The main object of what is commonly called " The Letter of the Ten" was to vindicate the conduct of those who had received the followers of Mr. Newton and adopted a neutral position with regard to the solemn questions which had come before Brethren generally. While the signers of the letter, severally and jointly, disclaimed the doctrines taught by Mr. Newton, they strangely say, with reference to communion, " Supposing the author of the tracts were fundamentally heretical, this would not warrant us in rejecting those who came from under his teaching, until we were satisfied that they had understood and imbibed views essentially subversive of foundation-truth." The only ground of rejection is thus plainly stated: " That no one defending,, maintaining, or upholding Mr. Newton's views or tracts should be received into communion."
Such was the ground taken by the most intelligent men in Bethesda, according to this remarkable document, and that before the error in question had been judged. They refused to judge it. " What," they said, " have we at Bristol to do with errors taught at Plymouth?" Nor would they agree to any extracts being read to the congregation from Mr. Newton's writings, or remarks made on his doctrines, until the letter had been adopted by the church. A meeting of the church was called for this purpose in July, 1848; but, as some of the members objected to the congregation sanctioning a paper which had not been explained and was not understood, Mr. Muller rose and said, " The first thing the church had to do was to clear the signers of the paper; and that if this were not done, they could not continue to labor among them; and the worse the errors were, the more reason they should not be brought out." Thus were the people required, under pain of losing the labors of their pastors, to assume a position of neutrality between the author of the tracts and his adherents, and those who utterly rejected them as unsound and heretical. The majority acquiesced: by standing up they declared their approbation of this paper of "the ten," and assumed a neutral position as to the great question which then agitated the minds of all Brethren both at home and abroad.