Page:Darby - A narratives of the facts.djvu/71

 case of evil, or alleged evil, at once before the body wrong and unscriptural. Tell it to the Church is the last resort in every way. I think it still sadder if the person in question be one who has been looked up to in the Church. It tends to shake confidence in all. But judgment has been refused in every shape to save character. If it be said that I, after the April meeting, when Sectarianism was avowed before fourteen of us, ought to have brought it before the body; I have indeed nothing to reply, but that I refrained at the instance of others, particularly Mr. Rhind, to spare Mr. Newton. Here I have always felt I may have been wrong. Further, I still state that unity has been denied, practically denied. And it is in part because of the way in which this has been disclaimed in the letter I am considering that I notice it. I will now examine the statement as to No. I. If these brethren had stated what they held about it, we should have known what to think. The question is, what is taught in the Ephesians on this point, and whether they hold it. They tell us they hold it as revealed in the Epistle to the Ephesians. That is exceedingly satisfactory. But what they hold we are evidently as much in the dark about as before. Now I allege that they really merely mean unity in heaven of all saints since the creation. It is clear there can be no other unity of all saints since the creation than unity in heaven. And that is what they have most assiduously taught as to the Ephesians. They have insisted that prophets in chap. ii. verse 20 means Old Testament prophets; and the whole Epistle to apply to all saints from beginning to end. It is quite clear, therefore, it has nothing to do with the present unity of the Church by the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. If they deny this teaching, the answer is, it is a dishonest denial. We have all heard it, whatever their partisans may say. Further, Messrs. Soltau and Clulow, in reply to the brother Buri, who, from reading Mr. Newton’s books, had come to the conclusion that he did deny the unity of the Church as taught in Scripture, stated distinctly to him that the unity he urged was in heaven. Each of them, that is, did,