blessing, to hear again a few particulars of His work here, and I
have also thought that the love you bear me will make you desirous to
know how I am, and what the Lord is doing with me, and therefore I
again write you a little, which is no burden to me, but a sweet
pleasure. Yet I assure you, dear brethren, I need not write to you,
in order that I may be reminded of you; for I think of you daily, and
pray daily for you, as I am sure you do for us: and it will, indeed,
be a sweet pleasure to us and joy in the Lord, to behold your faces
again; but, in the meantime, we desire grace, not to feel ourselves
as in banishment, but so to realize, that this is our present place
of service, and so to walk with Jesus, that we maybe very happy, even
now, though so far, and for so long a time absent from you. It is now
thirteen weeks and three days since I left Bristol, but I have not,
during all this time, even for one single minute, been permitted to
question whether the conclusion, that I should serve the Lord for a
season in this country, was of Him or not; but during all this time,
as also many weeks before I left Bristol, my heart has had the
fullest assurance concerning this matter. It has been also very kind
of the Lord, that He has not even suffered me to be tempted, through
a great variety of trying events, which might have occurred either
here or in Bristol, to question my call for this service; but, on the
contrary, every days experience almost, here, confirms my mind, and
every letter from Bristol also shows, how that Gods finger is in
this matter. And thus, my dear brethren, it must be always, when we
are taking any step according to the will of the Lord: the result
must be peace and blessing. I desire therefore quietly to, tarry
here, till the same Lord, who put me at this post, shall call me away
from it.
--I now enter upon the narrative of a few facts which I wish to
communicate to you, that you may be led yet more highly to prize the
spiritual privileges, and especially the religious liberty, which you
enjoy in England.--About nineteen months since a brother and sister
here, who were connected with the little Baptist Church, (the only
body of believers in this country who are separated from the State
Church) desired to be united by marriage. As they had conscientious
objections to be married according to the usage of the State Church,
a statement was sent to the director of this city, the first
magistrate, in which this brother and sister expressed their desire
and declared that they would submit themselves to everything to which
they could with a good conscience, such as having their names three
times publicly called at the church, paying the clergymans fees, &c.;
but that they could not conform to the marriage ceremony at the
church, and they therefore begged to be exempted from this; and they
finally claimed for this the rights of the subjects of the kingdom of
Wirtemberg, to whom full liberty of conscience is granted by the
constitution of the Government. After a time they received a complete
denial to this request from the Ecclesiastical court, called the
Consistory. They now gave in a full statement of their views, why
they left the State Church, why they could not conform to the
marriage ceremony in the State Church, &c., and sent this statement,
if I remember right, to the highest court, the ministry of the
kingdom. It was again refused. And so also by the king himself. Many
months had in the meantime elapsed, and the patience of the brother
and sister at last began to fail, and as the sister (at that time)
saw scarcely any objection to be married at the church, the brother
was at last overcome, and he went and gave in the banns at the
church. This was in the middle of June last summer. The nearer,
however, the marriage day came, the more tried the brother felt, and
all peace left him. At last he came to the conclusion to leave
himself quite in the hands of the Lord while in the church, and to do
no more than he could do with a good conscience; yet he did not know
anything definite, nor did he tell his intended wife anything. He
asked the brethren, with whom he was in fellowship, to pray for him,
who accordingly met at the time when he was to be married. It was on
a Lords day afternoon after the public service, and several hundreds
of people had remained. The clergyman, a believer, who, no doubt,
knew of the former expressed conscientious objection of this brother
and sister, did not at all use the printed liturgy, but only gave, as
I hear, a scriptural address as the occasion called for, which our
brother found profitable. After this the brother and sister made the
usual solemn declaration that they would take each other as husband
