brethren, who have their own church and minifter, and hold the fame principles, and doctrinal tenets, and church rites and ceremonies, as the former, though their local fituation does not admit of fuch particu lar regulations as are peculiar to the regular fettlements.

In Pennfylvania there are fixteen congregations of English BAPTISTS. The doctrines, difcipline, and worship of thefe, are fimilar to thofe of the New-England Baptifts. In 1770, the number of this denomination of babtifts was reckoned at 650 families, making, as was fuppofed, 3,250 fouls, who were divided into ten churches, who had eighteen meeting-houfes, and eleven minifters. Befides thefe there are a few Sabbatarian babtifts, who keep the feventh day as holy time, and who are the remains of the Keithian or Quaker babtifts, and a number of Tunkers and Mennonists, both of whom are profeffionably babtifts, and are of German extraction.

The TUNKERS are fo called in derifion, from the word tunken, to put a morjel in fauce. The English word that conveys the proper meaning, of Tunkers is Sops or Dippers. They are alfo called Tumblers, from the manner in which they perform babtifm, which is by putting the perfon, while kneeling, head first under water, so as to refemble the motion of the body in the action of tumbling. The Germans found the letters t and b liked and p; hence the words Tunkers and Tumblers have been corruptly written Dunkers and Dumplers.

The first appearing of these people in America, was in the fall of the year 1719, when about twenty families landed in Philadelphia, and difperied themselves in various parts of Pennfylvania. They are what are called General Baptists, and hold to general redemption and general falvation. They ufe great plainnefs of drefs and language, and will neither fwear, nor fight, nor go to law, nor take intereft for the money they lend. They commonly wear their beards-keep the first day Sabbath, except one congregation-have the Lord's Supper, with its ancient attendants of love-feafts, with washing of feet, kifs of charity, and right hand of fellowship. They anoint the fick with oil for their recovery, and use the trine immerfion, with laying on of hands and prayer, even while the perfon baptifed is in the water. Their church government and difcipline are the fame with thofe of the English baptifts, except that every brother is allowed to fpeak in the congregation; and their best fpeaker is ufually ordained to be their minifter. They have deacons, deaconeffes (from among their ancient widows) and exhorters, who are all licensed to use their gifts ftatedly. On the whole, notwithstanding their peculiarities, they appear to be humble, well-meaning Chriftians, and have acquired the character of the Harmless Tunkers.

Their principal fettlement is at Ephrata, fometimes called Tunkerstown, in Lancaster county, fixty miles weftward of Philadelphia. It confifts of about forty buildings, of which three are places of worship: One is called Sharon, and adjoin's the fifters apartment as a chapel; another, belonging to the brother's apartment, called Bethany. To thefe the brethren and fifters refort, feparately, to worthip morning and evening, and fometimes in the night. The third is a common church, called Zion, where all in the fettlement meet once a week for public worship. The brethren have adopted the White Friars' dress, with fome alterations; the fifters, that of the nuns; and both, like them, have taken the vow of celibacy. All, however, do not keep the vow. When they marry, they leave their cells and go among the married people. They fubfift by cultivating their lands, by attending a printing-office, a grift mill, a paper

a paper mill, an oil mill, &c. and the fifters by fpinning, weaving, fewing, &c. They, at firft, flept on board couches, but now on beds, and have otherwife abated much of their former severity. This is the congregation who keep the feventh day Sabbath. Their finging is charming, owing to the pleasantnefs of their voices, the variety of parts, and the devout manner of performance. Befides this congregation at Ephrata, there were, in 1770, fourteen others in various other parts of Pennsylvania, and fome in Maryland. The whole, exclufive of thofe in Maryland, amounted to upwards of 200 fouls.

The MENNONISTS derive their name from Menno Simon, a native of Witmars in Germany, a man of learning, born in the year 1505, in the time of the reformation by Luther and Calvin. He was a famous Roman Catholic preacher till about the year 1531, when he became a Baptift. Some of his followers came into Pennsylvania from New York, and fettled at Germantown, as early as 1692. This is at prefent their principal congregation, and the mother of the reft. Their whole number, in 1770, in Pennsylvania, was upwards of 4000, divided into thirteen churches, and forty-two congregations, under the care of fifteen ordained ministers, and fifty-three licensed preachers.

Some

The Mennonifts do not, like the Tunkers, hold the doctrine of general falvation; yet like them, they will neither fwear nor fight, nor bear any civil office, nor go to law, nor take interest for the money they lend, though many break this laft rule. Some of them wear their beards; wash each other's feet, &c. and all ufe plainnefs of fpeech and drefs. have been expelled their fociety for wearing buckles in their fhoes, and having pocket holes in their coats. Their church government is democratical. They call themselves the Harmless Chriftians, Revengeless Christians, and Weaponlefs Chriftians. They are Babtists rather in name than in fact; for they do not ufe immerfion. Their common mode of baptifm is this: The perfon to be baptized kneels; the minister holds his hands over him, into which the deacon pours water, which runs through upon the head of the perfon kneeling. After this, follow impofition of hands and prayer.

Literary, Humane, and other useful Societies.] Thefe are more numerous, and flourishing in Pennfylvania, than in any of the Thirteen States. The names of thefe improving inflitutions, the times when they were established, and a fummary of the benevolent defigns they were intended to accomplish, will be mentioned in their order.

1. THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, HELD AT PHILADELPHIA, FOR PROMOTING USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. This fociety was formed January 2d, 1769, by the union of two other literary focieties that had fubfifted for fome time in Philadelphia; and were created one body corporate and politic, with fuch powers, privileges, and immunities as are neceffary for anfwering the valuable purpoíes which the fociety had originally in view, by a charter, granted by the commonwealth of Pennfylvania, on the 15th of March, 1780. This fociety have already published two very valuable volumes of their tranfactions; one in 1771, the other in 1786.

In 1771, this fociety confifted of nearly 300 members; and upw ards of 120 have fince been added; a large proportion of which are foreign

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