Page:Neatby - A history of the Plymouth Brethren.djvu/157

Rh from his Letter on the Lord’s Humanity, published two years earlier. Its language is of the utmost importance, for Newton’s alleged heresy in this particular served in after years as the principal buttress of the vast disciplinary system of Darbyism.

"“The Lord Jesus was fore-ordained as the sacrifice before all worlds, and therefore it was impossible for Him to die except as the sacrifice; but with the very object of dying as the sacrifice, He was pleased voluntarily to assume a body which, as regarded its natural or physical condition, was as much exposed to death, if smitten by the sword, or deprived of necessary nutriment, as ours would be.

“Yet it was as impossible for Christ to die in consequence of anything to which he might be thus exposed, as for God to be plucked from the Throne of His government. If all nutriment had been withdrawn from Him from His birth, yet God, His Father, would have sustained Him by perpetual miracle, or He would have so sustained Himself, rather than that death should have fallen, in any way, except substitutionary—on the One who deserved only blessing and life.”"

In the letter of 1850, not content with citing such writers as Pearson and Bengel, Newton actually called to his aid one of the leading supporters of the attack on the doctrine of his two tracts. This was James G. Deck, widely and honourably known as a hymn-writer far beyond the limits of his own sect. This truly excellent man, who was born in 1802, had held a commission in the army, and had had some pleasant intercourse with Norris Groves abroad. At this time he had long since resigned his commission, and was exercising his ministry at Weymouth. About 1837 he had published his well-known hymn beginning, “Lord Jesus, are we one with Thee?” This hymn had found its way into several collections in use amongst the Brethren. Newton appealed to the second verse:—