It was arranged, that those present should meet, to know what were the heresies which made such a course as Mr. N.’s desirable. There were two meetings, at which I attended as desired, and stated my views. Some there said, the mountains were molehills; but Mr. N. declared he was farther apart than ever ; and that the differences were fundamental. Mr. Harris had interviews with Mr. N. on the subject of the union in testimony, against the teaching of the brethren. He obtained from Mr. N. the statement, that it would be an object, not the object of his labours; with which he, Mr. H., was much delighted, as a means of peace. To me, it was the proof of deliberate perseverance, in a pursuit which anger had disclosed. Subsequently, Mr. Dyer and Mr. H. obtained verbally from him, that his statement was objectionable, if taken irrelatively, but there was no explanation of this, but an unauthorised one by Mr. Dyer, that Mr. N. would go on with brethren on other points, but continue his own pursuit of the avowed object. I was dismayed, not at the existence of the evil, but at the utter insensibility to such a statement; the only thought of most being to save, not the Church, but Mr. Newton from its effects ; and all silent (save what I have stated) but, that, Mr. A. Pridham saying that brethren ought to say what they felt, Mr. Batten replied, you may ask me, but I will not answer you. When I had asked at first, whether brethren acquiesced in this statement, Mr. N. as I have mentioned interfered instantly, and said I had no right to put such a question. At the close of the last meeting, which was to know whether there was any disavowal of it, and at which the term “taken irrelatively,” was discussed, Mr. Rhind, indeed, asked Mr. Naylor why he said nothing, and he said he was a stranger, and Mr. R. excused himself on the same ground. I left for Somersetshire to leave time for those less obnoxious to Mr. N. than me, to obtain some
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