twice against this procedure. This was received with great anger by Mr. Newton, and the practice being still followed, Mr. Hill told Mr. Harris that it was idle their meeting if things went on thus, and left. It lingered on a while and finally closed about two years ago, it being impossible to bring them together again. Mr. Harris however laboured at its restoration, but in vain, the following circumstance having occurred. On the occasion of the burial of a poor person on Sunday, which the poor always desire as their attendance is more easy, and which had been disallowed at Ebrington Street, the son of the deceased insisted on it. He came from a distance. Mr. Saunders who was habitually the resort of the poor in similar cases, sent him to Mr. Harris. He was awav, Mr. S. then told him to go and get the grave dug, and on Sunday morning he mentioned it to the assembly at the close of the meeting. Mr. N. went over to him in great anger and told him it was impossible to go on with him any longer &c.
On a week-day Mr. N. sent down Mr. Harris to summon Mr. Saunders to the back room of the tract shop where he remained himself.[1] Mr. S. asked what for, and was told to come up to be instructed in the principles on which the meeting was conducted if he did not know them. He declined going. Mr. Harris declined going again, and Mr. N. was obliged to go down himself; and there he told Mr. Saunders that there were those whom God had raised up and given authority to, and his business was to obey. Mr. S. asked who they were, and Mr. N. replied, Himself, Harris, Soltau, and Batten, and that he did not recognize Mr. Saunders at all. Mr. Saunders replied, that neither did he recognize Mr. Newton. This closed the attempt to re-establish the Friday meeting. The two brethren Saunders and Rowe were now the objects of every annoyance and dishonour, I found stories against the latter, which were totally false,
- ↑ Before I arrived at Plymouth, Mr. Harris used to call this room the Chamber of the Inquisition.
