our brother ---- in particular.

1, These children of God had been right in considering believers'
baptism to be Scriptural, and in separating from the state church of
Wirtemberg. But upon these two points they had laid undue stress.
Though believers' baptism is the truth of God; though separation from
state churches on the part of children of God who know that a church
is "a congregation of believers" is right, because they see in state
churches nothing but the world mixed up with some true believers;
yet, if these points are made too much of if they are put out of
their proper place, as if they were every thing, then there must be
spiritual loss suffered by those who do so. Nay, whatever parts of
truth are made too much of, though they were even the most precious
truths connected with our being risen in Christ, or our heavenly
calling, or prophecy, sooner or later those, who lay an undue stress
upon these parts of truth, and thus make them too prominent, will be
losers in their own souls, and, if they be teachers, they will injure
those whom they teach. That was the case at Stuttgart. Baptism and
separation from the state church had at last become almost every
thing to these dear brethren. "We are the church. Truth is only to be
found among us. All others are in error, and in Babylon." These were
the phrases used again and again by our brother ----. But God never
allows this state of things without chastisement. This spiritual
pride had led from one error to another. Oh may it be a warning to me
and to all believers who may read this, and may God in mercy give and
preserve to them and to me a lowly heart!

2, Another thing, on account of which the church at Stuttgart is a
warning, is this: When these dear brethren left the state church of
the Kingdom of Wirtemberg, on account of which they had many trials,
they did not meet together in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, but
they took some Baptist church, whether in H-- or E-- I know not, for
a model, and there was to be a teaching elder among them. Instead of
being content to own their weakness, and give themselves to prayer
that the Lord would be pleased to give them a teacher, brother ----
becomes their teaching elder, and this having been done, he alone
speaks at all the meetings (with few exceptions). Now, as his own
mind laid such an undue stress upon baptism, and as there was no free
working of the Holy Spirit, so that any other brother might have
brought out at