identify themselves with what I judge to be utter want of principle, do not let them, in signing an ambiguous expression, say, or leave to be concluded, that others have impeached the veracity of the five together. Mr. Newton’s veracity has been impeached. I impeached it.[1] He has declined all means of clearing himself where those who charge him could meet him unless before eight persons, half to be nominees of his own, shutting the Church out. Does he mean to involve the other four who sign this letter in the charge to relieve himself. No one else has. Nobody doubts that I think the table in Ebrington Street one which I cannot hold communion with. I have left it. Can any thing be plainer. The present narrative will say why; which I have never done yet. I have stated that they deny the real unity and holiness of the Church of God. I say so still. The Lord will judge who is right in this. They may escape by the support of a party, but it is not the position of any one, nor the numbers which support him, which can make evil good, or good evil, or clear the conscience of the Church of God. Mr. N. may talk of manner of doing this. It has been done in no manner; not at Plymouth, because the elders should take it in hand, and they bad assumed that place; not by strangers down here, because they did not belong to Plymouth; not in London, because the gathered servants of the Lord had no right to judge them. What is the manner it could have been done in which Mr. Newton has not refused, with the aid of the co-signature of these same persons? I appeal to Mr. Code, Lord Congleton, Mr. Potter, Sir A. Campbell, Mr. Rhind, and all who tried to effect it, whether they secured the investigation of alleged evil, as they sought it before the Church of God. The holiness of the Church of God is then given up. I think it a very sad thing, a very great evil, when any thing of the kind has to be brought before the Church at large. It is the extreme case of discipline. I take this opportunity of saying, that I think the bringing every
- ↑ Only, however, before brethren, of course.
