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

ny. With this [i.e. the development of the M.B. Church and its rights described at the outset and as contained in Claassen’s petition to His Imperial Majesty] we believe that we have proved that our church does not rest upon a self-constituted, but upon a biblical foundation, a foundation in complete agreement with the fundamental principles of Menno Simons and, consequently, 62 also in agreement with the Word of God. Therefore the elders have nothing to fear from us except that their godless and arrogant actions will be brought to light. We believe and recognize that we are the Mennonites who cue meant by the charter of liberties and also act in accordance with the rights it grants us. Therefore the Area Administrative Office and the above-named Council of Elders should remember that not only does it not lie within their power, but is instead an astonishing presumption, to declare that the marriages performed in our church are invalid and that the village offices [which were in charge Difficulties and Victory 259 of vital statistics] should regard the children bom from such marriages as bom in unchastity ...” [Given more fully in XXV.] d) This petition brought about the repeal of the hindrances placed in the way of marriages and, most importantly, brought the Brethren the permission to resettle in the Caucasus “as Mennonites” where they had already been assigned land. This permission was granted them by the Ministry of Crown Lands on March 4, 1864, in the name of “the Mennonites of the Molotschna Mennonite District, Heinrich Huebert and companions,”— "of which His Highness, the Governor of the Caucasus, had been informed.” d) The same were attained for the Brethren of the Chortitza District (cf. XXV). 16. Thus the Brethren of both districts had retained the victory with § 111 regard to ecclesiastical and civil rights: in that the high authorities had, in 1865, prohibited the confusing of ecclesiastical with civil matters (cf. Privy Councillor A. Klaus); next, through the solemn recognition of the M.B. Church by the Ohrloff-Halbstadt Mennonite congregation; further, through the formal granting of land to the Brethren in 1863 as “Mennonites” in the Caucasus; and, finally through the Ministry of Crown Lands’ drastic decree of March 4, 1864, referred to above (identical for the Molotschna and Chortitza Districts) and which was reinforced through the confirmation of the Mennonite rights to the Kuban Mennonite Brethren by His Imperial Highness, the Grand Duke and Governor of the Caucasus in May, 1866. 17. The great debt of gratitude which the M.B. Church owes to the §112 Ohrloff congregation of that day is quite evident. The M.B. Church documented this debt of gratitude on the occasion of its 25th anniversary, January 6, 1885, in Rueckenau by rising to its feet and by a solemn declaration, as well as by a solemn prayer of thanksgiving to God on bended knees. We confidently hope that the M.B.