me from Stuttgart, soon after my arrival, which will show to the
reader my position there more clearly. The letter is, with the
exception of a very slight verbal alteration, which I made in
revising it for the press, just as it was written.
Stuttgart, Sept. 7, 1843.
To the Brethren meeting at Bethesda and Salem Chapels, Bristol.
My dear Brethren,
It was yesterday four weeks since I left Bristol, and I now write
these few lines that you may know how I am situated in the service,
on account of which I left England, in order that thus you may the
better be able to remember me in your prayers, according to my need.
My journey to this place was full of mercies and blessings in a
variety of ways, but I must delay giving you the particulars, till it
may please the Lord to allow me again the privilege of labouring
among you. I arrived at Stuttgart on Tuesday evening, Aug. 22. On the
next evening I met the five brethren who labour here in the little
church. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday also I had meetings with
the little church, at which I either expounded the Holy Scriptures or
communicated to the brethren things about Bristol, which might be
profitable to them. The following Lords day I spoke twice at their
meetings, and in the evening I broke bread in my room with a few
saints, as the Baptist church break bread only once a month. On
Monday and Tuesday evenings I continued to meet the whole little
church. Up to that time all went on quietly; but I knew well that it
was only the quietness before a storm, and that shortly a hot battle
would commence. And thus it was. On Wednesday last week, i.e. Aug.
30, I was requested to meet the elders of the church. When we came
together, the brother who appears to take the lead among them, and
who is the only one who speaks at their meetings, told me that the
time was drawing nigh when the church would take the Lords supper,
and that they had a rule which they considered to be Scriptural,
which was, neither to take the Lords supper with any one who was not
himself baptized by immersion after he had believed, nor with any one
who, (though thus baptized himself) would take the Lords supper with
any who had not thus been baptized. Nor did they take the Lords
supper with any brother who would take it with any yet belonging to
the state church. After this brother had stated to me his views, I
stated my own convictions from the Holy Scriptures on these points,
and I was quietly heard for about an hour and a half whilst I was
speaking without interruption. The Lord was so with me, that when I
came home I did not remember any one thing that I could have wished
to have stated which had not been stated. The whole having taken up
more than two hours, and it being now past ten oclock in the
evening, we proposed to meet again on the next day, Thursday
afternoon, at five oclock. We did so, and several other brethren
besides the elders were present. The subjects were now discussed from
the Scriptures. Brother--maintained that no one was born again
except he was baptized, no one had a right to say his sins were
forgiven, except he were baptized, and also that the apostles were
not born again until the day of Pentecost. Whilst seeking to defend
these unscriptural statements, he also affirmed that our Lord Himself
had been born again at His baptism, and that the last three years of
His life He had not been under the law, but had ceased to be under
the law when He was baptized. I had been accustomed during the eight
days that I had been going in and out among the brethren to hear all
sorts of unscriptural statements, into which they had fallen through
laying an undue stress upon baptism, and especially through
considering baptism as a covenant into which God enters with the
believer; but when now the foundation truths of the Gospel were also
attacked, when of our Holy Lord it was said that he was born again at
his baptism, (which made Him out to be like one of us), and when it
was said that He had not been under the law during the last three
years of His life;--I saw it needful first of all to see whether we
were agreed about the foundation truths of the Gospel. But as we had
now been together from five to half-past seven in the evening, and as
at half-past eight the public meeting began at which I had to speak,
I proposed to separate and to meet again on Friday afternoon from
five to seven. This was done, I now first of all pressed the first
points. Brother--stated in the presence of the elders and six or
seven other brethren, that he had made an unscriptural statement, and
that our Lord needed not to be born again. I then went to the other
point, whether the Lord was under the law up to the time when He died
on the cross, or only up to the time when He was baptized. Many
passages were brought forward to show that our Lord was under the law
up to the last moments of His earthly life, which is clear from Gal.
