I 1841 aflagde Julius Købner rapport til de engelske og amerikanske baptister om de danske baptistmenigheders velbefinende. Der står godt nok på omslaget at bogen er af J.G. Oncken, og intet sted fremgår det eksplicit, at den er skrevet af Købner. Beskrivelsen i første kapitel kan dog kun passe på Købner: “In the summer of 1839, at the suggestion of brother Oncken, I undertook a journey into Denmark, in order to establish a connection with these awakened Danes”, etc.
Det er interessant at Købners primære kritik af dansk kristendom (ikke mindst grundtvigianismen) lader til at gå på lutherdommens manglende forståelse for prædestinationen/udvælgelseslæren – ikke mindst taget i betragtning, at det netop synes at have været Grundtvigs angivelige prædestinationslære, der fik P.C. Mønster til at skille sig fra grundtvigianismen (jf. brevveksling med Enoch Svee).
Købner skriver:
“The essence of Christianity, justification by Christ, and not by works, they clearly recognised and admitted; but they were perfectly in the dark on the sovereignty of God in the free choice of the objects of his redeeming grace; and, like the Lutheran Church, were Arminian in sentiment.” (Købner, s. 1)
Bogen indeholder primært oversatte uddrag af breve fra en række danske baptister. Forordet er forfatter af daværende leder af baptisterne i Hamburg, J.G. Oncken.
“The perusal of the following pages; which contain a brief statement of the triumphs of the gospel of Christ in Denmark; the formation of Christian churches on primitive principles; and the persecutions to which some of our Danish brethren have been exposed; will, it is hoped; call forth among all real Christians; and more especially among our Baptist brethren, a spirit of sympathy and earnest prayer on behalf of our suffering friends, and induce them to lend the infant cause their active co-operation.” (fra Onckens forord)
Redegørelsen blev udgivet i The Baptist Missionary Magazine, Vol. 21-22, som kan findes her.
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