Letters · Zweiter Band · Theil IV (1775)

That one must be faithful to one's conscience. How the slander of adversely-minded preachers is to be answered. Warning against wasting the powers of grace in side-matters, etc. What our religion and our affair is.

Bd II · Th IV · Brief 91 · Der einundneunzigste Brief

Addressee — To a brother in the Siegerland (unnamed; van Andel, 285 ungenau). Salutation "Herzlich geliebter Bruder!" — Rule B (herzlich geliebter → "Dearly beloved brother!"). Body mix: ihr / euch / eurem / wisset / habt / solltet / werdet (ihr to the circle) + close dich / Dein (du to the one brother) → English you/your for both. Standalone Dein on the close with ihrer aller → Your and their all's. Close schwacher Mitbruder. → weak fellow-brother. No verbundener. No God-apostrophe.
Date — Mülheim, 12 August 1766.
Provenance — Translated from the public-domain 1775 first edition (Theil IV, pp. 222–224), in normalized GS 1845 house orthography, collated against the 1798/99 second edition (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin). All rendered words come from public-domain prints.

The Ninety-First Letter.

Dearly beloved brother!

Your writing, which I just now receive, is pleasant to me. What I wrote to you last is done in brotherly simplicity! I have therefore advised as it was then clear to me in the mind, and so it is to me still. But I have prescribed nothing to you. Because you now believed it were contrary to your conscience, if you should deliver the sheet of paper which you named a confession-of-faith to the authority at their command, so have you in so far done well, that you have been faithful to your conscience; for what is not done of faith, that is sin, even if it were in itself no sin at all; that which has been suffered thereover can all the less surprise you. That my knowledge therein is otherwise, that you know; yet must such diversity of insights in side-matters not grieve our love! Let each one be faithful in his part. The authority demanded also once of me to bring books which I had had printed; I desired only to know which, then I would bring them. It did not indeed come to that; if they had however demanded all books of me, I would have given them over, because I could have bought new ones. If however it had been commanded: Cast your books into the fire, then I would have said No. Now, this matter is past; and I trust you will henceforth not be further disquieted over the like.

The slander of adversely-minded preachers makes no wounds; one answers it with silence, (*) and does not look after it. God give only grace, rightly and weightily to walk according to the evangelical calling, then may also those who now speak against us as of evildoers still well be won to the Lord, when they see our good works, and not only hear good words. Let us not waste the powers of grace in side-matters, in outward things, in new opinions and fair-seeming partialities! Since at the end one remains sitting confused, scattered and faint. God is inmost-near to us in the most gracious name of Jesus; we too should come near, turning heart, desire and love away from all, turning-to the God of love, leaving our whole to Him, and through His faithful discipline, drawing and power letting ourselves be led out of all so deeply rooted own life and love, to expect only His divine life, love and influences and to leave room. In a word: prayer, self-denial, walk in the presence of God, that is our religion, wherein we can reach our goal! What can help thereto, that we use. What will hinder therein, that we avoid, and go our way onward in the stillness without much noise. The world occupies itself with its affair: Let it do; we should only occupy ourselves with our affair, which requires the whole man in such wise that one has not time for looking-about.

(*) It is said Matthew 15:14, not take hold of them, but let them go.

This I have only so written in haste, to show the love. I greet you heartily, and all the remaining fellow-pilgrims toward Zion, and remain through grace

Your and their all's

Mülheim, weak fellow-brother. the 12th of August, 1766.

❦

German

Der einundneunzigste Brief.

Daß man seinem Gewissen getreu seyn müsse. Wie das Lästern widrig gesinnter Prediger zu beantworten. Warnung für Verschwendung der Gnadenkräfte in Nebensachen, ec. Was unsere Religion und unsere Sache sey.

Herzlich geliebter Bruder!

Dein Schreiben, welches so eben erhalte, ist mir angenehm. Was ich an euch letztmalen geschrieben, ist in brüderlicher Einfalt geschehen!

— Opening lines of the original German. The complete transcription of all 605 letters appears in the forthcoming Encounter Press critical edition; Brief 1 is shown in full as a sample.

German text: public domain (1773–75 first edition / 1845 Gesammelte Schriften).

