any sense a formal definition of the ecclesiastical principles of Bethesda; it was only intended to meet a particular emergency. If the Letter really required any indulgence, no doubt the indulgence might fairly be claimed on these grounds.
The following incident rests on the authority of Henry Groves:—
“Shortly after the reading of ‘The Letter of the Ten’ to the church, Mr. Darby came again to Bristol, and had an interview with both Mr. Müller and Mr. Craik, in which he again urged the taking up of the tracts by Bethesda, and passing a church condemnation on them. … Finding their judgments were not to be changed, he sought to intimidate by the threat of separating from them all those believers in other places, with whom for years they had held Christian fellowship.”
Darby showed characteristic energy in putting his threat into execution.
“He went from one place to another, seeking to enforce everywhere the adoption of his course towards Bethesda. … Assemblies of saints one after another were placed under the bann [sic] of excommunication for no other sin than not being able to see that Mr. Darby was right, and Bethesda wrong. On reaching Leeds, he issued his lithographic circular, bearing the post mark of August 26, 1848, cutting off not only Bethesda, but all assemblies who received any one who went there.”
This circular is one of the great documents of Brethrenism, inaugurating as it does the unique discipline with which Mr. Darby’s name will be associated as long as he is remembered amongst men. The letter may be read in full in the Collected Writings.[1] It is a solemn trifling with facts, in the very act of pronouncing a wholesale sentence of excommunication. The least that can be said is that he was at no pains to verify
