ast overcome, and he went and gave in the banns at the
church. This was in the middle of June last summer. The nearer,
however, the marriage day came, the more tried the brother felt, and
all peace left him. At last he came to the conclusion to leave
himself quite in the hands of the Lord while in the church, and to do
no more than he could do with a good conscience; yet he did not know
anything definite, nor did he tell his intended wife anything. He
asked the brethren, with whom he was in fellowship, to pray for him,
who accordingly met at the time when he was to be married. It was on
a Lord's day afternoon after the public service, and several hundreds
of people had remained. The clergyman, a believer, who, no doubt,
knew of the former expressed conscientious objection of this brother
and sister, did not at all use the printed liturgy, but only gave, as
I hear, a scriptural address as the occasion called for, which our
brother found profitable. After this the brother and sister made the
usual solemn declaration that they would take each other as husband
and wife, &c. This, our brother considered all that could be required
of him as a subject. But now remained the clergyman's blessing and
confirmation of the matrimony, which in the literal English
translation is as follows: "As you then have solemnly promised to
each other conjugal love and fidelity, I therefore confirm in the
name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as an appointed
minister of the Christian church, this your conjugal union as a
union, which according to God's order, is indissoluble. What God has
joined together, let no man put asunder." Now, while the clergyman
was pronouncing the first of these words, the brother walked a step
or two back from the altar, with his wife, and interrupted the
clergyman in words to this effect: "I do not belong to the State
Church, and I therefore cannot accept the blessing of the State
Church, or the confirmation of the State Church, with reference to
our marriage. Our Union was made in heaven, and therefore needs no
earthly confirmation. I have gone as far as I could with a good
conscience, but further I can do nothing."--The clergyman now stated
"I pronounce your marriage as void, and I shall give notice of your
behaviour to the magistrates."--The whole matter made a great stir,
the people rushed out of the church, and our brother, with his wife,
having gone orderly back into their pews, fell on their knees and