and wife, &c. This, our brother considered all that could be required
of him as a subject. But now remained the clergymans blessing and
confirmation of the matrimony, which in the literal English
translation is as follows: "As you then have solemnly promised to
each other conjugal love and fidelity, I therefore confirm in the
name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as an appointed
minister of the Christian church, this your conjugal union as a
union, which according to Gods order, is indissoluble. What God has
joined together, let no man put asunder." Now, while the clergyman
was pronouncing the first of these words, the brother walked a step
or two back from the altar, with his wife, and interrupted the
clergyman in words to this effect: "I do not belong to the State
Church, and I therefore cannot accept the blessing of the State
Church, or the confirmation of the State Church, with reference to
our marriage. Our Union was made in heaven, and therefore needs no
earthly confirmation. I have gone as far as I could with a good
conscience, but further I can do nothing."--The clergyman now stated
"I pronounce your marriage as void, and I shall give notice of your
behaviour to the magistrates."--The whole matter made a great stir,
the people rushed out of the church, and our brother, with his wife,
having gone orderly back into their pews, fell on their knees and
prayed, and then walked home.--The first thing that now followed was,
that the relations on the part of the wife sought to separate the
brother and sister by all possible means, removing the furniture out
of their intended rooms, sending policemen, and not suffering the
brother to live where he had purposed to live after marriage, so that
the newly married couple had to take up their abode in the house of a
brother in the Lord now in fellowship with us, who is the brother of
the young wife. On the next day the newly married brother went to the
clergyman, and humbly stated to him, that that, which had occurred on
the previous day, was not in the least intended as an insult to him,
but that he had been forced to act thus to maintain a good
conscience. But he again declared the marriage as void, and said that
he should legally proceed against him. Either on the same day, or the
day after, our brother and sister had to appear before the director
of the city, and after having been for hours examined, the marriage
was declared as void, and they were ordered to separate from each
other, otherwise the laws against concubinage would be put in force
against them. Our brother and sister meekly declared, that they would
gladly submit to the Government in every thing, in which they could
submit with a good conscience, but that they should not separate from
each other, as they considered that they, according to divine and
human laws, were married. After some time they had to appear a second
time, and, if I remember right, a third, if not a fourth time; but
they always gave the same declaration before the city director, and
added that they claimed the rights of the subjects of Wirtemberg,
according to which there was secured to them perfect liberty of
conscience. So the matter remained. Nothing more occurred till
Monday, Oct. 23rd, when the said brother was ordered to appear before
a court called the "Criminal Court" at half-past two, his wife at
three, and the brother who had taken them in and lodged them, at
half-past three in the afternoon. I ought to have said before, that
all three belong to those saints who for my sake were separated from
the Baptist Church here. Brother R. and I therefore met for prayer
while they were before the judge, and continued in prayer from
half-past two till half-past five. All three experienced the
fulfilment of that word: "Take no thought how or what ye shall speak:
for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak."
Matt. x. 19. The Lord was very nigh to them. They were able firmly,
but meekly, to bear testimony for the truth. Even the sister, though
alone before the judge, was greatly helped. She has been, ever since
the event at the church, quite of one mind with her husband. The
crime alleged against the other brother at this court was, that,
after he knew that the magistrates had declared the marriage illegal,
he still lodged them in his house; to which he declared that he
considered the marriage legal. This led to the reasons, and a long
and blessed testimony for the Lord was borne before the judge. The
crime alleged against the husband before this court was, that he had
intended this as an insult against the church, which he denied, but
stated that he had gone as far as he could, and that he would rather
suffer any thing than act against his conscience. On Thursday, Oct.
