Page:Groves - Darbyism - Its Rise and Development and a Review of the Bethesda Question.djvu/36

 at Bethesda, and announcing that he had withdrawn from fellowship, while in reference to those from whom he separates, he writes in the letter “I desire to state that I have met none here whom I do not love individually, and desire to love, and cannot be separated from as individuals, and some whom I must ever very highly esteem in love for their work’s sake.” Did the Apostle ever separate from such? Let the whole testimony of the word answer this solemn question: but alas! how rapidly does the spirit of separation spread as an unholy leaven, that mars and defiles all under its influence. That spirit which led Mr. Darby and those with him, to separate from Ebrington Street in 1845, leads Mr. Alexander and others, to separate from Bethesda in 1848.

The reasons assigned by Mr. Alexander for secession were: firstly, that many of the Lord’s people may be excluded from fellowship for conscience sake; secondly, that persons may come in from Plymouth holding these doctrines; and thirdly, there may be a suspicion of supporting a doctrine that dishonors Christ. He thus withdraws, not on the ground of any thing that had taken place, but because he feared one or all of three things might take place. This letter was printed and a copy of it sent to all in fellowship. The result of this was, that the minds of very many were tried and some were painfully exercised at the charge of indifference to the honor of Christ, brought against those whom they looked up to as their leaders. This called forth much prayer, and after hours of waiting upon the Lord in the matter, it was deemed advisable that the laboring brethren should state to the church the grounds on which they had acted ; and that they might express their collective judgment the more unitedly, it was thought advisable to give expression to their views in a written statement, to be signed by all the ten brethren who had principally taken part in the matter. This document was to be neither a creed, nor a church rule: it was to lay down no course of procedure for the future; it contained no authoritative rule of faith, but was intended only to state the reasons that led those signing it, to refuse to bring certain views before the Church at large, and to have a formal church judgment expressed on them.

As this letter has been made use of to cause and to maintain a separation among fellow-saints throughout the world, we feel it necessary to give it in full, and to append such observations and explanations as may meet the difficulties of those who seek candidly to know the real merits of the case. There are others whom we scarce hope to influence, but even these are not beyond the reach of the hand of the God of truth, and to him we would commend them and to his tender care. Before going into this matter, we