1, These children of God had been right in considering believers baptism to be Scriptural, and in separating from the state church of Wirtemberg. But upon these two points they had laid undue stress. Though believers baptism is the truth of God; though separation from state churches on the part of children of God who know that a church is "a congregation of believers" is right, because they see in state churches nothing but the world mixed up with some true believers; yet, if these points are made too much of if they are put out of their proper place, as if they were every thing, then there must be spiritual loss suffered by those who do so. Nay, whatever parts of truth are made too much of, though they were even the most precious truths connected with our being risen in Christ, or our heavenly calling, or prophecy, sooner or later those, who lay an undue stress upon these parts of truth, and thus make them too prominent, will be losers in their own souls, and, if they be teachers, they will injure those whom they teach. That was the case at Stuttgart. Baptism and separation from the state church had at last become almost every thing to these dear brethren. "We are the church. Truth is only to be found among us. All others are in error, and in Babylon." These were the phrases used again and again by our brother ——. But God never allows this state of things without chastisement. This spiritual pride had led from one error to another. Oh may it be a warning to me and to all believers who may read this, and may God in mercy give and preserve to them and to me a lowly heart!
2, Another thing, on account of which the church at Stuttgart is a warning, is this: When these dear brethren left the state church of the Kingdom of Wirtemberg, on account of which they had many trials, they did not meet together in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, but they took some Baptist church, whether in H— or E— I know not, for a model, and there was to be a teaching elder among them. Instead of being content to own their weakness, and give themselves to prayer that the Lord would be pleased to give them a teacher, brother —— becomes their teaching elder, and this having been done, he alone speaks at all the meetings (with few exceptions). Now, as his own mind laid such an undue stress upon baptism, and as there was no free working of the Holy Spirit, so that any other brother might have brought out at their meetings what the Lord might have laid upon his heart, what could there have been expected otherwise than that after a time the whole noble little band of disciples, who had taken so trying a stand as to be separated from the state church, should become unsound in the faith. May God grant unto us to be profited by it, dear believing reader, so that in our own church position we do our utmost to give to the Holy Spirit free and unhindered opportunity to work by whom He will!
I have related all these things, painful as they were to me when I was in them, and painful as they are now to me in the remembrance, if it may please God to make them a warning to other dear children of God.
Stuttgart, Oct. 14, 1843.
To the Saints, meeting in the name of Jesus, at Bethesda and Salem
Chapels, Bristol.
My dear Brethren,
I have judged that your love to the Lord and to me will make you desirous of knowing further particulars about the work here, and I write therefore a little concerning the state of things here.—Since the date of my last letter I have sought to instruct the dear brethren, who had been led by the Lord to own me as a brother with whom they could and ought to have fellowship, and who, therefore, had been disowned by those with whom they had formerly been associated. The state of things concerning the others, who think they do God service in the way in which they treat us, is very affecting. They not only keep entirely aloof from our meetings, but with those of our number, whom they consider seducers and perverters of the truth, they will not speak, nor greet us again when they are greeted. In this state of things nothing remained for us but to speak to the Lord about them, and I, therefore, proposed last week, that we should have especial prayer meetings for these dear, but awfully deluded, brethren. This was heartily responded to, and we now meet from time to time for especial prayer on their behalf. I mention this that you may help us with your prayers in this particular also. The iron rule, and the want of being able to exercise spiritual judgment is so felt, that only one of the brethren and sisters in the neighbouring little towns and villages, who belonged to the Baptist Church, has ventured to meet with us; but amidst it all I am in peace, knowing that the Lord Himself sent me here, and that the truth at last will assuredly triumph. Indeed I know that except these brethren own the sin of which they have been guilty against me, the Holy Spirit, who has been grieved, will not work among them, and the spiritual death among them will open the eyes of the upright ones. Such an instance came before me last week, when a sister of the Baptist Church came to our meetings, and said that she could not remain any longer where she was, as it was as if God had departed from them. We now meet every Lords day morning from nine to eleven, for the exposition of the word, and from four to six in the afternoon for the breaking of bread. On Tuesday and Thursday evenings, from eight till nearly ten, I expound the scriptures, and on Wednesday and Friday evenings, from eight to ten, I meet with the brethren to read the scriptures. There