ced, they must leave the country.
Moreover, if the matter is pressed, the husband may be from six
months to two years imprisoned for the act at the church. But the
Lord reigneth, and men can go no further than the Lord gives them
permission. Our brother who lodged them is liable to six months'
imprisonment; but the Lord reigneth. Nothing is to be done here,
except to pray and to be ready to suffer for the Lord's sake, in
order that real liberty of conscience may be obtained. Such a case
never occured here before. The courts know not themselves what to do.
The judge who investigated the case, in order to lay the written
investigation before the proper court, said publicly: "I wonder how
they will manage this affair." With reference to my own judgment
about the matter, it is this: If any brother and sister were now to
be married to whom the Lord has given the same light, they should not
go at all to the church, but simply give information to the
magistrates, have their names called at church, declare themselves
ready to pay the fees, and state before the brethren that they mean
to consider themselves as united by marriage; and if the government
after this oppresses them, to leave the country. I cannot regret that
matters have been as they have. The government itself forced our
brother, so to say, to do what he did: and good will come out of it
for the church.--We are now waiting for what the Lord will do in this
matter, and to see whether these dear saints will have to bear
imprisonment or not.

Another event has occurred: On Oct. 24th, the elders of the Baptist
Church, and therefore two of the brethren with whom I now meet for
the breaking of bread, were ordered to appear before the director of
the city to hear a communication from the ministers of state with
reference to their request about being permitted to marry, without
going to church. As this order now came to them as being of the
Baptist Church, whilst our brethren no longer belong to the Baptist
Church, but consider themselves united with all who love our Lord
Jesus, they sent a written statement to the director of the city,
stating that they had ceased to belong to the Baptist Church. Thus,
without our seeking it, the position which we hold, even if it had
not been so before, is now made known. Still, hitherto nothing has
been done to us, nor any hinderance laid in our way. Indeed a few
days since, through a particular circumstance, the city director had