Brethren.” I spoke to one who was prominent among them, and said, “I might be with them on Lord’s-day; could I break bread?” His reply was “I fear not; personally, I should have no objection―but there are others who would object strongly.” “On what ground?” “Not,” he replied, “that you are not a Christian, but because you are connected with evil.” “But,” said I, you would be allowed to commune with us.” “I could not do that,” he answered. “For what reason?” “Because you are an ordained minister.” “No,” I hastened to say, “I never have been in any way ordained―you, therefore, might come.” “No,” he replied, “I could not, for we do not see eye to eye.” Two ladies, also, whom I know, were refused on the same grounds: grounds, indeed, which are boldly avowed by the Leaders of the Darbyite section. So that, forgetting the apostolic exhortation, “Whereunto we have attained let us walk by the same rule, and mind the same thing,” they demand our seeing eye to eye with them; not, indeed, on all the articles of their creed, but upon all the things they reject and refuse to believe, as a condition of fellowship. The consequence is that they are the strictest, closest, and narrowest of all the sects comprised in the Christian Church. They are the “Exclusive Brethren.”
(4.) Their mode of advancing what they deem the truth demands our consideration.―As to preaching the Gospel, this is left to individuals as they may feel themselves called in the work. As a community, they make no provision for evangelisation, and, as far as I can gather, never dreamt of sending a missionary to the heathen. “Brethren” finding themselves in a foreign land might engage in preaching the Gospel in their individual capacity; but, as a body of Christians, they own no responsibility in this matter. Thus, Mr. Macintosh says,
