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

ges in matters of state, freedom of conscience, or detrimental effects upon rights and privileges, but which will influence the spread of the saving Gospel and by means of which we partially fulfill the command of Christ when he says: Go and preach the Gospel to every creature. When we consider the results that have been achieved by the Bible Society, we are forced to confess that the Lord has done great things. Many Christians and heathen, etc., have come, through it and under the direction of God, to a knowledge of the truth. That would not have happened had it been a society that had either been created from or drawn upon impure sources. Our Savior says: by their fruit you shall know them. And if we recognize that this Bible Society, as well as the others, was created out of pure motives, that they have their benevolent function, and that nothing would be improved by its dissolution— then why should we dissolve it? Those who love peace will readily unite themselves with us, and we with them, regardless of this. Whoever wishes, need not join the Bible Society: he wifi remain our dear friend and brother nevertheless, as long as he lives as much as possible Documentary Supplement 139 according to God’s Word, even though it be in weakness as in our case. Should we dissolve the Bible Society in line with your well-meaning advice, we would offend those who desire it. And if one considers the consequences which would result from a dissolution, even that appears to us to be filled with danger, namely: through printed reports all existing Bible Societies know that a Bible Society has been organized here. And what would they say were we to close ours; would it not offend many members and hinder a good cause? Furthermore, Count Galizyn supports the Bible Society with great zeal. What would he say? Would he remain silent? We think not! [An illegible correction in the manuscript: ‘The Lord C . . Could it not come to an investigation? And how would these Mennonite colonies stand that? These reasons would be no more acceptable than those which the financial advisor and Lord Contenius rejected from the four above-named ministers with the words: ‘You just do not want to. You are proud!’ Because these Bible Societies are viewed by our respected and most gracious Tsar Alexander [the first], as well as by the entire main Russian Bible Society, as so important we dare not set our hand to their dissolution: we believe— and not we alone— that we would put our colony in extreme danger and not improve our internal situation with such an action. [That was introducing politics into church affairs!] Had you, dear elders and ministers, said in your present letter what you said about the Bible Societies in your previous one, we believe it would have produced noble results. Many occasions, too numerous to relate here, have led us to believe this. And since you, dear elders and colleagues, were with our Bible Society earlier