is the greatest teachableness among the dear saints with whom I meet; but just because they have been so long fed with error instead of truth, they need to be taught almost every thing. But hitherto the Lord has so helped me, and so made the dear brethren willing to bow before the word of God, that we have gone on most happily, and without any disagreement. The last five meetings of this kind we have spent in considering the truths contained in Romans xii., Ephes. iv., 1 Cor. xii. and xiv., &c. They are now gaining light in apprehending the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the church, and His indwelling in every individual believer, together with the practical application of these truths; and I cannot but hope, that if the Lord, even now at once, were to remove me from them, they would be able to witness in some measure for God, with regard to their church position. But even these truths will take up several such evenings yet, in order that the dear brethren not only may be grounded in them, but also be profited by my experience in these particulars during the last thirteen years, that they may not fall into the same errors, or be exposed to the same difficulties. When that subject is done with, I have to undertake another work, perhaps as difficult as any I have had since I have been here, and I mention it to you, that you may help me with your prayers, that the Lord would be pleased to give me His especial help in that matter also. I understand that all the dear precious saints with whom I meet, have fallen into the awful error, spread almost universally among even true believers in this country, that at last all men will be saved, and even the devils themselves. This awful error I must attack as soon as the subject which we now consider is finished; but pray earnestly that the Lord would give me such spiritual power, as that these dear brethren may be brought, through Gods truth, out of this delusion also. I hope in God concerning this matter. He will help me. He has in so many ways made it so abundantly plain that He Himself sent me here, that He will help me in this matter also.—Last Lords day we were twenty in number at the breaking of bread, including my dear wife and myself; among them was the first fruit of my labours here, in the way of conversion. She is a young lady of nineteen years, the daughter of the procurator of the upper tribunal, Dr. R, one of the former elders of the Baptist Church, who for my sake was cast out. This young sister was baptized about four miles from here, in a river, about eight oclock in the evening, by moonlight, as the dear brethren feared the tumult and concourse of the opposers in the day time. I advised her father to baptize her, in order that at once, even in this respect, there might be nothing in the judgment of the dear saints, as if a ministerial person, according to the use of the word in the world, were needed, and also that thus the attention of the police might not needlessly be directed towards me, as they are so particularly opposed to baptism. Hitherto I have been left unmolested and unhindered, although I have been nearly eight weeks here, and although it is becoming known throughout the city, and beginning also to spread throughout the country that I am here.—The work still remains small as to outward appearance, as generally, besides the believers in fellowship, there are not more than about ten or twelve persons present; but I dare not take a large place to meet in, humanly speaking, and judging from what hitherto has been always done, but I must go on quietly instructing the saints, or preaching to the few sinners who come, in the hope that God, through my instructing the brethren, will open the eyes and hearts of others, after I have left. There is one brother among us, who learned the way of God more perfectly in Switzerland, and who often had spoken about it, before I came, but who was neither much listened to, nor received into fellowship, because he was not baptized.—In the mean time I also go on with preparing my Narrative in the German language for the press, having found out that there is sufficient freedom of the press here to allow of my getting it printed; but I make but little progress, as my time is, in a variety of ways, here also taken up, and as I have too little mental strength to continue very long at a time working with my pen. Nevertheless, I have about the fifth part ready for the press. I am more and more assured that Germany needs my service in this respect, and that the Lord has called me for this work. About the time of my return to you I can say nothing, as the Lord has not given me any light concerning it; but this I must say, that my wife and myself shall consider it a happy day indeed, when the Lord allows us to see you again. But, His servants we are, and we desire grace to tarry as cheerfully here, as we shall be glad to go back to Bristol, when the Lord sends us back. Only help us in the mean time with your prayers, (as we also pray for you), that the Lord would enable us in this dark land to glorify His holy name. Farewell, greatly beloved brethren. My heart longs after you to behold you again; yet I am happy here, and will cheerfully wait the Lords own time here. I repeat, that if any of you have it in your heart to write to us, and will leave the letters at my house, they will be forwarded to me. My dear wife sends her love in Christ to all the dear brethren and sisters.
Your affectionate brother and servant in the Lord,
GEORGE MÜLLER.
I make again a few remarks in connexion with this letter.