iii. 13, Phil. ii. 8, Heb. x. 1-13, and many other passages. At last
he was convinced about this also and acknowledged his error. But many
other points, equally unscriptural, he was unwilling to renounce,
such as, that baptism is a covenant with God, and that there cannot
be forgiveness of sins except individuals have been baptized after
believing. He also maintained that I was sinning in breaking bread
with unbaptized believers, and with those who belong to the state
church, and that if the church here allowed me to break bread with
them, they would be defiled, as I made myself a partaker of the sins
of others, which sins I brought with me; and other such unscriptural
statements were made by this brother. Thus we spent again about two
hours and a half in intercourse, whilst this teaching elder and one
of the other elders considered me unfit to take the Lords supper
with them on the coming Lords day, but the two other elders and
several other brethren who were present were quite ready to break
bread with me, and with any who love our Lord Jesus. Brother--now
said, there must be a separation. I then entreated the brethren not
to think of a separation. I represented to them what a scandal it
would be to the ungodly, and what a stumbling block also to the
believers who are yet in the state church. I further told them that I
had not come to Stuttgart to make a separation between the brethren,
but only to lend them a helping hand according to the ability which
the Lord might give me. I lastly said: As we have now spent more than
six hours together in intercourse, let us meet together tomorrow
evening some hours for prayer. To this the brethren agreed, and we
accordingly met on Saturday evening at eight oclock for prayer. The
subject of our prayer was, that the Lord would be pleased to unite us
together in the truth, and make it manifest on which side the truth
was. After we had thus prayed for about two hours, brother--prayed
at the end, and related (in what he called prayer) his experience
before his conversion, his conversion, his being convinced about
baptism, my coming to Stuttgart, his readiness to receive the
unbaptized in consequence of my intercourse with him, and how then a
great horror had befallen him, and that now he had come back to his
former view, only to receive the baptized, and how now his peace had
been restored to him, and that he purposed to live and die in this
belief. When we arose I told him that the Lord Himself had decided
the matter, and had shown on whose side the truth was; for that he,
if in peace, as he had said, could not thus have related his
experience, and called it prayer. This prayer tended greatly to show
the other brethren that he has not the truth.--I should have stated
that I said to the brethren at the commencement of this meeting,
that, as I and my wife were the only persons on whose account they
could not break bread on the coming day, and as nothing ought to be
done in a hurry, to whatever conclusion they might come, we would
gladly withdraw ourselves, and break bread in our room. This was not
accepted, as there was much disunion among the brethren, as they told
me, and had been before I came, and that my coming had now only
brought matters to a point. I stated once more, at the end of the
meeting on Saturday evening, Sept. 2, that we ought to dread a
separation, and that we ought to pray that we might be of one mind,
and that I was ready to meet them by day or by night for prayer or
searching the Word on the subject. Thus we separated. The next
morning, Sept. 3, I spoke again at the meeting, having been by all
the elders requested at my arrival here to expound the Scriptures at
all their meetings, or to communicate to them any thing that might be
profitable. On this morning I spoke principally on the Lords supper,
and on what fits for it; on what is meant by feeding upon Jesus, and
what fits for it; on the point that it is not a part of truth, but
Jesus round whom believers should unite together; and on the truth,
that, if any one is a believer, he is entitled to all the privileges
of the saints. These points I had not chosen on purpose for that
morning, but they came in course in speaking on Exodus xii., on which
chapter I had spoken four times before. After I had finished, I was
going to pray at the close, when I was interrupted by brother--, the
principal and teaching elder (as to outward authority). He stated
that he must contradict me, for I had said: 1, The bread and wine in
