Page:Darby - A narratives of the facts.djvu/67

, and undermining them everywhere as subverting Christianity, and it has been borne with. And when resisted openly and honestly, crying out as if they were persecuted and oppressed. Does any one believe that they have not accused of falsehood, for example, myself, Wigram, Sir A. Campbell, over and over again. Every one knows publicly and privately that their charges of falsehood were the most violent. Aye, and in print, whilst they ventured to answer in public. No one need fear that I shall rake together here the proofs. The truth is, there was not a matter of which conscience told them they would be accused, but they anticipated by charging it on me or others, that if it did come out it might seem like retaliation, and lose its weight. They must forgive my now saying “they.” They have clubbed together in it themselves. Here the gravest complaint is, “veracity even is impeached.” Why in a previous letter of Mr. Newton’s, in the correspondence of which this forms a part, he declares “there have been falsehood and misrepresentation to an extent I could not have believed before the late events.” I could cite plenty like things, but surely I shall not. Every one that has been at Plymouth knows it. The difference is this, Mr. N. charges in general with misrepresentation. Of such a general charge he can quote no instance as against himself. In his case specific acts are charged with being untrue. His account of the April meeting is said to be untrue. His addition of a quantity of matter to a tract professed to be written six years ago, is complained of. His charging me and others with teaching an heretical doctrine, which he himself, as he does not now deny, and he alone ever taught, and out of which he was brought by those he charges with it. His declaration, that all he required was acting on the Scriptural rule of Matt. xviii., and that he never refused to be judged by the Church when it was positively refused. His declaration, that he had always objected to, and never sanctioned, the Friday meeting, when we had and have his letter appealing to it as proof of godly order. These which refer to the public course of events here, for I pass over all private ones, and not