Translator’s notes

What this letter is. An August letter of the 12th, 1766, from Mülheim to a brother in the Siegerland. His writing just now received is pleasant; what was last written was in brotherly simplicity, and nothing was prescribed. Because the brothers believed it contrary to conscience to deliver the sheet they named a confession-of-faith to the authority at their command, they have done well to be faithful to conscience — for what is not of faith is sin, even if it were in itself no sin at all. That his knowledge therein is otherwise they know; yet diversity of insights in side-matters must not grieve love. Each be faithful in his part. The authority once demanded books of him; he would have brought them, even all, but if commanded to cast them into the fire he would have said No. This matter is past. The slander of adversely-minded preachers makes no wounds; answer it with silence. Walk according to the evangelical calling, that those who now speak against us as evildoers may still be won. Do not waste the powers of grace in side-matters. Prayer, self-denial, walk in the presence of God — that is our religion. Mülheim, the 12th of August, 1766.

Conscience, and the sheet of paper. Your writing, which I just now receive, is pleasant to me. What I wrote to you last is done in brotherly simplicity; I have prescribed nothing. Because you believed it contrary to your conscience to deliver the sheet of paper named a confession-of-faith to the authority at their command, you have done well to be faithful to your conscience; for what is not done of faith, that is sin. Diversity of insights in side-matters must not grieve our love. Let each one be faithful in his part. The authority demanded also once of me to bring books which I had had printed; I would have brought them, even all; but if it had been commanded, Cast your books into the fire, then I would have said No. Now this matter is past; I trust you will henceforth not be further disquieted over the like.

Silence, and the powers of grace. The slander of adversely-minded preachers makes no wounds; one answers it with silence, and does not look after it. God give only grace, rightly and weightily to walk according to the evangelical calling, then may also those who now speak against us as of evildoers still well be won to the Lord, when they see our good works. Let us not waste the powers of grace in side-matters, in outward things, in new opinions and fair-seeming partialities. God is inmost-near to us in the most gracious name of Jesus; we too should come near. In a word: prayer, self-denial, walk in the presence of God, that is our religion, wherein we can reach our goal. The world occupies itself with its affair: Let it do; we should only occupy ourselves with our affair, which requires the whole man. This I have only so written in haste, to show the love. I greet you heartily, and all the remaining fellow-pilgrims toward Zion. Mülheim, the 12th of August, 1766.

A few words and echoes.

Your writing, which I just now receive. is pleasant to me.
What I wrote to you last. is done in brotherly simplicity.
I have prescribed nothing to you. I advised as it was then clear to me in the mind.
faithful to your conscience. because you believed it contrary to deliver the sheet. (Rom. 14:23)
the sheet of paper named a confession-of-faith. to the authority at their command.
what is not done of faith, that is sin. even if it were in itself no sin at all.
diversity of insights in side-matters. must not grieve our love.
Let each one be faithful in his part. the authority once demanded books of me.
I desired only to know which, then I would bring them. even all, if they had demanded them.
Cast your books into the fire. then I would have said No.
this matter is past. I trust you will henceforth not be further disquieted.
The slander of adversely-minded preachers makes no wounds. one answers it with silence. (Matt. 15:14)
rightly and weightily to walk according to the evangelical calling. then may those who speak against us be won. (Eph. 4:1)
speak against us as of evildoers. when they see our good works. (1 Pet. 2:12)
Do not waste the powers of grace in side-matters. in outward things, in new opinions and fair-seeming partialities.
God is inmost-near to us. in the most gracious name of Jesus.
prayer, self-denial, walk in the presence of God. that is our religion. (Ps. 89:15)
What can help thereto, that we use. what will hinder, that we avoid.
The world occupies itself with its affair: Let it do. we should only occupy ourselves with our affair.
This I have only so written in haste. to show the love.
I greet you heartily, and all the remaining fellow-pilgrims toward Zion. Your and their all's weak fellow-brother.
Mülheim, the 12th of August, 1766.

Cite this letter

Gerhard Tersteegen, Geistliche und erbauliche Briefe, Zweiter Band, IV. Theil, Brief 91 (Solingen, 1773–75); trans. Jarred Fenlason, https://gerhardtersteegen.com/letters/bdii-thiv-091.html.

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