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

jesty, in order, if it please the lord, that they may be freed from their oppressive conditions. This most noble lord further informed us that her royal Russian Majesty not only promised them full freedom of religious worship, but also wants to build them a church; however, her royal Russian Majesty desires that the various Mennonite Churches be united in one church and that Mennonites might be at liberty to intermarry. b) “Because his most noble lordship has been given to understand Prussia 65 that you still exercise the ban over those who marry outside the congregation, he has asked us to petition you if it were not possible to allow those friends, who wish to move to Kherson, to intermarry with one another without being banned or excluded from the congregation. We have neither been able nor have we wished to deny his most noble lordship, the lord von Trappe, this request, all the more so because for some time now we have ourselves been in the process of change since we no longer feel at liberty to exclude from the congregation those who marry outside it. c) "In truth, brethren, if we take God’s infallible Word to counsel we will quickly become aware that exercising the punishment of the ban on those who choose a marriage partner outside the congregation is much too severe. For such a person, even though he has manifested this weakness [?], can probably be and remain a good Christian in spite of this, for all of us fail daily in many things. Should one therefore exclude such a person from the visible church and withhold the seal of the covenant from him as long as he or she lives? No! For our part, because we daily experience and become aware of how unfathomably great is God’s love to all of mankind, we dare no longer presume to deal so coldly and unfeelingly with our brother. d) “That the now dead Menno Simons regarded this practice as good in his day is another matter entirely, for at that time everything [?] was Catholic [except for the Anabaptists]. Now, however, the difference is very great [between then and now]. And we regard it as absolutely permissible for true Mennonites, who are both grounded in the same teaching, to marry one another. e) "We beg you, therefore, dear brethren, that you will consider this matter with one another in the fear of God. It would give us a great deal of pleasure were we to hear in the near future that this matter had been left to the discretion of the brethren and sisters. Finally, we remain, with friendly best wishes that God may shed his blessing upon you personally and your congregation, respectfully your friends and brothers in Christ. The leaders and co-workers of the Oude Vlaamsche Doopsgezinde Gemeente in Amsterdam. Signed by all the co-workers of the Word and leaders of the above-named congregation, one of whom signs his name as J. S. Seep.” [Is this not a typographical error?— should it not be “Epp”?] Appendix 3 We find the churches and