that they were not altered: for they are full of the grossest calumnies against the brethren. Mr. N. had been remonstrated with about them; and in them brethren are called upon to have a categorical answer from any who teach, whether they agree with Mr. N.’s views on Matt. xxiv. What I spoke of was the suppression of the two last, and the adding the appendix which referred to them.[1] This was the fact. All I said of it was that it was the first thing which made me uncomfortable, without any other charge whatever. The fact of the last two letters not being there was stated, and so it was. Subsequently to this, the sister who had copied it sent for me to explain this, and of course I received all she said. I have published the statement elsewhere. I shall here say why I used the word “probably,” because I could not honestly use any other. This sister put a copy of the letters (she was one of those employed to copy and circulate them) into my hand, and I observed that the three letters were there together also, and not the two last. This I noticed to her, and said, perhaps you copied them in two books, and that may account for it. She replied, yes, I did so to give it to two to read at a time. This I, of course, accepted. But the sister added, that the reason the appendix was added at the end of the third, though it belonged to the first, was, that the letters were already written, and that she was obliged to put the appendix and notes in a space at the end. Now in my copy, written by this sister, this was not the case. The notes, which are very long, are all in their respective places. And, therefore, though I let all this drop as utterly immaterial, I could, when urged to give the account, only say, the presence of the appendix there was probably accounted for: because, though I gave credit to this sister fully in what she said, it did not tally with the facts as to my copy in which the circumstance was to be
- ↑ This, itself, was a publication of my private letter without communicating with me, but of the unsuitableness of this Mr. N. has no sense, and there I must leave it. It has been repeated in other cases and in much worse circumstances.
