thought it my duty to decline this invitation, and thus I did not attend the meeting. Mr. was of cpinion, that the meeting would resolve upon requesting the English government to ask the Prussian and Dutch government for a reason of these persecutions, and to request them to put a stop to such vexations. Not knowing whether the Rev. Gentlemen have taken such a resolution or not, I only beg leave to confess, that though, on the one hand, acknowledging the lively interest the London Ministers are taking concerning the persecution of of their brethren, I consider it to be none of my business to lay the affairs of my congregation and brethren before the English public, and to wish in any way for political interference. And I believe all my brethren in Prussia are of the same opinion, trusting that the Lord will deliver us in His season, not by might nor by power, but by his Spirit. We, the Lutherans, think it not to be contrary to the word of God, to leave a country where our religious freedom is endangered; but we consider it inconsistent with the Scriptures to claim the interference of foreign power, because there is not the least hint given in the New Testament for acting thus. You know, my dear Sir, I came over to England to find a place of refuge for my flock; and now having found it by means of your assistance, I consider my business as settled, and am still hoping that the Prussian government will grant passports, observing our avoiding to procure us foreign political interference. In conclusion allow me simply to state, in a few words, the political sentiments of the Lutheran church, explained in the 28th article of the Augsburg Confession.

1st. We believe and confess that God Almighty has instituted two powers on earth-a political and an ecclesiastical one, or the state and the church, and that both of them are to be obeyed.

2nd. We believe that kings, authorities, magistrates, masters, and parents, rule by the grace of God, and that subjects, inferiors, and children, have to yield obedience for God's and conscience sake, without asking for many reasons, yea, that they have to obey even the froward masters.-1 Peter ii. 18.

3rd. We believe and confess, that subjects, inferiors, and children, may claim their rights in a legal way, according to the law of the country; but if their

VOL. III.

claims be not attended to they are by no means allowed to help themselves, or to compel their superiors in any way to yield to their wishes.

4th. We believe that the political government is not allowed or privileged to interfere with ecclesiastical affairs, or to alter and injure the rights of the church, but bound as a Christian government to watch over the privileges of the church. And, on the other hand, that the church has no right to interfere nor mingle with the rights and privileges of the state, but to preach the gospel to all men, even to kings and authorities; but only to preach, not to exact obedience, because the kingdom of God is not of this world.

5th. We believe that if the state infringes on the privileges of the church, the church may try to defend her prerogatives by preaching, or in any lawful way, according to the laws of the country; but if government go on persecuting the church, she has not to claim foreign interference, or to take up arms for her defence, but may go on preaching and administering the Sacraments, and suffer till God is pleased to relieve her. if the church choose, or be able to take refuge in a foreign country, as the Moravian brethren did one hundred and twenty years ago, we do not think this inconsistent with the Bible.

66

And

Having cherished and entertained these sentiments of the Lutheran church hitherto, I never wish to give them up, and therefore I have nothing to do with any meeting that claims political interference."

LETTER OF M. KAVEL TO THE LUTHERAN CHURCHES.

THE following is nearly a verbal translation of a letter circulated by M. Kavel among the members of the German Lutheran Church in this country, during the summer of 1838, while he was making the necessary arrangements for the emigration of his congregation.

It is lamentable to see in persons so persecuted as these poor Prussians, an attachment rather to formulas and sectarian distinctions than to the word of the grace of God.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, August Ludwig Christian Kavel, from

00

at

Christmas, 1826, to Easter, 1835, pastor and minister of the evangelical united [evangelisch unirten] community Klemzig, near Züllichau, in the Prussian dominions ; and subsequently, from Easter, 1835, a minister and disciple [Bekenner] of the evangelical Lutheran Church-to which he then returned as to the church in which, by the grace of God, he had been baptised and confirmed, but which church he had abandoned through ignorance-confesses now, previous to his emigration to South Australia, whither he is proceeding, with his congregation, for the sake of maintaining the Unaltered Augsburgh Confession, and the [principles of the] Lutheran Church.

