Wendish Settlement, Cunningham's P. O. Bastrop Co. Texas
May 16 A. D. 1857

Reverend Dear Sir!

One whole year is gone, since I received your kind letter dated the 20th day of April 1856. Excuse the long delay of my reply, which was difficult for me, because by my very little knowledge of the english language I am prevented from fully expressing my mind and because I am too much engaged in business as preacher, schoolmaster and farmer. My congregation of this place amounts now to fifty families. Every fifth Sunday I preach in my second wendish congregation of twenty families in Austin Co. forty miles from here. Besides I must travel sometimes to other less parties committed to my ministerial care. Under such burden of various occupation I can't gain time to read all papers which come at my hand, however interesting they may be. The sheets of the "Missionary" I received hitherto regularly, but I was seldom able to peruse them. My domestic comfort also has not yet increased so far as to favour any difuse reading. By such experience I am compelled to beseech you: Send me no more numbers of "The Missionary". For the received numbers I enclose here-in one Dollar, the balance of Your donation gratefully accepting. No party-views oblige me to that course. My only motive being the wish to disengage myself from this distracting and embarrasing superabundance of periodicals, however instructive. Under my present circumstances my motto must be: "Non multa, sed multum."

Your request to get a letter for the Missionary about our Settlement in Texas, I can't comply with. Such a publication seems me too responsible and untimely, because the civil and ecclesiastical development of our congregation has not yet reached a mature and sure steadiness. (?) this our juvenileness we will deem be best provided in silence and retirement, especially as being afflicted by the failure of the crop in the last one year and by other mishaps.

You say: "I am not an old Lutheran in the historical sense of that term." That term is used in Germany by our enemies only, that is, by the defenders of a wrong union with Calvinists, which union Dr. Luther detested. What means the term "old Lutheran"? Are there any new Lutherans? Where I find their confession faith unanimously and solemnly published? Till I find such public confession of a "New Lutheran Church" I adhere to the distinction of "Lutheran" and "no Lutheran" reproving the term "Old Lutheran" and denominating "unfaithful brethren" all so-called Lutherans who are blunting the sound Lutheran antithesis. But I hope that by the grace of God the progressing time will cure the unionistic as well as the Romanistic boils of our beloved Church. Mean while I must walk in my solitary path with patience.

Lastly I express my delight in Your report, that little orphans of our heavily disciplined company with Mrs. Richter found a home under Your care in Your city. I am greeting them. We are not yet able to send them a 'Scherflein", because we not yet got one crop in Texas, wherefore my people sometimes struggles with difficulties of aliment [sic]. The merciful God bless You and Your Orphan's Home with everlasting goods.

In our Lord Jesus Christ I am Yours,
John Kilian, minister.

[Original is in the Serbin archives. Joe Wilson]