26th, these three dear saints had to stand before the same judge,
each again alone, from half-past two till half-past five, whilst
brother R. and I were again in prayer for them. The Lord again
abundantly helped them. Even the judge, though a Roman Catholic,
sought both times to favour them as much as possible, and the
investigations of the whole affair were as favourably taken down for
them on paper by him, as if a brother in the Lord had written them
down. We know how that came. The Lord heard the prayers of His
children, and also acted according to the just mentioned promise. To
both brethren was permitted to hand in on the next day a written
statement, on what scriptural grounds the husbands conscience led
him to act as he did; and the other brother, on what scriptural
grounds he could not obey the magistrate, in refusing to lodge his
sister and brother-in-law, when their marriage had been declared
illegal. Brother R. and I now wrote two long statements about the
affair with scriptural proofs, which, on the next day, were delivered
to the Court. On Friday, Oct. 27, the brother, the husband, had to
stand the third time that week before the judge, who, among other
things, told him, that until the matter by the proper court was
decided, the police would separate him and his wife. Thus the matter
stands. Our brother and sister may any day be separated; if so, they
will be only separated as long as they are in prison; when they come
out, they feel themselves before God bound to come again together;
and should the matter be forced, they must leave the country.
Moreover, if the matter is pressed, the husband may be from six
months to two years imprisoned for the act at the church. But the
Lord reigneth, and men can go no further than the Lord gives them
permission. Our brother who lodged them is liable to six months
imprisonment; but the Lord reigneth. Nothing is to be done here,
except to pray and to be ready to suffer for the Lords sake, in
order that real liberty of conscience may be obtained. Such a case
never occured here before. The courts know not themselves what to do.
The judge who investigated the case, in order to lay the written
investigation before the proper court, said publicly: "I wonder how
they will manage this affair." With reference to my own judgment
about the matter, it is this: If any brother and sister were now to
be married to whom the Lord has given the same light, they should not
go at all to the church, but simply give information to the
magistrates, have their names called at church, declare themselves
ready to pay the fees, and state before the brethren that they mean
to consider themselves as united by marriage; and if the government
after this oppresses them, to leave the country. I cannot regret that
matters have been as they have. The government itself forced our
brother, so to say, to do what he did: and good will come out of it
for the church.--We are now waiting for what the Lord will do in this
matter, and to see whether these dear saints will have to bear
imprisonment or not.
Another event has occurred: On Oct. 24th, the elders of the Baptist
Church, and therefore two of the brethren with whom I now meet for
the breaking of bread, were ordered to appear before the director of
the city to hear a communication from the ministers of state with
reference to their request about being permitted to marry, without
going to church. As this order now came to them as being of the
Baptist Church, whilst our brethren no longer belong to the Baptist
Church, but consider themselves united with all who love our Lord
Jesus, they sent a written statement to the director of the city,
stating that they had ceased to belong to the Baptist Church. Thus,
without our seeking it, the position which we hold, even if it had
not been so before, is now made known. Still, hitherto nothing has
been done to us, nor any hinderance laid in our way. Indeed a few
days since, through a particular circumstance, the city director had
my passport put into his hands, with the inquiry whether a ticket of
permission to remain in Stuttgart should be granted to me, or not,
and there were no objections made. So I still teach and preach Christ
freely, and all that the Lord has taught me, although to a very small
number; for the people are afraid of us. In the mean time I speak to
souls as I may meet them in the fields, or when persons ask for an
alms without the city, for in the whole of Stuttgart I never saw one
beggar. I also make considerable progress with my Narrative, much
more than at the first, and have nearly one-half ready for the press.
When we took our position here of receiving all who love our Lord
Jesus, irrespective of their agreeing with us in all points, one
brother came among us, who had been always refused by the Baptist
Church here, because he was not baptized. After this brother had been
about six weeks among us, he himself desired baptism. He was baptized
on the evening of Oct. 28. Thus we have been able to give a practical
proof of the truth which we hold.
Our number has only been increased by the arrival of our brother T.
H., the son of our brother H., whom you know. He resides in the same
house with us.--I repeat that it will give us joy to hear from any of
you. We remember before the Lord those of you by name, of whom it has
been written to us that they are in trial. My dear wife sends her
love to all the dear brethren and sisters.
