Digital Paxton: Digital Collection, Critical Edition, and Teaching Platform

Letter from Matthaus Hehl to the Church Leadership, December 29, 1763 - 3

the following morning came to Br. Ebermann and paid what he owed for a rifle and said: “We have done a fine piece of Work.” Still in the evening of the day be fore yesterday, shortly before our Singstunde [hymn service] Br. Kloz [Klotz] heard a great tumult going by on the street and heard what it was, hearing repeatedly [MS=English] “God damn you, Moravians” and after they were past the watch station, they started all over again.  We heard that it was some of the party that had sought quarters for the night by Christel Bamberger and wanted to murder the couple of old Indians who have lived in this area for some time.

Praise be to God, we are not worried about our settlement and persons but are painfully concerned about the violence and crimes from the murderous spirit of Belial and evil tricks. We continue to comfort ourselves however and hold the Savior before us in a childlike way in faith, His Word in the Watchword for today and the Doctrinal Text.  But why are we reporting to you, you dear Hearts, with an Express Letter? So that if the murderous spirit should bring something upon our poor innocent little sheep at Province Island, you will be forewarned of it and from the beginning here might be informed of it. Further if such a furious mob should decide to give Bethlehem some sort of unpleasant surprise and they were to receive along the way perhaps more comrades,

[Translated by Roy Ledbetter]

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