en also very kind
of the Lord, that He has not even suffered me to be tempted, through
a great variety of trying events, which might have occurred either
here or in Bristol, to question my call for this service; but, on the
contrary, every day's experience almost, here, confirms my mind, and
every letter from Bristol also shows, how that God's finger is in
this matter. And thus, my dear brethren, it must be always, when we
are taking any step according to the will of the Lord: the result
must be peace and blessing. I desire therefore quietly to, tarry
here, till the same Lord, who put me at this post, shall call me away
from it.

--I now enter upon the narrative of a few facts which I wish to
communicate to you, that you may be led yet more highly to prize the
spiritual privileges, and especially the religious liberty, which you
enjoy in England.--About nineteen months since a brother and sister
here, who were connected with the little Baptist Church, (the only
body of believers in this country who are separated from the State
Church) desired to be united by marriage. As they had conscientious
objections to be married according to the usage of the State Church,
a statement was sent to the director of this city, the first
magistrate, in which this brother and sister expressed their desire
and declared that they would submit themselves to everything to which
they could with a good conscience, such as having their names three
times publicly called at the church, paying the clergyman's fees, &c.;
but that they could not conform to the marriage ceremony at the
church, and they therefore begged to be exempted from this; and they
finally claimed for this the rights of the subjects of the kingdom of
Wirtemberg, to whom full liberty of conscience is granted by the
constitution of the Government. After a time they received a complete
denial to this request from the Ecclesiastical court, called the
Consistory. They now gave in a full statement of their views, why
they left the State Church, why they could not conform to the
marriage ceremony in the State Church, &c., and sent this statement,
if I remember right, to the highest court, the ministry of the
kingdom. It was again refused. And so also by the king himself. Many
months had in the meantime elapsed, and the patience of the brother
and sister at last began to fail, and as the sister (at that time)
saw scarcely any objection to be married at the church, the brother
was at l