Besides Colonel and Mr. Woodfall, two others, and two others only, regarded by some as partizans of Mr. Newton, were received, after full examination as to the soundness of their faith, notwithstanding their personal regard for Mr. Newton; and these were a Mrs. Brown and a Miss Hill. On this matter Lord Corigleton writes,
“It is manifest that persons known as holding Mr. Newton’s errors, have never been received in Bethesda. Four persons known as friends of Mr. Newton’s, and as disallowing that he holds the doctrines laid to his charge, have been received, but never have any persons known as holding Mr. Newton’s errors been received into communion.”[1]
This statement, made in June, 1849, after having made all enquiries at the time, and confirmed as it is by those now in fellowship, is of importance, because contrary statements have been again and again put forth, which would seek to link Bethesda with all the errors and evils of Plymouth. Only one person holding Mr. Newton’s errors, ever even applied for fellow ship at Bethesda—a cousin of his own, who on being examined by Mr. Müller and Mr. Craik, was found to hold the views in question, and was consequently not received.
Whatever may have been at any time assigned as the ground of complaint against Bethesda, the real ground all along has been, their determined resistance to the dictation of man in the things of God. They would not surrender their liberty in Christ, nor subject their views of right and wrong to the rule of another man’s conscience, however much he might claim the guidance of the Spirit; whose assumed guidance every godly mind must disown, when the fruits of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, truth, are wanting; for we have been told, that the prophet is to be judged of, not by the authority he assumes, but by the fruits he manifests, for God would have us regard “not the speech of those who are puffed up, but the power.”
About the 20th of April, 1848, after the reception of Col. Woodfall and his brother, Mr. Darby came to Bristol, and as usual called on Mr. Müller, by whom he was asked to preach the following Sunday evening at Bethesda. This is mentioned as shewing that up to this time no breach between Mr. D. and Bethesda had taken place. In the intercourse between them, nothing passed that indicated the contemplation of the course that a few days later Mr. Darby initiated. Mr. Darby stated his inability to preach in Bethesda, having previously engaged to preach somewhere on his road to
- ↑ See “Bristol Case,” by Lord Congleton, p. 3.