I remain, my dear brethren,
Your brother and servant in the Lord,
GEORGE MÜLLER
P.S.--I only add that the two brothers and the sister, by their
meekness and godly walk, much commend the truth, and are precious
instruments chosen of the Lord, to carry the truth before the rulers
of the land.
Dec. 31, 1843. During this year 75 have been received into communion
among us in Bristol, and 13 saints have fallen asleep. Being absent
from Bristol, I am not able to give the present exact state of the
church there as to numbers.--The Lord has been pleased to give me
during this year for my temporal necessities.
1, Through the saints among whom I labour in Bristol, in provisions,
clothes, etc. worth to us, at least £10 0s. 0d.
2, Through anonymous offerings in money, put up in paper, and
directed to me, and put into the boxes for the poor saints, or the
rent, at the meeting places £130 8s. 4 3/4d.
3, Through presents in money, from saints in Bristol, not given
anonymously £106 12s. 0d.
4, Through presents in money from saints not residing in Bristol £79
1s. 6d.
Altogether £326 1s. 10 3/4d.
To this is to be added that the expenses connected with our journey
to Germany, and with our temporal necessities, and all the various
expenses coming on us in connexion with our stay in a foreign land,
from Aug. 9, to Dec. 31, were met out of the 702l. 3s. 7d., which had
been given to me, as has been stated, for several purposes, but
especially also for the expenses connected with my service in Germany.
Is it not again most manifest from this statement, that during the
year 1843 also I served a most kind Master even with reference to
temporal supplies? And this I delight to show. If I had been striving
with all my might to obtain a good income during the year 1843, I
could not have had more; for in one way or another the Lord gave me
about 400l. without asking any one for any thing, and therefore I had
far more than I needed either for myself and family, or for giving me
ability to use hospitality. I find it more and more pleasant, even
with reference to this life, to walk in the ways of the Lord, and to
rely upon Him for all I need; and often, when I recount on my walks
for meditation the mercies of the Lord towards me, I am constrained
to say to the praise of the Lord, that if I had remained in my
unconverted state, and therefore continued a servant of Satan, I
could not have been nearly as well off, even with reference to this
life, as I am now in the service of the Lord Jesus. I find, that the
more the Lord enables me, not to seek my own things, but the things
of Jesus Christ, the more He takes care that my temporal necessities
shall be richly supplied.
Jan. 1, 1844.--Last evening I met with the whole little church at
Stuttgart to tea, and the last hours of the year, till about 12
oclock at night, we spent together in prayer.
On Jan. 15th, I wrote another letter to the brethren in Bristol,
which is here subjoined.
Stuttgart, Jan. 15, 1844,
To the Saints meeting in the name of Jesus, at Bethesda and Salem
Chapels, Bristol.
Beloved Brethren.,
I have it in my heart once more to write to you a little about the
work of the Lord here, before my return to you, and I do it the more
readily, because I have confidence in your love, being assured that
you are as glad to hear from me, as I am to write to you. With
reference to all the time since I left you, and in particular with
reference to the time since I last wrote to you, I have abundant
reason to say, that goodness and mercy have followed us. Never, since
I first saw it to be the will of God, that I should labour here for a
season, which is now more than seven months, have I been permitted to
question, that this conclusion was formed under the guidance of the
Holy Ghost; and ever since I left you, which is now five months and
six days, every thing has proved, that I left you according to the
will of God. It is precious, beloved brethren, to go on an errand
when the Lord Himself sends us, and to be at a post where the Lord
Himself has placed us for then all goes on well. Far better to wait
months, or even years, than to take a step in uncertainty, or being
but half assured that it is the will of God, that we should take that
step.--But as fully as I was assured that I should leave you for a
season, so, as far as I can see at present the mind of the Lord, does
it appear to me now, that the time is fast approaching, when our Lord
will give us again the great joy and precious privilege of seeing you
face to face. Truly, we may say, through grace, and without
hypocrisy, "We, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in
presence, not in heart;" indeed nothing but grace has kept us here so
long. And now the time seems to be fast approaching when we shall
leave this, and I am by prayer and labour endeavouring, to see your
face soon. If the Lord will, my Narrative, (which, with a particular
reference to the spiritual necessities of the Church in Germany, I
have been preparing for the press, and is nearly finished), will be
printed within five weeks from this day, so that I hope we shall be
able to leave this towards the end of February. Yet, in the mean
time, there remains much work for me still to do, both with reference
to writing and labouring among the brethren here; therefore continue,
dear brethren, even as you have done hitherto, to help me with your
prayers; and we also, by the help of God, will continue to intercede
for you, as we do with joy.