the Lords supper meant the body and blood of our Lord, whilst, as he
believed, and as the word said, it was the real body and blood of our
Lord. 2, He believed that as circumcision made a man an Israelite,
and fitted him thus for the partaking of the Paschal Lamb, so without
baptism no one is fitted to partake of the Lords supper, which is
set forth by the Paschal Lamb; whilst I had said that every one who
believes in Jesus was by this his faith made a spiritual Israelite,
and had a right to the Lords supper and to all the privileges of the
children of God. He stated further, that this was against the rules
of their church, and that, as I took the Lords supper with
unbaptized believers, and with those who had not quite left the state
church, I made myself partaker of their sins, and that therefore, as
being defiled with these sins, I could not be admitted to the Lords
supper. From the commencement of his speaking he was very irritated,
but now continued in a passionate way: I am ruler in this church, and
you (addressing himself to me) are no longer permitted to speak at
our meetings. Moreover he said, "Whosoever takes the Lords supper
with Müller will no longer be considered as a member of the church;"
and then in anger he left the meeting. During all this time, the
Lord, in the riches of His grace, kept me in perfect peace and
calmness. I answered brother--not a single word. When he was gone I
fell upon my knees, asked the Lords blessing upon the word which I
had spoken, asked the Lord to forgive brother--, and to teach me what
I should do now. After this I dismissed the meeting. When all was
over, one of the elders, brother R., one who seeks after truth, and
rejoices in the true liberty which the Lord enables me to preach, and
one who had been sighing under the iron hand of brother--for a long
time; this brother, I say, requested me before all, according to the
first arrangement, to continue the meetings and to tell them all that
might be profitable to them. He was, however, immediately interrupted
by another elder, who sees with brother--, and told that he had no
right to do so. I then stated again that I had only come from England
in love, and that I would not force myself upon them. I then left.--By
the time of the afternoon meeting I had received light from the Lord
that I should not go to the meeting. I saw that as I had been cast
out, together with all the other brethren who owned me as a brother,
and as all my tenderness in seeking to avoid a separation had been
useless, I had now on the other hand to go steadfastly forward,
leaving it with the Lord to decide on which side the truth was. I
therefore remained at home. The two elders who were won for the
truth, went to the meeting in the afternoon, at which brother--sought
to disprove what I had said, and after the meeting they stated
that they were purposed to own me and all who believe in the Lord
Jesus as brethren in the breaking of bread.--On the same evening
seventeen of us met in my room for the breaking of bread, as we were
in peace; of these seventeen twelve were belonging to this little
Baptist church, two Swiss brethren, one English sister, my wife and
I. We had a peaceful meeting. Thus the Lord so soon, so unexpectedly,
has brought the matter to a point, though in a painful way. The
matter would be, however, more painful, did I not see it of great
importance that the disciples who hold the truth should be separate
from those who hold such fearful errors as: The forgiveness of sins
received through baptism; baptism a covenant between us and God;
regeneration through baptism and no regeneration without it; the
actual death of the old man through baptism, it being drowned, so
that only the body and the new nature are alive; and many other
fearful errors, to which these poor deluded brethren have been led by
laying such undue stress upon baptism. As to poor brother ----, he had
denied some months since the inspiration of Luke, the Acts, and the
Epistle of James, which point he only gave up when several brethren
stated that they must leave on that account, and he has fallen into
many other grievous errors; but there has been no one who has had
sufficient spiritual courage steadfastly to resist him. Now there is
joy with many that the Lord has set them free.--On Monday last, Sept.
4th, I had again a meeting with the brethren and sisters whose eyes
the Lord has opened, and others also came, not belonging to this
Baptist church. On. Wednesday I had again a meeting, and today, Sept.
