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

of witnesses. b) “We know of no directive from the Word of God commanding three days of prayer before marriage. If, on occasion, we practice a vigil of this sort, it is not considered a firm dogma, but rather an expression of a personal desire. Even so, we are admonished in the Scriptures to pray without ceasing. The solemnizing of the marriage vows occurs by mutual agreement, with the blessing of the parents, the chinch, and a minister, after the pattern of Abraham the Patriarch. "Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory [I Timothy 3:16). Ekaterinoslav, August 4, 1865.” 338 THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH §151 2. We have reproduced this entire, ridiculous and odious document (the Accusations) word for word in all its length and breadth. It is at once both interesting and boring, both stupid and contra- dictory as well as fiendishly sly. There has never been a case in which theological and judicial expertise appeared more ridiculous. We shall not attempt to unearth the sources of the theological position nor determine who is responsible for the pulpit-like presentation. It is sufficient to realize that the accusations were in fact made, and were seriously considered at one time by the high officials concerned. It is immediately obvious with what kind of external opposition the members of the Einlage congregation had to deal, while at the same time suffering internally from the unfettered emotionalism, spiritual egotism and despotism of several leading brethren, whose unwholesome excesses were skillfully woven here and there into the accusations. As we know from various witnesses and from certain contemporaries of his, Johann Wieler, then a young man of 25 years, had to write his replies to the accusations at one sitting, and presented them to Inspector Tschemiavsky in the presence of various officials— certainly a remarkable achievement by the help of God under difficult circumstances! We know from a letter (in a draft of the cited “black” document) of Wieler to Brun as well as from oral conversations and other statements, that the answers given by Wieler in the name of the “brethren” were presented to Brun, 127 the agent of the General Consistory of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church. “. . . The very same Privy Councillor Brun of Ekaterinoslav, 128 who had been commissioned by the Minister of the Interior to investigate our case, and who, in response to my earlier declarations, which I had handed to him in Ekaterinoslav in the fall, had defended us to the utmost of his ability, 129 now, when I at his request told him the whole story, became deeply disturbed, saddened and dismayed that the high hopes and good faith which he had placed in my testimony as evidence that we might prove to be a good foundation for the long-awaited Russian Ref