sectarian objects at the April meeting, I have no doubt acted greatly on his mind. At his return he spoke in the way of admonition. Such a party spirit blazed out against him, that I ceased ministering for a time. However, they seemed softened, and I began again. Mr. Harris then laboured again at setting up the Friday meeting; as, except the few things Mr. N. wished to govern, which had now to be more cautiously done too, all common matters were in disorder. If it was a funeral, no one knew rightly what to do, nor a person wishing for a communion[errata 1]: and, he felt bound too to those who had been practically ousted. But he could do nothing. At this time appeared the two documents upon which the famous question of the charges arose. Mr. Clulow had printed a letter written to him by Mr. Newton to give an account of the April meeting of 15―both having been there. Mr. Soltau got it suppressed as soon as he saw it, but Mr. N. himself subsequently circulated it again. This, though so bad and sectarian, that some brethren counted it as bad as what was said, is, confessedly now, not a true account of the meeting. This rests not only on (besides myself) the testimony of Mr. Harris, Naylor, Mc’Adam, and many others, but Mr. Rhind, who, the most openly of all, took the part of Mr. Newton, and was cross examined at length by Lord Congleton to get some modification of his testimony, persisted in the same account as myself. The only modification was, that, instead of saying that he trusted he should have at least Devonshire and Somersetshire under his influence for the purpose, he understood him to say, that wherever he could get influence in Devonshire, Somersetshire, and Cornwall, he should seek to do the same thing. Mr. N. himself at last said, as I
letter writing, denouncing the Irish brethren, I was challenged to prove it and produce instances. Of course, though I knew of it in every quarter, the letters were not to me, and I had none of them. But a brother who was there, stated he had seen the letters, some that is of course, and that in them heretic was too good for the Irish brethren.