8, and tomorrow evening I purpose to meet the brethren again.--All is
only a beginning. But there is a beginning. That which I longed for,
the chief object of my journey to the Continent, that there might be
also in Germany a little living church, but based on Scriptural
principles, which might be a light to other places; the beginning of
that has now been made, but it is a small beginning. The minds of the
dear brethren have been so darkened through this mixture of error and
truth, that about every thing they need instruction. However, the
Lord will help further. I am of good cheer, because I know that the
Lord is on my side, and that He has sent me here, and that He keeps
me here. How gladly would I leave this very day, were it His will;
but I know that at present I ought to labour here.--I have so
circumstantially and minutely related all to you, that you may the
better know how to help me with your prayers. The errors and sins of
our brother ---- I have only related, that you the more clearly may see
how my coming here is of God, in order that these dear children of
God, who have suffered so much for the Lords sake, and who are
sincere, though in much error, might be led on and delivered out of
these snares of the devil. But many, unaccustomed to examine
Scripture, hold fast the former ways; yet those, who are sincere, the
Lord will deliver after awhile. How long I may continue here, I know
not; but the moment I see the Lords leading to England, I shall be
delighted to go back. At present my temptation is not to stay longer
than I ought to stay; but rather to leave sooner than I ought to
leave. Help me, therefore, dear brethren, that I maybe willing to do
and suffer all the will of God here. As to further particulars, the
Lord willing, you shall have them either verbally or by writing.
Should any of you like to write to me, or my dear wife, we shall
be glad to hear from you; and if the letters be written on thin
paper and left at my house, they will be forwarded to me. We remember
you daily in our prayers, as you also, no doubt, remember us.
May the Lord bring us in His own time again together in peace.
Pray earnestly for all the brethren who labour among you.
My dear wife salutes you. The saints here salute you.
I am, dear brethren.,
Affectionately your brother and servant,
GEORGE MÜLLER.
I make the following remarks in connexion with this letter.
I. In the beginning it is mentioned, that on the evening of the day
after my arrival I met with the five brethren who laboured in the
Baptist church at Stuttgart, that is with the teaching elder or
president, the three other elders, and the brother who acted as
deacon. At this very meeting, nay at the very commencement even of
this meeting, I saw what a difficult position mine would be, and what
abundant help I should need from God. That which led me to think so
was this. During the day that I had been at Stuttgart, I had
perceived, that all the brethren and sisters called one another
"Thou," which is in Germany the sign of great familiarity, and which
is used between very intimate friends or between parents and
children, or husband and wife, or brothers and sisters of the same
family, &c. Here now I found that males and females of all ages and
different stations in life called one another "Thou." When I
therefore met with those five brethren I stated the substance of the
following objections, against this practice, not however in the form
of objections, but either in the way of affectionate inquiries or
brotherly suggestions. My objections against it were these: 1, I did
not think it would have, in general, a desirable effect upon
believers of different sexes to speak to one another thus in the way
of so great familiarity. 2, I did not think it would work well for
brethren and sisters in service to speak thus to their master and
mistress, especially if it should happen that the mistress was an
unbeliever, and therefore not in fellowship with them, and a sister
were as a servant to say to her master "Thou." 3, I thought it would
not work happily and healthfully for a very young brother and sister
to be expected to call aged brethren and sisters "Thou," as if on
terms of great familiarity, from the moment they were baptized and
thus received among them into fellowship. 4, But that which far more
strongly operated upon my mind than any of the previous reasons was
this, It seemed to me to substitute an outward form for the inward
power and reality. I stated to them, That if the calling one another
"Thou" were the result of realizing that all the children of God have
one and the self-same Father in heaven, that they are really, and not
nominally only, brothers and sisters of the same heavenly family, and
heirs of the same precious inheritance, and bought by the same
precious blood of the Lord Jesus; if it were the result of these
truths being enjoyed and realized within, I should see not the least
reason against it, in general; but I feared that it was merely an
outward thing, judging from the fact, that however it might have been
with a brother and sister previously, the moment they were baptized
they were called "Thou" by every one of their number, and they were
expected to call every one "Thou" in return. And I judged it to be a
