Exeter. It was there, for the first time, not manys days after, that he intimated publicly at a large meeting of labouring brethren, that he could no more go to Bethesda because the Woodfalls had been received. All were not prepared for this hasty manner of withdrawal, and it was asked whether any intimation had been given to those concerned, before so solemn an act as separation took place. This, as we have seen, had not been done; though subsequently, on the remonstrance of others, Mr. D. did write a letter from Exeter to Mr. Müller, intimating his decision in the matter, and thus closed the fellowship which for years had been maintained. We are now painfully accustomed to these acts of wholesale schism, at the hands of the originators and followers of this Darbyite discipline; but in those days, notwithstanding all that had taken place in Plymouth, it seemed a strange and unheard-of procedure, and led to remonstrance from all sides. But the die had been cast, the course had been determined on, and it was evident there would be no drawing back.
The demand made on Bethesda was, that there should be a Church investigation of Mr. Newton’s views, and a Church condemnation of them, and Mr. Darby expressed his determination to remain in separation from them till that was carried out. Amongst those in fellowship at this time, who were active supporters of Mr. D.’s opinion, we need only mention by name Mr. Alexander, who, with two others, were the three brethren already alluded to. Repeatedly did these three brethren seek to induce the other brethren to meet the demand; again and again was it brought by them before the Friday meeting, but the more the matter was looked into the more unadvisable did the step appear, for various reasons, which will be stated at length hereafter. These reasons, however, did not satisfy Mr. Alexander and his friends, who still contended that the question ought to be taken up by the church, and that they found their consciences compromised if they did nothing. To this it was replied, that they were quite at liberty to call a meeting of the church at any time, and to bring the whole matter forward, but that they ought to respect the consciences of their brethren, and not require of them to join in what they conscientiously regarded, as calculated to have a most injurious effect on the minds of the saints at large, leading them into vain and unholy speculations. This proposition, however, was objected to, and at length at their last meeting Mr. Alexander said that he would waive the question, and it was supposed it was given up. It was, then, with no little surprise when two or three days after, without any intimation of such a course, Mr. Alexander’s letter was issued addressed to the brethren meeting
