George Müller · 58 of 97

Review of the Year 1842 · Part 6

II. At these scripture reading meetings, of which I had about forty with them, we went on very peacefully and happily, though I had many things to bring before the brethren which were quite new to them, and some points also to which they had been exceedingly opposed. The Lord enabled me to seek His help for this service, and He granted it to me.

III. I never had a moments hesitation in owning these brethren, and meeting with them at the breaking of bread; for I could not say of any of them that they wilfully held those errors, but that it rather arose from the truth never having been brought before them. I therefore judged, that it was my duty to seek to instruct them in the truth, and then they would be led to renounce their errors.

IV. I had from the beginning great hope that the dear brethren would be brought out of their fearful errors. I never was overwhelmed by the prospect of the difficulties before me, but had confidence in God, that through Him I should conquer. My assurance was built on the following grounds: 1, I considered the remarkable way in which so unexpectedly, and after the overcoming of so many difficulties which had been in the way, I was sent to them. I therefore judged that the Lord had sent me to them for blessing. 2, He had given me grace to pray much for the saints at Stuttgart before I had ever seen them, and He helped me to continue in prayer for them whilst with them. This I judged was, in order that He might answer my request on their behalf. 3, They were not like persons who had had the truth set before them, and wilfully rejected it, but they had never had it set before them. 4, The Lord, in His grace, enabled me to deal patiently with them. They were deeply entangled in error, very deeply. Pressing things hastily upon them, I knew, would only make matters worse; but patiently hearing all their objections; meeting time after time over the Word, and seeking the Lords blessing in prayer on those meetings both before and after, being willing not to press a point too much at once, but giving time to the Holy Ghost to work upon their hearts; dealing thus with them, even as the Lord had inclined my heart, I judged that He would give me the desire of my heart, and deliver them out of their fearful errors.

V. I cannot help noticing here the strange mistake under which the religious public was with reference to my being at Stuttgart. It was this: Some weeks after my arrival the report was spread, and widely too, (for it was printed in one of the religious periodicals), that I was a Missionary sent by the Baptists in England, to bring back the Baptists in Wirtemberg to the State Church, as it was the view of the Baptists in England that it was not wrong to be united with the State Church. This having been stated in print, (though I knew not of it till I was on the point of returning to England), my stay at Stuttgart, I suppose, was rather liked by religious persons in connexion with the State Church, and it is not at all unlikely that that may have contributed to my being permitted to work quietly week after week, and month after month, without the police in the least interfering with me, though it not only was well known, that I was there, but well known too what I was doing in the way of holding meetings, etc. I recognise the hand of the Lord in allowing this mistake to be made.

VI. For many weeks the number of those who frequented the meetings was very small. Very few, besides those who were in communion with us, attended them. The highly sectarian and exclusive spirit which had been manifested by those brethren, who belonged to the Baptist Church, was a great hindrance in the way; for it was naturally supposed that we were of the same mind with them. But after nearly five months had passed away, there began to be a different effect produced. The number of those who attended increased, and increased to more than twice or thrice as many as used to come at first, and, humanly speaking, had I seen it to be the Lords will to remain one month longer, the result might have been still greater. But as I saw as clearly the time of my departure from Stuttgart as that of my going thither, I was not influenced by any outward appearance; for I felt certain that, for various reasons, I ought to return to my service in Bristol.—In this circumstance also I cannot but see the hand of God. Had the meetings all at once been much attended in the beginning, it might have attracted the attention of the police, and possibly a ticket of permission to reside any longer at Stuttgart might not have been granted to me; but, as it was, there was nothing whatever outwardly to attract the notice of the world, for we were few in number, met in a very poor neighbourhood, and in a poor meeting place, and I had thus opportunity to instruct the saints.

Stuttgart, Nov. 11, 1843.

To the Brethren meeting in the name of Jesus, at Salem and Bethesda Chapels, Bristol

Dear Brethren,

I have judged that it might be profitable to you, with the Lords 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.