whether it was right for the children to judge their fathers, and positively stated by one of the leaders at Plymouth, as it had been by others before, that teachers were the representatives of the Church, and that they decided, and that then the Church could act. This was to meet the case of 1 Cor., where the Church were called upon to act. The case of Mr. Gillett was put to Mr. Dyer, thus. There at present is but one brother prominently active in teaching,―supposing he were to fall into some gross sin what is to be done? (the case where the person enquiring knew of only one active teacher was but because they would admit that elders in the place could take up cases and judge them.[1] The reply was, No, they could not judge him: if he had assumed such a place they must leave him to the consequences of it. If it was so bad as to be unbearable they must only leave.
The paper signed by the Plymouth leaders to clear Mr. Newton did more harm than good to their cause at Plymouth, as they were known by all to be the parties implicated, and it implied that the strangers would not do it. But the brethren from a distance having in fact come to no conclusion, for whose enquiry I had waited to give time, I had no longer now any reason for delay, and I proposed breaking bread. I hesitated whether I should demand Raleigh Street and do it as a public testimony, but, praying over it, I felt the humble and more gracious
- ↑ At Plymouth it was the persons who assumed the place of elders who were charged. One poor person on whom, following the elders, was urged, replied: but are not Mr. Darby and Mr. Harris elders as much as Mr. Newton? Which am I to follow? She was told it was not denied we were, but God had raised up Mr. Newton to a special and peculiar place in the Church. A paper to this effect, and assuming the place to Mr. N. of displacing leaders here and there by his own authority, was widely circulated at Exmouth.
where this influence extends, that the Church cannot itself judge: they have told me that they did think it was right, and so understood Matt. xviii.; but now they understand it is not.