pernicious thing, if thus the "Thou" was forced upon persons; for on
the part of those who were comparatively high in life it would be
considered sooner or later an unpleasant burden, and on the part of
the poorer classes it would lead to carnal gratification in being
able to treat those in the way of great familiarity who were
considerably above them with reference to this life. The thing
itself, then, if done from right motives, from the entering into our
position as saints with reference to God and to each other, would be
most precious; but the thing done, merely because it was customary
among them, and observed in order to keep up uniformity, would work
most perniciously.--In reply to my remarks of this kind, it was
stated, that the use of the word "Thou" was scriptural, that in the
Holy Scriptures we never read, when one single person is spoken to,
"You," but always "Thou." To this I answered that it was so, but that
we must remember that in the Holy Scriptures we find governors and
kings addressed by poor men in the term "Thou;" for this was the only
form of speech in use, whilst in Germany, where the "Thou" is not
used except to denote near natural relationship or familiarity, it
ought not to be used, except there be that inwardly corresponding to
what we outwardly seek to convey by the term; else it will lead to
formality, if not to hypocrisy, and sooner or later the pernicious
tendency of this outward thing, to which there is nothing inwardly
corresponding, will most surely be felt. It appeared to me far better
not to make any profession of familiarity and intimacy by the use of
the "Thou," when the heart does not go along with it, and rather to
continue to say to one another "You" till there be the drawing of
heart to heart by the love of Jesus, than to force the "Thou" upon
the brethren and sisters. I felt the more strongly about this, as I
had witnessed more than once among believers in England the injurious
effects of doing things because others did them, or because it was
the custom, or because they were persuaded into acts of outward
self-denial, or giving up things whilst the heart did not go along
with it, and whilst the outward act WAS NOT the result of the inward
powerful working of the Holy Ghost, and the happy entering into our
fellowship with the Father and with the Son. I had seen, when these
things had been done from wrong motives, that there had been regret
afterwards, and the returning back as much as possible to what had
been given up or forsaken. Moreover, though I had been only one day
in Stuttgart when we had this meeting, yet I had heard enough of the
state of things, to make me think the calling one another "Thou" was
in many instances a mere outward form.--My brotherly suggestions were
not received, but strongly opposed by two or three out of the five
brethren, and it was pretty plainly hinted, that, perhaps, I was too
proud to be called "Thou;" and the moment I perceived that, I said
that I wished every brother, the very poorest of them, to call me
"Thou" (and I encouraged them in doing so, by calling every one "Thou"),
but that I could not, with my light, call any of the sisters
"Thou," nor did I do so up to the day of my departure.
There was another thing of the same character, that is the kiss. In
Germany, as on the Continent generally, the kiss is the sign of
affection and familiarity among men as well as among females, and the
brethren and sisters at Stuttgart always had been in the habit of
kissing one another after having partaken of the Lords supper, that
is all the brethren had kissed each other, and all the sisters had
kissed each other. Now this again, if the result of real inward
affection, and springing from the entering into our heavenly
relationship and oneness in Christ Jesus, would be most beautiful,
and would be the "holy kiss" of which the Apostle Paul speaks; but I
had no reason to believe that this was generally the case among the
brethren and sisters at Stuttgart, but rather that it was merely the
result of custom and form, and that it was done because it was
expected to be done, for it was the churchs order, after the Lords
supper to kiss one another. It was on this ground that it seemed to
me to be most pernicious; and I could have known how it would work,
even though I had not been actually told, that sometimes sisters had
stayed away from the Lords supper, because they did not feel
comfortable in kissing all the female members of the church. When
therefore I began to break bread with the brethren, after we had been
separated by the close baptists, I did not kiss one brother after the
breaking of bread; but I made a point of it to kiss every one of them
on that very day at a later meeting, when I left them to go to my
lodgings, in order that no one might be able to say it was pride or
want of love in me that I had not kissed them. Thus I did on the
second Lords day, and on the third. On the fourth Lords day a
brother said, after the breaking of bread, Brethren shall we give one
another the brotherly kiss, and I was then ready at once, like the
rest, to kiss all the brethren; but the next time there was no
kissing, and thus the mere cold form was banished, and every brother
felt free to kiss another brother when his heart bade him to do so,
without being bound to it by custom or form.