sters 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 these 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 Bethesda, though not be received into full
fellowship; and because at Gideon, where there were baptized and
unbaptized believers, they might even be received into full
fellowship; for we had not then clearly seen that there is no
scriptural distinction between being in fellowship with individuals
and breaking bread with them. Thus matters stood for many months,
i.e. believers were received to the breaking of bread even at
Bethesda, though not baptized, but they were not received to all the
privileges of fellowship.--In August of 1836 I ha