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2 SC)
MEDDELANDEN OCH AKTSTYCKEN
nor, Count Lewenhaupt, made the same statement on the 12 th April
verbally to me, and taking this in connexion with the fact that the
law in question was referred to by the Attorney General of the High
Court in his report on certain change etc. [and was] read from
certain pulpits here on Sabbath the 3rd April, I am led to conclude
not. only that the law is considered generally in force, but that it is to
be specially applied to the services, held under the direction of the
Wesleyan Conference notwithstanding the Royal Resolution of the
16th Nov. 1838, and does in fact belong to the »laws and
ordinances of the Kingdom» which I am bound by that Resolution
»carefully to observe». Hitherto I have considered the law of 1 781
as either generally set aside by the Constitution of 1809, § 16, or
as specially removed from the services conducted by me in virtue
of His Majesty’s Order in Council granted to the Wesleyan
Methodists. But it would now appear that in this I have been mistaken,
and my whole position here is affected thereby, for not only is it
superfluous to issue as has been done, a sentence forbidding me
to hold any Divine service in the Chapel in Swedish, or any other
religious exercise of whatever description in that language in the
City, but I cannot continue my English services without such
infringement of the law as would violate the rights granted by the Royal
Resolution. The law in question declares: »The adherents of foreign
religions shall not to their divine services admit others than those
who are of their Confession.» And the reason given for continuing
the prohibition refusing Lutheran Swedish subjects the privilege of
attending the Divine Service of foreign Churches is, »none from
curiosity to see other’s (service) ought to neglect their own: Strictly
speaking this law prevents my admitting any persons of any nation
who are not actually members of the Methodist Society to the
services conducted by me. But as these services are the only ones in
Stockholm held in English, they have all along been attended not
only by British Authorities, but by the majority of English residents
here, and that without any compromise of principle seeing the
preacher has never thought of excluding any because they belonged to
other denominations than his own, or supposed they must become
methodists to profit by his instructions, and the hearers have not
allowed the fact of the preacher being a methodist to prevent their
attending the only English service in the place, but now it really
becomes a question whether »I can admit any others than those
who are of my own (i. e. the Methodist) confession». At every
English service Swedes are present, and in attending such service
they must and do neglect their own, seeing the hours of worship
are so nearly the same. The word »see» in the law seems to
intimate that the foreign service attended where the law is violated must
be conducted in a language unknown to the persons attending, and
this in connexion with the time of service convinces me that in my
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