It would be an invidious thing after so many years to rake up evil without a cause; but as there is a bold effort just now to white-wash, it becomes a duty to speak plainly for the Lord's sake and those who desire to be faithful.
A good deal, calculated to mislead those who do not know the facts, has been made of Mr. D.'s gracious visit to Mr. M., as soon as he had opportunity after the seven meetings. At length they seemed uprightly to judge the heterodox tracts of Mr. N. Among others who examined, there had been no doubt whatever of his heinously antichristian error. For themselves as Christians it was hailed as far as it went. But not a few were grieved that the meeting was kept from its clear duty to put away the persons come into their midst, who not only held those evil doctrines, but diligently circulated the incriminated tracts. Yet this paramount duty was evaded by the request made privately that they should withdraw for peace' sake. To this the Newtonians acceded, only adding their title to return when they thought well or to that effect; which I never heard to be denied then. Proof, however, that the strong denunciation of the heterodoxy was hollow and transient became evident after the break-up of the N. meeting, which the seceding pair of the Ten leaders set up and carried on with Mr. N.'s presence and help. For, as already stated, these two, R. A. and. J. W., on its failure, sought fellowship again at Bethesda, and were received without question of the heterodoxy and of their deliberate and public support of that antichrist (though G. M. said his Christ would need a Savior for himself)! All that Bethesda asked, all that R.A. and J.W. gave, was confession of the wrong of leaving Bethesda! Its leaders' sole care was to vindicate themselves, not an atom for the traduced Lord Jesus.
It is therefore a suppression of the truth, and a suggestion of falsehood, to imply that all was cleared away by Bethesda in Mr. D.'s eyes. To remove every doubt, let the following extract of a letter of Mr. D., written in 1873 (many years after), tell its own tale— “When the loose brethren pretended that Bethesda had changed, and acted in discipline, C. declared they had not, and that as far as he knew, they would do the same in like case; and that he did not know a single person at Bethesda who held Mr. N. for a heretic. This was Mr. Craik's published statement long after the thing had happened. It was the open support of blasphemy, and the breach took place by an effort on the part of neutrals to force us to go on with B., as they openly stated, and I personally know.” (Letters of J. N. D., ii. 263.)
To avail oneself of a particular point in the history, which was a mistake however well meant, is it anything less than a fraud, and all the more because it touches the truth and the will of the Lord so seriously? Neither Mr. N. nor B. ever said or did aught to mitigate the evil done to His name during the many years that have elapsed. Conceive too the strange folly, and insensibility of reading the subsequent writings of one acknowledged to be a false Christ, and never disowning it!