He declares [bekennt] before God, his dear heavenly Father, before Jesus Christ, his Saviour and Judge at the day of Judgment, and before the Holy Ghost, who tries the hearts and reins of men, that he acknowledges the evangelical Lutheran Church, the doctrines of which are contained in the following seven Books:-1. The Apostolic, Nicæan, and Athanasian Creeds. 2. The Unaltered Augsburgh Confession 3. The Apology. 4. The Small Catechism of Luther. 5. The Large Catechism of Luther. 6. The Schmalcaldic Articles. 7. The Formulas of Concord [Concordien-formel]; which declarative writings [Bekenntniszschriften] have no other end than to acknowledge the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testaments as the sole rule and test of our belief, and life.

He declares that he acknowledges this Church and her doctrines as founded on, and taken from the word of God; and he will, therefore, preach no other doctrines to his congregation than the truths therein contained; that he will, by the help of God, zealously promulgate them; that he will administer the holy sacraments, and the office of the keys [dus Amt der Schlüssel] accordingly; and that he will continue in this as God shall help him.

I am induced to make this open and solemn confession before God and men, for two reasons:

1. In order that my congregation may be assured as to what they may expect of me, as their minister, in the holy office confided to me; and to testify my intention to establish an evangelical Lutheran community at the place of our

destination, which shall form a branch of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

2. That I may acknowledge all the churches and communities in Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Poland, England, America, and other places, as evangelical, Lutheran, and based upon the same foundation, which submit to the word of God and the above-named books, particularly the unaltered Augsburgh Confession. In the same manner do I and my congregation claim to be recognised by all Lutheran churches and communities; and those who refuse so to acknowledge us, will only expose themselves to the suspicion of having abandoned our church, notwithstanding their professing themselves servants of the Lutheran church, and as such daily eating her bread.

Should any persons be yet doubtful whether the evangelical Lutheran church has been abolished by law in the Prussian dominions, and whether we have been compelled to emigrate in order to maintain our profession, we humbly refer them to the new ritual for the province of Westphalia, in which it is expressly stated:"That his Majesty the king of Prussia will not suffer the Lutheran ritual to be used, but only the ritual of the United Church." Bergedorfer Bote (Hamburg). No. 16. 1835. This clearly shews that the Union aims at the abolition in effect of the Lutheran church, and that nothing remains for the maintenance of the same but constant submission to fines and imprisonment, or emigration.

A. KAVEL,

tious convictions, have been obliged to dissent from the Established Church. About five years ago a Baptist church was formed at Hamburgh, under the pastoral care of Mr. Oncken, the agent for the Edinburgh Bible Society; and, notwithstanding the opposition given all along to it by the authorities, it has gone on steadily increasing in numbers. The Senate has at various times issued decrees interdicting the meetings of the church, and prohibiting Mr. Oncken, under the most severe penalties, from either preaching or baptising, or even holding any religious meeting at which more than the members of his own family should be present. The authorities, finding their threats insufficient to prevent these Christians from worshipping God according to their views of Scripture, have at last laid hands on their minister and thrown him into prison. On the 13th inst., at the conclusion of their usual weekly service, Mr. Oncken was arrested by the police, and in order to disperse the church, two police officers have been stationed to prevent them assembling in their meeting-house.-Times.

COMMANDING TO ABSTAIN FROM MEATS.

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to

abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth' (1 Tim. iv. 1, 2, 3).

This passage was brought to mind by seeing the following notice of a new book in a French journal :

"The author announces that he proposes to demonstrate-1st, that man is not an animal of prey: 2nd, that the slaughter of animals is the principal source of man's errors and crimes; as the custom of feeding on their flesh is the proximate cause of his ugliness, diseases, and short duration of life: 3rd, that a vegetable diet produces in man, beauty, intelligence, virtue, and immortal blessing, which is its ultimate result."

LAY EVANGELISTS IN FRANCE.

It is announced that the lay evangelists (Guignard, Dorel, and Cordonnier) administer the Lord's Supper in the department of Ardèche. Without giving an opinion here as to the principle, we do feel it our duty to state that these evangelists are not connected with, the French Evangelical Society. A special article (art. 8) in the instruction, which this society delivers to its agents, formally forbids those who have not been set apart to the ministry by the laying on of hands, from administering the sacraments. Every agent who does not act in conformity with this article will be dismissed from the service of the society (Archives du Christianisme).