resulting as we thought, from baptized and unbaptized
believers being in fellowship. Without, then, making it a rule, that
Bethesda Church was to be one of close communion, we nevertheless took
care that those who applied for fellowship should be instructed about
baptism. For many months there occurred no difficulty as none applied
for communion but such as had either been already baptized, or wished to
be, or who became convinced of the scriptural character of believers'
baptism, after we had conversed with them; afterwards, however, three
sisters applied for fellowship, none of whom had been baptized; nor were
their views altered after we had conversed with them. As, nevertheless,
brother Craik and I considered them true believers, and we ourselves
were not fully convinced what was the mind of the Lord in such a case,
we thought it right that these sisters should be received; yet so that
it might be unanimously, as all our church acts _then_ were done; but we
knew _by that time_ that there were several in fellowship with us who
could not conscientiously receive unbaptized believers. We mentioned,
therefore, the names of the three sisters to the church, stating that
they did not see believers' baptism to be scriptural, and that, if any
brother saw, on that account, a reason why they should not be received,
he should let us know. The result was that several objected, and two or
three meetings were held, at which we heard the objections of the
brethren, and sought for ourselves to obtain acquaintance with the mind
of God on the point. Whilst several days thus passed away before the
matter was decided, one of those three sisters came and thanked us that
we had not received her, before being baptized, for she now saw that it
was only shame and the fear of man which had kept her back, and that the
Lord had now made her willing to be baptized. By this circumstance those
brethren who considered it scriptural that all ought to be baptized
before being received into fellowship, were confirmed in their views;
and as to brother Craik and me, it made us, at least, still more
question whether those brethren might not be right; and we felt,
therefore, that in such a state of mind we could not oppose them. The
one sister, therefore, who wished to be baptized was received into
fellowship, but the two others not. Our consciences were the less
affected by this because all, though not baptized, might take the Lord's
supper with us at Bethe