THE MENNONITE BROTHERHOOD IN RUSSIA (1789 - 1910), P. M. Friesen, 1911

to all truth. Many visitors, Germans as well as Poles, even though they could not understand the content of the praises, were so deeply impressed with the pious harmony of the service that they could neither remove the impression from their heart nor come to rest until they too belonged to the number of the brethren. [Further exposition regarding the worth of ‘harmonious singing’]. ... I shall never forget how the melodious singing of the Gnadenfeld Church [in the Molotschna] appealed to me, reminding me of the organ music I had heard in my youth and awakening within me the most pleasant memories. ... [In spite of the decline in holiness] . . . the Mennonite congregation in the marshlands of Prussia still retained visible traces of piety and love for one's fellow-man into the years of my youth, of which I could give many touching examples as I experienced them in that time of trouble. [Farming also continued to be carried on at a very high level]. . . . During the Seven Years’ War, which began in 1756, the Russians nearly invariably spent the winters in West Prussia; as a consequence, the commander-in-chief of the cavalry, Count Rumianzev, had found occasion to acquaint himself with the Mennonite farms located in the marshlands. ... It was precisely these model farms of our forefathers which provided the original motivation for Russia to welcome us with such extraordinary privileges. . . . Towards the end of the eighteenth century, Catherine the Great wished to establish some model farms, to serve as examples for her citizens, in her newly conquered southern provinces. ... It was at this point that Count Rumianzev [in the 112 IN RUSSIA 1789-1860 imperial council] recounted his experiences with regard to the Mennonite agricultural methods in West Prussia. His report received endorsement from the highest quarters. . . . b) In Our Times “Two separate churches [in the District of Chortitza] exist in our Mennonite community: the Flemish, the largest in Chortitza, and the Frisian in Kronsweide. . . . Here in Russia, the Mennonites possess their own civil government, something not the case in Prussia, where they lived in subordination but as a consequence managed to avoid a great deal of strife. Because of the absence of a vital faith and love, our otherwise precious freedoms will eventually lead to the downfall of our spiritual fellowship. Obedience, without which there can be no peace, seems more and more to be in a process of dissolution. While en route from Prussia, our [Chortitza] forefathers lived in plenty due to imperial generosity; but once here they began to suffer. Their food consisted m ainl y of an unseasoned broth made from spoiled rye flour brought in from distant Russian warehouses and milled from kiln-dried rye; for as yet there were no mill s in the vicinity. The surrounding country-side was almost entirely waste-land, and among the scattered settlers there were many vagabonds ; co