As there have occurred a number of important events among us, since I
wrote to you last, I proceed now to give you some account of them.--In
the early part of November last year, brother R., the Doctor of Law,
asked me to unite with him and a sister in prayer, as that sister
(not one in fellowship with us, but belonging to the State Church)
was going to be divorced from her husband, and she had desired that
we should spend the time with her in prayer for her husband, while
this act would be settled in the judicial court. This sister had had
to suffer exceedingly during the space of many years from her
husband, who hated her greatly for the Lords sake. Three times she
had been obliged to leave him, because of his awful treatment; but
three times, especially through the peace-making efforts of brother
R., who was her legal counsellor, she returned to her husband, and
lived for a season with him, till at last each time her health sank
under the sufferings she had endured from him. At length, about two
years since, she left him again, with the intention not to return to
him any more. This led to a divorce by law, a thing not uncommon on
the Continent; and in that hour in which we met for prayer, the
matter was settled. In consequence of this, as she had three
children, and brought a comparatively considerable property to her
husband, the law proceeded to secure this money for the benefit of
herself and children, as the husband had wasted all his own property.
This act was settled on December 9th, on which occasion she had to
meet her husband at his house with the appointed government officers;
and she requested our brother Dr. R., as a friend to accompany her.
Brother R. (who had been for fifteen years the peace-maker between
this husband and wife, and who had three times succeeded in favour of
the husband, though the legal adviser of the wife) was nevertheless
greatly hated by the husband, who repeatedly spoke to him in public
courts of law thus: "You shall never baptize me." Or, "Now my wife
will soon be free to marry her priest," (meaning brother R.,) &c. All
this brother R. had been able to bear with the greatest meekness,
though thus publicly insulted, when acting as solicitor or barrister
at the judicial courts. Now on the 9th of December, brother R., as I
said, went with this divorced sister to her husbands house. When all
the business was done, the husband came close to brother R., in the
presence of several magistrates, put a pistol to his side and fired
it at him, then took another pistol, put it to his own breast, fired
and sank down dead immediately. But while he himself died
immediately, brother R. has been wonderfully preserved. He wore a
thick wadded coat, and had four papers in his side pocket, through
all of which the ball passed. Then, to show the hand of God, the ball
met in the other clothes such obstacles (all being double in that
spot,) that it only entered a very little way into the body and
lodged upon one of the ribs. After the fire was extinguished, (for
our brothers clothes were set on fire, so near had the poor sinner
put the pistol to him,) our brother walked home, and shortly after a
surgeon extracted the ball, and on the seventh day our brother was so
far restored, that the whole little church here could be gathered
around his bed, together with his relations, and we united together
in praising the Lord for His wonderful help; and on the fifteenth day
our brother was already so far restored, that he was able to assemble
himself again with us for the breaking of bread. Half an inch higher
or lower might have taken his life; but the balls (for the pistol was
loaded with two, one of which fell out of his clothes,) though most
maliciously so prepared that they might do much mischief on entering
the body, found so much resistance that the power, through the soft
clothing being every part double in that spot, was spent before
touching the body. Surely, the Lord is round about us Even the
ungodly in this city have been forced to marvel; but now the devil
spreads the report that that wicked person shot our brother, because
he purposed to marry his wife.