Oct.] 



CHRONICLE. 



97 



tianity, in which both Churches 

 are agreed ; and 1 desire to see 

 the beginning made upon the ap- 

 proaching secular festival of tlie 

 Reformation. Such a truly lelir 

 gious union of the two above- 

 mentioned Protestant Churches, 

 wlio aie separated only by exter- 

 nal ditferences, is conformable to 

 the great objects of Christianity ; 

 it answers the first views of the 

 Reformers ; it lies in the spirit of 

 Protestanism ; it promotes reli- 

 gious spirit ; it is salutary to do- 

 mestic piety ; it will be the sourct 

 of many useful improvements in 

 chin-ches and schools, which have 

 been often hindered hitlierto mere- 

 ly by the difference of religions. 

 To tliia salutary union, so long 

 desired, and now again so loudly 

 called for, and so often sought in 

 vain, in which the Reformed 

 Church does not go over to the 

 Lutheran, or the latter to the 

 former, but both unite in one 

 new animated Evangelic Christian 

 Church, in the spirit of their Holy 

 Founder, there is no longer any 

 obstacle in the nature of tlic thing 

 itself, if both parties seriously 

 and honestly desire it in a true 

 Christian spirit ; and if produced 

 by this it will \vorthily express 

 the gratitude wiiich we owe to 

 Divine I'rovidence for the inva- 

 luable blessings of the Refoima- 

 tion, ami honour the memory of 

 its great autliors in tlie conti- 

 nuance of their woik. 



But nmch as I must wish that tlie 

 reformed and Lutheran Churches 

 in my dominions may share with 

 me this m\ well-tried con\iction, 

 I have fai' too inu(h respect for 

 their rights and their liberty to 

 force it upon them, oi to order "r 

 decide anv thing in thii ?.ffiir, 



Vou. L!X. 



This union, besides, can have 

 real value only, if neither persua- 

 sion nor indifferentism have a part 

 in it, if it proceed from the un- 

 biased liberty of self-conviction, 

 and is not only an union in exter- 

 nal form, but has its roots and 

 vivifying service in unity of heart, 

 according to the genuine princi- 

 ples of Scripture. 



As I sluill myself celebrate in 

 this spirit the approaching secular 

 festival of the Reformation, in the 

 union of the late Reformed and 

 Lutheran congregation at Pots- 

 dam, in one Evangelic Christian 

 congregation, and take the holy 

 Sacrament with them, I hope that 

 this niv own example will have 

 a benehcia.1 influence on all the 

 Protestant congregations in my 

 country, and that it may be gene- 

 rally followed in spirit and truth. 

 'Jo the wise direction of the Con- 

 sistories, to the jnous zeal cf the 

 Clergy and their Synods, 1 leave 

 the exterior coinciding form of the 

 union, convinced that the congre- 

 gations will readily follow in a 

 true Christian sjiirit, and that 

 every wliere, when the attention 

 is directed seriously and sincerely 

 without any interested secondarv 

 views, to wiiut is essential to the 

 gi-eat sacred cause itself, the form 

 will be easily found, and the ex- 

 ternal will luilurally residt from 

 the intcinal, simple, dignified, 

 aiul true. May the promised pe- 

 riod be no more remote wljen 

 under one common Shepheni, all 

 united in one faith, one c'narity, 

 and one hojje, shall foirii only one 

 flock ! FiitDKRicK William. 



Pokdinh. Si-p/.^J, IS17. 

 To the Consistories, Synod.", 



and Superintendents. 



U The 



