expect a clear unhesitating answer from all who teach in the Church.” Meanwhile, brethren who took the opposite view were carefully kept away from Plymouth,[1] and letters in one unceasing stream went out from the sisters against the brethren who did not receive these views, and every thing was said to discredit them to those who visited Plymouth. The whole teaching there was to settle people in them. In this no pains were spared, whether as to strangers arriving, or those who had leisure at Plymouth. The sisters were carefully taught in particular, and held meetings in their respective districts, to retail what they had heard at the principal meeting held for that purpose. The poor were in general thoroughly starved as to feeding them with Christ.
This had come to such a point before my last return from abroad, that the gospel had been formally sent
- ↑ I am well aware that this is denied by the five signers of the letter to the brethren in London. But in the first place, it is perfectly well known to multitudes of the brethren. Moreover, Mr. Newton had been spoken to about it before I arrived at Plymouth. He answered, that he could not help their breaking bread, if they came, but it was a yoke he was obliged to put up with, and that they would have no welcome from him. Any one can understand the effect of a conduct answering to such language, unless a person came to contest the point with Mr. N. Mr. Harris was asked, when saying at the last meeting in April that he should invite the Irish brethren, could he give them this invitation from the others at Plymouth, and he could not say he could. Further, confession, public confession was made of it by two of those who signed that paper—by one with “if any have been kept away,” by another without. It was owned in private by one of these, and Mr. N. spoken to by him about it, saying that they had done so, and that he had participated in the sin. I am fully aware every thing will be denied. But this must not arrest the plain statement of facts for brethren. The writing of letters by the sisters discrediting the brethren, was attempted to be called in question too ; but brethren being present in the April meeting who had seen them, and having declared that heretic was too good a name for the Irish brethren in their letters, it was no longer attempted to be disputed.
